Teresa

I knew when I came home that I would have to devote one entry to my dear sister Teresa.  Please know that I am not writing this entry to glorify Teresa, as she is an imperfect human just like you and I.  I am writing this, because I feel she is an example, to not only myself, but for all those whose lives are touched by her.  I am hoping that your life can be touch by learning about her.

Teresa is originally from West Virginia and graduated from Gilead in 1982. This year will mark her 30 year anniversary!!  Upon graduation from Gilead (missionary school) she was assigned to the Dominican Republic.  This was at a time when there wasn't instant communication, as there is today.  If she wanted to call her mother, it was collect.  No emails or Skype.  Oh how the world has changed since that time.  She graduated from Gilead before there was a marriage requirement, so yes she is single.

Teresa has lived in several areas of the country during her 30 year stay, some areas she like and some she didn't.  She has been so faithful to Jehovah during that time period.  You and I can choose where we want to live, but she cannot if she wants to continue to live as a missionary.  She lives a simple life, which really encouraged me to continue striving to do the same.  Living at a missionary home you live with others, and that can pose its own challenges.  But she does it with grace. 

What did I learn most from her, her faithfulness and simplicity.  As a missionary over the age of 40, she is required to preach 120 hours a month.  Think about it, that is a full 40 hour work week.  Most persons her age (won't tell you her age, you do the math) would be retiring, but not her.  She continues on.  But I see that her perseverance is rewarded.  She isn't in need of much.  Yes there are things that she wants, but Jehovah has taken care of her needs, and that is all he ever promised.  She lives a simple life, and this is what helps her to stay focused on her ministry and the people she is teaching. 

Several years ago, Teresa requested the branch to allow her to move to the Sign Langauge.  At first, this request was denied.  But eventually, she was allowed.  She had to learn Spanish when moving to the country, but now she was willing to take on another langauge, because she saw there was such a need.  That too is a wonderful example for all of us.  Is there a need in your area?  Will it be easy, maybe not, but will it be worthwhile and rewarding, YES!!  Now Teresa has her "kids" and she cares for them so lovingly.  Here is Teresa with her "kids" (studies):

If you ever meet a missionary and get to sit down with them and talk, you will learn they are just like you and I.  The difference is the dedication and commitment level to which they are willing to serve Jehovah on a full time basis.  Are we able to do that in our present circumstances?  Maybe not, but can we live less, to do more?

Teresa and her "kids"

Teresa, me and Annie - she has moved to Santiago to help with the English congregation - she has pioneered for over 40 years (her daughter is in the circuit work in the Galveston area (the Parkers)

Thinking Outside the Box

The one thing I noticed the most in working with the ASL in the DR, is that the brothers and sisters really "think outside the box".  What does that mean?  I noticed that the people in their territory may have needs, different from here in the states.  One is that there are so many that are have become deaf, and or deaf/blind as an adult.  When this situation occurs, the person is able to speak.  This makes it advantageous when you are trying to teach someone sign language, as they are able to verbally respond to let you know they are learning correctly. 

One day Rebecca (our oldest daughter - 14 years old) and my husband were able to go preaching with a pioneer sister in Santiago.  They went to visit a sister that was deaf, and almost completely blind.  When I met her at the Kingdom Hall, I had to finger spell my name right in front of her face.  During their visit with this deaf/blind sister they were shown how she is able to share the "truth" with others.  The pioneer sister that had taken my family to visit her had thought outside the box in thinking of a way to help her to still be able to preach to others.  Here is the result of that thinking:

Jeremiah 32:17 - Talks about Jehovah's power and his outstretched arm

By putting the paper around the scripture, it highlights the scripture for her and with the drawing out of the scripture she is able to share the scripture with an interested person

Isaiah 43:10 - "You are my witnesses" says Jehovah

Isaiah 35:5 - Eyes of blind ones will be opened, ears of deaf ones will hear, the lame will climb just as a stag does

The lesson I learned from this situation, and others I witnessed while there, was to not be "hum drum" in our preaching.  As the circumstances surrounding our territory changes, do we?  I witnessed the brothers and sisters being so creative in their thinking, so as to meld with those in their territory.  Whether it was highlighting the scriptures (as shown in the pictures) or making the deaf/blind book that you saw us making at the missionary home, they were truly thinking of the needs of the person they were preaching to, not thinking of what is easiest for themselves. 

Many times it has been recommended that we try preaching at different times of the day or different locations.  I noticed that the pioneers that I joined in preaching do so at all different times.  I assure you that preaching in the morning til noon and then going back for a couple of hours in the late afternoon/evening is not easy.  It would be easier to continue for a long day, which is not possible in the DR because of the traditional siesta time from noon to 2:00 pm.  I must say that I saw a zeal for the ministry that I have tried to bring home and will try to emulate here in my territory.

