tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79724157896101411552012-01-29T19:12:29.931-08:00Dominican Republic - Santo Domingo EastChrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.comBlogger1141100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-38374904090023934502011-11-10T16:01:00.001-08:002011-11-10T16:17:45.519-08:00

So sorry that we haven't posted anything for a while on the blog.  We think enough time has passed with Taylor's recovery that we want to close out his missionary blog.  I have many mixed feelings about this. I have really enjoyed helping to create this record for him of his wonderful service to the Lord.  Thank you all for reading, and especially thank you for your love and concern when we

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-76500401054973309072011-07-22T22:10:00.000-07:002011-07-23T14:26:06.796-07:00

Well...a lot has happened since I wrote last.  So, I will update to the best of my ability! FAMILY We got permission from the doctors to go and spend some time in California as a family - with certain restrictions!  Our daughter Emily was able to drive over from Utah to be with us also.  It was a great way to spend our first time together as a complete family in 2 years! MEDICALOn Tuesday,

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-65620950938780215942011-07-11T14:30:00.000-07:002011-07-16T13:49:28.342-07:00

Taylor will finally be giving his homecoming talk in church this coming Sunday.  It will be July 17th at 8:00 a.m.  If any of you locals would like to attend, our building is in Gilbert on Guadalupe - just East of Higley.  July is the time when most people I know try to get out of the heat and take a vacation.  All of my side of the family will be gone except for my Mom - so we understand if you

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-26201611699659564552011-06-30T21:09:00.000-07:002011-06-30T21:12:02.970-07:00

Brad here.  Just a quick update and some cool pictures. (I think they are cool - I purposely didn't ask Chrissie) Taylor is doing well. He is increasingly active, increasingly steady, and increasingly bored. He still has to keep things calm - next checkup is in mid-July. Taylor finally got his luggage and belongings from the DR. Our thanks to Elder Hunter for dragging all of it with him when he

Brad McBridenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-21343969289812013192011-06-17T10:24:00.000-07:002011-07-22T10:34:36.874-07:00

i Sorry we haven't given any updates since Taylor came home. We know that an astonishing number of you have been following Taylor's mis-adventure and recovery. We are grateful for your concern. Yesterday was another big day - he got his stitches out. The doctor commented that you can tell that they love baseball in the DR, because the stitch they used looks just like the stitching on a baseball!

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-1353782316718640622011-06-13T21:35:00.000-07:002011-10-24T13:22:39.389-07:00

 This is it. THE GATE. The gate that fell on Taylor's head. BIG NEWS!! Taylor was discharged from the ICU and sent home this afternoon. We were very surprised and happy. We were originally told that he would go to a different room and then when he was discharged, he would go to a rehab center.  He has done so well and has been recovering so fast, that the doctors felt he could come home -

Brad McBridenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-55443144084863994752011-06-11T15:08:00.000-07:002011-10-24T12:48:05.908-07:00

We proudly announce that Elder Taylor McBride has faithfully completed his missionary service and has been released by his Stake President. We are so proud of him and the mission that he served. While there is a bittersweet element to the way his mission was cut short, we are celebrating his success and dedication. A dear friend of ours told us he looks at Taylor's return much as when a wounded

Brad McBridenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-9831610067960435682011-06-10T23:27:00.000-07:002011-10-24T12:40:09.296-07:00

We are finally understanding what is going on inside Taylor's head, and I wanted to take a minute to try and describe it as simply as I can. If you look at the picture above, you will notice there are two different sets of stitches. The top set are from when his head hit the curb. The bottom set is from when the gate hit his head, and is the one we are worried about. It is right above the

Brad McBridenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-46716990059728850772011-06-10T12:25:00.000-07:002011-06-15T14:22:17.042-07:00

Sorry there hasn't been any new news posted - but there really hasn't been much news. Elder McBride is doing well. He is awake more and communicating just fine. They have been running a lot of tests - MRI, EEG, etc. (The picture above is the EEG checking his brain function - happily they found one) He is getting to be an expert on touching his finger to his nose. Right now the main concern is

Brad McBridenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-84973301568798577402011-06-09T10:27:00.000-07:002011-10-20T16:24:36.354-07:00

We just met with the neurosurgeon. One of the top men in the world. He has decided to do nothing. He feels that there is more risk of going in and rearranging the bones than in letting them heal themselves. Apparently the depressed fracture is very close to a delicate area that could cause much bigger problems if they went in. Apparently there are some major blood vessels in the area near the

Brad McBridenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-52174445675130721222011-06-09T05:41:00.000-07:002011-10-20T16:02:38.568-07:00

Elder McBride arrived in Phoenix Wednesday night after a long day of travel. We were so glad to get him home. He was accompanied by a guardian angel disguised as a senior missionary named Elder Kilgore. He is the doctor that serves as the area medical advisor for the Church in the Caribbean. Taylor was tired, but able to talk and visit with us. His speech is good, he is sharp, but a little groggy

Brad McBridenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-91729115181256337162011-06-08T07:00:00.000-07:002011-10-20T14:32:39.252-07:00

Spoke with Taylor again this morning. He is on his way to the airport. This time he isn't wearing pajamas, and has a doctor with him. He should be good to go. He reports feeling about the same, still having nausea and some vomiting - the car ride isn't helping. He suggested we not have any big meal planned for him because he isn't eating yet - I told him not to worry - we are just taking him

Brad McBridenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-52050250614519363592011-06-06T20:11:00.000-07:002011-10-20T14:06:52.776-07:00

