Electricity

I am sick and tired of losing power.  Just sayin'!  For a little while is fine, but we lost power for hours yesterday, and then this morning. Over it.  :)  xoxo  A cold shower during the outage took on a whole newwwwwwwwww meaning today.  I don't know why the water was ICE cold.

Spirit of Fear

Saturday, March 10, 2012

9:24AM

Sitting at dining table listening to Jessa Anderson on itunes

Iglesia Peeps-Very thankful for this MacBook!!  Pretty sure I have a greater chance of being mugged bc people are mesmerized by it.  Ha!  Timm, thanks for giving me the bag!  It has come in handy more times then I EVEN realized that it would!

I moved in yesterday afternoon. They were able to get a man here in 10mins to put in a stove and get me gas, yet they wouldn’t bother calling the phone to set that up.  I just go with the flow even though I want them to hook up my US phone and Internet service NOW!  I think I will have a US number through Vonage and it will cost me 10US dollars a month.  Internet is about 50 or 60 a month.  I am living in a 3bedroom/3BA home. The 3 girls above me are Americans teaching at JCS.  They are ages 35, 25, and 23.  I found out the reason I am living alone is because one girl and her roommate had issues with girls in the past and didn’t want to live with anyone else. I asked God about it and He said I was staying put where I was for the time being.  I have an intern from the States coming in a few weeks.  I cant remember what I have written to you guys or in my journal, sorry if I already said this.  She is someone else’s student teacher, but will be living with me when she gets here until school ends in June.  She is young, I’m sure.  If I were to move in with other girls, she would be here living alone.  No bueno.  Even if she is older, no one ever lives alone and I’m sure that would freak the person out.  Every time I eat with someone or at Bible study and we pray, they ask God to watch over me as I have an emotional breakdown to transition into this country, etc.  Sweet of them to do, but I have not experienced any of the emotions they detail in these prayers (like crying for 5 days straight ß few girls said that.  Some had breakdowns for a few months)  I told the girls that I had an emotional breakdown for weeks surrendering to the Lord to come to this country. Maybe that is why I am fine.  I don’t even know.  Seriously.  If there is something I am constantly praying about, it is that peace; the peace that surpasses all understanding when the Holy Spirit is in you.  I am constantly thanking God.

I’m on the back porch area looking into this orchard.  I think they have bananas, papayas, and I dont know what else.  Drinking some coffee.  I suck at making it with this DR pot.  I double check to see if the water has moved from the bottom to the top and it hasn’t.  I walk away and I hear the crap sizzling on the stove by overflowing. (My stove is as wide as me, an arms length in depth, and comes to my waist in height.  The gas tank is outside and they said I need to buy a lock today to lock it to the window metal bar, so it isn’t stolen.  I paid 900 pesos for half a tank. The lady at school barely speaks Eng and this guy didn’t either. They were letting me decide if I wanted the gas tank in or outside the house.  I heard “peligroso” in their convo.  I don’t know why I even had a choice.  It is dangerous in the house, put it outside!!  I think you have a choice bc it could be stolen outside.  I don’t care if they steal it every day.  Put the crap outside.  They are very half-butt with things here.  The way he hooked it up isn’t the safest to start.  The fridge is, I swear, plastic.  I picked it up with one hand to fix the wobbling underneath with my other hand.  I am 5’1”, the fridge is shorter than me by a few inches. 

So, an American coffee pot is on my list!!! I love Mel. She is so willing to take me wherever, whenever.  They said they are in town somewhere.  We are making a trip today there.  I need a list of things.  I am so grateful for the blessings before I left the US and the monthly ones.  Money is not an issue.  These girls cannot say the same.  So, I am getting some reflexology massage today at Kristin’s when we go to town by an orphaned girl that just got done with training.  She lived in Haiti during the quakes and her parents were both killed. She was in and out of the orphanage as a kid, then her parents were able to care for her when she was older, so she moved back with them.  She was about 19 when they died.  Kristin met here when the Haitians came to the DR for relief. Some lady took her in after some time and put her through school in Canada, now she is back trying to make a living. They said a donation of $3 to 6 is good.  Pesos are 38 to the dollar.  To make it easier to remember, I think of it as 33 pesos to a dollar, so 100 pesos is about $3.  I still have to talk to God about it, but I am going to pour out some blessings on her from God. I cannot fathom what it feels like to have no one at such a young age, trying to survive. I hope she knows Jesus. 

