Forever Homesick

Friendship

2010-12-17T12:11:00.005-04:00

Sometimes a bond is created by someone disclosing their heart, tears, or any depth of confidential information with another. This demonstration of trust and vulnerability can cause the receiver to feel - maybe prematurely - a sense of intimacy with the sharer. This bond is strong - in the way an addiction is strong - but it can be unfulfilling, and even heart-breaking, if it stays one-sided.

There is another kind of bond formed when the "listener" becomes the "listened to": when somebody has the capacity to turn that penetrating gaze back around and the skill to shoot well-aimed arrows into the soul. "I truly want to know you. Not just about you. But who you are. What makes you do the things you do and think the things you think. I want to know the music that makes you weep and the artistry through which you express yourself. I want to know the people in your life and how those relationships have molded you. I want to be your surgeon, not your Band-Aid."

And then, when these two bonds are risked in the same relationship? A divine pain that I would not forfeit for the world.

Name that Place! #1

2010-09-17T12:01:00.004-04:00

Country? 10 points. Specific location? 20 points!
(Hint: If you know where I've traveled, you can narrow it down easier)

Nostalgia

2010-09-12T14:28:00.008-04:00

Fall is a good time for nostalgia. Something about the cooler air, smell of burning wood from time to time (campfires, that is), and the school supply section at Target. I've been caught off guard a couple times in the past week, now, where I subconsciously turn warm and fuzzy inside - not immediately realizing why.

The first time, I was lying on the bed in the guest room which faces the street, reading a book mid-day. I found myself sighing in contentment over the sound of a table saw. This is not, as you may realize, one of the most relaxing sounds in the world, but I subconsciously thought Dad was outside in the shop woodworking. I had to peer out the window to realize it wasn't even coming from our garage. Just the sound of power tools causes me to happily recollect bygone summer days, knowing that Dad's doing a hobby he enjoys, and so am I.

I also had to analyze the next occurrence in order to figure out the source of nostalgic pangs. Raindrops were pelting the leaves on a bush out our living room window the other night, and I finally linked the sound to memories of rainy camping vacations growing up. At the time, it was always dismal and disappointing to have rain (especially with our tent which often leaked, causing us to wake up on saturated sponges instead of foam mattress pads). I remember one especially rainy vacation, instead of hikes, bikes, and climbing the rocks of Lake Superior, we just gave up hope for a dry vacation and went to a matinée of Dennis the Menace in town. But alas, the sound of rain on a canvas roof somehow brings back fond memories of curling up tight in my sleeping bag and drifting off to sleep to the rhythmic pitter-patter of an evening shower.

I really missed the fall season this time last year when I was off sweating through my school uniform in 90-degree heat. There's a time for everything, I guess! I sure didn't miss winter - we'll see what this year brings. I'm practically double-fisting the hot chocolate and "testing out" the fireplace - you know, just to be ready for the REAL chill. Seasons are a beautiful thing and Minnesota sure boasts the full spectrum. They help me understand God's character better - his desire to make all things new through rebirth. His sovereignty over change and the passage of time. His faithfulness through the wintry seasons of life and promise for brighter seasons to come.

Hopping Henri

2010-09-06T12:36:00.004-04:00

This is a typical workout for Henri, but nonetheless it seemed too great not to document.

For real, this time

2010-08-16T11:53:00.002-04:00

I've decided on a site for my photography blog. Check it out here!

Photography Blog

2010-08-14T15:24:00.005-04:00

Well, the summer's almost over and my blogging has consisted of...maybe one post every 3 months. I've been happily relaxing and busily job hunting, applying to grad schools, seeking references, creating a curriculum vitae (for the sort-term job I now have at Bethel University as an adjunct Spanish prof!), writing essays (for applications, not for fun), and doing some little photography gigs on the side. One of my next endeavors is to get a photography blog up and running. All of you thousands of readers out there (ha!): Any suggestions on a good blogger site that is conducive to photography? I started a tumblr site, and I have this blogspot site, but I am open to suggestions! Not sure I'm ready to invest money into templates and a yearly membership fee for a real photography website yet, so I'm going the blog route. If you want to give me feedback on what I've started on blogspot, give a hearty click here. I'd love constructive criticism on my photography, too, if you have any. Maybe some of the pictures will represent what I've been up to while I've not been blogging....oops.

Cat Feet

2010-07-27T21:42:00.004-04:00

The fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.

by Carl Sandburg

God's in Control

2010-06-25T11:56:00.006-04:00

CONGRATS!! to my dear friend and partner-in-crime Jenny as she no sooner set foot in Minneapolis as had professors and classmates from her grad school program after her about adjunct teaching positions! Praise God that she begins Monday, teaching Interpersonal Communication at Brown College for the remainder of the summer, and has some more pending possibilities for the fall! We had no idea what was ahead when we agreed to teach in the Dominican Republic, but God flung open the doors and away we went! Now we're back, no idea what we're going to do next, and He continues to lead us as if He knew all along where He was taking us (imagine that!). :)

I, on the other hand, am motivated, organizing my time, getting things done...but in no one direction. Grad school applications, part-time job searches, full-time job searches, photography gigs, and all the while gleaning wisdom from those in professions I would like to aspire to. I have been enjoying it quite thoroughly. I have the best of both worlds for this season in life - a place with my parents to live while I transition back from the DR and look for a job to support that loft in downtown Mpls I've had my eye on (yeah right!), yet enough work to keep me occupied and moving toward a few goals.

You'll all be happy to know that Henri the Kitten has become a true Minnesota-cat. She loves watching squirrels, climbing the window screens (there aren't screens in the DR. just wait til we de-claw you, little friend!), galloping through the house, maintaining an active love-hate relationship with the other dog and cat, and chasing a little plastic ball around the tub (a.k.a. "half-pipe"). The only hard times for her consist of watching in horror as the dog squeaks her chew toys (thinking "that could be me!") and falling in the toilet.

Last but not least, as one of the more fun parts of my work thus far, I put together a few photography portfolios to show people asking about portraits! I'll link one of the five categories here: the subjects are Weddings, Portraits, Kids, Travel, and Misc. If you would like to see more, email me so I can send a private invite to view them. This is my makeshift photography website for now. Enjoy the slideshow (your kids may be featured as my models)!

Let-Down

2010-06-10T18:56:00.002-04:00

Is this what writer's block feels like?

I am home now, and I must be in recovery-mode because I can't seem to think of a thing to say. I have been avoiding "processing" this past year, though Jenny and I do plan to meet with a family friend who was also one of my professors of Intercultural Studies/Ministry when I was studying at NWC. He and his wife were missionaries and they recommend a debrief session after time overseas like this. So maybe I'll have more to say then...or maybe not. :)

I guess finding that I don't have very many stories means that life is predictable for now. I know I will miss the idiosyncrasies of life in downtown Minneapolis or Santiago before long - not much happens in the suburbs - but for this season in life, I am grateful for the dull-nicity (that's a 'Happy Birthday' word for you, Dad!). So with that said, I am going to go take a nap by my kitten so I can stay awake for the main event of the day: 4th game of the NBA Finals! Go Celtics!!

Grand Finale.

2010-05-23T13:28:00.007-04:00

Well, I should've known that the DR would throw something special at me my last week and a half here. It's not dengue, so that's the good news, but what is it? I came down with a terrible cough, body aches, and a temperature of 103 mid-week last week. The temperature latched on for a good 4 days, but finally today hasn't been as high. The trip to the hospital was the worst - 5 hours of Jenny and me trying to figure out where to go for my tests and lung x-rays, understand Dominican doctor lingo in rapid Spanish, ask and answer "educated" questions (like, "What is your doctor's name?" "Uh........"), and wait for verdicts. My breaking point was when one of the various doctors who tended to me said he recommended checking me into in-patient for 4-5 days. Rosario was out of town, our other main go-to people from the church were occupied. I've heard you have to bring your own bedding, etc. to Dominican hospitals, and I know my insurance doesn't cover even a fraction of what it covers for regular visits. At that point, I cried. Jenny was so helpful in thinking through the logistics with me, simplifying, and analyzing the situation realistically. And, praise God, I didn't have to go into in-patient!! We were able to call Carlos, our church friend/physician who made calls, pulled strings (in my estimation), and pulled for the alternative of a follow-up blood test the next morning to see if it was in fact dengue - which it isn't. I'm so glad! That night I slept the best of all of the nights since my temperature had skyrocketed! The status as of today is that I think my fever is lower (I hardly need a thermometer to know my temp anymore. Getting pretty good at converting celsius to farenheight too!), and my whole middle is very sore from the coughing, but I prefer that to the body aches and the cold sweats. A more entertaining blog post would have included a better description of the hospital conditions and experience...so different! But I have no energy for creatively expounding on that today. Some Despedida! Thanks for your thoughts and prayers!!

2 Weeks from Today...

2010-05-18T12:08:00.003-04:00

Things I will not miss about the DR:
-visitors in our bathroom: cockroaches, lizards, and large, black slugs
-visitors in our classrooms: frogs, moths and rats of unusual size, lizards, and the occasional administrator peering in to see if we're controlling our classes properly :)
-visitors in our bedroom: (a.k.a. a baby lizard falling off the ceiling onto our bed with its tail severed and still-wiggling next to it)
-sweat dripping down my back as I teach
-7 people packed in a concho
-pressure to dress up every time I leave the house and have my hair perfect. ¡Me gusta mi pajón!
-water and power outages
-all the other discomforts that make me realize I'm more of a spoiled American than I thought

Things I will miss about the DR:
-the people - students, friends, and co-workers
-EVERYthing available "delivery"
-cashew trees (they're the coolest tree in the world!)
-70 degree winters
-having the ocean 1.5 hours away
-quipes for 10 pesos
-street food
-my "off-shore bank account" - it just sounds cool!
-tutoring students whose progress is evident and who want to learn
-Alicia's squawking (though this could fit under both categories...depending on the day and the issue she's squawking about!)

Much to think about and process. But for now...a trek through the heat, a bouncing concho ride, and a lunchbreak of trying to keep Henri off our plates (she's as bad as a dog begging for food!).

