Life In the DR, Always Good For a Laugh

Rick and I were once again in the capital trying to complete our residency process. The only perk to running the gauntlet of latin bureaucracy is lunch at a U.S. chain restaurant. As we headed down a main avenue in search of lunch, we passed up McDonald’s and I spotted the coveted Taco Bell. Yes! Let’s eat there. Rick said, “Well, okay, but only if you go in and find out if they have gotten taco sauce in since the last time we ate there.” He began to maneuver across the lanes of traffic to make a left and then a U turn to get into the postage stamp parking lot glued awkwardly to the side of the restaurant.

Two weeks earlier we had eaten there and yes, they were totally out of taco or hot sauce. Please realize that Dominican food is nothing like Mexican food and it is NEVER spicy. So getting actual hot sauce with your meal is quite a treat. When Rick had parked, I hopped out to check on the hot sauce supply and found that at 11:30 they had not opened yet. So we ended up at Burger King. When we ordered I asked how much the ice cream cones were. The cashier said, “30 pesos.” I said, “I think I will buy one after I eat.” So after we had eaten I returned for the cone. “Sorry, she said, the machine is broken.” Oooooo and I got a smaller lunch to leave room for the cone!!!!!!

Below are some sights from this trip:

Taxi anyone? The only Wendy's in the country! Will we make it through before it turns red?

You might live in the D.R. if….

You go to

• the bakery and they are out of bread
• the butcher and they are out of chicken
• Taco Bell and they are out of hot sauce
• The pet store and they are out of dog food (In fact ALL the pet stores were out of dog food, all waiting for the same truck to make it up the mountain)
• The ice cream shop and the shake machine is broken
• The copy shop and the power is out….sorry come back tomorrow.

Things stores are NEVER out of? Rice, beans, chlorox and beer. We think it’s funny that we can buy one bandaid, one aspirin, one needle, one slice of cheese, one egg, one boullion cube, one Halls cough drop, one cigarette, one piece of gum, all from your friendly neighborhood colmado (mini-grocery store). We think you can also buy one chicken foot, but we have never actually done it.

You might live in Jarabacoa if you go to:

• the bus station to rent a van and they send you to the shoe store
• the shoe store to buy shoelaces and they send you to the grocery store
• the bank to change money and they send you to the bar
• the bar…oh wait skip that. No one goes to the bar; they get their beer from the colmado.

Language quirks that make us laugh:

• There is no word for “washcloth”
• Ahorita, which mean “right now” in other Hispanic countries means “later” in the D.R.
• One word “Pica” has the following meanings: chop, sting, bite, puree, burn, and peck. Basically all things you don’t want to experience!
• A phrase that literally means “don’t hurry yourself” is the colloquialism for “No sweat”
• Dominicans don’t think they have an accent or are hard to understand…it is always the Dominicans who live a few hours away who talk strange. Well, to a gringo, all 8 accent/dialects in this tiny country are hard to understand!
• V and B are interchangeable, so, botar=to throw away and votar= to vote. I saw a sign in a government office over the water cooler that says “Vota su vaso por favor” (Vote your cup please) What exactly am I supposed to do?
• When you hear “Pa’ca, pa’ca” They aren’t alerting you to the presence of the police (paca is like cop) They are calling “over here” as in “para aca”
• Don’t go into the market and starting asking for papaya. In this country it's not a fruit, more like forbidden fruit. So ask for "lechoza" and you'll get the fruit you wanted.
• Seen on the side of a street vendor cart “No somos los talibanes.” We are not the Taliban. I can guess when this sign was painted circa 2001, but why would anyone mistake a Dominican street vendor for the Taliban????

Elena turns 9!!!!!!!!!

Some times missionary kids get to have many parties. Elena had one at school, one with her immediate family, one with 6 other girls (for a sleepover), and one with Rick's parents when they visited a week later! Not bad at all! Here are some photos from her party at school. Enjoy!!!

The birthday girl get's to serve her class!

Baptism, Baby Dedication in Boma!

In February Ismael from the community of Boma asked me if he could be baptized. I told him I thought it was great idea but first wanted to hear his story and find out why he wanted to be baptized. He has been a believer for many years but never been baptized. He explained that his knowledge of the Bible was very limited but he wanted to obey the things he had learned. And he wanted to be baptized just like Jesus was.

