March 27, 2017

Hoollllllllla! 

So i talked a little about Manuel last week. Well his dad told him he needs permission to get baptized from his Catholic priest. hahaha  When i heard that, Ii honestly just started laughing a little. It's the dumbest thing. Why would his other church leader give him permission to be baptized in another church? haha But we will see how that goes.

Dominicans looooove soda. And i do NOT love soda. The carbonation tingles my ears and i just don't like it. haha But I'm forced to drink soda all the time here cause they love it and give it to us all the time. Dominicans are also extremely racist toward Haitians and we have a good amount of Haitians in our ward and we are teaching a few Haitians right now and our ward is just extremely rude toward them and its really dumb. Like you're all black, just different shades, so just love each other... But other than the racism in our ward, its good! We have lots of American families living here. They work for the American Embassy, so its nice to get to talk to Americans haha, And the ward is very friendly and nice.

As you can see from this letter, not too much happened this week since  I'm talking about soda and racism. haha We had toooooons of appointments fall through this week and lots of people say they would come to church, but they didn't. Sundays are soo stressful, as I'm sure everyone who has served a mission can agree. We went to Ikea today cause Ikea is just a good time, and I bought some gingerbread cookies so that was nice.... 

All right, well hopefully I will have something more meaningful for ya'll next week! I know for a fact this church is true! It brings so much peace and comfort in my life. Can't imagine living life without the gospel. Love you all! 

March 21, 2017 - Two Months Down

haha My pics aren't loading. I don't know how to work technology, so all I've got are pics from my comp and a couple from the mission conference from my mission president. And i look really bad in all of them, but it is what it is. 

This is at Zona Colonial. I'm sure it was a really good tour..... but it was in Spanish so i only picked up a little of what was going on haha. But Chris Columbus was a dope guy.

Mission conference choir

Mission Conference Choir

Crazy that I only have 16 months left on the mish. Time goes by fast for sure, but i love mission life. It's so wonderful. I love the simplicity of this life. Yes of course it's hard and stressful with investigators and the language and everything, but just knowing that this time is dedicated to God and my Savior is just so cool, and studying the scriptures and feeling the spirit more than ever! Ahh, life is good! 

So we have two baptismal dates on April 8th for Dania and Manuel. Dania is the 14 year old Haitian. She is so sweet and so ready and I'm just so happy and excited for her. Manuel is the other. He is also 14 and that kid is hilarious. So his story is his friend is a member and he went to an activity with him and at the end of the activity they had a testimony meeting and Manuel bore his testimony. He's Catholic but has come to church ever since that activity and now we are teaching him. Ohh man. This kid is such a flirt--with all the girls at church, with me and my comp. haha. He loves to dab and blow kisses and he always wears a bowtie to church with a gold chain on the outside of his collar. I'm just trying to put an image of this kid in your mind cause he's just so funny. The problem with him though is he is kinda immature. Sometimes he doesn't pay close attention to our lessons and doesn't see the importance of reading and praying yet. But I have high hopes for him. He's the best.

Oh yeah. I got to shake hands with Elder Anderson this week! We had a great devotional with him! He's amazing! 

The driving here is absolutely crazy. There are lane lines but does anyone follow them? No, and i swear everyone here thinks they are in Fast and Furious or something. They all go as fast as possible and swerve everywhere. haha It's crazy. We get around town in these little 5 passenger cars where we pile three in the front and four in the back and its 25 pesos so when we have somewhere far to go that's what we use and its always so hot and sweaty haha. We have had some nice rain storms lately. I love the rain. And it's nice to be wet with rain instead of youre own sweat haha. 

We have these new investigators from Venezuela and they made us sushi the other night and it was the greatest tender mercy ever hahaha! No joke. Like the day before this i was really wanting sushi, so Heavenly Father listens to your desires. Even if it's just sushi.

