La Mision Nuevo

July 7, 2010

Dear Fam,

Hermana Castillo and I have spent most of our Pday hunting for internet.  All of the libraries across the island are closed for summer vacation. Finally we just got permission from Presidente Alvarado to use a member's computer.  There are a lot of people speaking Spanish around me and I am fighting not to slip into writing Spanish.  It is getting harder and harder every day to speak English.

We are now officially one mission!  We had our first meeting with our new mission president.  Things are definitely, definitely different.  The president is Puerto Rican and he has a totally different approach to the work.  I think it will be good for the island.  The members here for sure have a lot of respect for him.

The highlight of my week is that Presidente Zayas, the mission 1st counselor came to San Lorenzo to teach a family home evening with us.  He and his wife are extremely dynamic.  They live pretty far from us and drove a long way to come and teach with us.  They have been so kind to watch over us and encourage us to keep working hard.  They came over last week talk with us and make sure everything was ok.  I really needed that little booster.

I feel a little frustrated because we still haven't found a way to work effectively in our area.  We are trying to work more closely with the members and find investigators, but things haven't clicked yet. 

I dropped the Old Investigator Records in a puddle of rain

I feel grateful this week because we have received the love and help of Presidente and Hermana Zayas and our leaders are really trying to help us too.  This week I feel like there are people who can help me and that I am not so alone.  I am very grateful.

Our recent convert, Nadia is doing really well and continues to progress.  Our recent convert family is struggling with the effect of drugs, but we are so grateful that we were able to contact them yesterday and that we haven't completely lost them.  They need much love, support, and prayers.  I love them so much and want them to hold to the gospel as much as they can.  The way will be very, very difficult.

I have to go, there are other missionaries waiting for the computer.

Hermana Palmer