Last night, I went to Melissa and her roommates to hang out and eat.  She has a mini projector and projected an episode of some show about wedding dresses on the wall.  Pretty sweet.  She does it with books, too, for her students online.  OMGosh, this girl does cheerleading as an after-school activity and made pom-poms out of plastic bags.  They looked so real.  I was so IMPRESSED with them!!  They made cheer shirts with spray paint.  They used cardboard boxes to cut out letter stencils and spray painted them.  So impressive, seriously.  Anyway, I went home around 930.  I was going to ask Mel to walk me back, but I knew I had to do it alone sooner or later.  She didn’t ask, so I just sucked it up that I could do it alone.  My lightbulb is blown above my door, so I asked to borrow a flashflight to see my keyholes.  As I started down her bumpy dirt road, I felt fine.  No fear.  I had a flashlight to see, I need to ask the girls if that is okay b/c no one walks with one.  Odd.  There is one street light and you can’t see!  I don’t know if using one makes me a target bc it shows I am not native.  I looked up to survey in front of me b/c you look down a lot bc it is rainy here and the holes are muddy!   I saw a guy walking towards me.  I reminded myself to look up more than down;  make eye contact and be confident.  Ahh, I hate looking straight at wackos! But I know it is important to make eye contact to watch people’s moves and I’ve heard looking into an attacker’s eyes deters him bc he thinks you could identify him later…the longer you stare at him.  So, he started to walk towards me, on my side of the road.  I kept telling myself I was fine, he might be dodging potholes.   They don’t exactly care what side of the road you walk on or drive on.  I flashed my light a little higher with my stride, to hit him with it, and he still walked towards me. STILL NO FEAR—no fast beating heart, anxiety, no flight or fight.  If anything, let me take that back, I have been in fight mode. I could have touched him at arms length by the time we were next to each other.  We stared at each other the whole way until we passed each other.  In my peripheral vision, I saw him turn his head and body.  I just listened for his footsteps and the shadows in my flashlight in case he turned.  I looked in front of me to my own shadow and said to myself, “You are okay being alone, Phyllis. You can do this!”  The next second I could hear God say clearly and uh, loudly with serious authority, “YOU are NEVERRR alone, Phyllis!!  Never!!”  That’s my King.  I smiled.  This I know.    I got home and unpacked.  I told Bekah that if I got scared later, I might stay with her one more night.  She said no worries, you just come back.  I was fine, though.  This culture is very different.  They are SO LOUD.  FRANCIS TALKS SO LOUD AND I AM A 2 FEET AWAY FROM HIM!  It was almost 1AM and they are still talking so loudly outside, revving motorcycles whiz by, loud commercial advertising trucks are out blaring something, and no one cares!! I got in bed to read and then shut the lights out.  Calm. So calm.  I thanked God for the MILLIONTH time. Minutes later, some alarm was sounding on a car or bike, and my heart didn’t even flutter.  WHAT THE HECK is going on??  I don’t sleep well in FL unless the alarm is on in the house!  Once again, I just thanked the Lord for controlling me…  for not even allowing me to control my emotions.  Fear cannot even touch me right now.  Spirit of fear doesn’t come from the Lord, and He has a shield around me right now and He will not allow it near me.  The devil has no choice here, the Lord will not permit it to rock me.  Of course Ive felt fear at times when I get scared in the US etc and God allows it, but right now He is giving no one or thing, including myself, control but Himself.  He is God, He can do whatever, whenever.  I do not care what your beliefs are about Christ/God, this is not flipping normal behavior for anyone!  This is Jesus in me.  This is full surrender to the Lord to control me. I find this just as freaking INSANE as you do, as you read this.  I do not understand how I have not cried yet.  How have I not freaked out and wanted to go home? How did I sleep in a house last night ALONE in a 3^rd  W country and not cry?  I just belong here right now.  Writing that doesn’t even make any sense to me, but it is how I feel inside.  Odd. So odd.

