July 7, 1998
We have finished three groups of missionaries here at the CCM [Missionary Training Center] in Santo Domingo. The last one left for the mission field on 30 June. We now have until 7 August before another group enters. The groups are small but all of them have been eager to be missionaries and serve the Lord for the next couple of years. The first group consisted of seven elders and three sisters. The next one had nine elders, and the last one there were only two elders and two sisters. They always come in on a Friday, and they spend the next nineteen days in preparation for their missions. They leave on a Tuesday afternoon so that the mission presidents can meet them and the ones coming from the MTC in Provo on the same day. There are three missions here in the Dominican Republic: (1) Santo Domingo East with President McCoy, (2) Santo Domingo West with President Stone and (3) Santiago with President Mederos from Mexico. Each mission has about 170 missionaries and most of them are from the states.
The CCM [Missionary Training Center] is a home that is rented by the church with space for ten elders and six sisters. They are located in three different bedrooms with air conditioning and with bunk beds. Each bedroom has a bathroom and plenty of closet space. Hermana Larsen and I have a big bedroom upstairs that is really nice. The sisters are also located in a bedroom upstairs. Upstairs is off limits for the elders, but we let them come up and see the facilities the day they leave. They are always curious to know what is up here.
We have a laundry room with two washers and dryers that are located in another building in the back. Hermana Larsen has to teach them how to use the machines and has to be there to make sure that they know what to do. We have a chapel here in the house. It is a room that we use for our devotionals and for our Sunday meetings. We have a big dinning room, a kitchen that is divided in two parts, one for us and one for them. I have a nice office that is air-conditioned and then there is one big classroom. They are going to begin the construction of the new CCM [Missionary Training Center] the first of August. It will be a nice building with capacity for over one hundred when all is completed. They have a plan where the missionaries coming to these missions will spend their last four weeks of training down here. I think that is a good idea, don't you?
Dane, Dean, Dallas, and Danika are all in St George going to school. Dean was elected vice President and Dane is on the student council. Dallas is married and they are expecting a new baby today. Hermana Larsen sure wants to be there, but I guess she will have to wait to see the new one until later. Dallas commutes to Cedar City where he will graduate next year.
The weather is hot and humid and it rains most every day. We are in the hurricane season and it lasts until September. There are supposed to be several storms hit here this year, but where we live I don't think there is any danger.
The temple is coming along but will not be ready for use until the first of the year 2000.
Well this has turned out to be quite a long letter. I will end now hoping that all is well with all of you.
Que El Senor os bendiga,
Presidente y Hermana Larsen
Thanks to Matt Hirst for making this information available to the webmaster 05-24-2002.
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