N9

Hey Family,                                                                                   10 April 2013

 

This week:   I spent a lot of money Mom but we did a lot of service and had to buy a lot of paint.   

Frankelis that got baptized about a month ago lives in a house with his mom, grandma, and two sisters. It’s actually a really nice house here in the Dominican.  It’s just wood slats and it hadn’t ever been painted.  Elder Henriquez who is serving in our zone on the other side of the city, had the idea to do more service projects and so he asked me if I had anything in mind. I immediately thought of Frankelis and his family.  So we planned a service project painting their house.  We got members and 8 missionaries together to do it and within 4 hours we painted the whole house and it turned out so so good!!!  

CONFERENCE WAS AWESOME I learned a lot and we had two investigators attend, the guy who claims to be an atheist and his friend ha.   He liked it so much that he posted it on facebook for more of his friends to see!   

Yesterday we had a really special day.  Two youth from the ward came with us to our teaching appointments.  We had the coolest lessons!  The best part of the day was when we were on our way home, I saw that a truck was stopped on the side of the road, the tire had flattened and they had a load of like 400 pounds of chiles that they were taking to Santiago.  I knew that we needed to help them so we did, and even though we didn’t have to lift or anything we were able to find a Jack for them and they got the truck up and went on their way.  After we were done there, we walked past a little store on the main street of the city and I had the impression to ask the woman who was working there a question.  I really didn’t know why or what to ask so, I asked where she was from  (Haha be careful what you ask I guess).   She went on to tell us her life story; that her dog died and her dad has cancer and work sucks and she doesn’t know what to do, and then she finally finished with oh... I’m from Ecuador. It was awesome because we got the chance to teach her the plan of salvation and she was able to express herself (pour out her emotions and dump) to somebody.  

I know the lord always guides us!!  It’s awesome. 

I honestly love the mission.  I know that as I put God first in my life I’ll be happier and everything will be okay. 

To your question about people I’ve worked with going to the temple:

My very first baptism Eudy Cruz just finished his papers and will be leaving this next winter hopefully. Maxi James and Victor Meran from Arroyo Hondo have been to the temple to do baptisms, the Antillas family that we reactivated got sealed a month ago and that’s it, I think ha.  It makes me really happy. 

 

It’s hard to keep in touch with everyone we’ve worked with , but in the missionary network, we keep each other informed pretty well of what’s happening in our olds areas.   

I hope you have a good week.  

love ya

--

ELDER MATT GRINER

misión santiago RD

July 2011- July 2013

 

N8

THIS WEEK WENT SO FAST HA :                                                          3 April 2003 

The investigators that we have are doing so well ... well, José not so much right now, but he´ll be alright in the future ha.

Franklin went to church and we got 3 more people to get to church, and it made me so so happy to know that our efforts are worth something ha .  Jordi is doing awesome but having a hard time with his Mom.  She doesn’t really like the Mormon Church and wants Jordi to only be catholic no matter the circumstances.  She told him that he couldn’t go to church on Sunday but he told us he is going to sneak out to go to general conference! haha, so pray for him.  

 THE GRANDKIDS LOOK SO CUTE!

CONGRATS DAVE AND BRIS !!!!!!!!!! Wow that’s so weird.  I have three nieces!.

Anyway mission experiences.  I had an exchange with an Elder serving in Mao, Elder Brummm.  When we got back from Mao to Navarrete we were sitting in the park and I got a call from a member from a different ward giving me a referral of two of his friends ( I love member referrals).  We were able to work them into our schedule that day, so we went over to their place to meet them and see if we could set an appointment o visit with them.  When we got to the house and as we knocked on the door, I got a really weird/heavy feeling.  We were invited in and I still had that feeling.  As we sat down, before we really said anything, he emphatically stated that he is an atheist............ I’M IN A COUNTRY WHERE EVERYONE BELIEVES IN CHRIST (or so I thought).  I didn’t really know where to start.  How do you start a discussion with someone when there is no common base.  I didn’t quite know what to do.  He had never prayed in his life, didn’t know who God was or is, had an idea but didn’t or hadn’t felt that he existed.  We were able to bare testimony of God and His Son Jesus Christ and a little of a Godhead lesson.  He started asking questions, a lot of questions.  I think he had kept these inside for a long time and wasn’t really so much an atheist but just didn’t know where to go to get and understanding, and finally found someone he could ask.  I found it so much easier to answer the questions because he was sincere in asking not trying to Bible bash to try to prove some point or the other, with me like the normal Dominican.  We felt the Spirit and let him know what he was feeling.  He thoughtfully accepted our answers -and we were able to answer almost every question he had.  I thought about inviting him to be baptized but that weird/heavy feeling came again.  So we didn’t.  I think that we put him on a good path for him to start his personal discovery of God and his relationship to Him, but the commitment is not what he needs right now.  When he knows who God is for himself (we’ll follow up with him and provide answers as he is ready) he needs to make steps on his own to “come unto Christ” -  we´ll get around to that when he’s ready (baptism, that is)! 

