Why I don't drive much~~

Why we covet your prayers for our safety on the roads!

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These pics are from our trip to Santo Domingo on Saturday, which is usually a slower traffic day!

Now you should understand better why I do very little driving here. Once, a couple of years ago, Bob had me drive thru Santo Domingo (with him very alertly playing co-pilot!) just so I could get used to it, incase I ever needed to do it by myself. Yeah, right! We now chuckle over that idea. Why, oh why, would I ever want to subject myself to these conditions????

Especially, when I have a far more important job of trying to remain calm while Bob navigates all of this! :)

Yes, there is a man bracing himself on the side of all this furniture. There are ropes around the items, but his position looks just a tad bit precarious to me!

You've heard of Kmart's blue light specials?
I need to get a better pic of all the street vendors at the busy intersections. As soon as the light turns red, they come selling avocados, cheese, peanuts, phone cards, windshield wipers, cell phone accessories, bottled water, homemade candies and kites, etc.
The traffic lights were out, so it quickly became a free-for-all with the largest vehicle winning!

What can I say? If there's an inch, they will quickly take it irregardless of what is already there.
Actually, these motoconchos were driving nicely. Most of them weave in and out and around, and not usually exhibiting much caution or care for themselves or anyone else!

If you look between the bus and the Induveca truck, the lady on the
back of the motorcyle is carrying a white plastic kitchen table with
the legs secured underneath. They got away too fast for us to get up
close and get a better pic! They made it around those two large
vehicles when the light changed and were quickly gone from sight!

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Our Ford Explorer has a display that shows the outside temperature. While in Sto Domingo, it registered 100*, but most of the time it hovered at 95*. Shortly after exiting the city, we watched as the temp dropped to 89*, 84* and then finally, 79*. Then this torrential downpour began. All motoconchos and many cars were pulled off the road. Bob had our 4 way flashers on and wipers on hyper-speed to keep up with the rain!


Yes, that is actually a lane maker (NOT all roads have them) and yes, we are straddling it. There was too much ponding of water on the left side to drive in that lane! I wish this rainbow had shown up better. It was brilliant
for a while, but every time I tried to snap the pic, there
were trees, bldg, or vehicles blocking. But it was nice
to have that reminder from our Creator!

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These next three pics are from our trip today back into Santo Domingo. We don't normally make 2 trips in three days, but we are checking out car dealerships trying to make a decision on our new vehicle.

In the 1st pic notice the location of the red sign to the right. Then notice the surroundings. It is a very busy corner with a car repair shop offering wheel alignment and balancing, change of oil, batteries, air conditioning, etc.

Just 10 feet to the right of this red building (But hidden in this photo) a man is changing the oil on a car.

However, when you read the red sign~~ Oven baked chicken with class!

And they deliver!

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OOPS! Yeah, yeah yeah! I know I already showed you this pic. But somehow I added it

twice and couldn't get it to delete. I've already redone this entire post twice, so ENJOY!

I've got to figure out how to delete pics. I tried everything...but until then ~ENJOY the pic again! :)

Look, Lyndie! I finally learned (sorta!) how to add pics!

love,

~~anna~~

Sunshine on my shoulder makes me happy!

Two mornings in a row of sunshine! Just a couple of little wispy clouds, but nothing really to write home about. Temperature is back to normal, which means it is H-O-T!

Don't get me wrong~~ I love a cool, windy, rainy day. I love lots of cool, windy, rainy days. I could take a whole week of them! They are wonderful!

But then I live on the 2nd floor of an apartment building that has a non-leaking roof.
Quite unlike most Dominicans whose homes may not even have screens on the windows, let alone louvers like we have.
Where we have concrete floors, they probably have dirt (at least in the sugarcane villages).
Where I have a concrete roof (newly repaired in January), they may have rusted corrugated tin barely held in place.

So, thank you LORD for sunshine and blue skies!

By the way, Tropical Storm Kyle that is headed toward the eastern shore of the US? That was tropical wave 93L that dumped all the rain here this week, then strengthened after it left the island!


But thank you LORD, again, for sunshine and blue skies!

Just when I thought it was over...

Woke up this morning at 6AM to a brisk wind holding our bedroom sheers at a 90* angle from the window, and a steady rain.

