McCool Christmas

The Dixons packed up and headed to my grandparents (The McCools) in the afternoon to celebrate Christmas with the rest of the family. It was really nice seeing everyone together once again, especially the little kids that change so quickly...the last time I saw baby Ellie was the day she was born!

Perfect.

What could make Christmas any better?? SNOW!!!!!!!!!! It started snowing and kept snowing enough to stick and make a snowman! I called my friends in the Dominican Republic to share the news...I wish they could be here too. Definitely a white Christmas, perfect!

Merry Christmas

Dixon Christmas

We had the Dixon Christmas last night after Dennis and Abby arrived. The kids were showered with lots of presents, not forgetting every Star Wars figure created! It's been a few years since we have all had Christmas together so it was nice having us all together. Basil (my cat) decided not to join us as it was a bit too much for him this year. This morning we ushered in Christmas with oatmeal pancakes, scones, pepper bacon, and hash browns. Now that's Christmas!!!

Good News

Dennis and Abby made it in last night!

Skating

We went to Lloyd Center (the mall) a few days ago to the Winter Wonderland of the Christmas decorations and watched the kids show-off their ice skating skills!

We are Family

The best part about being back in Oregon?? Family!

First days

Back in Oregon. I don't remember it being this cold. With a coat and a scarf though, I think I'll make it! I went to the store with my mom grocery shopping yesterday which was fun...there are just so many choices. I didn't know they even made 7 kinds of Oreos yet alone carried all of them on the shelves of Winco! The avocados and papayas were surprisingly small and expensive, hence the picture!

My cat is great...he is bigger than I remember but then again, everyone used to comment about how big he was.

Last night I got together with my high school friends Jenny, Jen, and Bethany. Years have gone by since we have all been together like that and yet, it is like we have never been apart. We talked and talked and it was amazing to see where life has taken each one of us.

Oregon

I made it to Oregon and it is COLD (note cold face on top right)! I was thankful for my coat and hat soon after I got in. We made a stop at Taco Bell on the way home which was amazing...it's been awhile since tostadas. Lots of things ahead over these next two weeks, hopefully lots of family and friends and eating of Mexican food!

Leaving the DR

Yesterday was Candace's Bday and also doubled as the day to head to the States! We started our morning (top left) at the DR version of Starbucks which was amazing as always. We left in the afternoon and said goodbye to our wonderful DR but were excited to get to do it together. It was surprisingly hard to leave, even though we both know it's only 2.5 weeks! We had a good time on the plane together and laughed a lot, cried a bit, and watched a movie together. We had our first real Starbucks together in NY after we went through customs and then we parted ways to our own homes. I'm so glad we got to do that part together, makes it all a bit easier!

Happy bday Josue and Candace!

Tuesday was Josue's bday so we went to his house after church to celebrate. I brought carrot cake which was a first for most of them! We were there late enough to welcome in Candace's bday at midnight! It also turned into the good-bye for Candace and me as we left the next day

Almost ready

Candace and I just checked in online. We'll be in seats 6A & B and having a great 4 hour and 8 minute flight together.

One more day of sun

We spent the morning walking around Sosua and made a little side trip to the beach. Hard to imagine what tomorrow will be like on the other side of (seemingly) the world! Looking forward to seeing my family and friends after a whole year...that's a long time! Hoping to see the snow, nervous about the cold, excited to see everyone (including my cat).

Cooking

So we're in our new apartment and love it. We haven't bought a stove or fridge yet because, well, they're expensive. In the meantime, so long as we have electricity (which we don't nightly) we've been using all sorts of kitchen appliances. The skillet is the most useful as it can cook all sorts of things and even make popcorn. But a few nights ago we wanted to boil pasta and only had a kettle, so we went for it. With a bit of persistance and time, it worked! We are now thinking about publishing a "Cooking by kettle" book for all to use.

Happy Birthday

December is filled with birthdays here. Just from the young folks at church there are at least 6 birthdays! We celebrated on Saturday night with cake and games and talking.

