Klk Popi Wua

 Hola amigos

I don’t have a lot to say this week

Trio Life

I got put in a trio again. I kinda hate trios. But it’s whatever. Another new missionary. It’s kinda fun though because they believe everything you say at first. I told our new comp that I am 26 and a convert. I also told him that I was married before I joined the church and have two kids back home. But I left it all behind to go on a mission. It was kinda funny. He believed it for a couple of hours. But then he saw a picture of me and Elder Pugsley holding a sign that says “class of 2020” and about lost his mind. But it’s fun. The main reason being in a trio is lame is because now we have 5 elders in our apartment and not a lot of water. But it’s pretty fun!

Yasmin + La Iglesia

We had a big miracle with our friend Yasmin last week. I remember telling you guys that we had 16 friends come to church last week. One of those was Yasmin and her kids. This week we found out the miracle behind her coming to church. 

Last Sunday we went out before church to swing by and confirm that they were coming. We stopped by Yasmin who is on date for baptism. She answered the door and said that she and her kid were sick. It was actually really cool, but we felt the Spirit lead us with what to say. we said,

“Yasmin, as worthy servants of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are allowed to make promises in His behalf and know that he will do His part. So we promise you in the name of Jesus Christ that if you put your faith in God and come to church despite feeling sick, God will heal you so that you can come”

It was cool! And then she came to church and I kinda forgot about the whole thing. Then last week we had a lesson with her and she told us that after we made her that promise, she decided to put her faith in God and come to church. She said that the minute she walked in the church building her sons fever went away and her sore throat went away too. Kinda neat! 

Mi Familia Favorita

My favorite family got baptized! The one’s I talked about last week. I was so happy! I love them all so much. They are probably the best family I have taught on my mission. 

This week was great at church too. We had a bunch of investigators again, and the best part was to have every friend sitting with a member. I love this area SO MUCH. I literally cannot imagine a better place to live as a missionary. I feel so blessed. 

I did not do a great job of documenting this week so that’s probably all i’m gonna put. Also don’t be alarmed at the picture of the guy's legs. We went back to check on him later and he was just drunk. He’s good now.

I love the Dominican Republic! I love the Gospel! I love you guys!!!

Bye!

• Elder Wride

Momentos Celestiales

Hola

Sorry I didn’t write last week! I had a really bad week haha and didn’t feel like writing. But God is good and he made this last week even better than a normally pretty good week so it was good.

La Musica

We’ve been changing peoples music in the streets which has been sweet. We did it a couple of times this week. The first time we changed it to “Accidentally In Love” by counting crows. We also changed one of them to “Prettiest Girls” from despicable me which is a jam. When we changed the song this old dominican lady looked at me and started dancing while keeping eye contact with me and it was funny. Then yesterday we changed it to “Life could be a dream” from the movie cars and the drunk group of people started going crazy.

My Favorite Family

We met a haitian family a couple of weeks ago. They have like 4 kids, and for some reason they love me. Every time they see me in the street they all come up and hug me and then all their friends come to. I feel like a dad coming home from work haha. Their sweet mom is a saint. I love her so much. Her husband had been in Haiti for a couple of weeks, so she has been taking her four kids to church on her own every week. And it’s a bit of a walk. But she gets everyone up early and get them clean and dressed, and then walks them to church in her high heels. It’s hard for me to even write this without tearing up. She barely even speaks spanish, but she does it, because two gringo servants of the Lord Jesus Christ invited her to. And we only asked once. It wasn’t easy for my parents to get little kids ready for church on time and we lived pretty close to the church with good living conditions. This sweet family lives in a house the size of a little walk in closet. And she still get everyone ready for church without a complaint.

I hear excuses all of the time from people about why they can’t come to church. They are all lame haha. This lady actually would have a decent excuse if she wanted to use it, but doesn’t. She just comes to church anyways. 

But yea I love that family so much. We gave them a picture of Jesus and the next time we came we saw that they had taped the picture of Jesus on the wall. That really got me too.

