Hodge Podge Photos



This is the tree where the mangoes hang over
the Temple grounds. I picked one that
was hanging low.  Very good after
it ripened. Now the question is how to
reach some more.




Moroni in the morning.




Why do you think we like to go here?




Adrian Tropical, Los Glazier, Dunford, Shaver y Snow.
It was P-day for me.



Health of the Missionaries

I have been fairly busy, in case you were thinking we only goof around.  I have phone calls and emails from a nurse in the West Indies and there is a new nurse in Puerto Rico, she has been busy getting to know all of the missionaries. Here in Santo Domingo and Santiago I have a clinic day to give advice to Elders.  I have had about 8 missionaries need hospitalization here so far, and another 8 or so in the outlying missions, I only have phone and email responsibilities for them.  Right now I have an Elder with pneumonia in the hospital.  I have about 120 contacts a month, about 80 in person, on average.  This doesn't count all the phone calls, just the ones recorded in the offical record.  Area wide I have had about 12 Elders go home with medical illnesses or injuries in six months.  So that is your update.

Pneumonia in recovery, the companjero stays 24/7 as well. 

Scouting east, day trip to Bayahibe

On Wednesday this week we took a drive with Glaziers and Buttons eastward to Bayahibe via a tourist area called Altos de Chavon.  Altos is a make believe village made originally for the daughter of a Gulf and Western oil magnate, after she had a dream about such a place. It now has shops, and amphitheatre and is part of a large, nice, high-end resort called Casa de Campo near La Romana.  



Overlooking the golf course and river, muddy with recent rains.




Pres. Glazier, CCM in theatre




Cindy and Sr. Button onstage.




Outdoor doll shopping.




Sugar cane along the way, canes
were dropping off continuously.

 In Bayahibe we talked with ScubaFun about a snorkel trip they do to Isla Soana, Glaziers are going back with family in April. Unfortunately I''ll likely miss that because we'll be stuck in Jamaica that week, or Grand Cayman.  Zone conferences in Jamaica Mission, at least I hope so.

Bayahibe is a small village, beautiful water and sandy beaches.  We'll be back again I am sure.



This is more like I dreamed about seeing.




The pirate's life for me.



The Missionary Exercise Room

Sr. McDermid has been trying to upgrade the room set aside for missionaries to work out in.  The Haitians are enjoying it as it is.






Soeur Pierre, she should probably be eating, not working out.




Elder Berry and friend going for the muscle.



Back to work

I was glad to be back in our regular schedule today, last week's mini vacation to Samana was great but the work is fun too.  We have 13 Haitians in the CCM for two or three weeks. They have a special spirit with them.  We did vaccinations today, no one likes getting them very much, but they do like getting the chocolate afterwards. 

I had wanted to get a picture giving a vaccination in front of the sign someone left posted on our bulletin board.  When I gave Elder Jean Charles his first two shots I knew he would make a good face for the photo.  Here they are:



This is with the tuberculin needle for a tetanus booster.




An act of love.



Samana and the North Coast

The area around Samana Bay is less developed, though it is growing into more large resorts and hotels.  It is known for the migrating Humpback whales that are around in Janurary, February and March.  The whales calf and then breed before heading north again for the Arctic in the summer. There are many whale watching tours from Samana. 

We had a nice trip with other couples ( Glazier, McDermid, Hamman, and Brown) to stay at Vista Mare, just east of Samana.  The condo was very nice and had the best views we have seen yet.  The resort is on a steep hill so there is some hiking up to the restaurant and pool area and down to the ocean beaches. There is also wave action on the beaches, but good sand. 


Samana Harbor




View from restaurante over pool to Samana Bay



Elder McDermid and I climbed up along the bank
Bananas are growing nearly everywhere.



Small rowboats with local fishermen were seen
every afternoon



Not a leisurely day of fishing.

Our condo on the top floor overlooking the beach.

There are lots of waves, so much sound of the surf.

We arrived Turesday, on Wednesday some went on a boat to watch the whales, they had a spectacular time, including a nice lunch on Ventando island.  Thursday we went a bit further north to Las Tirenas on the Atlantic.  Lots of hotels and resorts along that coast.  Perhaps another trip later on!

Young boy playing alongside the road.



Another local child.




























Most, if not all, schools use uniforms.  They attend only half days, about 3 hours, because the schools
are  too full, so half in the morning and half in the afternoon.



Another transfer

As usual in the mission field time is measured in transfers, six week blocks. Today another group left the CCM and headed for the campo.  Other missionaries were here last night that are just finishing their best two years.  Presidente Lee, Santiago Mission President, told us last week "I have three transfers", meaning July, and his release, is just around the corner. 

Most of the Latinos from this group, a Central and South American united nations.



Elder Vera and Pres. Glazier loading a van.


We are at our six month anniversary and one year from our release date today, so not counting transfers yet. 

Backroad trip-San Jose de Ocoa to Constanza

Last Saturday we went with the Glaziers and McDermids on a loop to the west of Santo Domingo through Azua and then north along a dirt road through a Parque, La Valle Nueves, to Consanza.  Then we looped back to the main highway and returned to Santo Domingo.  The road offered some good views and some insight into rural life.  There are some large haciendas and some very small shacks,.  These passes rose to about 8000 ft, with some steep drop offs.



Freezy pop vendor in a smal village, 7 pesos each (20 cents).



Mural at the visitor center in the park, it was cool out, but not arctic.

Burro in the street at Ocoa.

This little piggie had a refuse pile to dine on, though he had to share with a chicken. This hamlet must have been Cerdo-ville, everyone had a pig or two chained outside their shack.



Elder mcDermid had me share his licorice with these kids, I hope the little girl passed them along to her friends.



This little guy came out of that house.  No electricity and no water.  Hope he makes it.

Motos and cell phones are ubiquitous. Hard phone lines are unreliable so everyone has cells, coverage is pretty good, even in tiny groups of homes. This picture is in Ocoa, a bigger town.  The motos are two-cycle engines usually, often chinese knock offs of Japanese bikes. In Santo Domingo they are a major nuisance while walking or driving. They follow no rules and use the sidewalks if it is to their advantage.

These two houses were just outside Ocoa, humble over all but some great murals.



These humble homes were along the road, probably 20 miles to a store of any size. As an aside, the skin color of Dominicans varies greatly, but these really dark skinned guys are likely Haitianos.  Haitians come in without papers so are limited to very low end jobs, but apparently still better than Haiti.  Dominicans use small boats and rafts to try to slip into Puerto Rico, better opportunities there. Puerto Ricans, of course, go to New York City.




Passing on the narrow road could get interesting, those were potatoes heading to market.



Slightly higher end homes with satellite dishes.

This looked steeper in person.  The white pipe
crossing the valley in the air is a water pipe
bringing water to a small group of houses.

We thought we were in the middle of nowhere, but this guy
 was hoofing along the road.