Week 2

I have lost perspective of time. This week flew by but at the same time - I feel like I have been here forever. I've settled in well and I am really enjoying the CCM. They give us quite a bit of freedom here. A big portion of the day is for the companionships to do what they need to do - whether that is plan lessons or study espanol.

We've been 'teaching' the Bair’s; they are the Temple President (Patron and Matron). He was also a Mission President in the D.R. about ten years ago. I believe they are originally from the West Coast but that portion of the conversation was in Spanish so I may be way off. It has been eye opening for me to see how many people it takes to run the church. Anyways, they were saying how uniquely receptive the people in the DR are. He said that he had companionships of sister missionaries that were able to get into every door they knocked on. And Sister Bair said we need to be careful because if you compliment the people on something like their shirt or perfume, they will give it to you; that is how kind and generous they are.

We were able to take a trip to the store this week. It was exciting to leave the temple grounds for the first time. It has been strange being in the country but not really experiencing the country yet. The store was fun. I have discovered that I am feeling much more confident with speaking but I am at a total loss when people respond to me. I have mastered the smile and nod.

The Haitian missionaries left. We were so sad to see them go. However, it may be beneficial in that I was picking up a strange mixture of Spanish and French/Creole and that left me confused. They were replaced by a large group of Hispanic missionaries that come from a variety of places. These missionaries are only going to be here for two weeks and then head to Santiago, DR.

In other news, I cut my hair. Actually, I didn’t cut it. It was a district effort. No one had any haircutting experience but I think it looks alright; one of my teachers said it wasn’t a total disaster which was very reassuring. Oh well, YOMO (You're Only a Missionary Once).

All in all, I am doing very well. I can feel myself getting a little better at Spanish everyday and I am starting to understand effective teaching patterns. I can also see myself gaining a better perspective; it is a wonderful experience to take a step away from my comfortable life and re-evaluate.

Much love,

Meg