Christmas in the DR

Well I will have to admit, that this was the most different Christmas that I have had in my 22 years. But we still made it count. Thanks to my wonderful grandparents and family, we were able to do some service projects that kept our minds and our strengths completely occupied. We made sugar cookies for all of our investigators and a lot of the members of our ward, it was more than 250 cookies and it took sooooo much time, but we really had a blast. We also helped with the dinner of an inactive family, and gave some clothes and a game to a few families! It was fun. We took the plates of cookies to them and sang and read scriptures of Christ’s birth. I really, really enjoyed it! I think that my companion did too and she now has a new tradition and is going to teach her brothers to make cookies and they are going to do the same every Christmas. The people here have never tried anything like these cookies and yesterday at church at least 10 people asked me for the recipe. I really had fun and it reminded me of home, except I needed my Santa hat! haha !
Last week we had a Christmas party with half of the mission. It was really fun, we had a really spiritual program and we sang and read from the scriptures and watched a video of Christ. Then we had a lunch. The Dominicans hated it, oops. Because it was American food! Ham and potatoes and carrots and they threw in some rice with chili on top. I enjoyed it! Santa and Mrs. Clause came! (aka the Whitakers!) And they brought us goodies if we were good! We had a good time. It definitely wasn’t like the cooking of my family, but it was better than what I can do here. But of course the best part of my Christmas was hearing the voices of all of those I love the most.
I wanted to tell you a few stories of things that have happened.... first of all in about three lessons this week when we asked the question "what is a prophet?" They all said that we were. Haha and then we had to explain for about 10 minutes that we aren’t prophets, and tell them what one is. So I think that from now on we are just going to tell them what a prophet is and then ask them at the end. Also today was really great! (We watched Johnny Lingo!!!) In the morning my favorite investigator right now named Katherine, called us and I answered. She asked me if we could pass by later. She already has a date to be baptized but she needs to get married first, and she is great, really smart, and has a strong testimony already. She said that she had a dream last night, and she said that she doesn’t want to wait longer. She doesn’t want to live in her sins, and she wants to repent now and be baptized as soon as she can! I don’ exactly know what that means, but we were really excited so we are heading over there after this to see what’s up, I will keep you updated.
I will just tell you that the mission is hard, there are days when you feel like you are at the end of your rope, but that is just when you need to tie a knot and hold on. It really is worth it though! I love you all and miss you so much!
Hermana Reay

Navidad, Navidad, Es Felicidad...

Navidad, Navidad, Es Felicidad...
I think that that is the only Christmas related song that exists here in the DR. I really don’t feel like I am in the Christmas season at all. Sometimes I think that we (in the US), are the only ones that know how to celebrate! :) I hope that you are all in the Christmas spirit and are as happy as I am for the 25th! I get to call home! I can’t wait! It is what is keeping me going. The meaning of Christmas here is to go to your town in the country with your family, or to be drunk all the time! It’s pretty crazy, but somehow we are still working and finding people. We are getting all of our contacts done and still having a lot of lessons. God is watching us....from a distance. Haha anyways! Yesterday we passed by all of our investigators houses to bring them to church but no one answered their doors, it was sad, so we ended up going alone, but we received huge blessings. We had more than 7 in church, because our new members invited their friends and neighbors. Including a family! I was so excited! So now we have some new people to teach and we are happy. This week we also have some fun events coming up! We have a big activity with all the missionaries tomorrow, I am excited and Hermana Antivilo (my old comp) is going to be there, she called me last night and I was so happy. We also are doing a lot of fun service projects! I can’t wait! I love and miss you all and wish you the best this holiday season!
Love,
Hermana Reay

Charlie Brown Christmas Tree

This is our Charlie Brown Christmas Tree. We did our best. It just makes it better if we have a tree no matter what it looks like. I love you all and hope you have the best Christmas EVER!!!

This is the Dad of our mission!

This is the Dad of our mission! He is about 89 years old and this is the tree we decorated for him. Things are just not the same as back home. But he was happy. Check out my cute 'little' companion. I am the giant.

Brian's Baptism

This is a picture of us at Brian's Baptism.

SUPER HARD!!

Hello all!
First of all I just want to say thank you to the Davis family and the Hawks family! I love to read letters from anyone and I felt a piece of home when I heard from you!
This week has been super hard, SUPER HARD!! I feel like I heard bad news, after bad news.... but we made it through. When you go through trials, you really learn a lot about yourself, and your testimony grows, because sometimes there is no one else you can turn to other than the Lord. Hermana Batty, she is like my sister, she had to go home because she lost the use of her arms. I was so heart broken, but I know that she will get better! Pray for her.... also Eva, she is so special to me. She is one of my investigators... Her whole family is members, but we have been waiting for her papers so she can get married. We finally got them this week, and it was final, we set the date and everything, and her "husband" finally knew that it was really going to happen so he decided to tell her that he has another family that she never knew about, 2 children with another woman! It was heartbreaking. She told us today through tears, and I just didn’t know what to do. So now it’s all off, but she can’t live without him because she doesn’t have any money. Her children are the cutest things! It kills me.... her sons are the ones that helped us with Hermana Digna, and she gained her testimony from theirs! Anyways, through the trials, I am also learning how much I love the people. Charity really is the hardest attribute of Christ to have, but I am realizing the importance of it. If we could all just love everyone and treat them so special, the world would be such a happier place.
Other happier news! Brian was baptized yesterday and it was great! He is so wonderful. I hope that he will serve a mission! I really have been so blessed with the people I have come to know here in the DR and I know that by helping to change their lives mine has changed as well! Love you all!
Hermana Reay

19 Days!!!

Can you believe that in 19 days I will be calling home? That is such WONDERFUL news! I just can't express right now how happy I am! I am staying in my area with Hermana Garcia!! This is the first time that I havent changed companions, and I am sooooo happy! We still have so much work to do here, and we have the best baptism coming up on Sunday! Today I got to spend part of the day with Hermana Haggard as well because her companion went home, so she needed someone to be with! It was great!
The best part about my week was that we completed all of our goals. I learned this week the importance of goals and that you really can reach them if you put the effort into it and try and try so hard. If you do your part, the Lord will do His to help you complete your goals. We set goals every week, and a lot of times it´s just like they are numbers, but they really arent. They really are to help us progress. So every week we have a goal to find 10 new investigators...so on Saturday morning we reviewed our day and our goals and we only had 4 new investigators so far, so we decided that we were going to either come back to the house that night with 6 new investigators or we were going to come back with 6 new investigators. We totally did it, and it was amazing! Because the whole day we were searching for new people, we completed 2 other goals that we had, we had lessons with members, and recieved references. It was great! So now we have a new drive to look at our goals every day and to have a special drive to really reach them! I loved learning all of that because not only does it apply to me right now in the mission, but I can use it for the rest of my life!
I really am so happy right where I am and I know this is where I need to be, this time of the year is really hard, especially with a few things that are going on at home, but just know that I love you all and you are all in my prayers! Never take for granted the things that you have, and especially your family! Your parents and your grandparents, because they are the foundation and where we learn everything. Without them we wouldnt be anywhere, I love you all so much!
Hermana Reay