More About Christmas

We wrote a "Christmas in the Dominican Republic" blog post which showed Christmas down here.  But since that post, we wanted to share how we actually spent the days right before and Christmas Day.

The Sunday night before, we took little red velvet cakes, a Southern tradition, around to other senior missionary couples along with our traditional singing of “Deck the Halls.”  Jill had ordered four little baking pans and a quart of red food coloring through Amazon.  (We don’t know exactly what we will do with all of it, but it was cheap!)

Here we are caroling

The morning before Christmas, we went out with other Senior Missionaries to visit Hogar de Mercedes, a sweet orphanage with 20 children.  We had all picked a name or two of children to buy inexpensive little gifts.  We had a boy and a girl aged 13.  We hadn’t been sure whether our orphan was a boy or girl – the name was Yefry, which we think of as Jeffrey at home, but we only know girls whose names start with Y.  It turned out that Yefry was indeed a boy, but I was so glad that I had brought an extra gift.  

Someone had been given a little flute,
so Rob was all set!

Us with Yefry, one of our orphans (tx. Elder Hammon for the photo)

The day before, a mother had just left her two little daughters, 3 and 5, on the orphanage door, so we had something to share with them. They were very serious but began to warm up after seeing the gifts.  The older girl is with Rob in the photo at the right.

The children in this orphanage which is run by the Catholic Church live there until they finish college!  They don’t try to put them up for adoption as we would think of in the United States.  It is run by three nuns, one of whom looks and acts like she was in the Sound of Music.  

These are the three nuns who run the school - the one in the middle
should be in the Sound of Music! (tx. Elder Hammon again for the photo)

They also have a school there during the week.  The Church did a Humanitarian project (about computers, washing machines and hands-on service) there last spring, so we have visited them before. 

After sharing gifts, we sang some Christmas songs – we ended up sharing copies, so they could join in. Then they sang to us, and we toured the building.  Since we had been through it before, we stayed out with some of the kids.  It was so fun.

Here are the kids!  The little girl in front in white and her sister in orange
are the ones whose mother left them the day before. (tx. Elder H again!)

On the way both going and coming from the orphanage, we passed all these displays of different cuts of pork on the side of the road.  That, and the bread that was for sale, are the chief features of their Christmas meal.  We didn’t indulge in a roadside purchase because we didn’t know how long it had been since the meat had been butchered, or even cooked in some cases.  But it was amazing!

That night, the Senior Missionaries joined in a short Christmas program – Jill sang in a quartet.  Then afterwards, we tucked ourselves into bed.

Away in a Manger

The next morning, we quickly opened our stockings (we had to use two of Rob’s exercise socks- we later opened up a package from Clay and Amie with large filled stockings).  So Rob’s held an apple,  an orange, and another small gift and Jill’s held an apple and earrings.

Our table laid for breakfast

Our dining room on Christmas morning. 

Then we hurried over to the Missionary Training Center, where we all filled plates of goodies for the 37 missionaries there right now.  We again had fun caroling with everyone.       

              Here are the plates less than half filled.

The kitchen was crazy!      

Out in the hall getting ready to go sing!

     Here they are getting their goodies - I'm sure that
 they all had sugar highs the rest of the day!

Then we put a turkey in the oven and finally opened the generous gifts that we had surprisingly received. Besides gifts from our kids, we also received treats from several friends back home, so we enjoyed homemade bread, candies, and some wonderful Christmas books.

                                              Jill's haul!        

Rob's haul                                                   

 We  invited a number of Senior Missionaries over that afternoon for turkey sandwiches – something that Jill’s mom always did.  Everyone brought something in addition, so we had lots to eat and great company.

Some fellow missionaries! 

We had been able to talk to Matt’s, Clay’s, and Bryan’s families the day before when they had gathered for a Georgia “Christmas Eve Buffet” for lunch, a tradition that we started more than 30 years ago.  Seeing them all gathered brought some tears to Jill’s eyes.  We were also able to talk to Heather’s family because they were heading to Arizona early Christmas morning.  On Christmas, we talked to Brittany and Adam, and then caught up with Ben a few days later. 

All in all, we had a wonderful Christmas.  We hope that yours was equally satisfying and joyous.

Christmas in the Dominican Republic

Merry Christmas from the Dominican Republic!  It is so funny driving down the street playing Christmas music while watching the man on the corner selling avocados and bananas and the palms swaying gently in the breeze.  We have spent the last month or so recording little glimpses of Christmas down here to share with you.

I play the music for Sacrament meeting in our Branch.  I believe it was the first week in November when the Bishop asked me if I could start playing Christmas music.  Back in the States, we always remark that there is not enough time to sing Christmas songs – the trick is to just start a month earlier.  Without Thanksgiving, there’s no reason not to start the first of November.  And remember, also, that the kids here receive their main gifts on Kings Day – Jan. 6^th. 

Around the end of October, the first Christmas decorations go up. Local La Sirena which is sort of like a Walmart, suddenly has Christmas decorations on the shelves and in the aisles.  Then along the main streets, dozens of decorations made out of woven twigs appear.  

