Sometimes plans just don't work

Sorry we don't have a lot of pictures this week. I guess we were just too busy. Also this is my big week for work in the office. Rent, Electric and Cell phone are all due this week. That sounds easy but there are over 80 phones and about 70 houses and electric bills. For someone who doesn't even pay the bills at home this is a big task. This is great work, even though we are do temporal work we feel like we are part of something really big. So here are some of the highlights from the week.

Remember how last week I told you that we found a great beach by the airport and that we are going to volunteer to take anyone to the airport that needs to go? The plan was working perfectly. Elder Salcedo an assistant that was in the group that went home last week stayed an extra week to help the newer assistants with the transfer. He was due to leave on Tuesday morning and needed to be at the airport at 10 am. The other couple said they were planning on taking him since they have not taken anyone to the airport in awhile. We quickly told them it was our duty and we would be happy to do it. So far so good, right? The other potential obstacle was that the assistants would take him. Well no chance of that because Zone conferences started that same morning. So we loaded up our bags with swim gear and drove to Zone Conference to pick-up Elder Salcedo. President asked him to bear his final testimony and off we go. Elder Bateman (one of the assistants) helped us load his bags. As we were walking out President told us to Take Elder Bateman with us. NOOOOOOO!!!!!! but I didn't say it. Well, we got to go to the airport but we didn't get to swim. We didn't think it would be good to leave Elder Bateman on the shore while we swam for an hour. We should have let the other couple take him.

As it turned out we're glad Elder Bateman came with us. He and Elder Salcedo were companions and knew each other really well. It made Elder Salcedos trip to the airport much more special. There is something great about seeing a missionary leave after 2 years of wearing themselves out in the service of the Lord. Missions are not for wimps and this has got to be one of the toughest. He went home a worn and tired Elder to a loving family in Columbia. He wasn't sure what he was going to face but he has the faith and tools of how to face it.

ON the funny side of things: One of the jobs of the other office couple (the Buhlers) is to order supplies for the missionaries. Several weeks ago Hermana Buhler got a call from an elder who wanted a braille Book of Mormon. She was excited to do what she could to help the Elder and his investigator. She found out that she could get one and so ordered it. Well, It got here this week. It came in a very big box and she wondered why was it so big. She opened it up to see several large binders and immediately thought that the distribution center sent 8 copies and not just one. Upon closer investigation it turns out that there are 8 volumes to the Book of Mormon when it is written in braille. She also found out that this very LARGE Book of Mormon is in English. If anyone needs a copy of the Book of Mormon in braille and English we have one in the mission office of the Dominican Republic Santo Domingo West mission. They can just come and get it.

We were able to attend the Temple this week. We tried to meet our branch there. They said they woul be there around 6 so we assumed that meant they would do the 7 O'clock session. By 6:45 there was no sign of them so we decided we would go in hoping they would come soon. We never saw them. We just thought something must have happened. As it turned out they came but they never planned on a session. They did baptisms and a couple from the Branch was sealed. We never saw them. By the time we got out, they were done and on their way home. Another plan that didn't go as we had hoped. What we did see were several amazing young couples in our session. If this was a sampling of the members in this Temple district, the Church is in good hands. )Oh yea Denzel Washington was one of the witnesses. Well at least he looked just like him)

We continue to study Spanish and make small progress. We went to a baptism in our Branch last night and the Perez family (our Spanish teachers) came with us. The Branch mission leader conducted the meeting. He's the guy I told you that we can't understand anything he says. As it turns out the Parezes can't understand him either, or at least they said that to make us feel good. The funny thing is that he bore his testimony and I understood a lot of it. Maybe we can learn this language. The man that got baptized is the husband of a women who got baptized 21 years ago. He had heard the discussions several times and had met every Elder ever to work here. It was a great celebration.

Speaking of Spanish, We have been trying to talk to people everyday. I had to buy a tool so I went to a small ferreteria. I talked to the owner about the Book of Mormon and presented to him a pamphlet about the Book of Mormon. I felt like my Spanish was pretty good. At the end I asked him if he would take the pamphlet and read it. In perfect English he said he would. I think he was just dying to practice his English but I kept talking to him in my broken Spanish. I told him I would come back so he could practice English and I can practice Spanish. He agreed.

We love the work here. There is always more to do. We get tired but are very happy. We miss our friends and family but we know this is God's work and we are excited to do our part.

Take care
Your friends
Hermana y Elder Borup