Bad Days

2010-05-10T10:51:00.002-04:00

We got the kitten just in time for a hard week. This was after a bad day, and Henri took it upon herself to make me feel better by wedging her body into a crevice in mine. I love cats.

Homesickness Strikes Again

2010-05-07T10:05:00.003-04:00

25 days and counting. We hop on a plane in 25 days exactly - to the minute! Maybe it’s seeing light at the end of the tunnel, but I am so excited to be home for more than a week.

But my homesickness runs deeper. I’ve been thinking a lot recently about the church I grew up in - the church where my dad was a pastor for the first decade of my life. In the last week, two of the husbands/fathers/grandfathers that attended that church have died. I can’t believe how much it has affected me and been on my mind. It felt like that church died for the first time once my dad resigned...I remember the day he announced his resignation; I came up from Sunday School, and everybody in the sanctuary was crying and started hugging me. It was the funeral service of my childhood church - the only church family I had ever known. And now, to remember individuals in their youth then, now the victims of age and mortality, I feel like I’m losing those memories all over again with the passing of the individuals who made up that home.

I have to remind myself not to be sad for their sakes...they are forming a church reunion now in heaven with Jesus - those two gentlemen, along with two other dear church members who passed away in the last couple years. In fact, I have to admit that I’m jealous and wish we could all be there too, away from the tears, away from the temptations in life that lure us off the path of following Jesus. Just finally seeing His face and beginning Life!

Last night as Jenny and I prayed together, she lifted up the families of these two men. Before I knew it, tears were streaming down my face. Something about this church family, that to this day feels like the only church family I have every known, touches my heart in a way I can’t explain. I think it was a taste of the fellowship we’re supposed to feel with believers everywhere and will know someday in heaven.

Ann S., Milt D., Chuck K., and Don G., you are no longer homesick. You are Home. Can’t wait to join you there in the Lord’s timing.

Fun with Words

2010-05-06T07:53:00.001-04:00

If you find a really silly word you don’t understand, there is a good change the definition of that word is “silliness”: shenanigans, skylarking, fandango, hullabaloo, and my personal favorites...ballyhoo, and tomfoolery.

But I know I’m speaking for both Jenny and me when I say, “We are fond of the silliness.”

Can anyone name the sources of this buffoonery?

SO MUCH NEW NEWS!

2010-05-02T10:39:00.003-04:00

Which first? Let's go chronologically.

Well, big life change #1 - Decision officially made Friday, April 30th: We are not returning to the school or the DR next year. Like any major decision, there are too many factors to recount completely over the internet or a blog. But basically, we were going to try to do it, we really were, but the decision to stay just wasn't sitting right. It was really hard to tell the school...I felt like I was letting them down. The director was really understanding, though. My meeting with him and the second in command was short and sweet. Ended well. Just another step out in faith...

Life change #2 - Also made on Friday, April 30th. With the sweet taste of freedom on my tongue and the thrill of wide open possibilities ahead....I bought a cat. Well, bought is an overstatement. I got a FREE kitten at the pet store in Villa Olga with the purchase of a bag of kitten food! I got some cat litter, too, and the whole package deal was cheaper than what I had spent on lunch that day. What a deal! Henry Santiago (James) is the newest member of our little family. He lives in our bedroom at Rosario's and spends his days sleeping on his back, chasing his tin ball, diving into empty cereal boxes, and chasing Jenny's feet under the bed sheets. He's a good little guy. We looooooove him.

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

2010-04-21T16:14:00.006-04:00

And I got a double dose of that these last two weeks. First, I was flown home for my dear friend Lizzie's wedding! Immediately upon arriving home, I was hit with how much I've missed everything: my parents, good friends, church, my dog and cat, certain fruits and vegetables, cheddar jalapeno kettle chips, 42'' flatscreen TVs, more moderate weather and fresh air, quiet, pillow-top mattresses, a car to drive freely and blast music in, mexican food, Super Target, the ability to flush toilet paper, and ohhhh the list could go on.

But then, 10 days is way too long to be away from Jenny, my best friend with whom I share nearly every aspect of life in the DR. I fell behind on my Bible reading plan because we weren't doing it together. I missed praying with her. I missed walking to and from school, eating lunch together, and collapsing under the ceiling fan together after teaching. I missed watching movies at night and our favorite sitcom over lunch. I missed laughing at various Dominic-isms like conchos, chickens in the streets, and flashy jewelry and accessories. Having an "easy" life is not necessarily preferable. The question for me is Who? not Where?

It was wonderful to be home, but now it's wonderful to be back. One of the mysteries of living between two worlds.

Seasons

2010-04-06T16:16:00.002-04:00

I wasn't convinced that the Dominican Republic had seasons until this week. The forecast, year-round, seems to be: High of 83, High of 85, High of 80, High of 88. Not a lot of variety.

But this week, I was proved otherwise. The Haitian man who circulates the neighborhoods with a basket of fruit on his head added "mangos" to his list of produce. ¡Mango, acuacate, guineo, zapote!

Only 2 mango harvests per year. The last time I had mango was last fall. Spring is here!

Romans 12:21

2010-04-03T14:20:00.002-04:00

I suppose writing this is going to require a confession. But that’s something that is required of us as believers, so I’m okay with that.

I don’t mean to constantly talk about this country’s flaws as if I’m perfect, but there is one particular vice that simply brings the worst out of me here in Domini-land. That is: how men treat women, especially “blonde” (yes, that includes me) American women, on the streets. Passing a colmado, or corner store, there are inevitably 3-5 young guys sitting around outside with nothing to do but hiss, whistle, and comment at passing women. I have had guys from the colmado closest to our house (in my opinion, the sleaziest of all "colmado guys," so we avoid it when possible) follow me at 2 miles per hour in their car or motorcycle just leering, looking me up and down, and smiling a lazy, lustful half-smile for minutes on end as I walk toward home. This is a violation I have never experienced before, even living in the heart of Minneapolis with different men of different races around me constantly.

One time, I was passing this colmado alone on my way back to school for tutoring, and maybe I was feeling particularly vulnerable because I was alone, but also, they were being extra incessantly intolerable. I may have used an inappropriate gesture to get them to back off. Okay, I confess, I flicked them off without even a glance in their direction. Well, that shut them up for the next month. Nobody has bothered me passing that colmado (which I have to pass multiple times a day) since.

Then, the other day, I read the “simple”-sounding verse I learned as a child, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Though I waver between being proud of and detesting how crusty my exterior has become since living here - always living on the defense and wary of being taken advantage of in some way for being a woman, foreign, American...whatever - I realized that my reaction to these colmado guys was repaying evil with evil.

Then, the next day, Jenny and I decided to go to the colmado by our house (first time in weeks) to get some Coke and Fanta. Just our luck - the two sleaziest smiles were present. One couldn’t be more then 17, the other in his 20s. I had made eye contact with the younger one and said hello when we first entered, but then the other appeared and thus started the commentary under his breath (he was the one who had followed me on a motorcycle). So after I paid, I walked straight up to the older one and stuck out my hand. He took it, confused. I said, “What’s your name?” “Richard,” he replied, still confused. I said, “Richard? I’m Kimberly. We’re friends now. Call me Kimberly when you see me; don’t cat-call when I walk by on the street. You aren’t boys, you’re adults. No need to act like boys. Treat us decently, okay?” He laughed with a genuine smile and I realized he had nice dimples and wouldn’t have to be a creep if he’d just try. He said, “Okay, Okay, agreed.” We smiled and said goodbye and left the colmado, hopefully on better terms.

I know I didn’t share the Gospel with him or apologize for being a jerk back (I don’t even know if he was a witness to my spectacle a month or two ago), but it felt like redemption. I don’t expect to shake this whole country of its offensive attitude toward women, but I was pleased to see that one of the few weapons I do possess - personal connection - worked. Today we walked past the colmado on our way to find internet, and Richard was hopping on his motorcycle for a delivery. We made eye-contact, he waved, smiled a normal smile, and went on his way. Praise God!

Friends!

2010-03-25T10:26:00.002-04:00

Today our friends Lisa and Kate from MN are coming to visit us for a week! We start spring break tomorrow and are heading to the beach after school. SO EXCITING! I realize that, though we have a good share of people here (either Americans or Dominicans) we can speak English with, it's a totally different experience having friends who knew us before come to spend time with us.

As I wrote about a couple posts back, it's important to share important (and mundane) aspects of our life. Living in this crazy country for a couple years certainly falls under the category of important aspects of life. We are so excited to share our home, our Dominican and Haitian "mamás", some typical food, our lovely weather, mountains, ocean, palm trees, banana trees....I realize I'm making this sound like a tropical paradise. If you want to know what "tropical" is really like, check this out. But all jokes and technicalities aside, these will be our first "guests"! Our first sense of "ownership" as we tool around our city of Santiago and hit another couple of towns on the beach and maybe in the mountains. We've been guests here ourselves til this point, but this is the first time we'll get to show people around as if we live here!

Thanks for coming to visit us, friends! It means so much.

New Revelations

2010-03-22T10:23:00.003-04:00

Last week, our Bible lesson in kindergarten was about John the Baptist. I explained to them that he was Jesus' cousin. I gave the example of Jennifer and Nicole, two cousins we have within our class of 10. Later in class as the students were coloring their worksheets, I heard one of my little boys declare to the student next to him, "God was John the Baptist's uncle." I guess it makes sense, though I admit I've never thought of it that way.

The Best Part of Waking Up (sorry, Folgers)

2010-03-14T09:50:00.003-04:00

Is it bad that I now recognize about half the workers here at McDonalds? I blame it on our Caribou Coffee supply running out...we've recently been more desperate than normal for good coffee, and McDonalds' coffee is next in line if we can't be brewing our own imported Caribou Coffee. :) Not that I'm a coffee snob, but....I am. Small shots of strong, bitter percolated coffee with 5 tablespoons of sugar dumped in is not my idea of good start to the morning. I prefer to forget cultural sensitivities when it comes to life-altering matters such as coffee.

Let's Stick Together

2010-03-11T14:38:00.004-04:00

com·pan·ion [kuhm-pan-yuhn]
–noun
1. a person who is frequently in the company of, associates with, or accompanies another
2. a person who accompanies, assists, or lives with another in the capacity of a helpful friend

Life is better shared. It's that simple. That's what drives so many people to date or marry. That's what causes little girls to declare a "bestest friend" in the schoolyard. That's what kept me lonely for so many years growing up - especially as an only child.

