And so this is DR Christmas!

So today is Christmas Eve. Traditionally a cold, maybe snowy day where we all get together and have a Dixon dinner and then listen to the kids beg my parents to open presents until they give in and we spend the night in gifts. But today I woke up to full sun and 70 degrees at 7:30 am. We will have a family dinner, but it will include roasted pork and moro (rice with beans). I'm making mashed potatoes and stuffing and apple pie because, well, I'm American and it's okay to want those things.

It's been a time of homesickness like crazy, but I guess that's to be expected. Ariel has been so good to me when it all hits and he takes me to the "big city" Santiago to see Christmas lights and go to the mall and eat Taco Bell and see New Moon. He is a good husband. So good. Yesterday we went to pick up the mail that arrives into Santiago by plane every two weeks. I truly now feel that Christmas is here!! Opening packages of wrapped presents just waiting until we can rip into them tomorrow. There isn't a tradition of gift-giving to grown-ups here, just for kids. Like I said, it's all different. Ariel and I will be having an "American" Christmas morning where we exchange presents and open all the excitement that we've received from the States. We're going to have pancakes and bacon and hash browns...now matter how weird it is to him!! And that'll be Christmas. A little, well, a lot different, but I'm happy to have stayed this year to see what it's like and mostly, to spend Christmas with Ariel. Now we just continue praying that we can be in Oregon for the next one...come on visa!!!

Happy Christmas everyone!

Central Park

The Central Park in Puerto Plata is very decorated and festive and definitely welcoming lots of visitors wanting a bit of Christmas spirit. We are frequent flyers to the park and love to just sit and talk and see the lights and decorations. We took the neices and nephews there the other day and had a lot of fun but also learned that we probably can't handle having 4 small kids! They're pretty great though, and it was such fun to go out with them!

Christmas Party at the Care Center

We had such a fun day at the Care Center for our last day of presentations and a Christmas feast! The kids loved all the food and were able to take some home to their families as well.

They did such a great job with their poems and skits and songs. It's always a lot of work for them, but they LOVE being in front of the whole group and presenting what they've memorized! We had 50 kids receive and award for perfect attendance, which is no small miracle in itself!!

Ready to Party

We filled Christmas bags and decorated the school in anticipation of the Christmas party tomorrow. The kids have been preparing songs and pantomimes (what's a party without a pantomime??!!) and skits for the big day. The kids will come to school around noon for a special lunch, then head back to their house to bring back a guest for the presentations. After it's all over, the guest gets a little gift (cake and an apple) and the kids get a big bag full of goodies. The bags are filled with treats that they most likely otherwise won't see, like apples and grapes and raisins (Christmas essentials in the DR). They also get a bag of sweets and 2 pairs of brand new undies! For many kids, this will be their Christmas. As money is often non-existent, Christmas gifts and presents just can't be bought. So we do our best to meet a need (Christmas is kind of a need) in their lives and love them by giving even the non-essentials.

It's a big day. I love it. I love the smiles on the kids face because they're getting something new. I love all the work they put into their presentations and how proud they are to bring someone with them to school to "show off" a little. Yah, it's a lot of work getting ready, but it's worth it for the little bits of joy!

Gua-guita

So we used to have the lovely, thin blue van. The same one that got stolen, was found in Haiti, and is now back serving in Constanza. In its place, we got a full size massive beast of a van that rarely sees me driving it (too big for me on the DR streets!). Well, it often breaks down and it just so happened that this week it did that again and was in the shop. So what did we get to school in? This little van. Mind you, the van has no back seat, one row for 2-3 people behind the drivers seats, should fit a max of 5 people, including the driver. So how many did we fit in?? 10!!! Incredible. It was a tight right but we made it in, even crossed the river which I didn't think was going to happen.

Jonathan visits!

One of the hardest things about living here is the constant coming and going of friends. It seems just when you are comfortable in a friendship, they are gone! It's just part of the lifestyle of living abroad though, as often people have contracts for 6 months, a year, 2 years, etc. Thankfully though, sometimes those friends come back! Jonathan was here with Kids Alive for over 2 years, but left to serve with KA in Africa 1.5 years ago. His best friend was Anyelo (see previous post) who was getting married to Leona, so he was able to be here for the wedding. After the wedding he stayed a night with us and visited Caraballo again, and we even found some time for carne salada, Yogen Fruz, and a trip to Puerto Plata.

Anyelo and Leona's wedding

On Saturday evening, we got to go the wedding of Anyelo and Leona. Leona has been here for years and works near Jarabacoa with Kids Alive in a Care Center called Palo Blanco. She and Anyelo are now in the club of Dominican-American marriages, and it's a great club to be in! There were lots of people there to celebrate and it was nice to be a part of their big day!

Thankful in Jarabacoa

On Friday afternoon we headed up to the mountains of Jarabacoa where it was amazingly cool! Ariel went crazy for sleeping with all the windows open and only a sheet, while I was bundled under 3 blankets! We had a nice time with all the Kids Alive folks and got to see many that we don't often see. After a huge dinner cooked by a team, there was singing and then the rain called the kids (and some adults) out to play on a make-shift slip and slide, then more singing and even a fire! It's always great to get away, to be with others, and feel the cold again!

Thankful in Puerto Plata

We had our first round of great Thanksgiving feasting with the Makarios group today in Puerto Plata. There were lots of people and even more food! I got to cuddle some more with Tasha which was probably my favorite part, besides Stove Top stuffing! We're off to Jarabacoa this weekend for Thanksgiving #2 (breaking Ariel in right!) and a friend's wedding on Saturday.

Help me while you shop!