If You Want to Be a Need Greater In The DR - The Immigration Laws Have Changed

As of January 2, 2012, the immigration laws for visiting the DR have changed.  When we visited the branch it was mentioned that some 800 + volunteers were serving in the DR, and that was just in English.  The new law could possibly change that number dramatically.  Here is some of the information that I was provided:

January 2, 2012:

- Tourists can enter the country on a tourist visa and will have 2 months permission to stay. After that, they can apply for 2 more months extension on their tourist visa, but they will need to go through a medical check, at that stage (will cost around $300) to get that extension. After those 4 months they should leave the country. You will not be able to just cross the border into Haiti to get the tourist visa again every 2 months as there will be a requirement that you must be entering from your country of origin to get another tourist visa. If you continue to do this they will be able to see this from your passport.

- If your application for provisional residency is started before January 2nd 2012, the provisional residency you will be given will last for 1 year and 5 months and then after that you can apply for permanent residency the following year. (It is not yet known if it will be sufficient for the application to consist of the results of the medical exam or if you must have already lodged your birth certificate, etc, for it to qualify). If your application for provisional residency is started after January 2nd 2012, the provisional residency you will be given will be a different type that will need to be renewed for 4 years before you are given permanent residency on the 5th year.

Other changes are starting in June 2012:

- If a person wants to stay longer than 4 months in the DR, they will need to firstly apply for a special 3-month temporary visa via the Dominican Embassy in their country, they would then travel to the DR with this permission and then start the process of applying for residency once they arrive to DR. If the person has already entered the country on a tourist visa, then decides they want to get residency, they would need to go back to their home country to apply for the 3-month temporary visa first, then come to DR and start the residency process.

As you can see there will be a considerable cost involved in order to serve more than 4 months.  The cost of the provisional residency for the application is $940 per person.  If a person had not started their application prior to Jan. 2, then they will also have to pay $500 per year, up to the 5th year in order to renew their provisional residency each year, until they can apply for permanent residency.

What does this mean?  It means that there are a lot of "need greaters" serving in the country now that will have to come home to start their residency process.  Many will not be in the financial circumstances to return. Which in turn means that overall there will be a big change in the number of need greaters serving there.  If there was a lot of work to be done before Jan. 2, now there will be an even greater need.

Here is a website to an attorney (who is a JW) that assists the need greaters in getting residency:  http://www.residencydr.com/. 

What is Life like here? Part 4 - Housing

When planning this trip, it was very important for us to be able to live "like the locals".  Finding accommodations that met our needs wasn't an easy feat.  If you are considering relocating as a temporary need greater, make sure to ask the local brothers and sisters.  If you are going to be visiting an area that gets a lot of "traffic" of need greaters, then the locals would know of rooms for rent.  In our case, we were visiting Santiago for the majority of the time, and it is not a tourist location. Therefore, being able to find a furnished apartment for only one month was really hard.  We were able to get connected with another need greater sister that was returning to the states for work.

Many people are under the impression that the cost of living in the DR is much less than in the states.  I think that answer is relative.  I met a sister that was renting a house in Jarabacoa for about $400 a month.  For DR rental standards, that is high.  But to her she didn't mind, since as she said, it was "$3000 cheaper per month than she was paying for her house up north".  So as I said it is relative.  For us to find a house for $400 a month would only save us less than $300 a month from what we pay now. 

The cost of housing and utilities is cheaper than in the states, but sometimes at a price.  What do I mean?  Be aware before you come as to what "reality" of living is in the DR.  I will stop here and say that I am in no way bashing the DR, as we loved it and plan on returning, but I want people to be realistic as to "whether or not they could do it".  Here are some things you might have to contend with (and we did):

1.  No A/C.  Now of course visiting in November/December it is easy for me to say, no problem.  The temps in the afternoon were in the mid 80s with sometimes 100% humidity.  I remember saying before I got there that the heat would not be a problem, since I live in south Texas and have lived in South Florida, both being very hot summers.  But the point to remember is, that although it is hotter in Houston than the DR and the humidity just as high, in houston I would be sitting myself inside my air conditioned car or house.  Big difference.  At night it was quite comfortable.  The temps were in the high 60s and with a fan on you actually needed a blanket at night.  Depending on where you are in the country would vary as to the temps.  The wind speed also played a big role in your being comfortable.  Also, remember that all public transportation here, except private vehicles and taxis, do not have A/C.

2.  No dryers.  I have to say that I thought this one would not be a big deal.  I grew up in an unincorporated area of Houston, and as a kid we did not have A/C and we only line dried our clothes.  I thought I had packed so well for this adventure.  WRONG.  I think had I been using an American washing machine things it would have been a little better than it was.  The washing machines used here are really just something that sloshes your clothes around a little.  I packed lightweight skirts, which really weren't an issue.  I also packed some ribbed muscle-like shirts, which were my problem.  You have to remember that part of the wonderful thing about a dryer is it kind of puts everything back into place.  Without it, everything stays stretched out from the washing machine.  Line drying the clothes is something that takes timing.  Since it rains most anytime of the day you have to gauge by the clouds if it is safe to hang them out.  I remember asking a sister if there was a local washateria that I could go to to dry my clothes, and she kind of laughed at me while saying no.  Also, black is not a good color to bring.  I brought a black shirt I really like to wear, but after washing it once it looked whitish with all the lint on it. 

