Home Sweet Home

Buenas mi familia!

I am happy to report that I made it home to Cali safely! I came home a few days early because my dear Uncle Bill, my father's brother, passed away. He actually died on my birthday, January 12th. Needless to say, it was a sad day for me and my family. I changed my flight on that day and was able to attend the viewing on Thursday and the burial and memorial service on Friday. It was so strange to see him in the coffin... It wasn't him. He struggled for the last month of his life in ICU and enduring 4 surgeries. God performed a miracle of healing so for the last few days of his life he was able to breathe on his own and was able to speak with his wife (of 57 years) and children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. What a gift for him to be able to say goodbye to so many that he had loved so greatly!

Because I had to leave earlier than expected, I still have some things to do to complete my mission. I am working on treatment plans (for further care) for all the kids and families I was working with and will be sending them to Dr. Silvia in this week. In two weeks, I have two presentations at my parents' church, First United Reformed Church in Chino, CA, where i will be sharing stories and photos of my mission trip. I cannot tell you how much this wonderful church supported me with prayers, donations, emails, and an offering! I will be forever grateful!

I plan to post more photos and stories on this site for a while...well until all the stories are told, i suppose. So, keep checking for updates!

My love and gratitude to all of you who kept me in your thoughts and prayers during this awesome experience. God is SO GOOD!

Josefina, Joselin, Me and Claudia at my birthday party

Same ladies with Pamela, Carla, and Fanny too

Wandeir, Veronica, Papo, Jilly y yo last days at El Cacique

Ahh, mi amigo, mi hermano, mi taxi driver, Freddy! What a great man!

My last day at the Desayuno Program in El Cacique

Quieren mas Fotos? Hay mas!

These are a few of the "not so good" guys of El Cacique with Josefina. I have a heart for these and know He loves them too! I have worked with two families who live the criminal life. It is difficult and dangerous at times. In front of this very house, 2 young men were killed by police in a shoot out last month. The policia's idea of "protect and serve" is to kill "delinquents" with no bother for a trial.

My boy Jason and the water truck. You wouldn't believe how loud the horn is on these trucks! And then, they add a megaphone with a guy screaming "Agua!"

My sweet girl.

This is Erikson. I wrote about him early on. He is a 10-year-old twin who was born with twisted legs and has significant mental retardation. His twin brother, Wilman, is the one responsible for his care while the other family members work. Neither boy has ever attended school. He is sitting in front of his house waiting for his mother to return from work. He sits here nearly every day waiting for her or his father for hours. He is able to "crawl" but needs to be carried most of the time. Sociedad Lucas provided him with pampers so this day he actually has a diaper. Most other days, he sits naked in this spot.

The Info

Food:
Good. The fruit is fantastic! And the avocados are HUGE! They don’t have honey dew here and I haven’t seen a watermelon either. Nectarines, peaches, apricots, and plums have yet to be on the menu but the pineapple, papaya, kiwis, mandarin oranges, bananas, mangos, and a few more I don’t remember their names are delicious. Vegetables have been limited to plantains (and a TON of them, almost everyday and I am not really sure if these are a vegetable or a fruit), avocados, and what they call sweet potatoes, carrots (but only in salads), beets, and a cucumber here and there. Tomatoes (especially the green ones) are good here but I feel a battle within to label them either a fruit or veggie (I know the truth but don’t really like it) .

Rice and beans are BANDERA de DOMINICANA “ flag of Republica Dominicana” and they/we eat them everyday. The beans are prepared a specific way to be called Habicuelas (I like them a lot). And chicken, I am sure, is part of the “flag” as well. I argue with the locals that plantains need to be included considering they are a feature of every meal and snack and afterthought. But alas, they won’t change a thing for this Americana!

I finally asked people to stop calling me that and reminded them of my name more than once. I blamed the ones who decided to call me Americana instead of Melanie, when talking to other people, for the mosquitoes eating me alive while the locals sat comfortably beside me with not a bite on their bodies!

Music: It is clear within the first few days of being in this country that Merengue (??) is the national genre. And I have to be honest; I don’t like it very much. I can enjoy 5 or 6 songs (which I have heard probably 2,000 times) but day after day playing until early in the morning at bone shaking high volumes is almost more than I can take. I thank God every day for my ipod and really good earphones (thank you again Dad!)! There are a few really good Christian artists from DR that I have burned onto my ipod…Marcos Yaroide is one of them…Cielos Abierto is a great album! And, El Nuevo Padrino is a talented hip hop artist who ministers quite powerfully in his raps and in his talks. I recommend him to any fan of hip hop. He is mi hermano. This man quickly became one of my most favorite people on the planet. Thank you Lord for him! There are no words for what, through him, was given to me!

What I have learned: patience is golden and I need to pray constantly for more of it. While waiting for one thing to occur many other things (of importance) are happening and you might be missing them. Patience has been necessary for life here in DR because everyone’s clock, it seems, runs quite a bit late; sometimes an hour or hour and a half late. Yeah, it is difficult to get used to. I have also had to relinquish my independence all times except for when I take a weekend break. This has been a struggle for me as any of you who know me would expect. I cannot drive myself because it scares me to death! Nothing but chaos on these streets! Therefore I need to rely on others. I did raise much money for daily transportation for work and he, my taxi driver, Freddy is almost always on time! Praise the Lord. So to relieve myself of the wait, I call Freddy. Sad thing is it costs me! J

So… I have to be honest, I attached this. I have not the ability to write so much so clearly in such a short time. I will post more later.
Love to you all…
mjoy

One day at El Cacique

It is so not done...

My Marisol and her siblings in their back door

This is what lies beyond their back door. The dump burning. The smoke burns your throat and eyes here.
He speaks in this...

Grandparents of Perla the sweet.

My Christmas

What? Que? Como?

Okay so here goes the blogging. Really, i don't know what to say. Just kidding! You all know i ALWAYS have something to say. I am working on speaking only about what is kind and uplifting; but you know at times IT IS HARD!! :) Now i have to report my surroundings... there is a guy trying really hard to take "professional" and "natural" photos of the lobby/bar i am sitting in. The guests are not working with him and it appears the ones at the bar are now a little pissed because he asked some of them to move (apparently the not so pretty ones). Hum... i notice now that the woman he chose is the manager of guest services who didn't do well by a few of us guests earlier today! FUNNY. I waited for 2 hours to ask for my door to lock properly. Now i wonder what she was doing while i was waiting for her.

Anyway, i am trying to blog but am having a difficult time doing it. The internet keeps cutting out. Maybe this will post. Ok i think i have it now. more later!

Look Out!

So sorry for the time between posts...but i have to say i am happy at least some people are checking it out! ;) I want to prepare you (the two who are reading it) that i will be posting a ton in the next four days. HOPEFULLY. I take my last pequeño vacaciones mañana y llegar a la miercoles. So... Look out!

I hope everyone had a great christmas and a fun and safe new year celebration!

Peace,
Mjoy

Mas fotos

Shanty if ever there was one.

Christmas lunch in the batays (approx 400 kids were there). This pic captures just a section of one group of kids from one batay. Aye!

Doesn't my boy in the middle look chill. :) This is his own interprtation of hip hop style...respect!

Y Mas

Mi ultima dia viviendo con Yoseline, Carlito, Jean-Carlos, y Carla

I am quickly becoming a vegetarian again! Look, this meat sits out for a long time and i mean LONG. Ugg, no me gusta. Mira!