Problems or Blessings?

We had a very eventful weekend this past Saturday and Sunday.  So much so, it is worth the blog…

On Saturday, we decided to take our first Road Trip in the DR to the capital city, Santo Domingo (a city of about 3.5 Million).  We got there no problem and found our first destination almost like we had been there many times before.  We then decided to go to another historic part of the city and thanks to Google Maps, we plotted our course.  It took us to our second destination, but the way we went was probably not the best.  We drove through the down town area and it was wall to wall people, cars and everything else.  As we meandered through the streets, I was a little concerned about hitting another car or being hit, but I was more concerned about hitting someone.  There were people everywhere in the streets, in the middle of traffic.  Thank the Lord we made it through there.  I will have to mark that street on Google Maps as “DO NOT GO HERE EVER AGAIN BOULEVARD”.

After a little time in the Historic part of the city, we started to head back to Santiago.  As we were taking the on-ramp of the “Interstate”, our new (used) van stalled and we puttered to a stop.  I could not get it to start again and we were blocking a very busy section of the road.  The boys and I tried to push the van out of the way, but we were on a slight slope and we couldn’t get far.  We received many honks of the horn, but no gestures, just a lot of words we couldn’t quite understand.  All we could do is pray, and that we did….a lot.  We also called our friends the Romano’s and they contacted our friend, the Church president, who lives in the capital.  He would be coming to help as soon as he could.

Not long after, a man stopped to help and then another man.  One had a tow strap and towed us out of the way into a gas station about a half mile down the road.  The second guy was a mechanic and determined the problem was with the electronics.  Our Spanish is still a little rough, so getting what they were saying took a lot of time.  They would have to repeat themselves, point at things and use a lot of gestures.  I felt like we were playing charades on the side of the highway.  Those two talked a bit and then one of them left.  It was the mechanic.  I thought, “Ok now what?”  The other guy told me his brother is a mechanic and he was going to come and help.  In the meantime, our friends from Church, Enrique and Violetta, showed up and brought us a little snack and water. 

After about 4 hours, the roadside mechanic figured out a work around to the problem and it was indeed electrical, but it was only temporarily fixed.  In order to get back for our Sunday activities, we jumped on a bus and rolled into Santiago about 10:30 that night.  The Van would sit at our friends in Santo Domingo until Monday, when we will go back and get it.

We were very thankful for the Good Samaritan that stopped and called his brother the mechanic to come and help out.  We were also thankful we didn’t stall in a not so nice part of town.  As we look back on it and think about how it sure is not fun being stranded in a foreign country, in a city that is a few hours from home, where you don’t speak the language very well, we have to also realize that God took care of us.  He did not leave us or forsake us, but he sent others to help and care for us.  Oh how amazing and faithful God is!!  Thank you for all your continued prayer for protection and safety.  They are being answered.

Well, on Sunday, we had a great Church service with the new mission team that came in from Seattle, and later that day we got to know them a little more during our orientation.  Sunday afternoon a pretty heavy storm blew through and the power went on and off several times, but then finally it came back on just before we went with the team for dinner.  When we came back home, the power was out again, but all our neighbors had power.  At that point we realized it was not a general problem, but just with our house.  As we sat in the dark, by candle light, Alec asked what can we learn from this and he had our family devotional in his hand.  He read it and it talked about what you do when a problem arises.  Kind of fitting wouldn’t you say.  He continued on and here is the verse that it had.

¹⁶ Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

I thank God for His word and how the light in a dark place.  I am also thankful for our children, who many times teach me more than I teach them.  Our power is back on and our van is getting repaired.

Please continue to pray for us as we will pray for you.  We love you all!!

Yesterday...

Hello, Marcus here. If you haven’t already heard from my last blog, I’m 11…well, going to be 12 on the 30^th. So we’ve been here for eight tough and emotional days. So yesterday was a pretty eventful day I guess, well, except for school.

So we went to the Connection Café (part of the Mission), and ate dinner, which was a ham sandwich. We met the Romano family there (the Romano’s are a family of six who are running the mission).  It was Merary’s 20^th birthday, and we all went to celebrate. Merary is Jon’s girlfriend, and Jon is the oldest of the Romano kids. So the cake was designed to look like a gift, and when I saw it, I almost thought it really WAS a present. After we devoured it, our teeth turned black because of the dark spots on the cake (Mom said it was fondant or something like that). So then we talked for a while with the Romano kids, and then we headed home. It was eight o’ clock here, which is seven back in Omaha.

My parents put my three younger siblings to bed, and then left Alec and I in charge while they went to a meeting with the Romano’s about an oncoming team who are coming down this weekend. About an hour after they left, we heard our two younger sisters and brother who are sharing a room scream. We went to see what had happened, and sure enough, it was one of the many, many critters of the Dominican Republic…a lizard. About five inches long, and totally white, up on the ceiling. I shot my mom a text asking what to do, and this was her reply: “Get a broom, and try to carefully brush him out. And make sure Hunter (our dog) is outside.” Doing exactly what she said, poking and pushing him out. Then, suddenly, the lizard fell strait from the ceiling and onto the floor. He sat there for a moment, and all five of us kids were frozen is shock. And then he scampered into the guest room, until my dad and mom got home.  They found it and set it free. 