The mtc president's wife gave this really good anology the day i was leaving the mtc. "You are always on an escalator. but is your escalotor moving up or down? Are you doing the things that bring your closer to your Savior and moving up? or are you doing things that move you farther down from your Savior?" Anyways!! The church is so true! I love it so much! Pray for my espanol por favor! Love you all

March 13, 2017

6'10" elder at the MTC. Fun!

Made some lifelong friends with these people.

Dabbing my way out of the MTC.

MTC days

 Most of our area is the big fancy buildings,

 but then weve got little sections with crazy living situations like this

Roberto's baptism 

I just wanna take all the little kids and all the dogs home with me. this is Si. He's the best and loves sitting on my lap and playing with my name tag. 

Hellllllo! 

Everybody here thinks its hilarious that my last name is White and I'm literally as white as they come, haha. They always get a good laugh when I meet people. Also, speaking of meeting people. We do the whole hug/kiss the cheek thing here and I'm super bad at it. I always go the wrong way and then I almost kiss them, noooot on the cheek and its super bad. Hopefully with time I will get better at it, just like Spanish.

President asked me to be in a choir for a devotional with Elder Anderson so that will be fun. So the baptism this week went well. I guess there hasn't been a baptism in this area for a while, and so our mission leader said he would take care of everything. Anyways we went to the chapel an hour early to get everything set up. We walked in and all the halls and classrooms were flooded! Our mission leader never came back to turn off the font hose and so we had to mop and sweep all the water out in time for the baptism and we got all sweaty and it was muy loco, but it was fun. Made for a more memorable baptism! It was great to see how happy Roberto was! 

So it's my second week. Very bad at spanish. Very bad at knowing where I am in my area. BUT I had to take a sister from the mtc out on splits and get work done. I was kinda nervous but also excited. So pretty much we just went contacting for a good while and both of us are not good with Spanish but ya know, we just went for it. We buzzed into a building and said we were missioanries and instead of hearing some Spanish that I didnt know, we heard "us too" haha. Anyways, we were very confused but then a sneior missionary walked down and invited us into his apartment! and he and his wife were super nice and they gave us pie and yeah, our fist lesson of the day was teaching this cute senior couple how to take a selfie haha. Buuuuut... it was awesome that this senior couple let us into their apartment because then... we were in a building! So we went to the top and worked our way down. We got a lot of "come back another day" but the best thing was we taught a first lesson to someone. In our very bad Spanish we were able to teach and the spirit was very stong and I gave this lady my Book of Mormon cause i didn't bring any others with me, but it made me so happy cause i handed it to her and she just hugged it to her chest and yeah! it was awesome! We will be meeting with her again. We also got locked in a different building and were knocking on doors and trying to ask them to buzz us out, but they all just thought we were trying to share about the gospel and they closed their doors on  us. haha So we were locked in for a while but we fnally got out. 

I love the gospel. I love the work. It's nothin but a blast! love you all

March 6, 2017

From her mission president last week: 

Hola!

Your wonderful daughter, has arrived in the Santo Domingo West Mission in the beautiful Dominican Republic.  This is an incredible opportunity and we are delighted to experience it together.

She has arrived happy and healthy and ready to serve as a personal representative of the Lord, Jesus Christ.

Monday is P-Day so you should receive an email with more details at that time.

Thanks for sending us wonderful missionary,

President and Hermana Nuckols

This couple is #goals.  They invited us to their lunch party for their 50th anniversary and they were like the first family in the DR to become members and they are so happy and in love still. It was a blast... and free food.

Hello!! Wonderful people,

How's life? Life in the DR has been great. My MTC experience was great, but I'm so happy to be out in the field doing the Lord's work. There's not a better feeling.

My trainer is good. I actually went on splits with her while I was in the MTC. She's only been out three months but now she's a trainer, so we're kinda learning new things together. Her old companion and her didn't really like contacting very much, but I loooooove contacting! It's a blast just talking to people and seeing potential, so I have kind of worked on her a bit to go out contacting more and we had more new investigators this week than she has had in a while. I just get super pumped about doing this work! So yayayayayayay! haha

Our area is called Panitini. It's the richest area in our mission, and word in our mission is that it's the hardest area in the west. It's all these homes and apartment buildings with security guards and so we can't just go door knocking, and then like 70% of the people walking around don't live in our area so we can't do much for them as far as teaching. But I say whateer to all that about our area being the hardest. We've just gotta pray and be guided to the right people. We already have. We have found lots of new people to teach and it's been great!

