Back Home!!

You may be thinking...what on earth?? She's only been gone two weeks and she's heading back home already??No, I'm not back home in the United States... sorry if I got any of your hopes up! Hehe :) 

I actually just got back to my Dominican home today from a little trip to visit the capital of the Dominican Republic (which is Santo Domingo, for those who don't know...don't worry, I didn't know before either!) Anyway, it was nice to get away for a little while with the APU group and go exploring because Santo Domingo is a bit of a busier, more centralized city than Santiago. I also just loved having full days!!

When drove down on Thursday morning at 6am, fitting the total 14 people into two mid-sized cars...we have definitely gotten close (and by that I mean physically close!!) on this trip!! (luckily, the ride was only 3 hours long ;)  ) Anyway, we got into Santo Domingo and we went straight to a church where a nursing mission team from APU had set up a mini clinic where people from the city could come and tell the nursing students about their ailments, then get medication that the mission team had brought with them. I actually got to work at the table where they were giving out medicine, translating for the people, telling them the directions for when and how to take the medication!! It was the coolest feeling to actually be able to do something helpful with my language acquisition! I also got to play with and talk with a ton of the BEAUTIFUL children that were there, and that obviously put such a huge smile on my face :)

That night we stayed at a cheap hotel near to the beach, and I have never been so thrilled with my accommodations before!! I got to take a shower with RUNNING, HOT water...ahhhh!! AND the room had a wall unit air conditioner!! Oh, the simple pleasures in life :)

The next day, we went to a beach called Boca Chica that had the gorgeous, white sand and bright blue, crystal clear water...the fun part about this beach too is that there was quite an adventure to be had! About a quarter-mile from the beach (in the ocean) was a grove of trees/mini island that you could swim out to...I was feeling adventurous, so that is exactly what I did with a small group of people. We got out there, and I wish I could explain to you what it was like! There was shallow water we could stand in and fish would just come up an nibble at my toes, and on the forest/island there were parts of the ground that looked like they were moving, and when you looked more closely, you realized that there were actually a bunch of little crabs running across the ground (one of which I actually got the courage to let run around on my hand!) There were also lizards...and a rat, which was maybe not the most pleasant thing to see :/ (how it even got there beats me!) Along with the adventure of being out the island, we ended up meeting a 22 year-old guy named Peety who actually is from Port Au Prince, Haiti and came to the Dominican to finish studying after the earthquake...Not only are there no schools for him to study in right now, but his house was also flattened...while his father was inside. So this boy lost any current prospect for a job there, his home, and his father...yet he was smiling and laughing and showing us around this island! I was blown away not only by God's hand in nature but also at the resiliency he can create in the human spirit (We found out that Peety is a Christian and he kept saying "Gracias a Dios" for the fact that he was in the Dominican and able to study...it was incredible!)

That night, our group went to this boardwalk area by the beach with food places and some live music...and although going to the discotecas here is against the rules because of school policy, we just decided to create our own in the middle of the sidewalk!! We had so much fun dancing with one another...laughing hysterically an drawing far too much attention to ourselves :) It started to downpour (because that's what it does here...randomly and out of the blue!) and I just stood in the rain, loving where I was at in that very moment!

This morning we went to a museum that I think is just dedicated to artifacts from different countries all throughout the Americas (sometimes it is quite difficult to decipher these museum tours when they are conducted in Spanish!!) Afterward, we went to this national park called Tres Ojos (The Three Eyes), and I was again blown away by God's handiwork!! It was this collection of three partially underground lakes that were surrounded by trees and vines and cave walls/ stalagmites...I again wish I could explain it better, but no words could describe the beauty of this place!

Then we started back on our 3 hour ride back home in our overstuffed cars...When I got back, mi mama was sitting on the front porch with mi tia and some family friends...She jumped up when I walked up and started telling me how much she missed me (for the 3 days that I was gone!) I walked in my room, and she had put a brand new, beautiful comforter and pillow on my bed...I went out and told her how much I loved it and she just told me that it had been done "con mucho amor" and that she was hoping I would like it. Then she heated up a dinner she had made for me...It was nice to come home :)  (Mommy at home, don't worry!! 502 Oak Knoll will always be my home, but it is so nice to actually be settling into this second home of mine in the Dominican!)

