Lost in translation.....

Bob and I went for dinner tonight in one of the All-Inclusives near by. It was a late Mother's Day dinner. On Mother's Day we went into Santo Domingo to the aquarium and shopping and I was too exhausted to enjoy a nice meal after that.
Turned out tonight was Mexican night at the restaurant. By each dish on the buffet is a card with the name of the food item writen in Spanish, English, German and Italian (to cover all the foreign tourists from Europe). But a few dishes lost something in the translation.
Here are the ones I can remember:

• Tomatoes rellenos (sp?) = tomatoes backfill
• burritos de pollo = donkeys of chicken
• pollo a la mexicano = chicken to the mexican
• (Pork pieces) can't recall their wording in spanish = back of hog

The food was delicious...just best not to read, or ponder for long, the descriptions!

love to you all,

~~anna~~

I may be just a bit cranky today....

Well, this is the way it is right now. Yesterday, May 16th, was election day in the Dominican Republic. By law everything had to be closed...which mainly was translated as ~~no one goes to work and all the bars are closed. By law no alcohol could be sold either. But sales of "Ron" and El Presidente just increase the days preceding the ban, so they are ready to celebrate at the given time. In case you're wondering, Ron=rum, El Presidente is the national beer.
In the Dominican you vote in the city of your birth. To allow everyone the opportunity to travel, the President declared Noon Thursday thru 6AM Saturday a national holiday. Our med clinic was only open til noon on Thursday to be in accordance with the law.
Yesterday was so unbelievably quiet. Pleasantly quiet and tranquil. No music, no construction sounds (several condos are going up near us), no campaigning (which meant the pickups with beds full of loud speakers were finally silenced) NADA! nothing. It was a joy! No sounds of moto-conchos (motor bike taxis). We kept marvelling at the silence. Only an occasional bird could be heard. It was a delight!
THEN the next door neighbors arrived.....They live in Santo Domingo and only come on an occasional weekend. We knew they were coming when our caretaker cleaned their built-in pool and re-filled it on Thursday! They stayed subdued until 6:06pm (voting pools closed at 6pm).
No election results until the JCE (election board) announces (which turned out to be about 10PM). Dominican law states that the winner has to gain 50%+1 to win (NOT 51%). If no candidate gains 50%+1, then they have a run-off election June 16th. Due to Dominican history (dictator, who was assassinated after 30+ years, followed by years of his right-hand man) they had a law that a president could not run for a second term without sitting out a term first. Well the previous president changed that law hoping to win re-election for himself~~which he didn't. Current President, Leonel, won last night with 53.55%. So,this is the first president since the 90's to win re-election for two consecutive terms (he already served in 1996)

So, back to why I'm probably going to get cranky today...our neighbors started their party at 6:06PM LAST NIGHT! It is now 6:45AM and the music has only gotten louder! It has never stopped! I'm not referring to music that is faintly coming thru their closed windows! OH NO! Speakers of several sizes and shapes, spread out around the pool and in the house....It's cranked up playing something that sounds like a scratchy record with an outer space sound and a constant deep bass beat.
We had moved our mattress to the living room floor, and closed the bedroom and bathroom doors, ( our bedroom is on the neighbor's side). But that only lowered it by about .01% I think. Bob uses ear plugs anyway; so, he then put a pillow over his head and actually got some sleep. ((Although there were those few minutes about 3AM where my hubby set off the alarm on our Explorer thinking that might get their attention...nada!))
So, I have now been awake since 6:30 Friday morning and no prospect of sleep in my future.
Yes, I did yell "Silencio!" several times out the bedroom window about 5AM! Yeah, that helped! The people sitting by the pool just went inside and turned the music up!
You might want to pray for my attitude today...and my sanity....and whatever else you can think to go along with that. After being declared the victor last night about 10, the President declared the country should celebrate for the next two days! That means this party could go on til tomorrow night or Monday morning!
Why, oh why, is there never a power blackout when I WANT one!!!!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
On one of our first trips to the Dominican Republic, I remember hearing another missionary say: "If you want to serve, do it because you love Jesus and want to honor Him. NOT because you love the people. The people will disappoint you, frustrate you and make you doubt why you are here. Your love for Jesus will keep you focused. "
This is one of those days when I have to focus on Jesus and remind myself that I am here because I love the LORD and want to serve HIM; I want to bring glory and honor to HIS name.
Because in all honesty ~~right now if it was based on love for the people, I just might not make it til noon today even.

Yahoozee schnoozee!

I am so-o-o-o happy! Today being Mother's Day, Bob planned a special day for me. We went to the capital where our first stop was the National Aquarium. It's not huge, but it's pleasant and there's a large outdoor area that's nice for walking. Grass and lots of trees!

It only cost $3 for the two of us to enter. Once inside we saw large turtles in their own little cement pond. Then there were several small wall aquariums with various displays, including a larger one with 3-4 ft sharks.

Unfortunately, the huge aquarium with the walk-thru tunnel is closed for repairs.

It was beautiful outside and so we walked along the railing on the edge of the coral. It was so gorgeous...the postcard view of turquoise water, palm trees, and ocean sprays!

We saw two large (2 feet) iguanas outside the enclosure...so not sure if they had escaped from inside or what.

Then we drove to MegaCentro a mall to eat lunch. Bob got oriental, but I got TACO BELL!!!! I purchased a combo with a burrito, soft shell taco, french fries and a beverage and brought the taco home to enjoy tonight!

We walked around there for a bit but then left to go to La Sirena, which is a store very similar to the Costa Rican version of Walmart. (How's that for a clear (NOT) description)

The store is very clean, well-displayed and has incredible variety. Great prices too!

My big Yahoozzee-schnoozee shout for joy???? MILK! Borden's milk!

All of our milk comes in cartons that sit on a shelf unrefrigerated until opened. Most of it comes from Italy. While it's okay in things or on cereal, it just doesn't taste the same as American milk. Well today they had Borden's milk! Yes, it's still in a carton, unrefrigerated until opened, but it is Borden's WHOLE Milk! and it was on sale for the same price as the other stuff. Regular price is 53 pesos for 1 liter, this week it is 34 pesos! (34 pesos = $1)

We bought six because we weren't sure how good it was. I just had two small glasses of it!!!! It tastes so-o-o-o-o good! So Tuesday we have to go to Santiago to get our mail (finally after 6 weeks) and we will pass real close to La Sirena. Bob says I can stock up as it will keep for quite a few months unopened! YAHOOZEEEE-SCHNOOZEEEEE!

I am now exhausted~~very exhausted~~ but had a deligtful day! Bob was going to take me out for dinner tonight at an all-you-can-eat restaurant at a local resort, but we were both so tired from our day out, we decided to keep that for another day and spread out our fun!

love you all,

~~anna~~

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Monday morning 8:48 and I am enjoying a bowl of Cheerios with real WHOLE milk. It's so-o-o-o-o good! Thank you, LORD, for little pleasures! (and I mean that!)