Miracles

The spirit was really strong this week. Our friends Soledad and Deivi got baptized. I’ve been teaching them since I got here and it was a miracle to see them get baptized. They are both so elect. I baptized Deivi and Elder Opheikens baptized Soledad. It was a really spiritual baptism. A ton of members came to support and Deivi and Soledad’s family and friends came too. They were both super nervous but after they got baptized they were both so happy. Deivi wanted to do it again. The spirit was just so strong in there! Everyone was so happy. Elder Opheikens and I couldn’t stop smiling. We talked after about how happy we felt. You had to be there to understand it, but it was amazing. Totally worth all of the work we’ve been putting in for them. 

And it was so spiritual that after the baptism, Soledad’s mom (who won’t come to church) came up to us and said that she wants her and Soledad’s friends to get baptized. Super cool! Then later in the day the spiritual high kept going and another friend of Soledad came up to us and told us that he wants to be baptized. Super crazy!

La Iglesia

But the biggest miracle this week was church. We invite people to church all week, and then in the morning before church we go to peoples houses to confirm that they are coming. Yesterday morning was looking like it was gonna be a normal week since it looked like a lot of people were bailing. During the church service we were sitting by Soledad and Deivi and the spirit was super strong. They got confirmed members of the church, and both of them were blessed that they would serve full-time missions. Me and Elder Opheikens were trippin’! Then I looked around to count how many investigators had come. As I was counting, more people walked in, families at a time. Every time a new family we’re teaching would walk in, me and Elder Opheikens would freak out. It kept happening, and we ended up having 16 friends come to church! I’ve only had that many at church one other time, so it was a huge miracle. I started tearing up right there in the meeting. 

Then after the meeting I was on a spiritual high, and the kids of the haitian family that I was telling you guys about came up and they all hugged me. That was such a celestial moment for me. 

But yea, basically it was sweet.

Spiritual Thought

I have so many feelings going through my head, but the biggest thought I had this week was that the gospel is true.

I was talking to my dear companion Elder Opheikens and we were talking about what the hardest thing about the mission is. 

Honestly, it took me a second. Walking around in the heat all day doesn’t really bother me. Speaking dominican spanish all day doesn’t bother me. Being on a super strict schedule isn’t too bad, not having much time to rest isn’t the worst, being away from my family doesn’t bother me too bad, etc.. 

So then I had the thought of why is this even hard? But then I realized what the hardest thing, at least for me is. The hardest thing for me is remembering all of the witnesses I’ve had, and keeping my faith as strong as it could be. And not doubting.

I just wish I could always remember. I remember in my first area here in the DR I had a really spiritual experience testifying to me of Jesus Christ, and I just went into the other room, got on my knees, and pleaded with all my soul that God wouldn’t lose me, and that he would help me to always remember that these things are true. 

Also as an apartment we watched the video about my family called “The House” the other night. I also got teared up during that and had another spiritual witness that the gospel is true. Just seeing how much it has blessed my family really hit me hard. I remembered that God does that which is good. Anything bad doesn’t come from Him. 

I also had a thought about Joseph Smith. Sitting in church looking around seeing all these happy people, I had another witness that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. He literally restored the gospel that brings peace, and gave up everything for it because he knew it was true. 

The last thought I’m gonna share is about our friend Daniel. He is amazing! Such an earnest seeker for truth, but is struggling with the idea of leaving his church and getting baptized here. We had a really spiritual lesson with him. We testified to him it was true. While we did it he was like “wow, I just got chills”. We told him that if God didn’t want him to find something here, he would have given Daniel lots of red flags a long time ago. 

After we had our lesson we went to his church with him. It was a really spiritual experience for me too. I looked around and saw all of these good people trying to show that they love the Lord in the best way that they know how. But, I wont deny that they definitley were lacking proper instruction on how to do it, which comes from a living prophet. 

But yea this week was good! I hope this spiritual high keeps going for a while. I always want the spirit to be with me. 

