Day 8 Mission: Saying Goodbye

Thursday, February 25

Thursday morning we went back to Carrie's office at the preschool and while Carrie filed, Ruth and I washed all of the toys with our Clorox wipes that we found at Price Smart (Sam's club).  We ordered our lunch and had it delivered.  One of the things that I enjoyed on this trip was tasting all of the different kinds of natural juices that they make here.  Many women make this "jugo natural" in their homes for their families and to sell. The school "cafeteria" sells this juice as well including orange with oatmeal, pineapple, and tamarindo.  At lunch I ordered lime and at the restaurant, we had chinola.  They are all very good.

In the afternoon, we finished filing all of Shelley's files.  All of this filing was, of course, done in Spanish so by this time we having fun guessing at how they were pronounced when asking questions to Shelley and Carrie.  Apparently, we weren't doing a very good job, because it almost always made Shelley and Carrie laugh.  Two filing drawers full of Spanish files.  I'm finished!

The teachers at the preschool surprised us both with gifts.  This was so nice and unnecessary.  We both felt very blessed and thankful for the appreciation that they all showed us for the work that we did this week.  In the evening we attended Eddy and Carrie's community Bible study .  Saying goodbye to all of our friends today was difficult but was summed up by Fifa.  "We hope to see you again but if not we will see you in Heaven."  - Karen

the 3 year old class playing with their new toys

Carrie at her desk

Me, Carrie and Eddy

with the preschool staff

Shelley's new cabinet and file cabinet, cleaned off and organized

All bins labeled

Shelley at her desk

work books out to dry

Guille and Shelley with Sarah and Mark

Day 7 Mission: File, File, File

Wednesday, February 23

We started this morning running some errands, shopping for a few more things to finish our organizing project. When we had been cleaning the pre-school closets on Tuesday we realized that many of the toys needed to be replaced so we were able to pick up a few new things for each classroom.  The teachers were were so appreciative and it's fun to watch the kids playing with their toys.   At lunch there is a two hour siesta so we went to Eddy's sisters house as she had prepared our noon lunch.  It is common for one woman of the family to cook lunch daily for the extended family which in Eddy's family can be upwards of 15-20 people. We enjoyed rice and beans and fried chicken pieces that looked similar to our chicken  fingers but with a much more interesting flavor.  Chicken is the meat that is served at most meals.  Beef is not generally served unless it is in the form of ground beef and mixed with something, and pork is only served for special occasions like Christmas as it is very expensive.

In the afternoon we worked in Shelley's office making files for her filing cabinet and filing away papers.  After school Shelley, Karen and I went to Carrie & Eddy's apartment for "Girl's Night Out".  First we worked on creating a manual that can be used by work teams that come down to Pathway to Jesus which would offer suggestions on how to organize a trip and educates team members about  Dominican culture.  We then enjoyed Pizza Hut pizza and good conversation.  Later on a friend stopped by and was telling us about some recent events where he experienced God's provision in his life and we had the opportunity to hear his testimony. It was very moving to hear how he was obedient to God's calling even though it meant great difficulty for him.   We were very blessed by what he shared.

Here are a few funny stories of things that happened this week:

I got a new phone before I left which is able to download apps.  I downloaded a translation app thinking that would be my ticket for communicating with my Dominican friends.  We were trying the app for the first time with Shelley's daughter Sarah who is bi-lingual.  I asked it to translate - "Where is the grocery store" into Spanish, which is did correctly.  I then asked Sarah to say in Spanish "The supermarket is down the street".  The app then translated that into "The sugar market is anchored care".  At that point I decided it probably wasn't a good idea to depend on technology to communicate.  Real life translators or even just  hand  motions work much better.

Karen has made a connection with one of the teachers, Manuela.  She is always smiling and is very fun loving.  I think Karen and her could be best friends if there wasn't 1900 miles between them.  I don't even think the language barrier would be a problem because they both just like to laugh.  So Karen asked me to take a picture of her and Manuela and after the picture taking session  Manuela came to give me a hug also before she went to her class.  Karen started exclaiming loudly "Oh no, you are just my friend.  You can't be Ruth's friend too!"  Manuela laughed and laughed so now Manuela and I have to sneak in our hugs or we have to endure the scolding of Karen.

Thursday is our last day so we have to make sure to wrap up all our projects and say goodbye to all our new friends.  We are not looking forward to saying goodbye but will tell them all we will see them next year,  "Si Dios quiere" or, If God Wants as they say to us. - Ruth

the unsuccessful translator app

new toys!

Karen with "her" friend

Day 6 Mission: No more suitcases

Tuesday, February 21


Tuesday morning we went back to Shelley's office.  We organized books and supplies by grade level and made piles of supplies that Shelley would later hand out to the teachers.  We also typed up inventory lists to help keep track of the items.  We emptied more suitcases, organized school supplies into bins, and labeled a lot of files.

