December is starting off with a bang. Someone broke into my house last night. Don't worry, everything is fine...physically. They did steal my cell phone from the states and my cell phone for the DR, my IPod touch, and some cash. But it was a small price to pay to learn a small Dominican living lesson.
For those of you that have not been to someplace in Latin America, here is a brief description of what houses are like. Houses are made out of concrete and re-bar and therefore are very sturdy. In all the window frames are metal grates (bars) for security so that no one unwanted can enter your house. Also there are glass windows to keep the weather out, and in my case screens outside of the bars. Where most houses in the states have a screen door there is another iron gate that is locked with a sturdy padlock, and then of course there is your front door.
Here's what I assume happened. When I went to bed last night both the gate and the door were locked, the windows were open letting the cool breeze in, and (unfortunately) my keys were sitting on a chair under a window. Someone saw something they wanted and sliced the screen open in the window above my bed, but couldn't reach the desired items on my bedside table. They went to the front window to see if they could open the door from there and low and behold they could reach my keys. They then opened the door nice and quite like, sneaked into my bedroom and took these few things as their own. I woke up sometime after when the wind (or the thief) slammed the door shut to find my stuff missing and my keys on the ground just outside the front door. Needless to say, I'm a bit disturbed!!!
Lesson learned! My keys are now safely somewhere out of sight and well away from any opening. Thank the Lord that they didn't take anything more important, after all the keys to my truck were on the same key chain.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
November!!!!
What a month!!! I thought it would take me a while to top the greatness of October, but it didn't take long. Spending my birthday in Costa Rica with Jonesi, the EDCM board meeting, the National Missionary Convention (now International Conference on Missions), Thanksgiving in Cincinnati with my family, it has been a great month!!!! Thanks for all the prayers and comments about one of my previous posts, God has certainly heard you and has been ministering to my heart!!!!
It's always strange to go back to the states. I know I have only been here in the DR for about 3 months now, but it didn't take me long to feel like this is home. Of course some of what is strange about going back to the states is the physical differences. Organized driving rules and regulations that everyone follows, being able to flush your toilet paper, clean water out of the tap, free refills at restaurants, Sportscenter in English, that sort of thing. But the things that stick with me are more nebulous. Coming from living a simple life to staying in a hotel, and the difference in social interaction, this is when I see the changes in myself. How it is becoming more important to me to actually talk and listen to people about their lives and worries. (you might already do that...I never did. I know, I'm a terrible Christian) The overwhelming feeling of how GOOD we have it as Americans, and how all of us take it for granted, and expect things to continually improve. Just some observations that I made while I was there last. That being said I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the states. I ate a lot. Caught up with friends and family, and tried my best to stay warm while doing both.
With the EDCM board meeting in November as well we were able to spend a good amount of time focusing our mission and plans for the future. This board meeting was by far the best/most productive board meeting I have ever been apart of. Now the search for land to build a camp/retreat center starts in earnest. I have been given parameters on what we are looking for more exactly. So I am now investigating our options so that we can start planning more specifically for this project. Exciting stuff!!!!!!!!!!
It's always strange to go back to the states. I know I have only been here in the DR for about 3 months now, but it didn't take me long to feel like this is home. Of course some of what is strange about going back to the states is the physical differences. Organized driving rules and regulations that everyone follows, being able to flush your toilet paper, clean water out of the tap, free refills at restaurants, Sportscenter in English, that sort of thing. But the things that stick with me are more nebulous. Coming from living a simple life to staying in a hotel, and the difference in social interaction, this is when I see the changes in myself. How it is becoming more important to me to actually talk and listen to people about their lives and worries. (you might already do that...I never did. I know, I'm a terrible Christian) The overwhelming feeling of how GOOD we have it as Americans, and how all of us take it for granted, and expect things to continually improve. Just some observations that I made while I was there last. That being said I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the states. I ate a lot. Caught up with friends and family, and tried my best to stay warm while doing both.
With the EDCM board meeting in November as well we were able to spend a good amount of time focusing our mission and plans for the future. This board meeting was by far the best/most productive board meeting I have ever been apart of. Now the search for land to build a camp/retreat center starts in earnest. I have been given parameters on what we are looking for more exactly. So I am now investigating our options so that we can start planning more specifically for this project. Exciting stuff!!!!!!!!!!
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