Oh yea, the gas guy was at school and he asked me to get on his bike to ride to my house up the street.  I said no, I will walk and you ride your motorcyle ALONE…the best way I could in Spanish...I said it in a stern voice   Im sure I sounded like a B, he gave me a look like I was one .  Of course he was all smiles to be helping this cute girl out... I don’t think I smiled once.  Unless it was my stupid half smirk that says shut up J Hey, I am going to be alone with a strange man that doesn’t speak my native language in my house.  Let it be known, I am a B.  I am learning that the B in me is being put to good use.    Later, I was trying to unlock the back metal bar gate to my porch. I have 7 keys and I don’t know what they unlock J.  Natalie was with me and this man walked up to help all smiles.  He gets the jerk smirk back, too.  He was on the other side, so I let him help.  Nat said hi so I figured she had seen him around.  He then starts to open it, and comes into my porch area that has metal bars around the perimeter for safety.  Uh, he has my keys, too!  My friend Felix (a parent of one of my former students that showed me self defense moves before I left!!) said that there are times I will need to defend myself and God is okay with that!  I love how he put it.  He knows I love the Lord.  God told me that very second I laughed, that Felix was right and to listen to him.  I swear I wasn’t even thinking, I grabbed my keys from his hand quickly as he tried to relock it with all three of us on the same side, pushed opened the gate and gave him a shove out and shut it as I said “hey, thanks.” in Spanish, “I don’t need your help anymore.” in a B voice.  Natalie looks at me and says, “uhhh, do you know he works at the school as a security guard?”  Uhhh, nope J   I was like, “I know I was rude, but I don’t freaking know him and he will not be locking himself in with us and having control of my keys.  I don’t care if he was helping.  He can show me how to do it.”  I apologized to him for the push.  Hopefully, he will tell his buddies I’m a jerk. 

 I borrowed a CStanley book from her called How to Listen to God. Get it, read it, k!  I am going to give her and Francis my Kindle to borrow to read Fan and some other Cstanley’s I have dwnlded.  I dont know why I cant get the school WiFi on my Kindle until my internet is ready next week.  Something about the IP address.  My Mac is set for when I am at school, but the Kindle needs me to do something the computer man didn’t know or want to do? Ha!  It says connected, yet it isn’t when I do the password.  Any of you know how to fix this, let a sistah know.  Melissa said the town shuts down from 12-2 for a siesta, so we will wait to shop until we do the massages.   Okay, sorry this is  madness and crappy writing haha!  Love you guys!  Ps Beth agreed to setting up a blog.  Soon!  I am just trying to come up with a name!  Help if you want…I like something with Big Papa in the title and Dominican Republic or something…brainstorm, kids.  xoxo

Randoms

Friday, March 9^th, 2012

Sitting on my bed at Rebekah’s

9:30AM

Wow.  I totally overslept.  I meant to go to devotionals (or whatever it is called) at 730AM at school, and then come back and shower for the day.  That didn’t happen!  I am exhausted today.  I think they thought I would want to jump into the classroom quickly and I haven’t.  I told my teacher I would be there Monday.  She was trying to tell me details the 1^st full day I was here, and I made a note to myself to not go back to her class.  I just got here the night before and didn’t care about schedules.  She asked me to stay after or something, so we could talk; I told her we would be fine having M-F—no need to be staying after school.  I’m thinking, “sweetheart, I don’t have a place to live.  Screw school right this minute.  Someone give me a phone to call and hear a voice that is familiar!) I don’t understand how school pay goes.  I think Monday is when I start getting paid, so I have just been going up to school to look around, talk with teachers, and do paperwork.  Today is Pep Rally at 1:45. 

My face has been breaking out.  Then again, it was like that a little in the States, it seems to be worse the last few days.  I didn’t say anything to Bekah. She mentioned to me first that I might want to use the bucket of water in the shower for my face. She said she had issues with her face and the water.  Noted. I saw this bucket thing at Melissa’s too.  It says Aqua Pura on the 5 gal bucket, then on the inside there is a ceramic bowl like thing that must have chemicals or something.  The water on the top is greenish, but clear when it comes out of the spout. I went to town with Mel and Amy last night after-school for vegetables, fruit, etc It is about a 5-10 minute walk.  It is like Honduras when we went to see the Christo statue, but my streets aren’t filled with Chinatown like things but with stores and little markets. 

