It Is Time

And so here it is.   Time to begin.  The first of back to back teams til April.  I hope I’m ready.   Laura and I are on our way to the capital today to wait and meet with the first team and Dan and Kari tomorrow.

It’s been kinda bananas the last two weeks.  Not at all what I expected.   Our weeks were spent trying to finish up the photo project (not done YET!) and also nursing Diego, who somehow ate rat poison.   Scary scary scary.  We rushed him to the vet, started injections for the first couple days, frantic phone calls, fantastic help from vet friends at home too.   Gracias a Dios Diego is just fine today but wow- thanks to all those who prayed, offered encouragement and advice.

It wasn’t ALL stress and tears though.  J  We were in the capital 2 days taking pictures at Eastern School in Villa Esfuerzo.  We spent some fun evenings at Christmas dinners for CCED and then wth our friends in Pueblo Nuevo.   We watched The Container arrive (YAY) and be unloaded (YAY) and fill up the scary room with mucho mucho STUFF (BOOOOO!).    We escaped for an afternoon to La Presa (the dam) and sat in some sun and chased some goats.   We played a bunch of dominos and learned some dance moves (poorly but still!).   We spent 4 of the days trying to take more photos in San Juan and then at least 2 more days on the computer entering information, editing photos, and emailig info to the home office.   We were in Corbano Sur with dear friends for Christmas Eve, feasting on cerdo, ensalado russo, and a bunch of other delicious grub.  We were in Cercado for Christmas Day and the 26^th laughing with our family there and then hanging out at the park all evening people watching.   We went to Barahona for a day and half and sat in the sun and marvelled at the beautiful sea.    We spent two afternoons watching the signed baseball players from San Juan and surrounding areas play the signed players from the capital.  THAT was epic!   We helped Margo and Randy whip the Guesthouse into shape, cleaning/scrubbing the kitchen, sweeping cobwebs out of the cabana, organizing supplies,  grocery shopping to cook for FORTY-plus people,  making 900 copies of med intake forms, sorting through med labels, scrubbing up the med room……..and finished up last night by (surprise) playing dominos in the streets with no power.   Beautiful.   And I’m not gonna lie- I’d still like to sleep in for another two weeks.  But I’m excited for what is next.  

I’m excited to see some folks that I remember from last year and head out to the barrios with them.  I’m excited to work with our most fabulous translators and learn some more spanish.    I’m thrilled to be able to take blood pressures and listen to triage questions and learn some more general medicine.   I’m psyched to work in some more education into our barrio clinics.  

But I want to remember the folks who have made my vacation time special.   I LOVED skyping with my fam, my beautiful nephews, my PEOPLE for Christmas.  And I loved laughing my butt off with Laura at the ridiculousness of some of the culture here, how EVERYONE wears crocs, how a Mac track almost fell over on us in the middle of the road,  how silly I look trying to dance bachata, how it is perfectly acceptable for grown men to wear pajama pants in public,  how santa hats are worn by children everywhere,  how funny it is to see a pig strapped down on someone’s motorcycle careening through traffic, how much I love playing dominos with our coro, how beautiful we feel staring at the stars walking through Corbana Sur at night with no light.    And today of course, with a catch in my throat, I think of stopping in to see Julian and baby Nicole on our way to the capital….and how Nicolita’s family pressed a bag full of freshly picked peppers and onions and tomoatos into our arms.  They knew we were coming through and they had saved it for us.   I look at them and know I will never give enough here, never deserve this enough, never be able to tell you how I feel when I look at her and wonder what she will grow up to be.    Christmas,  New Years..and so on it goes.    A new year ahead of me.  I have exactly ZERO idea what it will hold.   I wonder if I am the same person that I was last year at this time, starting this job here, completely clueless as to how much I would fall for everything- the good, the bad, the beautiful and the horrific.     And yet, here I am, clawing my way into understanding, trying to take in the JOY around me,   trying to LIVE with the folks here in sickness and in health, hoping I can somehow be the face of Jesus despite myself and my sin and all my failures.  

It’s good.  It’s all good.  I’m gonna try to be ready.  Bring it on 2012 (and maybe with a little bit more coffeeeee??????)!

Oh look...the container is here!  Wait- did I just type bring it on up there?  YIPES

Hey- at the ball game!  We'll see these guys in the big leagues soon!  

The pride of San Juan...and Las Matas and El Cercado.  Wow!

This might be one of my favorites.  This is all the little boys laying on the dugout peeking inside at the big boys.  AWESOME!

YAY- our hermanitos (little brothers) at the ball game!

Laura and I at the park..it's serious folks!

Did I mention the awesome Christmas display!  With the burro?  GO SAN JUAN!

Our manito Monchy finished his marathon and kicked some serious butt!  We are so proud!

Diego surviving the poison scare and preparing for dominos!