We also carried supplies back and forth between the church (where the preschool has class) and the school building.  In the Dominican Republic, children only go to school half day.  The morning classes leave at noon.  In the Dominican culture, the big family meal is lunch followed by a short siesta.  Because we are Americanas, we decided to work during lunch and clean out the large closet in the 3 year old room.  Since it is the largest closet, lots of random things end up stuck in there like a suitcase of toilet paper and another suitcase full of spiral notebooks.

Most of the schools supplies are donated and brought down to the DR with work teams in their extra suitcases.  Due to lack of storage, most of the supplies are stored in those same suitcases.  Extra uniforms are stored in suitcases, crayons are stored in suitcases, and so on.  Even files and papers are stored in suitcases.  But NOW all extra uniforms are stored in plastic bins, crayons and all supplies are stored in cabinets and files are filed in filing cabinets!  What a novel idea.  No more suitcases! - Karen

flag raising

gotta love these ladies, that is their dirty wash

the office is looking good

office work

the kids love their new hula hoops

Ruth bought suckers here, replacing those left in the US.

they love to have their picture taken

she still uses the bag that we gave out last year

cleaning out closets

Ruth finally gets her rice and beans!

Now filing - in Spanish!

Carrie made supper! Yum!

Day 5 Mission: Get to work!

Monday, February 20

Well we have been here since Thursday evening so it is high time we get some work done.  I have spent the last two nights at Eddy's parents house while Karen enjoyed some precious time with Carrie and Eddy.  The house reminds me of a park shelter in that there is a frame with a peeked metal roof and inside walls that go up about 6 ft.  The morning light peeps through where the roof meets the outside walls. These openings invite in all types of unwanted guests so I am sleeping under a net here too.  The neighborhood dogs decided to have a few 'conversations' through the night and the roosters made sure we were awake early with their call of 'Kiki-ri-ki'.  There is no hot water here so in the mornings I am pretty quickly in and out of the shower.

We start our morning going to pick up some last minute supplies so we can start our project for the day. The Crown Point team not only built a tall brick wall around part of the school property but also custom made a cabinet in Shelley's office to store school supplies. Up until now these supplies have been  stored in suitcases which made it difficult to access them.

We unpacked suitcases and inventoried supplies during the afternoon.  At any time we can pop out the door and watch the kids play which we find  ourselves doing often. One of the Crown Point team folks bought hula hoops and bats and balls for the kids and they are having a blast. 

For dinner we all went out to a hamburger place which is a favorite of our hosts.  We sat outdoors and enjoyed our burgers and many of us had chinola juice, which was delicious.  We had good conversation and really enjoyed our time together. Karen headed back to Carrie's and I went with Shelley, Guille , Mark and Sarah to spend a few nights with them.

You can not talk about the DR without making mention of the insane driving here.  There doesn't appear to be any rules and I can only compare it to bumper cars at the carnival except no one seems to run in to each other.  When driving you are free to pass anytime and as many people can pass at one time that wants to.  I can't tell you how many times I have just covered my eyes and waited for the sound of crashing metal.  It is a plethora of cars, trucks, motorcycles,mopeds and pedestrians all going helter skelter this way and that.  Glad I don't have to teach a teenager how to drive here!  Ruth

Christmas and birthday gifts for Eddy, all in one day!

Ruth and Eddy's mom, fast friends.

Shelley and Carrie, happy with the supplies.

The school's new office.

Standing in line for the snack.

Out to eat with the Ramos and Hernandez families.

Day 4 Mission: worship and commune with God's people

Sunday, February 19

Sunday morning started with us waking up to Eddy's mom calling "Eddy, Eddy" as she walked up the stairs. She was delivering Ruth. It is not safe for us to walk by ourselves on the street, so even though Eddy's parents' house is visible from Carrie's house, someone always walks Ruth over. Ruth enjoyed sitting on Carrie's porch while writing posts on facebook with her phone. As she did this a political rally was forming on the corner between Eddy's parents house and Eddy and Carrie's house. Elections for a new president will be in May.  They have "politicos" in which they parade down the street with horns honking and sirens blaring and music playing to promote their candidate. There are many parties.  Each one has a color.  The white party, red party,  and purple party are the most prevalent. Many homes have fences or walls around their homes.   Often, they are paid to paint them the party's color with and names of the men up for office.

The church has changed the time of their church service to an 5:30 pm service, with Sunday school beginning at 4:00. This is common in the DR and attendance has improved because of the change. So we did not go to church in the morning.

We were invited to the home of Blance and Fifa, friends of Carrie and Eddy, for the noon meal. Blanco and Fifa are Haitian. The word blanco in Spanish means white.  Blanco was given his nickname many years ago because, for a Haitian, Blanco is very light skinned. Now everyone calls him Blanco.  They have 4 children Jenifer 11, Israel 10, Eliseo 7, and Alejandro, 6.  All of their children attend Pathway to Jesus School.  Personally Blanco and Fifa are some of the kindest people I have ever met. They have gone through hard times, but have never lost their faith. They are hard working, God fearing people.

