Written 7/18/2010
Loc: San Juan, Dominican Republic
You know those “haunted� abandoned castle homes that you see
in the movies?
Well that’s the one a couple of squadmates and I decided to go
explore last night. This is the immense mansion house/castle that is a couple blocks
away from the house that we are all staying in. It’s captured our attention so
much more because, though it looks abandoned, there is a gorgeous white Jaguar
in the driveway. So last night we decided to go on an expedition and see what
the abandoned castle house was all about. We titled it mission:adventure, and
set off.
When we got to the house around 10:00p.m…a hawk flew
overhead and there was a light flickering on and off on the second floor of the
building. That didn’t seem to deter my fearless leader, Tara, from trying to
figure out a way to open the door and see the treasure that lied within.
Especially since she found a key in the dirt near the house. There was no front
keyhole, so naturally we went to the back to try to figure out how to “explore�
the world inside. (Dad, there was a guy with us the whole time… and we were
really being as safe as possible.. promise =))
While we were back there, I peeped out, you know, just to
make sure there was no “mummy� coming or anything. There was no mummy, but
there was a man coming! I told the crew, and we tried to run, but there was
only two ways out…hopping a cement wall (which may have a guard dog, cactus
plant, or barbed wire fence awating us)or face the man…so, all 5 of us,
prepared to meet our maker…faced the man with the most friendly and loving
“holas� that we could muster up.
The man didn’t even look surprised! He smiled warmly “hola�
back, and one of my squadmates told him in Spanish how we were “admiring his house�.
He said, in Spanish “Oh yea? Wanna come inside?� We were all like “YEA!!!�.. He opened up the castle door and
we walked up steps ( I was thinking, this scene looks way too familiar in so
many horror movies..) We walked into the second floor and were greeted by an…..
immensely beautiful room! (and his son in the middle of it watching television)
It was filled with larger than life paintings that were created by our host. He
happens to be a famous painter here in the D.R. his name is Mariano Sanchez (or
Santiago..I forgot.. and haven’t had a chance to google him yet). His paintings
were absolutely breathtaking. It was a beautiful “break in�. I actually got it
on video too…but it takes foreverrr to upload videos here… so as soon as I can
upload it I will…
Breaking into houses, to be greeted by beautiful paintings,
isn’t the only kind of breaking in going on. Yesterday morning we did arts and
crafts with the kids in the beautiful slum city that we are working in. We
stood up late the night before and cut out crosses for the kids to decorate
however they would like, and hang around their necks. Yesterday morning, the
kids sat in a circle with us and they colored away. They had so much fun, and I
got to just sit, hug, and love them. They broke into my heart. My heart got
filled with so much love for them.
There’s one boy named Jose Manuel. When we first came to the
church, he was the only boy running around in ripped underwear(and that’s all).
The other kids have clothes, though they are covered in dirt, but still they
have clothes. Jose Manuel is my kind of kid. He’s the one who loves to start
fights, hit the other kids, and push your patience button. I was instantly
drawn to him. Well yesterday, he wasn’t hitting anyone. He was coloring his
cross necklace. Asking me to help him write “Jesus Me Amo� (I hope that’s
grammatically correct, because I wrote it on all their crosses..lol), sitting
down being loved, feeling loved. Juan Carlos, Javier, Jose Manuel, Flor, Emily,
and Kelvin… they have all broken into my heart…and I’m loving this break in
too.
(He’s the boy to my left with no shirt)
Tonight at church service, Rafael, another 9 year old
intruder, who was covered in dirt
(looks like he hasn’t taken a bath for quite some time) kept giving ME
gifts! He had a fruit that he was sharing with all the other kids in the
service, and he bought ME a bag of cheese puffs! This kid has NOTHING…and yet
he is so willing to share what little he has, with friends and with a stranger.
I immediately felt guilty for all my selfish motives and
actions, especially when I live in a country that is filthy stinkin rich
financially when compared to this tiny slum neighborhood of Quihaqueta. His giving reminded me of how Jesus
says “Unless you become like a little child you can’t enter the kingdom of
heaven.�… He must have been talking about these kids… with hearts so willing to
give sacrificially, love so adamantly,
and that exude such innocence.
When I tried to give the cheese puffs back to him, his face
looked hurt and confused. So I kept them, gave him a huge hug, and thanked him
for my bag of cheese puffs.
Break ins usually have a negative connotation…but so far
the ones on this race have revealed pearls inside. And I hope these kind of
“intrusions� keep on messing up my comfortable worldview and comfortable Godview…
Agenda: Love,
Bethsaida
