Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic
Philly
asked me to blog about my experiences in her new hometown. At first, I
seriously did not want to. Once I began to experience everything in her town
though, it became apparent that I needed to/wanted to. There is so much to
share with everyone.
The Town
When
in town, the buildings and homes look just as I pictured a third world country
to look. Things are crammed into small shops that look like they might fall
over if you touch them wrong. The homes are small and have tin roofs that look
like they are about to rust right through. The town bustles with people walking
in and out of the various shops. There are people driving literally everywhere.
The motos are not concerned with any of the traffic flow. They are willing to
go the wrong way on one way streets, ignore traffic signals, run over
pedestrians, etc.
The
natural surroundings are BEAUTIFUL! There are mountains all around that are
covered with lush, green forests. There are several areas to observe the
rushing of the rivers and experience the beauty of the waterfalls. I spent most
of our driving time in awe of the countryside. One of the river/waterfall areas
that we went to has flecks of gold in the sand on the bottom. The water is so
crystal clear that the gold is easily reflected by the sun. We took a hike down
this area, going over various rocks and barriers in the way. I spent some time
sitting on a large rock and just looking in all directions. It is impossible to
put into words how gorgeous this area of the country is. It is completely non-commercial.
There is no cost to get there, no man-made areas to traverse, no guide to take
you on the pre-determined pathway; just completely natural. I was always amazed
that the city could seem so depressed when surrounded by so much beauty. I have
to think that this is God’s gift to the people in Jarabacoa. It is a reminder
that there is hope and beauty in their country despite their current living
situation.
My Experiences
On
the side of all the roads there is a channel. In this channel, supposedly there
is water run-off from the mountain. Judging from the look and smell of the
water, there are some areas where this run-off is mixed with sewage. We were
walking home from the pool, in an area that smelled like it had sewage in it.
We passed a lady that was running a hose in the channel to capture the water to
put in her home. I do not know what her intention was with this water, I cannot
imagine a household use that it was acceptable for.
Luke,
Phyllis, and myself enjoyed dinner at a restaurant called Pizza Pepperoni. The
restaurant is open air, covered by a roof. The seating is only white plastic
lawn chairs; simple, but adequate. The food was really good. We were able to
share a barbeque chicken pizza. We asked for the Olympics to be broadcasted on one
of the four televisions. We translated it using an iphone app, and sent Luke to
ask due to his amazing ability to get whatever he wants. The waiter said sure, and put on
Nascar. I’m sure they thought that most redneck Americans would be happy with
that. We just laughed and tried to stream it online once we returned.
On
Sunday we went for a drive after lunch. We stopped at a gas station on the way
and went in to get some drinks. I was in line paying for mine, the person ahead
of me was purchasing 2 beers. He paid for them, and the cashier proceeded to
open them for him to enjoy on the road. This made me feel super safe.
On
the way home there was a traffic jam. It was ultimately
caused by a car accident. There was a fatality, and the person just laid there.
I was amazed how acceptable death was by all the parties involved. People were
calmly making statements to the police while standing relatively close to the
dead person. There was no ambulance there trying to revive him, no sheet to cover
him. He was just there in the street. Dead.
Last Thoughts
Philly
is doing good things there in Jarabacoa. She hasn’t moved mountains by starting
a town saving ministry, but that isn’t really her style. She still shines her
light where ever she goes. She has made some personal relationships with
people. If you know her, you know a relationship with her often opens doors to
a relationship with Jesus. I am really proud of her for following God and
moving here. The move couldn’t have been easy. She no longer lives the cushy
life that she did here in the states. The basic living necessities were
provided by her employer and church, and she has Jesus. It is apparent that she has
everything that she needs.
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