Bye

• Elder Wride

El perrito esta bien👍

Hola

Stepping on dog disclaimer

I got some concerns that me and my companion were stepping on the dog in the photo last week. No se preocupe, we were just rubbing his belly. Normally I don’t like dogs but this dog was being funny so I had to get a pic. 

Sore Legs

My legs were totally wrecked this week from the mountain hike. I was walking like I didn’t have knees. And I hated it when we’d start walking downhill. My legs hurt so bad and I couldn’t stop walking. Also we were contacting this lady and I almost fell over because my legs wanted to give out which was embarrassing.

I’m a visa…?

There’s a video here in the DR that went viral of these two elders in one of the Santo Domingo missions jamming out to some song. A ton of people showed us the video while we were out proselyting and we were kind of popular. But that also made us a target. We street contacted some people and they were like “are you the Elders from the video?”. I said no, but then they pulled up a different video on tik tok that is literally of us. We were just walking around in the video so it wasn’t very exciting but apparently it was going around too, and the caption was something about us being visas. Probably because all the dominicanas want to go to the U.S. and if they marry a gringo they can go. It was interesante.

Bucket Shower

Since I’ve been here in Puerto Plata, I’ve been taking bucket showers. In my shower the water just comes out of a PVC pipe from the bottom of the shower so I just fill that up and use it. But I found out recently that it actually works. I just have to twist a different knob and then the water will come out from the top. So basically I’ve been taking bucket showers for a month for no reason.

El Regreso de La Sombrilla

After church yesterday bishop gave us a ride, and I was chilling there in the back seat. Then out of the corner of my eye I saw the handle of a familiar object…could it be? I reached for the silver handle and pulled it out. It was my umbrella. I could not believe it. I almost cried with joy. Apparently I left it in bishops car when he gave us a ride last month. But it was crazy and I am so happy. 

Spiritual Thought

For my spiritual thought today I’m going to add a section from my journal from this week. Enjoy-

1/8/21 - Sábado

"Today was alright. My legs are super freaking sore from the hike that we did Monday. I’ve been walking really weird all day because of it. But it’s whatever.

My personal study was so good. Lately it’s just been so great. The Book of Mormon is so powerful. I feel so much power while reading it. I just feel so good and so happy. 

My mind has been pretty clear lately. Like for instance it really just kinda hit me recently that wickedness really isn’t happiness. I’ve started to lose the desire to do any kind of wrong. It never has and never will make me happy. I have always loved the truth. 

I’ve also started praying out loud in the other room at night for my personal prayers. It has actually helped me a lot. 

I know I will always be faithful to the gospel, but I wish I was better about it sometimes. I don’t want to be like Laman and Lemuel who do the same thing Nephi does but with the wrong attitude, making it better if they had just not done it at all in the first place. 

I am so grateful though for the mission and what it’s doing for me. Living the gospel is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. 

I was feeling annoyed lately at the idea of extraordinary things happening. Like angels appearing to people, Moses parting the red sea, etc.. I was feeling doubtful and that it’s all just a tall tale. But then I remembered a part from a talk I listened to again recently (Lawrence C. Corbridge, “Stand Forever”)

“Believe “with God all things are possible.” We may all be taken back from time to time by the extraordinary—such as walking on water, multiplying bread and fish, raising the dead, translating gold plates with special lenses or a stone and hat, and the visitation of angels. Some people are hard-pressed to believe extraordinary things. While it is understandable that we may be challenged by the extraordinary, we shouldn’t be, because ordinary things are actually far more phenomenal.

The most phenomenal occurrences of all time and eternity—the most amazing wonders, the most astounding, awesome developments—are the most common and widely recognized. They include: I am; you are; we are; and all that we perceive exists as well, from subatomic particles to the farthest reaches of the cosmos and everything in between, including all of the wonders of life. Is there anything greater than those ordinary realities? No. Nothing else even comes close. You can’t begin to imagine, much less describe, anything greater than what already is.