3.  No water.  Again this is something that requires planning.  I know that if you are permanently relocating that is something that would need to be asked of the area you are considering.  As for us, since we were temporary, we got what came with the apartment.  I noticed that there was no rhyme nor reason for the outages.  You would go to turn on the faucet and there wouldn't be anything coming out.  It proved to me that procrastinating is not a good there in that circumstance.  Washing dinner dishes right away or showering when you think about it, were all important things.  I have learned that the water issue can vary by area.  In Luperon, as I posted before, there is a man that turns the water on twice a day for an hour.  When he is sick, there is no water.  At the apartment in Santiago, there was no water storage tank, so we used a garbage can that was placed in the shower and filled when there was water, for later when there was none.

4.  American sheets and towels.  Oh how I missed these.  Now I am not the towel or sheet snob that my husband is, but I have to be honest that I do enjoy a good nap in a soft sheeted bed.  This being said, that is not found in the DR.  If anyone is considering moving there, take your linens.  Imagine 100 count sheets; even the US even ever carried that low of a count.  We did bring our own towels, so that did help. 

5.  Propane tanks.  All of the houses are not connected to city gas.  Therefore, each house has its own propane tank (like the ones used for BBQ pits).  The propane tanks are placed in the kitchen and used for the stove/oven.  To fill one of the bottles (twice the size of BBQ pit size) is 1000 pesos, or $26 US.  If you do not have a private vehicle and need to get one filled you need to call a motoconcho (motorcycle taxi) and he will come and pick you and the bottle up and take you to the propane station.  This was not an easy feat, since we were on the third floor.

6.  No Hot water.  Most of us here in the states take it for granted that if you want hot water, that you turn the knob that has an H on it.  Not so in the DR.  In the apartment we rented there was no hot water heater.  Of course, that means that trying to be sanitary is something that you have to be more aware of (such as washing hands after using the restroom).  When it was time to wash dishes, it required heating the water and using it only for washing the dishes, not rinsing.  This may sound gross to some, but it is doable and you will live through it.  I posted an earlier picture of the hot water heater for the shower.  Remember I said hot water heater for the shower, not warm.  So most of the time it was too hot and you could not control that. 

7.  No cell service.  This was something that bothered me more than a few times.  We rented an apartment on the third floor and my parents were on the first floor.  There was more than one occasion when the cell phone would not work, which would result in us having to climb the stairs to communicate our messages.  Which wasn’t so bad, except in the rain.  There were many times when I would need to call my husband, who returned to the states before we did, and was not able to call him.  We said the phones were on DR time, whenever. 

8.  Power outages.  This is something that I had been warned about, and didn’t have as much of a problem with it as I thought.  In some areas this is worse than others.  In Luperon the power was continually coming and going.  This wasn’t something that we noticed, since Amber and Joe had an inverter, or battery backup.  But Amber would keep saying, “Power is back on”.  You can’t wash clothes or do anything that pulls a lot of power when the electricity is off.  In Santiago this is something that the locals don’t even think about, or give much notice to.  The apartment we rented did not have an inverter, so when we lost power, we lost it totally.  We had been warned by a neighboring sister that the power in that area does go out every Thursday from noon to 6:00 pm.  This wouldn’t be good, since that was meeting night.  We did lose power one other time, but only for about 15 minutes.  Keep in mind that when there is no power, there are no fans. 

9.  No TV.  This is one creature comfort that we did without, and really didn't miss it at all.  From the time we left the states we only had a TV at the resort for the first week.  I have to say that we stayed so busy, that we didn't even watch it then.  In Luperon the family didn't have a TV and the apartment in Santiago didn't either.  Most everyone I talked to said it had been years since they have had a TV.  I do have to say it did allow our family time to reconnect with the "good ole times".  We spent many an evenings playing cards games and such. 

Cost of Living - Many have asked how much does it cost to live there.  We found that the cost of living is cheaper, except in food and gas.  Before we left the local sisters had jokingly found us a house to rent in a nice area of town.  It was 4 bedroom, 2 or 3 bath, and was one story, and rented for 15000 pesos a month, $397 US, (which was on the high end for the area).  Most report spending around $200 US or less a month for rent, and sometimes that includes the price of electricity, water and phone.  The apartment we rented was $210 for the month, which included rent, water, electric, phone and Internet.  Not bad, but not everyone could live there.  So it is really important to spy out the area and be realistic as to what your “comfort zone” really is.

Food costs – Remember that unless it was grown on the island, it was more than likely imported onto the island.  Therefore, one would expect the costs of those items to be more expensive.  I would say that most of the imported groceries were about 10 to 20% higher than in the Houston area.  Locally grown vegetables, locally baked breads, and fresh eggs (which their truly orange colored yolks like fake compared to our yellowish colored caged chicken eggs we get in the states) are all reasonably priced. 

