We're Back

Kisha and I are back in the US. We've spent the last few days meeting with family & friends and unpacking our junk at Bryan & Crystal's place. Everybody has been wonderfully warm so far, and we hope to see everyone sooner than later. If you want to get together please Facebook one of us and we can set up a time and place.

It's cooler than we've had for 11 months, so we're still adjusting to climate. Kisha is currently taking a hot bath in an attempt to raise her body heat to a functional level, and I must admit that I'm colder than usual. The roads are unbelievably smooth, and the cars unbelievably nice. I have to be careful not to go too fast in these ideal driving conditions, though I wish more people would communicate through honking... it's simply the best way to get the job done :0)

There is food EVERYWHERE. Not just any food or a lot of food, but a good variety of healthy food can be found in most stores. It's like I've died and gone to nutrient heaven! Salad options, veggie options, and I even got hooked up with a VERY nice organic breakfast omelette from Beaverton's Farmer's Market. I confess I've had some meat since returning home, but finding veggies aplenty won't be too hard as we transition back to our nutritarian diet.

It has been both happy and sad coming back. It's nice to be back in the states, and it's been great to see the people I love and spend time with them. It's also a bit sad because of all the people we left, and we don't exactly have the future all planned out. I'm figuring out what the next step is for me in career and occupation. I am glad to be back in Portland for this refining process, and I'm sure I'll have need of the people who love me as I look for a sounding board. I cannot close my eyes and think my way to the next stage; I can only close my eyes and pray for the right people and opportunities to come in my life. I trust God will provide, and I am excited to see how He will do it this time.


My Grandad has seen his share of transitions and career changes. He's worked as a migrant farmer, farmer of other people's land, crop-duster, dairyman, and car wash owner. If the lord can bring him through, I guess I'll be alright :0)


This will be our last post for this blog. Our work with TEARS will continue, but we'll be posting those updates on Facebook. Since we're not living in the DR the title is now dated. Thank you for all the support for the last year!

Almost Gone

This will be my last post from Dominican soil for a while. In about 30 minutes our plane will lift off, and we're headed to customs in Miami. It's quite exciting to think that tonight I can eat at one of my usual favorite spots. Also on the list of awesome is seeing family, weather that is 30 degrees cooler, and being able to understand most people. I will once again be a random white guy in a crowd. Nice.

Our partnership with TEARS is far from over. We'll be representing all throughout North America to help maintain a personal connection with the churches & groups that participate in the ministry. Should be fun!

No Luz, No Agua, NO MAS!

Tomorrow we leave the Dominican Republic. Anyone who has ever moved (presumably most of you) knows that means today is very important. Since our ride to the airport will be picking us up at 5:00 a.m. tomorrow, we have to make sure we wrap everything up today. While this statement may not sound particularly exciting to my North American audience, I need to point out that it's easier said than done.

Three days ago the power went out. We didn't notice right away because of the back up batteries, but we noticed when the batteries died! Electricity is a convenience in many ways, but here there are some practical almost-necessities attached to electricity. It was a bummer to realize we wouldn't have internet or warm water, but it was INTOLERABLE to think the ceiling fans wouldn't work. We've re-entered the hot season in the DR, and even with the ceiling fan whirring away at top speed it can be hard to sleep.

Fortunately the power company actually responded to our request for repair. I suspect someone else on our block was bugging them non-stop to make sure it got fixed right away. We spent Saturday away from home with Alberto and his family, so we didn't have to sit around the house and sweat it out.


True to form Kisha and I woke up around 6 or 6:30 this morning. The big goal was to do the last load of laundry, clean the house (which means soap, water, and buckets), and empty and clean out the fridge. The only problem is that there's no water this morning. Methinks the guy who waters the garden left the hose on last night, and he emptied both the cistern and the tank above the house. Probably the public water system isn't working today, as well.

I say NO MAS! It's not supposed to be like this. Some stuff is just supposed to work, and when it doesn't work there should be an easy way to fix it. And if those first two things don't go as planned there should be someone I can call who can fix it the first time. I would be messed up about this, but I'm getting on a plane tomorrow, so I hardly see how it matters. I will miss the people (because our friends are AWESOME), but I won't miss the amenities!

Last Hurrahs, Swimming!

We have just one week left here on the island and so it is time that I am having my last hurrahs! On Sat. I went to Casa Club and had a great day swimming with the youth I have been spending a ton of time with over the last year. We were also celebrating the recovery of my good friend Yasoni! She had a terrible accident on her scooter and was unable to walk for a long time. She had 3 surgeries and by the grace of God is now able to walk and tomorrow will be returning to work! She has been a great blessing to me! It is great to have a girl friend who can listen and understand and then comfort and encourage me.