I had a new revelation today as I visited the university here with Jenny before her class today: Life is meant to be shared, no matter how mundane. In fact, the very word "mundane" decreases exponentially as the love between the people increases. No shared information is wasted information. It's life - together. I've always been a great advocate of sharing important aspects of life with the people I care about, but yesterday and today proved the great importance, not of great events, but of the small things.

Yesterday Jenny came to my tutoring job with me at the mansion. She did some work in the other room, but then joined Catalina and me at the end for a little reading time. We were even invited to pizza with the family afterwards...I not only love sharing my tutoring life with my best friend, but I love sharing my best friend with those I tutor. I came home so content that she finally got to witness this other sliver of my life in the DR that she didn't know until this point. And today I accompanied her to the university and saw her classroom and met a few students. Just this little effort of walking through campus with her opened up a whole new perspective on her life and job here in Santiago - picturing her as a university professor, seeing her interact with an older group of students, and even just interacting in Spanish with the lady who hands out attendance and chalk before class. She has a niche here, just as I do. It's good to have our separate space and jobs, and it's good to come together to share them for a day.

Jenny, this is for you: Be Happy. Live Long. Share Life. :) ;) A special combination of motivational phrases and emoticons. I love you!

Wish I Were There...

2010-03-05T13:19:00.003-04:00

Dear Mom,

I just want you to know how much I love you and how proud I am of you. You're on Day 2 after your knee replacement, and it's killing me that I can't be there with you. But I think it's just causing me to rely more on prayer than if I was there at the hospital with you today. Your faith during this time has encouraged me so much. After living with you for 18+ years, I can attest to the fact that you don't like pain. :) So seeing how bravely you've handled the weeks leading up to this, how much you've relied on the Lord, and simply how calm you sounded as I talked to you leading up to and on the actual day of the surgery, only points to the Lord's powerful work. Only He can bring peace like I've seen in you these last days and weeks. Unbelievable. I know you didn't sign up for this surgery out of a desire to have your faith tested or to encourage mine, but those things have happened anyways...with beautiful results.

I know everybody around you will take wonderful care of you - cooking, cleaning, sending flowers and cards, helping you get to physical therapy, and just keeping you company. It's really a test of my faith right now to be here (helpless) and let God and others closer to you proximity-wise take care of you. But I am excited to see how they do and to see how many people love you. Sometimes we have to be really low in order to be able to look up at the wonder surrounding us. Sorry - that sounded like a hallmark card or something. I just mean that hard times bring about good things that you'd never get to see otherwise. Like how you're more courageous than you thought, how more people think about and pray for you than you even knew, and how God can provide for you amidst excruciating pain.

I love you! Talk soon...
Kimmy

New Friend

2010-03-04T11:15:00.002-04:00

I’m not sure if I’ve blogged about this yet, but I’ve started tutoring a 4th grade girl from another school in her homework 4-5 days a week. She goes to an English immersion school, and it’s her first year, so she’s a little behind the rest of her class. The chauffeur picks me up every day from wherever I am (usually at my school tutoring), takes me to their palace on the top of the main hill in Santiago that overlooks the whole city, and then takes me home (or to another tutoring job) afterwards.

The rides with Don Rafael, the prejudiced but lovable chofér, are always interesting. He’s been with the family for 40 years. Although one day he did pick me up in one of the family’s Lexuses, he usually shows up in his concho-like pickup truck. It reeks of gasoline, but I can’t complain because it has air conditioning. My seat belt doesn’t secure shut, so he threads my seatbelt through his and buckles it properly. He goes on and on in his del campo accent, and I catch about a fifth of what he’s saying. He always brings me a sucker or chocolate, as if I'm one of the kids. And now Jenny’s gotten in on the action because she rode with us one time and won him over with her charm and mock merengue dancing in the back seat.

I have to laugh to myself when Rafael and I talk. He always defaults to the same two topics, mumbling to himself, “These crazy animals out on the road! Nobody here knows how to drive! ¡Animales locos!” If he’s not verbally disapproving of some pedestrian or passing car, he’s talking about what he would do if he were President. Namely, close the borders to undocumented Haitians. If they don’t have papers, out with them! He said the DR should model its immigration control after the U.S. (Ha!) He proceeded to tell me how the United States requires documentation for immigrants, and nobody enters unless they have their passport, etc. He sort of looked at me like I had killed his baby when I pointed out his misconceptions and suggested that we probably have 50x more illegal immigrants because of the size of our country and the desperate measures people take to get there. I also had to bear the bad news that, yes, theft and robbery happens in the States too. He thought that all the Americans were saints and missionaries, since the only ones who ever come to the DR are usually doing missions. “Well,” I told him, “Normally the people who smash in car windows and steal wallets just do it there...why would they pay for the ticket to come to the DR to do what they could do in America?” Is it bad that I may have just shattered his worldview?

Even though some of his soapbox speeches make me laugh on the inside, Don Rafael is my new buddy who always wishes me goodnight with a caring, “Sleep well! See you tomorrow, if God wills...” He takes good care of me, protecting me from all those crazy animal drivers and waiting until I’m safely inside the house before he drives away. I teach him that my country is not exactly what he sees coming from Hollywood, and he teaches me things like loyalty, how to be a servant, and even superficial things like new words in Spanish and what Los Haitises is (I see it on bumper stickers everywhere!). Driving to and from the castle on the hill has become a highlight of the day.

Another Visit to Little-Haiti

2010-02-24T10:49:00.005-04:00

About a week ago, Alicia invited Jenny and me back to her house. This time to celebrate her husband's birthday! I like sharing pictures from her house because it's such a fascinating sub-culture. We got to hold the baby that, the first time I visited this year, was still in her mom's belly! It's fun to have a little history with these people. I am recognizing faces now when I visit Alicia and her neighbors. They are happy to see us and are now trying to convince us we need to learn Creole. Coma oo ye? ("How are you?") That's all I know, and I usually forget it too. But Alicia diligently asks us how to say words in English, so it's a fun language institute we've created. To her, "bear" and "bed" sound the same - Béh! It's a fun break from our normal surroundings.

Beauty in an Unlikely Place

2010-02-20T11:58:00.002-04:00

Yesterday Jenny and I were walking home, and we were admittedly very crabby. That's not unusual for a Friday afternoon. We should be rejoicing over our freedom for the weekend, but the truth is we crash. We had taken the majority of our afternoon to try to get downtown to the bank, and it was closed when we got there. So we turned around, dodging honking cars and the craziness of downtown Santiago during the week of the annual Fair, looking for a concho route that would get us close to home. Nearly getting hit by crazy drivers, minor disputes over trying to find a short-cut to the main drag, and getting hissed and whistled at along the way is blast-and-a-half on a normal day, but everything was compounded, being at the end of our ropes from a week of relentless screaming children and long workdays.

We were lucky enough to find a concho with a poorly-installed subwoofer that was pounding static radio bass into our ears from directly behind us. The driver must've been mostly deaf to need the volume that loud. The bright side was, it blocked out most of the honking and street venders knocking at windows all around us as we swerved our way through Friday afternoon traffic. The smell of exhaust mixed with stagnant water in the "drainage system" along the streets threated to asphyxiate me, as I didn't have enough hands to plug my ears and cover my nose. When it was time to get out, the driver stopped in the middle of the road. That's a new tactic. We made a break for it and arrived safely on the other side where we journeyed on towards home. About halfway there, we rounded a corner and we heard the most beautiful violin music floating across a cleared-out banana field guarded by barbed wire and littered with trash. An elderly man was standing in the doorway at the side of his house playing away on his instrument. It was a Fiddler on the Roof-type moment. Fiddler on the Patio. The music swept over my nerves like cool water and cracked a smile in my face as I looked at Jenny. This country is SO weird. But at that moment, I was very thankful that you never know what you're gonna find around the next corner.

Thank You, Strep Throat!

2010-02-17T12:40:00.003-04:00

I have had a sore throat for over a week now, and it just wasn't getting better. Finally, I started noticing white dots on my tonsils...I know what that always meant when I was little! I had our friend who is a doctor check it out...and sure enough! He put me on some antibiotics and the head of our English department sent me home for a couple days.

You know what? This day and a half of rest has been just what I needed and wouldn't have been able to get if I wasn't sick. I know a lot of jobs seep over into personal life, but teaching has got to be one of the most all-consuming lifestyles. Especially when, on days like today, I go from my daytime teaching job to tutoring 3 consecutive classes (2 English and 1 Spanish). That's 7am-7pm with a little time for lunch in there. Anyway, my point was not to complain or seek sympathy. It was to give thanks for this glorious day of sleeping in, drinking coffee and being able to read my Bible without a cut-off time. I got to see what goes on here at the house during the daytime....going out into the kitchen and hearing Alicia yelling in her crazy Creole-Spanish at the dogs for defecating too much or for trampling the clean laundry. I get to smell the smells of her cooking all morning...chicken noodle soup waiting for me when I woke up, and seasoned beef cooking for lunchtime. Her cooking routine is like a dance (and at her own house, we get the honor of watching her dance happily as she cooks for her own people) - shaking spices into her hands and dumping them into the boiling pots, chopping veggies on the cutting board, and nodding approvingly at herself. I get to play my favorite soul music and sing along as I tidy up the room. I get to pick out my own outfit, not head directly for the gray uniform like a robot. Yes, it's been a good day.

And (just because this is too awesome to keep to myself), I want to demonstrate by video how every-day, mundane tasks can be oh-so-much better with a little music and dancing! Thanks to Alicia who reminds us uptight Scandinavians of this...

