New Experiences

Hola,

It is December 25th, and here I am writing a blog. Being far away from home is so different from the usual and we have had many new experiences over the last week.

On the 21st we were invited to attend a pig roast out in the country in Arroyo Seco. This was a celebration marking the end of school and Christmas. The farmer next door to the school and his wife donate a pig every year and the church and many from the community gather. We were allowed to contribute the pop and so loaded down with about 12 (2l) bottles of pop, 3 bags of ice and 200 cups we arrived in time to catch a pre-view of the already roasted pig. It lay wrapped in dry leaves of some kind (and a garbage bag draped over it). We weren't sure if it was a good idea to catch this glimpse!

Several donors, including a doctor and his wife from Sosua, had donated inexpensive toys for each of the kids. Giving first choice to the students from the school, each child got a plastic dump truck, imitation barbie, flute or tea set, among other items. Then we all lined up outside in the dark (no electricity in the area most evenings) for a plate of food. It really was quite tasty, with rice, cole slaw and yucca slices supplementing the pork.

It was a special time of celebrating with the community. The main challenge was wiping out the image of the roasted pig!

The next morning we returned to the same community to assist in packaging 100 food hampers for those less resourced in the area. As we were waiting to get started, we noticed there was a cow being slaughtered in the pasture next door. We were curious and asked if we could watch. It was fascinating to see the precision and speed (about one hour start to finish) with which the cow was reduced to 4 quarters plus pieces of meat in the back of a truck on the way to the meat market in town. Hardly a thing was wasted, from the intestines being carted away to be prepared for food to teh neighbourhood dogs cleaning up the scene when all was said and done.

Yes, we still eat meat, both pork and beef, but realize how conditioned we are by seeing it only as cuts of meat in a supermarket. This is a livelihood for the rural people where life is hard and life is basic. Puts a new perspective on life again.

Pre-Christmas away from Home

Okay, nothing to complain about here, after hearing about the cold temperatures in Winnipeg these days! The sun is hot these days and we sweat as we hike across town to see Pastor Victor at his church office. We walk the kilometer through Sosua Public Beach area, past all the vendors (shopping mall) trying to lure (or drag?) us into their shops and then emerge relieved at the far end. We have to exert more of an effort as the street slopes up into the poorer part of town. There is little evidence of the Christmas season except for occasional sun faded santa figures that once used to be animated, standing in front of shops. Then there are the occasional beautifully decorated trees, either artificial or possibly palm trees lit up. Oh yes, and then there's the "inflated" santas cruising the beach in Cabarete.

It feels surreal at times to experience this season away from family and friends, not doing any shopping or baking in anticipation. We did decorate our third floor balcony with mini lights and we put up a few hand made decorations inside, and we play our Christmas tunes on our IPOD speakers. It helps to create atmosphere.

Apparently there are celebrations coming up, like extra food distributions a few days before Christmas to ensure some of the poorest have at least rice and beans on Christmas Day. Then, we are invited to a community pig roast on the 22nd, out of town at Arroyo Seco. That will be an experience. So for now, we have to look at the calendar to realize how close we are to the festive season as we know it back home.

Food for a Community

Can't believe it's been so long so the last entry but life happens and then there's almost continuous drenching rain. That brings us to little or no internet connection from our condo so it becomes more difficult to communicate. Today there's sunshine and it feels very good.

As a result of both the flooding a month ago and the depressed economy, leaving people with little resources for food. So food distribution happened several times in two different communities. The Dominicans from the two church groups threw themselves into the opportunity to give to others and they did a very good job of mobilizing volunteers, purchasing and packaging the food and then identifying the neediest homes and delivering food. How uplifting to be part of the packaging and delivering. Each package contained 5 to 9 lb of rice, 1 to 2 lb of beans, some cooking oil, 2 pounds of sugar and pasta. I had the privilege of helping to babysit Garcia & Jenny's infant grandson during one distribution.

The truck filled with the food packages had to keep moving so as not to be swarmed by others who were not included in the indentified list. Obviously there is widespread need with only the neediest being assisted in this distribution. And then there were the macho young men hanging out down the lane from Garcia's, proud to receive their portion.

Condo Home

We are pretty much settled into our home in our condo. In spite of running out of gas for our stove last night in the middle of preparing supper for our Dominican friends, we have been quite happy here without the North American conveniences. Oh yeah, there were the little ants that suddenly took over the kitchen area yesterday as well, and then there was the heavy rain when we had to put out all 3 of our larger basins to catch the drips from the ceiling. But you know, the weather is perpetual summer, the people have been so friendly and welcoming and we are learning the spanish language because we want to communicate. We are happy to be here and feel this is where we need to be at this time.

