Never Alone

As it turns out, you're never alone when it comes time to get something done in the DR. We picked up some paint at La Sirena (It's like Walmart) because we decided to paint a few of our walls. Kisha knew someone who had some paint brushes and rollers, so she went out to find them. She was gone for a while, but when she came back she had two of our friends wielding everything necessary for a huge paining project. 5 minutes later 2 of their friends showed up, and then it was just riotous. They had the place painted in no time, and it was just a great reminder that we're not here by ourselves.

4 Guys Paining the Guest Room


EJ Paints the Pink Stuff Blue


Willy shows EJ the intricacies of a gas stove


Everyone, from every culture, loves power tools... even Bau!

Just a few things left to do before we take the photos of the completed house. We're waiting on an IKEA couch, and have to go find a kitchen table. And most importantly, THEY ARE INSTALLING AN INVERTER AS WE SPEAK!!! It's amazing that we made it a week without 24 hour power, but I have a new appreciation for electricity. Even with all the camping and whatnot, I'm still VERY used to plugging things into the wall and getting results.

Chaio for now!

The New Neighbors

As of today we are officially the new neighbors on the block. We managed to get our place put together enough that we're gonna try sleeping here tonight. The place is looking pretty good, though there will be some furniture that we need to acquire. There is some serious charm to this house, and I think we're gonna like it.

The only downer is that we don't have a solid internet connection yet. We don't have an inverter installed yet, so we don't have 24 hour power yet. Actually, I'm not even sure when I'll be able to post this note! Ah well, I'm certainly not here for the creature comforts.

I'm learning a lot about Dominican life. There are many things that are similar to the US. In some ways I'm doing more "American" things than I usually do in Portland. Twice I've gone to the Dominican equivalent to Walmart, and I was so relieved to have the prices marked on the products that I didn't even mind my sub-cultural betrayal. When asked by the kind lady from my school where we wanted to eat when we got here, Kisha said salchicha (a DR sausage on a stick, served with hot sauce) and I said pico pollo (fried chicken and plantains). She didn't take us serious, though, and offered us either McDonald's or Burger King. I don't even eat like that in the states!

I'm learning some of the differences, too. There are lots of social do's and don'ts, some of which I may never learn. Our friends that we've been staying with won't let us do ANYTHING. Sometimes people start cooking for you and you don't even know it. Kids do all kinds of stuff that we wouldn't let our kids do. The peso to dollar ratio is still killing me, even though I practiced. It rains like mad every day.

We had some American friends over for coffee today, and talked about how this is actually one of the more stable things we've done in the past few years. For one, I actually have a solid teaching job. We have more than a 6 month lease on an apartment. It feels good to have made a decision, follows through on it, and to see how God was opening doors all along the way.

Hoping to have an inverter and solid connection sometime next week. Until then I'll keep posting on the occasional wifi I can scrounge up!

Fried Eggs with Onion & Salami

Mangu (mashed plantains)

So Far So Good

We’ve had a good couple of days in the DR so far. When we landed on Monday we knew there was going to be a national strike that would likely hinder transportation. Got to stay in Santiago with the secondary principal and her husband, which was really nice. She is going to be great to work with. Tuesday we spent most of our time running around Santiago, getting cell phones, looking home furnishings, and mad-dashing to the airport (including our first trip to a fast food joint in oh-I-don’t-know-how-long). When we finally got to La Vega we got to sit and talk with Chelo until it started raining buckets. That pretty much washed out any chance of walking over to the barrio, so we settled down for an electricity-free evening and some good sleep. The electric came back on around 9, so we had a fan going when we went to sleep, but “se fue la luz” happened again in the middle of the night, and I woke up in a fantastically stuffy room. Love the Caribbean! The mosquitos ate Kisha alive :0)

We are quite fortunate. There are stores and places here that are exactly the same as the US… I don’t think we’ll have a hard time finding stuff that will remind us of home. It’ll cost, though. So far I’m thinking we had the right idea about bringing our kitchen knives, some of the exotic spices we get from Uwajamaya, and lotsa good shoes. Other than that there’s plenty of good stuff here on the island, though I’ve not been everywhere. The school has hooked us up with a sofa, some furniture, and some dishes as well. Our place is really nice looking, and has plenty of space for the two of us.

Today we got to hang out in the barrio and say hello to almost everyone. It was really nice to be greeted by smiling faces, hugs, and cups of coffee. Rod let me borrow the "Jeep" to get the paint and cleaning supplies we need for our new place. As some of you might have suspected, my driving skills almost blended in :0)

Tomorrow we get to say hello to the few people we missed tonight. Oh yeah, and paint our new apartment :0)

LEAVING

I'm currently on my first flight to JFK, though this'll get posted once I find connection. I popped Mumford & Sons in the earbuds, a somewhat moody Scottish folk-hipster band. I wanted to just sit on this first flight and feel my feelings. Mums is just the thing tonight.