Krispy treats

I just successfully made Rice Krispy treats using Dominican marshmallows!

Of course, I had to go online to get the recipe, as the Dominican counterparts to US products don't include the recipes~~

I had to chuckle at this note at the end of the recipe

Store no more than two days in airtight container.

Are they kidding! Who has ever had a pan of these last that long!

I am being good, however, as I have a plate set aside for Tim and Evelyn for when they get back from the capital later this afternoon. They are transporting a patient from a village to be seen by a specialist at Cure International.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Any one care to come on down and share some treats?

~~love to you all~~
~~anna~~

~~~encouraging refreshment~~~

While I enjoy reading other people's posts, I'm not very creative in knowing what to write here. Then again, I'm not sure any one is reading anyway. But I will try to be more consistent in writing.

A group of 5 ladies from Alabama came two weekends ago to host a retreat for the Ladies of SCORE. It wasn't for any groups that were here, or for the ladies in the churches, BUT just a time to encourage and refresh us missionaries! What a delight and joy they were!

They started out about two months ago by becoming our prayer warriors. Every week or so I would receive an email from Sheri, my prayer warrior. She wrote about herself, her life, her family and her walk with the LORD. She took an interest in what was happening in my life. By the time she arrived here, I felt like I was re-acquainting with an old friend.

Sheri actually lead the three teaching times; we played some simple games; sang songs of praise and worship; were sung to and prayed for; and given gifts; etc.

Heather, is a beautician. She offered to trim, style, cut our hair. We all took her up on that offer! I actualy have a real *style* now!

Two other ladies gave foot massages and pedicures! They took us out for dinner to *El Sueno* where we had a wonderful time of encouragment and fellowship with lots of laughter.

All of us feel refreshed! We felt like these ladies genuinely wanted to get to know us, to understand as much as possible what our lives are like here, and to come along side and hold us up!

ALL of this just on Friday!

Saturday they visited the girls' orphanage in La Romana and then went to a village in the afternoon. That night we met again one last time. We all sat in tears as they reminded us that we were NOT a project for them to accomplish, but they intend to continue to be our prayer warriors and maintain the friendships that had developed. They wanted to know if we would like them to come back next year!?! YES!!!!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Then Ron Bishop, President of SCORE, came in for some meetings on Sunday. Monday night he took the entire group of SCORE missionaries (18) to a Mexican restaurant in San Pedro de Macoris for dinner. What a wonderful time we had at *Paco Taco*! Again, there was much laughter and simple enjoyment of one another. What a blessing it was to here from Ron: "Y'all are doing a great job! I'm so proud of each and every one of you! I consider it a blessing to be on the same team with y'all!"

Sort of a prelude to "Well done thou good and faithful servant" !!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Please be praying for me and my health. We are pretty sure I contracted Lyme's Disease while in the States. We caught it early, and I'm over the worst of it, but I have NO energy. The least activity wears me out and leaves me feeling drained. I got up this morning fully intending to go to church. But by the time I got ready, I had no energy to go and sit in church for 2 hours!

It's very annoying, frustrating and discouraging. Please pray that my strength will be renewed yet again!

~Thanks~~ love you all~

~~the royal court has grown~~~

Just incase you haven't heard yet~~

David and Lyndie have their daughter. She's beautiful!

What more can I say...she's gorgeous!

and, she's my granddaughter!!!!

To read all about her first hand, check out Lyndie's blog from my list on the right!

!!!Now we have two princes and two princesses!!!

.....The royal court has grown.....

PINK! PINK! PINK! We love pink!

I wanted this posting to be in PINK, but bloggers Pink is a little wimpy, so this was as close as I could get. Guess it's *pink at heart*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I know it's been a while since I posted, but things have been crazy. Mid-March Shiloh was diagnosed with pneumonia. I was able to change my return ticket from the Dominican Republic(date and destination!). I should truthfully say "The LORD allowed my return ticket to be changed (date and destination)"

Changine the date is no big deal...a few $$$ and all is done. Destination change on the 2nd half of a round-trip ticket???That's another matter, but Delta did it. Actually I think they wrote a new ticket and only charged me for the date change. Because Bob saw them writing figures in the $500's down, but then he heard the supervisor tell the clerk "Over-ride it and just document it" PRAISE THE LORD!

So, I spent a month with Shan and the kids. Shiloh completely recovered and is back at preschool.

But then I needed a round trip ticket to get to the DR. You can't fly in to the DR without an exit ticket. Round trip has to start and end at same location. So, I needed to get to Dayton, so in July I would be on the same flight with Bob.

Guess flying from Lynchburg to Dayton is not something many people do, so that ticket would have been over $500!! But, I was able to go to Budget rental, get a one-way rental and drive to Dayton. I love driving and miss being able to do that much. Shan, made me a cd of music to listen to that was wonderful! David picked me up at the airport and I was able to spend a few days with him and Lyndie.

Added bonus: I was then able to attend their baby shower on Saturday!!!! What a blessing that was for me! What fun watching them receive such a 'showering' of gifts also!

Then the added joy of seeing and talking to many from church. Linda, Randy, Monty and Krista~Saturday night was a treat! What fun! and yet relaxing! Next time, we'll have to include Bob!

But now the reason for PINK! Just incase there is anyone reading this post who hasn't heard...David and Lyndie's adoption process moved to level PINK! Today they are on their way to Guatemala to finally meet in person YOSELIN RUBI GRACE, their daughter. Friday they will bring her home!

So, I am wearing PINK today! I woke up at 3:30 this morning and have spent much time in prayer for all of them. Thanks to the wonder of modern technology I have been able to track their flights. They are now in the air over the Gulf of Mexico!

~~~~~~~~~~~

How do words even begin to describe how I feel? Another granddaughter..two princesses to love and enjoy! With two older princes! I LOVE being a *mana*. Stephan called me that as soon as he could start talking and that is what I am! It's wonderful!

Stephan, Samuel, Shiloh, and Yoselin I love being your *mana*. You all are a delight!

Could it be? Walmart?!?!