Shopping

After seeing the losses people experienced with the flashflood in Maranata, we were also impressed with their resourcefulness. Even as loads of drenched mattresses were removed from the town, others were washing their's and lining them up in the sun across the street from our condo, for them to dry.

Our friends, Pastor garcia and his wife Jenny, had several feet of sewer flood water in their home and in spite of that were out helping others. They kind of cleaned their house and slept on their stained & smelly beds. Our Canadian group sent money to help replace some basic items.

So, we went with them to a larger centre, Moca, to shop for these basic items. First, we hit a music store and Garcia selected a Yamaha keyboard which he of course tested in the store. He was able to make amazing music as he is a gifted musician. To go with that, he needed to replace two speakers, and a dvd player. He & his wife Jenny couldn't contain their smiles.

Then we went on to a mattress factory. I had never been in one before so found it an interesting place. We were free to enter the work area from the show room to watch them manufacture a mattress. The workers were more than pleased to pose and delightedly looked at the images in the digital cameras. The couple found suitable mattresses, including a small crib mattress for their infant grandson who lives with them, and then the negotiating began, from prices to time, method & price of delivery. Of course the process included testing the mattresses!

We also included visiting their families while there and were treated to their hospitality. We were served a lunch of rice, fried eggs and fried platanos and even Larry was able to eat the gluten free meal. We were again touched by their acceptance of us and how they welcomed us. Each visit ended with a request that we all pray with them. It was pretty special.

warm welcome

It is beautifully warm in Sosua and humid too. Or as My brother Jake put it, "hot & sweaty"? The breeze is lovely and the sea water is so blue. What a paradise.
Our condo this year is very adequate, nicer looking than last year but does not have the hot water at the kitchen sink after all. Oh well, we are still so fortunate for the air conditioning in the bedroom. We are doing well.
Others here are not so fortunate and we feel like we hit the ground running. We have met with the local pastors and others who all express or indicate great need, though usually not asking for anything. Our hearts go out to those in Maranata & Sosua Abajo, on the outskirts of Sosua who lost so much in the flashflood last weekend. Through our Canadian group, Dominican Connections, Pastor Garcia & Jenny were able to purchase emergency food for distribution in their neighbourhood. They themselves had 2 feet of water in their house and lost much. We saw (& smelled) their hosed down mattresses today, which are back on their beds. Even their month old grandson was sleeping peacefully on a stinky, though dry, mattress. Yes, new ones are coming, thanks to others' generosity, and it is so good to see the people from other areas who do not have much share with those who have even less.

Better go catch a few rays befoe the sun disappears behind the building. After the sweaty morning assembling food hampers this will be sweet. We'll need to re-energize before our supper with the other pastor aas it is amazingly exhausting trying to communicate in spanish all day. Lovin it.

On the road again

It's Halloween night and Larry & I are enroute back to the Dominican Republic after coming home only 7 months ago. Blogging has not been priority obviously since so much life happened in that period of time. We have loved spending time with our children, with our grandchildren and being in our own home a few months. The last month and a half we have lived out of suitcases a lot and were able to take my sister Nita up on her invitation to move in with her. It feels like we have been in the process of preparing to return to the DR for months, since this time we are going for 6 months.

Our hearts are drawn back to the lovely people we have gotten to know and we feel compelled to go and continue to build those relationships. We will also be involved in the projects that Dominican Connections has set in motion, such as school development among other activities. I think we'll need to take some Spanish classes this time to move beyond our current level of proficiency.

So, having enjoyed our family get together in Canmore for Thanksgiving we feel we are now ready to shift direction for a few months and hopefully we will have internet connection in our rented condo in Sosua so we can communicate regularly.

Hasta luego.

summer season

Summer is fast fading on the prairies and it's been a great season. We have enjoyed our home, garden, friends, family and sunshine in various locations. The backyard garden yielded an amazing crop of raspberries from the few bushes, the tomatoes are large and juicy and the cucumbers add that fresh taste to our salads. This year the bell peppers and jalapenos have been going crazy. We are so blessed with plenty.

We did our annual roadtrip to the Okanagan to visit Tannis and Jeremy and their busy family and again loved the family time taking in Ivy's birthday, quick trips to nearby beaches, early morning TH runs, sleeping in their guesthouse (playhouse)among many memory making times. Ella was a charming playmate and Little Ezra was keeping everyone engaged with walking him around by grasping his hands. Little cutie with big eyes.

