SLOW DOWN!

It's hard to believe that this episode in our lives is coming to a close so quickly. As we make plans to visit people in the coming week we realize that it might be the last time we will see them. Of course, the follow-up question after we tell someone we will not be able to come back is "Will you ever come back to this country?" Our answer is that when they are sealed in the temple if we can come back we will. It is hard to say good-bye. We have made some great friends here, people we have served, people who have served us and people we have served with. One of the harder good-byes this week was to the daughter if Isidoro. If you remember Isidoro is the 92-year-old man that we have visited 2-3 times a week since we started helping him recover from a hip injury. His daughter is the most loyal, kind and patient daughter I have ever seen and I have some sisters that have shown me a very high standard. We will miss her.

As we try to wrap things up we have been traveling a little more than usual. Since I needed to go to the Capitol to pick up the birth certificate of Mona I decided to do a little more work with the coconut business for Ramon and Ernestina. I went into a few tourist shops in the historic district. I had some sample of some of the items we are making and want to see what the response would be. I talked to 2 shop owners who said that they are interested. I decided to go to one more just to make sure. I went into a shop that was mostly selling larimar (The semi-precious stone that is only found here) with only a few nick-knack things. It turns out that the owners are a part member family, she is a member he is a dry member as they put it. They loved the items but said they are in the process of changing their store to being a Larimar and other stone shop only. They, however, were really helpful. They told me to come with all the product made and have a price list ready that has different prices according to how much product they buy. They gave me some other great ideas on how to sell to the shops. They loved the idea of making scented candles, but I told them I couldn't find where I could buy the supplies. He knew exactly where to go. A half hour later I had supplies I needed to make scented candles. Once again things seemed to "just fall" into place.

The main reason for going to the capital was to get the birth certificate. There was a little delay in the Haitian embassy but after only a few minutes wait I had the document. Mona was now a real person and I had the proof. So on Friday Phillipe and Mona took the guagua (bus) from Bani to here and I drove them down to the Embassy in Barahona to pay for and apply for passports. (needed for them to get married). Once again divine providence helped us find success. As it turns out my Ambassador friend (see the story from a few weeks ago) was working behind the counter where we apply for the passport, which I thought was unusual. He said that almost all of his staff has been called back to Haiti for an investigation. A man was found dead in Chile and he had a passport from Haiti that was made in the Dominican Republic. He actually seemed to enjoy working with us and helping us get the passports. I say divine providence for two reasons. One, he noticed on the copies of the birth certificate of Phillipe that there was an ink mark that looked like someone had tried to change something. He asked to see the original and he could see that it was the same ink that was done at the time the birth certificate was made, and was only a mark of clarification. He made the decision to send the original and a copy with the application instead of two copies. I'm not sure that the other lady would have caught that. In fact, after watching how careful he was compared to her, I'm quite certain she would have not caught it. Which means the application would have been denied.

The second reason I say divine providence is that he offered to take the passports to them in Bani when they arrive. This is a big deal because it is expensive for them to travel to and from Barahona. But even more important it can be risky since they are not here legally. There are three military checks between Barahona and Bani. If they were to take the bus the busses are often stopped and people have to show papers. This made them very nervous about returning by bus. Him offering to bring them to Bani was exactly the comfort they needed to have. We talked about it on the way down there and it was a big concern for them. The Ambassador just volunteered "out of the blue".

I think we experienced our last emergency transfer this week. Thursday night we learned that the 2 Elders in our Branch are being transferred and that we will be receiving Hermanas the next morning, while I was on my way to Barahona for passports. Sometimes some missionary(s) somewhere were disobedient enough that they need to be transferred from their area. This creates a big chain reaction and ends up moving many missionaries. This missionaries in our branch were friendly fire. The Hermanas that came to replace were also friendly fire. It is always disruptive to the work but most seem to take it in stride.

The good news we get to know two amazing Hermana Missionaries that have already made a difference in the Branch. We love the Elders and love to teach with them but the Hermanas bring with them a different flavor of missionary work and sometimes after one flavor for a long time a new flavor is welcome. The Branch seems to be responding. The people we have taught with them sure are responding.

There you have another exciting week as a missionary. It will be sad to take off this plaque in another week-plus, but we will never forget the wonderful experience we are having here.

Have a great week

Your friends
Hermana Y Elder Borup

Saying good-bye. Isidoro and his daughter.

The view from Monte Bonito. It was extra nice after riding my bike which included a section of 30% grade.

Hermana Gil and Hermana Earl at THe house of Ramon and Ernestina.

Anybody for a some murdered chicken

Our favorite water truck. You don't really need a windshield if you can't go faster than 5 mph.

Christmas is just around the corner. We are singing Christmas music in church and the apple stands are starting to show-up.

Elder Aybar at our last district meeting.

We have been visiting this family since we came here to Azua. We took a break while they had this little girl. She's gained so much she can't get into her pants. Sort of like Hermana Borup and I.