Laura and I at the CCED Christmas dinner

With Lisette, the amazing director at CCED

The incomparable Dr. Sandy Valdez and his beautiful wife Niurka

Laura in thought at the presa

Lunch is always better when someone else makes it.  Thanks Chino!  He told me he's going to show me how to cook rice so my future husband won't throw me out.  I can't decide if that is a compliment or not???

Peeps, in Cercado, we don't have poinsettias, we have poinsettia TREES.  Stunning!

My beautiful family in Cercado

Nephew Jose Alfredo and bro Cristian

Chillin in Cercado

Me and my brothers- don't they look like twins!

Laura and I on moto!

Ahhhhhh beautiful Christmas eve in Corbano Sur!

With the always lovely Alicia- Love you manita!

Dinner Christmas eve.  I can't admit to how much I ate- but it was large volumes- rest assured!

Laura and I at San Rafael.....

Ahhhhhh la playa..

Gotta hold this image in my mind when I'm running around surgery like a lunatic!

trigo y alyamas

In the midst of the photography madness, I guess I've forgotten what time it is.  Christmas season and all that.  I mean, we have our bobo little lights up and I've seen everyone's Facebook statuses and ya know, San Juan DOES have the greatest Christmas donkey on display EVER.   But I guess it hasn't fully hit me yet.

Until last night, when my small group and parents sang Christmas songs to me on Skype.  It was such a surprise that it caught me off guard and reminded me of CHRISTMAS.   That people LOVE me.  That Jesus came here as a little bitty baby.   That I need to step back a bit and take it in.   That my friends literally have fabulous and beautiful children who mean a lot to me (just like their parents do).   Oh it was lovely and made me teary and maybe homesick for the first time in a while.  

And even though I've been completely and totally overwhelmed by the tasks that I have at hand right now, I was floored yesterday to have F. visit me and bring me a pumpkin.   F. is from Flerida,  easily an hour away.   She brought her son with her, who is 3 years old and probably won't walk ever.  And her two year old has the same diagnosis.   And she walked and walked to get to me and carried the little guy (who isn't exactly little) and an alyama (pumpkin) and we sat and  talked for a while and wondered what is wrong with her kids and what the diagnosis is and how hard it is to raise two little boys alone.   And I have no idea what is up with those boys but I know they were hungry by the way they wolfed down the soda and crackers that we shared.    It's just so humbling, how she is GIVING to me.

And this morning- as I was cooking breakfast in my pajamas, another patient walked through the Guesthouse doors to bring me trigo (wheat) and soda.   And again, we sat outside and talked about his diagnosis and how life was and when I could come visit for rice and beans.  And there are hugs and well wishes and "please come to my house soon" and just generally lots of love.   And it's just so HUMBLING, how he is GIVING to me.

This is kinda why I am here, to have and celebrate LIFE with the folks here.  I mean, I have a job and all- I work in the clinic and for Solid Rock and I love it.  I really do.  But when I am talking to F and watching her hold her son...and holding L's hand as he talks about his back...and when I'm playing dominos with Laura and Chino and Monchy on Sunday afternoons...or listening to Nef sing in church...or having storytime with Dan and Kari and Laura.....or snacking on fresh picked peppers that Baby Nicole's family has given me.....or watching some fellas throw DOWN in baseball...I feel like God, in His infinite goodness, has carved out a slice of heaven for me here.    I MISS my family and friends at home- ALOT right now.   I wish I was singing Christmas carols with my small group and running around with my nephews and drinking coffee with my parents and talking about life with them.    I wouldn't even mind throwing wood in the old wood stove and cuddling up in front of the fire right now.  But there is no doubt that the Christ Child has found me here too.  There is no doubt that I am supposed to be here, warts and all, giggling at my Christmas decorating, waiting for the day that we remember the Birth of the Savior.  

Soooo THANK YOU my sweet friends and family stateside...for singing beautifully to me.  For reminding me what time it is.  And THANKS to my friends and family here as well...for giving so luxuriously to me...and reminding me what time it is.    I'm going to try to pay more attention, to be intentional (don't I say that like every other post on here?), to soak in the important stuff.  

In 8 days is the Birthday of the King.   I.  Feel.  Loved.   Thank you.

nik

Say cheese! Or queso? Or...huh?

Annnnnndddddd my weekly blog goal is a big fail.   But I haven't completely forgotten- it's just been a little bit bananas.

Laura and I are in the midst of photo madness.   We have been to 5 of the 6 schools that Solid Rock supports and will return to two of them this week and then visit the one in the capital on Wednesday and Thursday.   We are taking pictures of all of the sponsored kids plus the kids who urgently NEED sponsors.  And honestly- they really are the cutest.  We've had a couple cry-ers, little peeps who just crumple under the pressure...but overall most of them are eager to have their picture taken.    Many of them are really sober though- it's tough coaxing smiles sometimes.   Lots of folks here who are laughing like crazy will get really serious for their pictures and refuse to smile.  It's odd but I'm getting used to it.  