Well, that’s about it for today, so, thanks for reading…I guess.                                                                                                                                                                            

-Marcus J+++++

Easter

Well we have now been here for five days.  All of which have been a whirl wind both emotionally and physically.  It is the night before Easter, out first holiday without our family.  I would be lying if I if I said we didn't miss them all very much.  Before we left Matt and I asked our parents to record a message for the kids, little did I know that I would be the one listening to it the most. It has been so comforting to here my mom and dad's voices.  We really aren't sure how to handle our fist holiday alone.  Thankfully the Romano family won't let us be alone but with them and another family.  So we will watch Christ Community online at the kids request and then celebrate Easter with friends. 

Tonight we talked about our week and what have been the major changes for each of us.  There were the obvious answers of not flushing the toilet paper, the heat and humidity, sharing a room with my little brother (Ellah said that has been the worst) and Isaac cried for 30 min because he couldn't take a bath (ever try taking a bath in cold water).  Then there were some new experiences like doing laundry then having to redo it because birds pooped on half of it while it was hanging to dry, or trying to get the phone hooked up and not speaking Spanish so it all had to be done with the computer translating or my favorite the power going out while Matt and the boys were at a movie and I was using the restroom, needless to say the screams that came from the little three could be heard by all our neighbors.  Then Marcus surprised us with his thoughts.  He said we came here to get closer to God but so many doors have been opened for Satan to tear us apart.  Think about it.  All the things that are frustrating or causing us to fight and argue are allowing us to be torn apart.  Marcus is an amazing kid and sometimes the things he says are so much wiser than his age.  After his comment we all just started to talk and look at things more positively and were able to laugh at some of our weeks misfortunes.  We know things are going to be tough but we will get through it we just need to give ourselves time and believe God's got it (my favorite saying).

As you pray for us please pray for us to find the right vehicle in great working condition.  Pray that we continue to learn Spanish (quickly).  And also pray that we give our selves time to adjust and aren't too hard on ourselves when things are not going how we expect. 

God Bless you all especially on Easter!  We pray you enjoy the holiday and remember what it all is really about. 

Teri (and family)

We're Here! (By Alec)

Hey everyone, it’s Alec, and you know you’re in the Dominican Republic when the power goes out and doesn’t come back on for 3-4 hours. Well, we landed in Santiago at 12:00 last night and drove twenty minutes to the Romano household. When we were unloading our luggage, my mom was getting Hunter out of his kennel and a tiny bulldog came running up and made Hunter mad. The owners came and got the bulldog, but we were still pretty shaken up. Tebow (the Romano’s dog) and Hunter get along just fine. After that incident, we went to see the house we would be living in. We left most of our luggage there. Finally we decided to go to bed at 1:00 A.M. It was very hard falling asleep, because of the humidity, but eventually I did. This morning we ate pancakes and cereal. After breakfast, Marcus, Jon and I went to a basketball court that was 50 yards from the Romano’s house. Now we are waiting for Isaac to get up so we can go and unpack at our house. I still can’t believe we’re here.

I will try to keep you posted! God bless you all!

STOP!

Right now as we fly over the Atlantic Ocean, on our way from JFK to the Santiago, Dominican Republic, I am finally still.  I can’t prepare anymore for this trip because it is happening right now.  As we soar at 40,000 feet, I look over at my kids and see them catching a nap or reading or playing a game on an electronic device, or at my wife and I see her finally relaxing with a good book, and I can’t help but let out a big sighhhhhhhhhh. 

The last several months and especially the last few weeks have been well, let me think, busy, no that doesn’t seem to cover it.  How about chaotic, no that seems too negative.  Since every day for the last forever, it seems, we have been on the go from morning to night trying to get ready, I think a good word is constant.  From getting simple home repairs completed, to selling many of our possessions, to storing some things we chose to keep for our return, to taking loads to the Open Door Mission, to the kids finishing school, to wrapping up my career and helping train the new guy, to closing accounts and opening new ones, to on and on and on….

We finally have a chance to take a breath and look back at this time and rejoice because all the preparation and rushing around came to a screeching halt at 11:10am this morning (Monday April 14, 2014) when the wheels of our Regional Jet left the ground.  I think our family and friends felt much of the busyness as they have been at our house off and on (probably more on than off) helping us do everything.  We can’t say thank you enough to them.  They have supported us in prayer and in assistance so much through this stage of our Mission.  Without their help, we would still need a few more months to prepare.  I don’t know how you help someone you love leave the country, when deep down you don’t want them to go.  But they did it, over and over again, selfless and giving and supportive.  We love you all and will miss you dearly!!  I know it is not enough, but THANK YOU!

We will keep you posted as we get settled into our new home and way of life.