So I've been connected to Upromise for a long time and it helps me, in small ways, to pay back student loans simply by connecting through them before purchasing anything online. So as you are all shopping for Chrismtas presents online, just click on the link below and it'll give me credit for your purchases! You don't have to open an account or anything, it has all my info already in the link so you just shop like normal after that. There's also some coupons if you're into that sort of thing too. Thanks guys!!! :)

Upromise Guest Shopping for Jessi

Laugh for the evening

So I bought one of those fancy tablets for the toilet that turns the water blue. I don't know if they really make it cleaner, but it gives the overall feeling that it's cleaner (and the blue covers it up if it's not anyways!). So I had nothing better to do I guess and was reading the back detalis about the "Bowl Fresh" toilet cleaner. This was my favorite:

"Safe to use around pets and children, although it is not recommended that either be permitted to drink from toilet".

It's not recommended? Really?

Growing pains

These last few days have been hard for me. I've been brought back to the realities of poverty and the needs of these kids. The needs. Oh, how the needs overwhelm me. I started doing teeth cleanings on the kindergarteners and am now up to 2nd grade and each grade gets progressively worse with the amount of damage and decay in their mouths. It's not surprising, I knew it and I expected it. But to actually open the mouth of a 5-year old and see teeth half-rotten, others missing, and him telling me how much it hurts...I feel, well, helpless.

That's been the biggest feeling apart from just an achey heart for each one of these guys. I'm still trying to wrap my head around a little girl being sent to school with a black eye last week, supposedly fell on a rock. She's 6. It's the same as the tooth decay...I know it exists but to actually have a little girl right in front of me who can barely open her eye and who is telling me lies that she's been told to pass on from someone who beat her. Achey heart. Helpless. I guess that's what poverty, injustice does. I just wish I could do something about it.

Cleaning some teeth

Well I officially started cleaning teeth. We start with a revealer tablet which sticks to the plaque and then I'm teaching them how to brush better. Then I move on to doing a basic cleaning and mouth check, then flouride for at least a minute. It's been fun to help the kids like this, a very tangible measure that we're really making a difference. The kids love the attention and the stickers too!

Good morning!

I've had this plant (hibiscus?) for a long time and when we got it, it had a few of these lovely flowers. Since then, it has done nothing but grow leaves and be boring. This morning I was in the living room and heard Ariel shouting, "Jessi, come look!!!" and went to see the first beautiful flower in months! It literally sprouted and bloomed overnight and, well, I'm pretty excited about that.

Jazz Festival

We went to the Dominican Jazz Festival last night in Cabarete. It was a fun time to be with friends and talk and listen to some jazz music. We had a great spot on the beach with blankets and the whole set-up, but then the rain came so everyone packed under the tent. Little by little we got chairs and ended up getting to sit together. The bands were excellent and pretty creative!

Some tailoring

So I have some clothes that don't fit so well but haven't ever been able to get rid of them. Ariel said we'd just take them to the tailor and have them fixed. I first pulled out a few skirts and then he suggested I take some dresses that aren't too fitted either. I was hesitant because it's never a priority when money isn't abounding and I'm okay to wear something else. I share this because in the end, this is what we're fixing:

2 skirts
3 dresses
1 polo shirt
1 men's shirt
2 men's dress pants.

All for the low price of 370 pesos...10 little dollars! Can you believe it??!! Why didn't I do this before. And it's not just a little seam, we're talking tapering skirts and removing zippers to do some tucks, etc. Amazing. This country is amazing.

Experiences

When Candace went back to Canada in February, she accidently left her book My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers. Although I've meant to send it to her a few times, I just can't seem to let it go! I love to read it every morning because this is the kind of quality reading I get:



"If you are going to be used by God, He will take you through a number of experiences that are not meant for you personally at all. They are designed to make you useful in His hands, and to enable you to understand what takes place in the lives of others. Because of this process, you will never be surprised by what comes your way."



How great is that?! How often I find myself being self-centered and thinking the problems and ups and downs in life are simply to teach me something. But what if it is for others, what if I get to do great things because of the hard and difficult times that I've gone through? How much better I understand others' struggles now because of my own personal struggles in life. How much more I feel I can relate when someone faces an obstacle, a hard decision, a hurt or pain. So I thank God for the hard times and continue to pray that I will be used, that He will use the experience I've had so that I may be more useful to Him.



And thanks, Candace, for forgetting your book! I'm just going to have to get you a new one though.

Christmastime is...near.

It's that time of the year already...sponsorship Christmas cards! We've been working with the kids this week to get the Christmas cards ready to be sent to the Kids Alive office where they'll then be sent off to their waiting sponsors! It's a fun time, really, as the kids get excited about not only getting out of class but coloring and writing to their sponsor. It's amazing seeing what they come up with to decorate their Christmas tree...from dots to bright pink. At first I wanted make them do it in green but, well they're kids and if they want to have a pink tree, let it be!

Counting down

Yubi continues well and is counting down the days to her baby boy. She's due in just over a month and is more than ready to meet this little man. Her belly is getting so big for her little body and I got to feel him kicking and moving yesterday. She's started having some contractions but nothing more than warming-up for the big day! Can't wait!

Bouncing bunnies

Remember these gross things???!!!




They are now these lovely little fluffy bunnies! I was hoping that they would get better, and just like they promised, about a week later they opened their eyes and grew some hair. They're now amazing and soft and cuddly. I might even pick them up every now and then because they're kind of irresitible to touch! The runty white one died but the other three are going strong and eating lettuce already! I'm glad they changed from their ugly first few days...they were pretty gross!