Semana Santa (Holy week) was crazy! On Friday (the day Christ died) no one left their house or played music like they normally do.  It was the most quiet day I remember since living here in the DR.  But on Sunday ( the day Christ was resurrected ) it was the exact opposite.  It was so hard to be a missionary and try and teach.  They had a huge party in the city park and EVERYONE went. They burned a life sized straw doll of Judas in effigy as a tradition because he  was a traitor to Christ and gave him up to the sadducees , pharoses and Romans for ten pieces of silver.  It was just a crazy day. I’m really glad that Mormon celebrations are a little more docile and calm.

 

My camera battery died so I cant send pics.... next week ! HAPPY CONFERENCE EVERYONE!  I hope ya learn a lot.  I plan to.  

TELL EVERYONE HI.  

LOVE !!!!!!!

ELDER MATT GRINER

misión santiago RD

2011-2013

N7

Hey fam !!!                                                                                               27, MARCH 2013 

This week has gone by so so fast!!! And there have been a lot of ups and downs.  

On the 30th of March we had two baptisms planned that we aren’t going to have anymore!! Ha its sucks but it’s okay because they’re not ready. One is named José Urena who is a 40 year old retired policeman and he was doing so so well.  He totally stopped drinking coffee and is going to church but this week he came to church with his girlfriend that we didn’t know he had ..... they’re living together.... we got to get them married first , then he can get baptized.  That’s a common story her in the DR. ha .  

But no worries the past few weeks my comp and I have been looking for new people to teach and gracias a Dios (Dominican saying roughly translated as  - thank goodness)  ha .. We found a family and a kid that’s 16. Yesterday we taught them both and had the coolest lessons ever. Franklin and his family are amazing. Last night we went with the ward mission leader to visit them and it turned out that the mission leader and Franklin are best friends. We shared the first lesson with them, after he and his wife had read and they understood so well.  I got the chance to invite him to be baptized and he said yes and without an invitation he told us that he was going to go to church.  So even though satan can play a role in the work God always takes his parts as well!!  

The kid that we found is named Jordi and since the first day he has wanted to learn more about the church. We left a copy of the Book of Mormon with him and he has already read a ton.  We invited him to pray and says he does it every night asking God if this is His church.  It’s crazy how the Lord works in people life’s when all we do as missionaries is talk and testify to them !  

I love the mission and I’m having fun.  I hope that you all are doing just great. Thank you Mom and Dad for your example in  going to serve the elderly.  I’ve seen so many smiles from the old people when we just go up and shake their hand. but honestly thank you !!!  

HAPPY EASTER WEEK. Christ loves everyone !!!!  

bye

LOVE YOU ALL

ELDER MATT GRINER

misión santiago RD

2011-2013

 

N6

Hey all!                                                                                    20, MARCH 2013

WE won the world classic hahah last night the whole country went crazy as the Dominican baseball team won the world classic! 

But this week has been cool!!

To answer your questions Dad my comp is awesome.  He’s from Vera Cruz ,Mexico and he doesn’t speak any dialect.  I guess his last name means like eagle hunting their prey or something like that ha. This transfer we haven’t done many exchanges because my comp doesn’t know the area very well yet.  We did one with the assistants to the President  the other day that was fun!  In Navarrete there are no rutas ( Toyota Corolla size cars that they pack 10 people into), we are on foot all the time.  When we need to, we call a motor taxi (three wheeled motorcycle that takes us to the stake center). Our zone is HUGE, to get to the end of it we have to take a bus for 2 hours to a place called Sabenta, we also travel to Mao and Esperanza a lot. We only eat with members on Sunday for lunch. Other than that we cook or buy rice and beans in the street. ha. 

