Greetings! I cannot believe I've been here for 3 weeks. Sometimes when I'm walking into town I look around and it hits me all over again...I actually live here! Here are 10 things I've learned from my first days here.
1. Motos are about as numerous as the ants here...Walking around the city you cannot go anywhere without seeing people riding "motos" (scooters) everywhere. Some Dominicans have even mastered wheelies with people on the back. Also instead of taxi services there are conchos where you can get a ride on a moto to your destination, these are ubiquitous everywhere and they get your attention by hissing at you and pointing to their moto.
2. Traffic laws are merely suggestions- Babies are held on motos, people on roller blades cling to trucks are they roll down the streets and forget about traffic lanes.
3. Eggs, Milk, Peanut Butter, Pasta and Bread are staple foods. Creativity is a key for people without microwaves or stoves, so my goal for this year is to learn every possible way to cook an egg I'm looking forward to experimenting with skillet meals as well. If someone were to write a skillet meal recipe book, I'd bet they'd be a millionaire down here.
3. Canyoning is an amazing experience- Repealing down waterfalls and cannon balling into rivers...what else is there in life? I felt a little like Pocahontas as we waded through the rivers, crawled under waterfalls and skipped over rocks.
4. Planning ahead doesn't exist-Making plans more than a couple of hours in advance is ludicrous. Most days you don't know where you will be in an hour or so. Sometimes it can be frustrating, but there is an amazing freedom in it as well. Not having your day planned to the minute gives you time to actually be present with the people you are with and not worry about what is coming next.
5. It is possible to trip over everything-I think anyone who knows me, knows this was coming. Sometimes I feel like the princess and the pea, but except for feeling a pea through a mattress, I find every bump that exists and trip over it.
6. Power goes out is a daily occurrence- "La luz se fue" is one of the most common phrases I've used here and it means the power went out. It usually goes out 2 times a day, but luckily it doesn't affect me as much as it would in the States. The air conditioning isn't affected because there isn't any and some of the lights were already out to begin with. It also forces you to converse instead of hide behind a computer screen. Perhaps everyone should turn their power off at least once a week to look up and notice the world around them.
7. Students are the same-Sometimes you think that being 1776 miles away, the students would be completely different, but my 14 students remind me so much of the ones I left behind in the states. They want to love and be loved. They greet you in the morning with a hug and when you notice them, a sly smile crosses their faces. They also say what they think and some of their honesty makes you laugh out loud. Students everywhere have a way to sneak into your heart and stay there.
8. Sleepovers are the best-One of the best part of being in the Dominican Republic are the sleepovers. Pulling all the beds into the living room and watching movies is one of the best parts of the day. We are all so different, but we have become a family. Dipping animal cookies in nutella and cake batter while watching movies could bond anyone.
9. People legitimately care about others- It is amazing how kind the Dominicans are here. They will go out of the way to help you. I love how they take the time to speak Spanish slowly and help out in any way they can. The parents of my students have been very welcoming as well as the other Dominicans I have had the opportunity to meet.
10. God is everywhere- This is my favorite one. I think traveling to a new country and a new place, makes you realize how great and far reaching God's reign is. It is so beautiful to attend church services in Spanish and see how even though I cannot understand every word that has been spoken, these people have relationships with the same God that I do. The God I cry out to in English answers prayers in every language and is worshiped all over the world.
" I know you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. You asked, " Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?' Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know."- Job 42:2-3
I love this verse, because it reminds me that even though I don't have a set plan everyday, God does and that is no place safer than in the center of God's will.
Sunday, August 23, 2015
Saturday, August 8, 2015
Sleep, Spanish and Spinning!
So this ends the first week of living in the Dominican Republic. It feels like time passes so differently here. It definitely feels like I've been here for many months now and so it is strange to think that less than a week ago I was in the United States. Well, there are definitely many more things I need to do to feel completely acclimated, but I think I'm off to a decent start. I can find my way to the gym, the school, the local restaurants and stores and for my directionly challenged self that is quite the accomplishment.