Ode to the Concho

2010-02-13T13:10:00.002-04:00

As we go careening down the road
This concho’s story should be told
Public transport at its best
Squished in the backseat 5 abreast
The ceiling spraypainted black and white
The broken windshield impairs sight
Back seat ripped, foam bursting through
A stretched out t-shirt dressing the other two
Windows stuck in down position
The brake is grinding if you listen
Underfoot holes can be found
Straight through the metal; I see the ground
No carpet wasted on the floor
They don’t know what seatbelts are for
And how do I explain the lock?
The protective casing has been lost
A nail-like spear is what remains
Security that ends in pain
As we barrel down the street
My whole body vibrates in this seat
“Seat” is an overstatement, by far
Because I think I’m sitting on a metal bar
I’ve wondered what will break off first?
Will the seats collapse or the motor burst?
But at fifteen pesos, such a deal!
I’ve come to love tin cans on wheels.

Prayer Requests

2010-02-07T09:46:00.004-04:00

Hello Friends,

I have composed many blog posts both in my head, and on my blog - but not published them. I am having a hard time being "nice" with my words. I guess it's been a rough week, feeling sick 3 different times, 3 different ways, more than doubling my tutoring load, being short on time and feeling constantly behind in my class preparations because of a retreat (which was truly great, but that took up our weekend last weekend), and a day-long, mandatory event at school this Saturday which ate up our free day.

The truth is, those things might cause me to feel physically stretched this way and that. But my main concern is my attitude that has kept me from posting a blog until now because I am afraid of offending someone or regretting my words. Let me put my concerns in terms of prayer requests, both to keep my heart in check and to request a positive action (prayer) from you instead of just subjecting you to my venting. :)

I guess I realized that I often feel like 1.) my gifts aren't being used here and 2.) my "identity" has been taken away. I am forgetting who I am in terms of things I like to do (hobbies, etc.) - I don't have my guitar here, or art supplies, or the things that I like to do to relax. A person can only take so many movies and books. Then, I was discouraged yesterday when two ways that I felt like I could and would enjoy contributing to the event at school (that were both valid roles AND right up my alley) were taken away from me. I guess a lot of life works that way - people are just told what to do, not really considered for who they are and how they might serve best (and thus the institution be served by their best). Pray that I might find a niche here to contribute and minister in an area that I get to choose for myself so that I can do it joyfully, not bitterly.

Pray for community for Jenny and myself. We have both felt hesitant to really open up with people because of the certain "appearance-driven" culture we find ourselves in here. I feel a lot of pressure to keep up appearances, which I don't think is what Jesus wants from sinners. I am scared when I see parallels between my own heart/sin and what the students at school are being strictly chastised for. I fear that I won't find grace and compassion if I open my life up to people and they see I'm not perfect. *Note, this is just my fear. There are so many wonderful people who have been Jesus to us here.*

Praise God that we did find a group of American teachers in their first and second years here (neighbors, nonetheless!) who teach at another Christian school here in Santiago! Jenny and I had a game night with them last night, and we were so excited, because I think we are deprived of community in all senses - cut off from both American and Dominican friends and culture in one way or another. Pray that these friends might meet some dire needs right now: community in our lives, laughter in our days, understanding to our situation (living here as a foreigner), and diversity to our normal circles (we don't really know anyone outside of our school and church, which are almost the same institution anyway).

Thank you for your patience (my faithful family blog-followers!) in letting me process these things and cry out my frustrations before I published anything. Sorry for the lack of a better explanation. But I really covet your prayers in these weeks!

Thanks to the Relentless Dominican Men who Inspired This

2010-01-28T07:17:00.005-04:00

There’s Something Different About Him...

I see you across the way
You are oblivious to my presence
I smile thinking
you will be mine
I desire you
So I smile your way when you glance
over here
I can see it’s going to take more than a smile
So I walk over
You think I’m another one of those
Just wanting your time
Your sacrifices
Your service
I am not.

Your eyes say many things:
"I am lost."
Sclera red from years and tears.
Stop-Sign Red: Don’t come any closer.
I have been watching you
I want to know you better
and I want you to know better
You are beautiful.
Great...
Another man staring body her up and down?
Thinking she should be his?
Just because he decides she’s desirable?
I can tell she thinks that’s what I’m saying.
I am not.

This will take patience.
She’s a mess, I can tell.
I see the circles under the eyes,
the empty drink beside her,
the furrowed brow
and the far-away look underneath.
But I see that beauty covered thickly in soot.
Let me try that again: You are beautiful.
And I love you.
How about dinner?
I am going to restore the white to those blood-shot eyes
Give you rest
I am going to give you love
Give you me.
I AM.

-K.Aaron

Juntos Podemos Ayudar a Haití

2010-01-18T10:43:00.004-04:00

This weekend Jenny and I were riding in a taxi and there was a song on the radio that went something like this:

There's a people
That today cannot be happy
Together we can -
We can help Haiti

It also sang about sharing an island, being brothers and sisters with our Haitian neighbors, and being unified in this time of devastation. It's a great song, but it leaves me wondering how it fits in with the general Dominican attitude that they deserved it because "Haitians are witches." I'm still struggling with this. I guess I shouldn't be surprised - in my own culture, we tend to think all black people are gangbangers, so it's not really any different. Still upsetting, though.

On a more positive note, our church has organized some relief efforts of doctors, etc. from our church to head over to Port-au-Prince tomorrow, taking food, water, and medicine. Instead of re-typing the information here, I'll give you a link to Jenny's blog, as she posted the information too.

Haiti Hits the News

2010-01-15T07:55:00.005-04:00

What can I possibly say to add to or take grief away from this devastation in Haiti? How haunting to have felt the same quake that caused thousands of deaths, to have heard the plates shifting and grinding deep below the earth, and to have listened to the cries and prayers for forgiveness by our hostmom as we all stood under the swaying doorways of our shared home. At the time, I had no idea how serious of an earthquake it really was. I assumed it was just an intense tremor, not unlike the frequent tremors in Quito I would awake to on occasion during my summer in Ecuador. In fact, I was enjoying the excitement of the experience. Then the news hit. And we realized what destruction had hit our neighbors just across the border. News stories and photos display graphic images....the streets look like ours (minus the catastrophic results of the quake): full of dark-skinned, brown-eyed children, stray dogs, dingy buildings, and poverty in abundance. Our Haitian housekeeper, friends, co-workers, and students (of Jenny's) cannot contact their families over there. They don't know who's okay and who's not. Water costs $15/bottle, and there is very little of it.

My experience, my two cents are just a drop in the bucket. I am much more comfortable observing than speaking about the issue. Observing the irony that the poorest nation in the western hemisphere was just further impoverished by natural disaster. Their long-time efforts at growing corn and their meager crop was utterly wiped out in about 5 minutes. The irony that no attention is paid to Haiti for their normal condition, then suddenly everybody is sending aid and good wishes now that they make the headlines. The irony that in the DR, Haitians are looked down upon for their overt meddling in voodoo and witchcraft, and therefore are being "punished" by this warning from Above, but their own sin of maintaining perfect appearances of piety and flaunting devotion by good works goes unaddressed. There is much to observe, including many wrong motives - even my own. Am I more significant because I am here witnessing this grave calamity? Hardly. I should be praying, along with Haiti, along with the Dominican Republic, for forgiveness from the sins I commit knowingly and unknowingly. Pray for Haiti. Pray for all of us sinners.

Between here and there

2010-01-08T10:28:00.003-04:00

My blog title seems very appropriate after this recent visit to Minnesota. As "at home" as I always feel in my parents' house, it struck me how I felt like a visitor in Minnesota. As familiar as church felt, I felt more welcomed and noticed when I came back home to my church in Santiago. All the old places I used to shop, eat, visit, live...felt the same in one sense, but then again...not. I don't live there right now, and it's not my current home. Then I return to Santiago and everything here is also familiar (I was only gone a week, after all!), and I was so happy to see our house, our "mamás" Rosario and Alicia, our church, and students again. But the truth is, I'm constantly reminded that this isn't my home either. I didn't grow up here, so certain things about the culture still baffle me. Why am I being chided by my Dominican mom for not interrupting her phone conversation to greet her when I come and go? I thought I was repeatedly taught not to bother my mom when she was on the phone! Things like this, and others, remind me that nowhere is home. I hope Jesus comes back soon and I know my true Home. But until then, I will enjoy the blessings of knowing many homes.

Surprise!

2009-12-26T13:38:00.004-04:00

Biggest Shocks in order of shockiness (good and bad):

1. High of 88 to high of 18
2. Palm trees to snow banks
3. Cold showers to hot showers (on demand!) - no complaining here!
4. Toilet paper flushing capabilities! (with few close calls...)
5. All available foods to cater to my cravings
6. Lizzards to squirrels
7. Being able to drive again
8. Internet at home
9. Carpeted floors
10. Quiet. Silence. Space. Peace.

Incase you're still confused about how my Christmas played out, here are 2 photos of us in the morning of Dec. 24th, then again in the evening. We surprised our parents by flying home last-minute, miraculously beating the rain and snow storms all across the country (perfect day for the worst snow storm over Christmas in 30 years!), and arriving by 10pm Christmas eve. There was much screaming, hugs, and tears. As the cheesy commercial might go: "Hand-painted butterflies made from coconut shells: 100 pesos. Carribean golden rum: 300 pesos. Flying home to surprise nuestros padres: priceless."

Stuff you know about Kim but can't see 'cause you're not here

2009-12-19T12:09:00.008-04:00

Guest post by Jenny Erickson.

If you're reading this blog it's probably because you love Kim. And if you love Kim, you won't be surprised to learn that people here in Santiago love her, too. She doesn't tell you on her blog how true that is because, 1) she's modest and humble and 2) she doesn't see it like I see it as her roommate, colleague, and best friend. The people here really love her. I think it's because she genuinely loves them and loves knowing people in their own contexts and cultures. There is ample opportunity for that here.

Let me give you a little peak into what I mean. First, there's how Kim is with her students. She has everything from 3-year-old-cutie-pie-terrors to 17-year-old-too-cool-for-school-apathetic-fashionistas and she has been able develop relationships with all of them. They all love her. She would never tell you that, but it's true. Last night we went to the Cantata, a Christmas concert with all the students, every grade, and Kim's little preschoolers were flirting with her all night long. She brings out the dimples in them. This is remarkable because I know how difficult it has been for her to handle 18 preschoolers all by her lonesome...and yet they are learning AND she still loves them. They love her, too. Amazing.