This Monday we had a Family Home Evening with a family in the ward that absolutely has nothing.  They barely eat everyday and it’s a miracle that they have clothes to go to church in. We planned a really cool program for the FHE. We went and bought a big bag of bread, a big salami, and a bottle soda so they could eat something that night.  

Before we finished I asked all of the kids and their parents to share their testimonies with us.  They did, and as a result of being really poor and uneducated, they couldn’t really find the words to express themselves.  The spirit was so strong in little “house” because we knew that their testimonies were sincere what they lacked in words, they made up in spirit.  They may be poor as to physical things but are rich in spiritual things and they are happy.  My comp and I also had the chance to share our testimonies and as I stood up my eyes filled with tears and I shared, for one of the first times in my life, a testimony that made me spill happy tears. ha. God is good! The atonement is real and the gospel is TRUE! 

 In our exchange this week I was with Elder Wilkinson( he’s from England) and he has about the same amount of time in the mission as I do.  It was such a good day!  We taught the best lesson and helped two less actives member realize what they are missing when they don’t go to church. I explained from James 2 about faith and he explained about repentance using the example of stacking books on Vladimir’s arms, making it heavy until he repents and takes all of them off.  It might have been a really small metaphor, but I know that they understood the concept and felt that they need to be in church again, and that the gospel is the only thing that helps us progress!

 I don’t know much about what’s going on at home.  I hope that Bristen and the baby are okay! And that everyone is happy! Ha and if not you should definitely get happy because we only get one life to be happy !!!  

The gospel has been restored and I know it, repentance is the only way to enter into the kingdom of God and applying these things in our life is what makes us happy. I know because I’ve been on both ends of the story ! ha  

LOVE YOU ALL

ELDER MATT GRINER

misión santiago RD

2011-2013

N 5

HOLAS MIS QUIERDOS !!!                                                            13  March 2013 

 

So this week was good!!   It must be a freaky number day huh?  3 13 13. haha

 

I have new comp ha. His name is Elder Cuauhtemoc from Mexico. 

He is a very relaxed person and only has been in the mission for 7 months.  The president has already called him to be a Zone leader, he is very responsible and I’m excited to work with him. But it feels weird because I have take charge in the area again and even though I’ve done it a ton I still feel nervous when I think of the responsibility the lord gives us with his children.   (note:  In Matt’s mission the companionship are co-zone leaders and share in the overall responsibility of their own area and the several districts that make up their zone.) 

In my last week with Elder Cespedes, I felt so good as a missionary. We were doing everything that we needed to do be to able to be successful in the mission and that’s exactly what happened.  

We taught two lessons that were funny and spiritual! Jose Urena who has a baptismal date for the 30th of this month was at his house on Thursday so we went by and taught him the word of wisdom.  You have to know him haha and that up until this point EVERYTHING with him has gone perfect.... but as we taught and I explained that we don’t drink coffee and why he just started laughing and said.... I drink coffee more than water!!  But after, he committed to live the word of wisdom!  And that made me happy.  We are going to have to call him every morning to help him to stop. 

 

We were also in a lesson with Jeny.  She invited us to share the gospel with her.  We went and met with her and before I could even say a word she said... “I can’t wait to go to church today”.  She has never been to church and had only read the first part of the Book of Mormon.  Somehow she felt the Spirit and wanted to go to church really bad ha!  That honestly was probably one of the easiest lessons I’ve ever taught! 

 

Here are some of the pictures that I have had a hard time downloading.  They are of the baptisms that we have had the past month,  and some of the Christmas party we helped with at the Callejera Accion.

 

LOVE YOU ALL !!!

Elder Griner

misión santiago RD

2011-2013

 

 

N 4

HOLAS MIS QUIERDOS !!!                                                            6  March 2013

SOOOOO:::::::

Franquelis was baptized last Saturday!  It was an awesome baptism, my comp baptized him. It was sweet because he got baptized on his birthday, reborn on his birth date!!!  

My comp and I went and bought him a hat and M&M’s and the ward sang him happy birthday to him right after his baptism. He is an amazing kid, he’s fourteen and has been through a lot.  His mom is so sweet but can’t read, so her learning process is much longer;  he is such a good example for her to follow.  On Sunday he received the Holy Ghost and the Priesthood!  I can honestly say the times that are most special to me in my mission are when an investigator, that we have taught, receives the POWER of GOD!  