But by about 9 rain had stopped, I could see streaks of blue thru the cloud cover and the sun was doing it's best to peak thru.

Satellite image showed the worst as being over. It had appeared to fizzle out somewhat.

HA! For the past hour it has been a torrential downpour. Rain is coming in windows on two sides of our apartment.
This morning the water in the pool was less than 2" from the top edge. Now it is even with the top. Hopefully, the caretaker Papo will decide to turn on the pump and drain it some. Fortunately, there is no one living in the bottom apartment closest to the pool.

The following was posted on the DR1 forum~~((San Pedro is the next town over from us and where we attend church))

San Pedro de Macoris is impassable - in some areas even the firemen cannot get through. The main street is under too much water for vehicles of any type. And it is still raining

Please continue to pray for the situation here.

Plip! Plop! Drip! Drop!...

While we were in the States, the Dominican Republic experienced Hurricanes Gustav, Hannah & Ike . NOT direct hits, but, none the less, lots of rain and some strong winds. During Ike, Ken & Sara, who were staying in our apartment, had to place the boards on the open windows of our laundry room, and were without electricity at times.
Wel, now we have Tropical Wave 93L. It has already hit Puerto Rico. PR in places has received 20-30 inches of rain and it's still coming down there! The front edge has finally hit here in Juan Dolio, where it started raining about 10PM yesterday. At times it is quite heavy. They are predicting rain thru Wednesday.
I just watched CNN Headline news and they gave brief coverage. Since it does NOT have strong winds, such as a hurricane, it doesn't seem like a big deal in the US. But believe me it is!
Last year Tropical Storm Noel & Olga caused more damage then Hurricane George in 1998, which made a direct hit in Juan Dolio.

Check out this site to give you a better picture:
http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/flt/t1/loop-rb.html


Villages can't take continual rain, esp with dirt roads, and often times dirt floors in their homes.
We are on the 2nd floor of our apartment bldg, and, thankfully, the landlord repaired the roof after Noel & Olga. So we are high and dry. But please pray for those that are not!
There is a med team here from Indiana. They have med clinics planned today, tomorrow and Thursday. Please pray that the buses will make it in and out of the villages. Also, that the people in the villages will actually come to the clinics. Usually, we have an abundance of patients, but when it rains, they don't want to come outside. Can't blame them for not wanting to sit or stand in the rain for hours either!

One benefit of the rain, is that it has cooled off our apartment building, so we aren't having to run any fans at all! That is really strange!

Actually, I'm surprised I still have Internet. Usually, we lose it in the rain. So far--so good!

love,
~~anna~~

Quick update: I just got off the phone with Dr Tolentino. Our clinic is closed for today. He actually seemed surprised that I was even thinking it might be open! The Dra. won't make it in fro Consuelo, patients won't come out in the rain, and the people need to stay home with their property as they don't know how bad it will get or what will happen. (Those are his words, not mine.)
This is NOT a hurricane ~~just a huge amount of rain. predicted to last at least thru tomorrow.
But in a country of coral and dirt with many people living in poorly constructed 'houses' along river banks (already swollen), a major amount of rain can be dangerous.

Adios!

Well, I haven't posted in a couple of weeks: and now, when I finally do post, it's to say "Adios!"
Tomorrow at 6:50 AM we fly out of Dayton International on our way to Santo Domingo. By the circuitous route of Dayton>Chicago>Miami>Santo Domingo. 7 hour layover in Miami. But Bob and I both enjoy our layovers, so books are packed in the carryons (But people watching os so much fun!)
This trip has gone quickly, and slowly, depending on what we were doing. We've included many things, and yet had time to rest and relax. Hard to believe that it's been almost 2 months since we first saw Yoselin! I will treasure my times with her. Camping with Shan and the kids was so much fun! Brumbaugh farm in the mud with David, Lyndie and Yosi....ahhh, what memories! (and lots of photos...really loving the digital camera now!)
We have been blessed spiritually and financially during this time! Meeting new people, and renewing old friendships has been a delight! The SCORE staff meeting in Chattanooga was a time of encouragement and refreshment!
Our trips are never how we envision them while in the DR...they always turn out so much better! Isn't that just like the LORD though?
So, tomorrow night we will be back home in our own apartment. Please continue to pray for us, as we will do likewise for you!
In HIS name and service,
~~anna~~