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!!