Though I'd love to tell you about all of adventures...I will give you a top five and hopefully you can surmise the rest.
1. The hardest part of this week was actually sleeping. I don't know why, but I was so awake the first four days and got maybe 1-3 hours of sleep each night. My mind just wouldn't turn off. I didn't feel sleepy, but it got pretty boring by the 5th hour of being up. Though we are thousands of miles away, my dad even read to me over Skype to try to help me fall asleep! There were times I even thought I forgot how to sleep. Anyways, I finally slept through the night on Thursday! Who knew that sleep could be such an accomplishment when babies are so good at it.
2. I've joined a gym and have gone to it several days for classes such as spinning and Zumba. Now, let me tell you...I didn't know it was possible to sweat that much. I think my face was actually starting to melt. The spinning class was ridiculous...the sweat was dribbling into my eyes and the only thing that kept me going was watching the bigger ladies who were just going to town. Who wants to bow out when older and fatter people are still working? That's just plain old embarrassing. So, of course when I got off the bike my legs could barely support my weight and as soon as I got home I fell asleep.
3. There is a cat that desires to be a house cat...or more particularly our house cat and learns how to be a little more sneaky everyday. This cat will wait by the door and when you go to unlock the gate to leave the house or when you go to bring in groceries..it is extremely difficult to keep the cat out and get yourself in. Yesterday,,,I tried to outsmart a cat. Instead of going out the front...I believed that it would be easier to leave through the back and then walk around. So...I left through the back door and locked it behind me before discovering that there was no real way from the back to the front and I didn't have the key to the back door. So I ended up walking through a jungle of trees and hopping a wall to get back to the porch. One for the cat...zero for me.
4. The city is a lot nicer than expected. As I'm beginning to learn how to make my way around the city, I 'm beginning to appreciate the country and culture and realize that the people here and the daily life isn't that different from the United States. You can go to the gym...meet friends at a restaurant and go shopping. Air conditioning is not common, though it is available in some restaurants. The scenery is definitely different than Hillsdale with the palm trees and mountains. I like that everywhere you go there are people walking and going about their business and that Dominicans are very used to Americans, they won't give you a second look except to ask if you need/want a ride to your location.
5. Finally, I've learned that attempting to speak Spanish is a lot like the cat trying to get into the house. Each attempt is a little better, but still not quite making it through the door. I don't understand everything that is said and often when I speak Spanish I need to repeat it or say it a different way, but hey mistakes are all part of the learning process. Poco a poco, I will learn.
Well I guess that caps off my first week and I'm so thankful for so many things. I'm thankful for wifi and a wonderful place to stay, I'm thankful that I can skype with my friends and family and they don't feel so far away. I'm thankful for the new friends I'm making here. But most of all I'm thankful for a god who never gives up on me. I've felt God's presence in so many ways down here and it is such a comfort to know that even 1,776 miles from home, God is just as much here as He is there.
"Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens you are there; if I make my bed n the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast." -Psalm 139: 7-10
Though I'd love to tell you about all of adventures...I will give you a top five and hopefully you can surmise the rest.
1. The hardest part of this week was actually sleeping. I don't know why, but I was so awake the first four days and got maybe 1-3 hours of sleep each night. My mind just wouldn't turn off. I didn't feel sleepy, but it got pretty boring by the 5th hour of being up. Though we are thousands of miles away, my dad even read to me over Skype to try to help me fall asleep! There were times I even thought I forgot how to sleep. Anyways, I finally slept through the night on Thursday! Who knew that sleep could be such an accomplishment when babies are so good at it.
2. I've joined a gym and have gone to it several days for classes such as spinning and Zumba. Now, let me tell you...I didn't know it was possible to sweat that much. I think my face was actually starting to melt. The spinning class was ridiculous...the sweat was dribbling into my eyes and the only thing that kept me going was watching the bigger ladies who were just going to town. Who wants to bow out when older and fatter people are still working? That's just plain old embarrassing. So, of course when I got off the bike my legs could barely support my weight and as soon as I got home I fell asleep.
