It's MONDAY morning again! HA!

Well, it's Monday morning and so far no tarantulas (dead-or-alive), and I am NOT sick. YEAH!
I am fully recovered from last week's illness and conjunctivitis.

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Bob and I got our apartment decorated for Christmas on Friday, went to another wedding on Saturday. For any of you who have been here and remember Elias, it was his wedding. Wedding was scheduled for 4pm, and four of us had 'bets' on the actual starting time. Manny won ~ he guessed 4:45 and it was right on the dot! Dominicans are NOT known for punctuality.

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Yesterday was another great time in church. Bob is teaching the English SS and going thru I Corinthians. We had a great discussion on the foolishness of man vs the wisdom of God. So, often we want to complicate the gospel when talking to people. We will NOT convince them with our 'enticing' words, or by arguing science or philosophy. It's the Word of God thru the working of the Holy Spirit that will draw them in.
Good discussion....great study.

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After church we stayed while Hugo put on the TV all the pics he had taken of Manny and Olga's wedding just three weeks ago. Manny and Olga loved it! Esp when Hugo told him he was making them a CD, too.

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Once we got home, we decided it was a pleasant day for the beach. NOT too hot with low humidity. So, we packed a simple lunch of apples, hard boiled eggs, cheese and crackers; packed books, beverages and towels in our totes/backpacks and walked to the beach at the end of our lane. We were able to stay for two hours, and read, relax, swim and walk the shore. Very relaxing~

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A week ago while shopping at La Sirena in Santo Domingo, I finally found molasses. The entire time we've lived here, I have never seen it in the stores. Linda Fourman brings it in her suiticase when I ask. Molasses is a by-product of the sugar cane process, and it goes into the making of rum. So, I was elated to finally find molasses! Yesterday afternoon I made a batch of Ginger Molasses cookies. Moist, chewy and delicious!

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Today is our 5th anniversary of moving here. We flew into Santiago on MFI (Missionary Flights International) in the afternoon, were met by Kiko (SCORE bus driver) and a rented bus with driver, broke into tears when the custom officials told us we would have to come back the next day for them to approve the removal of our 2500 pounds of belongings, (Tears worked, as making a woman cry, esp an American woman, embarasses their macho-ego) and we arrived at SCORE at 9:30 that night!

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In official celebration of this momentous anniversary occasion....our power went out at 9:45 this morning. Since, it's been a little over 2 weeks since we've had a full day power outtage...My guess is that it's going to be off for the entire day. Guess I won't be fixing our chicken in the crockpot after all.

ah...welll...welcome to life in the Dominican Republic!

We won't need electricity to go snorkling off the beach this afternoon though..he-he! (No groups till the day after Christmas, so it's time to relax!)

love you all,
~anna~

another not-so-fun way to start my week....

I had planned to come up with a much longer post today with pics from last week. But my day has not gone well.

Had a cold of sorts over the weekend, but thought I was doing better.

Went out on the balcony to trim some plants (BIG) and within 5 minutes was very nauseated.

Came inside and it eased up, so I went downstairs to take the trimmings outside of our apartment complex and just across the dirt road (more like a wide path that cars drive on).

By the time I got across the path, I seriously began to wonder how I was going to get back. Everything was going black, and swimming before my eyes. All I could think is "Oh LORD, please don't let me pass out right here on this road." Made it back inside the gate and had to sit on a ledge with my head down. Papo started cleaning up my plant trimmings, when he realized I wasn't feeling well.

It started to clear some, so I was able to make it upstairs. Once in our apartment the room started going black again. So, I took a shower fully clothed while kneeling in the tub. Unfortunatley, Bob wasn't home. I thought maybe I was overheating, but I have never felt this week and shaky after I cooled off.

I don't know if it's a weird reaction to some sort of bug (virus), or if I way overheated (eventhough I didn't think I had even gotten hot), or if I am just worn down and didn't realize it.

Please pray that this passes soon...I hate feeling like this. So, much for the plans I had of things to accomplish today....

love,
~anna~

NOT the way I want to start my day!