Candace's birthday is on the 19th and so we had birthday dinner of tacos (American style!) and ice cream pie to celebrate. Not long after was a game of Uno and endless games of Guess Who...always a crowd-pleaser. We leave on Wednesday, her birthday, so tonight was the best night to get together. I'm thankful for us heading out on the same flight together until New York where hopefully we can have a birthday Starbucks before switching planes to Canada and Oregon...what a different world it will be!!!

Last day of school

The last day of school. Mixed feelings as we see the kids for the last time for a few weeks but also share in the joy of a big party and gift-giving. We filled bags full of grapes, apples, raisins, nuts, and candy...things that we're all used to, but special treats to these kids. They were also given a big piece of cake to take home to their families. We had a special meal and the kids later returned with their families for a presentation by each class. It was neat to see the kids in these roles, so proud to have a part in something important, showing off to their family and friends. I wish I could describe fully what I feel to be here. I don't deserve this. I don't deserve to have these kids in my lives, but I am thankful everday that I get to.

Babies

Time for another baby update! Baby Jessica (above) is doing so well and is chubby and playful and smiling! It's been awhile since I've seen her but she came to the school to play with us yesterday which was excellent. Pena makes such a happy dad and he seems to enjoy being with his little one, he's so proud of her!!

Baby Susanna continues to be little and sweet. She also came to visit yesterday and we all took turns cuddling her. Jessica was fascinated by her and just sat watching. It's just amazing that this little life hung on, I truly consider her a miracle with all the obstacles she overcame just to be born and live. I think there's something special she's here for.

Storm Olga

Olga came and thankfully, she left. It was a really stormy few days as another Tropical Storm hit the island. Rain and winds like I've never seen before. At night, I envisioned the windows being blown in as I buried myself further in my sheets. Apart from being without electricity for 2-ish days, we were spared a lot of the damage. Others on the island lost their homes and some their lives. Most everything is back to normal now as we dry out.

Progress continues

We are working our way through the boxes and only have a few that remain. The kitchen still needs some help, but it's coming together just fine. As we are without stove or fridge until January when we hope to buy them, we have some extra open spaces to store things too!

Settling in

Just some photos of the big move yesterday and then last night unpacking the boxes and beginning to put things in place. Today we are continuing that process and although many boxes are unpacked, they seem to be endless! It's fun setting up our very own house and finding where everything goes.

We're in!

The rain held off all afternoon and we got everything into the apartment. We had an AMAZING group of people that worked so, so hard. I can't believe that it's done, well, the packing and moving part. Now comes the unpacking part which we'll get to over the next week.

Paint

All the paint went on the apartment yesterday and it looks amazing! Today, if there isn't rain, we are going to actually move everything in. Last night we scraped paint off the floor until the wee hours of the morning, but thanks to the help of great friends, we got it done. We're hoping the rain holds long enough to get us in there today!

We're moving!

So all in one week we found an apt, sorted the contract (or whatever it is that we have??), got the keys, picked put paint colors, and are packing! It is unbelievable how quickly it has all moved forward, we keep waiting for some hitch but have come to realize that maybe sometimes it doesn't have to be difficult. Tomorrow we are painting and will continue the packing task, hoping to move-in on Sunday! We have a lot of helpers which is amazing and very useful. The team house will stay as the team house, it just won't have anyone in it in-between teams. Definitely will be posting pictures soon!

Little

So meet baby Suzanna. She's 11 days old. She weighs about 2 pounds. Her arm is the size of a mans finger. She's an orphan.

Her mom was working at our school and got sicker and sicker. Eventually she was admitted to the hospital, a C-section was done (premature obviously, maybe 7 months?), and then mom died the next day. It's still unclear as to why she died, but I'm leaning towards AIDS...that is sort of the main "hidden" killer. Lots of people die in the village from "fever" or " a cough" when in reality it is AIDS.