So to those who helped us have this special day thank you very much!

In the weeks to come we will be giving away many belongings and having at least one more special outing with the family who I spend most of my time with. Alberto, Milagros and their 3 kids will come with us to relax at Rancho Baiguate where we can swim, eat, play ping pong and billiards.

As we prepare for this transition there are a lot of emotions... I am excited to go home and scarred not knowing what will happen, will we find work? will I get to have my dog with me? Will I stay in touch with my friends in the DR will is all just fade away? Can I really be a good fundraiser and PR person for TEARS? Will I make a difference?

The one thing I know is that God has been very faithful!

Waiting

I know that waiting isn't supposed to kill anybody, but it might do away with my wife and I. We've mostly wrapped things up, and the only thing left is to clean out the apartment and put the final touches on packing. Not sure what we'll be doing with the next week, but I sure wish I had a good book.

We're in the last couple of days of school, but because of the awkward weirdness that comes from working towards two different diplomas, some of the kids grades had to be turned into the Dominican government 3 or 4 days ago. That means we've had a week where we can't take anything for grading. It's frustrating a boreing for teachers and students alike, as if we needed to feel more like we're playing education. Whatever. Two more days, and then a couple teacher days, and we can officially close this one out.

I'm tired. I knew I would be, and I usually am at the end of a school year, but I'm usually a different kind of tired. It's usually more like crazy busy tired rather than not having anything to do. It takes a lot of energy to do nothing.

The Good Lord is still with me, so that's something. Hug you all when I get back!

AGAIN!?

Just two days ago I was thinking to myself, wow I am feeling good and I haven't been sick for like 3 weeks. I hope I can stay healthy for the last 3 weeks of my time here...

NOPE

Today I am not feeling very well and took a five hour nap.

I don't know why I got sick. It could be the not so wonderful diet I enjoyed while at the beach or the night of missed sleep in an uncomfortable hotel room, or the day I spent in the barrio yesterday. Who knows. I just want to finish strong.

Poverty

Poverty surrounds me not just the I can't go out to the movies but the ALL we have to eat is rice or I wish we had rice kind of poverty. The water has not made it to my street so I can't flush the toilet. My kid isn't growing and there is no electricity, three to a be and 80 degrees at night with mosquitoes pecking at me hope I don't get dengue fever poverty. My only pass-time is gossip and anger and somehow I have $ to get drunk. This is the poverty that surrounds me. The streets flood and we all lock ourselves in for the night hoping for sun in the morning. Just this week I sat in a house where the grandma was/is doing her best to care for her grand kids while one of her daughters bickers and fights like an eleven year old only she is at least 30. The swatting and cursing becomes abusive after you pass a certain age and your victims remain younger and younger. 


But I see hope in a 15 year old's eyes. He is going to make it. Determination that he will not be a slave in poverty. Strength and tenderness, affection and love. He will over come and change the cycle. No aunt will ever hit his child while they sit playing at the table.

Innocent Lives

Eric and I have started reading Philippians together. I thought I would share my reflections on Chapter 2.

What does it mean to live innocent lives? Does it mean to steer clear of vices that are taboo in our culture? I have to believe that it has more to do with how we treat each other. the context of this chapter is all about humility and unity. Have I really emptied myself? Given up my rights for what is good?! Do I complain and argue removing innocence from my life?

Living outside of the American individualism shows me just how far I have to go before I can really understand what it means to empty myself and not claim my rights so that others can know God the Father.

"

Anticipation

Waiting, passing time, filling space these are hard things for me to do. I like to feel purposeful. I like to have a mission. I am not the most patient person, especially if my patience needs to be applied to time. Today is 5 weeks and 2 days from when we will be leaving for Portland and I can not believe that it has only been one week since Eric posted his blog! Although a lot has happened in this week. Namely I had an interview with an employer I would really like to work for. BUT now I have to WAIT, PASS TIME, AND FILL SPACE for two big events, the moving date and getting a call letting me know if I have a job or not. You can imagine the tension. I am trying to focus my energy in a positive way and get out and visit people. Also I am attempting to exercise in some fashion every day. Last weekend was great going and relaxing in the mountains. Next weekend we may have a practice packing day!

6 Weeks, 1 Day

You might expect this adventure to be getting easier, but it’s not. With only 6 weeks to go I find that I still have mornings when I don’t want to get out of bed, walk down the street, or interact with the world. I still daydream about my favorite restaurants and food carts, and have long bouts of nostalgia centered on Portland and all the good times I’ve had there. In the back of my head I know that my kids at school will continue to test my limits, and their behavior at the end of the year will more than likely get a little worse rather than get a little better. I wish this DVD could “skip” to the next scene.