 On Monday I completed 13 years as a member of the church! March 4th 2000 I was baptized, even though I don’t remember much about it, it’s still special. That’s when I made my first covenant with the Lord, the next in the temple.  As a mission we are learning to make covenants with the Lord every night. All you have to do is promise with the Lord that you are willing and going to change something in your life to be able to follow his commandments better!  So, every night when I get down on my knees to pray, I make a promise with the Lord to better my life the next day.  It helps so much because you HAVE to keep your word!  ( dad's note:  March 4th was a memorable day, it was exactly 30 years ago on March 4th that his Great Grandpa Woodruff Bryan Cram passed away.  Grandpa Cram is the ancestor that Matt got his middle name from; Bryan!)

 A couple of people that we are teaching right now really need to understand the atonement more ... pues , so do I. ha.   So I’ve decided to study it personally and with my comp. It’s a lot cooler than I thought.  I’ve always wondered why Christ had to suffer the way he did and when he did, and what it really meant.  It’s awesome that his suffering applies to anyone, a guy that drinks, swears, smokes, does drugs, or whatever, it applies to all of us.  God doesn’t differentiate, we are all His children.  The gospel’s sick! (That means awesome!)  I hope yall feel the same way.  

God has a plan for every single one of us.  His plan for us is to return to Him! The Atonement is the key to that return! He understands that we will all fail in one way or another and wants us to be back with Him – loves us soo much HE PLANNED a way for us to get back if we so decide! Agency - haha GOT AGENCY? (got milk).  It’s our choice to be happy or not because it is a choice in this life.  I’ve seen people from the poorest people in the most humble circumstances to some very well to do and influential, out here repent and accept the gospel and they are some of the happiest, fulfilled people I know.  We just need to know that He just wants us to be happy and have and be the best we can and he’ll make up the difference in our short comings if we are willing to try and do!!!   I hope that makes sense to you because I can’t deny what I’ve felt, seen and experienced!

LOVE YOU ALL !!!  

Elder Griner

misión santiago RD

2011-2013

Here are a couple of fotos (spanish for photo) from a day of service at the Callejera Accion.  I think I've told you about this place  before.  It's a Catholic run center for kids who are on the street ,( run away, abandonded, etc). that gives them help and direction.  They are way under staffed and if they spent the time cleaninga and organizing the inside and the grounds , then they wouldn't have time to provide the help some of these kids need.  So,we come over regularlly to help out.  It's a lot of work, but it really looks nice when we are finished. 

Where's Waldo (Matt)?  top foto: he's just below and right of the 4 guys sitting on the upper left rail.

bottom foto: sitting left of the guy on the orange shirt.

N 3

Dear Family                                                                                                        27 February 2013 

This week went well. On Saturday we had two baptisms, Nefri and Lineyi Cabrera. I got the chance to baptize Lineyi, which was way cool and my comp baptized Nefri.  I can’t send pictures for some reason or else I would. They are the kids of a less active family, we have been working with their mom and dad trying to help them come back to church and the mom has been going but their dad has had a hard time. We didn’t think that he would be able to be at the baptism because he is working a lot. But, as we walked out of the room after changing, Nefri saw his dad.  He was able to get there just in time to see everything! It was a very cool experience and I’m glad i got to be a part of it.  

On Saturday Frankelis is going to be baptized, he is a 15 year kid that other elders had been teaching and we get the chance to see him get baptized. He has been having problem with coffee since he was little and hadn’t been able to drop it for the longest time, but when we put a baptismal date he didn’t even have a problem. I thought it to be a little weird that a 15 year old was drinking coffee but welcome to the DR ha .

We are teaching a guy named José Urena that went to church on Sunday, and in Sunday school we talked about baptisms for the dead.  He obviously  hadn’t heard anything about that before, but he loved the idea and he came up to us and asked us if we could move his baptismal date to the 23rd of march so he could go to the temple the 30th with the ward to be able to be baptized for his mom that passed away!  Of course we said yes.

Thank you for all the birthday wishes.  I feel old.  Life’s gone by way too fast.  So far it’s all good I’ve loved it.

I love you all and hope the best for ya.  

Happy birthday again Grandpa Francom and Dave!!  

 

ELDER MATT GRINER

misión santiago RD

2011-2013