Monday, April 21, 2014

Zoe - Back in the BIG City

HOLA A TODOS!

I've been transferred! I´m back in the Capital, b
ut it´s a little bit different from before. I´m in an area called La Esperanza. I really like it so far! It has trees unlike my last area, so that´s nice! It´s very green and a little bit more...normal economic wise. It doesn't have a ton of people on the extremes of the economic scale, but more just what would be kind of middle to upper middle class. It´s nice! 

A couple of weird things... so for the first time in my mission people are calling me Hna Say-feer, like they do in the US. Too many people here are studying English! hahah but for real! Everyone who´s studied English in this area is seeing my name and pronouncing it Say-feer. So I have to correct them and they get really confused. People who haven´t studied English seem to have a much easier time with my name.

Also.. I've been getting compliments on my Spanish! YAHOO! I've been meeting lots of new people and a lot of them have asked me how much time I have in the mission and when I say 1 year they just respond kinda like, "ya cause your Spanish sounds really good!" YESSSS. Last time I switched areas people were not saying that. IMPROVEMENNNNT.

I now live in an apartment with my new companion, Hna Hamblin. She's from Arizona and 21 and super nice and cute! We live with two other Hnas that are Dominican, Hna Moronta and Hna Mieses. It´s all super good so far! We live in the 3rd story of our apartment right across from the church. It´s a pink apartment. Maybe you can googlemaps the LDS church in La Yuca, DR and see where I live. It´s super nice and convenient to live so close to the chapel! It also has a really nice view.

I haven´t mentioned yet that also everybody here makes a huge deal about how tall I am. More than ever before in my mission. Maybe it could have something to do with that my new companion is tiny. Check out our photos! Oh side note, Hna Hamblin´s little sister is also serving too! But in Hong Kong! I´m glad I´m just learing Spanish haha.

This is me with Hna Moronta and Hna Mieses. They´re both from here and super fun. I have such a great house!

These are just a couple shots from our apartment. We live on the 3rd floor and we live right across the street from the church as you can see which is quite convenient! It´s also nice and green which is super nice and pretty. My last area in the capital was all cement, so I´m extra grateful for the greenery here!

"The work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance for ever." -Isaiah 32:17

And as always, " Don´t find fault. Find a remedy." -Henry Ford

Also HAPPY PASSOVER to all my family that´s together right now!!!! I miss you alll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Hna Safeer

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Zoe and the "One Armed Man"

David's (Zoe's dad) notes:  Zoe continues to make friends and make people happy, young and old.
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Hola! Ok so this week, biggest things that happened is 1. General Conference! Super good, but it was my first time watching it in Spanish. As much as I love voice overs, I prefer it in English. But Conference never disapoints! It was great as always.

2. Transfers! Yikes! I'm the only one from my house who's leaving, but we don't know to where or with who. I'll find out tonight. It's probably fair to say I'm a tiny bit nervous. 

Besides that it's all just been a normal week.

So a couple last photos from this transfers.





First are the most GIANT coconuts in the world! We had to drink and eat them and they're actually gross. They may not look that giant but remember my hands are really big. 









One more photo from the temple that Hna Smith bombed.







Then like a week later we had more coco for district meeting, but they were smaller so I could handle it and now I like the coconut meat so that was nice.





And this is Heladio! I love him so much! He's just this cute old one armed man that usually doesn't smile but he smiled a little for the photo!









And remember, "Faith in God includes faith in his timing." -Neal A. Maxwell

Hasta Luego!

Hna Safeer

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Hernan stops smoking!

David's Note: Zoe didn't send any pictures so I added an old one!
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Hola familia!
So I forgot my camera.... so no pictures this week. Sorry! Next week!

But I´ll just share a quick experience. So we´re working with the AWESOME man. His name´s Hernan and he´s super great and 65 and only has one arm. He lives in the house of our Branch Mission Leader and was invited to church last Sunday. We visited him the next day. It´s now been ONE WEEK since we´ve started teaching him. He´s been to church twice (for all 3 hours both times), has been praying daily, and HAS QUIT SMOKING AND DRINKING COFFEE. What? Yep that´s right. In one week of us working with him. He used to smoke a pack a day. These last few weeks before us he´d been lowering it down but now he´s done! If that´s not a miracle quitting smoking in 1 week than I don´t know what is! He´s planning on being baptizedApril 19th and we´re stoked!
That that´s all for today.
Talk to you next week!
Hna Safeer