It’s hard to walk through the barrio. The clutch pedal on the TEARS bike broke recently, so I’m loaning my motorcycle to Alberto. This gives the occasion to walk through the barrio to get to church and whatnot. I walk through the barrio and have no hard time wondering why Kisha has started getting sick again; the air is thick with pungent toxins that give me a bit of a headache just thinking about them. There aren’t any real sidewalks, and people drive up and down Principal like it’s a highway instead of a residential area. The noise is unlike anything else I’ve ever known, with competing stereos, motorcycles that have removed the muffler, people yelling, and the occasional popping sound of a kid playing with homemade fireworks. I basically can’t talk to anyone while we walk, and if people ask me a question in the street, I usually have them repeat it at least once. In short, it’s a lot like my classroom at SCS :0)

I think you really have to be called to Maria Auxilliadora to be okay with working there. It’s a place full of foreign people, foreign words, and a foreign way of living life. Kisha does just fine in this environment, talking with people, saying hello, and—I know you’re not gonna believe this—being a social butterfly. You can hear little girls and teenage boys and old timers calling her name as you walk with her, and she’s close to celebrity status.

I hear Oregon calling me back home. Honestly, I would have come home sooner if it wasn’t occupational suicide to quit in the middle of the year as a teacher. So now I’m just waiting, but it’s kind of a long time to wait because I’ve already been waiting for so long. It’s interesting to think that this has been the longest time that I’ve been away since we moved to Portland 15 years ago. I used to think of our family as somewhat nomadic, what with the frequency in which we moved around. But it seems we’ve scratched out a little corner on the west side, and being gone for too long is something of a problem. My daydreams include Lebanese, Indian, Mexican, Moroccan, Thai, Gourmet Pizza, Chinese, Vietnamese, and some good Portland vegan grub. I’d love to hook up with people when we get back, break bread (or noodles, or burritos, or whatever depending on the restaurant :0)

James... James Bond

Let me introduce you to a new friend of mine...

There is a Canadian team here from Calgery. They are froming a relationship with our Haitian pastor so we have spent our time in the Soto Barrio. On our first day there a young man was talking to one of the team members and I helped translate. He introduced himself as James.

James is 20 years old has been learning Spanish for a year so we were communicating in both of ours second language. James requested any materials I might have to help him learn English. Since I had some books that could help the next day I brought them to the church and gave them to the associate pastor. Manuel did not know who James is. Now that made me wonder. So I took Manuel to the window and pointed at him. "OHHHHH Congo!" Alright so now I have a new name that the community will know Congo... not that unusual here as everyone has a street name and their proper name.

In the after noon we are sitting in a circle and I am translating for the team. Now here comes James--I mean Congo. When some of the team greets him by saying Hi James! A Dominican who is with us says, "his name is not James it's Tony!" Wait a second, hey Congo why did you tell me your name was James... He giggles as the Dominican says "He wants to be James Bond"

So meet Tony, Congo, James Bond...

Photo Journey

Waves Near Sosua Bay




Rentals at Encuentro Beach




Sosua




Yuli the New Mommy




Kisha & Our Godson, Eric




Alex & His New Son




Hammock Time




Kisha's Dog Art

Semana Santa

Hanging out watching tube

Kidney Stones

The plan for this weekend was to take a couple of our Dominican friends to the beach for a day of relaxation after all the crazy that ensues when the groups are here. But we had to interrupt that show to bring you this public service announcement:

If you managed to miss the posts of Facebook, then you are still unaware that Kisha was in the hospital for a night. She has kidney stones, which are usually not life-threatening, but also not fun. She's on a fistful of meds, laying low, and hoping that the stones are small. She also has a small infection, but the doctors are pretty sure the antibiotics will take care of that. So far she's not a big fan of this version of sick, so please pray she gets better soon.

We now return you to our usual broadcasting...

Canadians Are Cool, Too

Kisha and I spent the last week and a half hanging out with a group of Canadian nursing students from Calgary. As it turns out, Canadians are cool, too! It was really nice to just hang out and speak English with people who know how clever I can be with my words :0) It made me miss my ONU days, and reminded me of the mission trip I took to Denver. Good times.



We're doing okay. We just helped host two groups in a row, so I'm learning about the rhythm that is practiced by the people involved with TEARS. We have recently finished the TEARS dormitory, which means that the groups are staying on site now, rather than staying at the conference center in the middle of La Vega. I think it works pretty well, though a little less rain would have afforded a little less mud. This new way of doing things offers jobs to people from the barrio, so they can serve as cooks and help with cleaning in addition to the translating that a few of our Dominican friends provide.



