Valiente Branch Update

We continue to have memorable experiences at the Valiente Branch teaching English.  For the last several weeks there have been 240 students that come to the classes at the branch each Saturday morning.

We have eight classes being taught in English at several levels by senior missionaries, four young "Gringo" Elders and and a couple of local non-member friends of the branch president. We have been  working closely with the branch president and others to support this major effort.

Peggy is helping to teach the 8 to 14 year old class of  84 students.  It is huge but we don't have room to divide and make the class smaller.  They get creative in keeping the younger students interested with fun songs and fun games.

Randy has taken on a leadership role with training and providing the curriculum direction.  What is amazing is that when we arrive at the small branch building at 8:00am to prepare for the 9:00 classes, there are already about 30 students  inside the church waiting for this fun event.  They are excited!

With their notebooks and pencils in hand, they are ready to learn.

The teachers are:  Peggy, Sister Martinez, Sister McGuire and Miguelina (a non-member) in the young class, Jose Rosario (non-member) in the adult class, Elders Richardson, Frampton, Nelson and Mejia, Daniel Allred (BYU intern) and senior missionary Elder Martinez.

We attended a baptism of two young men. Their mother spoke and told of how she had been baptized and was active for four years before these two boys were born.

Elder Celaya, Jose, Mom, Leandro

Recently, as her boys began investigating the church because of the English program, the Relief Society sisters started to friendship her. She told of how much she had missed " the spirit" she had felt many years ago. A couple of weeks later, her two daughters were also baptized. We have a young couple that is investigating now.


The husband John has been coming to English class alone because she is struggling with morning sickness. They came into Santo Domingo with Elder Frampton and visited the temple. They will be baptized soon also.

Daniel Allred and John

Elder Frampton is a zone leader in the Valiente area. He also brought two recent convert, brothers, Domingo and Esterlin, into the city to see the temple on a follow-up lesson.

We had them to dinner and returned them back to Valiente that night. They are so humble. They had never been in a home like ours. It's humbling to realize we live very affluently compared to them who have so very little.

Each week, we have younger and younger students. A new little boy Eddy came Saturday, that can't be more than five.  He was so attentive. Peggy would kidnap him if she could.  We really love these people at Valiente.

They have been a big part of our lives, even though it's not part of our regular assignment.

Eddy (isn't he cute?)

We are grateful for the opportunity to be with them every Saturday.

Elder Frampton, Daniel Allred, Esterlin and Domingo