After all of this was said and done, you might ask, would you return, and our emphatic answer would be YES.  I am a realist and want to know what reality is like before I go anywhere.  So if you are reading my blog with the hopes of one day joining the ranks of being a need-greater, then here is reality.  It is a beautiful country, with beautiful people.  But living there does come at a cost to our spoiled American way of living.  We felt that the sacrifices that were made to our way of living were a drop in the bucket, compared to the joy that we experienced in the preaching work.  What else can I say.  Again, it is all “relative”.

Please don't give up on me

We arrived home in the early hours of this past Friday.  Please don't give up on me.  Although we are home, I still have many more things to post about our travels.  Please give me a day or two and I will try and have them completed by Wednesday.  I appreciate all of you reading this blog, and I also appreciate your patience as we adjust to the "real" world again.

What is Life like here? Part 3 - Transportation

I have to say that being from the United States, and especially from a city like Houston that is so spread out, that we are lazy.  Maybe that is one reason that Americans are also obese.  Here as I mentioned before, the Dominicans are not fat.  Why?  Because they have to use their feet to get them everywhere.  In the States I have to admit that I do not use public transportation, but mainly because I have a private vehicle.  Here are some options for transport that we have used while we were here:

1.  Taxi - this mode of transportation is used mainly by foreigners - since it is so expensive in comparison to other modes of transport.  For all but one location that I traveled to during my stay, a ride would cost 150 pesos, which is $3.94 US for the entire car, not per person.  We used this when going to the Pekin congregation here in Santiago, but it cost 200 pesos each way - which is $5.25 US.  We had to do that trip twice in one day, and got lost both times.  When riding in a taxi it is a nice car, Toyota Camry style, with AC.

2.  Public car - This is a very interesting transportation option.  There are designated routes within the city, kinda like a bus route in a major city.  The routes are posted on the windshield of the car.  The main street that we are staying near has three routes that go up and down.  But the trick is knowing where they turn off the main road and start going another direction.  A public car is what we call in the states a major clunker.  Actually I think most of the public cars would have been taken off the road long ago.  Remember that there is no emissions testing or anything here, so most anything goes.  All of the public cars are toyota corolla size cars, which in the states would mean a 5 seater.  Not here.  It is a 7 seater, and it doesn't matter how big you are.  Today I took mom to the local Walmart (La Sirena) and she got to ride true "Dominican style".  There was the driver in the front with two other passengers.  Keep in mind, the two other passengers don't know each other, but you get really close.  In the back seat, there was mom, me and two other persons my size. All four of us in the back seat of a Toyota Corolla.  It was very interesting.  Earlier this week, I had to be the middle person in the front seat.  My left buttock was on the emergency brake and the right one was on the seat belt thing.  My thigh was right up against the gear shifter and I kept knocking it out of gear.  How embarrassing.  Worst was I had to put my arm up and over the person to my right and practically put my armpit in their face.  But of course, sweat is a normal smell here.  The cost of the public car is 20 pesos each way per person - which is $.52 US.  Obviously a cheaper mode of trasnport, especially if you are single.
 
3.  Gua-Gua - (pronounced waa-waa) - This mode of transportation is used for travel outside the city.  This transports a little different than a bus, because you can get on and off where you want.  It is similar to a 20 passenger van.  They play movie while riding.  We saw Dennis the Menace in Spanish while we were riding from Santiago to Puerto Plata.  You would not want to use this means if you have luggage or large bags, since there is no underbelly to storage them.  If it can't fit on your lap, don't bring it.  The cost was about the same as the bus, but more convenient to take since we could get off right in front of the resort we were staying at.

4.  Caribe Tours or Metro Tours - This is similar to our Greyhound in the states.  You purchase a ticket, load your luggage underneath and sit back and enjoy the ride.  The one thing I didn't like about this ride is that the locals only want to sleep on the ride, since they have seen the country so many times.  So they close the curtains.  :(  I wanted to be able to see the outside.  The trip from Santo Domingo (Capital in the far south coast) to Puerto Plata (far north coast) was about 4 hours and cost about 330 pesos or $8.68 US per person. 

5.  Private vehicle - I have been able to ride several times in private vehicles owned by the brothers and sisters.  As you saw from my post about Luperon, you squeeze people in as tight as you can.  A brother in Puerto Plata told us he had 12 people in his Toyota 4Runner one time.  The only time seat belts are required is in the front seats in the city.  This only applies to private vehicles.  There is no inspections here, so anything goes as far as the condition of the vehicles.  You are required to have insurance, but it really only covers medical, not your vehicle.

