Temple Blessings

Since the beginning of September, we have been invited to attend the temple sealing and endowment ceremonies of two of our Institute and Pathway students--Emilio "Richard" Rodriquez, and Nelly Luciano.

Richard, our Pathway student, and his beautiful wife Alba, were married and then sealed together. He was a wonderful student with straight A's.

Richard and Alba Rodriguez

Our "Gentle Giant".at 6 ft. 4 ins., he is very muscular, but so quiet and humble. Peggy had him in her class and especially loved him.
Nelly Luciano, the Public Relations specialist on the Institute Student Activities Council, recently received her mission call to Lima, Peru, and went to the temple to receive her endowment.
It was an honor for us to be asked to attend the temple with them.  We both commented on how special these young friends have become in our lives.  They are the future leaders of the Church  here in  the Dominican Republic and will provide the continued foundation and strength the Church needs as it grows, To attend the temple to make their sacred covenants with the Lord and for us to be asked to attend is such an honor for us.

Nellie has impeccable English and she helps us so much with communicating with other students and using our electronic devices. Peggy will miss her so much. She spends quite a bit of time with her when both are at the institute.  Her testimony is amazing and she is friends with everyone. We loved having her in class because she added so much. But now she is working during our class time, so we won't be able to teach her any longer.

Right now, she is working two jobs to pay for her mission. Her parents don't want her to go on a mission. Her father, especially is quite angry with her. She didn't tell him for about two months after her mission call came. Peggy told her that she had a lot of courage to do what she thought was right and she said, "I only regret that I haven't done it before now." We had talked and we knew her circumstance and Peggy had asked her about how her father would feel if she went. She said that he would be very angry and would not support her. Peggy asked if he would ever disown her and she said, "No, never no matter what. Parents here (in the DR) just don't do that."

Nelly and Anabel Luciano

She is 22 years old. She hasn't gone until now because her father said, "No you can't go." So this is very much against his will and was very difficult for Nellie. She says that she just couldn't ignore the promptings of the spirit any longer. She really loves her father, mother and her sweet sister, Anabel (19 yrs old). Peggy says she has a feeling her father will come around in the next year and a half.
These young people are very committed to serving the Lord. The Lord knows their love and He is in charge.

Alba Rodriquez

We will See Richard still because he works at the CCM teaching the new missionaries. We are there every Monday night for our Spanish class and see him. We also see him at the temple now and then. How we love our young, wonderful students.