First Sunday in the DR: Many Miracles to Come!

We met with the manager we'll be working with today. There was a devotional in one of the stake centers that is opening a Self-Reliance Center in the building where people can go for resources when looking for employment opportunities in the area. They cut the ribbon off the door and everything!

Church today was great! We didn't go to the ward we'll be at for the rest of our time here, but they were very welcoming. An awesome sister named Aydi who also works for the Church gave us rides to the chapel and back and invited us over for lunch with her family! They made some delicious meat, rice, and vegetables. I didn't like the "malta" drink they served us though! I was impressed by their gospel-centered lives.

One of those families who just does it all in the church!One of the sisters who works with human resources for the Church here (Lisette) invited us to her home for dinner with several Self-Reliance Services leaders to welcome us! It is inspiring to get to know them and the life-changing work that they do. All of the people we have met so far are incredibly friendly and welcoming. They do good things and are always trying to have a good time and be funny as much as possible!

We stick out a lot as Americans. The first thought that the members have is that we are sister missionaries. (It makes sense, since we are foreigners in skirts, holding scriptures and going to a lot of Church meetings.) But we explain to them that we are interns from BYU here to work with the area manager in the Self-Reliance Services, and then they get it.

I feel incredibly blessed to be here!! I'm amazed by the opportunity that Heavenly Father has prepared for Carolina and I. The Spirit has confirmed to me that His timing is perfect, and he knows me as well as his other children individually and all of our needs. This country is BEAUTIFUL! I wake up so happy to realize that I'm within miles of the beach and the sun is shining outside and people are waiting to welcome us. I also realize that there is a lot of need here for the Self-Reliance Initiative; there is a lot of poverty as well as people who are searching for help to reach the next level of finding ways to succeed in living happily and comfortably with their families. 

Hno. Alvarado, who is in charge of a the Self-Reliance Initiative in several countries, said that we have the potential to influence many, many lives through our efforts here. The work we do can impact thousands of members in the Caribbean. We will travel a little bit in the DR, but can also do work online that will help the Self-Reliance efforts from a distance. 

Depending on how useful our time is here will determine whether future interns from BYU year-round in Santo Domingo to assist our specific manager. We are the first ever to come as interns from BYU to the Dominican Republic under the LDS Self-Reliance Initiative as it was established a little over 2 years ago.

I feel that the Lord has been preparing me for this internship in many ways. To me, life in the Dominican Republic is a kind of a mix between Hawaii and Mexico. Living in both of those places is helping me adapt to the culture, climate, and lifestyle a little bit! 

My mission in New Jersey provided experiences for me to interact with many Dominican Church members and investigators who we taught and interacted with. So the thick accent hasn't caught me too off-guard! I've even met several members who have family members and friends in New Jersey, because there is a large concentration of Dominicans there. One is headed to visit his sister next month with the reason of sharing the gospel with her and her family. I promised to search for the ward mission leader's contact info for him before he goes there!

I know I have a lot to learn while I'm here. For me, this is the best way to do it! My major in Latin American Studies and Spanish skills are going to benefit from this experience mucho! More than that, along with credits I'm taking at distance from BYU, I have the chance in a to consecrate a large part of myself to Lord's work, leaving behind much my personal life, and to become more converted to gospel principles as I learn, apply, and teach them to others. 

One important lesson that I've been learning is that the Savior can help us in EVERY aspect of our lives, and he wants us to! We can "cry unto him" about our jobs, studies, homes, relationships, and life questions, and he will guide us. And he knows what truly makes us happy and brings us joy. Our purpose is to return to live with God, but then with experiences, skills, and knowledge that will qualify us for eternal life! (Mosiah 2:41)