The same holds true with her high-schoolers, though in a different way. I don't think they quite know what to do with this teacher who genuinely cares whether or not they learn and do their best, but who also is able to tease them in a way that catches them off guard (and wins them over). It also helps that she can understand their Spanish and dish it right back to them. I get to witness this on a daily basis, sharing a classroom with her, and I wish you could see it, too. It's a beautiful thing watching someone do something that they were made to do. I don't know if she believes that yet, either, but Kim is supposed to be here. God knows what He's doing.

Kim is sweet and fun, but Kim is also cool. Seriously. It's like I have street cred because I roll with Teacher Kimberly. Dominicans are loud and playful and like to tease each other. I think they are delighted to find an American like Kim who throws it right back at them. Sarcasm can be loving, you know. If you don't believe it, you need to come witness Kim interact with the office ladies and other teachers. It's awesome. I really don't know what else to say. Granted, I don't usually understand what they're saying but I will never get tired of seeing her stun them with her comebacks and then watch them bust up laughing with her.

Most of all, I wish you could see her with Alicia. Alicia is Rosario's housekeeper and one of our best friends here (as I'm sure you know if you've been following Kim). Without Kim, I wouldn't have the pleasure of knowing Alicia like I do. Early on during our time here when we were still a little scared of and confused by Alicia, Kim took the first steps toward getting to know her. One night Kim wandered out onto the porch and sat by her. I'm pretty sure I was holed up in our room, trying to hide from all things Dominican at that point. But pretty soon I heard all this singing and laughter and made my way out of my shell onto the porch to find the two of them laying on their backs on the floor, singing together. Ever since then, we've been tight with Alicia. We LOVE her and feel loved by her. Thanks to Kim's tenacity in getting to know people (you know what I mean--she doesn't let you get away with superficial knowing), that was possible.

I love being here with Kim. I love seeing her thrive in a hard environment. I love seeing her speak Spanish and love having her help me as I try to learn. I love Kim, I know you love Kim, and and I hope this gives you a glimpse of how much she is loved in the Dominican Republic, too.

(If you came here wanting to read Kim's actual writing instead of my attempt at it, check out Kim's guest post on my blog: http://cleanwhiteshirts.blogspot.com)

A Peek Inside the Classroom

2009-12-15T09:09:00.004-04:00

Here's a little video footage of what's been going on in my classes the last couple of days. The school-wide spelling bee in English has been a surprising hit among students! I hear, "C...R....I...no, wait...E...." wherever I go. Students quizzing each other, teacher Jenny captivating students by putting stars by their names for words spelled right...it makes the spelling nerd in me burst back to life.

And then there's my hopelessly cute kindergarteners who spontaneously serenaded me with this little version of "Feliz Navidad" one day. They even sing back-up for themselves and play a little trombone interlude. It's impossible to be the serious teacher the school wants me to be sometimes. The kids just make me laugh! Like when preschoolers sneeze so hard they fly backwards and knock over kids in line behind them like dominoes. Oh the small joys of teaching pre-k (among the many, many hair-pulling moments....)

Pandemonium

2009-12-09T09:38:00.002-04:00

Wow. If I ever thought the normal year was disorganized and a little chaotic, we have now entered la temporada de final exams and Christmas. Basically starting today, we have no normal classes and the kids run around crazy, while we attempt to wrangle them for exams on given days. Between now and Christmas break, 3 rounds of Spelling Bee are supposed to happen, as well as the final exam for each class. Time will tell if it’s a success or not.

As far as Christmas goes, we don’t really celebrate Christmas and Jesus’ birth at the same time in this school. I can’t say I understand it. I think it partly has to do with the Christian church making themself distinct from the Catholic church and all its Christmas rituals and traditions. It also is probably a resistance to the secular version of the holidays, because there are plenty of Christmas trees and inflatable Santa Claus decorations to be seen all over Santiago. But they seem to resist even talking about the birth of Christ around this time of year, too, because we can’t know exactly when he was born. I don’t know. But there is a Christmas season musical event that the kids are participating in on the 18th. I’m curious to see what that’s about if they can’t sing Christmas carols at this time of year.

Well, it’s official. The daily schedule (exam, recess, exam) they told all the teachers this morning has changed 3 (probably more) times via rumor and hallway talk and it’s only 9:30am. Now the kids are really running every which way and we have even less of a chance of accomplishing anything these remaining two weeks. Why don’t we just release the whole school for vacation right now!? That’s basically what it is, it’s just being held in the school yard. :)

American Thanksgiving and Dominican Baseball

2009-11-30T08:01:00.005-04:00

I didn’t expect I would be able to eat turkey this Thanksgiving. Although they did announce at school on Thursday at morning flag-raising that the North Americans are celebrating a special holiday of sharing and giving thanks (which apparently merited a lot of “congratulations!” from both students and fellow teachers throughout the day), nobody here really celebrates Thanksgiving (Yes, we had to teach on Thursday and Friday). But Saturday, Jenny and I ended up sharing a traditional Thanksgiving meal with the two other English teachers and some Dominican friends at the home of (the only other) American lady at church. My stomach was so happy this Saturday! I never knew how much I loved Thanksgiving food! Even without my favorite green bean casserole, it was still delectable and I am thankful for turkey in the tropics.

Jenny had a particularly good day as we took in a little baseball not once, but twice! First, we had donuts and coffee at the baseball field between our house and the donut and coffee place on Saturday morning. (It was a great day for eating American food!) The field was densely speckled with little Dominican boys of all ages - from maybe 7 years old to teenagers. Man! Even those little guys could throw! And the bigger guys - watch out! They were hitting them out of the park, right to where we were sitting on the other side of the fence from outfield. Baseballs were raining down on us like meteorites! Then later, at Thanksgiving dinner, the guys from church found out Jenny played baseball, so they insisted on going out front to play Dominican style bitilla - with a broom handle and a plastic bottle cap. Since she didn't grow up in the DR, I don't think the guys were expecting this:

Etcetera, Whatever

2009-11-24T10:32:00.003-04:00

We don't need a lot of money
We'll be sleeping on the beach
Keeping oceans within reach
Whatever private oceans we can conjure up for free
I will stumble there with you
And you'll be laughing close with me
Trying not to make a scene
Etcetera. Whatever. I guess all I really mean
Is we're gonna be alright.
Yeah, we're gonna be alright.
You can close your eyes tonight,
'Cause we're gonna be alright.

"Etcetera, Whatever"
by Over the Rhine

Aryan Eve

2009-11-20T12:34:00.004-04:00

Can anyone tell me why every one of my kindergarteners drew Eve as a blonde?

The Salon.

2009-11-11T12:24:00.006-04:00

Lesson number #1 in being a Dominican woman: Weekly salon visits.

I learned this week some of the tricks behind the perfectly straightened and groomed hair of nearly every Dominican woman I pass: A lot of pain. I had the opportunity to go to the salon across from our school for a free wash and dry yesterday. It seemed like a weird offer to me - I never pay to have anyone wash or dry my hair in the States unless I'm already getting it cut. I quickly realized this is a completely normal thing to do, especially to keep that pressing curl at bay that nearly every person here deals with, as there is a lot of African blood on this island. They go to the salon every week and have their hair scrubbed to its roots (3+ times consecutively), then have their hair sectioned off to be dried and nearly yanked out of their heads in the process. The funny thing is, these stylists don't really deal with hair like ours too often - they just know how to make thick, coarse afros go straight. So why wouldn't they do the same for me? My hair has never felt so straight and processed! They definitely worked wonders, and I might just be sold on the idea of "the weekly salon visit." Don't believe me? Check it out...

Before:

After:

Ecclesiastical Equestrianism

2009-11-06T10:28:00.006-04:00

I was asked to photograph another birthday party, but one quite different from my experience in "Little Haiti". First off, this one was your typical kids' birthday party, with pony rides, snacks, presents, cake, party favors, a beautiful ranch setting on the outskirts of Santiago to go with the "Cowgirl" theme. Patricia, a good friend of ours from church, asked me to take the pictures for her youngest two daughters' birthday party (Nicole is one of my kindergarteners and Mia is one of my preschoolers at the school).

There were probably 60-80 people there, from babies, to kids of all ages, to parents and grandparents - all friends of the beloved Arocha family. I was the only person in my category. :) Teacher? Photographer? White girl pretending she speaks Spanish? Non-parent, non-child, non-relative. I guess I should be used to that by now. But it never ceases to surprise me how much of my introverted parents I have in me when tossed into situations like that! Sometimes I can fake outgoingness, but not usually after a long week of teaching and being with crazy kids for 100% of it. I was just sort of dazed the whole night and couldn't figure out why. I guess there might be a few reasons if I were to let myself admit them. Like...for instance...kids can consume an unsuspecting person with their endless energy, questions, arguments, and commentaries, and (as far as I know) I am not allowed to hide from that when they are paying me to teach the little piranhas. :) So in a situation like this where I am not being expected to engage so intensely, I do quite the opposite. I disengage...sometimes intensely. :)

But all exhaustion aside, it was fun to attend a fun, social engagement with lots of families from church that I am getting to know better every week. It was fun to have some conversations with ladies from the church, and even a curious 1 year old about the colors rojo, azul, amarillo y morado. Lots of my Kinder students were there too, the amiguitos of Mia and Nicole, and I must admit I enjoy their constant chirpings of "Hola teacher!" - especially when their parents are around to worry about prying them off the swing sets or drying their bursts of dramatic tears. I guess my point is that there's a time for everything - a time for jumping into the life of a 5-year-old and getting your hands dirty, and a time for "enjoying kids from afar". A time for dropping onto all fours and playing horsie, and a time for letting the real ponies do the hard work. TGIF.

It's not Road Rage, it's a Language!

2009-10-29T10:42:00.007-04:00

It took me about 1 month to realize that the constant honking of horns in the streets is not (always) a sign of impatience or anger. It is its own complex and meaningful language. I am sure there are many many more contexts for horn-honking, but these are some of the meanings I have inferred from this annoying form of communication:

1. "I'm approaching the intersection real fast, don't pull out in front of me!"
2. "Taxi's here."
3. "Hey, white girls!"
4. "You're going too slow, I'm whipping around you on the left."
5. "You're driving down the wrong side of the road, and I'm not going to move for you."
6. "There's nobody around, no cars within sight, so it's up to me to fill the silence."
7. "White girls, look over here!"
8. "Get out of the road, chickens"
9. "White girl, you surely need a ride in my concho."
10. "Everybody else is doing it, so I am going to too."
11. "Don't step out in front of me, or you're toast."
12. But still most commonly..."White girl!" (Maybe if I honk loudly enough, she'll date me....)

