I am always surprised when I check out my posts and realize I haven't written in a week. How does that happen!
Last Saturday I went to Barahona with 4 friends and spent some time checking out the Larimar Mines...via a terrifying 30 minute back-of-the-pickup-90-degree-ascent ride. When we arrived on the top of the mountain to view the mines it almost felt like a Oliver Stone movie. I went about 10 feet into the mine and backed right on out. No way. Hot, muggy, dark, weird air. Just strange. I don't know how those guys do it. We were also swarmed by folks who brought up jars or bags of the pretty blue stone or the rocks with larimar in them.
After the mines we headed to the beach where we ate fantastic fish, moro de guandules, and tostones. SOOO good, all while enjoying the spectacular view of the surf at Barahona and then swimming in the fresh water river pools that dump into the ocean. SOOOO fun.
Headed back to San Juan where Northwoods 2 team arrived later on Saturday evening. What a great week spent with them! I was in the clinic Monday-Thursday with the general surgeon as he did hernias, lipomas, a lap chole and other various general surgery stuff. So awesome to see and I feel like I'm learning more and more every week. It's always great to be with docs who enjoy teaching. We also had a barrio team that was able to see over 300 patients.
My new roomie and I walked to the town center yesterday and climbed up the spiral staircase to the Dome of the beautiful Catholic church. We could see out over all of San Juan. It was neat to think of this as MY home here...the stunning mountains, the palm trees. the fields, the dogs, burros, trash burning, music blasting, horns honking, motos revving. But it's the folks here who make it what it is to me. And I'm sooo looking forward to going to El Cercado today and catching up with some more people that I adore. I'm taking Morgan to El Cercado to hang for a couple days. I will spent the night and then I'll head back to San Juan tomorrow morning to prepare for the next group who will arrive around lunchtime. And the next week of surgery will begin on Monday. And so it goes....and time is flying by and I wish I was better at journaling this time. But I'm not. I feel like I'm IN this time than than ever- more minute by minute, and appreciating it more than I ever have.
Happy days friends. Happy days. Enjoy your week-
nik
Nik,
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking the time to introduce and interpet for Fernando, our sponsored child. It was a "God moment" when he saw the photo of my family and remembered my son Alex from working construction at the school six years ago. That validates that no matter how one serves others can see God's love. We continue to pray for Fernando and his family during this difficult time in their lives. Thank you so much for your willingness to serve Christ in the DR.
Doug Bernath