Went into my laundry room, ((right next to our kitchen by the way)) looking for a new roll of trash bags. What to my wondering eyes should appear??? But a tarantula!!!!
Urgent call has been made to Bob to put vehicle in reverse and get home NOW!!!

I HATE TARANTULAS!!!!

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Update: My knight in shining armour arrived home and dispatched with the wicked critter!

The box with the rolls of trashbags is stored in a corner that is hard to get at, since once I get a roll of bags out I don't need the box for a long time! What I needed was on the bottom, of course.

As I reached for the box, I saw the tarantula less than 6" from my hand! Fortunately, when I jumped I did NOT hit my head on the wooden cupboard right over me!

Then the frantic hunt for my cell phone, only to discover that it was without power, since I hadn't plugged it in to the charger for a few days! Plugged it in, (Why does the signal always seem to take forever when you're in a hurry?) called Bob...while imagining this black furry thing crawling out of it's previously hidden location.

Praise the LORD! Bob wasn't too far away, and arrived home *muy pronto*.

He could not believe how far into the corner the thing was...it is a very small area which made the whole procedure quite awkward. Due to the design of the laundry water hookup and drain, he only had a 12" wide area to work in. But with flashlight and a HUGE can of Raid, he commenced with his duties. I stood nearby with a 2nd can of Raid, just to be sure it did not escape....only to discover it was a DEAD tarantula.

I guess if I have to have a tarantula, that is the best kind to have.

I wonder if this is the mother to the baby one that was in my cupboard last Christmas Day?!

I HATE tarantulas...but I love my knight in shining armour!

ALL in a day!

Last week was incredible. What a joy it was to have Mike & Linda and Danny here and to spend time with them. Watching Danny speaking and interacting with the people here was a true blessing. We are so thankful to have a pastor and church who truly are involved in the ministry here! I'm not posting pics of Danny in the churches, yet, since he hasn't even seen them.

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Sunday was a full day. It started with our church service at SCORE with Ron Bishop giving the message and Aby Prado translating. Church was full since we had a number of people 'left over' from last week's baseball clinic.

Ron, (right) preaching while Aby translates. I made the curtains behind them a couple of weeks ago, as there was such a glare due to bright sun!

It was interesting for us to see how Aby translated some things. At one point Ron said" I'm just a dumb coach..." But when Aby translated he left out the word 'dumb'. Bob & I asked him later about that. His response, "I wasn't going to make him look bad in front of these people."


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Immediately following the service, we all walked back to the SCORE pool for Carolina's baptism. Carolina is married to Giovanni, a Dominican SCORE missionary. He is very involved with the sports teams that come thru here. Because of his status as a former Dominican basketball player, he has no problem getting our teams in to places to play. But most importantly, he and Carolina, truly desire to serve the LORD with their lives.
Aby, Carolina and Ron





Carolina and Gio. In the background is Sarah. Her and her hubby, Hugo, are our newest missionaries, having arrived only 3 weeks ago with their 16 month old son, Mattias.

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Then later in the afternoon we celebrated the marriage of Manny and Olga. Any of you who have been on a SCORE trip, may have met Manny. What a joy this was to attend! Manny is now a SCORE missionary, also, and a more humble Godly man I could never imagine.
The wedding was held at SCORE in the front area. Erica Jude and Ginny Craeger, (SCORE missionaries) did an incredible job of decorating. Pastor Henry, from Quisqueya and Olga's pastor, did part of the service. Ginny, Erica and Gladys sang, Ron did the major portion of the ceremony with Aby translating. It was beautiful! (I'm writing this part in orange, since that was the color of the flowers, and the bridesmaids dresses)


Mr & Mrs Manuel Tucen!


Of course, there was the traditional wedding cake, but they didn't feed each other any cake. Guess it's not a Dominican tradition! But during clean up time Aby and Ginny decided to have some fun!

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Today is our version of Thanksgiving. The SCORE missionaries are getting together at the SCORE complex to celebrate together. It was going to be at our apartment, but there are too many people for our '6 people table'. We will have Costa Rica, Argentina, Dominican Republic, and El Savador all represented along with the United States. Should be fun!