While I have been having such a nice weekend, God is still hard at work in me!! It's funny because he is having to work so hard to get this mentality of "working" out of me! When I was surrounded by the beauty of what he had created, I started getting discouraged about the fact that there is no way I could possibly say the right words to him or approach these works of his hand with enough reverence... But I think that is what he is trying to teach me... "Just being" and appreciating his creation for what it is and him for he is is enough. I will never in this lifetime be able to fully comprehend the greatness and majesty of God, nor will I be able to ever "do" enough to express the proper amount of awe or gratefulness... But that is okay! I need to look around, be grateful, thank my God, and then...JUST BE! While I would like to have all of these lessons he is trying to teach me "down pat" by now, I have to realize that I must be patient with this learning process...and it has only been two weeks!! I think I have a bit more time to let God work in me what he so desires to...

Well, I think I will stop now that I have given you all a novel to read!! Again, I so appreciate the comments of encouragement I get from you, and the prayers you all have been sending up are more appreciated than you know...God is doing a mighty work, and I have all of you to thank for helping me through this process!

Mucho amor to you all...xoxoxoxo

Estoy Cansada!!

So, I am very tired!! But that is SUCH a good thing because it means that I am starting to actually use a bit more of my time here!! Lots of walking has happened, a tiny bit of studying, and a WHOLE LOT of learning already!! This is going to be a short post because my eyes are trying harder than they should be to stay open...but I wanted to keep you all updated and theank you so much for your prayer and support! I have felt so loved and embraced by my friends and family even though I am thousands of miles away....God is definitely hearing all of you because he has felt so present, and he has definitely been my strength when I have felt weak!

I am starting to get used to the extreme heat and humidity here...I love my cold bucket shower (it has become quite a refreshing ritual!!)...my family here is still just as incredible and I am getting closer with them everyday...I'm starting to get my bearings when it comes to all of the crazy streets and directions...I'm really starting to love the food and my tummy is starting to love it too :)...and I'm feeling pretty dang comfortable with the language! I am also having a blast with the group here from APU! We laugh and goof around a lot, which is a great relief from the pressure sometimes! We actually went to a TGI Fridays tonight for one of the girl's birthday and it was nice to feel like we were back in the States for a couple of hours :)

I'll give more details later, but I wanted everyone to know that I'm doing really well!!

The Newest Attraction

Here in the Dominican, when it comes to nationality, I stick out...well, like a gringa!! It is so strange being a foreigner here because there is no possible way that I can deny that I am not from around here...as a result, us Americanas have become the newest attraction ;)

When I go with my family to the grocery store, or when I am walking with a friend on the street, people cannot seem to help but stare. We are most definitely the foreigners, and we most definitely do not fit the part of a Dominican!!

Here, it is very culturally acceptable for men to whistle and catcall when women walk by... The women don't really take offense, they just ignore the men and keep walking... At our pre-departure meeting we were instructed to do the same...Little did I know how often I would be using this advice!! 

Literally every time we are on the street, every passing car feels the need to honk their horn, or yell something sweet out the window, or blow kisses to us as we walk! Our university also has an elementary/high school within its campus as a part of its ministry within the community, so we are going to school on the same campus as a bunch of Dominican boys...everyday, as we walk by the classroom windows, even though the teachers are in the middle of teaching, the boys yell out "Wow! Gringas!" or "Ven aqui!" or (my favorite) "You are beautiful Americana!"  They also have a habit of hissing in a way...it sort of sounds like when you are trying to get someone's attention to tell them a secret-- "Psst psst!" That is quite popular here, so even if a class isn't completely interrupted by our arrival on campus, we can hear the "Psst-ing" as we pass by each and every classroom window (they must have lots of secrets to tell us! hehe!)

Anyway, I think a lot of the girls were offended at first, but as we have been here, we have realized what it means for things to be culturally acceptable one place, yet not in another. Here, we have to remind ourselves that we are becoming a part of their culture, and when the men call out or try to get our attention, they are not trying to be rude or threatening...that is just what is culturally acceptable! I think my epiphany came when I was in the hall and a boy that looked to be about 7 years old looked at me and gave me a whistle! He obviously wasn't trying to be malicious or inappropriate...that is just what his culture has told him is acceptable!

So often, I think we go to the default of thinking that our own culture is the "right way of doing things", but who is to say? Neither one is right or wrong...they are just different! If that means for three months we will be getting a bit more attention than we are used to, then so be it! (It usually gives me a good laugh!) Besides, after awhile a new attraction isn't so new anymore, right??

And the time moves a little slowly...

Today was a bit difficult...I'm trying hard to keep my head in the here and now, but here everything seems to move so slowly (including the hands on the clock!) so my mind likes to wander! And then things like missing home happen...Luckily I was able to talk with people from home today, and that most definitely makes me smile :)

My family here makes me smile a lot too!! I am already able to joke around with mi papa in Spanish, which is quite exciting! And whenever they see that things are a little difficult for me, they are so patient and loving and understanding toward me...I am so blessed by the family I was placed with! They are a daily answer to prayer!!

