Buenos Dias!
It is crazy to think that I am writing to you ON THE RACE! With all of the time and preparations that took place to get started, I am still in shock that I am actually here and this is not an extravagant dream. God has been so gentle and patient with me as I try to process all that is going on, and I am trying to soak it in and simply learn all that I can. After a 2.5 hour flight and a 4 hour bus ride up the rocky, rubble roads of the DR, I began the journey of a lifetime, and I hope I can paint an accurate picture of life in the Dominican Republic…
**The Wi-Fi is not very reliable, so I am sorry this is the first you are hearing from me. I frequently purchase a 24 hour Wi-Fi passcode card for $1 at the local shop, and when everyone on my team is using Wi-Fi, it is difficult to get anything done because it is so slow. I have added (probably too much) detail below to make up for it! I am trying to get this done quickly, so please excuse typos and redundant information 😉 I love you all!
Ministry
We have 3 teams of 7 people from my squad doing ministry with the same organization called “HOPE 4 DR” which is located in the mountainous, small town of Lajas (near Santiago and Puerto Plata). Each team will rotate to engage in a different type of ministry: Women’s ministry, door-to-door evangelism, and children’s ministry.
My team worked with women this past week, and we will do evangelism next week (unfortunately, there isn’t enough time for my team to do children’s ministry this month). We were asked by the HOPE directors to take the first day off to get settled at our new location, and then dedicate the second day to prayer. I remember thinking how wonderful and intentional those requests were and I am thankful for the foresight of our ministry hosts.
The women of Lajas meet every Tuesday to discuss town business, and our team was invited to use that time to host a Bible study. During the rest of the week, we spent the mornings preparing the lesson and we committed our afternoons to “prayer walking.” This has been a great way to pray over the community, to familiarize ourselves with the culture, and to get to know the locals. Regardless of the language barrier, a smile, wave, and basic Spanish go so far! I think some of my favorite memories are just walking up and down the streets praying as we pass cow herders, men on horseback, motorcycles, cars, and many dogs and roosters scattered about. All of this is going by while children are walking home from school and women are sitting on their front porches. We are in the midst of all of it and—most importantly—God is in the midst of all of it, and that has been so precious to be a part of!
We hosted a one-hour women’s retreat at HOPE last Friday and we began our door-to-door evangelism ministry this past week. I have so many stories to share! Please pray I have to focus, inspiration and resources (WiFi) to get those stories to you 🙂
Lodging
HOPE 4 DR is run by Vickie & Ruben who are beloved staples in the community. We have a dorm full of homemade wooden bunkbeds located at the back of their large ranch-style home, along with a beautiful common area for us to eat and spend time together. (The dorm, stairs, and common area were constructed by past World Race teams! How cool?!) Dorm pictured below:
We also have a patio/roof top area overlooking the vastness of the green mountain range. The patio sits next to a large mango tree (not yet ripe) with all of our hammocks attached to it. One couldn’t ask for a better place to relax with the Lord or to spend time with others. I know not every month with be this grand, but I am thankful we are easing into the spaces the Lord is calling us to this year.
I have also included a photo below of two teammates doing laundry. We have a bucket of water, filled from a hose, and we add detergent and let the clothes soak. After some time, we add a bit more detergent and scrub the clothes together (especially with the more smelly spots 😉 Then, we get another bucket of clean water and rinse the clothes and hang them to dry. Easy peezy 🙂
Our showers are almost the same way. If the city water is on, we can take a “normal” shower with COLD water. I am surprised how quickly I became used to this! If the water is off, we take showers from buckets. Life is good when you give it to the Lord. I am thankful the weather is HOT so this process is much easier and deemed REFRESHING! Our outhouse is pictured below:
Food
Oh the food! It is very tasty, but I am learning having the same thing frequently is a new experience for me. We have combinations of rice, beans, potatas (starchy vegetable that is more like a sweet potato, but it is not orange), and eggs. We frequently have pasta and a salad of cabbage and carrots that is chopped very finely. Our meat is always fresh. Chicken and pork and fried salami discs have been staples. In addition, bread and hot chocolate is common for breakfast or dinner! Yum! I have a picture of a typical dish below:
Daily Life for Locals in the DR
* Below is a typical house on our street. This belongs to Carmen, one of my favorite women who cooks for our team. She has been a light in my life and I have enjoyed our broken conversations and laughter. Her daughter, Caroline, is pictured 🙂
* “Siesta” is the time from about 12n – 2pm where families gather for lunch. Lunch is the biggest meal of the day! Children come home from school, and it is a time to relax and be with family.
