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!