Oh Rats!

Monday, January 28 - Day 3

It's Monday, so it's time to start working.  Last year we had a little extra time, so we spent one of our days cleaning out and organizing the preschool closets and cleaned all of the toys.  This year we started by going through the closets again and washing all of the toys because (I almost hate to say this) they have been having problems with rats.  The rats have been spending the evenings and weekends hanging out in the closets and have eaten all of the glue and crayons and paint leaving behind droppings when they go.  Well, thanks to rubber gloves and several new plastic bins for the toys and supplies, the closets are now spic and span!  (I bet you all want to be "Grannies on a Mission" members now!)  Carrie is very thankful that not only are the closets more organized, but now the teachers can use the toys, and books, and supplies without worrying that it is unsafe for the children. 

If you remember from last year's blog, I have a friend here, her name is Manuela.  Monday night we were invited to eat at her home.  Hospitality is a huge part of the culture here.  Manuela's husband, Osiris, is a pastor of a sister church in the area.  He also drives the school bus (van) 4 times a day for the Pathway to Jesus School.  Manuela was a teacher at the school for six years.  This year, due to her responsibilities as a pastor's wife and in other church ministries she needed a more flexible schedule.  She made the difficult decision to not continue teaching at the school, but she has a small store in which she sells clothes, accessories, home goods, etc.  Osiris and Manuela have two teenage daughters.  Their house is a busy place.  Five teenagers from the church were there having piano lessons in the carport.  They are learning so they can play in church.  Osiris' father is living with them as well.


In the Dominican Republic, lunch is the big meal of the day and dinner is usually smaller.  We were served a very typical Dominican supper.  It was yuca cooked with onions topped with scrambled eggs.  Yuca is kind of like a potato.  To drink we had oatmeal-orange juice.  Manuela served us first and insisted we started eating and then served everyone else.  Usually in Dominican homes the hostesses do not sit with their guests to eat, but we were very excited that after serving everyone, she did sit down with us to eat.  Manuela loves to talk and tell stories.  She talks very fast and is very animated.  Most of the time she didn't even give Carrie time to translate.  Ruth and I enjoyed hearing her stories, even though we didn't understand a word of it. I am thankful to call Manuela my friend!

Prayer before supper

Manuela's kitchen

Eggs come in a bag when you buy them at a colmado.

Manuela telling stories

Illiana students painted the walls

Carrie with the 2nd grade teacher.

Pastor Osiris, Ruth, Manuela & Karen

Inside Manuela's house

Manuela's front door.

My friend Manuela

Manuela

Yuca in far pan & oil in front pan to make eggs.

THEY'RE BAAAAACK!

 Sat Jan. 26 - Grannies on a Mission Day 1

With the blessings of our families and a personal invitation from Danilo Medina,  President of the Dominican Republic, the Grannies have again arrived in Santiago, DR.  (Ok, maybe not a personal invite from the Pres but they let us back in the country which is always a good thing.)

Saturday was a travel day and quite uneventful.  Our biggest surprise and blessing was that we were able to take in 260 lbs of clothes without paying for any extra luggage. The items will be donated to a garage sale that the Pathway to Jesus Parents Assoc. is  hosting at the end of the week.   

Sunday January 27 - Day 2

After a wonderful authentic lunch of rice, beans and chicken at Eddy's parents house we decided to visit the Monumento a Los Heroes de la Restauracion.  It was built in 1944 by the dictator Trujillo in his own honor and was renamed after his assassination and honors the heroes of the Dominican Restoration War.  It is very tall and has a spectacular view of the city and surrounding mountains.  Many Dominicans enjoy the park like setting as there aren't any parks in their DR. 

While we rested on the steps we were approached by a young boy wanting to shine Eddy's shoes.  While he worked Eddy asked him about his life and his family.  His name is Junior and he is 12 years old.  He is the oldest of three children and has been working since he was 9.  His father has passed away and he helps his mom support the family.  It is a two hour walk to the Monument and he comes every weekend.  He asks for 15 pesos for each shoe shine (about 40 cents).  Normally he makes 200 to 300 pesos in a day (between $5-8).  However, on this day, Eddy was his first customer and it was already past 3 o'clock.  After giving him some money for the shoe shine, Eddy gave him some food and water that we had.  It was possibly his only 'meal' of the day.  This is not an unusual situation and Eddy is very good  at determining if the story being told is truthful or a ploy to get more money.  It seemed Junior's  story was true and a reflection on many children's situations in the DR.

Church is on Sunday night and we enjoyed the singing and the fellowship.  We are sure the message that was delivered by Guille's brother was a blessing to all who were there but with neither of us able to speak Spanish we simply enjoyed the time together.  We have a full week of work ahead and look forward to sharing our experiences with you and telling about the people we meet along the way.