Furniture was delivered this morning!!  They say that there really aren’t any crimes in this little town other than theft.  All my windows have bars.  One of the girls had a table by her window.  They stole her laptop by reaching between the bars, and then came back later for a watch that was on the table.  If you leave doors unlocked or windows open, theft will happen.  Really, no other problems, and not violent crimes from what they say.  Then again, the girls say things like, “we don’t want to scare you!  You just got here!  I have explained that it’s important that they share what they know bc I AM LIVING ALONE!  J  They gave me more info after that. 

When I got back from Bible study the family was doing their nightly readings from the Bible.  Fanies reads the passages and Rebekah and Malachi sit and listen.  I went to my room and listened from my bed, but was having trouble hearing him.  He reads his English Bible, so sometimes he is slow, choppy, and asks Bekah to explain a word or two.  So, I went out there slowly and asked Bekah if this was family time only or could I join them when they read at night…of course she said, “join us.”    When we were done Malachi went to bed and we just talked about school etc.  We got talking about the Sexism issue here.  Prostitution is legal.  Child prostitution is not legal; however, police do not enforce the laws L  Some of these girls are as young as 12 being pimped out to American tourists for money.  Francis said that he has confronted men before in Santiago (I think he said there.  My mailing address at school says Jarabacoa, La Vega.  Yet, they always talk about La Vega as being another place.  I thought Jarabacoa was in La Vega.  Who knows?)  So he said that he has confronted American men when he sees them with these little girls and they call the police or security on him.  In all honesty, he said he doesn’t even say anything anymore bc it is so rampant and accepted here, and he will be arrested if he speaks up too much.  Instead, he approaches them and says things in passing like “God sees everything,”  “The Lord knows what you are doing to His kids,”  things like that.  Police can be paid off for anything.  This Sexism industry makes a lot of money and they want American tourists to continue to pay to sleep with these kids.  I went to bed praying for them, woke a few times at night praying, and then again this morning.  I know change in something like that has to be done with the Lord’s power. I looked up some stuff about the DR before I moved here.  I don’t know what gov doc I read, but it gave me a lot of valuable info.  I also looked up the Pres.  The President here lived in the US for sometime growing up.  I think he got his schooling in NY, too.  I don’t understand the corrupt crap.  Bek says that the laws are written well.  They are great.  The problem is that they are not enforced!!  Grrrrr. 

I really hate that you can’t call the police, ambulance, or fire and have reliable service.  Or any service for that matter!  Once again, Honduras prepared me for that madness. If I need an ambulance, Bek said call her or someone with a car to take me to the hospital.  The ambulance might not come or take awhile.  My school insurance covers hospital stay 100%.  Found that out by a girl that had a parasite that she needed to stay for 3 days there last week.  They did say that if they know you are American, you get a little bit of better treatment.  If you tell banks, stores, hospitals, police, whomever, that you work at JCS, you get better treatment.  I guess they have a reputation and even though the board is crazy in some ways, they expect us to be taken care of around here.  2 years ago all the American teachers’ homes were being broken into, not just through the windows.  Police weren’t taking action and it continued to happen.  The Board put in cameras on the homes J  and they “took care of the guy’ themselves…I don’t even know what that means.  They have money and know people to take care of business.  I didn’t ask.  Bekah just said, “we never had an issue again after that.  Whatever they did, it sent a message out to the community to leave us alone.“   She said that any problems go through families, not really the police.  So any issues, just take it to Rebekah and Francis.    It is crazy bc sometimes being white can help you and other times it is against you.  People are always trying to talk to me in Spa bc they think I am Dominican. I cant remember if I wrote that.  Last night I was at the little store up the dirt road I live on.  It is 30secs away!  Has everything!  Melissa took me.  I am a little meek using my Spa bc it sucks compared to others!!  The guy asked if I was Dominican.  In shops like that, they will be honest with you for prices if you are DR.  If you are white and walk up there, they’ll spit any prices out knowing you will just pay whatever they say bc it isn’t labeled with a price. As soon as my internet is up and running at the house, I am going to get more Spanish stuff on Amazon.  Church sent me a gift certificate through email. I love their faces.  I need a new non-fiction Christian book.  I went to the little school library and ive already read the Max Lucado books they have…Ive been rereading my Cstanley prayer book.

