Hola Amigos!!

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers for Josh and I. We have needed it! After three days as Pastor Castillo's guests, we decided that we would serve them better to travel in to work, perpared with our own food and water. It is alot of work to take care of, feed and manage a large group of visiting Americans and we did not want to be a burden to any while trying to serve them. So, we are back with our friends the Rojas who are very glad to have us with them! They have been very generous and kind. Esteban and Laura are coming with us tomorrow to help also! The plan is to travel in to El Dique and continue to help in anyway we can. This is VBS week and construction is a daily labor.

Sunday morning Josh was very sick. We think it was food posioning or something. Tuesday I woke with a horrible sore throat and tongue. I can explain, as words can not do justice to how horrible it looked in my mouth... It even scared Josh! God was so kind though, and within three hours medicine was delivered to our door! Today I was much better but later this afternoon stricken with a terrible migraine. Please pray I am able to work tomorrow.

We are very thankful for all that God is teaching us during this trip. We are told that we are having the "real Dominican experience," and that "Living in the Dominican is living on the edge...hand to mouth." How true...

God bless you all, we will be home in nine days. DV

Kiki and Josh

Tu me vuelves loco! ... Just Kidding.

Hello, Everyone, how are you on this balmy Sunday afternoon?

Oh, I forgot, it's probably raining and cloudy where you are! The breeze is delicious here, although the heat is something incredible. Josh got food poisoning this morning from some food we ate out last night, so I have been at home all day reading and taking care of Josh.

I am also reading this cool book called, In the Time of the Butterflies, by Julia Alverez. It is about the Maribel sisters that were murdered for the revolutionary attempts during the reign of Trujillo the Domincan dictator. Trujillo was this horrible dictator in this country; he ruled for 30 years before he was "put out". He oversaw the killing of thousands of Hatians and Dominicans who opposed his tyranny. The Maribel sisters publicly opposed his influence, and for this reason three of them were killed.



Josh just woke up from his long slumber so I am going to go make him something. My next post will be pics of the kidlets!

PIctures from Working.....

ME!!!

Work at the church...

Yesterday, Josh and I spent the entire day at the church, Iglesia Fundamento Biblico. When we arrived at about eight thirty, there were about 30 americans there and about 10 dominicans from another church. The americans came from John Pipers church, and the dominicans came from Pastor Santanas church in Santiago.

Josh helped a lot with the construction. He shoveled sand with several other young people that was pulled up by pulleys in buckets. Then, he manned the recieving of buckets from the roof. The sand is being mixed with conctrete to make the floor.

I went with a group of young people into the streets of El Dique to spread the word about the upcoming VBS. We knocked on their doors and talked to people in the streets. The streets were very narrow, sometimes only ten feet wide, and the people that lived there were very poor. Two little guys acted as our guides showing us the houses that had children.

Later on, a whole group of young people gathered about 70 children from the town and played games and sang songs with them in front of the church. It was so precious to see these little kids (ages 3 to 10) laughing and enjoying themselves. We taught them songs about Jesus in Spanish like,

Ale lu ale lu ale lu ale lu.... GLORIA A DIOS!

We also sang this one,

Dios es tan grande, tan fuerte y amante...

God is so BIG so STRONG and so LOVING!

We had a great time with the little kids and their parents. The registration for the VBS is getting so big that most age groups are closed. lots of kidlets signing up!

At seven pm, we had prayer meeting and got a detailed report from Mr. Sena about the conference in Kentucky. It was really cool to see some of our friends in the pictures! Anyway, we love you guys and we are coming home soon. Only 13 days left!!!!

Working at the Castillos

Hello everybody!

Today was our first day visiting the church, Iglesia Biblica Fundamento. It is still a work in progress, though the construction has a lot of potential! It has three floors, an office, and a already finished basement that they are using for the sanctuary for now.

From the top floor, you can see the river and the little homes that are along the shore. At night, when you cross over the bridge...the surrounding land is almost completely dark. El Dike does not have many lights.

For lunch, Josh and I ate one delicious mango a piece. Manuel Sena, the head of the construction, bought them for us. They were delicious. Tomorrow, we are going back to do painting and some other things. A large group from a sister church is coming as well. On Sunday, Chuck Davies from Trinity is going to be here. It should be exciting!

I have had a lot of opportunity to continue learning Spanish, and Josh has been learning a lot too. We only have 16 days left in the DR, and so we are trying to take adavtange of the time. I have to say we are pretty homesick too. The culture here is very diferent...nice, but different! It has been an interesting adjustment, but Josh and I always have each other to lean on. For this reason, we hae been doing out devotions together. I hope that God uses this time to draw us closer to himself.

I cannot post pics for some reason, but rest assured that we are taking them and will share them when we are able! We love you guys and thank you for your continued prayer!

Today, Josh and I made an American dessert-- Magic Cookie Bars. Basically, it is coconit bars with chocolate chips. Well, I never knew before how to do this, but we had to get the coconut out of a real coconut! There is no pre-packaged coconut here! Josh sliced the coconut in half and scraped the meat out. It is very dry and not at all sweet. Strange, huh?

On Monday, Josh and I will be going to work at Pastor's Castillo's. I have already met him and his wife, but we still haven't met the family. One thing that has really impressed me about the culture here is how happy and content they are despite the trouble that they experience: lack of running water, electricity, internet connection, TV, certains foods, air conditioning, and ability to zoom around fast in the car. But everyone I have met here from the church has been so filled with the joy of the Lord. It is a huge testimony to me! IT is one thing to say you find your joy in God, but it is another thing to say you find your joy in God when you are suffering some trials.

 

There is a song by Juan Luis Guerra, a famous Dominican composer, which says, 

"Ojala que llueve cafe en el campo"

"I wish it rained coffee in the fields."

I finally understand this sentiment. I really do wish it rained coffee in the fields here! How delightful that would be! Right now, we have no running water. But God is sufficient. 

"Man does not live by bread alone!"