Anna+Ian in the DR

At our first [REUNION] gathering, we heard about a mission trip to the Dominican Republic. At the time we weren't in a position to go. But over the following year we heard countless stories of the relationship between our church community and a Dominican family. How they pray daily for our church. How we sent them a video Christmas card singing "Feliz Navidad." How they have sacrificed so much to minister to their neighbors. How we enable them to keep serving.

Through G.O. Ministries, [REUNION] partners with Pastor Luis Vargas and his family in the Dominican Republic. The Vargas family works tirelessly to share God's light and love with their impoverished neighborhood, La Mosca - a place held hostage by disease, addiction, crime, illiteracy, and malnutrition.

For the past four years, [REUNION] has given financially, provided for special needs (like a ministry-enabling truck), and even more importantly, supported them relationally. Each year, [REUNION] sends a team to help with construction, offer a medical clinic, and encourage Pastor Luis's family.

Out of a desire to missionally serve together, and following God's lead, we're joining this year's team. The trip will take place August 2-9.

We know we can't do this alone, which is why we're asking for your help. Interested? Here's what you can do.

PRAY - the physical, emotional, and spiritual challenges of serving, even short term, in such an impoverished area are not inconsequential. Please pray, especially during the trip, for our team's health and safety, and that we would make a meaningful impact on the Vargas family and our own lives.

GIVE online to help cover the cost of our materials and travel at www.reunioninthedr.com. You'll need to register, but it takes seconds! Or you can mail a check payable to [REUNION] Christian Church at 30 The Fenway, Unit #1, Boston, MA 02215 - please mention the DR trip and our names in the memo. Electronic or paper, your gift is tax deductible.

We encourage you to donate before May 15, but we're happy to take donations through June 15 (pending an update to the team's fundraising schedule). We need $1800+ each to cover airfare (still finalizing cost), room + board, and G.O. fee to cover supplies and support missionaries and staff on-site. Once our trip is funded, your money will go toward other trip costs and to support the Vargas family.

To help the team raise funds, [REUNION] is holding a DR Art Market before and after both gatherings on May 2 + 8. We'll be offering special edition sets of Boston postcards. Since we know not everyone can make it, we'll send one of the three limited edition sets for all online + mailed donations of $25 and above (again, please mention our names in the memo so we know to send you postcards).

DONATE medical supplies for the clinic and/or warm weather clothes which we will give away in Hato del Yaque and La Mosca.

If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact either of us, and/or leave a comment below. You can also learn more and see photos and videos from past trips at www.reunioninthedr.com. We'll keep you up-to-date here on the blog via our A+I in the DR page (linked in the menu above).

Thanks so much for your generosity toward God's work in La Mosca!

Marathon Monday 2011

Last year, we only saw the before and after. (Since Sasaki is in Watertown, which doesn't observe Patriots' Day, we don't get the holiday off.) But we promised 2011 would be different. So I saved my floating holiday, Ian saved comp time, and Monday morning we headed down to Washington Square and settled in with our community group on a quiet corner a couple blocks away from the mile 23(ish) water station. We were just in time to watch the elite women fly by, quickly followed by the elite men.

Last year I was struck at how people capabable of running 26 miles could blend into the crowd downtown, only recognizeable by glimpses of the ribbon around their necks. In contrast, the elite men and women are striking. As slender frames sprinted past, I had one thought: they were built for this. Only a sheen of sweat betrayed the past 23 miles. And in a blur they were gone.

Soon the trickle of runners widened, and for hours we watched runners pass. A man in a pink skirt waving a sparkling wand. A gorilla. A woman in a shirt announcing "baby's first marathon." A barefoot caveman. A b.good burger. A woman running for Japan. A line of ROTC cadets marching in full gear.

As the stream of runners began to slow, we headed to Washington Square proper for some Starbucks, where we saw a marathoner hop in, get a coffee, and jump back on the course. I guess he wasn't in the mood for more water.

Our next stop was Coolidge Corner — mile 24. As we waited for the train, we saw another b.good burger with a cramp. He veered to the sidewalk to stretch, and his two fries (regular and sweet potato) stopped to help, encourage, and get him going again.

We boarded the train, which raced (and often lost to) the runners alongside on Beacon. Some runners had enough energy to wave at the train as they traded leads. When the train doors opened at Kent Street, a guy yelled to a runner "I love your son!" It was Ray Allen's mom.

We hopped off at Kenmore (busy thanks to the Sox game) then walked alongside the course until we reached the finish line. It's an emotional spot. Pride, pain, love, joy, packed into single moments. Regular people accomplishing the impossible.

