Well, this week was interesting......we were having a lesson with a less active member when her pregnant neighbor faints. They go to help her and then get kicked out of her house. After, as we are about to start the lesson, the same lady who had fainted comes out and and tells us you're not of my religion right? Do you know why I'm doing this?" And I panicked.  So... I wide eyed told her no and then she throws HOLY WATER on us! Yep.....holy water kept in a 7-UP soda bottle. I was terrified. It is a first though.....and on the bright side it was super hot so it was rather refreshing.

      There has been a killer heat wave that has swept the DR.  We are walking in 100 degree weather! Wow....I've never been so hot in my life! We have to use umbrellas to save us from being horribly burnt! IT'S SO HOT HERE!!!!!!!!!!!! Everyone is dying of heat and it will just get hotter! Also two days ago my companion and I got two giant water tanks (the blue ones that we use for food storage) and filled them up with a bucket of cold water and got inside. It's that hot! Since we don't really have a bathtub we improvised=)

     Also a few weeks ago Ramon got baptized!!!!! He was an investigator that Hna blanch and I were teaching in Esperanza! I wasn't able to go to it but I'm so happy he got baptized!!! I got to talk to Hna Blanch again this week and she told me that another girl named Winnifer is going to be baptized this Saturday!!!!! We had just started teaching her when I got transferred out. It's sad that I don't get to be there or that I didn't get to finish teaching them but I'm so happy they are getting baptized!!!!!!!!!! So exciting!!!!!!!!  I just don't get to be there for them and that's sad.  I feel like everyone gets baptized after I leave. But I was talking to Hna bates and she told me something really nice.  She said that the Lord doesn't just give the glory to one person.  He brings in and takes out missionaries to remind us that it is His work and not our work. I really think that is true.   If we baptized everyone then we might start to think that it is just us and not Him.=) He´s smart that way=)

    Mom, before I forget! I WANT STRAWBERRY RHUBARB PIE WHEN I GET HOME!!!!!!!! I'm telling you early so that you can freeze one.  YOU HAVE TOO!!!!!!!!! THAT IS ALL I WANT!!!!!!! They don't freaking do pie here!!!!!!

     Alright so this week....I actually barely remember. It's funny that it is all just a blur. Well I'm still learning my area so that's fun! I'm way better at directions than when I left! I'm still terrible but it is progress! Also a funny moment of the week, I was on exchanges with Hna Bates(who was with me in the CCM) and is now my sister leader so that was SUPER FUN! Okay so we both are new in our areas and her companion was sick and they helped us last week with our numbers when I had dengue so we went out and proselyted in BOTH of our areas. My companion was with Hna Bates´ companion so we went out kind of almost blind. We got lost in both of our areas....But it was really a miracle because as we were lost a lady comes up to us from the US and starts talking to us in English! She just lives here for fun, living off of a budget and doesn't have to work and just lives, enjoys life and tries to be a good christian person. It was so cool! We have an appt. with her for Tues. Then again we were lost and apparently God knew we weren't going to get to the house we were looking for so He sent us a member to help us. We were just walking along and it is one of the few members that I could recognize and helped take us to the house we were looking for.  I learned that even when you have two missionaries walking almost blind, the Lord will still direct your paths and footsteps and send others to help you, because the same thing happened when we  were lost in the area of Hna Bates! The Lord really is so mindful of His missionaries!  

     Also we had interviews this week! It is my last interview with Pres. Douglas! I'll have a new president for my last transfer of my mission. But it was really incredible to talk to him and I told him that I only have 3 transfers left including this one. And he goes what? It seems like it was just only a couple months ago that you were crying in my office! And it was so funny because it feels like an eternity for me. Well it depends... it kind of also feels like I've always been a missionary and I always will be! Which I guess that is true.... it really doesn't end.=) a

    

 President said I got more difficult companions now because and he told me that I can do it and that he believes in me. Yeah......I think it's because I'm rather mellow.....and yes it will be very difficult to see him go. He has done a lot of good in this mission and Hna Douglas has saved the sisters of the mission. He actually told me that it is common for sisters to go home in other missions but not in ours and he thinks that it is because of Hna Douglas. I think so too! She is amazing!

     Today we had a super soak capture the flag P day and it was super fun, but I was soaked before we even started the game.....I started it but the elders sure did finish it and yes....I was very wet......

So.......want to know something funny? My companion asked Pres for permission to have a pet turtle......we now have a pet turtle.......also there are a zillion cockroaches in my kitchen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is NOT OKAY.   But that's pretty much it for the week!=) I love you guys! =)

Mom,

Hey guess what happened to me this week! You really do have to guess!

I HAD FREAKING DENGUE FEVER THIS WEEK. THAT SUCKED! I got a light version but I had this huge rash all over my body and I had no idea what was going on. 