As Ruth said in Saturday's blog, guests are served and the host don't ususally sit at the table. But we asked Blanco and Fifa to sit and eat with us. Blanco did but Fifa was too busy serving us and the children that by the time she sat down we were all done eating.

Blanco opened our meal with prayer. We all joined hands and with a soft voice, Blanco prayed a beautiful prayer. Now remember, I can not understand a word that Blanco says. But with the passion and love in his voice, it brought me to tears! Well I  could understand gracias, Father and a few words like that. I hoped that no one noticed the tear streaming down my cheeks as he finished.

After dinner we talked and I showed the kids pictures of them that I took last year. They enjoyed seeing their pictures almost as much as I liked showing them. Even though we have seen Blanco and Fifa during both of my previous visits, I was too busy to really get to know them. They did attend Carrie and Eddy's wedding and I have a favorite picture of Blanco under a yellow umbrella.

When it was time for church, we drove the children because Blanco only has a motorcycle and it would take him 2 trips to get his family to church. We took the time at church for a photo opportunity. I have been able to be present for church on two previous visits as well.  This time the service was completely in Spanish with no translation and  because it did not end until 8:00 and it was dark around 7 the bugs started biting! Eddy had to walk out because a bee got under his shirt and stung him.

It was the first time I remember them taking a collection. It was interesting that the baskets were covered with a cloth so that you could not see what was in the basket unless you lifted it to put in your money.
Church started later than it was supposed to so at 5:30 when Carrie said we would still be a church until 8:00 I did not believe her, but she was right.- Karen

Day 4 Mission:  accomplished!

political rally

me standing on Carrie's porch watching the rally

looking at last year's pictures

Fifa and Blanco's house

Fifa and her two youngest

Jeni, Israel, Eliseo and Alejandro in the back of the truck.

Fifa and Blanco's kids in front of the church.

Eddy practicing before church.

The view from the front of the church.

The picture I mentioned of Blanco at Carrie and Eddy's wedding last August.

Day 3 Mission: Experience Dominican Life

Saturday, February 18

We slept at Eddy's sister's again on Friday night.  Eddy's nieces are getting used to us and it is fun to see their little faces peak in at us in the morning. Saturday was shopping day for us so Shelley and Sarah picked us up. Mark and eddy hung out and did boy things while Guille went to his class.  We went to Santiago and stopped at a number of places to price out our file cabinet and storage bins.  Since most things are imported we found the prices to be very high but we did manage to get what we set out  for. We then had a girls lunch  at McDonald's.  That was considered a treat for our hosts so we were happy to go. Eddy and Mark showed up and I asked Shelley how to say 'handsome boys' as they walked up. Apparently I said "hungry beautiful" instead, which made everyone laugh. We spent the afternoon relaxing at Carrie's. From her balcony you can get a wonderful glimpse into Dominican life. There is always a variety of interesting people passing by.  Women with baskets on their heads filled with colorful fruit,  mopeds and motorcycles with three sometimes four people plus whatever they need to transport.  You can smell amazing  aromas coming from the food being sold from the colmado next door.  There are small colmados on every block, each selling their own specialties.  From the balcony you hear the the voices of the men playing cards on the patio beneath us.  The many mopeds that pass by, the loud Latin music playing and the constant beeping of car horns all adds to the chorus of sound.  Life is constantly moving in the DR.     

We have been invited to Eddy's parent's house for dinner. We walk the short distance and are welcomed with the warmth that the Dominican culture is known for.  Everyone is greeted with a hug and kiss and Eddy's mom's eyes dance with excitement because we are there.  It is the custom that the host doesn't sit with their guests for dinner so Eddy, Carrie, Karen and I sit at a table that has been set with their nicest dishes. Food is brought out and our hosts retreat to the kitchen so we can enjoy our meal. We have chicken that has been seasoned and slow cooked, wonderful rice with corn, salad and fresh sliced avocado.    Eddy's parents do not have a refrigerator so the chicken was purchased from a colmado and probably butchered that morning. There can be no leftovers, but that was not a problem. After dinner we visited on the front porch for a while and Carrie and Eddy translated.  It is obvious that they love Carrie very much and are glad she is part of their family.  Carrie has given up a lot of the creature comforts of her home in the U.S. to serve the Lord in this special place. Along the way she and Eddy found their way into each others hearts and  their commitment to each other and God is truly an inspiration. - Ruth

Day 3 Mission: Accomplished

Ruth realizing that the app on her phone is useless if you can't explain to the person how to use it.

Ruth carrying her suitcase down the street to Carrie and Eddy's house.

Almost there!  Remember this suitcase weighs 52 lbs!

Sam's Club? No Price Smart in the DR.  We felt at home.

Office supply store.  We bought a new file cabinet.

There are many of these along the road.

To end our USA morning... McDonald's!

A grandma's love- international.

Garden center

Eating at Eddy's parent's house.

This is Eddy's sister Guille and her husband Adriano and daughters Adriani and Adriana.  Adriano has been home for about a month.  On Monday, he goes back to New York. 

 

They won't be seeing him again until next February, the Lord willing.