3 Weeks and loving the DR!

Some of our favorite perks of living in the Dominican Republic so far:

• It’s always about 82 degrees!  (Not missing the snow in Provo or New Jersey right now, I’ll tell you that!)
• For breakfast, we spend 50 Dominican Pesos (About $1.16 USD) for a plate of fresh pineapple, papaya, cantaloupe, watermelon, and banana from the man on the corner!
• “Bon” ice cream shops all over the place with delicious flavors! PLUS they have frozen yogurt, which they blend your choice of all-natural, frozen fruit into! Best thing ever!!
• We’re almost never more than a mile away from a beautiful view of the ocean, even though the sandy beaches are farther away. We took a trip to the beach today on the bus and laid out in the son and made friends with a cute little family who showed us where to get the cheapest pineapple smoothies!
• Our apartment is near a nice park that is perfect for running and is decorated so it kind of looks like Toon Town! There are free Zumba classes there and lots of people go to dance and sweat a ton! It’s a blast. We joined in a free workout group that meets on Saturdays at 7am. The people are super friendly and are helping us get into shape! (We were sore all week after the first day!)

More than the tastes and the sun though, the past 3 weeks in the Dominican Republic have been a surprisingly rewarding spiritual journey for me. I am so impressed with the Church employees who work here with such dedication and love in the Self-Reliance and other departments in Santo Domingo. I am also blown away with the kind, righteous senior missionary couples who have been called to serve here. They don’t hesitate to reach out and help two misplaced BYU girls with things like rides, groceries, and kitchen tools. I want to exemplify their examples of loving marriages, successful educations and careers, loving families, and complete dedication to service to the Lord. It’s a blessing to serve around these fun and faithful Church members!

Self-reliance is having the ability and resources needed to provide for oneself and one’s family temporally and spiritually. As I’ve studied this doctrine more, I’m finding that encouraging and enabling people to become more self-reliant is what the whole Plan of Salvation is all about!

Heavenly Father gave us this mortal experience with the purpose of us learning to discern good from evil and qualifying for the power and blessings he wants to give us now and after this life. He gave us the ability to make our own decisions and to be “agents unto [our]selves.” He wants us to utilize the Atonement to not only redeem and heal us, but also to enable us to become more than we could ever imagine becoming on our own. Heavenly Father not only wants us to survive, but to prosper and progress.

Self-Reliance group for "Education for a Better Job" in Baní. Despite a challenging economy, these members are so motivated to study in order to qualify for better work opportunities and meet their life goals!

To God, everything is spiritual. Even the tedious and frustrating challenges we face with finances and employment are part of his Plan in teaching us to use our power to act and to rely on Him. When follow principles of self-reliance, such as exercising faith in Christ, setting goals, making and keep commitments, and serving our neighbors, we will prosper and progress personally. We gain confidence and become able to help people around us who need support and assistance.

Carolina and I are working on teaching these doctrines and principles to many stake leaders of the church around Santo Domingo. We hope to help them understand the importance and potential of this initiative and how to go about establishing it and utilizing the materials provided in their stakes and wards. We’re kind of like missionaries of the message of Self-Reliance! It’s neat because the Church has recently constructed the Self-Reliance Initiative as an over-arching focus to include aspects of Church Employment Services, the Perpetual Education Fund, and the Welfare Program, so there is a lot to learn! It is the first Church initiative to be instigated internationally before domestically within the United States, although there are pilot Self-Reliance groups already functioning within the U.S.

Self-Reliance is not just another Church program; studying and participating in it creates a perspective on the Gospel of Jesus Christ in much more personal and practical way that I hadn’t imagined before. It’s useful for everyone because it helps people improve on spiritual and temporal wellbeing as they study and complete commitments with a group and partner along the way.

All you need to know is on the LDS Self-Reliance Web Page!

I feel so blessed to be here! It’s been a time of self-reflection as well as excitement for me. I’ve been reminded that God loves his children equally, no matter where they are in the world. And He knows our potential and needs individually and wants us to be happy! I’m excited to work, study and enjoy for the next 2 months in the Dominican Republic and see where the journey takes us!