I hear whistling and men yelling at me, calling me rubio all the time, which just means blonde, white girl. My companion has had to teach me that I can't just smile and wave at everyone cause I guess it's too flirty, haha. But yeah, I definitely get looked at more than I ever have in my life. haha

I asked my first baptismal invitation this week to this lil 8 year old. His dad was a member but is now inactive, but he has us come teach his son. So that was fun. 

My espanol is still very bad, but I just do what I can and I have faith that it will come eventually. The people here are great! I love it so much! I'm so happy to be here. I miss everyone so much but there's nothing I would rather be doing! We have a baptism this Saturday. Can't wait.

Love you all!

February 23, 2017

I will miss my district.

I will really miss the temple

Elder DeWitt. We taught him. He's a really nice guy.

This is my last p-day in the ccm. Muy loco! I've had many amazing experiences in this sacred place, but I am excited and ready to go out into the DR and teach the gospel to these wonderful people. 

What a week! Cons to the week, I had to give blood so I can stay here. It sucked. Needles scare me to death, and I didn't even have your hand to hold, mom. haha And then I had to pee in a cup for the doctor, but she wouldn't let me close the door and I felt so awkward because Elder Monson was literally right next to me. The only thing between us was a super thin wall and if he would have stood up and looked over, it would have been baaaaad news. haha  But the other con to the week was my comp got cursed from one of the Haitian sisters hahaha. Here we are at dinner just enjoying our cheeseburgers. (no idea what meat is in the burgers though, haha) but anyways, there was a spider on Hermana Prince, so she kinda freaked out and then I saw the spider on my arm so I of course freaked out and in trying to get the spider off my arm I threw my burger across the table. So already we have everyone's attention. All the elders and hermanas were watching us and then we saw the spider on the table, so Hermana Prince slapped the table and killed the spider. So all was well again.... we thought... but noooope. The Haitian sisters watched my comp murder the spider and they were so angry. Seriously the look in their eyes was scary. haha One of the Haitians started telling Hermana Prince that they are not friends anymore and she grabbed Hermana Prince's pinky and did a weird curse thing to her. Then she said she's wicked. So we were all kinda laughing really confused at what was happening, but then Hermana Prince started crying. Then the Haitians saw that she was crying so they came over and started wiping her face and kissing her cheeks. It was just the strangest five minutes of my life hahaha. It was so weird and funny. 

But there were many pros to the week. We went on splits. I went out with Hermana Sanchez. We went to visit these two young girls. One was 14 and one was 11. They are Haitians. One could speak Spanish and French, so she would translate for the one that could only speak French. They were really sweet girls who are ready for baptism, but they need permission from their uncle. i also got to hold an adorable Haitian little boy who was like two. He kept grabbing my skirt to have me pick him up, but I didn't know what to do because I thought it was a rule to not hold kids. But then Hermana Sanchez said it was fine, so I didn't ask anymore questions and just held this adorable little boy during the lesson. I couldn't do much. I prayed and testified. That's about it, but it was really fun. The living situations are crazy. It's these tiny alleys of rooms and that is literally their home. Just really poor and everyone just kinda lives together. It's really sad some of the things I saw. But then our second lesson was to this Haitian couple. Who would have thought my first time out teaching would involve hardly any Spanish and mostly French? But we had a member come with us to translate. They were a really sweet couple. They need to get married but the law here is hard for them to get married cause they are Haitians. I don't know all the details but i could just see so much potential in them. i hope it all works out. 

