Jenna McDonald Mission: November 22, 2010

My Dear Family!!!

So, Dad asked about the kinds of things that the Hispanics do for
Thanksgiving....and he thought that it might not be a Latino
holiday....but the great thing about the Latino's is that it takes
very little for them to bust out a big party! On Saturday
after our baptism (which was absolutely beautiful!) we had a
thanksgiving party! Everyone came and ate, and then they moved the
tables and had a DJ and had a big dance party! It was just about
the most interesting Thanksgiving dinner experience that I have ever
had. And during the dinner the Dj was there bustin out all kinds of
Latin music (my favorite is bachata....I love it!) Then afterwards
everyone bust a move on full stomachs, but didn't seem to mind.
It was hilarious and I loved it! Even Daniel Santos danced, which was
completely new...he has never done that before. And he SUCKS!
I love to sit there and watch....but I have NEVER had to do
it before in my life....and it is so hard to sit there and watch everyone else dance and have
fun...while I have to sit there. Finally, I could not take it
anymore, and I got up and danced with Hermana Gallegos! I am probably
the worst trainer in the whole world....but I am not perfect....it is
so hard to sit there and watch others dance, and not dance. However,
in my defense, I perused the white "missionary handbook" beforehand
and it says nothing against dancing....just touching men....so I think
that it was fine! Plus, we bust a move in front of the whole
ward including president at the last party....so yeah. :)

My baptisms were amazing! Clara and her daughter Jasmine got
baptized and so did Marlon! It was wonderful! I loved
it.....everything during the baptism fell completely apart though. For
example, the day before the baptism Clara told us that she was still
drinking coffee because she didn't understand that it was against the
w of w....I am not sure how that happened....with all of the craziness
of getting her sis her from the DR and everything.....Satan had to
throw us a big curve ball. So, I spent like 2 hours on the phone with
President Summerhays and then the area president, and everyone trying
to get the ok to proceed with the baptism....I needed a commitment
out of her to quit...and she had a hard time with it but then we could
go forward (they are supposed to be completely clean from all the BIG
5 on the W of W for a week before the baptism....that was why it was
such a big deal) then, when we got to the church, the hot water in the
font wasn't working.....then the drain wasn't working.....so the water
was cold and shallow...and when it was time to perform the baptism I
had to be in the stairwell with Clara coaxing her and then Jasmine
into the water and demonstrating how to bend the knees and everything
from the sidelines while they were getting dunked.... it was INSANE!
Satan really didn't want them baptized. Marlon was fine in the cold
water and he is super short...so it was not such a problem for him.
The bishop was out of town, and no one else in the ward knows
what is going on but him, so the 2nd counselor did not look at the
temple recommend of the guy that baptized Clara before the
baptism....and I had no idea because I was running around like a mad
chicken getting everyone into their whites and taking pics and getting
everything finalized...and then I was the one that played the piano
for the baptism. Complete madness! I am going to start learning the
art of delegation ( and my wonderful comp bless her heart is wonderful
but doesn't know a thing....and so I really do have to do
everything....it isn't like serving with power house Hermana Murray
who would do everything and I would sit there all the time and wonder
how everything would always turn out so perfectly)