Farewell to the Dominican Republic!

Hi Family!

The elders and Ramona brought up lunch today as a surprise.  I started to cry.  Then everyone got out their cameras.  What a time we've had!  They served a big pan covered with melted cheese.  Dad said the ingredients would have been expensive.  It was like shepherd pie only with platanos instead of potatoes and a few carrots and raisins in.  Tasted pretty good. Then they had big pitchers of chenola--an orange drink kind of like orange and peach combined.  We had a gift for Ramona, Hershey candies in a heart valentine plus other stuff, a big jar of Smuckers Strawberry jam for the Clawsons (her favorite flavor), then a note and money for the elders to go get ice cream at a fancy new place that opened up recently.  Dad and I went there for Valentines. 

      We ate at the Pres. house (the whole office) on Wednesday.  It was fancy!  They served Dominican food the president's wife said to remember them by.  It is same meal as when we came and at traslados --rice with vegetables in, chicken, candied banana and potato salad of yucca instead of potatoes, carrot and eggs.

     Last night we went to dinner at a hotel, the fanciest place we've seen since we came here.  We met the Mahons there, the CES couple also going home from Huntsville, Utah.  The Clawson's replacing us are from Kaysville just along the freeway not far from us. So strange.  We're going to lunch with them tomorrow.

     The president called the office a few minutes before we left today and wanted us to come to the mission home.  He and his wife greeted us and gave us our certificates (which we'd typed) and a booklet of all the missionaries' pictures and a plaque.  They want us to email them.  They go home in 3 months and a new mission president and wife come, American from California. 

      We will miss them all!. Then we shook hands and came home to box groceries and clean/pack etc.  We've been packing for about a week.  Anyway, life goes on.  Hope you all are terrific!!!  Then we leave here Friday morning, going with the elders at about 4:30 am.  Glad we did it.  Glad we get to come back closer to you all!.  I took a family picture of you all dressed up in beautiful tuxs and dresses when we ate at the President's house.  President Rodriguez thought you all looked wonderful!  He was surprised at how many there are of you!  Hermana Rodriguez wanted to know how many and said since more had been born while we were here, that we needed a new picture and to send her one!  You are all a pretty sight!  We love you!  Thanks for being such a wonderful support to us!

Love, Mom & Dad

Last week -- well wishes from people

On Friday, March 7, 2014 6:08 PM, Jensens <7jensens@comcast.net> wrote:

Congratulation!  You did it!    Just a couple more days before you leave
to go home!    Good luck with everything and traveling home - hope all
goes well - Love, Nancy & Ray

On Thursday, March 6, 2014 1:29 AM, Andrea Tucker <andrea_ceu@yahoo.com> wrote:
... Thanks for calling. Hope your last week is going well! -Andrea

On Wednesday, March 5, 2014 1:04 PM, Ross Tucker <rwt999@yahoo.com> wrote:

Thanks for the birthday wishes -- you're doing a great job of keeping in touch with family on your mission. Best of luck with your last week in the Dominican Republic. -Ross

Our last day at the Mission Office

The elders helped Ramona make us lunch.  They purchased the ingredients and served up chinola (the punch.)

The elders bought the ingredients and helped Ramona make lunch, then came and surprised us!  We were so touched!!!

Luv u!!!!

Proud of each of you!!

Love, M&D

We are home! More pictures

We had some fun go home activities.  We had lunch with the mission president and his wife and the office elders, and the Clawsons at the Mission Home.  Here's some pictures:

We are home!

Hi all of you!  Como le va?

       We are home and it feels good.  Here's some pictures at the Mission Office when the last elder, Elder Midgley left,  The Mission President and I doing our last bank reconciliation, the last Mission President's devotional from where I sat, and the last trip to the post office.

Missionary Mix-n-Match

Items for Erickson Newsletter for March 2014

 We had a great week.  Monday was devotional with the president.  He's started having the ending of the meeting in English.  So the elders called on me for the closing prayer.  So I gave it in English.  First prayer in English since we've been here.  I prayed that I could pray good.  Have you ever done that?