6.  Motoconchos - This mode of trasnport is by motorcyles.  Many people here own their own motorcyle or scooter/moped.  But, you can also take a motoconcho for a think 10 or 20 pesos.  I noticed that all the people I saw riding on the back of them do not even hold onto the driver.  If you think the motorcyles in the states wizz in and out of the traffic, it is nothing compared to here.  Most people also hire the motochoncos to pick up their propane bottles from their houses (used for the stove) and take them and get them filled.  Here is a picture of one:

The gentlemen on the front of the motoconchos are the hired drivers - you see most anything on the road here - even a backhoe

This isn't something you see everyday - the motorcycle on the right is a motoconcho - the one on the left has two passengers (the one in the front is a woman) - either the motoconcho's motorcycle ran out of gas or wasn't working because the woman on the left has her foot on his motorcycle and they are pushing him

This gentleman used his motorcycle to herd his cows home - we were coming home from a Bible study

Many vehicles here run off of gasoline, diesel and some off of gasoline and propane.  The cost of propane used to be about half of gasoline, so many cars converted over.  Now the price is about the same for both.  Before I learned about the propane, I remember I would be riding in a public car and their gas needle be all the way to empty and was worried that we wouldn't make it, not knowing that there was a large propane tank in the truck of the car.  The cost per gallon here is about $5.80 US.  One time the public car was out of propane so we pulled into a propane station.  Everyone is required to be out of the car while it was filling.  Interesting experience.

What is Life like here? Part 2 - The Food

First, if I don't eat beans and rice again for about a month, I will be perfectly happy.  Because of the income level here, beans and rice are a staple of everyday life.  It was interesting that in the grocery store, there was an entire side of the aisle dedicated to rice and beans.  They don't sell them in little packages either.  The smallest I could buy was a 5 lb bag, and you could buy up to a 25 lb bag.  As far as beans, there were not quite the big beans, since rice is eaten more than beans.  I was surprised that there is a variety of beans eaten, rather than just one as in some Hispanic countries.  We were served black, red and pinto during our time here.  Here in the DR the main meal of the day is lunch.  One evening we wanted to go out to eat for an authentic Dominican dinner, only to find that there are no restaurants that serve a "Dominican" meal for dinner.  Here are some dishes that we did eat alot of:

1.  Tostones - this is green plantains that are sliced in little slices and then fried.  After they are fried, they are removed and pressed to make them flatten and then refried again.  These are not sweet, since the plantain is green.  Here is a picture of what they look like:

A typical Dominican meal "La Bandera" consist of meat (either chicken, beef, pork or goat), white rice, some kind of beans and a salad - at this restaurant the gentlemen knows Teresa so he always boils the salad for her or else we couldn't eat it

2.   Mofongo - this dish can be served several ways, but I will tell you about the way we had it served - it was served in what I would describe as a bowl similar to a french onion soup bowl.  It had mashed plantains in it, along with pork cracklings, onion and garlic.  It is then put into the bowl and baked with a layer of cheese over it.  Not my favorite, but my husband liked it.

3.  Water - although this is technically not a food, I will mention it here.  It may seem very strange to some that even the locals do not drink their water, and you may ask why?  If you think about the US, we have water treatment plans for every city.  One of the water supplies for Houston is Lake Conroe.  If you were asked to drink straight out of the lake, you would refuse due to it not being treated and it is so polluted.  But once it is treated you would be willing to drink it.  You have to remember that this is a third world country, without all the fancy technology we have in the states and other countries.  Sanitation and plumbing isn't quite the same.  Yesterday we were in a rural area of Moca and we noticed a new salami plant being built and we asked why would it  be built out here in the rural area.  The reply was so that they could allow their runoff run into the river.  This is a real problem here.   The sister mentioned that when she was rafting the river in the Jarabacoa area she noticed how beautiful everything was, and then they started rafting closer to town.  That is when her thoughts about the beauty changed.  She noticed that the outhouses and such were emptying into the river.  She said she will never raft that river again, do you blame her?  So everyone here buys bottled water or has a 5 gallon bottle delivered to their house for about 20 pesos, which is like 50 cents.  Even our bottled water I put 10 drops of the grapefruit seed extract in the bottle. 

4.  Chinola juice - this is the passion fruit that is squeezed into a juice.  I really liked it.

5.  Fruit - fruit is eaten with most every meal.  The one thing that you can buy here for a reasonable price is fruit.  Why, because it is not imported but grown here on the island.   We did take the precaution of soaking all of our fruit in distilled water and grapefruit seed extract for about 10 minutes prior to eating.  Because the crops here are watered by the runoffs of the rivers and such, you never know what has been put on your fruit before you get it.  Better to be safe than sorry, and I am happy to report none of us have been "sorry", if you know what I mean.

Here are some pictures of a road side farmer's market:

 

What is Life like here? Part I - The People

What can I say - the people here are great.  When our family originally started planning this trip months ago, the main goal was for us as parents to allow our children to experience another culture, even living as a local.  We also wanted to continue to keep our daughters hearts and minds open to the idea of serving in a foreign country as full-time pioneers once they are old enough.  If you ask both of our girls what part they have enjoyed the most here - they both have answered - THE PEOPLE.  I have traveled to several Central American countries and Mexico many times, but the people here are very different.  Most people here have never left this island, and most never will have that opportunity.  Many here do not have television, so they are not influenced as much by the outside world.  There is no traveling from one country to another, like some in the Central American countries have the opportunity to do.  They are here and they aren't leaving.  I spoke with one brother in Puerto Plata that has had the same job for 34 years.  I asked if he had ever left the island and he said no.  He said that he recently was considered "stable" by the governement, so he thought he might try going to the states.  The government here doesn't want to issue visas to persons, knowing that if they taste what the world has to offer, they will not return. 

