We survived

After surviving Irma anything I say may seem like a let down but have had another great week. The Mission continues to move forward with the emphasis on sharing the Book of Mormon. President Santos had 15 minutes before a meeting and wanted to video tape how to make the initial contact. He went with he Assistants to a barber shop and had one of the Assistants video tape his contact. His video was instructive to me. His approach was to tell a man that he was trying to see how people react to the Book of Mormon. He asked him to read a verse. After the man had read it, he asked him what it meant. The man told him and then President asked him how it made him feel. The man was visibly touched by the scripture. He then followed up with an invitation to the man to receive a Book of Mormon at his home. In 15 minutes he found a man who is now at least interested in knowing more. The Book of Mormon is a powerful tool.

The highlight of our week was getting a call from Madison to tell us she is engaged. Corbin (her fiance) called us last week to get our blessing for him to ask her. She has known him a year now and we have known him for much of that time. We think he is perfect for her. So of course we gave him our blessing but tried to make him sweat a little. We were expecting her call and it came on Thursday. Corbin is going to be a great addition to our family. So far on our mission we have added 2 grandchildren and soon another and now a son-in-law and that's not to mention 2 new dogs in the family.

I had a little surprise in church this week that taught me two valuable lessons, both of which I have been taught before but I don't seem to be learning. The first and most important is to follow the promptings. On Saturday (our preparation day) I had a feeling that I should prepare something for the priesthood lesson the next day. I was not assigned to teach so I didn't do anything about it. When we got to church in the morning I saw the Young men's president (who was supposed to give the lesson) leaving on his motorcycle. So as I went into young men's class I learned that I was giving the lesson. The 2nd lesson I relearned is that lessons go better when you are prepared. This lesson is doubly important when you are teaching in a language you are trying to learn. I wish I could report that it went well. Something good did come from it though. We have a young man that is preparing his papers for a mission. He saw how bad I was tanking and he stepped up to help in some very awkward moments of my inability.

Another big highlight of the week was participating in a Family Home evening in Santana (a community within the boundaries of the Nizao Branch). A member of the Branch invited two families that the missionaries have been teaching and they invited several other neighbors. We were going to have it outside but it was very hot without any breeze which made the mosquitoes very bad. So everyone smashed into there modest home. The Elders gave the lesson and we sang some hymns and had a bowl of spaghetti (I also brought some salami and cheese and shared with everyone). We were very impressed at how willing a generous the family (Caesar and Anna) were to open there home and resources to their neighbors to share the good news. One of the families that the missionaries invited didn't come. After the FHE we went with the missionaries to visit them. It was really fun to be out with the missionaries and helping them in some small way.

In all my years of riding my bike as an adult I don't remember crashing my road bike while I was moving. (I have fallen over because I forgot to un-clip from my peddles when I stopped)( I have also fallen way too many times when riding a mountain bike) Well, I guess I had to go on a mission to have this experience. Hermana Borup and I were out for a ride at the local 10 km circuit (5 km one way and 5 km back, East and West) and it was raining on the East 2.5 km and dry on the West 2.5 km. Really! we rode for about 2 hours and it was like that the whole time. As we finished our ride we made a turn to get onto the path through the park that takes us home. The turn just happened to be right where there is a crosswalk and on the raining half. Wet paint is slippery and as soon as I hit the paint I went down. Some cyclists stop to see if they could help but I think my pride was hurt more than anything else. (see picture for a view of some of the damage) On our way home Lynette went down to, but she is more familiar with that activity. She was going slower and so her damage was a lot less. The best news is that our bikes are fine!

We got to deliver a Missionary call to an Elder that attends church in the same building as our branch. HE was given his call several weeks ago and knew where he was going because he could log into the churches missionary portal and see it, but he never got his actual letter. After several calls to Salt Lake and the local Area office Hermana Borup was able to get them to send another call. We took it to him this week. He was very happy to have it. He had not told anyone where he was going until he received his letter. There was something very important to him about having that piece of paper.

On Friday night we went out to diner with some of the other missionaries serving in Santo Domingo. They are serving in many different areas of the Church. Some are welfare missionaries some are financial auditors some work in the temple and the Bentleys who are from our Stake are Secretaries for the area Presidency. They try to get together every Friday night. This was the first time we felt like we had time to get away. I think my companion also felt a need to see someone else other than her companion. It was really nice to be with others serving here in so many different ways. We ate at a restaurant that has been in existence since 1508. Sir Frances Drake ate there. Drake was not good to this island. After his exploits here, he died of dysentery. I'm don't think it was from the restaurant here though because our food was very good.

Another experience from the week was an encounter with head lice. Hermana Borup got an email from a mother of a sister missionary asking if we could check on her daughter. She said she was taking a shower and bugs were falling out of her hair. Hermana Borup has this love-hate relationship with things like this. She gets grossed out by them but seems to thrive in the challenge of them. She decided to take the Sister under her wing and help her get rid of the lice. We picked up all of her clothes and bedding and brought them home to wash. They then stayed at our house for a night. Before they went to bed and after a medicated shampoo treatment Hermana Borup and the Sister's companion picked out lice eggs from her hair. The good news was that they left feeling loved and cared for, the bad news is that the treatment didn't seem to work. I will have to keep you posted on the final outcome.

Life isn't boring! We love to serve here how and where we can. This is a great work! It is God's work and we feel grateful to be a small part of it.

Your friends,
Hermana y Elder Borup