Monday, December 15, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
more pictures!
The whole group after dinner to celebrate Sr. Teresita's 50 years of consecrated life. (I'm taking the picture.) The Franciscan sisters serve in Pedro Santana and have done so much good for the community here. At this dinner, we not only celebrated with sister, but said goodbye. She will be going on a short vacation and then moving to a new mission in Paraguay.
The four of us American missionaries with Sr. Teresita. :-)
One of Lupo's funny moments. I love this cat!!!
Volleyball game for San Francisco Xavier day...he is the patron of our parroquial school. I am to the far right. We lost... :-(
Me with my friends Guerris and Maria at the colmado of Guerris' dad. (A colmado is like a family-run convenience store...they have them all over town.)
Monday, December 8, 2008
Ave Maria Purissima, sin pecado concebida
Today is, of course, the feast of the Immaculate Conception. Here it's not a Holy Day of Obligation...but it is of course still a solemnity. The title of this blog is a very common exclamation during the rosary and other prayers here ... "Hail most pure Mary, conceived without sin" ... but in Spanish it flows better.
This week I am finishing up my catechesis classes and starting tests. I have about 10-15 kids that, God willing, will be confirmed in January during the Bishop's pastoral visit. I have been reviewing like crazy with them, and hope that they will all do well on the oral exams Fr. OHare and I will give to each student individually next week. As some of the younger students don't read and write well yet (though they are in fifth grade) and even some of the eighth graders struggle, oral exams just seem like the best way to see what they really do know about the faith.
PLEASE pray for my host family...Berihuete has been in the capital for several weeks for doctor's appointments (He has been ill since March or so). Then last week he fell and hit his head while his daughter and wife were right beside. As far as I know, he will be staying in the capital for a good bit longer because he is having a lot of trouble getting around now.
Also, please keep Maria and Guerris in your prayers. They are two teachers at the parish school who will be married on December 27th here at the parish. A young couple's marriage in the Church is a rare occurence here, so we are all very excited. If you could pray, though, that their hearts be open to the grace of the sacrament and to each other...and that others will be inspired by their faith and commitment.
What else? it's guanabana season now, so I am very excited about that. If you've never tried one, I hope you get to one day. A yummy fruit good on its own or in juice! I also recently just learned from the sisters in Pedro Santana how to make pickled beets which I am anxious to try.
Hey...why don't you people leave comments. I like to read comments once in a while :-)
That's all for today. I have some pictures, but right now I am not using my own computer so I can't upload. Missing you all...please pray for me!
This week I am finishing up my catechesis classes and starting tests. I have about 10-15 kids that, God willing, will be confirmed in January during the Bishop's pastoral visit. I have been reviewing like crazy with them, and hope that they will all do well on the oral exams Fr. OHare and I will give to each student individually next week. As some of the younger students don't read and write well yet (though they are in fifth grade) and even some of the eighth graders struggle, oral exams just seem like the best way to see what they really do know about the faith.
PLEASE pray for my host family...Berihuete has been in the capital for several weeks for doctor's appointments (He has been ill since March or so). Then last week he fell and hit his head while his daughter and wife were right beside. As far as I know, he will be staying in the capital for a good bit longer because he is having a lot of trouble getting around now.
Also, please keep Maria and Guerris in your prayers. They are two teachers at the parish school who will be married on December 27th here at the parish. A young couple's marriage in the Church is a rare occurence here, so we are all very excited. If you could pray, though, that their hearts be open to the grace of the sacrament and to each other...and that others will be inspired by their faith and commitment.
What else? it's guanabana season now, so I am very excited about that. If you've never tried one, I hope you get to one day. A yummy fruit good on its own or in juice! I also recently just learned from the sisters in Pedro Santana how to make pickled beets which I am anxious to try.
Hey...why don't you people leave comments. I like to read comments once in a while :-)
That's all for today. I have some pictures, but right now I am not using my own computer so I can't upload. Missing you all...please pray for me!
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Pictures!
The trail on the way to La Horqueta, one of the more remote campos in the San Jose parish. We had to leave the truck just after the river and hike up the last 1-2 miles. Great views. The road was originally built by the bishop, but now has deteriorated. The people in La Horqueta were a bit troubled because recent rains have harmed the bean crop. The greatest joy, though, was to witness my first marriage here. A couple in La Horqueta, after having lived together for many many years and raising six kids, they had their marriage blessed by the Church. Fr Murphy and I were both very impressed because the father remembered the birthday and year of each and every one of his children, including the one that died as a baby! (That is not very common here...especially for dads - many people dont even know their own birthdays!)
Chapel in Billiguin...a mountain town with a vibrant community. They even have the Blessed Sacrament reserved in their Church!
Me with some of the people of Pashutico...outside the chapel after Mass.
A bike without pedals or a seat and with wheelchair wheels held on by tire tubes...is still a fun toy if you are a young boy in Billiguin. They alternated between playing with this and playing baseball with a ball and stick.
Orange tree on the trail to La Horqueta.