We're taking the turkey over to Nate & Erica's at 10AM since they have the largest oven. I have the dressing in a crockpot already. Made two pumpkin and 1 cherry pie last night. Linda brought me a 3# bag of fresh cranberries, so I was able to make cranberry orange relish, too!

The rest are bringing the potatoes, veggies, rolls, and more desserts. Hopefully, someone remembers to make coffee!!!

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Hope you all have a wonderful time with family, friends, feasting, football, fellowship and fun!

love,

~anna~

Little glimpse of our past 2 weeks!

Guess I'm a tad bit slow in posting here. The past 10 days or so have been a bit crazy and busy.

I have had ear infections for over 2 weeks. First one ear, and then the other. Complete with intense feeling of motion sickness. A couple of times I felt like I had been in the back seat of a fast moving car on a very, winding road! It went from bacterial infection to a fungul infection. The antibiotic made everything taste like metal! Cuts down on snacking that's for sure. Since it's now a fungal infection, I'm off that antibiotic. (some small reason to rejoice!) One other missionary here has had the same thing, and has taken almost three weeks to recover.

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We did get our new vehicle, and that only took two trips to Santo Domingo. One trip to pick it up and another trip two days later to take it to the dealership and have the radio, spare tire mount and license plates installed.

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This is our first view of it behind the chain link fence at Customs. In 36 years of marriage, this is only the 2nd brand new vehicle we have ever purchased. The first was the month before our wedding when we bought a 1972 Datsun 1200 for $2,100 right off the lot! We thought we were in 7th Heaven back then when the dealer changed the radio from AM to AM/FM.

With this Terios we are excited to have a CD player, AC that works, seats that work, windows that work, a hatch that doesn't require a broom stick to keep it open, etc, etc.

The washers and wipers work on the front and back windows!!!!

With gas down to 130.4 pesos (34 =$1), and the increased mileage this will be a major savings for us!

It handles great, and is really comfortable to ride in! We are so thankful for all those who prayed and donated for this vehicle!

.It barely had enough gas to get it to the gas station, since we picked it up right at customs and not the dealership, It is Sonic Blue Metallic. The white you see is just protective plastic covering.

What you don't see in this picture is the fact that I am following behind Bob while driving the Explorer. He offered to let me drive the Terios, but I was nervous enough driving in Santo Domingo, let alone driving the brand new vehicle! Fortunately, here we are on the Malecon, where traffic is much lighter. And YES! I snapped this photo while driving!

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I finally finished a wallhanging that I have been working on for the past two years. I would work on it for a few days and then take a break of a couple of weeks or more. It is 4' x4'2" and hangs in the hallway leading to our bedroom and bathroom. But it is visible from the living room. It's not how I would decorate in the States, but I live in the tropics. In these photos I moved it out to our landing to get a better angle.

I pieced the background using different batik fabrics. The fish were cut from 'fish' fabric and then embelished with beads, sequins, or glittery fabric. The sea shells are actually from our walks on the beach. The 3-d embellishments that are meant to look like coral or plant life are from the Christmas decorations department at the stores here. Yes, they decorate differently here!

I'm quite pleased with it, and Bob loves it! Next project, probably after Christmas, is to actually paint the bathroom. Currently it is battleship grey with white and gold shower tiles, that have gold fruit baskets. Nothing I can do about the fruit basket tile, but we want to paint the bathroom blue and give it a tropical sea look. More photos to follow. I do have plenty of odds'n'ends from the big wall hanging to make 2 small ones to hang in the bathroom. These two pictures are close-ups of the two lower corners.

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Last Monday was our 36th wedding anniversary; Thursday was my 56th birthday, and Friday was Bob's 58th birthday. So, we spent three days relaxing and having fun. We went to the capital and strolled El Conde and ate there at Hard Rock Cafe. Had the best bacon cheeseburgers while laughing at some of the old music videos playing on screens mounted by the tables. "House of the Rising Sun" was our era! It's a bit pricey to eat there, but it was our anniversary!