We spent an overnight with my oldest sister and her husband in Armstrong and appreciated the warm conversations. Mark was his usual gracious and fun self and we spent an extended weekend with him in Vancouver. Of course we did the annual rollerblading around Stanley Park with him. The summer also included a quick trip to Saskatoon to a wedding where Mark joined us and a road trip to Minnesota north country, where we camped and floated down the river with our California friends who own cottage property.

Back home, we enjoyed camping with Chad and Crystal and their girls (& Izzy) at Rushing River and a day outing to Grand Beach. Marissa had surgery right after school was out and had to go easy on the sun. That did not hold back the energy she & Tyra had for sleepovers, playgrounds, baking and crafts over the summer. There were the warm evenings when we hit the BDI and Sargent Sundae for ice cream and walking. You just got to love summer.

Larry & I took advantage of warm evenings as well to stroll dowen Corydon and sit with our coffees at Second Cup patio. Millie, a fixture on Corydon, scours up & down the street picking up litter, stopping to chat with friendly strangers. She's a part of our summers too.

In the meanwhile the glads and morning glories are still blooming and the sun is shining. This calls for a mid day break and a quick stroll to TH for a coffee and bagel.

Time Passes

The glorious winter in the Dominican Republic is a fading memory with the return home to a cool slow spring in Manitoba. The transition back into life here was more difficult than anticipated, with neither of us having jobs we were returning to. I was somewhat disoriented in time forgetting totally about the annual medical appointment I had scheduled 3 months ahead for March 30th. It did cost me a $50 no show fee, so I'll hopefully remember the re-scheduled time in the middle of summer!

Larry and I have been busy replenishing the coffers by working together on several projects. We were asked to do some small reno jobs like scraping stiple off ceilings and painting, replacing bathroom & light fixtures, doing spring yardwork, etc. This is good exercise to replace all the walking we did in the Dr while earning some money to continue our wanderings.

Actually we both came back last week from spending two weeks out of town again. Larry used his time helping with spring seeding on a farm in Swan River and I travelled to the Okanagan to get reacquainted with the fast growing grandkids, spending Mothers Day with our daughter and her family. It was a special blessing.

Manitoba is coming to life after a particularly cold winter, and the lilac bush in the front yard is about to bloom. The tulips are about done but have added beautiful colour to the landscape.

We are waiting for the apple tree in the backyard to fill out and blossom. The two granddaughters living nearby helped us plant more seeds along the back fence, and we expect lovely vines to emerge this summer.

Time passes, and we see the changes it brings, whether it's the grandkids constant growth or the emergence of green leaves with spring, or our own life transitions.

Adios

Ten weeks have passed and it is time to pack again. We have cleaned out most of the condo and the fridge has been defrosted. The door is open and we are enjoying the night air. The city is preoccupied with Holy Week celebration, school vacation and partying. We have been totally awed by the show the sea has been putting on. Although the weather is sunny and hot, the waves have been pounding in and slamming into the shorelines, washing away the beautiful sand, as a result of a storm at sea. Our favourite beach at Sosua by the Sea is a rocky shore now. The sand will be back but it may take a few months. Speaking to the manager of the hotel, he mentioned he had never seen the sea that wild with waves that large.

We have been able to bring closure to our time here and are excited about heading north again. We'll say our final goodbyes in the morning when a few friends from church are coming over at 8:00 am (can they really do it?) and Garcia picks us up by 8:30 to take us to the airport. Dios les bendiga.

Gratitude

Today is a special day because the church we have been working with in Los Charramicos received word today that after a two year process their official church registration has been processed. They are now in a position to legally own property. It is exciting because we together with them have been looking at some potential properties to purchase so they can build a church rather than continuing to rent premises. Last week Larry and the pastor (Victor) toodled out past the edge of town on this outrageously tiny bike that was donated to the pastor to look over a piece of land. It's a complicated process here to research property for sale and it could be a while. Yes, they made it back safely and the pastor continues to putter along. The pastor and his wife have 6 kids and this is their only transportation, other than the public "transit". Again, a lesson in gratitude to be learned from them as Victor comes in beaming thanking God for His amazing blessings!

Around Town

Sosua is interesting with its European and Latin influences. The northern coast has a mixture of cultures and one surprising evidence is this German bakery within walking distance in town. Inside is an amazing assortment of breads, pastries and sausage/cheese rolls and the aroma of coffee. We have visited this shop several times (Sorry Larry, no gluten free baking here) and though the products look & smell delicious, have found them to be a little disappointing for flavour and texture. Guess there's nothing quite like Tim Horton's. Guess I was expecting the brown flecks on my sweet roll to be cinnamon and it tasted more like ground poppyseed!