Part of the rhythm is the crash after a batch of groups come through. That's the part we're in now, and it takes some getting used to. I actually got pretty sad on Friday morning when the group was leaving, mostly because a whole crew of English-speaking homies were leaving, but also because I wish I could be getting on a plane as well. I'm leaning good coping skills, and trying to do my very best at school so the kids receive a good education, but I'm also keeping the end in site. Today marks 100 days before my big plane ride.



I'm also keeping an eye to the now, which I think is the lesson I've been learning from God this year. I'm sure somewhere way down the road I'll do something more traditional like kids, house, etc., but that's not what I'm supposed to be doing right now. I'll also be transitioning back to the US in the future, but that's not what God has for me right now. Right now I have 3 classes to finish well, a relaxing spring break, and at least 3 more North American groups to help host here in the DR. Not only am I leaning to be content with these things, I'm learning to look forward to them!



In the wise words of Rocco from The Boondock Saints, "The Lord works in mysterious ways, Man."

Group Time

February 1st started the group season here at TEARS. We have 2 women visiting planing their summer missions trip. Then we have two teams coming from Canada. March has one week empty... and so goes the schedule. The challenge is keeping life balanced in the midst of people coming and going. I have my 5 boys and Yuli to maintain a strong connection to while serving the teams who come in. This disruption in schedule will be a hard on my routine but can be enjoyable as well. Last night Eric and I took the 2 ladies, Jessica and Kathy out for dinner and ice cream.

The tornado has begun...!

Coming Home

For those of you who haven't heard yet, we're coming home in June. The reasons are many and feel complicated, but it all comes down to missing home. Our family... our friends... our healthy way of life... these are things that simply are not available down here in the DR, so we are going to search for another method of helping TEARS and working with the people we have grown closer to over the past 6 months. Kisha will still be working for the ministry as liaison to North American supporters, and will also be learning how to write grants for TEARS as a non-profit ministry. We also have hopes of leading American groups to La Vega during summer breaks, helping people show and experience the love of God in meaningful ways.



We will be leaving for home by mid June, which means we're once again moving into transition. I have notified my employer about our decision, but I have to believe that moving out of a foreign country is a tad bit more complicated than just moving across town. There will be paperwork... fees... and long, emotional good-byes in a foreign language (that coincidentally doesn't seem so foreign anymore). Please pray for us as we start making another big transition.



I am trying to maintain a solid work ethic at SCS. It's not that easy considering the student mindset, but I want to give them the best I have for the remainder of the year. Though I haven't gotten as close with these students as I have in the past, parting is always such sweet sorrow, and I admit I'll miss some of them. They crack me up, for sure. Pray for energy and vision in my classes, that God will allow me to positively impact the student that need a touch from a Jesus follower that just happens to be a teacher.

I am grateful for all the support we've recieved. When I have felt crazy I know I can just pick up the phone and talk to someone who cares. I'm sure I'll need it again in the next 4 months, but I just want to take a moment and say THANK YOU to you guys who have talked me through this gig. You're awesome.

once I thought...

Reaching the halfway point to a year here in the tropics is causing me to reflect. How wonderful I always believed it would be to live here. I envisioned a life full of laughter and tons of time with friends. I thought we would change the world together. I wished that my American friends had the dedication and gumption to follow Christ the way I remembered from my earlier mission trips... I always put my memories of this place on a pedestal. I blamed my lack of motivation on the American churches' format and on Western culture. It is amazing how blinded I was by youth... It was magical to be here because it was my first taste of living on my own.

I am so happy to be here, but at times I am ready to go home. To go back to Portland. Life here is hard, and now that my friends are all grown up with families and children we are not that much different from people in the States. There are a lot of things that take up our time, and we have trouble balancing all of the responsibilities. I hate seeing people I love be affected by severe poverty. I hate knowing that families I care about regularly go without food. I hate watching children I love suffer abuse at home. I understand that this happens in the States, too, and I am not trying to give up the romance of one place by romancing another, BUT it is so in your face here. It is everywhere I look. The divide between the haves and the have nots is huge and frightening. We live in the desperation that is left behind.

So how do I offer hope? How do I even speak Christ into this place. Jesus help me to be your light in this darkness.

What a Time

It has been a while since I have written a post... I don't have any real good reasons why. I felt like all of my posts were sounding the same... but really that is because life has gotten into a routine here for me. 3 days a week I make lunch for/with the 5 boys. The rest of my time I am trying to build into the life of Yuli the girl who is expecting a child. My days are full of just hanging out and loving and praying for opportunities to impart wisdom.

I started taking a class this week to finish my Associates degree through PCC, turns out I was 5 credits short. So that is a change. I am taking Chicano/Latino studies. It will be great to finally finish this task that seems to have taken forever.

But here is a recap of the past little bit of my life starting with the most recent...

sick for 5 days without leaving the house, bad cough... possible yucky virus that will remain nameless.