Life in the DR....Week 1

  


 How would I describe week 1 on the mission field.....SUCCESS!

Here's is what I have learned so far:

•     Even on island time we accomplished so much in one week...phones, insurance, house hunting, adapting to the driving, money and learning our way around the towns and the grocery store.  You should have seen Brian and I starring at the spices.....no clue what they were! 

•   I NEED TO LEARN SPANISH!!! 

•     My children are ROCK STARS!!!   They have adjusted so well!  They have stepped out of their normal comfort zones.  They seriously have not complained about anything!!

•     Sticky frogs and those gecko lizard things are your friends because they will eat the bugs so don't kill them.  (I am still trying to embrace that one.) 

•    Don't worry about putting on make-up for straightening your hair because your make up will melt off and your hair will curl like you just had the best perm ever!    LOL  ;)

•      The police will give the driver a ticket for not wearing a seat belt because it is "unsafe" but a family of 5 can ride on one motorcycle with no helmets. 

•     I thought that when I sold everything to move here I had given up all I could....HA....then I learned that I can also give up hot water for showers and air conditioning!    It is an awesome reminder for me that when I begin to feel sorry for myself to remember how most of the Dominican's live here with NO clean water ...no HOT water....NO running water!  So I sit embarrassed and humbled and thankful for God's lessons.

•    Safety for our family is our top concern.  While we are out running around, we feel entirely safe....it's your home that has the valuables.  So we prayed and prayed for God to point us in the right direction for a safe place to live.  The top area to live for security is of course around triple what most places are a month.....OUCH!  But we found the 2nd safest place that has "mission impossible" type security...it has 3 bedrooms but we couldn't afford all 3 so they lock one and we rent it as a 2 bedroom and guess what????  We got it for the EXACT amount that we had budgeted!!  Isn't God FAITHFUL!!  My kids said they don't mind all 3 sharing a bedroom....WHAT????   (That's not what I'm used to seeing with the families on House Hunter International!  haha!)  Gotta brag that I have the best teenagers EVER!  Our landlord is so cool that when our 2 adult children come at Christmas to visit he will open the 3rd bedroom up for 2 weeks free!!!!  Don't you just LOVE it when God shows off like that????

    So for week 2 our goal is to get a reliable car that doesn't break the bank and get to work!   Can't wait to see what God has in store for us to learn this week!