     YEP!  Sorry mom..... I know that normal missionaries get things like a cold or a sore throat but I'm just a little more special. I had the craziest rash! It was so weird! I also had a fever and body and eye pain....I was in the house for three days......so that was an adventure.....the rash was just freaky. I looked like a Dalmatian. But I had a light version because you can get it worse. And I was put on the dengue fever list that the Mission has of missionaries who have had it once.  On the bright side I'm really great friends with the mission nurse.=) I'm doing good now. I just had to stay in the house for three days and my fever didn't even get that high and for that I was very grateful.  But my sister leaders made me guyaba juice. One of my sister leaders is Sister Bates who is in my group! She was in the CCM with me! That is so fun!

    I bought eyeliner and mascara today..... it made me very happy.  I miss all of my makeup a lot but I don't want to buy any more here in case it gets infected. I really just miss being able to wash my face with sink water. I also bought paper, colored pencils and pens! We did crafts today for p day! It was so fun!!!!!!!! I miss being creative and having time for that too!

     My companion last week (after we left the Internet center) called the President to have a change in companions.  She was only with me for 6 freaking hours! But President said no =) It was funny though because she told President that I was too flechona - which means like a straight arrow.  So yes, she really did call President to complain that I was TOO obedient and she just wasn't accustomed to that.  I thought it was really funny and I took it as a compliment.=) She also said she wanted another companion who had  served as long as I have...just someone different than me.   And so far....she also likes to ditch me, like my last companion did.

     But.... I just don't know what the heck to do with her. If I mention a rule or anything to her she says that I'm forcing it upon her. But I don't mention anything when she's just personally disobedient.  I only mention it when it affects my obedience too.. (like proselyting in the mornings) so I don't know what to do.  I think I just have to learn to work with limitations and be as obedient as I can with these limitations that I have. And I'll just get to know my scriptures better in all that extra time.  Also I found the cutest thing for you!

MOM MOM MOM MOM MOM MOM MOM MOM MOM MOM MOM MOM MOM MOM MOM MOM MOM MOM MOM MOM MOM MOM MOM MOM MOM MOM

                                                      HI=) 

Love you,

Leah

   Mom,

  Good news......I found Dad a nice t-shirt to bring home, I bought Chinese food and I had some really good grape juice! And General Conference was amazing! I loved it! I got to watch it in English with one of my CCM companions Hna Bowen! It was way fun!  
     Alright, so the regular news of the week. My third area lasted all of three weeks. Transfers came and I'm in La Vega now.  Oh yeah I think this will be my last area.  I've heard all good things. Everyone wants to go to La Vega. It's a city but it's a poor city.  So I've been told to not walk around with a lot of jewelry on. That's funny, I sure do stick out. With the transfer I got a new companion.  When I left my old companion Hna Santiago this morning she was almost in tears and she thanked me and told me that I was a good companion to her and that she knows her weaknesses but that she learned a lot and that I helped her and she loved me. It really made me think and surprised me. It's really a tender mercy that she actually noticed that I really did try. Fasting, praying and everything.  I love her too..... just from a distance.
     My new companion (as of this morning) flat out told me that she won't leave to proselyte in the morning with me and that if I wanted to go out in the morning I could find someone else to do it with. I just looked at her and went, well, we are going to have problems then. It'll be interesting.....I think President and God are picking on me...=) This is ridiculous.=)   I think she is testing to see how far she can push me. But I've learned a lot of things in my mission and I don't budge so easily anymore about those things.  I have learned a lot about the first two commandments. Love God and love your neighbor but never get the order switched around. Anyways I love you!

Love,

Leah

This is the email I sent Leah on her Wednesday P-day.

Hi Leah,


    I don't know quite know how to tell you this.......   If I can stop crying long enough maybe I can write it down.  This has been quite a week for us.  I haven't been feeling good for a little bit.  Finally I went to the doctor......I was told something that completely floored me and I still can't really comprehend that it is real.  I'm freaking pregnant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Yea, I know......I just about died.  I feel sick as a dog and can't even wrap my mind around it.  It wasn't supposed to happen......I mean Dad turns 50 this year!!!!!!!!!   I don't want to do this again.  Anyway, that's what is new.   I know your speechless......me too........................




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Mom!!!!!!!!!

Leah's response:  "I just about died!  NOT FUNNY! "

My response:  "It was sooooooo funny!"

I couldn't help myself....Her P-day was on April Fool's day :)

She didn't write much but here are a few snippets:

     I got to go to a Catholic funeral. That was a terrifying experience!  So much weeping waling and gnashing of teeth. Yep that interupted our P day. It was a very strange experience.   Definitely one that I would not like to repeat.