Second Day in the DR

March 8^th, 2012

9:30 AM Atlantic Time Zone (1hr ahead of you)

Sitting on my bed at Rebekah’s house listening to Jesus Culture

Some animal out my window won’t shut the frick up and keeps screeching. Motorcycles are whizzing by outside constantly

I don’t know if I ever said that my principal, Rebekah, is from Florida. Her husband is Dominican. She was doing Chapel with the 8 and 9^th graders this morning.  She asked me last night to prepare something for the high-schoolers sometime in the future.  I said I would pray on it.   She sang a few songs and then did a little on Jer 29:11.  I got out of bed to go listen and didn’t shower.  You have to turn on the hot water switch 45mins prior to showering to get the 3-5mins of warm water.  Some people say they brush their teeth with the water, others say no.  I am using water from the 5 gal drum thingy for now.   All the houses have water delivered? Or they go buy a few of those for cooking, drinking, etc. I didn’t plan on staying at the school today anyway, so I just walked to school at 7:55 to go listen.  As soon as she pulled out the guitar last night to practice, I knew I was getting my butt up to go!  J  We live within 1 minute walking distance of the school.  When I get moved into my place, I will be about 2 mins away from the school.    This place reminds me of Honduras.  God so prepared me to come live here by going there the last 2 years. Security men carry guns. The roads are crazy. Nah, the drivers are crazy!!  Everyone has a motorcyle or moped!!  Even grandpa was on a motorcyle yester when I walked to town!   These power outages are strange.  There are many windows at the school, so every time we had the power go out, which was about 3 times, I didn’t even know it was out.  You notice at home bc you cant flush the toilet.  There is some huge drum on my house’s roof, so I will still be able to flush and shower if the power goes out…until that drum empties because I am below the tank...when I move there.  The girls above me wont be able to use the water bc they are on the same level as the drum-tank thingy.  Same with Rebekah’s, they have it on the same level, so we wait for power again…most of the time it is just for a little while.

Anyway, Rebekah’s dad was a pastor, then he left the church ad became a lawyer.  Francis, her hubby, grew up here, then moved to FL and didn’t have much religious background from what I sense.  He actually is a replica of me when it comes to Jesus.  He has been a Christ Follower for about 6 years, maybe 7.  He had total life change.  He is chasing after the Lord.  Every time the 3 of us are at home, it is a JesusFest.  He doesn’t  talk about anything else, and I EAT IT UP!  If we aren’t chatting, their computer is playing US contemp Jesus music and I can hear them all singing along, whistling, or humming to the tune.  I totally fit in here J I think they are about my age, maybe a little younger.  Malachi is 7 and I think he thinks he is my brother, Ill take it.  I love his little face popping in my room all the time to see what I am doing. So, I thought Francis was a pastor bc they are looking to plant a church, but he isn’t here during the day, so he must have something else as a job.  Having one-on-one time living here has been important for His plan.  I know a bit why I am not in my own place yet.

The housekeeper/babysitter just came to talk to me and I DON’T know Spanish, people!  Grrrr.  Dominican Spanish IS NOT THE SAME.  They cut off sounds just because!  Example:  Como estas is said com essah!!  So, although I may know the words they say, the dialect in which they say it, throws me off.    She doesn’t know any English.  All that matters is that she made me coffee.  As for the rest of the convo, she could be using me as a sacrifice to the voodoo gods and I smiled to her!  No one really has money here, yet they have housekeepers.  Odd. 

The one good thing about moving in the house alone is that there are 3 rooms and I can choose mine.  The one I am moving in had a dentist live there last yr and they did work on it, which is good.  The girl I ate dinner with lived there before. She told me to choose the room that is on the right side bc the wind blows in there. The other side of the house has a brick wall and those 2 rooms don’t get the breeze at night.  The room she told me to pick is the one room without a private bathroom!  I decided that I would rather sleep better than have a BR.  Especially if I stay here come summer, I will need the little air that gets in! Ill be drenched if I sleep in the other rooms.  I will be home for at least a week to speak with Timm. Other than that, I am waiting on the Lord.  I don’t know why everyone moves…OFTEN!  Next year, I can pick my place, they say.  I don’t even know what they mean half the time.  I don’t even know what God has in store for me next year.  I am trying my hardest to live for today and ask God what He has for me today.  