Thursday we spent the day at the all-inclusive relaxing on the beach while reading under palm trees. Friday we went back to the capital and went to a mall (Bob's idea!). By the end of Friday, my legs and ankles were just about killing me with pain. I didn't think I had done any more walking on Friday than when we've gone shopping before, but for some reason my body rebelled. Tylenol, Advil and, eventually, a stronger pain killer, so that I could even fall asleep. Took it easy on Saturday, needless to say! Aging is hard on my body, I guess!

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Bob had a med team on Tuesday and Wednesday, so I spent some time sewing some Christmas presents. Can't say what, as perhaps David & Lyndie may be reading this too! Pictures possibly after Christmas. Sewing for me is relaxing, so to have two days in a row to work on projects was a real treat!

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This afternoon Danny and Mike arrive. Although we just discovered that their flight has been delayed in Atlanta. Not due into Las Americas now til about 5. We're going early to the airport to eat (Burger King) and watch the planes take-off and land. We each take a book and sit and relax! We're easily amused!

Til later~

~~anna~~

Short Post---Good News!

Eddy Gil (SCORE Dominican Field Director), who is handling our new vehicle purchase, just called!

We have to be at the car dealership in Santo Domingo at 10AM this morning.

Please pray.....I may have to drive the Explorer back thru Santo Domingo.

Stay tuned~~more news and pics later!

Thank you LORD!

God Bless America

If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and forgive their sin and heal their land.

II Chronicles 7:14

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We have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us! It behooves us, then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.

~ President Abraham Lincoln, in National Proclamation of Prayer and Repentance, 1863

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Such being the impressions under which I have, in obedience to the public summons, repaired to the present station, it would be peculiarly improper to omit, in this first official act, my fervent supplications to that Almighty Being who rules over the universe, who presides in the councils of nations and whose providential aide can supply every human defect, that His benediction may consecrate to the liberties and happiness of the people of the United States a Government instituted by themselves for these essential purposes; and may enable every instrument employed in its administration to execute with success, the functions allotted to his charge.

~ George Washington, in his first inaugural address, 1789

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My country,' tis of thee,

sweet land of liberty,

of thee I sing;

land where my fathers died,

land of the pilgrims' pride,

from every mountainside

let freedom ring!

4. Our fathers' God, to thee,

author of liberty,

to thee we sing;

long may our land be bright

with freedom's holy light;

protect us by thy might,

great God, our King.

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The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; He directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.

~ Proverbs 21:1

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My first act as President is a prayer. I ask you to bow your heads.

Heavenly Father, we bow our heads and thank You for Your love. Accept our thanks for the peace that yields this day and the shared faith that makes its continuance likely. Make us strong to do Your work, willing to heed and hear Your will...

...The Lord our God be with us, as He was with our fathers; may He not leave us or forsake us; so that He may incline our hearts to Him, to walk in all His ways... that all peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no other.
George H. W. Bush~--Inaugural address, January 20,1989

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To preserve our blessed land we must look to God... It is time to realize that we need God more than He needs us...

Let us, young and old, join together, as did the First Continental Congress, in the first step, in humble heartfelt prayer. Let us do so for the love of God and His great goodness, in search of His guidance and the grace of repentance, in seeking His blessings, His peace, and the resting of His kind and holy hands on ourselves, our nation, our friends in the defense of freedom, and all mankind, now and always.
The time has come to turn to God and reassert our trust in Him for the healing of America... Our country is in need of and ready for a spiritual renewal. Today, we utter no prayer more fervently than the ancient prayer for peace on Earth.
If I had a prayer for you today, among those that have all been uttered, it is that one we're so familiar with: "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace...." And God bless you all.
Ronald Reagan~A Prayer for Healing~From a speech to the American people, February 6, 1986

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Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.

I Timothy 2:1-2

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" God Bless America, Land that I love.

Stand beside her, and guide her Thru the night with a light from above.

From the mountains, to the prairies, To the oceans, white with foam

God bless America, My home sweet home. "

Who thought $4 gas price would make me happy?