But before that, I must report on the Gigantes Game Take 2 and the Salud Integral conference in Cabarete.   Kari, Laura and I made the trek to San Francisco de Macoris last week.   SFM is amazing.  They have a MacDonalds and a Burger King and a Gold's Gym and a Baskin Robbins and a MOVIE THEATRE.   It was kinda like being in Florida but louder.     We walked around and had ice cream and then went to the Gigantes game.   Which ROCKED.  I mean, the Gigantes got totally smoked but it was Ladies Night and we got in free and sat with some crazy rabid fans and saw Wilson Valdez and Pedro Feliz and Carlos Peguero again and ate empanadas and laughed like crazy.    Total success of a night.

This is Kari giving a thumbs up when we finally had a guy on base.  I think it was in the 3rd or 4th inning when we were already losing by 9.   

After the great night in SFM, we drove to Cabarete the next day and participated in an amazing 2 and a half day conference on Salud Integral by MMI.   There were people there from the States, Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, DR, England, Colombia...etc.  It was incredible.  All of the speakers were really passionate about providing HOLISTIC care to the patients that we care for...from counseling to addressing spiritual concerns to education and preventive health promotion.    We soaked it up and my head is still spinning with ideas and inspiration and information.   We are hoping to introduce a lot more education into our barrio clinics..and also a whole lot more HOPE, but not just in medicine.  We want to continue to introduce HOPE in Jesus.    And hey, by the way, Cabarete is beautiful!

We could walk to this beach from our Conference Center.

Yay- here we are with our notebooks ready to hear the speakers.

Oh gosh- there were group projects (YIPES- not my strong suit without a translator hoping I understand what we are supposed to be doing!)) .  Here I am trying to hide off to the side while my group is singing songs in spanish and Kari and Laura are pointing at me and laughing from the audience.  

View from our room

Really cool moment at the closing service as the Dominican team got up and sang their National anthem.    Really really cool.

So yeah, it was an awesome conference and then back to crazy reality in San Juan of photo gathering and editing and organizing and saving and etc etc etc.   Laura is the computer genius so she really does the majority of the cropping and editing.   We take pictures of the kids holding a whiteboard with their name and number on it and then later crop the photo to just their heads/faces but SAVED to post with their ID number.    These photos will be up on the new Solid Rock International website in January.    It's exciting work...overwhelming when there are like 200 kids standing in front of you...but exciting.  Laura and I laugh like crazy at least every other minute when we are in the midst of kid chaos.   And we got to spend the night in Cercado when we did photos there and see the fam and catch up on stuff a little bit.  And we have been fed like kings and gotten hugs and thank-yous and it's just been an amazing, if not exhausting, experience.  YAY for the colegios!  Below are some pix of our experience so far.  

Laura verifies all the kids in the computer, asks them a few questions,  then we fill out the whiteboard and I (or one of our kind volunteers!) try to coax smiles from the kiddies and take their picture!   Later we load them all into Laura's computer and the editing begins!

Here is one of our lines of curious and "very helpful" students.

This poor little guy just never stopped crying.  He wanted NO part of having his picture taken.  Even a lollypop did NOTHING for him.

Others are thrilled to participate.

Basically I am ready to take them all home- ADORABLE!

And life goes on at the Guesthouse.  We (Dan, Kari, Laura, and I) have recently initiated Story Time, which involves us crashing out on bean bags, sofas, beds and the floor and reading to each other.  Right now we are working our way through the Hunger Games Trilogy.  We are dorks and we know it but it's so fun!

YAY for popcorn and books!

Riveted by Book 1 of the Trilogy!

Lets see...what else are we doing?   Prepping for the onslaught of winter teams,  cleaning, making lists, sending bagillions of emails,  inventorying, visiting friends and trying to fit time in NOW (since it will be ending soon), catching some softball games, playing some dominos, jogging at the track,  and the list goes on.   And I'd like to say that I'm resting up but I'm probably not.   Maybe after the photos are finished.  :)  Either way- it's been a blast.   I'm LOVING life, I'm grateful (still!) to be here and be a part of life here.   

Mom says I should  mention something about where people can send Christmas cards since it's all but impossible to receive mail here.   If you want to send me a card, you can mail it to Sue Eby at PO Box 101, Atglen, PA 19310.   She will send them down with the next folks coming down.   Thanks for praying for me- and thanks for your continued support.   I can always tell people pray for me and I remain humbled at how many of you continue to encourage me and send little notes and messages.   I LOVE AND APPRECIATE YOU!

Bendicionessssss a todo!

PS Forgot to mention that with all the cute kiddie shots above- Baby Nicole MUST be included.  I saw her on Friday and I just can't believe how fast she is growing and how beautiful she is.   Another reminder of God's GOODNESS.