Progress…finally!

This week we finally started on the roof.  It took awhile to get the money wired to us, but not that we have it, we’re on a roll!  Shawn and the other missionary, Pastor Darren Truel, made the first truss.  We were going to get some Dominicans to build the roof, but they didn’t understand how we wanted it built to withstand the hurricanes.  Tomorrow, a group of guys are coming down with Pastor Darren to finish the rest of the trusses.  The metal should arrive and be put up by Monday or Tuesday.  The windows and doors have been ordered and will be put in soon after.  Then we can FINALLY START SCHOOL!  Sadly, things are costing a lot more than anticipated and we need to raise about $2,000 to pay off the bills for the school.  Please pray that we can find the money to do this! 

Wilkyns and I went around and visited some of the students that will be attending school.  We were telling their families that we are still going to be opening…hopefully by the second week in October.  I told one boy that he would be in my class and he responded shyly, “What a pretty teacher I have.”  It was SO cute!  I can’t wait to see all of the kids together.  Sadly, some of the students that were registered moved away.  Their parents moved their whole family up into the mountains to find work.  It’s a really rough situation because the children are forced to work and may never receive an education.

 

I was also shocked by the living conditions that the kids deal with.  It was so hard to see how poor some of the families were.  This school is providing hope for them…hope that their children will break out of the cycle of poverty.  It really hit me how important this school is.  It’s not just another group of Americans coming in…it’s an opportunity to learn about the One that loves, cares, and provides for them and also to learn English, which will put them above their peers in other schools.  Seeing their houses made me SO thankful for what I have, even my life here in the DR, where we complain about the heat, limited electric, different food, etc.  It was a good reminder why I’m here.  Cherish the people in your life and the lifestyle that God has blessed you with…we don’t deserve any of it.  The pictures below don’t even begin to portray the living conditions…I was trying not to invade too much. 

As you probably can tell, everything here takes awhile to get things done…but when things do start happening, we have to be ready, because they happen fast!  The building is just one example…and our garden is the other.  It took us forever to find stuff to kill the insects and then seeds to plant.  Tomorrow I’m hoping to plant the seeds.  The only reason we can even have a garden here is because someone paid to ship dirt in from another town a long time ago.  Without that, we wouldn’t have any dirt because the ground is basically rock.  God was seeing to our needs before we even knew them!

I’ve made a few solo trips on my bike!  Kind of intimidating at first, but I need transportation if I’m going to be here for 10 months!  Some of the roads are crazy…rougher than our 4-wheeling trails at home.  People sitting along the roads are always making comments and making noises when I drive by.  It’s quite a sight when I have a kid on the back and we’re loaded down with groceries coming up the mountain!  It’s never boring to say the least!

We’ve had a lot of laughs along the way so far.  The Rineholt girls have found me a “man”.  Shalom told the group of guys that hangs out by our house that my name is Beatrice.  I asked her why she gave me such a terrible name…it was the first one that popped into her head lol!  Now they all joke around that my boyfriend is outside waiting for me.  As you can see, we joke around a lot in this house.  A few of the Dominican boys that hang out at the house like to give Jen and I a hard time, which of course we dish it right back!  We told them they better watch out because we’re going to get them really good! 

Even though I’ve been to the DR three other times, I’m still experiencing new things every day.  Today I went to the chicken store…I was going to post pictures, but I’ll be nice and leave that to your imagination.  They butcher and “wash” the chickens right in front of you.  Then you get all but the head…the feet are a delicacy. :(  Another sight to see is all of the people carrying ridiculous loads on their motorcycles.  One bike had 6 people on it.  Others are carrying giant propane tanks by themselves.  It never ceases to amaze me what they try…and most of the time are successful at it. 

Needless to say, every day is interesting.  I’m off to bed and awaiting to see what God has in store for us tomorrow and what new crazy things the Dominicans can come up with next!