Time to celebrate!!!! The government here sets the price of all fuel. Gas prices are revealed every Friday night and most be changed by Saturday morning when the stations open . So, no going around the block to another station to save a peso or two.

Just a few weeks ago gas was at RD$204 or, $6.00US~~(peso was at 34= $1). This morning when we were driving home from church we noticed the sign at the gas station... $141.20. ~~or, $4.00 ~~(peso is at 35.20 = $1). WOW! It has been slowly dropping each week, but this was a 14 peso drop from last Saturday! What a major savings that will be for everyone!

Our new vehicle, which gets about 40mpg, should be in port this week. Yes, our new vehicle actually is being shipped here from Japan and is arriving supposedly tomorrow on a container ship.

Then it has to clear customs, go to the dealership and have the 'defensas' installed. "Defensas" are tubular safety bars mounted to the front of the vehicle that prevent the radiator and other engine parts from being damaged in a 'minor' accident. Believe me, they are not a luxury add-on but a much needed accessory!

We might just have it within 2 weeks. But this is the Dominican Republic, where 'manana' (that should have the little wavey thing over the first 'n' but I can never get my computer to do that, sorry Dee!) can actually mean tomorrow, or it can mean "Yes, I am saying tomorrow, because I have no clue when it will really happen, but it will make everyone happy if I say 'manana'. And I will continue to say manana, until manana is the day it actually happens."

So we are being told about 2 weeks. We'll let you know how that goes.

Pictures will be posted when it arrives. A couple of good things that Bob discovered~~ The vehicle we are getting is the Diahatsu Terrios 7 seater...which is the same model as the Toyota Rush. But the Rush sells for much more, because it says Toyota instead of Diahatsu on the vehicle! Also, he couldn't find any negative customer comments about the Terrios when he researched it online!

Fuel savings aside, I'll be very happy to finally have a vehicle where the AC and the windows work properly!!!

love,

~~anna~~

I live "The Wonderful Life"

The past 10 days or so I have really had it impressed upon me that I am truly living a wonderful life. These are some highlights from those days.

The first three pictures were taken over at SCORE, where Avy & Gladys Prado and their two teenage children, Joel and Sophya, live in one of the small apartments. They are Costa Ricans (Ticos) who have been working there with SCORE for a number of years. In August they moved here to help establish a couple of new churches. They are a fun couple with a wonderful sense of humor and are always ready to serve others. Their children are also a delight! Fortunately, for me they all speak English. But they have offered to help me with my Spanish!

Gladys is actually Argentinian, so when we went over to their place they served us an Argentinian barbecue. It seems that in that country meat is cheaper than veggies or potatoes or rice. So the traditional Argentinian BBQ consisted of sausage, chicken, pork and beef. Small pieces of each and oh so delicious! Served with a small salad.


Bob, Tim and Avy at the grill! Yes, that's a pool in the background, too!

Avy is an incredible chef! The sausage (Longinista) is served on a bun with lettuce, tomato and salad dressing. It is unbelievably delicious!

Gladys and Evelyn~~Two dear sisters in Christ

Then on Tuesday I came home from an afternoon in the clinic pharmacy. After a quick dinner I told Bob I would like to go for a walk. So we did~~we walked the shore of the Caribbean! Less than 5 minutes from our apartment!

Wednesday and early Thursday I had a migraine (THAT was not part of my wonderful life!), so I didn't eat much. Thursday night when I got home again from the clinic pharmacy I was starving! Bob was offering me different ideas of what he would make for us...a big salad or eggs, veggies, hashbrowns, etc. Nothing was going to do it. I told him I wanted to go to Giulia's (Pronounced "Julia") Italian Cafe. Giulia's is owned by Judah, a Jewish man from Jerusalem, who makes the best cheeseburger ever!!!!
~~Yes! a Jewish man who owns an Italian cafe in the Dominican Republic right across from the Caribbean who specializes in American cheeseburgers!~~
So, we walked up to Giulia's at the end of our street, where we discussed U.S. politics with Judah. Obviously, Judah does NOT want Obama elected. Neither can he understand why anyone in the States would vote for Obama!