By this time my beloved P-town with my beloved friends and family are more than just a few miles to my posterior. The physical location I can leave... It's not afforded me much by way of employment in the education industry, and I look forward to this opportunity to re-enter the classroom. It's the people I'm gonna miss.

I got a little freaked out on Thursday as I said goodbye to our house church conglomeration... I was thinking I was leaving the people. I've been thinking about that the past few days... I think that I'm flying away from bodies, but I'm NOT flying away from relationships. The difference is huge. Many of my Portland relationships are the forever kind!

As we were planning to leave were spoke with another couple who cautioned us not to go somewhere simply to run away from the life we had in Portland. I was sruggling with things at the clinic, and they had been hearing our frustrations. But this move is not a running away... It's a running towards. The feelings of unrest were spot on because there was something coming that we would never dreamed of had we been perfectly content. We spent a lot of time praying and searching on this one. La Vega/Santiago is where we are supposed to be.

So I guess the emotions are mixed. The sad stuff happened this past week: the goodbyes are over. What we have in front of us is the excitement of saying hello. I guess we'll mostly be saying hola, but you know what I mean ;0)

Closing Out

It is Tuesday evening, and I am exhausted! I over did it a little in the last two days. Eric and I celebrated the 4th of July with our house church. We had a great time hiking in the Gorge and watching the fireworks in Hood River, Oregon. Then today we went to the Oregon Zoo.

We have started saying goodbye to friends now, and that is hard for me. I am so excited to go, yet I am sad about leaving friends. Friends are like family for me, and I am reluctant to accept change. I am thankful for the time off of work to get the chance to have quality time with so many of my loved ones here in Portland. Every day from now until we leave there is some kind of event in place where we will be saying goodbye to people we love. The closure is good though, and it is getting very exciting.

With each day the reality of leaving Portland for more than a vacation becomes more real. It seems like I should have something inspirational to say to all of my friends, but when we hang out there is nothing profound to say. I have not had the life changing experience yet... I feel prepared and ready for this adventure. The unexpected will happen, but we are blessed with such an amazing community in the DR that I am not scared. That is a big answer to prayer. Fear is an emotion that has been a huge part of my life since I was young. But at this point in my life I am experiencing confidence and hope more than fear. I am confident that we are doing the right thing. I am confident that God will provide for our needs. I am confident that our friends and family will not abandon us. I am hopeful for the impact this adventure will have on our lives. I am hopeful for the impact we will have on the community we are entering. I am hopeful for my future, for our future.

Thank you to everyone who has been a part of this change of attitude and perspective!

12 days

The count down continues! The next week and a half will feel like a whirl wind. There are thankfully a few slow days interspersed with the hussle and bustle of saying goodbye and enjoying Portland favorites! I had my last Physical Therapy session for real this morning. I am in good shape and we are hoping there will be little to no set backs while I am away. Tony Rocklin from Therapeutic Associates is an amazing support and has patiently walked this long road of healing with me. I am blessed by him and his staff. One of the events that I am most looking forward to is a lunch that I am throwing for his office a week from tomorrow.

Where will we be in the next few days...

July 1st- Hiking the Gorge

July 2nd- Family Wedding

July 3rd- BNC

July 5th- Zoo

July 6th- Therapeutic Associates

July 7th- The Journey With Christ send off

July 8th- Our Last Date in Portland

July 9th- Winquist/Townsley Wedding

July 10th- Family day and departure at 10:30pm

I know there are many people that I am going to wish I had gotten a chance to see, and I am thankful for the time I do get to spend with people I love. Please be gracious with me if we don't get together it is not because you are forgotten. If you want to see us the best place to just show up would be Beaverton Nazarene Church this Sunday!

Kisha

21 Days

It is hard to believe we only have 21 days before our departure. We have been asking ourselves what we need to do before we leave the US, and slowly collecting packable items that are hard to get a hold of for a reasonable price in La Vega. Yesterday my brother gifted us a pair of really good flashlights, since electricity is somewhat sketchy, and we may need to provide ourselves with our own light at some point. Some personal care items have also made it to our luggage, as well as spices that won't be readily available. (I can't live life without Kisha's chutney!)

I have been thinking about how wonderful it's been to have such great support from our family and friends in the Portland area. They have been helping us focus on what we're about to do, asking us pertinent questions, and reminding us that we can do whatever God is calling us to do. We have also received similar messages from our friends in La Vega, reminders that we can do it because God is with us and they hope to take care of us and love us in our new home.

Our remaining time in Portland is full of weddings, get-togethers, and spending time with family. We'll be visiting BNC and The Well in the next couple of weeks, so if you attend one of those churches please look for us and say hello.

One important note: Kisha has a photo website up and running. It is a place that you can view and purchase her photography from our recent travels to Boston & the Dominican Republic, as well as photos from Portland and our Oregon hiking adventures.
Check it out!
backprint.com/rememberpeace