A date was set and we went out to Boma in February. Rick first spent about 45 minutes teaching on the difference between Baby dedication and baptism. In the Dominican Republic, almost every one is baptized as a baby and so they wonder - "Why is it that Jesus was baptized when he was grown?" When Rick was done teaching, one of the mom's shared "I understand the difference and I want to dedicate my children to the Lord. Can we do that now as well?" And of course, we felt it was a great idea. In the same day, the small church of Boma would have a Baptism and a Baby dedication. It wasn't the first time people had been baptized in Boma but it was definitely a uncommon experience, something that we hope more people will decide to do.

The church in Boma is learning what it means to be the Body of Christ. Our role in Boma is to help the leaders of the church be successful as leaders. Each week we go to help them consider how to apply God's Word in their community.

Men's Conference in Jarabacoa!

In January, Jarabacoa had it a rare but very needed event - A men's conference. Marked Men for Christ hosted a weekend that focused on men discovering Christ's forgiveness. About 35 men participated. Becky and I invited a lot of men and were very pleased when 10 came.

Time was spent alone in God's Word, in small groups and in the large group. It was a powerful time in which we were challenged to speak openly and honestly with God.

The men we brought were impacted. I, Rick, was impacted. While we all had different things to bring to the cross, our solution was the same --- Jesus Christ! God used this weekend and we praise Him for it!

We hope to see more retreats. We see great value in people taking extended time from their busy life to focus on their relationship with God.

Remembering a Hero, Fello

We arrived Wednsesday morning in Boma after a chilly, foggy ride up and down the hills and over the river. We were met by a somber Enrique, the local church leader. He said, "I had tried to call you, but by the time I got through you had already left." (Cell phone coverage is very sketchy up in the mountains) We knew something was very wrong. Firstly, he didn't go through the normal Dominican greeting and normally the only thing that cancels our morning Bible study is rain.

"Fello died on Monday night." Enrique said.

Immediately we hugged and asked how Lina, his wife, was doing. We have blogged about Fello (real name Rafael) in the past. He has been bed-ridden for 12 years having suffered some kind of damage to his back which left him in constant pain and unable to walk, though he was not paralytic. He inspired us to look for a solar-powered audio Bible because he was not very literate and lived with out electricity, spending his days on a small foam cot propped on a couple of pillows. When he had batteries, he listened to TransWorld Radio. When he ran out of batteries, he depended on his wife to read to him or he simply prayed and meditated.

Each time we visited him, he encouraged us and Lina was sure to feed us! The hike through a creek and up a rocky path was nothing in order to spend some time with them. Fello and his wife lived off the land and depended on their son, who worked in Jarabacoa, to help them buy medicine and other necessities.

But last weekend, Fello weakened and seemed to be quite sick. Then on Sunday he rallied. Monday evening he was talking and eating Lina's delicious cooking, when he suddenly died.

Wednesday morning as we met with the leaders of the church, who are his brother and cousins, we commented that Fello is the happy one now, walking and jumping in heaven, enjoying God's presence. It is the ones who are left behind who struggle, missing him.

Fello's death breaks new ground in Boma because he is the first evangelical believer to die in the community. He expressly said he did not want the traditional 9 days of mourning. The majority of Dominicans are Catholic by tradition, though a minority are active, practicing Catholics.

When a Catholic dies here, the family observes a "velorio," 9 days of mourning with a shrine set up to the loved one in the living room. A table is set with a white table cloth, flowers, a picture of the deceased, candles and often a statue of Mary. Some wrap a cross in black cloth to represent the deceased. Everyone who knew the person stops by to visit and have some coffee. It is a very good thing for people to pay their respects and support the grieving. However, there is a lot of superstition that comes with it. By tradition the spirit is still present in the house and so water is put out under the memorial table. The rosary and other ritual prayers are said everyday for an hour to try to help ensure that the deceased will make it into heaven.

At the very end of the time, there is a special mass in the church and the next day, the family feeds everyone who shows up--and who wouldn't show up for a free meal? The family may end up feeding hundreds, or in a village it would be the entire village. This is a huge burden on the family resources, though no one would think of not doing it.