Papo, our caretaker, has given us fresh fruit twice in the past week...papaya and some fruit I haven't a clue what the name is. They are bigger than a cherry tomato, have a skin similar to kiwi, but have the texture of a grape, but are very sour! Oh and fresh papaya is nothing like the orange chunks in cans of fruit cocktail. It has a delicious flavor and real texture! He also gave us two coconuts fresh from the tree!

Sunday morning during the church service at SCORE, Bob gave a 10 minute devotional. Avy has asked Bob to do that each week. Bob's doing it, obviously, in Spanish; and he is doing a wonderful job. I can tell, because the people are nodding their heads, so that means they know what he's saying!

Which leads me to today. Avy flew back to Costa Rica for a few days and arrived back last night. He brought back a friend of his, who also happens to be a hairstylist that has his own beauty shop in San Jose, CR. This friend came just for 48 hours specifically to do the hair of all the missionaries with SCORE. So, today I got my hair cut by a Tico hairstylist! It's so different than anything I've ever had. ((Avy offered to drive me back to our apartment and introduce me to Bob)). He also offered to drive Bob to the hospital if he had a heart attack. Fortunately, Bob loves it and so do I!
Sophya, Joel, Dianna, Erica, and Evelyn are now also sporting new styles! Gladys not only got her hair styled, but also had highlights put in! We're trying to figure how we can raise $$$ to being him back every few months to maintain our styles! :)

Sophya & I with my new hair style while it is still wet. The bottom picute is after it has dried. It isn't set, just finger combed into place! I keep running my fingers thru it or looking in the mirror to see if I still like it~~I DO!


So, the LORD has impressed it on my heart and mind these past few days that I am truly living a wonderful life. ~~ eating delicious BBQ's with Argentinians and Ticos; walking on the shores of the Caribbean, serving in a clinic pharmacy, eating exotic fruit and drinking fresh coconut milk, discussing American politics with a Jewish man in an Italian cafe, getting new hairstyles and listening to my hubby give the Gospel in a foreign country but in their language and I was able to understand what he was saying!

Early morning~~

I woke up at 5AM this morning.
Not by choice~
Not because I set my alarm for that time~
Believe me, I so wanted to sleep ~~
But I found myself asking God: "Why am I awake at 5AM???"
His answer, "I want to spend time with you."
I resisted at first, but then it hit me: I have been missing time with my own children and grandchildren. How much more God has been missing spending much time with me!
So, my LORD and I spent some early morning time together.....

• I miss hearing from my own chidlren~~how much more God misses hearing from me.
• I want to have 'quality' time with my children ~~ How much more does He desire more than just snippets of my time.
• I want my children to want to know me ~~ How much more my LORD longs for me to want to really know Him.
• I want my children to know how much I love them ~~ But the love of God far surpasses any earthly love.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jeses Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and withut blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved." Ephesians 1:3-6

Snatches of my days

Well, the meeting with the staff went well Tuesday afternoon. They were stunned by the news I think...as can be expected.

But then yesterday the Dra showed up late ....staff is supposed to be there by 1pm and she arrived without explanation at 2:15. She does that if she's trying to make a point...usually, that she is not happy with us. She just succeeds in reconfirming for us that changes need to be made.

Please continue to pray for the staff and for us as we head into a new phase of the clinic ministry.

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This is my new toaster oven that we purchased in Santo Domingo 2 weeks ago. May not seem very exciting probably, but I am really happy!!!

My previous one was purchased used from Goodwill atleast 6 years ago. For the past few months, I could only use it to toast with constant supervision, as the cord became quite hot really fast!

All the ones we had seen previously were $60-$75. yeeouch! Imagine our surprise when we found this one for just under $30!!!! Besides toasting, I can use it as a small oven, which means less heat in the main part of the house from the oven. ((Our kitchen, dining room and living room are one room.)) This toaster oven sits on a ledge in the laundry room, right under a small window opening to the kitchen.