In light of what is, nothing else should surprise us. It should be easy to believe that with God all things are possible.

The healing of the withered hand is not nearly as amazing as the existence of the hand in the first place. If it exists, it follows that it can certainly be fixed when it is broken. The greater event is not in its healing but in its creation.

More phenomenal than resurrection is birth. The greater wonder is not that life, having once existed, could come again but that it ever exists at all.

More amazing than raising the dead is that we live at all. A silent heart that beats again is not nearly as amazing as the heart that beats within your breast right now.

That one could see on a stone or through a special lens the modern translation of ancient text written on plates of gold is far less amazing than the human eye. The wonder is not what the human eye may see, rather, that it sees anything at all.

How can you believe in extraordinary things such as angels and gold plates and your divine potential? Easy, just look around and believe.

I don’t know if pigs will ever sprout wings and fly, but if they do, flying pigs will never be nearly as amazing as the ordinary pig in the first place.”

And it’s so true! Like, look at the sun!? What the heck is that thing!?!?!? It’s a floating giant condensed ball of something that also gives light and heat and just like what?! That’s insane! How does it even work? Who put that there? Who made it? 

And the earth! It’s crazy! What are the odds that everything here has been lined up so perfectly for human life. And look at humans! Where did they come from!?!? They are so weird looking! Reminds me of the part from Alma 30:44 - 

“all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator.”

So I am deciding to accept that I can’t even explain how basic things work, like gravity, the sun, etc. So I shouldn’t be annoyed with the fact that I can’t explain how more extraordinary things work.

Like it says in the Book of Mormon at the beginning of 3 Nefi. There were tons of signs and wonders coming forth to testify of the coming of Christ. At first they were shocked by it, but quickly started to disbelieve the miracles they were seeing. 1 Nefi 1:22 - 

“And it came to pass that from this time forth there began to be lyings sent forth among the people, by Satan, to harden their hearts, to the intent that they might not believe in those signs and wonders which they had seen…”

Anyways, there’s my rant.

I’ve also had the thought lately that God needs us to choose to come back to Him. He needs us to work really hard here. We have to want it. If we don’t get the celestial growth we need here, we will be physically unable to come back to Him in the next life. 

“For he who is not able to abide the law of a celestial kingdom cannot abide a celestial glory.” - D&C 88:22

I love my Heavenly Father. I want to always choose Him. 

“And it came to pass that the God of heaven looked upon the residue of the people, and he wept;

And Enoch said unto the Lord: How is it that thou canst weep, seeing thou art holy, and from all eternity to all eternity? How is it thou canst weep?

The Lord said unto Enoch: Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own hands, and I gave unto them their knowledge, and gave I unto man his agency;

And unto [them] have I given commandment, that they should love one another, and that they should choose me, their Father; but behold, they are without affection, and they hate their own blood;” (Moses 7:28, 29, 32–33,).

But yea anyways, I love being a missionary. If there was a plane outside that would take me home I would run the other way.

Actually assuming my legs are still sore I’d probably have to waddle away slowly and try not to trip over my own feet in the process. But the point is, I love it out here...”

I love you all! I have so many questions, but I know enough about life to know that I want to build it off of the truths taught in the Gospel. I am not kidding at all when I say that the happiest people I have met out here are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or people who are just living the gospel principles anyways. We are all free to choose eternal life, or captivity, hell and damnation. Shouldn't the choice be an easy one?

2 Nefi 2:27-29

27 Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.

    28 And now, my sons, I would that ye should look to the great Mediator, and hearken unto his great commandments; and be faithful unto his words, and choose eternal life, according to the will of his Holy Spirit;

    29 And not choose eternal death, according to the will of the flesh and the evil which is therein, which giveth the spirit of the devil power to captivate, to bring you down to hell, that he may reign over you in his own kingdom.

Alright I’ll see y’all next week! Also both of my companions Elder McKee and Elder Crookston are getting transferred. Gonna miss those guys. I’ll be getting a new companion and also two other elders in our apartment so it’s about to get pretty crazy. 

