Mangú for Marissa!: Snapshots of a Month in the Dominican Republic!

Our lives are kind of a scattered combination of Church service, online schoolwork, tourism, and daily survival in the DR... So that's what this post is going to look like!

Most of these moments are from a bonus trip to Santiago area last week for Self-Reliance training and sightseeing adventures...

The sweet senior missionaries dropped us off at the "27 Charcos de Demajagua" on the way to Puerto Plata! A guide took us on a hike up through the jungle, grabbed us some fresh mangoes, and helped us slide down waterfalls, swim, and cliff jump into gorgeous blue water! It was UNREAL!

Eating fish and chips at Big Lee's Beach Bar on the shore of Puerto Plata with the Francis.

"Y" for BYU!! Thanks for sending us on an international internship, Cougs! ;)

Gotta get that beach selfie...
We didn't have time to jump in, but it was a good view of the ocean and the sand was soft!

We went on splits with these cute, inspired Dominican sister missionaries! Did some contacting (including the doormen of our apartment building) and teaching less-active members! It felt good to be back in the missionary mode- but this time we were the "members present"!
(Plus Carolina learned how to use the metro system, which came in handy later!)

Random English artwork at the cool rollerblading rink at the giant nearby mall!

Giant job fair at the Self-Reliance/ Employment Center in Santo Domingo! Over 1,000 potential employees came in for interviews! It was a long day, but impressive to see how these people want so badly to work.

We braved the bus system over to Boca Chica and made some friends along the way! Here's Carolina making sandcastles with our 6-year-old tour guide.

This sweet family showed us around and helped us get yummy pineapple smoothies at the local price! Friendly, humble people. It makes me appreciate more what I have and what I have to offer.

This graffiti inspired me.
Rough translation: "We are as poor as we think we are."
The Self-Reliance Initiative is all about creating a mindset through faith and action to beat negativity and entitlement to be able to provide for ourselves and our families spiritually and temporally.

We visited the hospital in Tamboril where I learned that youth volunteers from Humanitarian Experience for Youth (based in Utah) will be coming to construct a much-needed facility to house medical records and a laboratory. I did a little voluntary scouting for HEFY at the project sites since I happened to be in the area!

Empanadas off the street!

Met these cute, sassy little girls at the HEFY site in Tamboril. Their dad is a former Branch President who helps coordinate the youth projects.

The Self-Reliance Center is in the same building as the Santiago Mission Office! Elder Brindley (on of my best friend's little brother from St. George) and Elder Jeppeson (close friend of my cousins in Sandy) happen to be companions and I got to see them both before their interviews with the Mission President! Qué pequeño mundo, no??

We had a lovely dining experience at Típico Bonao after a meeting with the the Self-Reliance Manager and the stake leaders in Bonao. BEST food I've had so far in the DR. Check it out...

Super tasty red beans and rice with sauce with goat meat! Me gusta!!

OK... MOFONGUITOS! These little beauties are made of mashed, fried plátano (like big bananas) and filled with yummy shrimp, vegetables, and sauce. I died.