Dear Friends and Family, I was waiting and wondering this afternoon why I hadn't heard from my boy yet, when I got a call from the mission president's wife.  She said that Taylor had been in an accident.  She said that he and some other missionaries were going to the church to play basketball. Taylor opened a huge sliding metal gate and it broke and fell on his head.  The gate knocked him to

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-61874479243900633222011-05-31T13:47:00.000-07:002011-05-31T13:47:55.885-07:00

Dear Family, A new transfer!  Time just keeps flying by!  Where to start . . . my new companion is Elder Sena and he is super cool!  He has about six months in the mission, but he has had his entire life in the church!!  He is the first Dominican missionary that I have met to have been born in the church.  He is from the northern part of the island called Puerto Plata (Silver Port) - which after

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-52767764161715101792011-05-23T16:25:00.000-07:002011-05-27T07:47:23.572-07:00

Hey Pops! After 6 months here in Villa Juana, I am getting the boot.  My feelings are really pretty mixed right now, so I am not quite sure what to say . . . I will start with the facts.  I will be going to a new area called Los Mameyes in the next zone over - not too far from here.  It is in the city, but right on the coastline, so it will be fun to see the ocean everyday like I used to in

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-92031201413803797082011-05-17T07:44:00.000-07:002011-05-17T07:44:22.768-07:00

Hi Mom! So I really don't have a whole lot to say today...I know that I didn't have much to say last week due to the phone call as well, but this week was a little.....slow. Last Monday, we went to a local chapel to play basketball with the Elders in the district and my companion, Elder Miller, landed wrong after jumping and sprained his ankle really badly.  His ankle was really bruised and the

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-53001037412142745812011-05-03T09:11:00.000-07:002011-05-09T21:34:28.123-07:00

Dearest Family, Six days until I can call home - whoohoooo!  I am super excited, so I hope that you are too! I can't believe that this will be the last phone call home of my mission!  That is, until I call from the airport at least.  Time flies when you are having fun right?! So, first of all, I have a story to tell and we will see how long it takes me to write it because I want to try to get a

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-13847039362638461182011-04-25T15:45:00.000-07:002011-05-09T21:18:00.137-07:00

Hey Family!!! Wow, this week has been one of the craziest that I have had in the mission thus far!!!  So much crazy stuff going on!  I will start off by just listing some of it off as it comes to mind. This morning as I was exercising early in the morning, I heard some screaming coming from really close to our house.  I walked to the balcony and heard that it was our neighbor screaming upstairs

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-45425952661290918272011-04-18T15:37:00.000-07:002011-04-18T15:37:44.327-07:00

Dear Family, Hola from Villa Juana!  Yes, with the changes last week I am still district leader.  We already have 3 baptisms in the district for this month and Elder Despain and his companion should have 7 baptisms this weekend if everything goes like it should and their family of six get married and baptized!  I think that this week I should be doing an exchange with him in his area to do some

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-49941438477429288702011-04-11T18:51:00.000-07:002011-05-09T21:21:32.244-07:00

Dear Mom, Why are my e-mails taking so long to get there?  It would be my first instinct to say that it is because all of the internet centers in the area are terrible, but I didn't even use the internet in my area last week - so I really don't know what is up!  Anyways, I am glad that you got it and I hope it doesn't happen again... We had transfer calls last night and I found out that we

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-29739054046118802942011-04-05T17:30:00.000-07:002011-05-03T09:12:37.084-07:00

Mom! General Conference was amazing!  Every conference seems to get better and better!  There were so many amazing talks that I can't really include them all, but I liked Elder Oaks about desire, Elder Bednar's about personal revelation, and the talk about being and not just doing (I can't remember his name).  Not to mention there were a ton of talks getting about married as well...they made me

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-83675399217069387362011-03-28T17:35:00.000-07:002011-03-28T18:24:41.070-07:00

So...before I post Elder McBride's letter, I have something to say.  Brad and I had an opportunity to try authentic Dominican food in California on Friday night and we were so excited to share this experience with him.  Here is what we tried:  Oxtail with Moro Orange Drink Tostones & Maduros Chicken PastelitoPuerco con Moro Dear Mom! That is so cool that you guys found a Dominican place to eat

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-87909145931433773702011-03-22T14:02:00.000-07:002011-03-28T17:44:56.077-07:00

Hey Mom! Thanks for all of those pics!  The ones of Ryan eating the crickets were great!  I actually totally forgot about the crickets you sent me and they are still in the box in which I recieved all of my goodies, so my companion and I will have to eat some tonight!  I will be sure to take some photos of that.  And I think that I might send my memory card home this week like I did last time

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-28345851261776519662011-03-15T15:45:00.000-07:002011-03-15T15:45:16.178-07:00

Dear Family, I have my release date as the 26th of September I think.  I'm totally fine with that.  I know that sometimes they send guys home a transfer early so that they can make school - but I don't want to go home early.  I am sure that the Lord will help me pass out of the Spanish tests just fine if I stay for an extra few weeks, and then I can just get a job and earn money for school the

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-72243695075721931502011-03-07T18:13:00.000-08:002011-03-07T18:13:28.234-08:00

Momma! This week has gone really well.  I got a ton of pics this week from you, Aunt Susie, and Emily and it was really nice!  I got to see the quilt you made for Em and in the background was a little bit of the family room.  Well, just the carpet and wall actually - but I forgot how pretty the house is!  I will appreciate it soooo much more after the mission.  I think one of the first things on

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-28706320763393262702011-02-28T14:31:00.000-08:002011-02-28T14:33:12.769-08:00