Today Bob needed to go to Santo Domingo to PriceSmart. PriceSmart is sort of like Sam's Club, only smaller and the prices aren't always as good. But it is a place to buy in bulk and to get some things that can't be found elsewhere.
We buy our bottled water there, as we can get 24 -1/2 liter bottles for RD$119. The peso is @ 33.7 pesos to $1. It's the only place we have found Pepper Jack cheese, also!
But the reason for this trip was to buy major items for the medical clinic itself. Someone recently made a large donation for the medical ministry, and told Bob he should decide what was needed. YEAH! So, shelving units have been on the wish list for a l-o-n-g time. He was able to buy 6 large, heavy duty shelving units, and an industrial rug for our back door (where most people and groups enter). We had been using a moving/packing blanket for a rug, so this will be so much nicer! Also he was able to purchase a replacement table for use in the village clinics. It's one of those folding tables with the heavyduty white plastic surface. It folds with a handle for easy carrying. We had one similar that Bob had set up for sorting meds @ SCORE; but, unfortunately, someone sat on it and broke the support.....oh well. We now have a new one.
We had heard rumors that La Sirena is being purchased by Walmart. We went to one in San Francisco de Macoris on the way back from whale watching two weeks ago. At the time we thought it was so nice because it was new. But then we read online the Walmart rumor.
When we were in Costa Rica for language school they had Walmart, but it was called HiperMas and had a 'happy whale' instead of a smiley face. We could tell from signs inside the store it was Walmart owned. While it was not identical to a US Walmart, it was a wonderful store.
So, the other day we saw a sign for a different La Sirena much closer to us. It's on the edge of Santo Domingo just as we enter from the east. Very Clean, very well stocked. very well organized and great prices!
If it's not owned by Walmart in actuality, it sure has the feel of a HiperMas. Bob and I spent almost 2 hours there today just wandering, looking, exploring and YES! buying! I got a plastic hanging planter (with the hanger!) for RD$49 (about $1.50). It's light blue with darker blue flowers. I got a Hanes brand ladies sleeveless t-shirt style top for the same price. Also found an all cotton white, button up the front, sleeveless blouse (sort of a scoop neck) for about $7.00. Unheard of here! it has just the tiniest of ruffle around the neckline and sleeve openings. The really pleasant suprise was that they had fitting rooms! They were the first ones I can recall seeing in any store here!
I found a Pampered Chef style cheese grater for only RD$99~~that's less than $3.00. And I bought the last three pkgs of Crystal Light Iced tea on-the-go that were on the shelf.
Fun day! Well, maybe I didn't enjoy the little jaunt to the used auto parts store. It is in a very congested area, small shop with LOTS of Daihatsu motors just sitting around. But Praise the LORD! Bob was able to get the parts he needed to repair Big Red (Daihatsu) once again. It overheated AGAIN, blew hoses, broke a connecter piece, and required Tim to tow Bob home with Big Blue (Explorer) Saturday afternoon when Bob was on the way back from delivering medicine to a patient at the old folks home in Monte Cristy.
We really need to get it running as the price of gas here went up again Friday night. The government sets the prices every Friday night. ALL stations charge the same price by law! So right now we are at RD$166.70 or $4.95 a gallon! and expected to continue to rise!

Bob dropped me off at our apartment with our *goodies* a few minutes ago. Now he is back at SCORE and meeting with Manny, a young Dominican pastor. Bob has been teaching Manny Greek for a number of weeks. Fortunately, Manny speaks English, but Bob is trying to teach as much as possible in Spanish. Manny is a very eager student; what he doesn't know is that he will also be helping Bob unload the shelving units into the clinic!
Then this evening Bob will, hopefully, make the repairs on Big Red. Bob has to go up to Santiago tomorrow for our mail day. We haven't been in a while, so he's looking forward to the time of fellowship with the other missionaries from other organizations. But I will need a vehicle to get to the clinic, as it's Tuesday and I need to run the pharmacy.

Today was a fun, relaxing day. Of course, after waking up at 3AM Friday night with a migraine that didn't go away until Sunday night while I slept, it wouldn't have taken much to make it enjoyable!
Hope you all are having a delightful day, also! I see where Greenville is under another Winter Storm Watch for ice! Now, I AM JEALOUS! :)

Hey, who says we don't have pets....

We have two lizards residing in our laundry room and a larger one that scurries along the long wall of our kitchen/dining area/living room and hides behind the hutch and picture frames. The two in my laundry room are bright green.
~~Now before you all go 'ew!" remember this--
Lizards eat mosquitos
Mosquitos spread Dengue Fever
I have had Dengue Fever (also known as 'break-bone fever')
I don't want it again! EVER!
So, lizards are our friends;
I want them; I welcome them!~~

Our laundry room runs across the back of our apartment. The bottom third of the outside wall is cinder block, top two thirds is a big screen with security bars, which allows for lots of breezes but also can heat up the apartment when the afternoon sun pours in. So, we have 4 inexpensive roll-up blinds that we use.
Usually I roll them back up in the evening to allow the cooler breezes in, but on occasion I forget. (imagine that!) I just went in to roll them up and almost caught Kermit, the larger of the two green ones in it. Fortunately, he scurried off in time. He's now on the end wall above my open shelves watching me when I enter.
These little guys are fast. Trying to catch one is nigh unto impossible! Except for the other day....I went in to take some things off the clothes lines, grabbed a clothes pin and about had a heart attack when I felt something soft in my hand. My first thought was "OH NO! NOT another baby tarantula!" I let out a yelp, and tossed it. Only to find it was "Big Green," the little 2" guy. But he was fine...the next morning he was jumping from clothes pin to clothes pin, (literally!) and I've seen him sense, too.
I don't think they'll ever come when I call, but for now they bring a little fun.
Today is my rest day. Tuesdays and Thursdays I am generally in our clinic running the pharmacy. I love it, but it is exhausting! The clinic is open from 8-5 with an hour for lunch mas o menos (usually mas!) Yesterday in 7 hours the doctor saw 33 patients and I filled 138 prescriptions.
Our scripts include tylenol, motrin, aspirins, vitamins, cough medicine, and antacids, along with regular 'pharmacy' items. Other than lunch I never sit, because of the constant nature of gathering meds off shelves, and other factors.
But it is a challenge, and I love it. I can't go out with the groups, as it is too taxing on me physically and I constantly end up sick and down for 1 or 2 weeks or more. But with the pharmacy I can truly be a part of the ministry. I truly thank the LORD for allowing me to serve this way...it's something that is needed and I love doing it! But if you think of it, pray for me on those days!

On a lighter note, I will leave you with this....


A woman was weed'whacking her yard when she accidentally cut off the tail of her cat, who had been napping under a bush. She gatherd up her cat and the tail, grabbed her car keys and headed off to Walmart.
Walmart!?!?!
Why Walmart????

HELLO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We all know Walmart is the largest retailer in the world!

Have a delightful day!
~~anna~~

Life in this here island....