The problem is that mom was already raising her 5 kids alone, dad died a few years back in an accident (I know, that means this baby still has a dad somewhere, but who knows who or where?) A friend who also works at the school has taken in ALL the children and is caring for them. Mind you, they live in a two-bedroom block house in the village and have 3 of their own children. The friend still comes to work everyday, hasn't complained about it once, and just keeps rolling along. I am amazed, but that doesn't even sum up what she is doing. I asked her today about the possiblity of some of the kids going to the Ark, the Kids Alive orphanage, and she said she would like to think about it. She didn't just automatically say "of course, take them!", but really wants to think through it. Incredible woman.

My first instinct is to take little baby girl home with me. Of course I could feed her, love her, raise her, make sure she gets what she needs...but who am I to decide what she needs? Maybe what she needs is to stay in the village and be raised by a Haitian family, maybe she needs to be with her brothers and sisters, maybe my desire to help wouldn't actually be a help in the end. How long am I willing to commit to her? Would I ever be able to let her go after raising her for a few years? The questions are hard, there doesn't really seem to be a right answer. So I cuddled her and prayed for her and know that I'll know what is right, somehow.

Baby no more!

This little Princesa child is sooo big now! She hung out with us at school today and it was so much fun. She's laughing and almost walking and has such a little personality. It's fun having a baby around!

Snow vs. Sun

Oh I think I'm in for a bit of a temperature shock when heading to Oregon in a few weeks! My mom just emailed me a picture of what's happening there, meanwhile, it's a bit warmer here!

Vaccines

Candace has officially graduated my vaccination school and is now vaccinating away! We did our second round of Hepatitis B these last two days and managed to vaccinate almost 150 kids with just 3 of us...and some teacher helpers. We had a good time through all of it though and I'm thankful for the vaccines that were donated and all the hands to help!! One more round of Hep B and our kids have their first complete series of vaccines!

Youth

This weekend was a full one! The church had their Regocijo Juvenil which is like a big youth event for all the area. It started Thurs night and finished on Sunday night and went so well. Loads of people turned out and it was fun to see everyone.

Dominican Thanksgiving

We had an amazing Thanksgiving dinner. I think there were 14 of us all together...Dominicans, Americans, Canadians, Haitians (baby Jonathan!). It was fun to see the Dominicans trying lots of foods for the first time like apple pie and cranberry sauce and stuffing. It was also great to eat such familiar "home" food. I'm very thankful for the family of friends I have been placed with here!

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is going to be Tuesday for us! There are lots of events happening this week so we had to push the celebrations forward a few days. Today we made apple pies and then tonight the turkey got worked on. We got rid of the guts and the neck (how disgusting is that part!). I can't actually remember laughing so hard in a long time! We did it by candlelight as well as the lights were out, which added to the fun. You never quite knew what you were pulling out of that thing!

To get our turkey we had to go on an adventure to Santiago which is a bit over an hour away. We bought our $30 turkey weighing in at 15 lbs (yah, $2/lb!) and a ham too. We plan on having the full Thanksgiving spread tomorrow, minus pumpkin pie. We went to the 2 biggest grocery stores in Santiago and struck out. We tried at the 2 stores in this area and again, no canned pumpkin. One guy I asked told me he didn't have canned pumpkin but upstairs they had decorative pumpkins. I told him thanks, but I couldn't make a pie from that! Anyhow, it's been fun trying to do an American Thanksgiving in the DR! Tomorrow we'll have Americans, Canadians, and Dominicans around our table and I'm really looking forward to it!

Guagua

When I was younger I promised I would never drive minivan. Never say never. I now drive a 16+ passenger van daily. Here in the DR, these types of vans are used as public transport, called a guagua. There is a set route and people stand on the side of the road and wait for it to go by. Now one of the joys of driving our guagua is that they flag me down for a ride. Fun. It is pretty much a babe-magnet.

