Anna+Ian in the DR: construction + Hoya de Bartola

Thursday, August 4, 2011 (siesta)

Yesterday we moved concrete blocks and buckets of mortar and soupy concrete. Generoso and Felix are the masons, and we kept them supplied (with help from Jeissy). Ian and I also met Pastor Luis in person for the first time — he came from La Mosca to spend the day with us. He is so full of joy and love. He and two of his sons, Luiscito and Dilson, helped us mix the mortar and concrete.

We're working on the brick wall surrounding the site of the in-progress parsonage. This will be a two family home, allowing the pastor, Elido (EL ido), and Jenn, our G.O. Ministries coordinator who serves at the church here in Hato del Yaque, to move to the neighborhood from Santiago. (This will also be a great situation for Jenn who is moving forward in the process of adopting a Haitian boy). I was so sore when I woke up this morning, but it's very rewarding work.

Right before lunch yesterday, we went to Hoya de Bartola a.k.a. The Hole, a trash dump neighborhood very similar to La Mosca.

It reminded me of some of the poorer parts of the Philippines.

We went to the (newly finished) church and talked with Felix, the pastor (his son was playing with a Mater toy truck). Felix has been serving in The Hole for 10 years. He thanked us for sacrificing our time, and said because of groups like ours, the kids in this neighborhood — many of whom are ignored, abused, and abandoned by their families and community — have learned to trust adults again. Yesterday morning at our breakfast table, we had wondered what difference we can make in just a week. God gave us a powerful answer through Felix. After asking a few questions, lunch for the nutrition center was ready. We went downstairs to serve the kids. For most, it is their only meal of the day. Each plate is portioned, and they know what they're supposed to get.

One girl "picked" me, and kept waving, hugging me, and smiling. After lunch we took a quick walk through the Hole, and she wanted to ride on my back. She wasn't small — maybe 10 years old? Ian gave a kid named Freddy a ride on his shoulders. When we got back on the bus, all the kids kept waving through the windows. Freddy ran after us, smiling and waving until he couldn't keep up. I never want to forget that face.

We came back, ate lunch, then worked more until it rained. Which meant showers for us. Much appreciated.

I also should note that the rest breaks run long. This morning, we played with the kids who showed up. Rosa did my hair, and Miguel and Riley played the game where you cover someone's eyes and make them guess who you are.

After dinner, we got our money (last night we gave Derek, with G.O., cash to exchange into pesos), then headed for ice cream at Helados Bon. It was so good! I got a cone with two scoops: macadamia nut and organic chocolate. Amazing.

Then we went back to Hato del Yaque and played games. I killed it with Monopoly Deal, thank to Park Place+Boardwalk and two consecutive rent cards.

This morning was full of more bricks and concrete. I even helped mix a batch. Fingers crossed I'll be ripped and tan by the time we go home. Hah! Worship clinic is going well. It's a nice soundtrack to our construction work. Can't wait to hear more from Ian.

Anna+Ian in the DR: arrival

Wednesday, August 3, 2011 (morning)

Roosters are crowing, and morning light makes the corn and banana plants glow a warm green. It's beautiful here.

We arrived yesterday in the middle of the afternoon after a flight delay (unrelated to Tropical Storm Emily). I intentionally didn't bring anything for the plane (no headphones, no book) so I could "be there" with the team — only to get put between two (pleasant but quiet) non-team Dominicans. God's working on my attitude. This trip is not about me.

We sped through customs without a hitch. Apparently, airport officials know G.O. Ministries and what they do (and we wore t-shirts identifying us as a G.O. team), so none of our bags were randomly selected for screening.

Driving through Santiago reminded me so much of the Philippines. The colors, the signs, the style — just a little less congested/dense. And Hato del Yaque is a bit like Meycauayan. Winding streets, dogs wandering around, lots of motorcycles.

The houses are one room, maybe divided by blankets. Small. Simple. Concrete blocks or mismatched collections of wood boards (which actually looks shabby chic). I'm reminded how cushy we have it at home. It makes me want to get rid of more stuff.