Well I guess it's way past time for an update....sorry, but life has been happening :)

On January 25th I flew to Lynchburg, due to the generosity of a dear sister in Christ who thought I should be there for Shiloh's 4th birthday. this dear sister purchased round trip airfare from Santo Domingo to Lynchburg! I got to go for two weeks! Had a grand time. So wonderful to spend lots of time with all three grandkids and Shan, too! Only thing that would have been better is if David and Lyndie could have been there, too!
Shiloh was sick almost the entire two weeks. She recovered some on the 2nd weekend I was there, then that Monday afternoon (actually on her birthday) she came down with something else. Samuel was sick part of the time; Stephan was home on an 'ice day'...so there was lots of time together. Loads of pictures and memories.
Throw in a few trips to Jcrew outlet with Shan's 30% discount on top of their clearance prices and I got some good deals! Her Goodwill is incredible, so I have laid in a fair supply of paperbacks to read here.
Of course, there was lots of coffee drinking and classic movie watching with Shan, too! When she picks you up at the airport and your first stop is Barnes and Noble, how much better can it get? esp since they had some clearance tables of odds'n'ends.
This week Tim, Evelyn, Bob and I made a trip to Las Terrenas on the northern coast. What a trip it was! Bob had gone online and found an incredible deal at an All Inclusive resort, Viva Wyndham in Las Terrenas. It was gorgeous! On Tuesday we travelled 1 1/2 hours to Samana Bay to go whale watching. Samana isn't that far from Las terrenas, but the road winds thru the mountains...quite the trip on not very well maintained roads! Once in Samana we had reservations on a 50 foot boat with a tour guide that has been doing this for over 25 years.
We SAW WHALES! really! In a distance, but some pretty close. Regulations require that the boat stay 150 feet from any whales, but that was close enough! In the distance we saw a whale actually jump in the air! We saw whale tail fins flap above water. Unfortunately, when you see the tail that means it's getting ready to submerge for a while. But then we saw a pod of 5 whales! By the way, these were humbpack whales. Hard to describe the feeling of really seeing these creatures in their natural habitat.
The seas were a bit rough....glad we opted for the 50 foot boat. Next time, I will skip the fresh papaya before that type of boat ride. It was delicious at breakfast, not so appetizing when it went flying over the edge of the boat later!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This part will possibly show you how our life here is different. Last Sunday Bob spoke at a small church in San Pedro called "Juan 3:16". After church we stopped at Jumbo to get snacks for our trip the next day. Jumbo is a very nice grocery store, very clean and very well stocked. Just the inventory isn't always the same from week to week. On occasion we have found liquid flavored cremora there. Pricier than in the States, but we have finally concluded along with the other SCORE missionaries "We don't live in the States!"
Small treats go a l-o-n-g way here! We have all learned also that if you see something you need, if you have the funds buy it then because more than likely it won't still be there when you return next time. So, Sunday as we were in the coffee aisle, I once again checked out the powdered cremoras. I stood there staring in amazement! They had the small containers of flavored cremora. Food Club brand, but it was still flavored cremora~~Hazelnut & Amaretto!!!! YES! Near jumping for joy. It has been years since we have had any flavored powdered cremora in a store here. One glance at Bob who said "It's here. get it!" So, three Hazelnut and 2 Amaretto containers jumped into our cart.
Well then we ran into Veronica (single SCORE missionary) and a friend who is visiting with her. They were marvelling at some item that they had found. We went on our separate ways. A few minutes later Bob and I came around the corner in the dairy aisle and there were the two of them again. They were pointing at something very excitedly! YES! Liquid flavored cremora! Amaretto and Irish Cream and this time it was name brand International Delight. You would have thought we had just discovered the cure for the common cold with all the rejoicing and merry making! Bob and I had discussed before whether or not we could freeze it for future use, so, he just said "Get what you want and freeze what you can't use right away."
So, now I added three of each flavor into our cart! We may not see these items again for months, if at all!
Well then Andres and Johnanna (another young SCORE missionary couple) came around the corner. Andres grew up in Argentina; Johanna is from Costa Rica. They were excited because Andres had discovered his favorite cookies from Argentina and they were actually cheaper here! We tried to entice them into our cremora find, but Johanna said "When you are used to Costa Rican coffee, you don't need to flavor it!" I've had CR coffee and she's right!
Well, Thursday on the way back from Las Terrenas, we stopped at La Sirena in San Franciso de Macoris. Andres and Johanna had told us about it. Beautiful store, great prices and they had some 2x1 sales. AND they were actually 2 for 1 deals! Other grocery stores advertise 2x1, but that means buy 2 get the 3rd free! La Sirena had Irish Cream powdered creamer. So, we are now well stocked in flavored creamer. Will let you know ~d about the freezing results on the liquid version. ~d, if I find your cinnamon vanilla, should I get you some?
Oh, the other thing La Sirena had that I have NEVER EVER seen here was Crystal Light iced tea on-the-go packets. With all the bottled water we drink, having flavor packets is wonderful. Those packets are so easy to carry in my purse or Bob's backpack. But I am dependent on people bringing them from the States or buying them when we are home. I have NEVER seen them here. Funny thing is that they were cheaper than what I paid in the States! Go figure! They just didn't have green tea which I prefer, but, hey! beggars can't be choosers!
Oh, one other fun little thing that would never happen in the States~~ on Monday when we started our trip, we decided to fill our gas tank so we didn't arrive on empty. Well all the gas stations had attendants but none of the pumps were open. After the third attempt Bob finally asked what was going on. As we suspected a 'huelga'. The government sets the price for gas every Friday, but they have decided to cut the subsidies to the stations, so the owners all got together and the entire country's gas stations closed for 6 hours to make their point to the government. At noon they were all doing business.
Thursday was a 24 hour huelga by all the public health doctors to get their concerns voiced to the government. It's election year (May 16th) so huelgas should become more frequent. They are generally non-violent, but not usually have a couple of 'hot spots'.
So, this should catch you up on our life here in the Dominican Republic. It's still pretty pleasant temperatures; right now it's almost 1:30 in the afternoon and I have no fans operating! If it would just stay like this....

love,
~~anna~~

Improving....

Well, the 'extreme' cold for here appears to be over. We're still using a blanket at night, but it's pleasant. We're having more periods of rain than we normally do at this time of year, though. It downpoured yesterday about 5pm. Woke up to sunshine this morning, but the skies have quickly turned overcast.
Bob is slowly getting better. He still coughs, but no where near like last week. He's sleeping better at night. But his energy level is still very low. Please pray for his recovery.
We have a med group here right now and Bob is NOT going out with them. Any of you who know him, should take that as an indication as to how sick he has been. He NEVER stays away from a group. Usually puts in 16-18 hour days when he has a group. Fortunately, this is a group that has come for several years and are very self-sufficient. Also, Tim and Evelyne have stepped up to help tremendously.
I'm still recovering, but I was never as ill as Bob. The main thing is the lack of energy. Please continue to pray for us....
(Sorry if I scared anyone off with my last post, but cold temps here are a serious issue. Many, many Dominicans are sick due to it. Yes, 55*-65* probably seems warm considering current temps in Ohio, but it is not normal for the people here and they are not prepared for it. Didn't mean to offend anyone, but please understand I was asking for prayer for us.)