Rebekah knows the Lord <--- Not just “Christian,” she lives in the Holy Spirit and says things like “God told me...” “I asked God…” .   If you get this email and you aren’t a Christian, I talk to you guys about this crap all the time, so always read it the way I have taught you in the past.  So, when I got home from dinner with some teachers I met at school, she asked to speak with me.  I was lieing in bed reading Not a Fan.  It was early, like 730.  I told her that I wasn’t busy and she sounded serious, so I closed it and went out to the living room like a good kid should!  Ha!  She  asked me if I understood spiritual warfare and Eph 6.  (Let me go look at that real quick. Hold )  Are you freaking kidding me?? Finding out where the Armor of God verses were has been on my list before I got here!  There it is, frickin love the Lord.  Okay. So, I told her I know about it, experience it, heard sermons on it, read books on it by CStanley, but wasn’t too sure where she was going with it by talking to me right now.  She seemed uncomfortable and said probably 4 times throughout the convo that she didn’t know why she was talking to me about this, that she never sits down new teachers and says this stuff.  I LOVE THAT, ya know it is straight from Big Papa! 

Travelling Around Town (Email sent to friends)

I wrote Nay and Michael, so I figured the rest of you get a mass email.  I have limited time on this computer b/c it is a teacher one located in the teacher lounge. Teachers do work on this desktop, so I want to be quick.  Things are good.  I will stay at my principal´s until further notice. No word on furniture.  I will live alone for now, then i will have a roommate at the end of the month, they say. An intern from NW America.  She will leave in June.  Who knows how long furniture will take, actually.  I have still been really calm.  No tears.  Not too sure when it willl hit me. Bahahaha.  i start school on Monday.  So much to say, hmmm!  Jarabacoa is a nice area they say.  My school is the nicest in the area.  Outside our area it gets sketchy.  I went to dinner with friends last night and they pointed out how far I could go and the basics.  I wont be traveling alone.  Men cat call everywhere you go!!  They are crazy!  Talk soon if the computer guy ever comes back to give me a code!

An Email to Nay

Hey, lovey.  I am at JCS today and someone gave me her comp to use, so I am emailing you back.  I do not have Internet at the house I am staying.  They are having me live alone downstairs from 3 other teachers.  They are waiting on furniture to let me move in.  I told her if I have a bed, I am good to go right now to stay there.  I used those vac tight bags and if I start opening them, it will be hard to get all my stuff back in suitcases.  Since I am living alone, I will pay all the bills alone and I need all kinds of stuff to make it livable.  Things like even baking sheets.  I am going to ask around.  We have a lot of American girls and i will see what they have to give me.  I think my house has 3 bedrooms.  There were issues with some other housing and they didnt want a roomate again, so they are putting me alone.  I am not really alone. I have my principal next door and will be in the NICER place!  I think it has better security.  I went to Johanna's today and it doesnt have a lock gate out front like my house will.  Things are going very well!  No tears!!  Crazyyyyyyyyyyyyy!  people keep asking if i am overwhelmed and that girls always cry the first few days...I dont know where those emotions are..but I DONT HAVE it and I thank the Lord!  I cried from TPA to MIA.  No more tears after that.  Just tears of the unknown and wanting to follow the Lord soooo badly, yet guilty I dont want to be uncomfortable.  Anyway, I will talk to you soon.  heather has a bankcard of mine and she is ON the account.  She knows that you and Ressel are allowed to use it for me and deposit church money, if need be.  Neither of you or Ressel have names on the account, per se.  It is just I have authorized it with heather to give you guys my bankcard if she cant do something/ship something.  I know I didnt really ask you, but I know you and Luke said just ask...so I ran with it!  :)  If you dont want to do that, just say so...doesnt hurt my feelings. Honestly.  I dont have internet at Rebekah's, but I will be able to use internet at school if someone gives me their comp...something is weird about their Wi-Fi.  They have a locked down that only the computer man can do it to your computer or device bc of the kids.  PS this area is wealthy. It is the best school and area for safety.  Outside our limits is where ministries are to help the poor.  They said we do a lot of outreach outside this community.  Ill tell you more about Kristin(prego) and her hubby later.  They have 8 beds at their house for prostitutes.

