Dominican boredom

My neighbors do almost nothing all day long. Today I stayed home from the school to catch up on paper work and emails, and all day(just like everyday) they hung out on our bench outside and 3ft from where I'm sitting. We like our neighbors and make it point to hang out with them during the week. But literally from about 9am-10pm it’s crowded with life right outside our windows. They made a wonderful doll yesterday that kept them entertained for several hours. Pray for Caitlin and I as we continue to pursue relationships with these people and that God might open opportunities to share with them about our faith.

The Dad factor

Our Last work team was a very special group from Wheaton Chicago area. Many kids Alive missionaries are strongly connected with the Wheaton area as well as WBC whom we hosted for the last week. Our feild director Vic also came with his son Sam. We had a packed house with 24 fathers and sons on our first Father/Son team. What a great idea! These guys worked their butts off and had a blast. We poured over 40 yards of concrete in almost monsoon rain conditions. Their team work and discipline paid off in the end with the completion of a full court basketball court. Our Haitian workers didn't really know what to think of the father son crew, who did so much work we had to create more in the end. What a huge testimony for this village to be able to see father and son working hard side by side, laughing and playing, crying and praying. Their impact along with their hearts were huge. They also put on a hot dog and game party on Sat. for our kids. What a treat!

Family and Friends

We got a call one night and the voice on the other end said, " Hi I'm Caitlin's Uncle Frank, She's never actually met me, but I'm here in the DR doing medical missions and would like to come see you guys if possible" So we hung out a day with long lost Uncle Frank! It was fun, he is a DR. in California and has been doing Medical missions to spanish speaking countries for many years. We showed our village and hung out on the beach with him, where he kindly bought our lunch.

Caitlin's brother and his wife were able to visit the very next week. Chris and LaChanda were missionaries in India for awhile and are now in CO Springs where Chris works at his missions home office, (eMi). We enjoyed having them here. We were able to spend quite a bit of time with them and really had fun. They also got to expirience classic DR life when the bus they were on to explore the island broke down.

Our friend Jenny and her dominican husband Miguel have been a huge blessing for Caitlin and I. We occasionally go on double dates and have fun fellowshipping together. Jenny has been in the DR for about 7 years and recently married Miguel. They work for a mission group that does similar things as Kids Alive. Jenny is about 7 months pregnant and we all got together and had a baby blessing party for her up at the Crossroads retreat center with Bob and Jana. Instead of typical baby shower gifts we gave gifts of the spirit that included, music, poetry, scripture, art, and many other creative things.

One of the workers at our school also just recently had his 5th child. Penel is one of my favorite guys at work. Caitlin and I went to visit him and his family. I told him he had enough children now for a basketball team!

Sabbath

We rest! With four teams in five weeks we were much overdue for some rest. We spent one day at a hotel relaxing and reading by the pool at a place called Susua By the Sea. Our favorite get-a-way hotel. This last weekend we spent exploring the Island. We stayed with some friends on the south west coast of the island. There is a much different feel on that side. We stayed in a town called La Romana. The area is much wealthier due to new tourism and the sugar cane industry. They are actually cutting the cane there, where as our side of the island cane hasn't been cut for three years. Even amongst the poor Haitian cane cutters, there was a sense of pride and dignity, a concept that is rather foreign where we live. We also visited the "Mecca" site of the DR, Higuey. It is home to the Altagracia shrine of the holy virgin. Every year millions of Dominicans make their way to this site, including a yearly traditional pilgramige. The place is said to have supernatural healing powers. People with all kinds of sickness, disease, and open wounds come to expose themselves all around the temple in hopes of being healed. As a result you have a town with an extra dose of beggars. There were all kinds of statues of Mary with animals and angels bowing down to her. The main event is inside this massive concrete structure. In the middle is a platform where hopefuls make their way to the top with a sacred candle, and then pass by a glass protected print of Mary as they lay their hands, wounds and brokeness upon it and give out a hopeful prayer for healing and wellness of life. It was a very interesting and insightful cultural experience. After, we went to Jarabacoa to spend some time with friends. We stayed there one night and while we were there, Alberto called and asked if we wanted to stay a night with him and his family at his parents' house in a town called La Vega. We spent a day with him looking for a truck to buy and seeing much more of the country side, including a good portion of the Cibao Valley. It's a beautiful part of the country with a lot farming and rich agriculture.