Then a number of balconies sport Christmas lights.  Over the next weeks, many stores have decorations outside.  Stores carry lots of commercial cookies and other goodies, and most grocery stores have a section selling little decorated Norfolk Pine plants which I think are the cutest little trees. 

Early in December, Heather sent us a little fake tree reminiscent of one that I sent her when she was in college.  It has made our apartment so cute.  She also included a cute light string which Rob added to the front of our TV which we never watch.  

Rob stringing the lights (a lot more simple than back home)

I love Christmas!

 And then at Reyo del Sol where we attended a Humanitarian activity, they gave us this darling centerpiece and two angels all made out of rolled and painted newspaper (the students there make the most beautiful rolled newspaper baskets which they sell as well).  

 Here are a variety of decorations we have seen:

  A Hardware Store in Barahona
using some of those twig trees

A tall tree in Azua                  

Another store decorated with elves galore.

Regal Pack - a store that only does
upscale gift wrapping - amazing work

 A park on one of the main streets here.  They painted the outside wall green and red and put up little buildings inside - a lot of work...

No one objects to a full-size nativity scene on the corner of a busy street.  I love the fact that they combined painted figures with a little twig reindeer like some we've seen on the streets...

Sister Hammon, Sister Rucker, and Jill made cookies for everyone who works in the office (about 100 each).  The folks were really pleased, and it wasn't a lot of work for any of us!

The folks in the office prepared a wonderful 
musical presentation.

The Santo Domingo Men's A'Capella group came and 

sang to the Senior Missionaries.

But probably our favorite Christmas view here is of the sweet little nativity scene on the Temple Grounds that lights up at night.  Truly our Savior is the "reason for the season." 

Caribbean Area Seminar 2012

      We began planning for the Caribbean Public Affairs Seminar (that was held the last day of November and the first day of December) in September.  Rafael Gutierrez, the Area Director of Public Affairs had a seven-page, single-spaced, list of responsibilities to delegate among the three of us.  Jill handled largely the venue, lodging and binder assignments, I handled largely the transportation, technical and printing arrangements, and Rafael handled the instruction, outside speakers and overall supervision assignments. It turned out, however, that more than 40 other individuals had put their shoulder to the wheel to help us with the details from invitations and gifts to photography and meals.

     At one of our (National Public Affairs Council) planning meetings, Elder Martinez, the Area Seventy assigned to Public Affairs in the DR, attended the meeting and said something at the meeting’s closing melted our hearts.  After thanking everyone in the Council for their excellent work and dedication, he said something like, “.. and especially the Dunfords.  They are like the three of the twelve disciples of Christ in the Americas who wanted to stay behind to do a greater work.  There are wonderful grandparents who are dedicatedly watching over their children and grandchildren, but the Dunfords have left their grandchildren and have chosen the better part like the three Nephites.” In the midst of a very difficult set of challenges that we won't go into here, this was like a balm to our hearts.

Victor Bisono, a member of the Dominican
 Congress, spoke at one luncheon.

                                                   

                                    Some of the participants

                    

           Edwin was our IT guy

                                       

                   Everything is setup and ready to go!

Instruction by guest speakers.

  

 Elvis Medina, the Bishop of the Evangelical
 Churches in the Dominican Republic, also spoke

(Please excuse all of the photos with people that you don't know - we wanted to have a record of them for us as well as share with you).

On Friday night, we took all of the participants to the Colonial Zone, where we ate at the Pat'e Palo Restaurant, an old pirate hangout built in 1505.  Great food and atmosphere.  Then out on the plaza outside there was Dominican music and dancing which we joined for a bit of fun!  Here are a lot of pictures of the attendees - they are such great people and we are so grateful to have had the opportunity to get to know them~

The Plaza at night 

Pat'e Palo - a fun restaurant in the Colonial Zone

Evangelista and Rocio from Santiago

                           

                                     Ruth(Azua), Lidia (Sto Dgo), Madelyn
                                     (Puerto Plata),  and Yahaira (Sto. Dgo).

                             

                                       Lacey, Miguelina, Rugh (Sto. Dgo), and
Arcadio (Santiago)

Emilo (La Vega), Antar (Sto. Dgo), and
Vicente (Santiago

                                   

                                                   Jose, Sandra, and Rosa from Sto. Dgo.

Fausto (Sto. Dgo.), Pres. Santana
(La Romana),  and Irene (Sto. Dgo)

                          

                     Ingrid (Sto. Dgo.), Cheryl (Barbados),
                               and Karen (Jamaica)

Luis, Anita, Evelyn, and Evelyn from
Puerto Rico

    

      Kearn and Donika Samuel
                        from Trinidad

Elizabeth, Jonnathan, Yadira (Area Office) 

Rocio (Santiago), Lacey (again), and
Katherine (our translator)

Kesner Kella from Haiti - a wonderful
French speaker!

Rafael (our boss), Clark (SLC), Rosa
(again Sto. Dgo.), and Emilio (again La Vega)

Angel, Elder Martinez, and Nancy
(Puerto Rico), Clark (again SLC)