Our guagua is long. Sometimes I have trouble parking. It is blue. The steering wheel is big but it is otherwise easy to drive. Sometimes I just pretend when I'm driving alone that 4 rows of seats don't exist behind me. It will be amazing when teams are here, for that is the reason for our guagua...but we don't have another team until the end of January.

Our guagua has a tape deck. That is one of the highlights because I have tapes. I like to listen to my tapes because they are generally from about the 8th grade and are amusing. Makes me think of old boyfriends and talking with the girls while playing M.A.S.H.

Our guagua has two settings for temperature, cold-colder. There is no heat, just air conditioning. That makes sense though because, after all, this is the Dominican Republic.

I'm thankful for our guagua.

Christmas

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas here in the Dominican Republic, and we are LOVING it! Candace and I decorated the house this weekend and brought out all of the Nutcrackers too. Tonight we went to dinner with the Mercy Ships group and were very excited about all the decorations they had. Even though it's still early November and Thanksgiving hasn't even come and gone...Christmas is in full swing here and it's very welcomed!

Dominican Wedding

We got to attend a wedding for friends Milka and Francis on Sunday which was really nice. With only a few variations, it was fairly similar to U.S. weddings and I'm glad we were able to be there and be a part of it all.

Classrooms

Progress continues as we have begun digging and building onto our already in-progress classrooms. We have a bathroom block and 2 classrooms almost finished and have now started digging and laying block for 2 additional classrooms. We are working towards having a 2 story classroom set where we'll have 8 classrooms and 2 sets of bathrooms. Anyhow, it's so exciting/overwhelming/encouraging, to see it all coming together. To trust that we'll be able to handle the changes and growth. I can't wait to meet all these kids!

Life these days...

So these days have been filled with all sorts of different things. I'll start with the top left photo which is Michelle and me...she is one of the leaders with Mercy Ships, the group that is here for the month. We made a day trip with everyone up to Jarabacoa and stopped along the way for coffee.

So then top right was one of the stupidest things I've done yet. So there is this retreat for the youth of all the churches and these two invited me to ride bikes out to it. I thought it would be tough, but figured I could probably do it. I WANTED TO DIE. Or, actually I thought I was going to. It started raining along the way, a mixed blessing as it was cooling but also then meant wet clothes for awhile.

Then that takes us to the bottom two photos where today we went to Jarabacoa to vaccinate the children at the ANIJA school. We did loads of shots on screaming, crying, fleeing children, but it was very successful thanks to all the help.

Storm

Thanks for everyone checking in about how we're doing after the storm. It was a very rainy and windy and wet week, but the north coast was spared most of everything. The south was hit very hard and the rescue efforts are still underway as they find whole villages under mud and water. Dominicans compare this the Hurricane Katrina in the States. Bridges and roads were taken out, rivers rose higher than they ever have; many people are still missing.

Rain

So it's been raining. A lot. The other night the thunder was intense, I have never heard thunder like that before. It probably lasted for over 30 minutes and it shook the windows and the house the whole time. Candace came up to sleep with me...that's how intense it was!

The rain is a mixed blessing. Being from Oregon, I LOVE the rain. I like grabbing a blanket and sitting on the couch and watching it. I like hearing it on the tin roof. I like even getting wet when I go out sometimes. But rain also means flooding. Flooding of houses that were rough to start with. Leaking tin roofs that were already weak fall in, families get wet, dirt floors turn to mud. Rivers rise and it means no school...we can't get into the village if the river is too high; we can't expect the kids from the other side of the river to cross, it's too dangerous.

So today Candace and I sit on the couch, napping, drinking coffee, talking, reading. It's been raining for quite a few days now. I miss my kids at school. I hope they are dry, I hope they get to sit on the couch and drink hot chocolate while their mom reads them stories. And then I am reminded of the hard realities. I hope the rain stops.

