We are in Atlanta!

Heading home

We are heading home today.  It is very early here in the DR and we have a long drive back to Santa Domingo and then the long process back to Seattle.  We hope to get to a coffee factory for some "urgently needed supplies" and perhaps a few other items as well.

It has been an amazing time here in the DR  We have all enjoyed our time here and have much to tell in the days to come as we process all that we have done and encountered.  The latrines have been completed and the lessons have been taught but so much more has happened that it is difficult to put words to it as we sit here and wait for the van to take us away.  

God has been very good to us throughout this entire process.  We have been blessed more than we could have imagined all those months ago.  Despite political protests, vast differences in cultures, many miles that seperate us geographically, weather that will melt a Seattlite's tender skin, we have all managed to be God's people here in the DR doing his work and accomplishing his purposes.  

Glory to God! 

Strike!

There was a general strike in the DR today, meaning all workers stayed away from work to protest. We've not really learned what they are protesting (will have to look that up!) We did hear this morning that a police officer in our local area of Barahona was shot and killed. Perhaps that's why our local hosts would not let us out of the compound all day! Yes, we were held captive in Casa Betesda during the strike.

Not bad duty, actually. Still got three wonderful meals and access to the swimming pool. But our planned day working in Altagracia was lost and we fear that might mean we don't finish the five latrines and definitely had to cancel one day of hygiene education that cannot be made up. We made the best of it by doing some chores around the Casa that our wonderful hosts had suggested. An additional project was to organize the tool shed, alternately called "The Bunker" or "The Man Cave." This space contained tools, supplies and assorted items that needed sorting through and organizing. I was especially hopeful we could inventory the tools so future teams would know what was here and not be told to bring all carpentry tools (like we were told.) We located a fair supply of tools on site that we could have used but didn't even know about. Some of us are leaving our own tools here to supplement their supply. Hopefully, future teams will be more productive because of it.

Our team is still in synch and lovingly supporting each other. God is at work! And best of all, we've enjoyed wonderful times with our Dominican hosts (and the American couple who host us at the Casa.) A special highlight was the worship service at Altagracia yesterday, where children of all ages and adults each hugged us after the service. We hope to develop an ongoing relationship with this fledgling church.

Our hearts are full and especially appreciative of our Southminster family who made this mission possible.

Inspirational

Tonight, Monday, we had our debrief and prayer. When we were finished, I shared my thoughts relative to the flowing and cooperative spirit of our team. To a person, our team has been such a great example of the phrase, "There is no "I" in team." In addition, I have been struck by the sweetness of the Dominican and Haitian people. We have a lot to learn from these people. WE have received a great deal of support from COTN. Their translators have been most helpful. This clearly has been a worthwhile trip.

Michael

Sunday Kick Back and...

We all attended church this morning at Altagracia. What a wonderful experience to worship with some of the people we had worked with and some of the children. Pastor Julio gave the message. There was much singing and enthusiasm. 9:15am to 11:30am. (It is a 15 minute drive to the Casa).

Raced back to the Casa to wait for our lunch at 12:45pm.

Back in the van at 2pm to go to Altagracia to work on the latrines until 4pm. Raced back to the Casa to pick up some of the team members and off to sight see and the beach. 4pm to 6pm

Raced (literally, you should see how they drive here!) back and dinner was ready. A delicious meal of lasagna, salad, and fruit was served along with Coca Cola and Grape Soda.

That's how you kick back on a Sunday in the DR!

Seriously, we are excited with the progress the team is making in the building of the latrines as well as the building of the relationships with the villagers. As I write this, we can here the sounds of the protestors ramping up for tomorrows' one day protest against the government. We will not be leaving the COTN compound tomorrow so I get to do some fix-it work around here.

Doug

Another Great Day with the Children

Today we were greeted with a huge down pour of rain. But is was a warm rain. However, we all managed to somehow get over to the dining area without a problem for breakfast.

Today the carpentry was moved to the same area as the teaching because of the rain, we taught through the sounds of electric saws. It didn't seem to matter to the children, although we teachers were exhausted by the end of the day. Despite the noise level we felt today was a day when there was more learning and great interest in our activities with puppets, songs demonstrations with flour replicating germs on their hands and a spray bottle of water for the sneezing and coughing.

After discussing and demonstrating of how germs and bacteria are passed on by sneezing and coughing and improper hand washing, we asked the children to line up and each one of them showed us how they should wash their hands by singing together a song together that lasted for 20 seconds (20 seconds is the rule for washing away germs. They did a great job.

I will add a few more pictures.

But it is raining outside....

Today we woke up to pouring down rain.  Thunder and lightning that started about five seconds away and then started moving down wind of us.  The local translator said that "It was too bad about all this rain and how it will prevent us from going out to do any work."  We looked at him and just shook our heads and told him and others that we were from Seattle and expected to work in the Rain, the sun or the whatever! 

People were running around in plastic ponchos and umbrellas and we were standing there in the warm rain with our hats on and our tools ready to go.  We all piled into the van and set off for our Batey at Alta Grazia.  It is usually a busy road out to our site but not today.  There was hardly a person on the road and the people standing in the houses looked at us as if we were nuts.

Today there was no sudden swarm of kids when we arrived simply because they could not believe that we would be there in the rain.  They started to show up in droves once the rain let up and the sound of the generator got going.  

We Worked on finishing the door to house number one -a story that should be told but not by me now as I am sitting on a very tall stool and might fall of it onto the floor from laughing too much.  But there is a door and a lock and Marty and I have stories to tell our grandchildren!

Latrine number two is finished but for the door.  Latrine number three is framed but not wrapped in metal or doored and Latrine number four is due to be framed tomorrow.  Our goal has been to do five latrines and we are struggling to not be so task oriented and driven that we lose sight of the real goals which is to build relationships with local people who are bettering the lives of children here in the DR and in other places around the world.

Yes, it is Sunday tomorrow but we are going to have to stay in on Monday due to Political Protests over taxes and wages here in the DR.  Sound familar world?  Ha!  We will do some work around the Casa on Monday instead but it does take time from our latrine work.  This work does desperately need to be done so instead of the beach on Sunday afternoon, we will hit the hammers on nails and try to get everything done that we possibly can.

We only have till Tuesday to get them all done or we will simply have to come back and do it all over again!  After reading this blog, you want to come as well, right?  :)

It has been an amazing time of working with the local people and us crazy anglos.  We have learned alot about making do with what you have and overcoming problems with various tools that one of the guys "just happened" to bring.  We are happy to be in this amazing place, doing the work that God has put before us.  We know we are only throwing five "starfish" back into the sea but that is five more than would have been thrown had we not engaged in this work to start with.

Please pray for us that we can complete our tasks and that we might have the wisdom to know how to proceed should that not be possible.