*Roosters “cock-a-doodle-doo” at all hours of the day…
* While driving, people honk to say “I am coming around the corner” or “I am near you” which is frequently done be every driver (different than the U.S.) MANY people also drive motorcycles/dirt bikes as a common means of transportation (so far I have seen up to 5 people on a single dirt bike).
* On the broken, rubble roads, I have seen: cars, buses, chickens, dogs, herding cows, motorbikes, children playing, horses and more. Each day is a new experience! I enjoy walking the streets and seeing the people, the little stores, the small meat stands sitting next to the pigpens, and more.
* Dominoes is a very popular game, here!
* As mentioned before, the water is sometimes on and sometimes off (I believe this is due to the drought). Moreover, the electricity is the same way! Sometimes it is on during the morning and evening and sometimes it is only on during the afternoon. I am not sure who decides this or why they choose to do this when they do (there is rarely a pattern), but I am thankful we have what we can get! This has made communicating with you all difficult.
Adventure Days
These are such a gift! We have about one per week (in addition to a Sabbath day) where we spend our own money to explore the country! Last Saturday, we went to “27 Waterfalls” which is a collection of small, naturally occurring waterfalls that are available for climbing and sliding down! We did 7 of them and had a blast! All of the photos are on others’ waterproof cameras, so I hope to upload a few of them to Facebook when I have access to them. After our “tourist” activity, we went to the beach to relax.
Today, we went to a different beach and the water was absolutely gorgeous! I hope to share pictures of that, as well. This was the first time we traveled like locals without a rented bus, and it was so much fun!
Fun Facts
* Ruben’s parents have stayed at the house for quite some time. I share this because Ruben’s father (who is 76 years old) spent a few days outside building benches for us from the trees on their property! I am amazed with his hard-working spirit and love.
* The movie Year of the Butterfly is about Dominican woman and her sisters who lead a revolution against a dictator in the 1960’s. We got to see it, and it is a wonderful movie! **spoiler alert** I learned the actual murder of the women took place down the street from the little town we are staying in.
* We fit 16 people in the back of a friend’s truck to get home from the beach. It was absolutely hilarious (and I promise we were safe and with the company of our ministry host).
* I had the pleasure of watching the birth of a baby goat! (pictured 1 day old)
* The views of the mountains are absolutely breath-taking! I wish photos were more accurate, but the photo of my team, below, is the place I sit every day because it is my favorite view! Papa designed it for all to see, but I secretly believe it is His love letter to me 🙂
Answered Prayers
RAIN, RAIN, RAIN! I recently learned we are in a drought. The people of Lajas have not seen rain for 4 months! We all individually prayed for rain over the course of a few days after we were asked to by Vickie. I prayed one morning. That evening, the sky let down a torrential downpour that lasted for about 24 hours. I have never seen rain quite like that. I was definitely something special, as if it was a gift, and I know it had nothing to do with me. I am so excited we got to witness God revive this land physically while we are working with the people who live in it. He is doing some great things and is worthy of our praise!
Thank You
You made it to the end! I pray you and your family are doing well. I will continue to update you as I can (Haiti is next month, and I hear WiFi there is worse than here).
Please continue to pray for these women. They are worn out from maintaining household work/parenting and also feeling unseen as a common foothold for this community is infidelity and alcoholism. They just need a reminder that our God doesn’t abandon His children, and their strength and worth come from Him and Him alone.
In addition, my team in embarked on a new ministry this week: door-to-door evangelism. Most people here are Christian or come from a Catholic background. My team did not share Jesus Christ’s name for the first time, but we were certainly called to be a vessel for something greater. Please pray “seeds” have been planted, watered, and given sun 😉 We may not get to see the harvest, but it is always worth it!
More stories to come!
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
His mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is Your faithfulness.
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in Him.”
Lamentations 3:22-24 ESV