Beach day

To celebrate the graduation, we went to the beach for the afternoon on Sunday. It was cloudy and a bit damp, but still great to go out and talk and play...some were even brave enough to get in the water. We went to a new-to-me beach called Cangrejo which we were able to walk to from the house...like 40 miles away (or so it seemed!)

Moving forward

We have the Mercy Ships team here for 3 weeks and construction is flying forward! The septic, which was dug by hand, is almost completely finished which is that much closer to having the new bathrooms ready. The sidwalk around the gazebo is finished. The classrooms are nearly done...it's great! We (and by we I me they) actually just started digging the footings for 2 more classrooms which, to be honest, is overwhelming to think of! To have that many kids in the school will be amazing. I love watching the changes and being involved in something so great.

Adonai Graduation

It's the time of year for graduations! I went last night to the first one which was quite fun. They started out at the park and walked to the church where a million people packed in (it was HOT). After we went and had spaghetti with the graduates and chatted. Why do I get to be a part of these things? How did I get so blessed to live this life? I love it!

In preparation

Dear family

In preparation for being in Oregon for Christmas (Dec 19th-Jan 4th) I'll need a few things to make the transition easier:

-Please place a bin always next to the toilet...that's where the t.p. goes, right?
-Turn off all lights nightly at 5pm and on again about 9pm. Feel free to change the schedule without telling and turn lights off and on at will.
-I will need a constant heater near me to maintain 80 degrees
-Please find all sweaters, long underwear and anything warm
-I will need to be awoken each morning by roosters and motorcycles
-Remove all seatbelts from the car
-Replace all carpet with tile
-Instead of an umbrella, I'll just be needing a showercap
-All coffee will need to come in a plastic cup. Oh yah, I drink coffe now.

Thanks for getting things ready. See you at Christmas!

Jes :)

Yubi's 25!!

We went to Yubi's birthday party last night which was fun, as usual. Yubi is one of the teachers at school and also goes to church with us. We had a group of gringos which was always entertaining and even had to perform at birthday song for her.

Women's Retreat

I got to go to an amazing women's retreat this weekend. It was so great and I was surrounded by incredible Dominican women and learned so much. We talked and talked and talked some more. They're still amazed that I can wash my hair daily and I don't have to wrap it around my head at night...and were stumped at the eyelash curler, we continue to learn from each other!!

Good things come to those who wait

Sorry I've been a bad blog-updater, I'm working on it tonight, so long as the lights stay on. Check in later, I'll do my best! Sorry.

Youth group

Tonight our little dinner for a few turned into all the youth in the church! It was excellent in the end and fun to have everyone over. It's been amazing to be a part of this church and how they have welcomed me in and made me really feel like I am a part of them. The friendships I have made in these last few months are so great and I look forward to building on them in the time ahead. So it turns out I can still be a part of youth group...who would've guessed?!

Roof is on!

What a production! Saturday was the day to fill in the roof on the classrooms and bathrooms. What an incredible project. A whole team was brought in who has a lot of experience with this and it was interesting to watch...and a lot of work for them. So now the roof will "set" for about a month and we'll otherwise be moving forward with all the other projects that are to be done! We are still set for bringing in a new class of 4 year olds in November which is exciting and overwhleming. I took applications for 4 hours and had 167 kids that want in...now we have to pick about 50. It is overwhelming, the need is huge, how do you pick one poor kid over the other poor kid? It's hard but I trust that we'll pick the ones that need it the most and pray for wisdom in doing so!

Happy Thanksgiving

All is well...I knew it would be! Candace is back and settling into the swing of things and it is perfect. Today is Canadian Thanksgiving so we had mashed potatoes yesterday and corn on the cob from the street man today. We started sponsorship work like crazy today since Candace will be taking over that job (!!!!!!!) as I am freed then to work more towards medical and being a nurse! So many ideas abound right now about the direction I could take and the needs that we have. So for Canadian Thanksgiving, I say that I am thankful today that life is back to normal, that Candace is home!

HOOOORRAYYY!!

Candace is back!!! I'm so excited...life is good!