We are very grateful that we were given the time of rest. Now we are ready to deal with more of the third world blessings!

Possible future?

Some of Jessi's friends from college came for a visit. But they weren't picked up from the airport, mostly because they didn't fly here, they sailed. Derrek and Dan are sailing around the world in their 32' sail boat. Their mission is to see the world and help where they can. They have set up a foundation and are using raised money to help out with organizations like us. They bought enough socks, belts, and underwear for our kids to last awhile. They spent about 2 weeks here and a good portion of it helping at the school, with construction, and whatever else was needed. Jon, Candace, Caitlin, and I all spent the night with them on their boat. We cooked up some mexican food and hung out on the water, experiencing boating life. I think I have a bit of boat fever now. The idea of learning to sail has been ever prevelent in my mind since they left. Possible future? I don't know we'll see, I did pick up some sailing books though to keep me busy in the mean time. You can track them if interested at. http://www.theworldbysea.com/, or check out the links we have on this page,

Teams

Teams are in full swing here again in Caraballo! Already we have already had four teams come and do everything from medical, to organization, to construction. Our first team was a group of nurses. Jessi went to school with some them. It's a neat connection to be able to host your friends and see how this place impacts people who you are close to.

Our second team was a very special group of young men that attend a program in IN called Christian Haven. These guys have come from rough situtions and are living in the care of this organization and being finely educated and deeply loved. Every year they take a small group of the ones who excell and prove themselves worthy on a trip such as ours. The boys were from the ages of 15 to 18. We had a really good time getting to know them. What a awesome experience they were able to have.

We also had a special treat of a team when the Parks (of the"Park Care Center") arrived for a week. A lot was accomplished with only a small group of them. The Parks are very special people to us; friends, supporters, and encouragers. In just four days they tackled the huge project of organization at our school. Often times when you are understaffed and still moving at 100 mph important things such as organizing get pushed to the side. With their help we organized and emptied most of our donation room and were able to make over 200 gift bags of clothes, shoes, crafts and toys to pass out to the kids for Valentines Day. They were also able organize Alberto's office!! Now we can walk in it and use it again!!

Our fourth group was nine strong women that came and proved that construction isn't just for the boys. These ladies were tough. We laid around 400 block in just the week they were here. The blocks they laid were the next important step in continuing the next two classrooms that will host another 40-50 new kids!! A lot of them also left as child sponsors, and with the plan to hopefully get more sponsors from friends and family. It is so exciting to see how these kids impact lives time and time again, and I think these ladies were definetly impacted.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you to all who came, did, and changed. We are forever grateful of your service.

The start of a new life

The happiest day thus far for Caitlin and I. And I've never seen Juvi more content, with a bright smile that lifts her face, and a seemingly new energetic confidence in life. It was a day of emotions and a day of rejoicing. Alberto (our director) even cancelled school for this special ocasion. The day we moved Ruben and Juvi into their new house was accompanied with tears, hugs and much rejoicing. All the teachers pitched in to help in the move. As we were loading the van with their belongings and furniture I could smell the stench of mildew and of their bed, and couch that never dried. I am encouraged though. Believe it or not someone actually bought their old shack and the land it's on. They were able to get $1400 for it. What a blessing! They are now useing the money to buy some new furniture. Another thing I found out is that they always have running water, which is very rare in this country. The street lines for some reason in this part of town are such that they don't even need a tenaco (big tank of water on the roof). I don't know anyone that has water like that here. It's a far cry from a buckett in the back yard for a shower. This truelly is the start of a brand new life for Ruben's family. To those who gave in time, money and prayer, thank you. You have helped in not only changing this families life, but more importantly made it possible for God's work to continue through Ruben's joyful energetic and sacrificial life as we strive to impact a nation.