I think that one thing I will take away from this trip is a better understanding of the people that live around me in the Houston area.  The area we live in was 100% white 30 years ago, and now is 85% Hispanic (from many different Hispanic countries - Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, Dominican Republic and El Salvador), 10% African-American and 5% white.  You may ask why I am mentioning this.  I have to admit that prior to my coming here that there were some "customs" or "ways of life" that would irritate me, maybe just from my lack of understanding of why they did things the way they do.  Please don't think that I am going to be fully accepting to some of the things, maybe just having a better understanding.  Here are some things I will understand better:

1.  The guy driving around my neighborhood on a bicycle with a ice cart attached.  I have to say I really benefited from that the day we preached all day in La Vega and it felt like 100 degrees. 
2.  Why some parents don't see the need to put their children in car seats or seat belts.  Yesterday we say a family of 5, dad, mom, two small children (probably 4 and 6) and a 10 month old or so baby on mom's hip.  They were all on one moped.  It is simply a way of life here.
3.  That you can carry just about anything on a motorcycle.  In Puerto Plata we saw a guy as a passenger on a moped and he was carrying a 20 foot extension ladder.  We have seen just about anything delivered on a moped or motorcycle from washing machines to propane tanks (now how safe is that?).
4.  I won't think much about a mismatched outfit being worn by the lady at the Fiesta grocery store up the street from my house.  Here not much matches.
5.  The corner store in people's houses.  Here because most do not have cars, they have to walk to the store or take public transportation.  Because public transportation would add an additional cost, people here use the local colmados (little stores within people's houses).  The typical scene on a street is for there to be a larger colmado on the main corners and maybe one of two somewhere within the block.  The lady downstairs has one, which she has sodas, cookies and candy.  This provides them with a little extra income and provides the locals with the convenience of not having to walk to the bigger stores.
6.  People here are not lazy.  I have walked many a mile since we have been here.  If they want to get most anywhere and not pay, they have to use the two things Jehovah blessed them with at the bottom of their legs.  We were talking at dinner tonight, how here you find VERY few overweight people, because they are always moving.
7.  The day we hiked to the waterfalls I got to talk to the guide for some time and I asked him what his perception was of the Americans that came here to visit.  He said he really felt sorry for most.  I asked him why.  He said that, of course most of what they knew about Americans was from TV, but that we work too hard.  He mentioned how here in the DR a person knows how to enjoy life.  Of course, they are not wealthy persons, but don't kill themselves making money.  He told me how so many Americans have 2 or 3 jobs, or are slaves to their one job, but are not able to enjoy the life they have.  Here it is still the custom to take a siesta each day, from about noon to 2 o'clock.  People will come home from work during this time period.  So even though they may have less materially, do they have a lesson to teach us about having more?
8.  The one thing about the people here that took me a little to get used to is the volume of their voice.  Are they mad or angry people?  No.  They are just loud.  Even in regular conversation, it is loud.  I have to admit that I have become accustomed to it, but maybe not totally used to it.  Since no one has A/C, everyone is outside and it can get loud, music or voices.  Right now, there is something going on outside two blocks over at the museum.  There is some kind of festival or party.  The music is so loud that I feel like I have the radio on here in my house.  And of course, if it is time to go to sleep, of well, there isn't away to block out the noise.  I have worn earplugs for years, so that has helped me.  I have to say if someone at home was playing their music that loud I would be calling the police.  But here, it is the normal.
9.  Permanent garage sale in people's front yards.  In our area where we live there are quite a few who have their garage sale items out for viewing everyday.  Here that is normal, as it is their income.
10.  Sitting on the front porch - I have to say that the idea of sitting out on the front porch it something that it from the "old" days, as most today don't do it anymore.  Having lived like the locals I can see why they do it.  First, it you have an apartment on the bottom floor and have no AC, then there isn't much of an air flow.  Everyone here knows everyone in their neighborhoods, so everyone being outside is a good theft prevention.  So the next time I drive by a family outside on the porch, it will make sense.

