Times of the "Butterfly"

On a recent trip to San Francisco de Marcoris, we took advantage of an opportunity to visit the home and museum of the Maribel sisters.

Maribal Sisters - Martyrs

These four sisters are national heroines here in the Dominican Republic being very instrumental in the overthrow of the famous dictator Trujillo in 1962. The "sister's" home and national museum is located in Salcedo, about two miles from San Francisco de Marcoris in north central Dominican Republic.   They are recognized in the national history as heroines and martyrs, after they stood out in the fight against Trujillo's regime in the years 1930-1961.  Also known as "Las Mariposas" (The Butterflies), Patria, Minerva and Maria Teresa were brutally assassinated on Trujillo's order, in November 1960, while on their way to Puerto Plata to visit their husbands who were in prison.

 This was a very sobering and memorable experience as we learned about this black mark in DR history.  But it made us proud that these strong ladies stood up for the importance of freedom, bringing about the downfall of an evil dictator and the eventual reality of a democratic, free Dominican Republic.

In downtown Santo Domingo, a 100 foot high obelisk monument--the shape of the Washington Monument in D.C. and located on Avenida George Washington-- stands to the celebrate the Maribel sisters.  We came home from this trip and watch the movie "Times of the Butterflies" on You Tube.   As we present one of the lessons in our Book of Mormon class about religious freedom, many of our students say their grandparents lived during the Trujillo days and

Anti-Trujillo Freedom Fighters.  

have passed down the stories of Trujillo and the the importance of maintaining freedom. Their words touch my heart and make me thankful for the blessings we have in the U.S.  Randy