Welcome, welcome Sabbath morning

     This morning we woke up early and drove out to Boca Chica, where we picked up our friend, Felipe. We met him several months ago when we took a tour of the New York Yankees baseball academy for young potential major league baseball prospects in Boca Chica, DR.  His full name is Felipe Luis Perez. He is a security guard at the academy.   He was a pitcher in the New York minor league system until he hurt his elbow and couldn't pitch any more.  Too bad!

Two weeks ago when Pam and Bruce Yeates, Peggy's sister and brother-in-law were here for a visit, we again visited the Yankees training camp and again met Felipe.  We were surprised to see him.  He looked familiar but we weren't sure if he was the same young man that had given us a tour before.  It had been a couple of months. As we drove into the gate, he smiled and when we rolled down the window he said, "Hello, where are your friends?" We had taken our missionary friends, the Wilson's out there several weeks ago. Randy showed him the picture we took of him and Randy pitching on one of the practice fields two months previously.  He remembered and got all excited.  On this, our second visit, he asked if he could learn more about the Church and come to church with us.

Felipe Perez pitching at NY Yankees field Boca Chica, DR

Randy called him last night and he said "yes." he would like to go with us and he would meet us at 8:30am Sunday morning Feb 21 in the Burger King parking lot "on the highway" in Boca Chica--(a 40-minute drive from our house).  He kept his word. We took him to Sacrament Meeting and Sunday School, introduced him to many members, the Bishop and the full time missionaries (Elder Frogley Providence, UT and Elder Johnson Burley, ID), who are going to teach him.

Entrance NY Yankees Academy

After church, we drove back to Santo Domingo for a short Temple site tour, answered questions, then to our apartment for lunch. Then we drove to his mother's house in the suburb of SD who he hadn't seen in a couple of months.  What a sweet, simple, humble lady! It touched our hearts to meet her and Felipe's older brother, Jesus.  Felipe was so happy for us to come into his mother's very humble house.  It was a small concrete house with no windows and a tin roof. We could tell he loves his mother very much. She kept telling us that God sent us to visit her. She spoke Creole and Filipe told us that she would be happy to have missionaries visit her also. She lost Filipe's father when Felipe was born and his step-father five years ago. After hugs, she took Peggy's hand and walked us up the steep, concrete path to the road, where we were parked. We then drove Filipe to the bus to return to Boca Chica.

We reflected all the way home on this experience.  What an amazing Sabbath day sharing the gospel! We had prayed for the Spirit last night and this morning before we left the house that we would know if this young man was sincere and how to handle ourselves. We know that we need to be careful where we are in a poor country and we are "white and appear wealthy". Everything about this friendship and relationship seemed to fall into place!  Felipe is so kind and seems so receptive and humble and ready for the gospel in his life. It is amazing how the Spirit brings people of different cultures together. We don't know if he will join the Church, however, we felt so good about opening  our mouths and sharing the gospel with him.  Stay tuned...we'll follow up with Elders Frogley and Johnson and see how things go. Peggy and Randy

Family Night

A special family night was held at the Mirador Sur Park in west Santo Domingo for our small missionary group (Park's, DeWitt's, McGuire's, Gardner's, Bentley's and Fuller's and joined by the Yeates's).  In this park is a small area where a concrete monument and plaque are located commemorating the dedicatory prayer for the preaching of the gospel in the Dominican Republic by Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Council of the 12 Apostles.  

This was a very spiritual 40 minutes for us as we pondered the event that took place here 38 years ago.  Elder and Sister Gardner talked about the history of the DR and Elder Bentley read a few excerpts from the history book, Witnesses of the Hand of the Lord in the Republica Dominica. Very powerful stories!  At the time, there were just two members of the Church and today there are 130,000 in the DR.  Two things are of interest to us:  1)  one of the two early members was Eddy Amparo, the uncle to one of our Institute coordinators, Oscar Amparo. We feel as if we have a real connection to  the past AND the present; and 2) my cousin Michelle Smith Shaw, was an  early missionary here (1983) when there was only one stake and a handful of wards in the country (her picture is in the history book).  Today, with a 15-year old beautiful temple, 27 stakes and districts and 100 plus wards and branches, the Church has really grown.

Gardner's and Steve Bentley History of Church in the DR

Two months ago, President Flake, the Santo Domingo Temple president, told us to look at the growth of the Church the last 20 years.  He said, "...in the next 20 years the growth that will take place will be amazing!"  There is such a spirit of growth, potential and interest in the Church and gospel here.  The people here have strong faith.  The youth, who are second and even third generation members are stepping up and taking their place in building Zion here. In our Institute classes and English classes, there are many non-members.  These young people are interested in the gospel.  We are so excited and proud to a part of growth and the development of the kingdom of God here in the Caribbean.
     We feel that the  non-member young, single adults here are very humble and primed for the gospel. They are looking for "more of something" in their lives. They yearn to have the Lord's spirit. They tell us that they want to "know more about our church" and "I would like to have the missionaries come to my house". We are extremely blessed to be in this country at this time. We love the senior missionaries that teach us- like the Gardner's, who showed us this place so that we could share it with other missionaries later. We know our Heavenly Father loves all of His children and that the gospel is expanding everywhere. But we love the people here so very much! They have taught us so much about purity and humility. 'What a grand place to be!                                 Peggy and Randy