Allright,  everyone listen up! This is by far, has been the best week of my whole mission! Why you may ask? Well I´ll tell you why! We went to Puerta Plata!!!!!!!!!!!! WE WENT TO THE FREAKING BEACH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You have no idea how beautiful the beach is here in the DR!!!!!! The ocean turns blue and green and white and turquoise and dark blue all in different parts!!!!!!  It is so BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I´ve decided I want a beach when I get home. It was so fun and my legs are burned but it is was so worth it!!!!! And I have pictures!!!!!!

      Also a funny Dominican moment is that something peculiar about them is whenever you compliment them they offer to give whatever it was you liked to you sometimes. Which I still don't get because sometimes you just want them to know that they look nice! So I told a recent converts mother that I liked her shirt.  So she proceeds to strip in front of me and then gives her shirt to me as my jaw has just hit the ground. Yeah, my comp and I just lost it laughing as she walked out of the room in just her bra. And then her son just looks at us like what's wrong with you guys? Yeah.......that's a new one. 

      Also we had rum ice cream given out at a baptism.....that was funny....kind of.......ha ha the Bishop bought it......=) Well, it doesn't get much better than that!  I love you guys!

Hna Carey

It is mission tradition to burn a tie, skirt or dresss at the one year mark so I burned a dress and it didn't burn as fast as it should have! So.....the bucket melted!!!!!

Hello my dear family!

     Allrighty then, so I have had some interesting experiences this week....first of all, no Mom there are no pictures because it is so dang difficult. But I promise next week! 

     Okay first thing.  Our floor broke.....as in cracked up. My dear sweet companion went outside to put away laundry detergent and came back saying that she had broken the floor. So apparently it is cheap tile and because we are on the second floor all of the smoke from cooking downstairs just collected and broke the floor. But how do the check if the floor is in fact broken? THEY ALL STAND ON IT TOGETHER. Yep...we thought that they were going to die.  Then the landlord takes one of our kitchen knives and STABS  our floor. That was funny and also one of those moments where you just put your head down and stop thinking about it....

     Also this week we were at our investigators house and she had just gotten out of the shower (people shower here all the time because it is so hot) so she is in her towel and is dressing her 2 yr old and then finishes him and then PROCEEDS TO DRESS IN FRONT OF US! Not cool! I know I'm a girl and everything, but wow...Se paso.....

     Also we went to an awesome service this week. We went to Navarrete to help take out this tree that had fallen in a river. So first of all we got to get wet! YAY! On the down side it was still a dirty river and so hopefully we won't get a disease. It wasn't that dirty but it wasn't that clean either.=) Also we got to help build a bridge out of rocks so that the elders can cross it easier when they are out normally because there is no real bridge. And the tree that fell in the river was a devil tree. It had massive black thorns ALL OVER IT!!!!! Yep we were SUPER  careful not to stab ourselves as we were taking out the pieces of wood from the river. Ha ha.... all the plants here just want to kill people. Well that's pretty much it! I love you guys! 

Hna Carey =) 

Hi!

     Alrighty then, so this week I decided to keep a list of funny things or happy things that happened and I even remembered it so maybe this will be a more detailed email. First of all Hna Blanch and  I literally stopped traffic.....that funny moment when we are trying to cross the street and walk out in the middle of the road, only to realize a bus is coming in both directions, so we run back to the side of the road. But the bus drivers have already seen us struggle and not just one, but they BOTH stop in the middle of the road to let us cross. Yep...I was special and challenged at home and the legacy continues! 

    

      Also, new cooking low this week (honestly I have learned to cook and feed myself very effectively) but I accidentally lit my pasta on fire this week, and I don't mean that I burnt it, but I literally LIT IT ON FIRE! But the cooking high of the week was that we made banana, oatmeal, cinnamon and chocolate pancakes! It pretty much just turned into cake so we figured might as well call it cake and added frosting and that made them AMAZING! Also I got to try crackers with mayo on them.....not half bad... I got to wash dishes with a sock this week and we are officially out of toilet paper and have resulted to paper towels that were in the house.......not proud of that......Oh yeah! Last week I forgot to tell you about how we woke up on P-Day with a zillion bugs in our beds......they looked like ants with wings......so gross.....

     

      On a more spiritual note, we had a Caribbean broadcast from Salt Lake! So cool! The first speaker was American but knew perfect beautiful Spanish and it was amazing to actually listen to the talk in Spanish! Usually they are given in English and it gets taped over in Spanish. There is power in listening to a talk in someones actual voice. We also heard from Jeffrey R Holland and he STARTED IN SPANISH!!!!! He did his actual talk in English but he started in Spanish and at the very end of his talk he bore his whole testimony in SPANISH!!!!!! I have a very strong testimony of how inspired it was for them to start having speakers in different languages in general conference. IT IS DIFFERENT.  THE SPIRIT IS STRONGER. I could not believe how strong the spirit was when Elder Holland bore his testimony in his gringo Spanish. The spirit just flooded my body and I am so grateful to know a second language and be able to communicate with a whole other part of the world and know more of God´s children. Anyways  I love you guys!

Hna. Carey

P.S. if you are ever having a bad day just remember the girl in the third world country with bugs in her bed! =) You should feel better!

Mom,

     Want to know something hilarious?????? I have worn each of my new skirts once and now they are sitting nicely in my luggage waiting to see America again. I WILL NOT RUIN THOSE SKIRTS. I WILL NOT DO IT!!!!!! This country is rough on clothes.  They are so pretty but I learned that I can't jump over puddles and sit on the floor in a pencil skirt......which are necessary things to do..... but thank you! They are so pretty! I'll love them in 6 months!!! Whoo hoo!.......also I will send pictures next week =)  

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