2 November 2012

POPCORN WEEK

Brother Breton mentioned that he wanted us to have popcorn available after every class this week.  (I guess that very few have popcorn down here, for you can't purchase a pop corn popper.  So this is a novelty.)    Well it is Friday and there have been many experiences that I need to report.  There are 17 classes every week, thus seventeen classes that need to be greeted by popcorn as they get out of class. So it was my responsibility to create, make, pop 34 batches of popcorn.  I don't care if I never see another kernal.  We have classes everyday and everyone acts like they have never eaten, and rush  the batch as I present it in the student room.

Some eat, eat, and arrange their schedule to be there when classes are over so they can eat.  We asked one we work with if the students had money to purchase food.  She said that they do, but they save their money to go to movies, and then they are often starving for anything, guess popcorn will suffice if they haven't eaten for a while.  Then of course when the day ends, there are pieces of corn all over and it takes a while to clean up after them.  It is all part of the mission I guess, making millions of colonels of popcorn, then cleaning it up off of the floor.  (You can see I am at a quandary how to spell those little things that pop with heat, called popcorn.) 

I taught a lesson this past week to non members, there were nine of them, and of course the missionaries.  It was fun.  I felt the Spirit bearing witness of the truth.  It was a lesson about Joseph Smith.  Then I had two of the elders thank me over and over again for the lesson, for I know it  touched them also.  I love teaching the gospel, for that is the Spanish I remember and I don't struggle as much to teach a lesson about the gospel. And of course the Spirit is strong, for they are hungry, searching for the truth, and they know not where to find it. 

Don't know if we have shared this or not yet, but the Mission President's wife told us that Salt Lake told them that in three weeks after the Prophets announcement, they received over 12,000 applications of new missionaries.  You can just imagine the more time that goes by, there will be more and more.  I suggest that the number of missionaries right now (about 52,000) will double within six months.  Sister Mission President's wife said that they would be receiving 100 new missionaries in January, they now have 150.  Half of those coming in would be sisters.  I can imagine that the same thing is going on throughout the church, and this is just the beginning.  My MTC contact also reported that they are cutting down the time full time missionaries are at the MTC by two weeks.  Things are moving in the mission field, and we are so blessed to be a part of it. 

When (IF) we get an LDS president of the US, can you imagine how missionary work will expand, with President Romney knowing all about the importance of missionary work.  I would assume that is one of the reasons why the Prophet made the announcement he did in October.  It is time for a BIG push in preaching the gospel. 

Once in a while, I turn to Bonnie, or she turns to me, both with amazed expressions on our face and say in essence the same thing, "Do you realize we are in Dominican Republic, a foreign country?"  It is amazing to live it and then realize it is happening. Father is indeed interested in, and directing things in this area, often through us.  It is so wonderful to pause and see His hand touching, influencing, and buoying up so many of these young kids.  

Things are just starting here, and with more time down here, we will see His hand in many things.  Just last night, I received another piece of inspiration about our duties.  We have much in front of us and "joy" in the service, being tools in His hands to do what He wants done.  We love it.  Thanks for your support.

Bonnie will add her comments to this one, in a different post.