Six months…I can’t believe I’ve been in the Dominican Republic for that long! Some people, including myself, wondered if I’d last this long in the conditions I’ve been living in…just goes to show how God is working in our lives…trust me, I would not have made it on my own. My verse, Proverbs 3:5-6 is always fitting!
My trip home…I hadn’t planned on going home to visit family and friends for a few reasons. One was that I just didn’t want to say goodbye again, and second, I just don’t have money to do that. Fortunately, God provides what we need when we need it, and I needed a time to recharge. I got to surprise my parents too!
Just wanted to share a few of my observations from my time of transition from Dominican to American:
As I was flying into BWI, I looked down at the trees below me and my first thought was, “What happened to the trees?” Then I laughed to myself as I realized it’s winter and the leaves are all off! Funny how my perspective changed so quickly, especially when winter is my favorite season! I got lucky that only the first few days were “cold”. Last year I was the one making snow angels wearing just shorts and a t-shirt. This year, I was the one being made fun of for always being cold when everyone else was wearing shorts during the “heat wave”!
Forgive me if this offends you, but it is a part of my everyday life and many people have been fascinated at the fact that we throw our toilet paper into a trash can instead of flushing it. Every time I went to the bathroom, I had to hold the tp for awhile to figure out where I was and where it should be put…gross but true!
The first time I wanted a drink of water, I went to the faucet and had to remind myself that it was okay to drink that water instead of water from a five gallon jug that has been cleaned (hopefully). I ended up using the water dispenser on our fridge just so that I didn’t get in the habit of drinking tap water because if I do that in my house at the DR….let’s just say parasite party! Oh,,and can you say HOT WATER!!! A hot shower every three months…I don’t think this needs an explanation lol! Although I do enjoy most of my cold showers since it’s so hot here!
Rice and beans or beans and rice pretty much sums up our food choices. Sometimes we throw in spaghetti to spice things up! Everyone at home kept asking me what do you want to eat; where do you want to go…my answer was anywhere because any place that sold something besides rice and beans was bound to be good! I had to laugh the day after I got back…we went to Chili’s and my mom and sister both got rice and beans with their fajitas…yes, I had to try them, and I have to say, Chili’s ain’t got nothing on our Dominican cooking!
One thing I have really missed is the option to get in my car, even after dark, turn the radio up, and drive to wherever I want. It was so nice to call up friends and make plans to do something whenever I wanted. It’s been challenging to say the least to stay inside after dark (it’s not a mandatory rule for us, but because of safety and lack of things to do at night here, we don’t leave the house much at night). I loved getting to hang out with my American family and friends; Skype and Facebook are nice but talking in person is SO much better!
Money (in all forms) was weird for me too…in the DR, people are lucky if they even have one small motorcycle for their entire family, and then I go home and realize we have four Fords, two motorcycles, a big house, and a fridge full of food. Part of me felt bad for having so much and for being so ungrateful sometimes. But I was reminded that we don’t have to feel guilty about what we have as long as we are using these blessings for God. I was definitely more conscious of how I spent my money. Some things just seem so frivolous and unnecessary when you’ve lived in a third-world country for six months.
It was so nice being able to go to church, or the store, or just anywhere and understand every word being spoken around you. My Spanish has gotten a lot better since first coming, but there is still so much to learn and sometimes my brain just won’t translate into Spanish. But I was excited the one time I was in Sam’s Club and heard two Hispanic women speaking and I understood the conversation!
I almost forgot…the first night home I was getting ready to ask mom if we have street power so that I could print something. In the US, we get so angry if our power goes off for a few hours or a day. In the DR, we’re lucky if we have power for seven hours during the day. We have an inverter, but we only use minimal appliances during that time so that we can have internet and fans at night. As if that isn’t hard enough, some of my students don’t even have a single light bulb in their house…I can’t even imagine…
With all of this said, realize that I’m not saying one way of life is better than the other. I definitely have come to see and enjoy the benefits of both. But I’ve also seen things in both countries that I wish I hadn’t. This is why the next phase of my life is still unknown. I’m still waiting, seeking, and praying for God to lead the way. It just occurred to me (literally) that I’ve only been pondering two options: either return home and find a job or come back to the DR to teach again. I should know by now that my life hasn’t exactly followed my plans…so now I guess I need to start praying for God’s will and an obedient, open mind. Please pray because it’s not going to be easy whatever happens.
After three weeks in the US, we headed back home to the DR…not easy to say goodbye…again, especially when dad said he missed me already and couldn’t wait for me to come home. Even though it was hard to leave, I am thankful for the opportunity to recharge and reunite with everyone. Out of all the things that I’ve been through, I think the hardest is being away from everyone that I love.
Now, I have about three months left here. What to expect: Tomorrow I’m hopefully buying a new bike, thanks to some amazing people and new lifelong friends! Monday, a small group of men are coming to put in a cistern and possibly solar panels at the school! Amazing to see how God is working through so many people to grow this school and the community! After that, we shall see!
Please pray for the school because some major decisions are going to have to be made concerning this year and next: who’s going to teach, should we accept new students, should we start a sponsorship program, how can we reach out to the community, can we provide a salary for Wilkyns, can we afford to keep the security guard, etc.
I’m going to try to blog more often…sorry for the long dry spell. Thank you to everyone who has provided support and prayers! I am truly blessed to have you in my life!
