Bueno Bonao

Wow. What an intensely sad story about those missionaries who passed away. That makes my stomach ache. I´m going to be as safe as I can, no worries. But, sometimes it´s just out of our control. I hate to think about what they´re family is passing through.. Wow.

Well I don´t have too much news for this week. The kid we were supposed to baptize got baptized, so that was great! We are working really hard here. REALLY hard. It´s been an amazing two transfers with some decent success, and so we´ve been really blessed here. Bonao usually just does not baptize, but I´m starting to think that areas don´t baptize because of the attitude of the missionaries. At least in every area I´ve been in on the mission I´ve gotten a baptism. I have loved them all, and all have been really distinctly sweet in their own way.

I hear Matt and Cate are ward mission leaders. I know they do their job well. We are in huge need of people to help with the missionary work here. The missionaries are IT. Literally. We just have a bunch of ¨Sunday Mormons.¨ It´s sad. I don´t wanna be that guy when I get back. I think I was before the mission, but that´s all different now. I get so frustrated with the fact that none of the members want to share what they have. It´s a miracle. We have the truth. Unfortunately, the lack of faith comes from a lack of exercizing faith and giving references. I didn´t.. I can´t blame them, and so I try to keep that perspective, but knocking on doors all day is really ineffective and downright frustrating at times.

I love the work though, I can´t believe how fast the weeks go. And this week especially. We´ve had interviews (yesterday), today was p-day, tomorrow is zone meeting (AND La Sirena, remember the store that was like wal-mart, opens up here in BONAO!!) Monday we had another national huelga, and this time with a few gun shots. Nothing too close to the apartment, but we didn´t leave. SO we studies a lot and detailed the house. It is just beautiful now, better than when we moved into it. Ok.. Maybe not quite that good, but it looks pretty spiffy. And we found out why our fridge smelled like rotting onions.. Because it had rotting onions in it from when Elder Medina was here still.. Hahaha how gross is that?

Anyway, Fernando is still going strong, as well as Domingo, who is a contact we made the other day. He already expressed that he wants to join the church. You were absolutely right about having more success as a District Leader, I already see it. Wow. And I hope your prediction about ZL is a little further away than what you think it is. It's still feel new to this whole leader thing, I just moved up like a transfer ago to senior comp, take it easy dad. ha

I've been in such a good mood lately. My comp and I get along great. We teach a lot, but we have our fair share of fun as well. I love being with him.

I will send you pictures soon. Don't sweat it, I just need to have a p-day that's not p-day Santiago (we had it again today, I stocked up on more cereal, this time I chose cinnamon toast crunch. It was a great decision). I also got to know an elder from Dallas really well today, Elder Marstella. He's awesome, and we may have plans already to go to a ranger's game and eat bbq. Love that kid. He's from the group before my son.

Not too much more to say I don't think. This morning we were attacked by a pack of dogs, but that's pretty normal. We threw a rock at them and they scurried away. The craziest things have become normal. Sometimes I really have to think back to the normal things, the things you see in organized, rule bound society, and really compare the two to realize just how nuts it is here. But, it's fun I suppose.

I love you two. I'll let you know if I get the package this week. Hopefully so because Thanksgiving is next week, and mail only comes of Fridays. But, if it doesn't it's not the end of the world. We're gonna celebrate thanksgiving with 4 American missionaries.

Be safe, don't report anything else tragic in the family, good grief I just want one completely smooth week. Stop giving me heart attacks with grandpa.

Always praying for you guys,

till next week, not a second wasted,

Elder C. Rufus Sweeney