As far as sister training leader in the mtc goes, me and my comps are all three in that calling. We just are over the other Hermanas. We make sure everything is good with them. And as far as music goes, I pick the hymns. I get special musical numbers for meetings. It's fun. i've picked some great people to do musical numbers. i haven't done it though cause I feel like I'm being selfish if I pick myself and its my calling. haha. 

Yesterday Elder Martinez from the Seventy spoke to us. It was a really good devotional, but the thing that most stood out to me was when he said, Opposition means you're on the right track. If the adversary saw that you weren't on a good path, he would just move along to someone else cause he has nothing to worry about with you. But when he sees you're in good places choosing the right he knows he needs to work even harder on you." So just remember that when times are hard, when there's a trial you think you can't handle, don't let the adversary bring you down. Turn to God for help!! 

My teacher was telling us about how he proposed to his fiance and this teacher struggles the most with English. This is a direct quote from his story. "i was so nervous i started crying from my skin" as in he was so nervous he started sweating hahahah I lost it when he said that. i will really miss my teachers here. They have been so wonderful! 

In the temple today i realized that it was the last time for a while because we only get to go every 6 months in the field. I will miss it. i loooooove the temple. Attend as much as possible. It's so sacred and amazing! I love you all. The church is true! PRAY FOR ME!! I hope I get a patient and helpful companion. I'm very nervous but I'm ready to get out and work my hardest. 

Hermama White

February 16, 2017

Sisters going to the temple

Making Pizza

 Another Lone Peak homie

Adorable Dominican baby

Helllllo! 

I miss you all! 

So president and his wife took me and my district to a place called Tres Ojos. Three Eyes. It was these really cool lakes inside these caves, and the water was so clear and it was super fun. All the new missionaries were in orientation so they took us out! It was really nice of them. The pics don't do it justice, but it was way, way pretty!

We went contacting by the beach last week. While walking to the beach.....wait for it.....some guy spit on me!! It was just this older man who looked homeless, but i smiled at him and then he just spit all over me. I was so caught off guard and just kept walking and wiped off all his saliva. But then there was no one to talk to by the beach!! And then it started raining super hard on us! So definitely not the best day compared to last week's contacting. But esta bien. Just getting me ready for the good and bad days of missionary work.

The next day I was reading my patriarchal blessing and this line stood out to me. It's in the paragraph about my mission and it said referring to the Savior: "He walks by your side at all times," and in that moment I just felt so close to Jesus Christ, my savior. I just imagined him walking beside me while I was spit on. Christ was spit on and persecuted and so much more! I'm a representative of him, so hate me and spit on me all you want. I don't care, because I'm the closest I have ever been to my savior and that's what matters to me. At first I was kinda sad and really grossed out that he had spit on me but if that wouldn't have happened, I doubt that line would have had such an impact on me and now I know no matter what happens for the next 17 months. my savior is beside me every step of the way! (kanye west) Also, everyone listen up. Read your patriarchal blessings! Don't take them for granted. They are amazing! 

Personal study is my fav time! I get so spiritually uplifted every time. In 2 Nephi 9:38 it says "Wo unto all those who die in there sins, for they shall return to God and behold his face and remain in their sins." This is why we need to be repenting everyday! Don't procrastinate repentance. Each day ask yourself, "If I died today would I be ready to face God?" If not..... well then get on it!!!!!! The atonement is so amazing and we need to be using it everyday! Be as confident as Enos was to come face to face with God. Enos 1:27. Read it. 

So I'm a sister training leader, and also I'm in charge of music here. It's fun. The Haitians sing sooooooo loud. They literally get so into it. They are like closing their eyes and moving their hands even for like sacrament hymns. Its really funny. When we all gather together and they are singing super loud in French and we have English and Spanish going too, its kinda a mess but its cool. haha The church is so true! I love you all! 

February 9, 2017

Already gone through a pair of shoes, haha.

See ya in two years, Elder Ackley.

I've been blessed with good comps.

Took these from the roof of the MTC. This is my city!

The new Haitian sisters.