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These are pics of a jumper I made on Wednesday for Shiloh. I purchased the fabric a couple of years ago in Santo Domingo. The daises were from a trim I bought at Walmart when they were closing out their fabric department. (Can't even say how unhappy that decision by corporate Walmart made me!)

They were attached in one long 'ribbon' so I cut the daisies apart and sewed them on by hand (much easier than it may sound.) They are randomly placed on the front and back.

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I so miss Fall with its cool, crisp air, the colors and the smells!

But this is the view out my front door this afternoon.

It is beautiful, though, don't you agree?

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These days I am missing spending time with our family. I long to play again at Lake Superior with Shan, Stephan, Samuel & Shiloh. I miss seeing David & Lyndie & Yoselin and hearing the sound of their voices. I want to hold Yosi and experience the joy of her adorable smile. But I pray for peace, because I KNOW this is where the LORD desires us to be. Don't read that as 'depressed' or 'discouraged'. I just love my family and long to have time with them.

love to you, ~~anna~~

Clinic changes coming

When we were in the States, we shared that there were changes coming for our Medical/Dental Clinic. Bob had meetings in the States with those involved in the medical ministry of SCORE. Then last week he met with Eddy (DR Administrator for SCORE) and Dr Tollentino, (Dominican medical director for the clinic). They all agreed that the changes were needed. The two of them also agreed that Bob should be the one to tell the staff that we will be letting them go
So, tomorrow Bob will inform Meoli (receptionist), Jacqueline (cleaning lady) and Doctora (Dra) that we will be letting them go at the end of the month..
Starting November we will be open all day on Thursday and Bob will see patients and I will be in the pharmacy. We used to be open all day Tuesday & Thursday, but Dra accepted a new job and informed us a while back she would only be in the clinics in the afternoon. We got one day's notice that our entire clinic was changing!
Meoli is a very sweet Christian girl, but is not the right one for that position. Jackie was hired as a cleaning lady, which she does a wonderful job at. But she also does the pregnancy tests, breathing treatments, speaks Creole and Spanish, fills in as receptionist when Meoli is sick, etc. She is going to school to become a nurse's aide. We will be rehiring her in a new position. (For some reason Eddy says we have to fire her first, and then rehire her. Don't know why.)
Dra....well....she needs to move on. The needs of the clinic will be better met without her there. We are not going to put it to her quite in those terms though! :) They will be told that the ministry is changing and that the clinic is going in another direction, and so different staffing will be required.
Please pray for Bob when he tells them. Pray for clarity of thought and speech. Pray also for all the attitudes of those involved and affected by these changes. Pray for us as we begin this new phase of the Medical/Dental clinic.

love,
~~anna~~

PS~~Just a little on the cost of living here. 34 pesos = $1.00. Note that this change transpired in one month's time. Of course, large eggs, which we generally purchase, cost more.
Sep 01 - Pack of 30 small eggs - $119 pesos.
Sep 14 - Pack of 30 small eggs - $142 pesos.
Sep 20 - Pack of 30 small eggs - $160 pesos.
Oct 05 - Pack of 30 small eggs - $173 pesos.

I LOVE low water pressure!

Yes, that's right! I LOVE low water pressure!
Not always, but I am so thankful for low water pressure yesterday.

If any of you have read my earlier posts, you know about our 'occasional' neighbor. "occasional" because he only shows up at his property next door when he's having a party.

The last party the *music* (thump-kerthump-thump-thump-kerthump-thump-thump) began at 6:09 on Friday evening and finally ended 27 hours later at 9:20 Saturday night with a vist from the local police! We are not talking gentle easy listening music. This is >LOUD< with a heavy bass from a keyboard that just kerthumps continually. Then there is other music played over top~~seemingly in an attempt to drown out the "kerthump". But the kerthump never ends!

So, when the owner showed up on Tuesday to orchestrate the cleaning of the property, we were dreading the weekend. He even came over to talk to Bob, which he has never done before. He assured us that even though he was hosting a birthday party Saturday, it would not get out of hand and that they would keep the noise level down. Me thinks he was trying to subtly tell us he was hoping we would not feel the need to call the police again.