Noteworthy Noticings

2009-10-23T08:25:00.004-04:00

My Record concho ride: 9 people! The concho was a typical car, the size of a Honda Civic. There was the driver, two people in the passenger seat, four adults across the back, and two children in their laps. How fast would they get pulled over in the States? I can't even remember where I was sitting in all that, because in that large of a pile of people, I don't really think it matters.

Preschoolers' sneezes can end in tragedy. Last week when we were in line for the flag raising, one little preschooler sneezed, knocked into the kid behind him, and sent that kid flying onto his back on the ground. At least he had a backpack half his size to break his fall. All were just sort of stunned while I had to turn away to hide my uncontrollable laughter. Yesterday one of my preschool girls sneezed at the same flag raising before school. Only with her, a giant glob of snot shot out of her nose, latched onto her hair, and hung there forming a sort of hammock between her nose and hair. She, too, just stood there stunned while teachers scrambled to find a tissue and help her out. Why do they all think this is so serious? I'm STILL laughing about that one! 24 hours later.

I like that Haitian women walk down the street with large baskets of laundry, vegetables, or fruit on their heads. How does it balance? It makes me happy that awesome skills like that are preserved here. I just think it's cool because I could never do it.

I never knew that avocados grew on trees (is that common knowledge?). But I realized that we pass an avocado tree on our way to school everyday, because they are falling from the sky sometimes. They're not as hard as coconuts - that would be unfortunate to be under a falling coconut - but nonetheless, I want to avoid getting hit by one. It's funny seeing smashed avocados on the road from car tires.

I started noticing that trash, which is virtually everywhere, can most commonly be categorized by 1. styrofoam carry-out containers, 2. plastic pop bottles, 3. little plastic cups (that everyone uses to share a 20 oz. or 2 liter bottle of pop), and 4. broken shoes. yes, that last one might not be as abundant as plastic cups, relatively speaking, but for as little as i see random shoes laying in ditches or the road in the States, it is quite common here.

Egg Day.

2009-10-21T08:14:00.002-04:00

Today is Egg Day at school. What does this mean? Well, so far, I have only deduced that it means the students run around dressed like farmers, they all bring a dish made from egg (deviled eggs, quiche, egg bake...egg rolls, as Jenny just suggested), and all the students have decorated eggs and made interesting sculptures out of them. I think it's a competition (the egg artwork, at least). But between our lack of ability to understand every detail that the administration throws at us in Spanish and the school's general lack of ability to put on an organized event and clue everybody in on their role, I am sitting here during first hour with a bunch of "farmers" playing the game Apples to Apples, waiting for any cue to commence the festivities. I am hungry, though, so hoping we get to take part in the eating portion!

Every so often, one of these days happens where it's a festivity that we know nothing about. Or more accurately, they switch the date back and forth and it's a lottery as to which day it actually falls on. This time, half the school was convinced Egg Day was yesterday, but the director assured us it was today. Such confusion. Other times, our students never show up to class, there's a gathering in the chapel we're supposed to be at and don't realize, or we were supposed to dress up and instead half the school is dressed up and the other half is confused. It's kind of fun. Would be frustrating, but I am learning not to let it frustrate me. Today, however, I knew more or less about the festivity and I am happily wearing my jeans and button-up shirt instead of my sweaty uniform. Not sure what this day will hold, but I will sit back and enjoy the ride. Yee-haw!

Ebony Elegance

2009-10-13T16:34:00.008-04:00

"I am not in El Despertar anymore," I think as I step out of the taxi. I left my comfortable, upper-middle class house (not "mine", of course, but belonging to the woman from the church who hosts us) with our housekeeper and stepped out into Little-Haiti a few minutes later. A couple weeks ago Alicia, our housekeeper, saw me taking pictures and asked if I would take pictures for her birthday. Her birthday was last Thursday, but the party was Sunday. I happily agreed, not thinking at all that this is what would await me...

It smelled like cooking - rice, beans, and meat - as I got out. That smell was laced with the foul odor of garbage, as the whole neighborhood seemed to be a dumpster. Any building corner, gutter, or street was a valid candidate for garbage collection. Chickens clucked as they darted under and around barbed wire fences. Children, half-clothed, ran around the streets with no supervision in sight. Dark-skinned Haitians gathered in the corner stores and in the open-air restaurants socializing. Alicia grabbed me and we wove through the little alleyways until we reached a concrete slab that resembled a staircase. Home sweet home! When I pictured her apartment, I pictured...an apartment. This was simply a hallway/common area with 3 bedrooms separated off by sheets. Each bedroom belonged to a family, and that BEDROOM was her apartment. She happily showed me around, introduced me to her husband, offered me candy, had the TV on for show, and sat me down with a beer. I wish I had tallied how many times she referred to me as mi amiguita (my little friend). She was so happy that I had come and that this whole party was in her honor.

Though I had envisioned a more formal "photo shoot" with pictures of her in her fancy outfit, I was happy to discover that the event was more conducive to candid shots illustrating culture and people - my three favorite things combined! People+photography+cultural experiences!

Soon the people began rolling in. Neighbors. Friends. Family. One in the same. Since her real family is not here, but rather back in Haiti, her neighbors are her friends are her family. I began by snapping pictures of Alicia with her son and her husband, but soon they requested pictures of all their friends. I think we took pictures of every combination of people possible. I realized that they have never been able to document their lives, the growth of their children, or themselves on film before. Food is essential; a camera is not. I was happy to indulge them for a day and be their paparazzi.

I felt a strange kinship that night with the Haitians. It is almost crude, as an American, to even attempt to identify with an alienated refugee from what I believe to be the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Nonetheless, I felt more comfortable in their makeshift, communal home amidst their joyful dancing, eating, drinking, naked children and chickens alike running through the streets, than I do most days here at my adoptive church where everyone dresses and acts elegantly, but I'm not quite convinced. This is an elegance that comes from genuine simplicity.

Appo! Bow! GAT! (apple, ball, cat)

2009-10-02T12:23:00.006-04:00

I simply can't find a way around the fact that my preschool students exhaust me more than any other class, but when somebody asks me the highlights of teaching so far, my top moments come from preschool.

Here's the situation: the youngest kids (Pre-K thru 1st grade?) have a teacher + a teacher's aide to corral them throughout the day. But I suppose they are so spent by the time the English teacher pokes her head in, that they're both ready to hide and catch their breath for 40 minutes. Somehow, I get left alone with 18 preschoolers. Kindergarten is fine because there are only 8 of them and they respond more to the expectations of "school" (sit quietly, raise your hand, no story time if you get out of your seat, etc.). So I will preface by saying that a 1:18 ratio when they are three and four years old and don't speak my language is a little....overwhelming. And often counterproductive.

BUT...the highlights of my day come when I see little lightbulbs go on in their heads. One student, Misael, immediately starts reciting vocabulary words when I walk in the room. "Teacher! GAT!" (they won't say cat with a "c" because the word gato in Spanish starts with a "g") Words like "ELEPHANT", "FEESH" (fish), and "APPO!" (apple) echo throughout the room.

Yesterday they were coloring pictures of their classroom, and before long, the kids initiated singing two or three rounds of the alphabet song all by themselves. It's so fun to think I taught them the song we all learned when we were about that age. "A, B, C, D, E, F, G..."

The best moment so far was after I taught the kids "boy" and "girl" by going around the table, touching each student's head, and naming them either "boy" or "girl". They were thoroughly captivated by the new challenge of figuring out the pattern, but they caught on quickly. This week, after a couple days of review, I let student volunteers go around tapping heads and categorizing each student by gender. They took off like pros! "Boyyy.....girrrrrl.....boy! girrrrrl" That was the moment with the teacher and teacher's aide walked in, and their jaws dropped. (Usually, the kids are flying out of their seats and making noise, which is what the teachers expect to return to see.) They were so amazed, they asked the student, "¿Y yo? ¿Qué soy yo?" to which the students confidently responded, "Tu eres GIRRRRRL!" The look in the teachers' eyes was priceless. Our little kiddos are learning English!

As I left the room after the bell, I was delighted to hear little Spanglish conversations behind me amongst the students. "Yo soy BOY! Y tu eres GIRRRRL!" "Y Juan Diego es un BOY. Pero yo soy GIRL."

Day by Day

2009-09-27T15:08:00.005-04:00

"Things are harder than you thought they'd be, aren't they?..."

Mom, you hear my heart and echo back to me the words I never said. Yes, everything is harder than I thought it would be. Thank you for seeing, hearing, and empathizing with me in a way that no one else can. You know my heart from the tone of my voice, even from hundreds of miles away. I am your little kite and I can only fly this high in winds that threaten to steal me into open skies because you are firmly grounded, holding the ropes, and assuring me that you will reel me in to rest, if I just say the word.

Pictures and Addresses

2009-09-23T10:48:00.007-04:00

I wanted to include a link to an album on facebook since Picassa is not being the most agreeable right now. Enjoy some pictures!

Also, we were informed that this is our address. Apparently mail going out of the DR is virtually nonexistent, but hopefully things sent here will arrive in a matter of 1-3 weeks.

LETTERS AND SMALL PACKAGES:
Kimberly Aaron
Iglesia Bautista de la Gracia
Avenida Estrella Sadhala esq. calle 8
Reparto Universitario
Santiago, Dominican Republic

(note: I had posted an address in FL for larger packages to be sent. That address is not available now)

More Happy Haitian

2009-09-18T07:51:00.004-04:00

To debrief after a couple of long, challenging days at school, I took my favorite "comfort food" of chips and salsa out on the front porch to shoot the breeze last night. After Jenny got out of the shower, she moseyed on out and we both enjoyed our favorite snack. Before we knew it, our housekeeper Alicia joined us (because it's "cooler outside" but we know she really loves us). She already thinks we're crazy for how we cook and eat, so why hide the fact that we dive into the spicy salsa verde every night? :) She just looks at us with an expression of bewilderment and we just laugh.