Butterflies, Coconut Shells and Faceless Dolls

You might ask, what does all of those things have to do with the other?  One answer, Moca.  Moca is a smaller city just east of Santiago.  It is a very lush area of the country.  The area is known for a company called Arteco.  This company hand makes beautiful butterflies out of coconut shells.  We had the privilege of buying some of these items, which are of high quality.  They also make some of the jewelry out of macadamia nut shells (which are grown in the Jarabacoa area in the mountains).  Here are some pictures of the items she sells:

One of the artist that hand paints all of the items that are sold here

This is their version of the "faceless" dolls - the dolls are designed by a lady that didn't want to put faces on the dolls, since Dominicans represent the union of three races: native, European, and African - reason that the Dominicans do not have a defined physical characteristic - she did not want just one race to define the Dominican people

Some of the beautiful coconut shell butterflies that she sells - these sell for 150 pesos each - $3.94 US

Artist at work

The inside of an old converted bus that they use as their showroom

A man smoothing the rough edges of the macadamia nuts to make jewelry

Some more butterflies

In true missionary style - Teresa preaching - she has been talking with these people since they first started their business over 12 years ago

Their showroom

Meeting Our Dear Sister Niurka - Monday, December 11

Today was a day I had been looking forward to for about two weeks.  The missionary sister, Teresa, that I had posted about earlier took me to meet a very special sister.  Her name is Niurka.  If any of you would like to read the article Teresa wrote about her you can do so in the March 1, 2008 Watchtower (pg. 24), in the article "I have never felt such love".  As you will find out in the article, Niurka was not born blind, but was born with a genetic disease called Marfan syndrome, which has caused her blindness and deafness at a later age.  Teresa was the one who originally found Niurka and continued to study with her to the point of baptism.  Although the local missionary home was relocated to Santaigo about two years ago, Teresa makes it a point to visit Niurka, who lives in Moca  (about 30 minutes from Santiago), every chance she can.  As you will read in the article, Niurka is totally blind, but as far as her hearing, she can hear a little if you talk loudly in her ear with the help of her hearing aids.  Teresa did need to talk directly into Niurka's ear to talk with her today, and Niurka was able to respond correctly. Since there was a long period of time between when her world went "silent" and Teresa meeting her, she had forgotten how to use words.  It would be as if a person were bedbound and they were suddenly able to walk.  Their muscles would have to be retrained on how to support the weight of the body, and to function normally.  Teresa had taught Niurka ASL (American Sign Language), knowing the eventually her hearing will go also.  Niurka has a sister that has the same condition, and a brother that has already passed away from it. 

Teresa was able to obtain a pair of hearing aids from a friend in the states whose parent had passed away.  Even though the hearing aids are not tuned into her specific hearing loss, it is better than what they had to work with before.

Getting the opportunity to meet and talk (sign) with such a remarkable person is something that I consider a special treasure that I can take home with me.  Being here and getting to work with the deaf and deaf/blind that are treated worse than dirt, it helps recognize the struggles that they have to overcome in order to learn about Jehovah and see the appreciation that they have for the promises Jehovah give to us all.

Here are some pictures of her house and our dear sister Niurka:

James (Dad) meeting Niurka.

Teresa spelling by use of Tactile - meaning she either fingerspells a word (as she is doing here) or signs normally into her hands - you have to go very slow with her since her learning and comprehension level is not what it used to be

Teresa had me do Tactile with her so that Niurka could get used to others person's signing styles - we did just fine - She does tire very easily and Teresa would have to go back to voicing to her in Spanish in her ear

This is Niurka's NEW house - her sister won the lottery (literally) and started this house for them - but never finished it - yes that is a chicken in the living room - there were many that constantly kept coming in the house

Niurka has learned to read Braille - so this is her God's Love book in Braille

Me signing "if" with Niurka

This is their kitchen area

This is the dining room

Here is one of the pesky chickens that continually bothered us

The road leading to Niurka's house is dirt all the way - this is an area of the road that has such deep potholes in it that we had to get out and walk in the mud or else the car would bottom out with the extra weight - this causes a problem when it is raining for the brothers and sisters to be able to get to Niurka to be able to pick her up - since she cannot see the roads and their condition she cannot understand why they sometimes don't pick her up

Where we have been living in Santiago

Many have wondering where we have been living in Santiago.  Santiago is not a tourist destination, so finding a furnished apartment here is hard, especially for only one month.  We let the local brothers and sisters know what we were looking for in the way of accomodations, and they went to work for us.  We wanted the experience of living like the locals, and that we got.  We wanted to have a better appreciation for the locals that we were preaching to and what they go through on a day to day basis.  The locals found us a local need greater sister that was going to be returning to the states for a few months to work.  We were able to rent her two bedroom one bath apartment (third floor) for $215 a month, which included electricity, rent, phone, water and internet.  We do not have an inverter (battery backup) so we have lost power, but have lost water more often than power.  Here are some pictures of the apartment and the surrounding area:

View out our back door area

Our front "terrace" where we dry the clothes

A Dominican washing machine - the left side is where you wash - takes 15 minutes to wash and then you drain the water on the floor and down the side of the building and then 15 minutes to rinse and water does the same thing again - the right side is the spinner - you put the clothes in one at a time and let it spin it out - the entire process of washing about 3 shirts, two pants and some undergarments could take about 45 minutes

Our view from the terrace looking south

Our view from the terrace looking across the street - there are several sisters that live on the second floor of the yellow building - they are in the Creole congregation

