July 16th 2014: Marriage, Baptism and a lot work!

This week was great!!!!
We were able to help a family get married and get their daughter enter into the waters of baptism. The plan was that Efulgencio, a less active member who we reactivated, and his wife Nena would get married this past Friday and then on Saturday, his wife Nena (who is crazy spiritually ready and strong) and her daughter Chrisleth would get baptized. It seemed the Lord had another plan. 

Three hours before her wedding we were filling out their baptismal form. She began to explain to us that her ID information and her real life dates are different. When we asked why, she began to tell us a little part of her past life that she had never told us before. To make a long story short, Nena, this super powerfully strong spirit, so ready for baptism, is not actually Nena. She has had to change her identity completely in order to erase her past life (of a different name, birth date and everything) after she was imprisoned for four years (and in every other thing possible that a young Dominican mom of 17 can go through in this country. Basically, she has been through crazy trials in her life and has had to truly depend on the atonement of Jesus Christ to be able to overcome these weakness and actions. Because of these past life experiences, she needs authorization from the first presidency and prophet of the church to be baptized. Because we found out these things just before the wedding she was not able to be baptized with her daughter on Saturday (the authorization from the prophet can take a couple of days or weeks). We are now waiting for their response. She has overcome life's most craziest whirl winds, which have shaped her and her family into a powerful instrument in the Lords hands. She continues to prepare for her own baptism, after witnessing her daughters, as she increases in faith, testimony and virtue. They are determined to be an eternal family and show God through their actions that they will achieve and can do all things in Christ who strengthens them. I pray that we too have this determination to complete all of gods commandments and overcome all of life's struggles though the atonement of Jesus Christ. I know and testify that we can! In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

Siempre Con Amor

I'm still really happy in Puerto Plata! And as we come up on transfers in two weeks and I've begun to count down the year, I can't believe ill be back Home so soon. Crazy. Love you All, Siguen Fuerte!!!  

Family Package!

5 Minutes from his Front Door

Coral!

Puerto Plata Beaches

May 21st 2014: More Members, More Fun

hey everybody! 

Today I completed my second week in puerto plata. Puerto plata is basically the opposite of fantino. (my last area). fantino was a a tiny country town that only had little farmers market and a lot of cows and dirt roads.I was also in a little church branch of 60 members. Puerto plata is a huge tourist city right next to the beach. There are tons of americans here on vacation and I can literally find any american food in walking distance that my heart desires. Im also in a ward where there are tons of return missionaries and the 180 members love to help the missionaries. Although I loved and will always love fantino and the nine months I served there, it appears that there is luckily still room in heart because Im starting to love Puerto plata as well. Elder glasgow (my new companion from the virgin islands) and I have been working hard every day to be able to grow this ward and invite all of the souls to come unto christ. Here in puerto plata I am the district leader of six other missionaries and I am also step-dadding my companion ( although I am not exactly training him, im training him, because his trainer did not teach him very much and they fought a lot so he's is pretty scared to talk in lessons or in the street) so I have a new and different responsibility along with my calling to serve. It has been an amazing two weeks, I have been able to get to know my zone, district, ward members, less active members and investigators. I was even able to host a meeting for the ward leaders this past sunday where I was able to teach them a model of excellence for missionary work that consists of a ( vision, goals, a plan to complete the goals, working hard and checking  weekly and monthly progress with accountable progress formats). The ward members and the missionaries are beginning to work as one in this amazing work of salvation. We have had a member accompany us for every appointment we had this past week. Our unity as a ward has allowed us to be unified with the lord. We are now preparing two families to get married and baptized this next month in June!!!!!!!! There names are familia nena and abigail and familia de joanna and wilson!!!!! They are preparing beautifully to make an eternal covenant with God! I am happy! There is truly nothing more important for our eternal progression and happiness as spirit children of god than making and keeping covenants, DYC 82.10. and mosiah 2. verse 41. Interestingly I understand that more every time I renew my own covenant and help others to make and keep their own. I Love you all and pray and hope that you are striving to put God first in your Lives. Dot forget to Write me back doh!!!

siempre con amor, Elder Rincon

P.S Im not sure if there was an email prob.(or maybe you guys just didn't write me) this week but the only email I received this week was from saychelle. Love yah! Pero, escribenme por favor !

May 7th 2014: New Area After 9 Months!

