I opened up the doors to both balconies and watched the sun stream in through the trees with the ever looming mountains in the background. I could hear the dogs downstairs and the neighbors hooting to each other and the guy who sells yucca pedaling by on his bike contraption shouting YUCCA YUCCA YUCCA way too early. I could hear the cars and motorcycles buzzing by on the big bridge. I could smell the neighbors starting to cook already (what is it- 730 here? wow!) when the scent of garlic and onions sizzling rises to my 3rd floor apartment. Ufff it makes me hungry. Good good stuff. I'm smiling thinking about last night. Monchi and I went with our current team to play softball. He plays ball and I play dominos with the non-softball-playing-guys that show up there. I'm laughing because I'm still not THAT great playing dominos but I've been accepted enough that the crew feels comfortable yelling at me when I make a dumb move. Of course it's beyond humiliating that 10 year olds know more than I do....but at the same time refreshing to not always be seen as the untouchable/unrelatable American. Monday night dominos while cheering on my softball-playin' man has become one of my favorite moments of the week. I feel like one of THEM...which feels good. Plus the American teams always love playing there too and it's so great watching them dig in with the locals and come home sweating and laughing and telling stories. Sports seem to have a universal language here.
I sit down on the new (new to us anyway!) pink fuchsia couch that Monchi finished putting together Sunday and have my quiet time. Then I start digging through my referrals to update my referral list. When teams go out to the barrios and see potential surgical candidates or patients who need further follow up, they give me the phone numbers/names/info and I try to categorize the patients and refer them out to others who can help or American surgical teams. I keep stacks of these papers around and then have massive "referral" days when I type them up and then send them to the Dominican doctors to check/refer to as well. It helps us know how many potential surgical candidates we might have and what interesting cases might be "out there" for the surgical teams. I spent pretty much my entire morning on the referral list and STILL have other names to add. Yesterday was another office day as I reviewed Order forms to see which equipment/supplies could be potentially purchased for the clinic and brought down with American teams in their suitcases. Sometimes that seems like Christmas!
These quiet days (office days) are great for me. I've loved my time here since I got back from the States. We've had amazing groups and are currently hosting a youth team from Hesston, Kansas. One of the leaders was a missionary here years ago and has the coolest stories to share. Watching Dr. Canario embrace him yesterday afternoon and hearing them relive history together gave me such joy. I love sitting in on these moments when folks "come home" in one sense, hearing that spanish tumble from their mouths once again, watching them greet old friends and wander familiar streets. I know I don't take it for granted ...living here and having opportunity to see and experience the world here. The gang from ONU last week dove in full tilt- throwing down dominos every night and practicing spanish in the barrio clinics and loving on the people completely and wholly. I watched their eyes and hearts open up and I remember so vividly my first time here, my first barrio clinic here, my first patients and friends and rice and beans and chinola juice and bus rides....and I fall in love with everything again just from living vicariously through them this one week. And the next week. And the next. I say it to the groups sometimes when I'm in orientation or even finishing out the week. We live it all over again through you guys. Watching THEM reminds me of how it was when I first saw it.
I still giggle at the ridiculousness of running out of gas on the pasola and getting pushed by Monch to the gas station (pushed by HIM driving another pasola...straight-legged with one leg on the back on my pasola and me desperately trying NOT to steer into a ditch). I still gulp down the chinola juice like it's the best thing going (it IS!). I still think kenepas (limoncillos) are a novelty to eat. I still want to cover my ears at the majority of the sound systems in this country as the blaring and static is usually louder than the speaker or the music ( I've been known to pray that the sound systems won't work and that the person preaching or singing will just have to speak in normal speaking tone. ) There are a billion things that I still think are the coolest here- it hasn't become rote or boring. And it looks like I will be able to stay as I intended to- since I WILL HAVE TENANTS IN MY HOUSE IN A MERE 6 DAYS. God is so faithful...and I can feel my trust deepening in Him as He continues to prove His care to me. Thank you, dear friends, for praying for this with me. I feel your love and support always and appreciate so much the encouragement I receive from both old and new friends and family.
Below are a few photos to sum up the past several weeks. My favorite of course is of me on a pasola being pushed by Monch to the gas station, the quintessential Dominican experience.
This is a pic of some of our barrio patients waiting to be seen. The lady with the white kerchief is 102 years old.
I'm not sure if this video will load or not but it's of Dr. Canario seeing patients and teaching the ONU students in the barrio clinics.
Being pushed in the pasola to the gas station! Please note Monch's foot on the back of my pasola shoving me down the road.......GO ME!
I just can't get enough of the El Gordo. He's just the cutest and might need to be in every single blog that I ever write.
Working in the barrio pharmacy! This was a first for me and I LOVED IT.
The ONU group loved dominos almost as much as we do!
Hector preaching and teaching to the crowds in Elias Pina....
Ahhhhh this was just the MOST FUN. Tubing down the irrigation canal! I love my peeps!
The ONU team. I wish they could come every week. Phenom crew. I'll remember those barrio clinics for a long long while. :) THANK YOU dear friends! I hope you all bought dominos in the capital......
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