There is a Jewish Museum and synagogue in town which is still on our list of places to visit. Sosua welcomed the Jewish people as they were fleeing Germany and you see German names on businesses on shops. There are many German and Dutch tourists that frequent the area, and surprisingly, many Italian and French speaking tourists from Canada. Many times local vendors will approach us in French and we can honestly respond with "No entiendo".

The country has a colourful history with having been conquered and claimed by different countries. There is a political campaign happening for a presidential election in May/08 but the sense is the current president will likely remain in power. We have seen evidence of the campaign trail with the nasty potholes in the road to Arroyo Seco being worked on, after years of neglect. Good things.

Day to Day

Life in the D.R. has taken on a routine, after the novelty and busyness of the first few weeks. We still so appreciate the warmth and brightness of the climate as well as the friends we have made in this area. The everday housekeeping has more challenges without a few of the conveniences of home, but mostly we are still so blessed with everything needed and more. It is good for us to live in a setting where the majority of people we interact with have little more than the basics day to day and are grateful for what they have. So many things we take for granted at home such as access to medical care, having the resources for vision and dental care, at least one vehicle, a roof that does not leak when it rains, parents caring for their own children, even electricity.
We realize how quickly one becomes accustomed to seeing need all around, as Mark mentioned when he was out "I'm surprised you have anything left for yourselves at all, with all this need". But then, certain circumstances tug at your heart, like when a group of 5 or 6 young Haitian shoeshine boys in the street took a break mid afternoon to play marbles in the shade on the sidewalk near our condo. Even little boys walk around long hours trying to find shoes that may need touching up, and seeing mostly tourists in sandals! We were on our way to the Supermarket and Larry insisted on picking up a special package of cookies for them to give them on our return. (One fellow stopped us at our gate the next day to give me a single pretty flower not wanting payment, just a smile. Probably was picked off the neighbour's shrubs).

This morning we were able to make connections to visit a friend from church by hopping on a motor bike taxi(motor concho). Larry, being the third person on, had to hold onto me as we bumped along the highway and had to make several stops for traffic. I saw later he was seated on a metal bar behind the padded seat. It was a worthwhile excursion as our friend needed to talk about her situation and we were able to see where she lives. Again, typically, she had an open door policy and she had her own 3 children there, was babysitting her little toddler nephew, and then we lost count of the number of neighbourhood kids that wandered in & out. Unfortunately, we had not aniticpated this outing when we left home and were not prepared with goodies for the kids.

This afternoon we will need to walk to the Supermarket to pick up a few items for supper, maybe for some meat to eat with our rice. As we do not have a vehicle, we walk most places and the days we took the pedometer we logged about 5 miles a day. This means I have shed about 5 to 7 seven pounds in our 2 months here and it feels good. Even as we appreciate what is a healthy lifestyle, we realize so many here do not have the options for healthy nutritional choices, so therein lies the constant tension of gratitude vs we can never share too much.

Birthday

My birthday was celebrated on the beach this year with Larry, Mark and Bert and Elma. It was a lovely sunny day and the water was very calm. It was one of those days when you have to swim frequently to keep cool. It was fun introducing Mark as well as Bert & Elma to the Sosua Public Beach, with all the vendors trying to sell their goods. I chose to take a picture of this Haitian lady and her little girl who were walking by with their fruit and ended up buying a melon for at least triple its store value. These women always impress me with their neck strength, great posture and balance. Beautiful.

Thanks for sharing the day making it special. Also thanks to all who sent birthday wishes by email. It was greatly appreciated, especially feeling so far away from loved ones.

Proposal

Further to the post about the dancers, there was an exciting event for the church group when Rafael, boyfriend to the pastor's daughter Llamaly, surprised her with a proposal in front of the congregation. He had arranged to have some rap music played over the sound system while he slipped a ring on her hand. She seemed overwhelmed but then she's only 16. Apparently he wants to finish his education before they get married 2 to 3 years from now. It was a touching moment.

Dancers

Whenever our Vacation with a Purpose group comes out, several of our church dancers from The Meeting Place in Winnipeg prepare a special dance that can be shared with the church here. This year they did a moving interpretation of the song "This is the Air I Breathe" in spanish. At the ladies meetings everyone was invited to participate and it was so much fun to see ladies giggling and attempting fancy moves to the music. Last week the dancers showed up in brand new "uniforms" which replaced the 4 year old outfits. They were stunning and they seemed to dance with more enthusiasm than ever.

The singing and dance are so much a part of worshipping and it moves my heart to open up to God. It is a precious time.