     Tuesday we went to the San Geronimo chapel early and oriented/ had them fill out our packets for 6 coming missionaries, three from North America, one from Honduras and two from here that will serve here until their visas come to go to Mexico.  (Then 3 move arrived the following day.)

We ate with them and their companions then went to the temple to ready the clothes (la ropa) for the 8 missionaries going home. After the session I take pictures of them all with the President and forward them.

     Thursday was veintisiete del febrero.  (It's the 4th of July for the Dominican Republic, so we only worked 1/2 day.  We did hang a huge Dominican flag that Jim bought from our balcony.  The flag has a big white cross on red red background with the scripture in the middle opened to John, and "The truth shall make you free."

     NOW, I want to tell you about Bo Petrie.  He was finishing his mission and came to the capitol on a guagua (a little bus) on the outskirts of the city.  The assistants asked us to go pick up he and his companion.  We found them in a huge bus transferring area just swarming with people and motorcycles and beat up buses and taxis and people selling all kinds of stuff and tons of garbage.  They were glad to see us, then said they had a pair of shoes to give to someone at the MTC or CCM on the other side of the city--They'd hoped to make the delivery and had no way to get there and not much time before the go-home activities began.  So Jim and I said we'd take him and tried to hurry.  It was a busy time of day and the traveling was slow so we had time to visit with them.  Elder Petrie is from Oregon.  He asked how we as a couple met (lots of missionaries ask that.)  So I asked how his parents met.  He said they met at college in Lamoni, Iowa..  Jim and I knew that is the college for the Re-organized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  He said both his parents were members of the Re-organized Church (RLDS), both sets of his grandparents are Reorganites.  His great grand parents were too.  In fact, his family goes way back to the days of Joseph Smith.  His parents married and went to Oregon for a job.  He and his brothers and sisters were born there.  Their family was active in the local Reorganized church.  He said they have quite a few congregations there in his part of Oregon.  His brothers and sisters began to marry and were no longer interested in the church.  Elder Petrie or Bo, went with some friends to the LDS church.  There he said he felt the Spirit as he heard the teachings.  He soon wanted to be baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He knew it was the true church, that it had the fullness of the gospel and was different from his church which he said has become just another protestant church not standing for much.  His parents weren't too upset about him joining, because he at least was belonging to a church and wasn't getting into bad things like his siblings.  He laughed when he told us about receiving the Melchizedek Priesthood because his Mom said, "now you and I both have the Priesthood."  He said he was going home, had wanted to go with his missionary buddies to BYU, but he said "the Lord hasn't prepared me for the last two years to be with lots of Mormons at college.  He felt he should go home and work on his family.  In fact, he teased, "maybe I'll go to Lamoni College!"

     Even with generations of his family belonging to a church, he could be objective and open minded enough to listen and discover for himself.  I found it fascinating!  We have met such fine young people!  We have such fine people at home, can't wait to see you all!

     We love you so much! -Jim & Susan

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On Saturday, March 1, 2014 7:36 PM, David Erickson <David.Erickson@imail.org> wrote:

Very interesting! Thanks for sharing the story.

David

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On Saturday, March 8, 2014 1:09 AM, Janet Gee <janetegee@gmail.com> wrote:

Beautiful story, Susan.

Have a great weekend,and a wonderful trip home!

Love you and Jim,

Janet

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On Saturday, March 1, 2014 9:50 PM, Ellen Anson <witsendea@aol.com> wrote:

Nice story. Have a good last week! Excited for you.

EA

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On Saturday, March 1, 2014 5:48 PM, Jeane Burton <hi.jeane@gmail.com> wrote:

Sounds wonderful! 

Looking forward to having you near by. Counting down the days. No matter what, leave with no regrets because there's no going back. 

Love you!

Jeane

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Hi Family!  You're all invited!  Our plane comes in Monday, March the 10th at 3:47 in the afternoon, we'll eat after.  And our report is Sunday, March the 16th at 9am in our old building at 60 W. Gordon Ave.  We'll eat after. Love you all!  Jim & Susan