Dear Family, The transfer officially ends today and so last night we received the transfer call.  Elder Brown will be going to Los Molinos, which is over by Valiente, and I will be staying here and will receive a new companion named Elder Miller.  I think that Elder Miller is really new in the field, because I have asked around and nobody knows who he is . . . I hope he is cool though!  Oh, they

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-78572817548179189542011-02-23T16:46:00.000-08:002011-04-11T16:46:18.937-07:00

Dear Family, The Elder Nelson conference was amazing!!!!  Wow!  I had forgotten how spiritual re-charing it is to meet with an apostle!  And then I got to go to the temple today!  I am just going to pass out from all of the spiritual excitement or something! Saturday in the morning, we took off for the conference and we left super early because part of the West mission was going to go too and

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-33443357075734347012011-02-15T15:15:00.000-08:002011-04-11T16:47:22.287-07:00

Happy Valentine's Day and Happy Birthday Ryan! Hey, so yes, I got the Package for Valentine's Day that Aunt Susie put together for you since you were sick.  I got it on Thursday!  Thanks so much!  Hey, so we got into the internet center about 2 hours ago and right after I was able to read the e-mails that I had received . . . the power left and I wasn't able to reply to anyone.  I only have 5

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-55388153940862096252011-02-10T14:14:00.000-08:002011-02-10T14:14:40.043-08:00

Dear Family, I am going to keep this e-mail relatively short so I can try to send some pictures because we are in an internet center that actually works! Soooo.....someone told me today that the Green Bay Packers won the Super Bowl!  That's pretty cool I guess.  This week has been pretty normal.  Nothing too exciting except for a few little highlights. I finally got sick and tired of how badly

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-55815569962129112992011-02-02T12:08:00.000-08:002011-02-02T12:08:03.636-08:00

Dear Sick Family, So, first off about the pictures...on Monday's there is usually no power in this neighborhood, and there is only one internet center that has a generator.  And, all of the usb ports are broken, so that is why I haven't been sending pictures as frequently as I want to...I will make sure that the next time that we use internet outside of the area I will bring my camera to send as

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-43105377509375347882011-01-25T10:33:00.000-08:002011-01-27T16:04:05.191-08:00

Dear Family, This week went great!  The mission, like all other things in life has its ups and downs, but lately I just LOVE everything about the mission and I have been soooo happy!  We are working really hard as well and it just feels good.  I love the work of the Lord! This Saturday, we had the baptism of Altgracia Mayi which went great!  At about 2:00 that afternoon, I received a call from

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-29056098273834972832011-01-17T17:13:00.000-08:002011-01-17T17:13:27.878-08:00

Dearest Fam, Thanks for the letter Pops!  That is so weird to me that I am now one of the older missionaries and stuff now.  I still feel like I still have sooooooo much to learn and reall do! Just not quite as much as the other missionaries who are starting off right now. I just ended transfer number 10 of 16 and tomorrow starts number 11!!!  It goes way too fast!  Elder Brown and I are

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-5554484407402315462011-01-12T12:09:00.000-08:002011-01-12T12:09:44.864-08:00

Dear Family, It seems like just yesterday I wrote, time is going by so fast!  I don't even know what happened to this last week!  That is funny that you were talking to Sister Despain yesterday, because I am actually sitting right next to Elder Despain as I am typing!  We just at Pizza and we should be going to the house of Christopher Columbus pretty soon here.  I am glad that Cole Patterson's

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-88748064853046187092011-01-03T16:59:00.000-08:002011-01-12T12:13:29.309-08:00

Happy New Year! I can't believe that the year 2010 is gone already!  In the mission, we have what is called a "black year" - the entire year in which you don't see your family.  I didn't see my family once in the year 2010, so now my "black year" is done with and before I know it, I'll be on the plane going home!  Anyways, New Years Eve was pretty good.  That day we did a service project and

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-79652353691466942662010-12-26T11:49:00.000-08:002011-01-17T19:52:27.962-08:00

*We had the BEST talk with Elder McBride on Christmas Day!  What a wonderful gift to be able to spend time talking with him.  He is doing so well and is very happy!  Only 9 more months to go :)   Dear Family, Because of the great phone call we just had, I don't really have that much to write!  I will tell story of Jose Danilo and Flors baptism and then I will send some pictures!  Thanks everyone

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-20518765616174351072010-12-20T15:41:00.000-08:002010-12-20T15:48:28.711-08:00

Hey Ma, I don't really have a ton of time to e-mail today because the power just came back a few minutes before we were supposed to start proselyting.  So here goes: This country doesn't really celebrate Christmas like you would think.  No lights, trees, or nativities or anything.  So, I will try my best to find an ornament or a nativity for you, but I highly doubt that I will be able to find

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-41630465252465553232010-12-14T14:12:00.000-08:002010-12-14T14:12:07.952-08:00

Dear Family, "You guys watch your backs - you're in the 'hood!" is what some dude in his car yelled at us as we walked in the internet center a second ago!  I am finally in the Capitol for the first time in my almost 15 months in the mission and I think that I really like it!  It is loud, it is crazy, definitely a 3rd world city as well, but there are sooooooo many people everywhere!  So many

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-66541090521159401242010-12-07T12:44:00.000-08:002011-02-25T15:34:52.003-08:00

We just recently received a handwritten letter talking about Elder McBride's 1 year mark which was on September 23rd.  I would like to share parts of it: Wow!  My year mark probably came way faster for me than for you.  Or, maybe my concept of time is just changing with my years.  September 23rd arrived much faster than expected.  I am just starting to really know what I'm doing over here and