Today was not all difficult though...I got to have my first adventure in a "concho"!! Conchos are the mode of public transportation in Santiago. They are actually just cars, but the cars have stickers on the front window with a letter, and the letter tells you what route they are taking. The cars make loops around the city all day on the same route and you can get on and off wherever you need to! Here's the catch...Dominicans are very communal and practical people, so a car that is made to carry 4 passengers can carry quite a few more here in Santiago! The driver will take two people in the passenger seat, and today we had 5 people in the backseat!! So you have strangers sitting on each other's laps just to get where they need to be! When we got in the car I was smooshed into a man that was already in the concho...I looked at him and said "Lo siento" with a "sorry I can't do anything about this situation" look...he looked at me for a moment, gave me a wink, and said "Esta bien" with a "I don't really mind this situation at all" look...hahaha!! Who knew public transportation could be so interesting??

Hace Calor!!

It's almost midnight here, and I am sweating profusely!! It is probably in the mid eighties about 50 or 60 percent humidity...Aye aye aye!! I'm doing well...It's taking a bit of time to become accustomed to the different food (like mashed plantains with sliced cheese on top and a lot of fruits and vegetables I have never had before, and I normally can't pronounce ;)  ) But I am finally settling into the fact that I am going to be here for a while...I think. I think it's really important that I take my time here step by step instead of trying  to swallow the idea of three months all at once! The cool thing is that even in this short amount of time, my Spanish and my ability to communicate and express myself is greatly improving everyday! I am also learning cultural things like slowing...my days aren't very full and busy like they are in the United States, which makes me want to rip my hair out sometimes, but it is also giving me the opportunity to really read the Bible (in both English AND Spanish) and spend time with God. We will do things like going  to the park with everyone in the family just to watch some boys from the church play basketball, or we will sit around the table after lunch for 2 hours just talking about politics or religion or the differences between here ad back home...We go pretty much everywhere as una familia and we sure do bring a lot of people with us!! Dominicans are a very communal people, so we will fill our 6 seater car with 16 people after church just so we can drop everyone off at their different houses. Or we will be on our way home from somewhere with a car full of people, and we will stop and the three different families that are represented by the people in the car will do their grocery shopping together. Mi papa is never in a hurry, so we will be thirty minutes late to church because I am having an important conversation with him, or he runs into someone on the street that he knows and actually stops for a considerable time to talk to them...It is truly another world here!

I absolutely love and feel so very blessed by the family I am staying with and I know that soon this will be routine for me and something that I am used to, but for right now I am trying to give myself permission to take time to get used to all of this, so please keep me in your prayers!

Buenas noches a todos!!!

Hola de La Republica Dominicana!!

So I am finally here...and I finally figured out the internet (which was quite a feat!!) I live with a pastor/ professor at the university, his sweet wife, and his daughter who is turning 21 in two weeks! It's weird because I am actually a part of their family...I eat with them, go everywhere they go and do everything they do. I am now going to have the experience of being a PK because my family is at church...A LOT!! It's crazy to sit though a church service and understand about half of what they are saying. Also, I am getting used to not having comforts I am used to...no air conditioning in about the mid eighties with about 60% humidity, food I'm not quite used to, and (my favorite) taking a shower with a bucket of cold water!! Also, last night in the bathroom a cockroach that was longer than my thumb (and I have long thumbs!) decided it wanted to be my friend when I went to get ready for bed I am definitely being challenged but I am so very blessed by mi familia here. They are loving ad kind and generous and they really want me to be a part of things! So, as much as I don't want to have to think so hard for every conversation or really work to spit out a few sentences, involved is what I will be!! Please be praying that I let God live through me instead of my flesh...I want to become more like Jesus through this trip, and I think God may have the same idea in mind :) I will try to keep you all as updated as possible as I make my way through this new life of mine!! Love and miss you all!!

The Big Day!

So, today is my last day in the States...Geez Louise! What on earth am I getting myself into?!? 24 hours from now, I will be on a plane on the way to my new home for the next 3 months! I think the worst, yet also the best part is the not knowing. I have no idea where I'm living or what the family is like or what my classes are going to be like...some of that creates a bit of fear in me, but at the same time, that doesn't leave much room for expectations, which always end up being wrong anyway! So here I go...plunging head-first into completely unknown waters...what an adventure!!