Love you all

Finished a sisters mission

Klk bacanos

Maria

Last month we met this kid and he kept interrogating me about what my actual name is but I didn’t want to tell it to him so I thought it would be funny if I told him that my name is Maria. After telling him that I told him he can’t tell anybody else because I’m self conscious. That was like a month ago and I totally forgot that I had told him that, but yesterday we saw him and he was like ‘’Hola Maria!!’’ and I was confused at first but it was funny. 

Baptism by Kool Aid

My companion is kind of a clown and tricked me into thinking that he got re-baptized as a missionary. He told me that when he was 8 and got baptized that some kid had dumped kool aid in the water but he got baptized anyway. He then told me that as a missionary he was studying baptism and felt prompted that he needed to be baptized again because the first time he was baptized by kool aid. So he asked his mission president and his mission president had him get rebaptized but not in kool aid. He was super genuine about it and I totally believed it. But looking back, I feel dumb for believing him. That was like two weeks ago that he had told me that story but I didn’t find out it was all a lie until this week. I was kind of upset.

The Mountain

This email is kinda rushed because we went on a hike today at the puerto plata mountain. It was really cool, except the uber who drove us up the mountain was really annoyed with us for making him drive up there and long story short we ended up having to hike down the mountain by ourselves in proselyting clothes. That took most of the day. I’m totally beat right now. But it was worth it because of the sick pictures that we were able to take up there. I don’t have time to upload them all this week but it was pretty sweet. 

New Years

New years eve was terrible. They blasted music the entire night and I didn’t fall asleep till like 3 and then I was super sick the next morning. That’s it.

Spiritual Thought(s)

Things have been super great here in Puerto Plata though. Sometimes I genuinely feel like Ammon when he said that he might preach unto the people there until the day he died. I really really hope I stay here in Puerto Plata long enough to see all of my friends make the progress I know they can get with time. I was sick on new years day with a bad fever so our mission mom had us stay home for the evening. I felt terrible. I just wanted to go out and teach. The next day (and even right now) I don’t feel great physically but I just need to be out teaching or I’m going to lose my mind. I love these people so much. There’s been a couple times visiting with someone where I just want to cry thinking about how much I love them. That sounds kinda weird and they probably don’t really care about me, but I love these people with my whole soul. I am definitely happier when I focus more on them than on myself. 

I know I said last week that I would go through all of the friends who we’re teaching in detail but I don’t have time again. But the work is amazing. I love going out and being guided by the spirit. I feel like I’m getting really good at following it. It just feels so natural knowing exactly who to talk to and exactly what to say. It’s super fun. 

I have so much going through my head that I want to share but sorry. I don’t have the time or patience. But I do think it’s been really insightful for me to see people here contradicting themselves. Everybody believes in God, Christ, the Bible, etc. But then they deny other things that they should believe assuming that they believe in God. 

Anybody who claims to believe in Jesus Christ has to believe in the Book of Mormon. They are inseparable. Just so you know. And if you don’t believe me, you’re just wrong. But you’ll understand if you’ll read the book. 

There is an amazing family that we’re teaching that I love so much. Her name is Solanye. She is so genuine and really wants to know what’s right, but is struggling with doing the basic things that will help her to know if what we’re teaching her is true. 

We read one of my favorite verses with her. Mosiah 4:9. It says

´´9 Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not  comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend´´

After we read it, we asked her: do you believe in God? Do you believe that he created all things? Do you believe that he has all wisdom? Etc. She said yes to all of them. Then we read this part from verse 10 of the same chapter-

‘’if you believe all these things see that ye do them.’’

If any of you believe in God, then make sure you’re keeping His commandments. Our actions are really what show what we believe. So do that.

The power is out again and the phone is gonna die so I g2g. But I love you all very much. Sorry if I am bad at responding. You can still email me though

Adiós

• Elder Wride