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-38451085006446120192010-11-29T15:35:00.000-08:002010-12-07T12:45:44.018-08:00

Elder McBride wrote his grandma a letter and she wanted to share part of his testimony with others.  Thanks Mom :) My mission has been going great lately and has been an amazing learning experience.  I just finished the Book of Mormon for the second time in Spanish and I am still astounded by the clarity and power that I find within.  One of my favorite parts of my mission so far has been

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-89944368941582436892010-11-29T15:15:00.000-08:002011-01-08T09:20:36.209-08:00

Dear Mom, Thanksgiving was great - thanks!  There is actually quite the story behind it . . . so a turkey costs a LOT of money in this country for just a small one, so instead of eating a real turkey, we were going to have a member lady bake us a chicken!   We asked her a week before and she gladly accepted and then 2 days before Thanksgiving we went over to make sure she still wanted to and she

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-26184411185736927892010-11-22T18:20:00.000-08:002011-01-08T09:20:50.690-08:00

Dear Mom! I love you too!!!!  A pre-Christmas package is coming my way!  I am very excited!  This Wednesday we should have the opportunity to go and get mail, so hopefully it will be there.  If not, we will have to wait for transfers on the 7th of December - but I am crossing my fingers!  Christmas Goodies I have been craving for a year and two months would be in order :)  fudge, carmellos and

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-51454612066366363522010-11-16T09:36:00.000-08:002011-01-08T09:21:03.414-08:00

Dear Family, Hey mom - thanks for the letter!  That is so cool that you got to go to the ground breaking of the Gilbert Temple!  Does some kind of area authority or apostle come for that?  Do they have an estimated time in when it is going to be finished?  Any set designs that you know of?  If so, you should forward them to me!  I miss the temple so much and can't wait until I can just go when I

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-14059387683326009162010-11-09T15:09:00.000-08:002010-12-07T12:48:08.474-08:00

Hey Everybody! So this week has gone pretty well I guess . . . pretty basic, normal week - but good.  One hug highlight was that we went to a zone meeting on Thursday and on the bus ride back we sat by a monkey!  Some guy had a little monkey in a cage, so he let it out and let us play with it for a little bit and take some pictures too!  I forgot my camera at home, but I will make sure that I

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-39685192112391684852010-11-01T15:59:00.000-07:002010-11-02T09:37:40.773-07:00

Ma! i am soooooooo sorry that the email didn't go through last week! It was a long one too! the computer didn't tell me that it wasn't a valid address untill I had already left, but I am sorry that you were worrying so much!   ---------------------------- Hey Mamma, Sorry again for what happened last week.  That must have stunk.  I am glad you went to lunch with Sister Sunderhaus though!  

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-34090829914676984472010-11-01T15:33:00.000-07:002011-01-06T12:35:54.995-08:00

Mother Dearest Last night we got the transfer calls to find out that we are both staying here in Bavaro!  I kind of have mixed feeling about it because I am super excited to stay with Elder Sunderhaus another transfer - but I also am a little bit worried about the area.  We are supposed to stay around here in the neighborhood of Pueblo Bavaro and we have kind of run out things to do here.  We

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-49529757698636969302010-10-26T14:32:00.000-07:002010-11-01T15:02:19.093-07:00

No letter from Elder McBride this week :(  Something must have happened, because it is just not like him to not write. I look forward soooo much to hearing from him.  It will be a really long week this week.   His companion was able to get a letter to his mother and at least I know that they are not being transferred!  I am really happy about that and I pray that they will start to have some

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-33044061977508658402010-10-18T15:19:00.000-07:002010-10-18T15:19:09.905-07:00

Wow!  This transfer has just flown by!  it seems like just a week or two ago when Elder Sunderhaus got over here, and now it is possible that one or both of us might go!  I'm not even sick of him yet :) - so that is how you know it is a great companionship and I hope we can get another transfer together, but we will see if it happens. This week we had interviews with President Antivilo and we

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-27981987595204847992010-10-11T17:15:00.000-07:002010-10-11T17:16:25.344-07:00

Dear Family! Wow, that story was way cool about the girl you baptized in Chile still being strong in the church. Dad, you should definitely share some more of that stuff with me and the other boys, as well as some of grandpa's mission letters.  I would LOVE a few copies of some! You said that you found a little Cuban place that you are going to try.  I hope you like it!  Out of all the

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-7404124268168804802010-10-04T17:21:00.000-07:002010-10-04T17:22:43.021-07:00

Hey Mom! Sorry about the pessimistic e-mail last week.  I really don't want to write those kinds of letters.  Oh well, leave the past behind you right?  I  have come to terms with the area and now I am just working my hardest to improve things any way I can. You asked me if the families that I work with have more money than in my other areas.  The answer is there are really only two families

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-16542341778041344732010-09-28T08:56:00.000-07:002010-10-18T10:53:28.476-07:00

This is my cake a few days late! Hey Momma! I'm sorry my e-maiI's are kind of lacking in certain areas right now. I know how much you like to hear about the people I'm teaching and baptisms, and a little bit about their stories, but the truth is that I haven't written much about any of that stuff lately because nothing is happening. No matter how hard I work or how obedient I am, I haven't

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-44255314840699022092010-09-21T11:23:00.000-07:002010-10-18T14:57:14.087-07:00