I'm inspired. I don't have even the smallest desire to train for a marathon, but I'm reminded of how much we can accomplish when we work with focus and discipline, and of how great is the joy of a hard-fought success. Now I just have to find my "marathon." What's yours?

Click here for more photos.

chocolate world tour: Ecuador

66% cocoa, deep chocolate aroma with floral and fruit notes
Ideal pairing: mocha

(We started documenting our chocolate world tour last summer, but drafts have been gathering digital dust in the post editor. It's time.)

The first taste was that floral and fruity type of sweet — "like nectar" according to Ian. More specifically, we could taste berries folded into a baking chocolate flavor. The floral notes were less pronounced, and of the honeysuckle variety.

The texture was light, and pleasantly adhered itself to teeth, allowing us to savor the building flavor just a little longer, which concluded with a bite in the aftertaste. Ian described the experience as "a roll of thunder." He's good at those catchphrases.

We didn't have mocha and were uninspired to trek to Starbucks, so we improvised and mixed hot chocolate with extra strength french-pressed coffee. Combining this quasi-mocha with the chocolate resulted in a chocolate chip cookie taste, and the chocolate itself was sweeter with a more centered flavor. The added sweetness balanced the coffee aftertaste and chocolate bite for a scrumptious lingering flavor.

Well done Ecuador, well done.

Flux Capacitor... fluxxing.

On a slushy April Fool's Day, we went Back to the Future. Our friend Keith, a Berklee alum, debuted an orchestra piece at Berklee's "Back to the Future" concert, featuring music from film and video games, performed by the Berklee Video Game Orchestra.

As a self-professed Lord of the Rings nerd, I was thrilled to see the set included an arrangement from the LOTR score, written by Howard Shore himself (eek!) specifically for this concert — his contribution as a Berklee alum. Unfortunately, his current project prevented him from traveling to Boston to guest conduct the piece.

A little later, Alan Silvestri walked out on stage to guest conduct his own arrangements of the Back to the Future and Forrest Gump scores. Ian and I immediately thought of our friend Ben, a composer and Back to the Future nut. Ben has admitted to watching the trilogy multiple times in a single weekend. We later spent a portion of intermission imagining Ben's reaction — would he have fainted? yelled? tweeted? (yes.)

Keith's music, inspired by the Twilight saga, was beautiful and moving (and I've never even read the books). He scored the story before the movies were made, which is a testament to his talent and creativity. At intermission, he informed us Alan congratulated him with a hug and emphatically told Keith the piece was incredible. We made sure to get Keith's autograph now, as an investment piece.

Also during intermission, Dan and Kristin, our double date for the evening, informed us they are expecting. I know it was April Fool's. It wasn't a joke. Really.

When the concert resumed, the orchestra performed what it does best — video game music. The director/electric guitar player was very animated, and treated the performance more like a rock concert than a symphony. Very fitting, as the style is a mash up of classical music and rock anthems. We also enjoyed the guest conductor Wataru Hokoyama (AFRIKA and Resident Evil composer), who, as he walked on stage, paused to conduct the audience applause before stepping up to the podium. I was surprised and impressed at how serious, moving and epic video game music is, and at how much I enjoyed it since I'm awful at them.

After the concert, Ian and I decided the old, classical composers would appreciate how their style of music continues to be relevant, even if it's mixed with sweet guitar licks. And we tucked Keith's signature in a safe place. I have a feeling we could make a profit very soon...

kimonoko by Robinia Hill

A couple months ago, one of our coworkers, who has a side business in textile design, invented a new piece of clothing. As she prototyped the item, she shared updates with her podmates, including Ian, who tried to explain it to me. I was confused (it's hard to explain 2D to 3D without an accompanying demonstration) but curious. And after a few conversations with Takako, I found myself at the office on a weekend, modeling said piece of clothing for Robinia Hill.

Kimonoko is deceptively simple, and only limited by the wearer's creativity. One piece of fabric, with one (or two) expertly placed opening(s) and possibly a safety pin or two, transforms into a wrap, a shirt, a dress, a skirt, a jacket, all with infinite styling possibilities.

Takako has a few variations in different fabrics and sizes, but my favorite is the one in the photographs. The print is a black and white high contrast graphic created from a photo taken at a hotel in Yokohama, overlooking the harbor. A line of text, referring to Yokohama's history, threads through the image. Printed on a light but durable silk, it glides with every movement.

I had so much fun helping Takako bring her creation to life, and am excited to see where kimonoko goes from here.

Click here to see kimonoko on Robinia Hill's blog.