Grandma Cecilia

We had the interesting privilege of walking around and visiting homes in Arroyo Seco. Grandma Cecilia was a most gracious hostess, gladly sharing her secrets on how to make good coffee from growing the beans to serving us the finished product. She had her own home made coffee drip system which produced a full bodied beverage. Not sure if we should share the secrets with TH.

It was fascinating to see her cook her rice and beans over her clay woodburning stove and show us how she collects eggs her chickens lay in the hollowed out split log suspended from the ceiling in the kitchen. She also toured us around her backyard to show us her coffee, grapefruit, lime, banana, avocado, mango and guava trees. She tells us her husband walks to work 2 hours one way every day to work at a farm job to provide for the family. They have some family still living with them, and the 3 young granddaughters at home tugged at our hearts as they tugged at our arms, smiling.

Cecilia has had a difficult life raising 13 children, but she exudes vitality and joy, as she claps, sings and dances with the younger generation at her church. We consider her another new friend.

The Sosua area is a beautiful vacation setting and we are enjoying our new friends.

This picture was taken in Cabarete, a destination known for its kite surfing. There are endless shorelines with white sand and waves rolling in and it feels so good to go walking and then cooling down in the salty water. We spent several days here with friends from our Canadian group. Kara, it was fun sifting through the sand for shells.

Catch up

So it's almost 6 weeks since we left home. We are feeling very much at home in our little condo in Sosua, Dominican Republic. We took our laptop with us but have had so much grief trying to find a suitable place to access the internet, that we mostly resorted to internet cafes, using their computers.
It has been an absolutely enriching experience. Right now we suddenly have wireless internet access in our condo and I am feeling exhiliarated. We have been sending mass e-mailings as updates on what we have been involved in and new experiences we have had.
The large group we were anticipating as part of Vacation With a Purpose has come and gone. It was a busy time with both beaching and running 4 medical clinics hiring local doctors, doing some food and clothing distributions, childrens activity, a community picnic, youth beach pizza party women's and men's meetings.
Oops, just got company. A local pastor, Garcia, just dropped by to discuaa some security issues related to their church/school building out in the country. He and another person have been sleeping on the cement floor this week to make sure the place is safe.
Will try to make further entries as able.

Ouch

Today's noteworthy entry involves my clumsiness. In my comings & goings today I was typically moving too fast and I royally crunched two of my toes on an office chair as I sped by. Pain was immediate, blue & red bruising followed and after hobbling the first half hour, I can walk fairly comfortably without a limp. Not good timing, given the amount of walking and lugging of suitcases in a few days but I have faith all will be well.
You know departure to a warmer climate is very close now. Larry has had his final clipper haircut, attachment #2. Lookin' good!

Countdown

Three more sleeps before we leave. Some bags are packed and there's the tedious decision making as to what goes and what gets left behind. The stay in the D.R. is about sun and relaxation but also about relationship building with local groups we have grown to love and appreciate. Though living in poverty they embrace us and accept us.
What started four years ago as a small group of interested persons organizing a two week "Vacation with a Purpose" to Sosua, D.R., has grown into year long fundraising & planning for projects and the annual 2 week VWAP. We have chosen to refer to our loosely structured organization as Dominican Connection Ministries, or DCM, because it originated from many unusual connections coming together. (You can read more about it at www.dominicanconnection.org.)
We are trying to guess what supplies we'll need for our gluten free cooking so are taking some special flours and recipes with us. Our spanish dictionary and grammar book are coming, as well as an air bed in case of unexpected company! There will be adventure and there'll be quiet dark evenings when the power cuts out. Early bedtimes and early mornings.
Speaking of early bedtimes, time for an evening snack and catching up on the news on english tv while we can.

New Beginnings

Thank you for dropping by to view this blog. It had never occurred to us to start blogging our activities and adventures because who really would stop by to read. We have been transitioning into a new phase in life which for me means learning to do life differently since retirement in June/07. It also means not having to get up early every morning to go to the office, and with that comes freedom to accomplish other dreams.

Over the past 6 months, we camped & beached with our kids in Winnipeg, travelled to B.C. to visit our son in Vancouver and spent a month with our kids in the Okanagan, welcoming a new grandson and constructing a playhouse. It has been a delight not to have deadlines or be restricted by number of vacation days available to use. In about a week we leave our home in the capable hands of our renter and take off for about a two month stay in the Dominican Republic.

That is one reason for this blogsite and we'll see how diligent we can be on a foreign keyboard! We will not have a computer with us and will be accessing the internet at an internet cafe. We would love to stay in touch with you back home.