Dear Family!    Sorry that the e-mail is coming a little bit late today.  We headed over to La Romana last night and are just getting back now because we had Zone unity stuff to start out the transfer - including a soccer game in which I scored the winning goal!    Thank you so much for all of the birthday stuff!  It was an awesome birthday even though I was so far away from everyone.  Mom, I

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-33070737025553064402010-09-13T22:05:00.000-07:002010-10-01T10:33:23.783-07:00

Dear Mom,    Thank you so much for the birthday wishes!  I haven't received those packages yet, but I might get them tomorrow at transfers!  I don't have a whole lot of time because we got to chill at the RIU resort today and eat at the buffet all day and do all of the cool activities that they offer that don't have the water.  It was sooooooo fun! - but I will talk a little more about it and

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-8235989150935888552010-09-07T20:53:00.000-07:002010-10-26T14:39:11.308-07:00

Dear Family,    First I will tackle the questions and comments:  1)That is coolio that Sister Despain read my blog about seeing Jeff.  I bet he is gettin' super pumped to come out into the field next week! 2) We were only in Santo Domingo for one day. We took a bus and headed straight back.  I saw Sister Antivilo this Sunday at stake conference and it was good to see her.  3) No, no apostles

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-60400160899390179232010-09-01T15:25:00.000-07:002010-10-18T14:58:01.064-07:00

Dear Everyone! Hey, the temple was great today!  It was really the spiritual re-charge that I had been needing.  I love the peace that is there and the silence almost hurts my ears because of the noise that I am so accustomed to.  After we walked out of the temple, we met some missionaries that still are in the CCM.  I asked one of them if he knew an Elder Despain.  He said that Elder

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-29369353794517318362010-08-24T16:58:00.000-07:002010-10-01T09:40:32.236-07:00

Hey Family,    This has been a pretty good week I guess.  Nothing too exciting happened, but it was a good time!  Our proselyting area is really, really huge, so this past week, we spent a decent amount of time exploring it.  It actually ended up being really fun, and we found a whole bunch of cool stuff!  Bávaro is a huge tourist area and so tons of Dominicans move over here to find jobs in

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-69870893044667682942010-08-16T15:49:00.000-07:002010-09-30T15:08:15.575-07:00

Dear Family,      First, to answer questions:     Q:  Did the President call you and set you apart before you left?  I understand that the branch pres. informally gave you more duties, but you were already called and set apart - right?  And also, is your companion 2nd counselor - and if he is not - then what does he do while you do all of your duties?  A:  Since I am already called and

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-58427738163819463142010-08-09T11:39:00.000-07:002010-09-30T15:08:57.927-07:00

Dear Family,      It has been a crazy, but awesome week here in Bávaro!  Wow.  I am not even really sure where to start first.  My companion I guess . . . Elder Timmreck is a straight up awesome missionary!  He is full-blooded Columbian, but is totally American.  He lived in Columbia until he was about 9, and then his mom left his inactive dad and went to Utah.  There she met some guy and they

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-12450583711285890132010-08-02T15:34:00.000-07:002010-09-30T15:09:23.813-07:00

Dear Family,      Yes, Matt emailed me and told me about some changes of his.  He seems to be having a great time and I can't believe that he has already hit a year!  It's crazy talk!  Time has flown by, but it also kind of seems like a long time since I have been home...      So, transfer calls came this morning!  The new call Bávaro (sp?)  It's the tropical paradise on the East tip of the

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-38211298668371644932010-07-27T11:21:00.000-07:002010-09-30T15:09:46.157-07:00

 Hi Everyone!        Wow, Mom & Dad - it sounds like you had a pretty crazy week!  Sedona, Girls Camp, St. Johns, and a rodeo!  That sounds super fun though.  I would die to go to a rodeo and eat Mexican food - it sounds amazing!  I'm glad you enjoyed it.  Why didn't Alex go?  By the way - that photo that you sent me of him and Fonze in the ocean, he look EXACTLY like me.  When I carry around

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-25728443947251592902010-07-20T16:08:00.000-07:002010-09-30T15:10:28.367-07:00

Dear Family,     Happy Anniversary!  Woohoo!  Next year will be 25 - which is a special one right?  Silver or something?  So, I am going to start out by trying to answer a few of your questions:  (I have been waiting for some of these answers for weeks!)      - What families have you gotten closest to living in Valiente?  The family that I have gotten closest to is Brito and Raquel Encarnation -

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-58679960422682808492010-07-12T16:02:00.000-07:002010-09-30T15:11:15.533-07:00

Hey Family!    Sorry, I have to keep this a little shorter than usual because we had to wait a while to use the internet and P-Day ends in about 20 minutes.  So, I have to make it kind of snappy.    I got your package! Thank you so much!  It was filled with awesome food, but the favorite is probably the new white shirts.  They are so white!!!  I also received a package form Sister Pond and her

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-87661032913790465572010-07-09T15:25:00.000-07:002010-09-30T16:36:17.773-07:00

Dear Family & Friends,    I am glad to hear that the vacation to California is good!  I am really missing that right about now - but it's alright.  The other american in my house and I celebrated the 4th of July by drinking a big coca cola and eating Lay's potato chips.  We didn't really have the time or the means to do anything better, but hey, those are both American products right?!    So

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-19037640342222232772010-06-28T19:52:00.000-07:002010-09-30T15:12:32.748-07:00

Dear Family,      Wow, a pretty crazy week this week - well at least for somebody from Arizona!  It rained for 7 days STRAIGHT this past week and today is the first time I have seen the sun since then - and of course, I got sunburned . . .!  I finally really understand what rainy season means now.  Here, there are things called Baguadas, which are somewhere in between a rainstorm and a hurricane