they are working on starting their own little ministry for those women at the brothel.  They had 5 kids staying at their house all last week.  They live about 30 min away near the brothel. She is still in Jarabacoa, just outside this area, intown.  Further up the mountain, i think.  They are like Honduras poor, ya know.  Those kids stay in places that have no BR or diapers and they went to the bathroom all over her house.  She is so sweet and compassionate, she didnt even blink an eye about it.  Ok I have others to email. Love you

First Day in Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic

Sitting on a queen bed that is sitting on the floor at Rebekah’s

Drinking coffee J

8:30AM Wed 3/7/12

Hey, amigos. 

I figured I might as well start using the language.  Kidding.  Rebekah, my principal that is my age (maybe younger) picked me up with her family.  They have a truck.  We don’t have Internet here, so I couldn’t contact you guys last night.  For some reason, my cell wasn’t working very well. I tried to text and it wouldn’t go through. 

I wrote this as an update on Facebook, but some of you don’t follow Facebook.  I was so calm on my second flight and at the airport alone.  I could not believe it.  I actually started to laugh a few times with God b/c it just wasn’t there. THAT is the opposite of my first flight over.  I just kept reciting Joshua 1:9 to stay calm and not cry about the unknown.    By the end of that flight, I fell asleep. J  Anyway, Rebekah and her son, Malachi, were waiting for me with flowers, cookies, and A HUGE sign from my new class.  IT WAS PERFECT!  We drove back to Bekah’s, which is about 45 out in Jarabacoa.  We had Jesus chit chat the whole way.  Loved it.  Her husband really knows the Lord—I don’t know how to word that any other way, so the convo wasn’t your typical Christian chit chat.  They are trying to plant a church in east bum.  She said it isn’t even on the map.  I think I am going to check it out this week.  There is also a church that is in English.  Something about US teens that are addicts that are sent to the DR for rehab????? Instead of prison or something?  I really don’t know, but I like the sound of that ministry. 

So, I don’t know what happened with housing, I didn’t ask.  She just stated that I will be living alone.  I don’t know whether to jump up and down about that or be a little freaked.  She and her husband live a few doors down, I have 3 teachers upstairs, and there are bars on all the windows.  I have not been there yet to see it.  It is not ready.  There is not furniture for it or something.  Or maybe it is missing some.  I will play it by ear.  I am writing quickly, so this is a mess.  She flipped the switch for hot water so I can shower.  She said I will have 3-5mins.  Great!  My coffee is very strong and is horrible.  I have hazelnut creamer packets.  We don’t have a/c and I slept WELL last night.  Better than I have in weeks other than waking every few hours to roll over and thank God for what He has done and continues to do...especially for my peace at the airport when I was sure I would lose it.  I love those middle of the night prayers.  I don’t even feel in control of them. 

So, I didn’t pack any housing things in FL bc I figured the basics were already here with my roommates.  I will have to buy or have the girls send me things like baking sheets, oh just about anything to live somewhere.  Sometimes, I fret about money.  I think, this is going to cost a lot to pay all the bills alone and buy all the things to live there….WHY?!!  I do not know.  The LORD has showered me with so much money and has taken care of everything.  He reminded me that several times last night and this morning.  I have plenty of money, do not read that like I don’t.  It is just what I think…stupid and not true. (Amazing Grace My Chains are Gone is playing on the computer out there J  Love it!  They play our music allll the time!)

Alright, headed to school to meet people and start tomorrow.  Love you guys!!  I’ll email this when I get Internet.

An Email to Bee and Pastor Timm

Hey, love you guys.  I will be in Santiago at 940.  My principal is picking me up.  She said I will sleep at her house until we figure out housing.  I should be in Jarabacoa at like 11ish.  Only takes 45 minutes from Santiago.  I will faecbook update if she has wireless, I am pretty sure she does. 

Talk to you guys soon.  Sorry this is short and to the point.  No mushy things today, no emails of gratitude, etc until I get there and settle.  I want to be tear free today.  or at least try.  I have to go to school with her in the morning... Then, start Thurs.  I thought the DR was a slower kind of culture!!!!  I need down time, people, my world is being flipped over and I have no place to live!  Ill end that rant right about here.

Love,

Phyll