View from terrace looking north to the main street

I didn't take these pictures but were provided them by the sister that we rented from - this is the main bedroom that I used - the thing that is hanging on the wall is a mosquito net as there are no screens on the windows and most anything can come in - one night a cat come in through the cinder block holes in the girls closet - provided great laughter that night

Dining room - the shelves on the right is the extent of a pantry that we had to work with

The door on the right leads to the wash area and back "porch"

Since we have lived in a travel trailer for the past 4 1/2 yrs we have grown accustomed to a small kitchen (yes this is the entire kitchen) - so shuffling things around wasn't that much of a difference than at home

This is the living room - the couch on the left is not really a couch, but it is four trucks spaced out about 4 inches apart and a 4 inch foam mattress on top - Michael slept there

This is the room the girls slept in - the bed is help up by 4 one gallon paint cans

Once we were in the apartment for about two days we realized that it was going to be pretty cramped for 6 persons, so we learned that there was a apartment downstairs that was being vacated by a need greater.  The landlady really wanted JW to rent again, and it served our needs, so mom and dad moved down there for only 3200 pesos for the two weeks (which is about $85).  It was a good deal, since it gave us one more bathroom and it was a lot nicer for them. 



Jarabacoa - November 6-8

We went to visit the Jarabacoa area of the DR.  Many people are familiar with the Jarabacoa area, due to the fact that it is an area that foreigners like to frequent, because of the cooler temperatures.  We took a cab from our Santiago apartment to our friend's apartment in Jarabacoa.  The city is up on the mountains, appx. 1,750 foot.  The weather is much cooler and less humid than down on the flatland or near the beaches.  We originally booked this portion of the trip for two reasons: 1) Mom and Dad could get the mid-week portion of the CO visit and 2) so that we could see our friend Maria, who has been serving as a need-greater in the English congregation there.  Maria had a family emergency and at the end of October had to return to the states.  She had already pre-paid for her apartment, so we were able to be hosted there by Victoria Garcia (we were in the Cypresswood congregation together prior to us moving to the ASL).  Victoria (Tori) is there for a long stay, or as long as Jehovah will direct her to be there.  The English congregation there is comprised of all foreigners, all need greaters from the States and Canada.  You can tell that there is a constant turn-over of persons serving there as need-greaters, with only a few staying put for very long.  There are mainly single sisters and the congregation is very American.  This is a great contrast to the other congregations we had visited here, wherein there were mainly Dominicans with only a few Americans/Canadians.  This congregation would appeal to those that are nervous about the foreign transition and would be more comfortable with Americans. 

The day that we were able to preach with them we went to the city of La Vega, down at the base of the mountains.  The temperatures were alot hotter, but we had become more accustomed to that throughout our visit.  The congregation is in the process of indexing and canvassing the territory for English.  You literally go through each territory and go to each door that had not been called on and ask if anyone in the house speaks English.  Most children here in the country are required to learn English in school, and they enjoy having an opportunity to speak with English persons.  Also, there are many expats (persons moving from their original country) living here from many other countries, so many of those speak English.  There are also many Dominicans taking English classes, since they would like to work for American companies that are based here.  Therefore, there is a need for English to be in that area of the country. 

Here are some pictures:

This is the clothes drying area for those staying in the hotel

Victoria, Michaela and Rebecca

Victoria giving demonstration

Brother Anton Stewart interviewing the English CO - Jeff and Donna Brown

Inside Jarabacoa Kingdom Hall - very pretty mural on the back wall that was handpainted

Michaela and Angie Holstettler (from Houston - she was visiting for 2 weeks)

Michaela with Tara Costigan (John Costigan's sister - she was visiting for a month from Georgia) - along with little brother from the Jarabacoa congregation (family moved from the states about 6 months ago)

Michaela and Michaela - one sister asked my Michaela how they were going to know the difference between them - her response was "Her hair is darker than mine"

Literature counter- the entire interior of hall has hand paintings throughout - even in bathrooms

James and Charless (mom and dad) in front of Jarabacoa Kingdom Hall

Michaela, Angie, Tara and Natasha enjoying a Dominican Lunch of grilled chicke, rice and beans - VERY GOOD!!!  Lunch costs 65 pesos per person - $1.75 US per person

Cassandra trying to figure out the  indexing for the street we were working - as you can see some of the little gave out on us

Typical scene on most any street corner in the corner

Rebecca, Kira and Michaela - Kira was visiting for a month from the States

Michaela with Cheyenne - she moved here from the Cypress congregation in Houston

Meeting at 7:45 am to journey down to La Vega for meeting for field service - there were about 30 of us with only 5 vehicles - we all made it there nice and cozy - Dominican style 

Inside the Le Vega Kingdom Hall

Outside the La Vega Kingdom Hall

Our home away from home - Hostal Jarabacoa - rent for a 2 bedroom apartment with kitchen runs about 8000 pesos a month - or $210 US

Us waiting for the taxi to pick us up

Scene from out the taxi window on way down the mountain

Roadside shot out front window of taxi

View along road coming down mountain

This is what a 10 hour preaching day will do to Michaela - she fell asleep watching the movie