Happy Monday!
~~anna~~

Weather update....no laughing matter

"La Romana reported a 12.8C temperature in the early hours of Tuesday, 16 January. This beats the previous record of 14C in 1976."

This is from today's DR1.com update. When you do the conversion La Romana's temp dipped to 55*. Remember , this is a tropical country, where the night time temp is generally 75*.
While these temps may seem pleasant to people in the States, remember homes here do not have heat. They do not have much in the way of cool weather clothing. Many Dominicans during Tropical Storms Noel and Olga lost their homes and/or most of their possessions. They are not used to these temperatures and the cold temps are weakening people's resistance and creating much illness.
Please pray for the people here. Bob is the sickest I have ever seen him in 35 years of marriage. He has come close to requiring breathing treatments. Most of the SCORE missionaries are sick.
~~anna~~

Shiver bbbrrrrrr, and pass the tissues~~~

Well our med group of 67 left out on Saturday. It was an incredible week; very busy; and at times resembling a 3 ring circus with a couple of side shows, too! But no major mishaps.
Most importantly, many people received medical treatment and heard the Gospel several times during the day. Many decisions for Christ. Even those who didn't receive salvation at the time, have heard and the seed has been cast. Pray that it will find fertile soil and take root.

Unfortunately, after the group left Bob became quite ill. He has the worst cold and cough I have ever heard from him! He is miserable. Because we don't have any groups right now, he has been able the last two days to rest and sleep in the afternoon. Pray that he recovers quickly. Thursday we are supposed to travel to Jarabacoa, where Bob has been asked to speak to the pastors and their wives at the Dominican Southern Baptist meeting. We also have a med team arriving on Friday for a week.

Pray for the rest of the staff also. Another missionary couple, Andres and Johanna, have the same thing. Andres's parents are here and his dad has come down with it. Tim and Evelyn are getting over colds also.

I spent the day serving in the pharmacy in our med clinic today. I really enjoy doing this. But part way thru the afternoon, my throat started hurting. Now I ache and have a low grade fever.
I actually slept in the living room last night in the hopes of not catching what Bob has.

So, please pray for those who have heard the Gospel (last week and in the clinic itself), and also pray for the missionaries for physical strength and speedy recoveries.

Oh by the way...the weather here has been down right cool! 64* this morning at 7:30. There have been times in the past 10 days when I have worn long sleeves. For the 1st time ever here~~one afternoon I had jeans (!), socks and a shawl over a t-shirt in our apartment! We're using a blanket on the bed at night and NO fans! This is unheard of. Many Dominicans are wearing winter coats in the early mornings. The unusual weather is causing many to become ill. The government is putting out health alerts due to the cold temps. It may sound strange to you to hear that 64* in the winter is cold; but normal night temps are in the 70's.

til the next time,
~~anna~~

*Of Mice and Men * or, rats on steroids!

If we hadn’t seen, or experienced, this one for ourselves, we might not believe it happened. But I do have some photos to show next time I’m in the States. Now, on with the ever-so-true story.
Sunday evening we heard rustling noises in our kitchen (Our living room, dining area and kitchen are one long room….lower level cabinets are the division for the kitchen from the rest). The noises appeared to be coming from these lower cabinets. Bob checked and could find nothing. But we knew from the sound, it was NOT another tarantula. So, we brought out the big rat traps I had purchased in the States last summer. All they have available here are sticky traps, which do not work well.
We set one in the cupboard and since the cupboards do not extend to the floor, we placed one under the sink cupboard. We thought it strange that the noise was coming from these cupboards, as there isn’t any food in them. Monday morning I discovered where the varmint had been. Our laundry room backs up to the kitchen, there is a door from the kitchen and louvered windows over the stove. On the back side of this window/wall are short cupboards mounted to the wall. That is where the canned goods, and pkgd items are stored. And that is where the critter had been. The signs were obvious. So, I spent a good portion of Monday cleaning those cupbaords. We also have some wire grid shelves with items stored. He didn’t bother that ~~guess he didn’t like the grid. So after cleaning, I placed only canned goods in the cupboard, and anything he might be able, or tempted to nibble, onto the grid. Then I set a trap in the cupboard.
That evening I was in the kitchen. My apartment size stove has 4 burners but only two knobs. The two that are missing only have the metal stud sticking out. In the hole around the stud was what appeared to be cotton (think cotton balls or pillow stuffing) For the life of me, I could not figure out why Bob would have done that. Then it dawned on me, Bob hadn’t! it wasn’t there on Sunday. Bob was gone with a group all day Monday. The varmint did it!!!
Bob came home that evening and I showed it to him. Well I started removing the cotton…and removing….and removing. Finally decided I was going to have to remove the top of the stove to get at it all. When I pulled the stove away from the wall to get at all the screws holding the top, I made another discovery. This critter had plugged all holes on the back with the same cotton!!! Unbelievable!!! I started checking the pillows on the couch for damage…NONE! That is when my beloved informed me that the rat had been running around our bedroom the night before and that even though Bob had turned on the light and hunted for it, I never moved. AND he never found the rat! So then I checked the bedroom pillows ~~they are fine!
So, I proceeded to remove the top of the stove. The little stinker had been pulling apart the insulation around the oven and overnight had made a very nice, cozy nest. It has been cool here the past week, so that’s probably what drove him in.
Fortunately, he was not currently in residence! I say “HE” although the nesting thing makes me think “She” was preparing to increase the rat population!
I removed all the loose stuff, reassembled the stove, and placed a trap on top of the stove and one on top of the cupboard in the laundry room (backs up to the stove wall) Figured either I would get him on top of the cupboard or when he landed on the stove.
Bob and I went to bed, laid their reading for an hour before shutting off the lights. About 20 minutes later, I heard the trap and some flopping sounds. Woke Bob up and we went to investigate. Sure enough…we had ensnared him on top of the cupboard. The wire was across his neck and he was barely moving. I got pictures of Bob holding the trap and the rat dangling.
Bob decided he didn’t want to mess with the trap at midnight, so he put the whole thing in the kitchen garbage and closed the lid. Tuesday morning when I got up, Bob asked if I had removed the rat from the trap. Huh? It appears that this little guy was doing some heavy weight training or on steroids. Bob had opened the garbage and discovered an empty trap! This rat got his head out of the rat trap! How we will never know….I have a picture and his head was in the trap at midnight!!! At 6:30 AM he was scampering in our garbage.
Now the garbage can is a swing lid that only needs a 13 gallon bag, but we have an abundance of big black Hefty garbage bags. These things are big, but they were free, so we are using them. Bob decided to take the entire garbage can downstairs to the street to place it in the 55 gallon drum where our garbage is placed for pick-up. Sounds simple enough, right? The look on Bob’s face when he came upstairs was….WOW! It seems he took off the lid, rat was nowhere to be seen, Bob raised the bag out of the can ~~so now the top of the bad is at Bob’s shoulders ~~when the rat appeared at the top edge, jumped over Bob’s head, landed on the road and ran off into the brush across the street!
But I think we finally won: I reset both traps and the next morning there was a body….clearly DEAD! and disposed of without incident! And no rodents have been caught since!
Life in the DR….never a dull moment!

