So this past week here in the D.R., I spent my time up on the North Shore at a Kids Alive site there called Caraballo. There are three new missionaries, Kristen, Brent, and Letitia, who were headed to Haiti and stopped in to travel in the D.R. and see Kids Alive here before crossing the border. The four of us hopped aboard a bus and took the 3 hour trip up this past Monday after they visited Jarabacoa. My reason for accompanying was to help with the Christmas project for Sponsors at the site where there was no one able to take on the task at that time.
I enjoyed the experience, mostly because it was so different. Same country, but as we know in the States, one part of a nation can look and feel very different from another. I was only a few hours North and noticed new vocabulary, types of people, and way of living. Another reason for enjoying my time was that I actually got a chance to go to the beach for a couple of hours, something I definitely was not expecting! It was very beautiful, but I don't know how "caribbean" it looked that specific day because the waves were going nuts. There was no one in the water and the one guy that tried to swim dislocated his arm, and subsequently approached us to ask for help - because apparently all Americans know what to do as far as health is concerned. Very interesting observation from my time here thus far. Being at the beach was still great though and the sunset was breathtaking.
The ride to the beach was interesting as well, as we took public transportation. Thankfully Emily, a missionary that has been living there with Kids Alive for the past two years, was our host the whole time and able to navigate us through the process. She also speaks Spanish beautifully, which is both comforting when you're with her and inspiring. So basically the transportation is called "gua guas" (no idea how to spell it). They look a lot like a van/small bus. The door is wide open and you basically just raise up your hand as if calling a cab; they will slow down so you can hop in. One would comfortably fit about 12 people and Emily has been in one with 30 - we had 22 in ours the other day. On the way to the beach, I was sitting on the edge of the seat closest to the wide open door. Talk about a rush! That experience was one of the real culture shocks I've experienced because it was totally normal to everyone in the van except for me, and maybe the rest of the missionaries as well.
Above is a picture of Caraballo. Every morning Emily, Katie (my roommate who came up later), and I would ride up to the care center with the teachers, who were all Dominican besides Emily. The site is centered in the middle of a Haitian village, so the people obviously look much different there, mostly because of how much darker their skin is. They are so beautiful. It was wonderful spending time with those children, and eye opening as well because these kids do not live in Kids Alive care - they simply attend the care center for half of the day, while going to public school the other half, and still live at home. The children are rambunctious, but loving, much like the children I work with here in Jarabacoa. Because of the lack of educational prosperity in the public schools though, many of them could not even spell their name while doing the sponsorship projects with us, and they might be eight years old or so. It is things like that that catch me off guard when I'm getting frustrated with them and then realize they aren't doing what I ask because they can't. Moments like that are teaching me a lot and helping me to be more gracious I'm sure.
Above is a picture of the kids in Bible class.
The week was incredibly successful. We finished almost all of the children's projects, something I saw as impossible at the beginning of the week because we had almost 300 kids to rally up and work with us. I saw it as almost miraculous and certainly an answer to prayers of ours. I loved meeting new children who are being served by Kids Alive, and also seeing the way that they structure their days. They have a time of singing praise music and Bible class every day. I am so thankful God is speaking to them through Kids Alive and blessing them, when materialistically most of them have next to nothing.
I am continuing to enjoy living here in the Dominican and especially working for this great, God-fearing ministry. The people are wonderful and I am getting more comfortable in my role as librarian, as well as starting to take on more sponsorship roles here in the next week or so. I did start riding the infamous motorcycle yesterday and was not incredibly successful. I took a little spill and burned my leg pretty badly - there is actually a name for it: the Dominican burn. It's almost like a tatoo here, so I guess that's cool ... definitely hurts though. Please pray that I would be safer next time while riding it and that I would receive supernatural confidence and courage to go forth with it. Also, to keep adapting to my roles and life here. Thank you very, very much!
Until next time ... Colossians 3:1-4 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
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