Hola my people,

What a week! On Friday we went contacting at the university. Oh my goodness. I loved it so much. Just three white girls who don't know very much Spanish talking to all these college kids. It was nothing but a blast. It got me so excited to be doing that every day in a few weeks. Don't get me wrong. I'm still very nervous and stressed, but actually being with the people and seeing how kind and loving they are, it got me 100 times more excited! We brought pass along cards and Book of Mormons and pamphlets and it was just so fun to hand them out and talk to people. My go-to phrase when first meeting someone was "Creer en dios y en Jesu Cristo?'' Do you believe in God and Jesus Christ? and everyone here believes in God and Jesus and the bible, and we were just able to testify about how we believe all that but we also have the best thing ever! The Book of Mormon! I loved it so so much. One guy we talked to spoke English so we were able to actually hold a nice long conversation with him. He was a really nice guy and he was very open to new ideas and he asked us if we believe in the holy ghost and we said yes! Then he proceeded to tell us how he has heard it too. One time while he was camping he heard a little girl crying and he knew it was the holy ghost talking to him. hahahah Not sure which holy ghost he is listening to, but after he said that I was able to bear my testimony about who the holy ghost is to me and how I feel him in my life and it was a really spiritual moment. I had so much love and happiness in that moment. I'm beyond happy here. I have so much love for the people and I can't wait to be with them everyday in the field. tomorrow we are contacting at the beach tomorrow, so I'm very excited. 

They say you are what you eat. If that's true, I'm definitely a plate full of rice. Lunch is literally two kinds of rice and two kinds of meat. Sometimes they have a little salad and usually there's a little fruit. The pineapple here is delicious and I eat that a lot.

Everything is good with my companions. Sister Mccann is 20 from South Jordan. Sister Prince is 19 from Tokerville . I feel soooooo blessed to have them and my district. I love them lots. We whistle together. A lot.

Sister Gulbrandsen, the MP wife, loves to take pics. Sometimes she just takes a pic and then hands us her phone to email it to our families. The temple was closed last week and this week. Normally we would go every p day. so kinda sucks since we are missing out on two weeks of going to the temple. But get this! Today the president and his wife are taking us somewhere! I don't know where but its a really pretty place or something, so I'm very excited.

On Sunday we had testimony meeting. Absolutely the most powerful meeting I've ever attended. The spirit was so strong. I was able to bear my testimony and it made the president cry. So it was a success. haha But no, it really was so spiritual, and hearing all these new missionaries testimonies was so amazing. The Lord has some amazing people doing his work. 

There is such an amazing spirit here. No offense to all you Provo mtc people, but daaang. I've got it good here. Best mtc experience ever! Getting to know everyone here and being on such a personal level with all the missionaries and the president and the teachers and the staff is so cool! 

So everyone left on Monday.It was just me and my district of 6 here for Tuesday and the morning of Wednesday. It was hard to say goodbye to everyone cause like I said, you just really get to know everyone here. But they are on to bigger and better things! But now!! We have soooo many Haitian elders. They call me Snow White haha and there are three Haitian sisters and lots of Americans going to Puerto Rico, so ya, we've had some fun changes. 

Steve left Monday. Just had to give him a handshake and watch him leave for two years.  The president and his wife talked to me after Steve left and said how amazing we are cause if they wouldn't have known about us dating before they wouldn't have even noticed anything. We definitely kept our distance.

 

I've come down with a killer cold, but esta bien. Don't worry parents. I'm feeling better.  I don't know if its from being sick maybe or what..... but my poor companions. Apparently I sleep talk soooo much here. haha I guess sometimes i just start saying "Mom" so I guess I really miss you mom. But here's where it gets good. The other night I was saying the first vision in Spanish haha. No memory of this but at least even when I'm asleep I'm practicing my Spanish. haha And I was singing I am a Child of God, too. Kinda weird and creepy for my comps haha lo siento. 

The church is sooooooo true! My testimony has been strengthend so much and I'm so excited for it to be strengthened even more. I'm one happy girl right now. I hope all of you are happy. Be focused on the gospel. That's what brings true happiness. te amo hermana white