Suddenly I had the flash of brilliance to style Jenny's wet hair in tiny twists all over, like Alicia's hair. It was just a funny idea I mentioned at first to make Alicia laugh, but this was the result. They make a beautiful ebony and ivory pair, huh? Alicia got such a kick out of Jenny's new style (and then me insisting on photographing Alicia with her), that she gushed into another one of her prized offerings of personal information and affection. She excitedly declared out of the blue that it is her birthday the 8th of next month, and I asked if we could celebrate. She clapped her hands in excitement, and asked what we were going to do. I told her it was a surprise, and she squealed in laughing delight. For a present she wants a DVD. No specific one, just a DVD. She daydreamed about her wedding ceremony someday where she would be able to wear a beautiful dress, bello bello bello, and "officially" marry her husband one day (when she has the money...)

We chatted of many things, but my favorite was when she suddenly had her own flash of brilliance after I took the picture of her and Jenny. She asked me if I would come over to her house one Sunday (her day off where she gets to go spend the night at home with her husband and teenaged son) and take photographs of her all dressed up beautifully to have for her birthday party. Half my delight was in the way the culture is (no qualms about admitting they want to look show-stopping gorgeous) and how she said it in Spanish which just doesn't quite translate right into English. Essentially, "You come throw me some photos in my house, and I put myself really, really beautiful in nice clothes for photos." She said we would go there in concho Sunday after next. It's a date!

Meet Henry

2009-09-14T14:50:00.005-04:00

Today my preschool and kindergarten classes met "Enrique el Elefante". He is Henry, my stuffed elephant. It is funny how little kids won't listen to the teacher, but they will listen to an elephant. Anyhow, students who stayed in their chairs, sang the songs well, raised their hands, and didn't interrupt the profe got to take turns holding "Enrique". They hugged him and sat there stroking his head quietly, to my amazement. Suddenly, all my preschoolers were sitting in their chairs and all my kindergarteners were singing loudly, trying to impress Henry who was watching from the top of the bookshelf, deciding which student to visit next. My kindergarteners earnestly asked me, "Does Enrique speak Spanish or English?" I told them that he speaks English and understands some Spanish, but that he mostly listens and doesn't speak (check out those big ears!), and that they should imitate his good listening during story time. Henry did make the exception during class to whisper to me that all the kindergarteners sang so well that he wanted to sit on each student's lap for 1 page of story time. They took turns like little angels and weren't too distracted by Henry sitting on their neighbor's lap when it wasn't their turn. :) You're a life saver, Henry!

Free-Range Children

2009-09-09T12:01:00.003-04:00

While enjoying coffee at Crema, a café in uptown (Minneapolis) with Jenny and our friends Kate and Karen, we noticed this clever sign posted in their patio seating area. "Free-range children" has been an ongoing joke, at least between Kate and me. I emailed the following to Kate the other day, and upon her request, I am posting it on my blog:

"Something i enjoy about the school here, along the lines of free-range children, is that my preschoolers are still not allowed to run free-range style around the school yard, even though it's fenced in on all sides. Instead, there is a barred-off cage running the length of one part of the school building that quite resembles a jail. The kinder teachers see it fit to lock them up in there to keep them contained, like a box of puppies or something, as they play for recess. Whenever i walk by, there are two or three preschoolers holding the bars in their fists with their faces looking out through the slats. I'm not sure whether to lament their having been apprehended for some unspecified crime or to laugh at the paradoxical recess: "free time...in a cage.""

10 Things I've Never Done 'til Now

2009-09-08T10:24:00.003-04:00

1. Regularly (or ever!) taken 3 cold showers per day
2. Stifled a scream (successfully, thank you!) upon seeing cockroaches and mice scurry across the kitchen floor
3. Sat on a stranger's lap, whether in private or public transportation - doesn't matter
4. Run across a highway and down the grassy knoll (you know, in the middle of a clover-leaf exit ramp) in the rain in order to make it in time to a parent/teacher meeting
5. Eaten giant mangoes, avacado, and papaya from a friends' backyard
6. Had a van full of Haitian-Dominicans hanging out the open sliding doors actually STOP and BACK UP their taxi-mobile and COME OVER to try to coerce us into getting into their "taxi". (yeah right, boys!) Sometimes not flagging down a taxi and avoiding eye-contact is not enough of an indication that a ride is not desired.
7. Broken a flip-flop playing hacky sack and simultaneously sent it flying into Jenny's face (the flip-flop, not the hacky sack. the hacky sack somehow ended up on the ground by my foot)
8. Brushed the ants off the package of cookies because there's no way they're hijacking my coveted breakfast!
9. Eaten only 1 meal a day and lived to tell about it
10. Been awake more hours between 6am and noon than from 6pm to midnight. zzZZZ

Jenny's Blog

2009-09-04T13:14:00.006-04:00

I keep meaning to include a link to Jenny's blog incase you want a different perspective on our similar experiences in the DR. She may be a famous author someday, so it's worth a read! :)

Small Victories

2009-09-04T10:20:00.005-04:00

My top story of the week from: School, the City, and Home...

1. School. Jenny invested in the game "bananagrams" before we came down here - it's game like scrabble in which each player is forming their own "crossword puzzle", drawing letters from a pool of upside down tiles in the middle. The only thing related to bananas is that the tiles come in a fabric pouch in the shape of a banana, and they make you say words like "split" and "peel" if you want to exchange letters. My high school kids LOVED it! We played yesterday in class. Then today, even though it's Friday movie day, they all came running into class saying, "play bananas!" So Jenny and I let our classes choose whether they wanted to watch a movie in one classroom or play "bananas" in the other classroom on their Fun Friday. Guess where my whole class ended up!? :)

2. Out and About in the City. We made a big leap in the way of independence here in the city this week - Jenny and I left school to seek out lunch at a restaurant we had noticed near one of the city malls on Wednesday. We successfully caught 2 connecting conchos, or little public transportation cars that squish 5-8 people in them (the size of normal cars). It was our first time taking a concho alone, and not knowing where we were going exactly. We had to walk a little ways from the mall to the restaurant, and just when we were thinking we had gone too far, Jenny heard someone call out from a doorway next to us, "Teacher!" It was one of my 9th grade boys! He was excited to see us passing by his house and told us that La Campagna was just up ahead. The next 2 days in class, he came up to me and asked "Are you eating in restaurant again?" He wants us to come see his house next time and have coffee. We then recognized a landmark and successfully walked home from the restaurant, passing 4 more boys from CBG who called out "Teacher!" as we passed, though they aren't students of Jenny's or mine. What a little community!

3. Home. This is perhaps the sweetest story of my week. I went outside on the front porch a couple nights ago to sit by Alicia, our housekeeper, and enjoy the breeze as the rooms inside get stuffy and hot. Before I knew it, she sat down on the cool tile floor that bordered the landscaping, then laid down completely! I asked if it was cooler down there, and she said yes with a laugh (though she's been in the DR for 8 years now, I still barely understand her Haitian accent speaking in Spanish). Before I knew it, she started singing to herself as I read my book - as if I wasn't there. I soon recognized the tune to be "How Great Thou Art." Tears trickled down my face through her song as I realized she loved Jesus. I laid down on the tile as well, and she continued to sing songs in French, Spanish, and even Chinese (one she learned at church) to the tunes of hymns I recognized. After we sang awhile, laying there on our backs, she started to pray out loud, waving her hands in the air. I understood her praying over and over for her sick mother in Haiti, her family in Haiti with no food and no jobs, her husband here with no job, for the Lord to cleanse her heart, thanking him for the blessings she has every day that others do not - food and a place to sleep. This was the most humbling and instructive experience I've had here yet. Learning how to pray from a Haitian maid.

A Tearful Wednesday

2009-09-02T08:22:00.004-04:00

The mood at CBG is somber this morning as news spread that the daughter of a beloved family of the church committed suicide last night. She was 17 years old her father died from an illness 2 months ago. She was a friend of many of Jenny and my first hour students (10th and 11th graders) who attend the church. More of Jenny's students knew her and are having a very hard time. Please pray for wisdom and sensitivity for us as teachers at this time. Students are wanting to communicate in their heart language, so English is taking a back seat today. Also, pray for the friends of Maria Elena who are grieving and struggling to wrap their minds around the situation at hand. We had a good time of prayer in my first hour class, and I am thankful that we have the freedom and privilege to pray in class, even though not all the students share the same faith. Sometimes traumas like this cause us to stop and think about the bigger picture, and I am thankful, in this case, for the unifying experience of praying together with my students. We appreciate yours as well!

Day 2: Much Better

2009-08-27T10:17:00.004-04:00

Highlights of the School Day:

1. IT'S JENNY'S BIRTHDAY!
2. The whole student body singing Happy Birthday to Jenny after the morning flag-raising and the pledge of allegiance outside in the schoolyard
3. Giving a writing assignment and hearing about what the high schoolers want to be when they grow up or what they want to do for their birthday
4. One of my 11th grade girls showing me her essay: "My b-day is in September 17 and I don't know what I whant to do...I think go to the restaurant with my friends and my inglish teacher :D ;)" We confirmed that we both like basically all foods, so it's a date!
5. Conducting a 40-minute class in Spanish with the 3rd graders (I didn't know I could do that!). I got permission to run class in Spanish until rules get reinforced and the kids learn what I expect of them. It went much better today, even though I had some popcorn boys.
6. More birthday fun yet to come!....

The School has a Face!

2009-08-27T07:53:00.001-04:00

We saw our school building today for the first time as we pulled up alongside all the other students. No teacher orientation, no tour, no curriculum, no lesson plans, just our two fellow English teachers assuring us “it would be fine.” We caught the last 5 minutes of the staff meeting. We were definitely the only white people there. But everyone was so smiley and professional-looking in their uniforms (of which we will soon be proud owners of too - we got measured today!). Then we met and prayed with the director and other English teachers before being shuffled off to meet our first class. We weren’t teaching lessons today. We are supposed to just occupy and get to know the kids until official English classes begin in September. But for us uptight Americans, what does that mean!?!? I like having my plan and structure and no lag-time. We had fun getting to know the kids, though. Jenny and I combined our 10th and 11th graders first hour and asked them questions that they had to respond yes/no to. The highlight of 9th grade class was when I told them it was going to be Miss Jenny’s birthday tomorrow and they all gasped and began clapping and singing, “Hoppy berth dey to you! Hoppy berth dey to you! Hoppy berth dey, Mees Yenny, Hoppy berth dey to you!” I sang and clapped along as if we had planned it all out, and Jenny got a good laugh. My third grade class was overwhelming, and I won’t say much about that because I am vowing to give them a second chance. 11 boys and 1 girl. Just imagine popcorn popping and that was what it looked like trying to keep them in their seats, knowing nobody's name.