Since his last party ended May 17th, he had not returned. Which means the propety had not been cleaned, nor the pool completely emptied. The foot or two of water that remained in the deep end of the pool was brownish green and covered with garbage and mosquitoes.
With all the hurricane rains, the roof and windows leaked and the walls of the rooms inside were covered with mold.

Starting on Thursday he had hired people to give the entire grounds a thorough cleaning. They cut the small sections of grass, hauled out garbage, emptied and hand scrubbed the pool. Yesterday they used a power washer for over 7 hours on the inside, the patio and the pool.

In the almost 4 years we have lived in this aprtment we have never seen him spend so much time and effort in cleaning the place. We figured this must really be some gathering!

But since we returned from the States on the 18th of September, we have experienced very low water pressure. Taking a shower has been a real experience with the water fluctuating from a trickle to some spray, to pretty good spray, back to a trickle. Real fun when trying to get shampoo out of my hair!

At 10:00 last night Papo, our caretaker, called up to Bob. When Bob went out to the balcony, Papo thanked him for "talking to God" because the party was moved to a different location further down our road. Guess there wasn't enough water pressure to refill the huge pool by party time!

This morning Papo fixed the problem with our water pressure!
But I am thanking the LORD for yesterday's low water pressure!

Why I don't drive much~~

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

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

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!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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!

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

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!

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

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~~

Get the message!!!!

Today was my final Sunday at Grace while we are in the States this time.
Tomorrow I pick Bob up at the airport in Dayton, then we travel down to Chattanooga, TN, for the SCORE staff meeting. Then we are scheduled to share in a church right outside of Chattanooga in Fort Oglethorpe, GA, on Sunday. The following weekend we travel to Warsaw, IN, to share in the church we attended for years when we lived there. Then on the 18th we fly home.

But this morning's entire service was truly one to remember. Something to recall and cherish when we get back to the Dominican Republic.

Jason, and the worship team, did such a beautiful job! The music, prayer and Scripture was so worshipful, and thus, beautiful! I almost thought it could end right there.

But thankfully, it didn't! Danny's teaching on Revelation 3:14-23 was a continuation of the blessing! How do I put it into words? You have to get the CD, or listen to it online.
What more can I say? If you weren't there, go to the church webpage and "get the message"!!!

Thank you Danny!
Thank you Jason!

Thank you LORD for my church and it's spiritual leaders! Thank you that you have provided Grace with Godly men who seek to serve You and to worship You and to make You known! Thank you that the teaching is centered and founded on Your Word! on Christ!

Narnia...and the NORTH!

Well, we've been here in Greenville for 2 weeks already! Hard to believe!
We've met Yosi! YES! Not only have we met her, but I have had the joy of babysitting 3 times~~1 afternoon for a couple of hours, and 2 full days! What a joy that was! Just in case anyone didn't know...she is adorable and so much fun to play with!

We've been able to see many while at church. So many new faces! What a blessing it has been to worship in our home church for two Sundays (well, one of them was in the park, but that was fun.)

So, right now we are in the final packing for a camping trip! YES! David, Lyndie & Yosi, and Shan, Stephan, Samuel and Shiloh and us are all meeting at a campground near Bradford for tonight. It will be Yosi's first time with Auntie Shan and her cousins.

Then tomorrow about noon, Shan, the kids, and Bob & I head up to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for about 9 days of wilderness camping on Lake Superior. She has a tent and we have Glen's pop-up camper.

Campfires, s'mores, walking on big rocks, hiking to a restored lighthouse, playing in Hurricane River, collecting rocks, building sand castles, reading on the beach, playing in the cold waters of Lake Superior, counting falling stars and satellites in the dark night sky. This is where all of us went last year for a week (well, except for Yosi who wasn't born yet).

Then when we return there will be the Darke County Fair, churches to visit and a staff meeting in Chattanooga, TN.

See you all when we return....but for now, it "Narnia and the North!"