"Michelle, don't be a chicken"

 Before I begin any story, I must first recognize my favorite sister's anniversary....THIS is a Feliz aniversario!!!!! (happy anniversary) Linda and Jamie Turner!!!!


This morning I went with Chris and Lisa in service....Gray took a vacation day to work on an upcoming talk and to do the most forbidden thing to do in Dominican....HE SAT OUT IN THE SUN!!!!

Lisa and Chris were laughing at Gray who was laying out on the concrete step trying to get a tan when we returned from service this morning.  they figured that all the neighbors were watching Gray and his unnatural behavior LOL. As we have learned and it is not an exaggeration....Dominican's hate the sun!! Hard to believe but very true.

I tried to explain how cold it is in Canada but for them never even once seeing snow or feeling a temperature below 25 degrees they have a really hard time understanding how much we enjoy the sun.
Chris and Lisa are starting to turn Dominican here too, they no longer like the sun either. Because they are in the sun and it is really really hot here in the summer I can understand why.



I will share with you what I did today, because I didn't take a vacation (wink-wink) there was about 12 people out this morning and we went to this area that seemed like there shouldn't be any houses there but they were. Most places that we have been have roads, but this neighborhood had pathways, that maybe only a motorbike would fit down.

We found many people at home in this area this morning.

This was on our way to the territory, this turns into dirt road and little walk ways.

This is one of the spots that we walked to this morning, there is no road but there are curbs because it is holding in a creek of water.


The water is there all the time and is likely used by the locals for everything.

Lisa thinks it comes from some sort of canal, but she wasn't sure where.

On our way back to the Kingdom Hall this is a normal thing to see. COWS strolling down the main street with a small boy directing them.

Traffic just gets out of there way and no one complains, this is just life.

I am pretty sure that back home we barely want to brake for Canadian Geese.....what would people do if they saw this???



You have all been introduced to Jaoquin, he is the brother that took Gray on his motorbike.
Jaoquin and his wife Bonnie own una tienda (a small store)

This is there store that I am standing in with them. This morning I was assigned to work with Bonnie, and she asked if I wanted to ride on her motorbike like Gray. I politely said NO! She laughed and said that I was chicken....but YEAH I was, I have seen how people drive here. I choose to walk.

Bonnie is a real joker, she was teasing me all morning. I think we were often not having the same conversation my spanish and her english being limited, but I know we both were having a great time.

This was Lisa and I downtown at the street market buying an avocado for our lunch.


We are eating so much GREAT food here, rice, beans, veggie's and corn tortilla's and the fruit.....is so delicious!!

Today we tried a fruit called nisporo
it tastes like brown sugar and cinnamon. You wouldn't think it would be good because it looks just like a ball of dirt. I will take a picture of it and show you all what it looks like.


Tonight Lisa cooked empanada's  they are AWESOME!!! Its a traditional food of Dominican, what you do is take water and flour and make dough then flatten it out and put graded cheese in the middle and then fold it and fry it into deliciousness!!!!

This was a real treat!!!

Gray and I will attempt to make them when we come home so you all can experience how good they are.

Tonight our meeting has been canceled because there is a Zone visit that is happening tomorrow. So we are having our meeting in the morning at 9am and will be using the internet and a projector to see and hear the speaker that is in a rented stadium in the capital. ALL of Dominican congregations are invited, we can't wait to be apart of this special day.

We will be sure to take great notes and can't wait to tell you more tomorrow.