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-29785973710552673232010-06-22T17:39:00.000-07:002010-09-30T15:12:59.551-07:00

Dear Family      So to start out, this e-mail might be a little business like.  I was blessed from the Lord with a bounty of e-mails to respond to - so I will keep it all to the basics.      We received the transfer call this morning and it looks like I am staying here in Valiente for another transfer - which is really kind of what I expected because Elder Valdez is new to the area.  He is an

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-29049182536779879952010-06-16T09:56:00.000-07:002010-09-30T15:14:00.834-07:00

Sorry this is so late . . . I have been having computer troubles - Chrissie Dear Family,   This week has been pretty good.  Pretty crazy, but good.  The change was out of nowhere because some bad missionaries were doing bad stuff in the Capitol, so  the President had to change everything around to try to get everything running right again.   No worries.  My companion wasn't caught up in any of

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-91729414609559142692010-06-07T17:46:00.000-07:002010-09-30T15:14:31.352-07:00

Dear Family & Friends,      Hey, I have to make this a little quick and I will explain in a second.  A week of really hard work went down here in Valiente.  We taught the most lessons with the most members present in the whole zone and maybe the whole mission - which is cool.  Elder Campbell and I have really gotten in the groove, but all good things have their ending.  We still have 2.5 weeks

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-84711672317839384062010-06-01T18:27:00.000-07:002010-10-01T09:51:40.229-07:00

Dear Family,       So this week ended up being a lot more eventful than the last week.  I't's a lot to write, so I will just jump right in.  Tuesday morning we woke up and go on with normal routine of things.  I worked out, showered, ate, started studying and then we left.  After one or two appointments, I started to feel a little funny - but we kept working until 1 pm like a normal day.  While

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-81193649970096074092010-05-25T16:41:00.000-07:002010-09-30T15:15:36.455-07:00

Dear Family,      Wow, it sounds like you had a crazy week!  Very eventful, and kind of the complete opposite of my last week.  I mean it was good and we worked super hard - but there were no baptisms and we are mainly just working on getting new investigators, so I don't really have anyone to talk about right now.  We were teaching a couple.  The uncle of Marin (the American member), but it

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-21562776419541051692010-05-18T17:15:00.000-07:002010-09-30T15:16:07.094-07:00

Hey Everyone,      So this week has been pretty good.  Nothing too out of the ordinary because I stayed in the same area with the same companion, but that was expected.      This week was the baptism of Alexis and Ramone - two more  cousins of Marin - the awesome American member.  He just hands us baptisms like it's nothing, and he helps them all progress and stay strong too - so he is just

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-900332284160241422010-05-18T16:47:00.000-07:002010-10-21T07:40:59.510-07:00

Hello!    So, while I was talking to the family for Mother's Day - our transfer calls came in.  I am staying here in the small beach town of Valiente again this transfer with my companion Elder Campbell!  I am pretty pumped because we have been able to see a lot of success so far, and we already have a ton of good investigators progressing toward baptism.  So, we should see a lot more success

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-63002064715208590662010-05-03T17:05:00.000-07:002010-09-30T15:17:19.290-07:00

Hey Mom, Family & Friends!      It has been a great week - thanks for asking!  We got 3 more interviews done so they can all get baptized this Saturday.  Two of them are little girls named Gigi and Lauris.  Yes, I know what you're thinking . . . why is Taylor baptizing little girls?  Well, the thing is that 3 months ago, a few girls that had been going to church told Elder Campbell that they

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-12385114686671206932010-04-27T12:05:00.000-07:002010-09-30T15:17:43.045-07:00

Dear Family,      Jeff Despain is coming - no way!!!  That will be awesome!  Yeah, I have more than enough advice to give him.  Wow, that is so cool.      This week has been pretty good.  We had two baptisms that went really well.  I felt like I could really see a major difference in them afterwards - which was awesome.  We should have at least three more by the end of this transfer!  I have been

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-63099484543630498902010-04-20T10:27:00.000-07:002010-09-30T15:18:11.758-07:00

Dear Family,      Hey, I am glad you got to talk to Micah and Brother Dickerson!  I hope Micah enjoyed the experience.  Oh, and before I forget - I don't use photobucket because I can't.  It is against mission rules to use another website other than this one.  Brother Dickerson's nephew had a different mission president than I do and so he had different rules and stuff.  I think I will just keep

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-53069381714407194142010-04-13T09:39:00.000-07:002010-09-30T15:19:03.974-07:00

Before I post Taylor's letter I need to explain some things so that you all know what he is talking about.  Derrick Dickerson is a dentist in our ward who goes and does charity dental work in other countries.  He went to the Dominican Republic a year or two ago and had another trip planned for last week.  He is also our neighbor and Taylor's old Priest teacher.  Hee took along Savannah, his 12

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-33217681396229266422010-04-07T16:21:00.000-07:002010-09-30T20:58:51.046-07:00

Hello!    Hey!  So sorry it has been so long. We went to the temple today, so that means our P-Day got pushed back a few days, and we don't find out until the day before - so I can't really warn you about these kinds of things.  But . . . my new area is great!  There are a ton of members and a lot of good investigators!  We are going to have a baptism this Saturday and we already have two more

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-91279740911571976802010-03-29T11:12:00.000-07:002010-10-01T09:42:02.596-07:00

Monte PlataDear Family,   So, as Dad told me, after I was whining a little about staying in Monte Plata last transfer, "Maybe you will stay until you really love the people."  Well, it happened.  About a week ago, I decided that I never want to leave Monte Plata - and then yesterday the call came telling me that I am going to Las Americas in the capitol.  It has some ups and downs I guess.  Some

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-17607607651874282662010-03-22T17:07:00.000-07:002010-10-27T11:30:53.041-07:00

Dear Family,      It was cool to hear about your experience in Mexico.  Tell the boys that it is a lot like here.  You can't drink the water and the water here is really dirty and yellow - so we only use it for showers.  I forgot to tell you our furniture situation here.  We just each have a white, plastic lawn chair to study and eat in.  We are one of the only places in the mission with a couch!