Last night we took a walk around the neighborhood: a parade of Americanos. The kids following us, who increased in number the farther we walked, loved Izzy's Instax camera. After an introduction, Rosa linked arms with me and we walked and talked a little (limited by my Spanish). She has 4 hermanas (or she's 1 of 4), is 12, and a student. I told her I work as an "assistante en la oficina" and Ian is my "esposa." Oops. Next time, he'll get the masculine ending and be my husband, not my wife.

When we got back to the church, Ian and I talked sports with Isaiah (from [REUNION] and currently on a 3-month internship with G.O.), and when the electricity went out we looked at the constellations.

A quick shower later and I was in bed. This morning, I realized how easy it is to get ready when you don't care what you look like. After throwing on some work clothes, I came outside for devotions and journaling before breakfast. I love this pace of life.

We made furniture (it's a coffee table).

I saw Elise's diy coffee table post back in April, when Ian was lamenting the slow demise of our 4-year-old particle board IKEA coffee table. It had a good run, but was beginning to come apart after three moves and Boston humidity.

When I first suggested making one ourselves, he was skeptical. We don't have woodworking tools and he thought it would be complicated. I explained that E&P made it in their apartment. Surely we could manage.

After more debate, we settled on our ideal dimensions and purchased hairpin legs. A few weeks later, we dedicated a Saturday to errands. We expected to pick up wood at Home Depot, but went to IKEA for other items (like a real chair for our desk that doesn't leave holes on your bum) and happened across an unfinished pine tabletop in the exact dimensions we wanted (well, off by a few fractions of an inch, since the Swedish use the metric system). After some post-shopping free frozen yogurt courtesy the IKEA family program, we were on our way to Home Depot to pick out stains and paint. We went with Minwax wood finish in English Chestnut, water-based Polycrylic protective finish, and Rustoleum's Oil Rubbed Bronze for the legs, which receives Young House Love rave reviews.

Ian took care of sanding/staining/finishing the tabletop, and I took care of spray painting the legs. No process photos, unfortunately. I didn't want the camera to get speckled with paint.

I used Sherry's spray painting tips and did three light coats, waiting 10 minutes between each. Ian lightly sanded the tabletop, wiped it down, then applied two coats of stain with a rag, waiting 10-15 minutes before wiping off the excess with a clean rag. He let each coat completely dry before moving to the next coat/step. We got a cheap paintbrush to apply the two coats of finish. As recommended, after the first coat had dried, Ian lightly sanded and wiped down the tabletop before applying the second coat. It was a hot day, so we shortened the recommended drying wait times. We finished the tabletop and the legs in one afternoon.

After several days of drying (outside for an afternoon, then inside for a total of at least 48 hours), Ian assembled it while he waited for Verizon's technician to show up (between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.). Who was unable to fix our 6-months-and-counting issue, which now will involve utility work. Our internet still intermittently drops, but we have a beautiful coffee table!

and we're back!

Our flight landed in Boston last night around 7 p.m. Enough time to get through customs, say goodbye to our team (a few we won't see for a long time, like Jess + Torre who are spending the next year in New Zealand), unpack, shower, apply generous amounts of aloe vera, and still hop in bed before 11 p.m.

We have so many stories. But it's going to take us a few days to get our bearings, sort through 500+ photos, process almost 400 emails, and wash several loads of laundry. So please stay tuned.

For now, here's the video Jenn, our GO ministries facilitator, shared on our last night.

Know that by partnering with us, our ministry was also your ministry. Dios te bendiga!

We're on our way to the DR!

Right now, we're at the airport. But before we actually took off, we wanted to send out a final request. Please continue to pray for the trip, our team's health and safety, our impact in the DR, and for the Vargas family's ongoing ministry. Specifically, you can pray for the construction work, the medical clinic, the worship clinic, and the event we're hosting for neighborhood kids. We don't know our exact schedule, especially with the tropical storm potential, but we trust that God can handle any offsets in timing. And while you're at it, pray that the tropical storms in the region won't hinder what needs to happen while we're there.

Thanks again for all your support, and we'll be posting an update when we get back.