In His hands~~

I have produced a few posts over the past couple of weeks, but if it starts to rain, or even a storm cloud appears, the internet connection is lost. NOT an exaggeration. Since I don't see any clouds on the horizon, I'm hoping this makes it through!
Just a few highlights from the past couple of weeks....

~~The week before Christmas we were headed up to Santiago for mail day ~~about a 3 hour drive. Had a Christmas package coming from Shan and were hoping for Christmas cards. We were driving the Ford Explorer, as 'little red' (Diahatsu smaller than a Festiva) was at the mechanics with a fuel system problem. Bob checked all tires for air in Juan Dolio before we left. When we got to the northern side of Santo Domingo, we were sitting at a light; the street vendors began knocking on our windows. We had already purchased bottles of water and little bags of cashews, so we were trying to ignore them. They became quite persistent. That's when we realized they were trying to tell us something. .

Bottom line: Right rear tire had only ONE lug nut and stud holding it in place and it was loose!

Somewhere between JD and Sto Domingo, our vehicle had broken and lost four studs and lug nuts! Our poor guardian angels had to have been quite dizzy trying to hold a tire on an Explorer travelling in Dominican traffic.

PTL, there was a Ford dealership on the far corner where we were able to purchase the LAST four studs and lugnuts they had in stock! They placed us in their express repair lane. $75 and less than 2 hours later, we were on our way.

~~The next day Bob, Pastor Tolentino, Tim, Evelyn & I travelled to San Cristobel. There is a school, clinic and hospital there overseen by a pastor. They had very few supplies before Tropical Storms Noel and Olga; even less after the water level in their bldgs hit 3 ft. So we were able to take SCORE's flat bed Diahatsu truck with hospital beds, and an enclosed trailer packed full of food, water, supplies and clothes.
~~ In the days before we left I had sewn 2 dozen little dresses (size 2-12). I love to sew, so my sewing machine and serger received a real work out. What a joy to know the LORD was allowing me to contribute something to someone else.

~~The week before Christmas our Internet went down. Repairman told Tim it would take 24 business hours to fix. That 24 Business hours translated to the Friday AFTER Christmas. But we made the delightful discovery that Giulia's Cafe has free wi-fi. Giulia's cafe' is at the end of our street. It is an open air Italian cafe' owned by a Jewish man named Judah, that flies a big British flag and serves the best cheeseburgers ever! it sits right across the street from the ocean; has big screen TV that shows sports events usually. (It's where we like to watch the SuperBowl!) It's probably our favorite place to go...cheeseburgers are large enough for Bob and I to share one!

~~It's really nice having Tim and Evelyn living right across the landing from us in this apartment bldg. Christmas Eve we spent at their place eatting snacks and playing cards. Christmas Day we pooled our 'resources' and had dinner at our place. What an enjoyable time!

~~Of course, the enjoyment began AFTER the demise of the tarantula that made an unfortunate appearance in my kitchen cupboard about 10 minutes before Tim & Evelyn arrived! But lots of bug spray, hair spray, a big wooden spoon and a drop from our 2nd story balcony to the cement below took care of him. But I am more careful when placing my hand in a cupboard now!

~~Our medical clinic is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays. So I spend those two days running the pharmacy. I LOVE IT! It's very tiring, but fun! Evelyn will be going out with the groups and translating for the village clinics.

~~So, our quiet season has drawn to a close. Our first team arrived on Saturday...all 67 of them! The airport arrival closely resembled a three ring circus! But all of them were delivered to the SCORE complex without loosing any luggage or carry-ons. It only took 3 buses and the flat bed Diatsu! Their group is comprised of med teams and evangelism. They have many things prepared for presenting the Gospel while people are waiting to be seen. The first clinic is today (Monday); they were on the road at 6:30AM to begin a 2 hour ride to the other side of Santo Domingo to work with Pastor Vernon.
Please pray for their safety, wisdom and strength this week. But, even more important, pray for the hearts of the people that will be ministered to!

~~Our busy season is upon us. We have seen the LORD work in many ways. We are in His hands; His might and strength protect us....what more could we ask for?

~~anna~~

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

While Bob was running errands yesterday, I pulled out our Christmas decorations. They all fit in one big wooden trunk (with room left over for other items!) that sits in the living room year round, so it isn't a difficult task getting at them.

*~*~*~*~*
One of the things I was determined to bring from the States when we moved here in 2003 was our Christmas village. I started it almost 10 years ago, and it grows just a little each year. I have pictures ~on paper and in my head~ of Stephan and Samuel gazing at it while visiting our home on Greenville-Nashville. They wanted to know about each building and who all the people were.

*~*~*~*~*

My houses and bldgs are the small variety; my people couldn't even fit in the doors. Some of the bldgs were purchased at Goodwill and garage sales. Some from after-Christmas sales at JoAnn's, Walmart and CVS. I've tried to specialize it for our family.

*~*~*~*~*
There is a library .... I used to work at Greenville's
a bookstore ..... anyone who knows our family knows we love books
a fabric store .... need I explain?
a log cabin ..... in honor of David and Lyndie's years in one
a Williamsburg style house .... Some of my favorite memories with Shan are from our trips to Williamsburg.
a mirror for a lake, with a dock and a couple of small 'wood' boats and a lodge .... family Boundary Waters canoe/camping trip
a coffee shop .... no explanation needed for this either.
a barn with a dog house and 'Jaws" .... y'all remember Jaws?
an old country church with stained glass windows ...
*~*~*~*~*
There's a small gazebo (Darke County Fair), a popcorn machine, (Thanks Shan!) a bridge (Greenville Park swinging bridge)and a picket fence like we had on Greenville-Nashville Road.

*~*~*~*~*
As I said my people would never fit inside the bldgs, but they seem to be a very outdoorsy group! There's Papa roasting hotdogs over a campfire while his daughter and son warm their hands, *Shan and David* sledding down a hill, *Shan and I* shopping, a little boy stacking a woodpile (how many times did you do that, David?)...well you get the idea. It's a well populated little village...

*~*~*~*~*
This year when we were in Tampa in November, I found a pkg at Lowe's with a fox, two little bunnies and some squirrels. If you are familiar with our family, you know we have had animal nicknames for years. So, the fox, bunnies, squirrels and chipmunks (previous purchase) all represent family members.

*~*~*~*~*
Everything sits on a blanket of snow (quilt batting) with pine trees of various sizes and styles. It's not fancy...it's not elaborate...Only two-thirds of the bldgs have lights (one strand of 5 bulbs quit working while in storage this year).