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-42372834559844965012010-03-15T18:06:00.000-07:002010-09-30T15:49:45.742-07:00

Dear Family & Friends,      So this week has been great!  Glad to hear about Ryan's baptism!  Tell him congratulations for me! Things over here have actually picked up a lot lately!  We contacted this family a few weeks ago and they have been progressing soooo much.  I haven't really been this invested in anyone yet on my mission.  Their progression is my source of happiness.  They are so

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-66497369317216543962010-03-10T11:02:00.000-08:002010-09-30T16:37:55.879-07:00

Hey Mom,    Just to say first off - thanks for the package!  It got to me this week and my companion and I have been chowing down on skittles all week!  Also, I love the new backpack.  Thank you - it's perfect - not too big and not too small!    So this week was a little slow due to the fact that Elder Sloan got sick.  We went to another town so that he could run a baptismal interview and he

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-53403018741061225892010-03-02T12:30:00.000-08:002010-09-30T15:50:51.813-07:00

Dear Family & Friends,      Sorry - my computer just malfunctioned and deleted the e-mail I was just writing.  I have to take off to the waterfalls in the next town right now, but I'll get back to you tonight.      So . . . here I am again.  Since my e-mail was cut off the first time I won't be able to write too long.  Earthquakes in divers places huh/  Thanks for that letter of Matt's.  That was

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-30306946050784133582010-02-22T10:49:00.000-08:002010-09-30T15:52:07.668-07:00

Hey Family!       The party sounded awesome!  I especially liked the pictures of all you guys!  I also miss the family food.  We have some good cooks - not gonna lie.  So Matt told me that Jared Bishop is engaged and that Donelle Porter is already married!!!  If either of you are out there reading this, write me real quick!  Dear Elder is quick and easy as you both already know.  Weird . . .

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-48524997417693349412010-02-18T10:31:00.000-08:002010-10-18T15:22:51.610-07:00

     I testify that Elder Bednar is an Apostle and true disciple of our Lord Jesus Christ.  I am as sure of that as the sun will rise.  Since I have been in the Dominican Republic, I have been spoken to by the apostles Elder Bednar and Elder Ballard, - and the Seventies Elder Costa, Elder Vinas, Elder Hinckley, and Elder Anderson.  I want more than anything to emulate the goodness  of these men.

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-62834533405245802112010-02-16T09:21:00.000-08:002010-10-21T07:36:03.707-07:00

Hi Everybody!    Wow, it sounds like you had a really busy week mom!  Glad you had fun having a bunch of crazy college kids at your house this weekend.  I'm glad you and Ryan liked your birthday letters.  I figured it was the least I could do for birthdays, since I can't do much.  So, I found out that for every package I receive, they take the cost for shipping from Florida to here out of my

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-69340939822216097512010-02-09T08:25:00.000-08:002010-09-30T15:56:29.305-07:00

Dear Family,      First of all I need to explain about the e-mail situation.  The computers are ancient, and the internet is slower than dial up.  It usually takes about 5 minutes to load up the starting page, another five to get to my e-mail account, another five to log in, more than five to read my e-mails.  If I split up and send a little at a time like you suggested, then I would be able to

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-57205873570488957312010-02-01T19:15:00.000-08:002010-09-30T15:57:28.376-07:00

Dear Family and Friends,      Sorry to hear that the last e-mail didn't go through.  I wrote a huge long e-mail, then the power went off, so then I wrote a few sentences, but I was in a bad mood because my whole e-mail was erased - so in the end, I'm glad in a way it didn't get sent, because it didn't have a lot of information, but it did have a lot of attitude . . . I feel kind of bad for it now

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-47814195409826359862010-01-26T14:16:00.000-08:002010-10-18T15:23:43.830-07:00

No letter from Taylor this week :(  I waited all day yesterday and nothing came.  I'm anxious to hear what happened, because this is not like him.  Probably something like no electricity or crashed computer - so...until next week hopefully.

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-1591361046717547712010-01-18T15:27:00.000-08:002010-09-30T16:00:48.531-07:00

Dear Family,     Wow.  Crazy week.  So about the earthquake.  I didn't feel anything personally, but a lot of people here in Monte Plata said they did.  Monte Plata also is kind of Haitian-ville.  Actually 11 of my 12 baptisms here are Haitians, and most of our progressing investigators are Haitian as well.  They have all been going kind of nuts this past week because most of these people left

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-60506737472391354792010-01-16T13:48:00.000-08:002010-09-30T16:01:35.640-07:00

On Tuesday, January 12, 2010, there was a massive earthquake in Haiti.  Haiti is 1/3 of the island Hispaniola.  The other 2/3 of the island is the Dominican Republic.  After the quake, there was a tsunami warning issued also.  As soon as I heard what had happened, I was glued to the TV trying to figure out if Taylor was going to be in trouble in the DR.  I was glad that he wasn't in Santo Domingo

