I can't believe it has been 3 months since we last posted a blog. So much has happened in that time it would have been much easier to post each thing individuallly and share the details of them, but, because we didn't, I will try to give a quick snapshot of most of them to get everyone up to date on our adventures. So, here goes...
November was a pretty smooth month. Lindsay and I continued language class, and the kids continued in school. It was a good month for us, as we all started to settle into the routine of life here in the DR, and we spent a lot of time as a family just living life and enjoying each other. For Thanksgiving, Lindsay's brother John came back to visit us. John had just recently been here with a work team thru SI, and loved the town we lived in and the atmosphere here. So, he bought a plane ticket and came to stay with us for a few days. We enjoyed having him here for Thanksgiving, as it was our first holiday away from "home", and I think he enjoyed his time here as well. We had plenty of things to do while he was here, like... Thanksgiving dinner at the base with all of the SI family, game night in the chapel at the base put on by Lindsay and I (which included a rather boisterous competition on the Wii with almost all of the men. Needless to say, Dominican or American, if you put a bunch of men in front of a video game which is trying to asses a fitness age, it is going to get a little loud and a little competitive), a motorcycle ride up to Manabao, and a trip to Cabarete after church for a little time on the beach. All of that, plus we stayed up til 1 or 2 most nights playing "Settlers of Catan". It was a full weekend, and one that we won't forget for a long time.
December brought some colder weather to Jarabacoa. It rained a lot and the temp was only in the 50's or low 60's. I know all of you in the midwest are laughing at me right now, but seriously, that is cold here. I try to justify this by saying things like... our house is all concrete and we don't really have windows, just louvers, and 55 degrees and rain on a motorcycle is pretty cold. I know it is hard to justify to those of you in the "cold" part of the US, but trust me when I say, we were cold here.
December also brought us a couple of special nights. Unfortunately, those special nights happened to fall on the exact same night. The SI Christmas party is a big deal, because all of the staff and their families come to share a fun evening and a large Dominican meal. More on that in a minute. But the other thing on that same night was "Expedition Night" at Doulos, the kid's school. So, Lindsay and I had to split time a little, trying to enjoy both. We got to see the projects the kids had worked so hard on all semester, all of which culminates in a final project which showcases the area of expertise that they have studied. For Noah, we got to see and hear his class's presentation on birds, especially those found here on the island. Noah studied, took pictures, went camping, and begged for a pet bird all in the course of one semester. For Amanda, her class learned about simple machines, which the third grade class always does. The third grade class has built most of the playground equipment at Doulos thru their study of simple machines, like a teeter-totter, a slide, and others. Amanda's class used a pulley (a simple machine) to make a belay for the rock climbing wall that they built on the playground. Pretty cool! And Jakey's class, they learned all about inventions, including a visit to a brick factory. Their class built and painted a bookshelf for the classroom. It was a great semester for the kids, not only with expeditions, but with learning to live and speak with their new Dominican classmates.
By taking shifts, we were able to also make our way over to the SI christmas party, where I was not only able to help lead some Christmas music, but also got chosen, as part of a game, to drink an entire bottle of freezing cold grape soda without taking my mouth off the bottle. Let's just say that I did not feel very well for quite some time after that. It was a great party and it culminated with something I don't think you can really understand until you see it, but here goes... For the dinner, we served pork, which we had cooked locally and cut up. We actually ordered 4 pigs. As part of that, they give us the fully cooked pig's heads. Now... In America, this is gross. Here, they love it. As a matter of fact, they fight for who gets them. So, the dinner ends with a raffle for the 4 pig's heads. When a name was called, the person who won would scream and jump up and high five everyone and run to get their pig head. I swear I have never seen anything like it. Lindsay said she would leave if they called her name. Well, they didn't, thank goodness. But, all that to say, Lindsay and I both agree that watching people celebrate about winning a cooked pig's head is just not something you see very often in any part of the world, but something we thoroughly enjoyed.
Lastly, mid-December brought about the close of our first season here in Jarabacoa. Lindsay and I finished our language classes, the kids finished their first semester of school, and we all traveled back the the US for Christmas break. We were happy to spend time with all of our friends and family, and God provided so many opportunities to share with people about our new lives and what we are doing. But something amazing started to happen just before we left, and was confirmed while being in the US. During the month of December, we started to realize that "Home" was taking on a much different meaning, and while we were glad to be going "home" for Christmas, we were also leaving "home" to do so. It was a strange feeling, but one that I think confirmed something to Lindsay and I. It confirmed that although there are times that are diffucult here and we are not sure why God has chosen this place for us, we know that this is exactly where we are supposed to be right now. Our family, while still adjusting, is successfully transitioning and learning to love our new "home".
Let me wrap this up with a verse that served as my text for a sermon at our home church over the break. It comes from Luke chapter 12. It says "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and these things will be added to you as well. Do not be afraid, little flock, for the Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom."
So, here we are, back in the DR and starting this new season of life, which is working as full-time cross-cultural ambassadors for the gospel of Jesus. And as we continue to adjust to this new life, we are holding fast to that promise in Luke 12, which is that God will provide for us as we continue to seek after Him. Praise be to God in our house and in yours...
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