Falling Mangos

2009-08-24T18:12:00.002-04:00

Good morning, Santiago! Nothing like rolling out of bed and finding that the first visitor has already arrived and is waiting around the corner! I was still in my pajamas as I greeted Patricia hello this morning. We met when she was up in the States last fall, and we have been eagerly chatting on facebook since the news of my move to the DR. I just didn’t expect to be standing there in my boxers when I saw her again. Oh well! They warned us that you’re instantly family here and that there’s a different sense of space. It was fun, though, to have somebody come by first thing and spend the morning with us.

We quickly got ready as our hostess from last night, Doña Clara, prepared us some café dominicano. She informed me, however, when we sat down to drink it, that I made it American by adding milk instead of a ridiculous amount of sugar. Oh well - can’t expect to be Dominican on my first day. But breakfast was delightful. The four of us sat on her patio, surrounded by exotic green vegetation that was creeping through the gates from her garden at the side of the house. At one point, there was a loud crashing noise on the tin roof covering part of her garden. We all looked over our shoulders in time to see something drop off into the plants. Doña Clara laughed and simply stated, “Mango.” The maid went out to pick it up, and before I knew it we were being served fresh mango and pineapple for breakfast. Ahhh, island life.

This afternoon we will move into our house where we will stay for the next month. I think we also hope to get fitted for our school uniforms and exchange our dollars into pesos. I feel relaxed, and the Spanish is easier to understand than I expected. I am trying to enjoy the slow pace of today as it probably won’t last long into the week....

Thanks for your prayers! Our travels went as smoothly as we could have hoped.

Unless You Become Like One of These...

2009-08-16T09:43:00.005-04:00

Here I sit in Colorado Springs at the house of a very dear friend. It's exactly 1-week until departure (to the hour!), and I keep trying to consider that maybe it was a ridiculous idea to go out of state the week leading up to a move overseas. But no. I am so thankful I've had these 4 days here with two wonderful friends, taking in the beauty of Pike's Peak, the Garden of the Gods (or the "Garden of the Living God," as Beth and her kids have affectionately re-named it), and even the magnificent city-scape from the back porch. Being around kids has caused me to think of my relationship with God differently. Sometimes kids obey...sometimes not. Sometimes they jump up on Mom or Dad's lap with an "I love you!" for no reason, and sometimes they scream, "You're MEAN! You don't LIKE me!" They are playing constantly, unaware that things like medical insurance, phone bills, mortgages, and a poor economy exist out there. They unknowingly trust Dad and Mom with those things...and are more concerned with having an instant audience. "Mom! Watch how far I can throw this ball!" That moment of looking up at a beaming, applauding parent is the best. I see that I'm more like a kid than I realize. I'd like to think I have an adult-to-adult relationship with my Savior, but (fortunately) that's not how it is. I am still that smug child that likes to deliberately wander over and touch my toe to the line Dad said not to cross. But I have loved being here and watching how these parents love their kids no matter what. They see them for what and who they are: little beings who aren't capable of making prudent decisions for their own good. I love seeing that unconditional love. What imagery!

Sorry to Burst Your Bubble

2009-08-03T13:42:00.004-04:00

As I was driving home from work today, I found myself daydreaming and listening to music (not unusual). Suddenly something appeared right in front of my windshield and caught my eye, so I stomped on the brakes. It was a bubble. But not JUST a bubble. This glistening bubble probably boasted a 4-inch diameter and had been victoriously sent flying from the plastic wand of two little Latina girls with round, black eyes standing on the sidewalk. Despite my efforts to halt or at least dodge their suspended masterpiece, it floated right into my windshield, and *POP!* Of all the unpredictable things I've feared hitting on the perilous streets of Phillips, I guess I can be thankful it was only a bubble. Sorry girls!

Then, I passed my favorite Latino house a block later, and you'll be happy to know that the brown chicken was faithfully guarding the premises from a chickadee that was infringing upon her fortress under the trampoline. I have been contemplating a good name for the chicken for about a week now, since the two best chicken names are already taken: Henrietta and Gwendolyn. It occurred to me today that I need to take into account her new adoptive culture, not only her heritage as a chicken. She shall henceforth be called Hen-nay-nay.

Grief is Good

2009-08-02T19:49:00.001-04:00

I am so Homesick right now. It seemed fitting to write something on my aptly-titled blog site. The cause for this overwhelming aching right now is not because of disillusionment with the world, however; it’s because I can hardly believe how wonderful blessings can still be in this fallen, decrepit world. Or, in speaking to today, how can such deep, mutually-understanding and healing friendships still find a way to take root and sprout up, even in this parched land? In this generation, this society, this period in history (which I suppose is more accurately referred to as the “present”), it amazes me that love still penetrates and prevails over all the other evils that run rampant in our society and the depravity of our humanness.

I received a card tucked between the books on my bedside table just now that halted me right in the middle of what I was doing. It was from a dear friend, one whose value in my life made contemplating leaving her and going to go to the Dominican Republic especially hard. I could not have concocted a better collision of events that would have made the timing of receiving this “I’ll miss you” note any better. For one example, I had just been asked by a couple people this week my biggest anxiety in leaving for the DR. I realized that I fear not properly grieving what I am about to leave behind. Not that dwelling on it will lengthen the time I get to spend with loved ones or magically make it painless to leave, but I simply feel the need to let my heart marinate in the bittersweet reality of change, and, in this case, the pain of having to leave dear people behind for a time. Receiving this note helped me to break down and grieve the reality of this major life change.

All this to say, reflecting on this precious friendship today makes me Homesick for a place where friendship and wholeness is completed once and for all. This small glimpse of how I may have been instrumental in another’s life over the past year made me Homesick for a day when I will see the “big picture” revealed in all its glory. And saying goodbye to people in the temporal sense makes makes me Homesick for a place where time and tears do not exist as they do here. Lord hasten the day...

Urban Free-Range

2009-07-22T19:59:00.007-04:00

Tonight as I drove home from our outdoor, bilingual Wednesday night service, I passed my favorite Latino residence in Phillips Neighborhood. As if they knew I was coming and didn't want to disappoint me, they had recreated little Mexico in their backyard. The television had been brought out and set up on the cement slab next to the garage with five shirtless men drinking Corona and watching fútbol. The women were gathered around a smoking, open-air stove that had been rigged up using stones, sticks, and a hanging pot. Kids were chasing each other up and down the sidewalk (there were at least 10 of them). And though I've seen all this before, tonight there was a new addition that brought it all home: a plump, brown chicken was strutting across the yard, blissfully unaware that he now resides smack in the middle of the 'hood. Happy hens and homitos in the 'hood.

Chill

2009-07-18T18:03:00.004-04:00

I like this word.

There's a good ol' Minnesota "chill" in the air today. I guess even July is not safe from these cold snaps that reminds us Minnesotans of our ultimate destiny - frigid weather. We are like Israelites finding a way to complain, though recently freed from captivity in Egypt. We wrinkle up our noses at 60 degree weather and forget what we have been brought out of: cars that won't start, 2 feet of snow blocking us in or out of our alleyways, 40-below wind chill, and no "snow days" because our plowing system is all-too prepared. Okay, maybe comparing my upbringing to that of an Israelite in captivity is a stretch; the point is: I am trying to enjoy this chilly weather, as I hear there aren't too many brisk days in the DR.

Chill. What else does it imply? Well, this week I bought the camera of my dreams. I have loved photography for some time, but have never been able to justify investing in a digital SLR camera, even though I have been commissioned by a few different people to photograph portraits or events. I can see the frustration of not having a manual-setting camera in such a photogenic land far outweighing the moment of panic as I hand over the wad of bills in return for a dazzling new Canon 30D. Jenny was there to witness the exchange, and though she politely tried to remind me why I would kick myself if I didn't make the purchase, what it boiled down to was, "Chill." Words of the wise.

So here I am, chilling on the couch at my parents' house. Enjoying the chilly day under a blanket, watching Pride and Prejudice with Mom (the BBC version. My favorite!), drinking "Chill" orange soda, with candles lit. And look how such simplicity can be turned into beautiful artwork through eyes that notice (and the aid of a Canon 30D)...

Am I Cool Now?

2009-06-25T16:19:00.002-04:00

I have a shiny new blog! I guess this is my initiation into the world of Web 2.0. I was resistant to the idea of starting a blog for a long time because it felt audacious to assume anyone would want to read anything I have to write. I'm still not sure I have anything worth saying, but you can count on some stunning pictures of the Caribbean coast. Deal?

The main reason I am here is not to hear myself talk, but because in all honesty, I know there are many of you out there who do care about me & my life, and would enjoy a way to hear stories and updates more systematically. I thank you for your interest in my upcoming move to the DR and hope you will check in with me personally every so often with your own updates and words of encouragement. I again ask for your prayers while I am down here! I'm not sure what I've gotten myself into yet, but maybe those are the stories that will keep you reading... :)

Here are some quick facts about what I am doing again:

City: Santiago, Dominican Republic

Official Language: Spanish

Our Church: Iglesia Bautista de la Gracia (IBG)

Our School: El Colegio Bautista de la Gracia (CBG)

Size of School: around 250 kids; grades preK-12

Type of School: Reformed Baptist, local (Dominican students), taught in Spanish

Subject I will be teaching: English

Grades I will be teaching: Pre-K, Kindergarten, 3rd, 9th, 10th, & 11th (yes, basically every age)

The email address I will be using is kaaaron@gmail.com incase you would like to get in touch more directly. Thanks for reading and thanks for being a part of my life!