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-1982305484675298062010-01-11T20:54:00.000-08:002010-09-30T16:05:04.775-07:00

Hey Everyone!         So, I just want to start off with Mom - I don't think I have a worm anymore, and I have been eating more too.  We'll get there later tho . . .sorry for not telling you everything.  I won't do that anymore.      So I'll try to make this letter pretty good, but I only slept like two hours last night because I was throwing up.  I still hae a fever and am really tired, but

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-73819414405423857792010-01-04T18:48:00.000-08:002010-09-30T18:17:44.353-07:00

Dear Family,      So I'm not sure if this e-mail will be quite as long as the others because I'm on the Mission President's laptop right now - in his house.  So the mission goal for baptisms is 6 in a transfer, and we got 10, so we got to come today and eat lunch at his house with the other missionaries that had 6 or more.  There were 4 other companionships and it was super cool.  The President's

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-63884271088715274652009-12-28T21:41:00.000-08:002010-09-30T20:54:55.693-07:00

    I hope everyone had a good Christmas!  It was really nice to be able to talk with you guys.  Definitely didn(t feel like an hour - that's for sure.  Sorry if this e-mail is kind of lame.  I just got home from hiking and coconut finding/drinking and I(m pretty tired . . . anyways - so Dominicans kind of have Christmas pretty mixed up here.  It(s like they saw an American New Years, and they

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-38263215013382757832009-12-27T20:04:00.000-08:002010-10-18T15:25:04.860-07:00

     Taylor's Mom here!  Christmas Day was the best!  It was really hard because it was the first time having someone gone for Christmas - but we got to talk to him for an hour!  It was so great.  He is doing so well.  He is in such a primitive place - but he has the best attitude.  I am really proud of him.      Some of the things he told us: 1.  He had his first baptism! 2.  They don't eat at

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-65311458489544634752009-12-21T20:52:00.000-08:002010-09-30T20:54:27.332-07:00

Merry Christmas Everyone!      I hope you all are enjoying the cold weather!  My neighbors told me that there was a huge cold front in the US and that there was snow everywhere.  But then again, they think that New York is the whole US . . .I guess just because that's where all of their family goes.  Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed the pictures!  It gets kind of hard to remember to bring the

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-73014846663995338292009-12-14T21:12:00.000-08:002010-09-30T20:56:44.735-07:00

The view from my bedroom windowHey Everyone!  Life is good here in the DR.  Where to start . . . so glad to hear about Travis and Joey's mission calls!  I'm extremely stoked for them.  Especially Joey - going to teach where his family came from.  Pretty nuts. Oh! and Travis to Argentina!  Which one though?  There's like a million!  And about Brother Christianson - that's terrible.  I hope Scott's

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-14779475084803469552009-12-14T17:51:00.000-08:002010-11-22T08:42:05.714-08:00

Dear Family of Elder McBride My husband and I are senior missionaries serving in the same branch as your son.  We thought you would enjoy seeing him at a branch activity we had.Your son is doing a great job.  We see him on Sundays (we are working in Santo Domingo but are assigned to the Monte Plate branch)  I was very impressed with him on his first Sunday in the field.  He is friendly with

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-45051931476108938002009-12-07T21:59:00.000-08:002010-10-18T15:27:27.203-07:00

Hey Everyone - it's been awhile!  Before I start, I just want to say I have a terrible version of Aladdin's "A Whole New World" in Spanish playing in the  background.  Sorry if this letter is a little disoriented.  I have so much to say and so little time to say it.  For those of you who don't know, I missed a P-Day, so it had been 2 weeks since I had written home and then last week while I was

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-62660273870449889802009-12-02T18:24:00.000-08:002010-10-18T15:28:16.208-07:00

Hi, this is Taylor's Mom.  It has been 2 weeks tomorrow since Taylor has written.  He left the Dominican MTC on November 23rd.  I have tried to patiently wait to hear from him - but it has gotten harder and harder.  It has really been a trial for me.  Well, this afternoon, I heard my e-mail ding and saw it was from Taylor and was soooo excited!  Then I read it and it made me sad.  Here's what it

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-37861204322157404922009-11-19T15:28:00.000-08:002010-10-18T15:29:05.998-07:00

It was a super good week again! Time just speeds by here.  I can't believe it's almost been two months already!  That's 1/12th of my mission!  I don't think I'm ever going to want to go home (sorry Mom)! :)  Thank you sooooo much for the package!  No worries - I shared it.  I shared a lot actually, but then felt bad because it probably took a lot of money to send it over here.  I am saving the

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-49767483256411895442009-11-12T11:28:00.000-08:002010-10-18T15:29:54.001-07:00

Another week?!  What?  It honestly seems like yesterday when I last wrote. Time goes by so fast here.  So, where to start . . . I leave here on the 23rd. The President of the East Mission lives in an apartment complex that overlooks the MTC and I guess sometimes he watches up play basketball, haha.  So, the East missionaries just pick up their bags and walk across the street early that morning,

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7972415789610141155.post-6241627603755311402009-11-05T20:23:00.000-08:002009-11-05T20:44:40.751-08:00

So another week here in the D.R. Nothing too exciting went on this week. We are really starting to get in the groove here. The Latino missionaries report today, so that will be kind of cool!I think I finally picked out my missionary plaque scripture Mom. While I was doing personal study a few weeks ago, I came across Alma 29:9-10, which I really love - and I think that's the one, but I'll let

Chrissiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01133352097838121009noreply@blogger.com0