3. There is a cat that desires to be a house cat...or more particularly our house cat and learns how to be a little more sneaky everyday. This cat will wait by the door and when you go to unlock the gate to leave the house or when you go to bring in groceries..it is extremely difficult to keep the cat out and get yourself in. Yesterday,,,I tried to outsmart a cat. Instead of going out the front...I believed that it would be easier to leave through the back and then walk around. So...I left through the back door and locked it behind me before discovering that there was no real way from the back to the front and I didn't have the key to the back door. So I ended up walking through a jungle of trees and hopping a wall to get back to the porch. One for the cat...zero for me.
4. The city is a lot nicer than expected. As I'm beginning to learn how to make my way around the city, I 'm beginning to appreciate the country and culture and realize that the people here and the daily life isn't that different from the United States. You can go to the gym...meet friends at a restaurant and go shopping. Air conditioning is not common, though it is available in some restaurants. The scenery is definitely different than Hillsdale with the palm trees and mountains. I like that everywhere you go there are people walking and going about their business and that Dominicans are very used to Americans, they won't give you a second look except to ask if you need/want a ride to your location.
5. Finally, I've learned that attempting to speak Spanish is a lot like the cat trying to get into the house. Each attempt is a little better, but still not quite making it through the door. I don't understand everything that is said and often when I speak Spanish I need to repeat it or say it a different way, but hey mistakes are all part of the learning process. Poco a poco, I will learn.
Well I guess that caps off my first week and I'm so thankful for so many things. I'm thankful for wifi and a wonderful place to stay, I'm thankful that I can skype with my friends and family and they don't feel so far away. I'm thankful for the new friends I'm making here. But most of all I'm thankful for a god who never gives up on me. I've felt God's presence in so many ways down here and it is such a comfort to know that even 1,776 miles from home, God is just as much here as He is there.
"Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens you are there; if I make my bed n the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast." -Psalm 139: 7-10
Monday, August 3, 2015
First Day in the Dominican Republic
Greetings from the Dominican Republic!! I am alive and well My flight here was fairly uneventful and I got to meet cool Americans in Miami and Santiago, DO who were here for missions. It is so interesting that the English language can bond people so quickly in other countries. In United States, you would never go up to a stranger and start talking to them, but when you are the minority...it is almost mandatory. Anyways...I was most worried about customs and all they did was take my forms and allow me to pass. The people were waiting for me as soon as I exited and then we drove up into the mountains of Jarabacoa. We made it to the apartment around 11:30 p.m. after stopping at Frescos for hamburgers and flautas. The apartment is more spacious than I expected. There are three of us living here and we have a living room...dining room...entry way...kitchen and all of us have our own bedrooms. Sleeping was a little difficult that first night...since it is a little hotter than my air conditioned house and the dogs and motorcycles never ever stopped calling out and answering each other. I take back everything I said about snoring....
Overall...it has been a great time meeting people and I've really enjoyed walking around the town. Being in a new culture though is a lot to get used to.Waking up in the Dominican Republic made my heart hurt a little bit for home. I'm not going to lie...it is hard being someplace different and being forced to be okay with being uncomfortable.
I'm grateful though for the fact that being in a new setting makes me more aware of God's infinite goodness, strength and support. I know that it is hard and I know that it will continue to be hard...but I've also been so blessed to see that when my knees hit the floor and I'm feeling a little overwhelmed, God has picked me right back up in ways I can only say thank you for. The songs "Whom shall I fear"....and "Just Say Jesus" have been flowing through my head like a mantra.
I'm looking forward to exploring more of the city tomorrow and possibly buying that fan that I've been dreaming of. I'm including some pictures of the apartment and the city itself.
Good Night and Best Wishes!!
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