*~*~*~*~*
But it's one of my favorite things to set up each year because of all the memories it represents. ...I wish Stephan and Samuel and Shiloh and Yoselin could gaze upon it...
"I'll be home for Christmas....if only in my little village of memories"

Frosty dreams.....

Okay, I'm sitting here in our apartment on the southern coast of the DR. It's 80*, crystal blue skies, (NOT a cloud to be seen!), gentle breeze.
But CNN Headline news and the Internet are both full of news of snow! SNOW! and more snow forecast. ALL over the US!
Yes, I even checked out Greenville's weather and found the list of all the school closings, (Celina to Yellow Springs). I am so JEALOUS!
I miss snow so-o-o-o much!
So, dear ones, blog about ALL your fun during the snow. Show lots of pics!

Snow day---there's just something about waking up and knowing your kids are home on a day when they *should* be in school. I used to get up even earlier on a suspected snow day, just to have the joy of knowing I didn't HAVE to be up. I was up of my own free will choice! Crazy, I know!
So, who's making big pots of chili, or homemade soup? Hot chocolate with lots of marshmallows?
So, I'm hoping to hear from you all! NO WHINING allowed, however :)

" Oh the weather outside is frightful...
But the fire is so delightful...
Since we've no place to go....
Let it snow! Let is snow! Let it snow!"

Anyone singing along....?

A little of this and a little of that.............

I apologize in the beginning for this being so long...but thought you might like an idea of what our days are like right now : )

Sunday we went to our home church in San Pedro de Macoris. Their joy when we walked into the bldg...precious! There was much praise given to God for Bob's health! They were so happy that we had returned and so quickly! Bob was asked to come up and give a testimony. Many tears and shouts of joy followed. Then he told them that I was in good health. They were all pleased. Then he said, "excepto..." They moaned and waited for him to continue.
He told them how I had fallen in the States and had a broken rib! Yes, it's true! At first we hoped it was just a bad fall and bruised inside. But it has been 2 1/2 weeks and a bruise doesn't last that long.
After the service all the ladies wanted to hug me and were very gentle with me. Then the fun began :) I was sitting when a lady came up and just put her hands on my shoulders and sort of gave me a hug. Another lady (pastor's sister) told her NO! they began a sort of discussion, with one arguing she was not hurting me, she was being careful and repeated the hug to prove it! With the other one firmly telling her NO! I heard the words *mal* and *cuidado* ~~ bad, careful. I just sat there with a big grin saying "Estoy bien! Estoy bien!" Fortunately, they weren't really upset with one another.
SCORE's medical clinic is supposed to be open every Tuesday and Thursday. While Bob and I were in the States, it was open but without the pharmacy being available. We arrived back last week but the clinic was closed on Thursday due to Thanksgiving. So, Bob and I were up at 6:30 this morning anticipating our first day back in the clinic in three weeks. I really enjoy my work in the pharmacy.
If you recall, Tropical Storm Noel passed thru the country about a month ago causing much damage. That damage included the generator for the SCORE property. So, the electricians had been called in to repair it. Somehow in the process of their attempts to repair the generator the electricity to the medical clinic was turned off.
When we arrived at the clinic at 7:45 this morning, we sadly discovered that there was no electrician present, and while the entire rest of the SCORE complex had electricity, the clinic did NOT!
Miolis, the receptionist, and Jaqueline, the cleaning lady, both showed up and were told the news. Miolis called the doctor to inform her. Maria, the cook, called Eddy, the SCORE Dominican field director. He relayed that he would try to get hold of the electricia to tell him. This is roughly translated: "Clinic is closed for the day because there is no idea when he will return to finish!"
We then gave Miolis and Jaqueline a ride to San Pedro and proceeded on to run some of our own errands.
The tenant below Tim and Evelyn's apartment left without paying 2 months rent or returning the keys. So, yesterday our caretaker, Papo, had to replace the lock on the entrance gate, and the security gate right at the stairs to the apartment. But he only had two sets of keys.
Then yesterday while Bob was in Santo Domingo his key chain broke and he lost 5 keys! Fortunately, there is no way any one will know what they go to.
So, Bob decided to get copies for all the keys made while we were in town. It only took 2 hardware stores to get them all made. But in the process we discovered a new Papeleria --office supply store--Staples WITHOUT the computers, electronics, furniture and filing cabinets :)
He dropped me off at Jumbo after the first hardward store. Now, visiting Americans will tell you it is the Dominican version of Walmart. While it is the best place to shop in San Pedro, those who live here know it is no where near Walmart. But Tuesday is the day they have specials on fruits and vegetables. Last week I got avocados for 4.95 pesos each (33.45 pesos =$1) This week it was yellow onions 11.95 pesos #, red and orange *green* pepper 19.95 pesos per #, bananas 7.95 pesos per#. I only had to wait in line 15 minutes to get everything weighed. These prices were a blessing, considering how all vegetable prices have almost doubled since TS Noel!
They had two different brands of brownie mix today! YES!!!! But at 169 pesos??? they stayed on the shelf! I was hoping to buy brown sugar since it is cool enough here to do baking. But, alas, there was none to be found.
They have a deli of ready made items. I usually get a small cup of arroz con leche (rice pudding). It is yummy with just a couple of raisins, cinnamon and a tiny bit of cloves! And at 11 pesos for a good size serving, it's affordable. Jumbo's is the best! Carrefour (North side of Santo Domingo) also sells it in their deli. But they make it with evaporated milk, it's not as creamy and it costs 14 pesos.
Bob will probably meet with Pastor Manny and Pastor Henri on Thursday morning to resume their Greek classes. Yes, Bob is teaching Greek in Spanish. But Manny is fluent in English, also.
Saturday Bob will again meet with the national pastors. The first week he had 8, then 14, then 20. This past Saturday there were 23! They are all eager to receive some sort of formal training. This is a special time for Bob with these men. While we were in the States visiting doctors, these men committed to praying each and every morning at 6AM for Bob's health.

Not much else to report from here. This is our quiet, peaceful time of the year with NO groups! A time to relax, recover and be reinvigorated for January.
The LORD is so good in allowing us to return and to be part of what HE is doing here!

~~anna~~

PS~ Sunday night I finished reading "Safely Home" by Randy Alcorn for the 4th time since 2002. If you have never read it, you are missing an incredible book! While it is a novel, it is based on the truth of what is happening with the persecuted Christian church in China. You must get hold of a copy!

So, what really is tradition for us?

Loved reading Charity's blog about her "Black Friday" shopping....by the way, how did it ever get that name? That sounds so depressing. What happened to the old *Day after Thanksgiving* shopping*? It was a perfectly good name that pretty much said it all. *Black Friday* ??? creepy!

Naturally, this time of year brings out the memories. Being away from family intensifies the feelings I think, too!

