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