Casa de Colon Car Show

The plaza in front of the Columbus house was the setting for a small car show Sunday.  We decided to walk down and have a look after Church.  It is hot and humid now, so the return walk required a rest or two in the shade. We feel safe walking, we don't carry any loose valuables, like a purse, fanny pack, or pack pack.  We also don't walk at night.

The show had some very nice older cars, a Studebaker pick up was my favorite.  There were American cars from the 50's and 60's, there was one MG Midget, a Mini and two Triumph's. Old cars are a draw anywhere I think.

Car show with the Colon Home in background.

Classic Mini



The only MG was a Midget.



Sunday Doings

The current crop of Haitian Elders is small, but as enjoyable as always.  Elder Belliard can speak English well and we have had fun with them.  These Elders appreciate the Temple very much, none had been before arriving at the CCM.  It is a 7 or so hour drive from Haiti, a 45 minute flight.  Many members don't have the means to do the trip more than once.  There is a dream for a Temple in Haiti.


Elder Fenelus and Elder Belliard




Elder Philistin and Elder Jean Pierre


















This group will return to their service in the Haiti Port-au-Prince Mission this Tuesday

Saturday Walk to Hogar Luby and some Mini's

We walked this morning, Saturday exercise, to a Clinic to see an Elder who is getting treated for amoebiasis, or bad diarrhea.  He is ok now, should get back to work tomorrow.  It is getting hotter here, so we left early, but still warm when we finished.

This picture shows the style of construction used here.  The support columns and floors are poured in place, layer by layer.  The supports for this are the rough poles you see, wood is an available and cheap resource.



We also came upon an open gate where we had seen many Classic Minis before.  The family business in oils and lubricants. They have 11 Minis, three racers and the rest drivers.  They also store some other cars there, like an Aston Martin, Jaguar 140 Roadster, a Stingray and a project Cobra.



Race Mini, the driver in the foreground is from Japan.
They made them there until 1998, it has a/c
and an automatic.




Jaguar Roadster on a lift, looked very nice. 



June visits to Zone Conferences in the Mision Oeste

The West Mission in the DR has been afflicted with parasites, we were invited to zone conference to re-emphasize the need for good water and food practices. 

We love to be with the Missionaries, they needed a bit of scolding and they got some from Sr. Rodriguez and a bit from me.  I reminded them that they have choices to make, we try to give them the information to choose wisely, and then, like a parent, you just hope and pray.




Missionaries await Conference in Azua





Sr. Shaver works the lunch crowd, with Elder Relf



Elder Holt is almost heading home, never been sick.

Hermana Bryant, Rodriguez and Sweeney
 with Pres. Rodriguez, not related.

I am getting lots of toenail practice.

I haven't counted lately, must be forty or more small ingrown toe suregeries so far. Someone said I should have kept them and made a necklace. This picture allowed Elder Green to act a bit, which tendency needs no encouraging.


Elder Green and Elder Perschon have a look at one of the
ingrown toenails I fixed.



Routine times

Since our return from Haiti we have kept busy with making month end reports, seeing and talking to elders on the phone and our Temple shifts. This week, on Thursday, because it was a big Holy Day and holiday in the DR (Corpus Cristi), the Temple was open all day on Thursday, so we worked extended shifts in the morning and went back to help in the evening. It was great to be very busy in the Temple with full rooms for many sessions.  I used all three of my Temple languages, English, Spanish and French.



Elders Mercato, Shaver, Paulino and DelCompare on Tuesday morning as they were heading into the mission field.


Yesterday (Saturday 9 Jun12) we took a trip south and west along the coast to Barahona.  First we stopped at a larimar shack, not very exciting and no one bought anything! Larimar is a blue semi-precious stone found in this part of the DR.  We had lunch at Casa Bonita (previously blogged and pictured) and then had some time on Playa San Raphael.  The beach is best known for a chain of pools just above the beach that slow the outflow of the river.  This creates some nice, cool swimming spots.  There are many tables and restaurants surrounding the area, nice and shady too.  The beach is good for walking, though small pebbles are there, not fine sand.  The waves pound close to shore, fun for teenagers but not the best for swimming or playing in the water.  Still, a very nice spot to relax, watch the Dominicans and collect a few colored rocks.



Along the path up the chain of pools.




Looking back out over the pools to the Caribbean Sea.




Photo op requested by the young Dominicanos,
they wanted a picture of us for Facebook.
They wanted to tell people they had been to Punta Cana!