Thursday morning as I was making our pies (Yes, we found cans of pumpkin this Summer in the stores here, so we squirreled them away for the right time!) As I was saying, while making the pies I started getting a little nostalgic. But as I started thinking over some of our past years, I realized we haven't always been very traditional. Due to Bob's schedule, we have had many Turkey Dinners on Friday and one year we did it on Wednesday.

Our very first Thanksgiving was right at the end of our honeymoon, and we ended up in a restaurant specializing in German food that advertised a traditional turkey dinner. By the time we arrived, the turkey was gone and we were left with duck! Believe me, duck does not in any way resemble turkey!

The year Bob was pastoring and still working part time as a nurse, we got invited to join a multi-generational family gathering. Who knew they did NOT like turkey, so the main course was roast beef and mashed potatoes with noodles! One family member had compassion and made a small turkey for us!, but no turkey gravy or stuffing! Then no one amongst all those families wanted to host the day in their own home. So they had purchased a small house several years prior and used it only for family gatherings. Adults (B0b and I) all ate in one room, teens (Shan) ate in another and younger kids (David) ate in their own room at the back of the house....and by order of the rest of the parents ne'er the groups shall meet! and they called it a family dinner! Miserable! We were relieved when we never got invited again!

There were the two years when it was only Bob, David and I while Shan was in college or visiting her future in-laws. One of those years was when David started the short lived 'tradition' of shadow puppets on the wall after dinner.

In the early years of our marriage we went to Bob's folks and his mom made the entire meal. That is when I discovered a recipe for fresh cranberry orange relish and began that tradition! But when *that cook* was a firm believer in a thoroughly dried out turkey, even the dark meat, I boldly learned how to cook a turkey. Reynold's oven roasting bags to the rescue! It was much easier to put a plate of turkey into the oven and dry it out for Bob's mom, then for the rest of us to suffer thru "turkey jerky"!

One year when Shan was a baby the three of us were at his Grandparents hunting cabin. Turkey was too big for the pan on hand, so she cut it in half and baked it in two pans. The front half ended up looking like a frog..so we teased for years about our turkey frog.

Later when we lived in Florida this same Grandma with her new husband came for Thanksgiving...that was the year I finally frantically learned how to make stuffing. Who knew it was so easy? and discovered that pumpkin pies cannot be left sitting out in the South as they mold quickly! So, much for leftovers the next day!

Bob was a nursing home director for a while in Indiana and worked Thanksgiving; so we joined him and ate at a community gathering for those who did not have family in the area.

We discovered the day before David's 2nd Thanksgiving that he had pneumonia and I could not take him any where! There were several young families from our church that had plans to gather at one home for the big day . Bob and Shan brought me a plate of leftovers when they returned that evening!

Probably the years that stand out the most are the ones when Shan and family joined us with David and Lyndie and Glen. The table was stretched to its limits and every conceivable chair was utilized! Kari usually came for pie. Then the oldies vs the youngsters for some real football!

The last Thanksgiving we were in the States we had already had our household auction in the summer and sold the stove! But the turkey got placed in a borrowed electric roaster, and everything else was made in crockpots with the brown'n'serve rolls in a toaster oven. David and Lyndie made the pies.

Last year we had it in Costa Rica while attending language school. and YES! we had school as usual that day. Fortunately, classes were only in the morning. But the SCORE missionaries in CR blessed us with a Thanksgiving dinner at the SCORE villa. The first time they had made a turkey! It was the first time rice was on the menu with turkey for us! But what a blessed time as we students were outnumbered 2 to 1 by Ticos...but we all shared what we were thankful for before having a communion service before dinner! And not a pumpkin, pecan or cranberry was in sight!

This year was the first time SCORE missionaries, Nate and Erica, were away from their families. So we pooled our resources (turkey is muy precio!) and our cooking talents and had a great time in our small apartment! We were going to take a dip in the pool, but Erica forgot to bring her suit...

So, what really is traditional?

Do we miss our family gatherings? You better believe we do....a day spent watching parades, talking and laughing, playing Scrabble, orchestrating seating arrangments at the table, preparing, consuming and cleaning up from an incredible meal, drinking pots of coffee, sitting and looking at craft magazines and perusing the sale-ads while planning shopping strategy, watching and playing football, then relaxing in the evening to enjoy *Muppets Christmas Carol* with grandkids snuggled up. Who wouldn't miss that?
It lasted only a short time but there was never anything else like it!

I never did like roller coasters....

Well, it is Sunday night and once again our suitcases are packed and sitting at the door ready to be placed in the car in the morning to head to the airport. Didn't we just go through this routine 2 weeks ago to come here ? and, also, 1 month before that when we left Greenville to return to the Dominican?
Doctors have concluded that Bob's throat/thyroid problems are not cancerous. There is still something going on, visible on the ultrasound, but not enough for the doctors to be concerned about at this time. Recheck in 3 months. We are thrilled with the fact that it is NOT cancer!
When we left the DR two weeks ago, we were facing a very uncertain future, as there was a very real possibility that Bob had thyroid cancer.
Dr Jack Manascalco, who heads CMS (the medical mission division of CWE {Paul Puleo}--who built our clinic in the DR) has been incredible in lining up the right doctors for Bob to see. He has pushed to get us in without waiting days. The doctors have been wonderful. Without Dr Jack's connections, we might still be waiting for referrals.

Not sure why the LORD brought us back to the States for these two weeks. Other than the medical visits to doctors and hospitals it has been a relaxing time. Paul and Sharon Puleo have been more than gracious in their care and provision of a guest home, vehicle, food, etc. The surroundings are beautiful! We have had nothing to keep us running constantly, like our lives in the Dominican.
We have received many emails, phone calls and some mail. All of which have been a blessing and very encouraging.
We may never know, this side of heaven, why the LORD pulled us from the Dominican at a time when 160 baseball players, coaches and others lead by John Zeller were visiting. We missed getting to spend time with Mike and Linda Fourman, as they were part of the team that came. I was looking forward to spending time with a new friend, Sharon Madison, who I met at the SCORE staff meeting in Chattanooga in August. We hit it off and had so many common interests. She was there with her husband, also.
But "My ways are not your ways, and my thoughts are not yours thoughts declares the LORD" (can't think of the reference, but I think it's at least an accurate paraphrase, right?)
But, Praise the LORD, Bob does NOT have cancer!!!

And, in our suitcases, are going to be packed 3 pkgs of fresh cranberries, 1 pkg of pecan pieces and 1 bottle of light Karo cornsyrup. Andres Jordan, and Nate, Erica and Mali Jude and Bob and I ARE going to have fresh cranberry orange relish and pecan pie for our Thanksgiving Dinner *SCORE Dominican Republic missionary* style!
Now, can I get off this roller coaster for a while? I have NEVER been a fan of them! EVER!!!