Hi Mom how are you! 

     So this week we had a really good experience.  I have really have gained a testimony of service and the importance of serving others because it is in those moments that you can't help but be and feel happy. You can see that the person you are helping is happy and how now they have one less thing to do. So I have been praying for service opportunities a lot this week and we have had success! So first off, if you ask a Dominican "how can I help you?" The answer is always... no it's okay, I'm fine or it's okay, I'll do it myself! So I have learned that in order to serve them, you just DO IT! So sometimes I'm bolting for the kitchen when no one is looking to start washing dishes before they realize it and kick me out! It makes for some funny, but good experiences.  Especially when they panic that I'm not doing it THEIR way.=) 

     This Sunday we were on our way to a members house when we see these Haitian kids and one is being bullied and goes off crying. So we pass him and I gave him some candy to help him feel better (I always try to have something to give the kids when they ask us for money or when something like this happens so that I can share something with them) So we keep going and then turn around and decide to sit with him until he stops crying. So the others Haitian kids are kind of staring at us from a safe distance and I motion and tell them to come here and I asked what happened and one kid (who wasn't there at that moment with them) had taken his toy away.  And we then proceeded to have a conversation about how we should help others and take care of others because if we were in the same position we would want someone to help us and that is what Jesus Christ would do so we should follow him and try and help others. We then gave candy or gum to all of them and walked 10 steps until a man stopped us and began singing to us on that street corner.....it was fun! He had a good voice! 

     Anyways I love you all! I'm learning that even though you don't always see big things and big progression, the small things every day count and people will always know and feel that you love them when you serve them happily and willingly!

Hna Carey

The Week of 20!

Hello everyone! 

     So something great happened this week! I TURNED 20!!!!!!! Ha ha who´d of thought! Yep that's cool.  I also got my amazing package that day at my zone meeting as well! AWESOME! My zone sang to me in Spanish Happy Birthday! Also great! So Hna Blanch and I had bought cake in a box to make and we made that Sunday night and then I made her wake up with me and eat it at 1 AM Monday morning, because that is more or less when I was born. So yeah, we ate cake at 1 AM! Whoo hoo! That was so fun! Then after the zone meeting my lovely companion paid for my lunch for my birthday! Yay! 

     Okay....so while I was in the middle of opening my package we get a phone call informing us that our interviews with President are RIGHT NOW! So we had to book it to find a guagua and go to a city called Mao. So I got to have my interview with President on my birthday! That was so fun! Then after I got to go back home and finish opening my package and I just have to say that I HAVE THE BEST MOM AND DAD IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD! But it's okay they already knew that!

      Okay so the crazy thing we saw this week:  We were at a less actives house for her sons birthday and we were passing by and talking to the grandmother when she tells us to come look! So we go outside where they are all dancing and partying and a chair has been set in the middle of the plywood dance floor and the son (who was turning 12) got a LAP DANCE FROM ALMOST ALL OF THE WOMEN.....MOTHER AND SISTER INCLUDED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We just stood there like I have no idea what is happening.  Then it was like the bunny rabbit response of just run! Run! Run! Yep so that was the icing on the cake this week..... Well I love you all!

Hna Carey

MOM........ MY PACKAGE IS SO AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lemon pomegranate lotion!!!!! Wow that is a match made in heaven! And you sent it with a body SPRAY!!!!!!!!! And Italian soap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is so SOFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And wow those skirts are beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ha ha... It did make me laugh that they were all pencil skirts.  It was as if you read my mind!!! I was dying for some cute pencil skirts! And the shoes are so pretty and fit! Also that blue dress.....WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And the other one too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Everything is so cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And all the shirts are perfect and fit great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm just the cutest missionary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ha ha, so if your goal was to get me and my companion hissed at more you can check that off your list.  Because they hiss alot when I wear my big flowy skirts, but a pencil skirt? Well then........and all of the chocolate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I love chocolate! And I also opened all the Valentines day stuff too.....ha ha whoops..........and those chocolate covered cherries.......WOW!!!  We both ate one and had to stop what we were doing just to savour and enjoy it!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yep it was an incredible day! It finally felt like Christmas and it all happened on my birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love you!!!!

