So I think it is time for me to
introduce you all to my new Dominican friends…
I will start with Brian. Brian is an
adorable four year old boy. He loves piggy back rides and playing
pelota (ball) in the street. Little Brian has stolen the hearts of
quite a few people on my squad! He smiles a lot, and, believe me, it
can make you melt!
Brian has twin sisters that are three –
Anel and Jasmin. These two girls take a bit of work to get to know,
as both of them are pretty shy with us white people. Anel doesn’t
like to wear clothes, and she always wants to play ball with the
boys. Jasmin loves to play with her doll, and she is super attached
to her uncle Franklin! Uncle Franklin is 12 years old, and wow is he
great at soccer! He is great with the kids too…he makes sure
everybody gets a chance to kick the ball.
Amber is seven years old (Brian, Anel
and Jasmin are her cousins). That girl can draw!! She made me a
picture of a butterfly that is just gorgeous. She loves hanging out
with us. We sit on the sidewalk and talk about dolls and nails. She
is helping me a ton with my Spanish skills.
Alejandra is the grandmother to all of
these kids, except Franklin, that is her youngest son. They all live
together across the street from our house. Alejandra went for a run
with Kara and I today. We talked about God and her hopes for her
grandchildren. She showed us around the city a little bit. We taught
her a little bit of English, and she is very proud to share her
newfound knowledge with everyone on our squad.
Last, but certainly not least, is
Ramona. She and her husband live next door to us. She loves company,
so whenever she is sitting outside and we walk by, I go and sit with
her and just chat for a few minutes. We talk about anything from the
weather to what life was like for me at home. I know all about her
children and her husband. Today, she made frijoles con dulces for us.
…that translates into…sweet beans! Haha that might be one of the
strangest things I have ever eaten, but it was not terrible. She
taught me how to make it…so watch out, frijoles con dulces might be
coming your way one of these days!!
These relationships have been a ton of
fun to start establishing. I hope to continue talking to them because
they are all really great people. The kids are a very good way of
keeping my mind off of being away from home. I have so much to learn,
just from my Dominican neighbors! Imagine what I will gain from my
ministry experiences!