Hey Familia! 

So right now I'm writing you guys from an internet center in Puerto Plata! I just got transferred after 9 months in my first area Fantino to one of the biggest tourist places with the nicest beaches in the world. My area is called San Felipe B, in the Puerto Plata zone! Look it up on google! I live 15 minutes from the beach, so ill probably have to do a lot of service picking up trash on the beach in the mornings. Hey someones gotta do it. 

Anyways my new companion is Elder Glasgow. He is from the virgin islands and doesn't speak any spanish, but seems to be pretty cool. I will be the district leader here and responsible for six other missionaries, I will also be step-dading my companion which means that I will be he second companion on his mission. I'm really excited to start fresh in a new area and although there will be a baptism in Fantino every day for the next two weeks, I am more than satisfied with all of the work my Savior allowed me to do there. Still really Happy!!!! 

So on other news! We will all get to skype this upcoming sunday on mothers day!!!!!!!!!! Or at least my immediate family! I'm in a new area and do not know anybody yet so I don't have skype plans, But I need to everybodys schedule.

Whats the Plan Fam? 

Siempre Con Amor, 

Elder Rincon

April 2nd 2014

So busy and so happy! 

Preparing 4 souls and and another family to be baptized in these next two months! The lord has continued to bless me and Fantino with miracles everyday as i have continued to put all of my confidence and faith in him and worked hard! i love all of you guys soo much and hope to be able to write a real letter next week! I am truly happy! I need to hear at least one spirtual experience that you will each have this weekend from conference! Write it to me and I promise to write each of you back! keep doing work!

siempre con amor,

Elder Rincon

March 26th 2014: Santiago Prep Day Y Familia

MOM....... I love you sooooo much! There is a scripture in the book of mormon that helps me understand the relationship that I am able to have with you even though we are millions of miles apart. It is Alma 57:21 that states, "Yea and they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness; yea, and I did remember the words which they did say unto me that their mothers had taught them". In this passage, Helaman is recounting the battle between the 2,060 stripling warriors and the Lamanites. He later recounts that 200 of the 2,060 stripling warriors had fainted because of loss of blood nevertheless, because of the goodness of God, not a single one of them perished. As a representative of Jesus Christ, I have promised my God and my Savior that I will obey every command and rule with exactness. With sufficient faith, I am promised in return great miracles and eternal blessings. I have been promised eternal happiness, protection and great blessings for my family (D&C 31:2-6). 

Although I am far away from you and in battle here in D.R I am able to be happy because with every decision I make and with every step that I take, I think of the memories and the teachings that you have given me! I guess that makes me somewhat of a Mommas boy! I testify that I am receiving those blessings as a missionary everyday because I am breaking myself physically and spiritually to magnify my calling, fulfill my covenants and remember the words which my mother has taught me! I pray specifically every night that my God will bless my family and my mother. There is a missionary phrase that says, "be the missionary that your mom believes you are". I am the missionary and man of God I am today because of the most amazing mom ever, which I have been blessed with! Dads very lasts words to me while he was alive on this earth were "We are receiving the fruits and blessings of your labors"! I so pray that you are still able to recognize those sweet and tender blessings every day. I love you sooo much and am eternally happy and thankful to be your son! 

In the Name of Jesus Christ Amen!

Your son, 

Siempre con amor,

Elder Rincon

This QT is one of our cousins here in Cotui. When I saw her, she immediately reminded me of Imani and Saychelle when they were little babes. #alwaysthinkingofyouguys #Eternallove #alldominicanslookalike 

March 5th 2014: Intestines & Birth Places

Hey familia! 

Hows it going? 

I have been in the hospital for the past two days. But don't worry cause it wasn't for me, my companion had stomach pains for the past three days, so I took him to the clinic and it turns out that his intestines are inflamed and his kidneys were infected. Who would've thunk? We just left the hospital, and he is a lot better now, but it reminded me of the time that I had a parasite while I was here in Fantino about two months go and I forgot to tell you guys about my funny/sketchy hospital experiences. Anyways, other than the past two days in the hospital with my comp., everything had been really great. These first few weeks with my new companion Elder Christensen ( aka mi hijo) has been really special. I have been able to help learn spanish, how to live in D.R. and how to be a true representative of Jesus Christ. It truly has been a great responsibility, training a brand new missionary from Utah, but the Lord has blessed us with every step of faith that have taken. As of today, we have three weeks together. and I have about 6 and half months in Fantino. Training a new missionary takes about 3 months, so ill probably be here in Fantino, my first area, for about 9 months. 9 months is a really long time in one area for a missionary, but I loved being super close to my Cotui family, helping this branch strengthen and grow in numbers, and it has been really special to be there for all of the families that I have helped enter into the waters of baptism. I am really happy and here are a quick three stories to help you understand  little bit more about my life here:

Funny (Chistoso): So we checked into the hospital at 8 o clock yesterday morning. After hours of analysis, ultrasounds and waiting, the doctor tells us that my companion well have to stay overnight so that, they can continue to give him antibiotics so that his inflammation goes down and and his infection gets killed. at about 5 p.m we got settled in our new room for the night we realize that we haven't eaten anything all day and were starving. We also didn't have phone connection because the phone towers were being prepared. We decided to get one of the hospital workers to go on a food run for us. We ordered a medium pizza and a bunch of bread and juice. While we were waiting for the food, we asked a bunch of nurses if the knew if my companion was allowed to eat food with his stomach condition and the all said yes. Two hours later the food arrived and he brought us a huge Dominican pizza and tons of other goods. We sit down, get ready to eat, and right before we start the doctor walks in. She tells us that my companion is not aloud to eat anything and that I should not allow him eat any of the food we bought it would make his stomach a lot worse. Saddened, yet laughing because of the timing of the doctor and the food, my companion was forced to watch me all night as I ate all of the food and the medium pizza throughout the night, for if he ate anything he would have  messed his stomach up worse. I was forced to eat all of the food alone, as I sacrificed my stomach so that the stomach of my companion would be able heel. It was really funny!

Spiritual: Every day this week has been really spiritual, but two Mondays ago, was really special, for I got to go to Cotui for a district meeting and eat lunch with all of my Almanzar family. After we had eaten lunch and they given us whatever out stomachs desired, I realized that we had a little bit of time before we headed back to Fantino to visit the house were my Dad was Born. We walked a few blocks down my Tia Nenas house and and stopped at the house on the left where my dad was born. We greeted my other uncles and aunts and talked for a little while. It wasn't until I started testifying of the reason I was in D.R serving the Lord and how much my father had wanted me to be there serving, that I realized exactly what I was doing and where I was. We were talking right outside of the House were my Dad, Sonny Dejesus Rincon was born and I was serving a mission as a Representative of Jesus Christ, Preaching the Gospel to my family in the D.R. As I began to ponder these exact thoughts in my head, as I have in instances before, my emotions caught hold of me. As I walked into the Birth Home of my Father, my heart was filled with such joy and love that I could not contain it within my soul. Crying, I looked at what appeared to be such a beautiful house. Never in my mission have I felt so close to my Heavenly and earthly father than I did at that moment.

I know that I am in the D.R because the Lord has called me through his modern day Prophet. I know that I have been called to represent the Lord Jesus Christ and preach his gospel to all here in D.R. I know that his gospel is a huge plan of happiness which doesn't end with physical death. This gospel has blessed my own life personally and that of my family eternally. I have been given a special witness of the Divinity and truthfulness of this gospel by The Holy Spirit of God. For this reason I dedicate these two years to giving all others the chance to receive this same witness and blessings that I have received throughout my life. I love my saviour and I know that he Lives. I also testify that my earthly father lives and there is life after our earthly experience. I am truly happy because god always blesses his servants and their families. I testify of these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!

Siempre Con Amor,

Elder Rincon

February 26th 2014: Pictures Instead of a Real Update But We'll Take What We Can Get

 This is the church in Cotui! My families homes surround the Church building.
I go there every Monday for district meeting!

Lunch at tia nenas house(aka wife of tio negro who is the brother of abuelito). Had lunch this past Monday with about 13 other of my Dominican cousins and aunts in cotui who looked just like my family in the states. They gave me what ever my companions stomach and mine desired

This the the house where Sonny Dejesus Rincon and Jose Antonio Rincon (aka papito) was Born. On the left is Papitos 94 year old brother and his wife. I visited them after the district meeting on Monday. He is blind and very fragile. He stood up with all of the strength in his body to take this pic and give me a big hug! We both cried as we said are ( till we meet agains).