Hi Dad......my package is SOOOOOO GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So I know that Mom picked everything out, but I know that you paid for it all so thank you so much and I just love you so much! And I like all your notes in the letters and on the pillow case! Also it made me laugh that your note on the pillow case looked like Mom's handwriting! =) Ha ha your handwriting would not have worked too well on a pillow case! I love you lots!!!!!!!!!=)

DAD:     "OK, I have to ask...... Why did the chicken fall out of the tree?  Sounds like the start of a joke..."

Leah:     "I have no idea! It just fell out of the freaking tree, onto the car and set the alarm off and then tried to fly up again to get back in the tree!!!!!! Man the DR!!! It doesn't get anymore special than the DR....ha ha

Alright Dad,  you get the main email this week so get ready!

 Alrighty, too many things to write about and so little time!

1.  A couple of weeks ago we were splashed by sewer water....that´s gross!

2.  I also forgot to tell you that there was an earth quake last week...I thought I was going to die!  But I made it through with flying colors! Ha ha, there was that awkward moment when you realize that the freaking ground is moving!

3.  Also saw a chicken fall out of a tree, land on a car and set off the car alarm! Sometimes we just look at each other and think "well, that just happened".

4.  We had a sisters conference and it is the last one that the Douglas's will do so I think they went all out because they bought all the sisters in the mission a strung pearl necklace! 62 sisters! They get the pearls with the connections from the Charity that Hna Douglas runs, so they are cheaper because of no middle man. Wow, so now I have a beautiful black pearl necklace that I am saving until I go home to use!

5. Transfers came and went today.  I'm still training, so still the same.  And that's  great because we have a baptism on Feb 14!

6.  Okay, so the whole package thing.  It arrived at the office finally and I'll get it on Monday so I'll let you know! (this is her Christmas/birthday pkg sent 11 weeks ago)

 I love you all lots and I think you are great!

´Hna. Carey



So this was New Years Eve and I'm standing on a fire hydrant that is halfway in the ground.

Hello Everyone!

     All right first of all, home made paper lanterns catch fire and burn to the ground. It was still fun but sure isn't the same as in the movies.

     Hna Blanch and I were very brave this week and we both got our hair cuts! Yeah, this is the last time I will ever do that again here.  So I got a lot of layers in my hair.....but they just don't blend well, especially for blond hair.....  I don't know if I like it yet or not but for a DR haircut she did an okay job...at least it wasn't with safety scissors....ha ha that once happened to my sister leader!  But it's okay! It could be worse=)  

     So we had help cleaning our house today from the family downstairs. Ha ha, there is no greater panic than having them just make themselves at home and take over everything and start throwing water everywhere.  It's one thing to help them do that in THEIR houses but it's different when it is in YOUR OWN  house and you and your companion are both American.  But it's cleaner so that's cool.

      Yesterday we had an adventure when we went into Santiago for a meeting for training and then afterwards the mission nurse told us that we needed to take some medicine home with us, but she had to first go and get it. We ended up spending all of yesterday with her in her air conditioned car driving around everywhere. It was fun! The meds were for my DL who is sick and it was just more convenient that we bring them back since we were going that way.  But ha ha, she ended up just driving that way later anyways.  

Love you!

Hna Carey

Hi Mom!

      You´re great! Did you know that? So....making peanut butter cookies in this country.......terrible idea unless you have US ingredients because they are all different here....the cookies sucked....... I was so mad! But my companion liked them, so she has pretty much eaten the whole pan....by herself =) Ha hah it's funny! 

     Okay so I forgot my camera stuff but I have a beautiful picture of the tacos we made!!!!!! (her companion forwarded the pictures to her) I made Mexican rice and Dominican black beans without a recipe and they tasted amazing because we made pico de gallo and added jalapenos and they were amazing! I'm getting pretty good at some things! Ha ha hah....some things......

     Yesterday I had to chase a pink lizard out of our house with a broom....I named him Stewart.....=) And I made a guacamole fried egg sandwich for lunch today and it was delicious=) Anyways I love you so much.  

     The office elder said that he actually found my package so he is now able to turn in the receipt and it will either get here this Friday or the next so that's cool=)

Love you!

Hna Carey 

Hi Dad, 

     I made amazing tacos this week! so today we have a reversed p-day and we taught our lessons this morning and tonight we are going to another city to celebrate the new year and we are making paper lanterns and lighting them! LIKE IN TANGLED!!!!!! I forgot to tell mom that so tell her too! So fun!!!!!!!!!!! Anyways I love you so much! 

Love Hna Carey

Our Tacos!

Leah's companion with all the banana trees