     Well I have cried so many times this week....but it's okay.  I just need to have more love.  So in my weekly email President told me that there are some people that are easy to love and others that stretch our souls and that he suspects that it is my time to have my soul stretched. That's comforting.    So I'm just working.  I'm just trying to find my way around. The area is good and I like it.  We had two families come to church this week and we have to set a marriage date with one of them for this week hopefully:)  I'm super excited!

 Hi Mom!!!!!!!

     Guess what I learned this week! I'm not nearly as patient and loving as I thought....I'm working on that. My companion is a little four foot three inch Mexicana. She's sweet..... we just are not on the same page....like ever. She only has four months in the mission and besides the 15 day companionship she had, I'm her first companion after her trainer.  She's just interesting...... but I know that I'm here to help her, but it's really hard to help someone who throws you under the bus.....but it's okay. I had a good crying session this week. I know I will be held accountable for my behavior and not hers, so I have to do my part and be kind and loving and patient. That's hard.....but I feel terrible that I am not being that patient, loving person ALL OF THE TIME.  I definitely feel inadequate in the whole understanding and love department. I know who Heavenly Father wants me to be and yet....how the heck am I supposed to become that person? Well... The Book of Mormon has become my best friend and I'm just reading and reading and reading=)

      You know when you think of missionaries or at least when I did... you always think of happy go lucky spiritual giants that preach happily every single day and love everyone. And when I read the emails of other missionaries it still seems that way.....and then theres me..... okay... not just me.  I was talking to Hna Bowen and Richardson from the ccm and they agree. Maybe it's just the difference in a US mission and foreign? Probably not.....

     

     It's actually kind of funny.  Normal occurrences in my life are finding spiders in my bed (not even a big deal now,) hauling 5 gallon buckets from the bathroom to the kitchen to fill the laundry thing, walking for hours on end in the Caribbean sun while men yell at me "AMERICANA!"  Having the lights go off almost every day, being eaten by mosquito's and finding centipedes on our patio. They can get BIG!!!!!!

      US missionaries are so spoiled. I don't even know what they complain about. But I know all missions are hard but wow....they have couches in their houses! I have a tile floor and a metal chair.... it really just makes me laugh.  I read Axl's email about how healthy he eats and laughed.....well when we are out we have access to unlimited amounts of cake and soda and no one ever feeds us dinner..... almost never.....=)    And yes.........I have officially walked to the end of the world and back in this area. It is so big!!!!!! 

Love,

Leah

    

Hello,

     Well.....this was different.....let me just set up this scene for you, here we go.

Hna Blanch and I had a normal morning.  We studied and prepared our talks for our district meeting and whatnot. We left early though because we had to find the house of an investigator. We left the  house at about nine twenty and were looking for the house when at about nine forty-five I get a call from the assistants....."Hi Hna Carey how are you?    Oh I'm good Elder how about you?   I'm good... well... we are having special transfers and you are going to Moca. So say goodbye if you can, pack your bags and we will be there in two hours to pick you up......     ARE YOU KIDDING ME? ARE YOU JOKING?  WHAT DO YOU MEAN I'M GOING TO MOCA?"   Yep.... THAT WAS OUR CONVERSATION. The SISTERS IN MOCA COULDN'T GET ALONG SO WE GOT TO SWITCH COMPANIONS.  So now I'm lost in the middle of a new area in the middle of the transfer without having said goodbye to one single person from my favorite area....I'm learning a lot about moving forward in faith without knowing beforehand what I am supposed to do. I was reading in the Liahona about Nephi and how he didn't know how Laban would be delivered into his hands but he moved forward in faith. It's like the taking one step into the dark in faith and trusting that the light will come. Yep.... I'm currently having a growing experience here. But I know I'm here for a purpose. Not sure what it is but I'm going to trust that Heavenly Father knows what's up......

     Hna Blanch and I were both told that that our new companions need lots of hugs, love and patience....so that's cool. She seems really sweet, but I feel bad for Hna Blanch because this is her first Spanish companion and she called me crying this morning because she can't communicate. Sometimes I wish that whole tower of Babel thing hadn't have happened, because wow...... we suffer.  Man I didn't say goodbye to anyone! I'm pretty heartbroken by that actually.  But my new companion is sweet.  Just insecure, new and demanding ...but I'm a lot more mellow now so I think we should be fine.   I just feel like I'm babysitting here....

     Also I'm in the most Catholic town EVER! There's even a giant cathedral thing in the middle of the town. Yep.... they think it's really funny to ring bells at six AM. Yep the freaking Catholics are waking me up! But it's cool and I'll adjust. It was just a huge shock. This only happened on Monday. But yep that's the news for the week. 

Love you!

Hna Carey