Fello and his family simply buried him and are spending extra time together to grieve. Fello and Lina's home is open to visitors, but without all the tradition. Fello's spirit isn't hanging around and his widow isn't worried about his eternal home. She knows he is in heaven because he called Jesus Lord and Savior and accepted the forgiveness of his sins that were paid for on the cross. Fello understood he was powerless to earn his way to heaven. Jesus made a way for all who would submit and follow Him.

Fello will always have a special place in our hearts.

Christmas Service in Los Calabazos

Spent the morning at one of the small church plants named Los Calabazos. It is December 26 and only 9 people there today, including my family. It's always a small group. We praised God, celebrated His birth. After a time of worship. I shared a message. At times, I feel discouraged and unsure of how to help such a small church. Today as we celebrated Christmas together, I was struck with the low level of fan fare when Christ was born. Yes, the angels sang and that had to be amazing...but it seems most others missed what was going on that first Christmas.

Spending Christmas in the Dominican Republic is a different experience that we are used to. We miss all the celebrations that our church in Minnesota has each year. Today, we enjoyed a small celebration with some simple mountain folk. Christmas for them isn't about giving presents. There are not any big programs. In fact, the service wasn't any different then any other Sunday.

Trying to make a little different, we requested that we sing some Christmas songs and they could only think of one song. They sang it and we sang Joy to the World to them (in English). Julito said he had heard that tune but didn't know the words. When we asked how they celebrated their Christmas Eve and Day...they said they fasted. Most Dominicans have a big meal and they decided to fast.

Once again, I feel I am learning more from Dominicans then I could ever teach. My message to them was to avoid distractions and focus on Jesus a Christmas and at all times. Fasting is a great application of that message. There is a beauty in stripping away distractions. It helps us focus on what is really important.

I got to see a little of that today. I am not saying that we all need to fast or that programs are bad...I love them. And I know that programs are meant to help us focus on Christ. It is just refreshing to see a different way to celebrate.

Ministry Snapshot

We thought it might be good to give a snapshot of each of the areas we are working.

El Montana: Working to disciple men and women to become the leaders of the church. We have seen a lot of growth. 2010 was spent helping people turn from sinful patterns, teaching them to forgive, and presenting God's plan for the family. Rick spoke many times in the church and both Becky and Rick lead weekly Bible study groups.

Boma: We have been invited to help the church leaders think about how they minister. Each Wednesday morning we meet with them. We have focused on topics like - Spiritual education for children (in the church and in the home), God's grace, and helping people leave patterns of sin.

Los Calabazos: In 2010 Rick taught on the purpose of the church. This community has a great vision for the community. Rick challenged them to think about the role of their church in the community. In the fall, they decided to make some changes and they started meeting on Sunday mornings.

Buenos Aires: After a community survey in 2009, God led the people in Buenos Aires to start some new ministries. Alex and Carol shared this vision with us in January. 2010 was spent helping them start new ministries to children, youth and adults. In many ways, this is how we want to do ministry. We want to see how God is leading Dominicans and join them as they follow God's leading.

Seminario Biblico: Studying God's Word and relating it to the ministry opportunities and challenges within a local church. In 2010 we finished 3 courses - Old Testament History, Old Testament Prophets and the Life of Christ. 6 men from 3 different communities continue to meet weekly to go deeper. We study outside of class and meet to discuss what we have learned. Rick gives special attention to make sure that the teaching is practical, relating to every day life.

In all of these areas, our focus is to equip leaders. Relationships are key. While we do see many areas that need to be addressed, we listen to hear how God is working and give priority to those areas. At times, because of the patterns in the culture, the challenges in one community have caused us to do some "preventative" teaching in the communities. We are learning and we trust God to guide us as we serve.

There is much more that could be shared but in the interest of keeping this a "snapshot" I will close. If you think this is a good idea, let us know. Our desire is to keep you informed of what we are doing.

We thank you for your partnership. Your prayers are vital. Your communication is encouraging. Your gifts provide for us and the ministry. We feel blessed. We know you do this out of love for the Lord. It is a service to Him. How blessed we are to be a part of the body of Christ, to experience the fellowship within His body. We hope this snapshot is a blessing to you.