Oscar and Anardo contemplating the assasination of Cena, our Thanksgiving turkey.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Some tidbits
Classes were canceled today because of a teacher meeting they were having for the whole district, but we only found out after driving all the way out to Higuerito. Oh well! Since I have some free time, I can post! Here are some little tidbits of interest from the past week or so:
1. We're having fall weather here! It was cool all day yesterday and I had to sleep with socks and a sweater! It was 62 this morning, and now its almost midday and only 67. Love it.
2. I rode a motorcycle, donning helmet and all. Now, I wasn't driving, so don't get too excited. It was loads of fun, and didn't seem nearly as dangerous as they say, especially where there are basically no other vehicles on the road and just miles of mountains. The interesting thing on a motor cycle is that going uphill is much more fun. Going downhill, you really have to work to keep from sliding forward. Motorcycles are also much smoother rides here than the trucks.
3. I successfully made yummy homemade pizza, which was our Sunday dinner.
In terms of mission work, classes are going well, though I am frustrated with lack of Mass attendance. The rule we have made is that the kids must do two things to be able to receive the Sacrament. a) pay attention in class and pass an oral test given by Fr. OHare or I, and b) go to Mass in their community when it is offered. The kids are doing well in class, and I am confident they know the basics of the faith I have been teaching. But almost no one is going to Mass! The communities were without a priest here for so long that they have little understanding of the importance of the Mass, and of the Blessed Sacrament. They would much more readily go to a prayer service or bible discussion at someone's house than come to Mass. To help encourage them, I am now attending Masses in the communities I teach on Sundays, which make for a busy day. Hopefully this greater presence and some accontability will help them.
Happy Feast of Christ the King on Sunday!!
1. We're having fall weather here! It was cool all day yesterday and I had to sleep with socks and a sweater! It was 62 this morning, and now its almost midday and only 67. Love it.
2. I rode a motorcycle, donning helmet and all. Now, I wasn't driving, so don't get too excited. It was loads of fun, and didn't seem nearly as dangerous as they say, especially where there are basically no other vehicles on the road and just miles of mountains. The interesting thing on a motor cycle is that going uphill is much more fun. Going downhill, you really have to work to keep from sliding forward. Motorcycles are also much smoother rides here than the trucks.
3. I successfully made yummy homemade pizza, which was our Sunday dinner.
In terms of mission work, classes are going well, though I am frustrated with lack of Mass attendance. The rule we have made is that the kids must do two things to be able to receive the Sacrament. a) pay attention in class and pass an oral test given by Fr. OHare or I, and b) go to Mass in their community when it is offered. The kids are doing well in class, and I am confident they know the basics of the faith I have been teaching. But almost no one is going to Mass! The communities were without a priest here for so long that they have little understanding of the importance of the Mass, and of the Blessed Sacrament. They would much more readily go to a prayer service or bible discussion at someone's house than come to Mass. To help encourage them, I am now attending Masses in the communities I teach on Sundays, which make for a busy day. Hopefully this greater presence and some accontability will help them.
Happy Feast of Christ the King on Sunday!!
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Drying Up...
We are on the edge of dry season, and dust is starting to coat EVERYTHING. It's also getting a bit cool in the mornings, which I've really been enjoying. It almost feels like a fall morning some days!
Right now Fr OHare is on a visit to the States, so Fr. Murphy, Tom and I have been holding our own. When there are only four Americans, one person's absence is really felt!
Last Monday was Dominican Constitution Day...a free day for us! I was able to explore again with Fr. Murphy some of the more remote campos of his parish. We visited Cajuelito, Arroyo Grande and El Morro and also hiked (a short distance) to the waterfall near El Morro. I also met Natividad, the young man who takes care of our four parish mules.
Which reminds me (I'm not sure why) that I haven't written about our Thanksgiving plans. One of the things I am really enjoying about being here is the fresh food. Everything is fresh...including the meat. Right now, we have a turkey living at the parish and we are fattening it up for the day of slaughter...probably the day before Thanksgiving. Turkeys can run fast and fly far, so we have to keep it tied up on a long-ish line. After several nights of successfully freeing itself to spend the night on the roof outside Fr. Murphy's room, the deacon and I finally rigged a turkey-proof line...and secured the safe keeping of our Thanksgiving dinner!
Thanks to all of you who have been sending letters. I really appreciate them.
Right now Fr OHare is on a visit to the States, so Fr. Murphy, Tom and I have been holding our own. When there are only four Americans, one person's absence is really felt!
Last Monday was Dominican Constitution Day...a free day for us! I was able to explore again with Fr. Murphy some of the more remote campos of his parish. We visited Cajuelito, Arroyo Grande and El Morro and also hiked (a short distance) to the waterfall near El Morro. I also met Natividad, the young man who takes care of our four parish mules.
Which reminds me (I'm not sure why) that I haven't written about our Thanksgiving plans. One of the things I am really enjoying about being here is the fresh food. Everything is fresh...including the meat. Right now, we have a turkey living at the parish and we are fattening it up for the day of slaughter...probably the day before Thanksgiving. Turkeys can run fast and fly far, so we have to keep it tied up on a long-ish line. After several nights of successfully freeing itself to spend the night on the roof outside Fr. Murphy's room, the deacon and I finally rigged a turkey-proof line...and secured the safe keeping of our Thanksgiving dinner!
Thanks to all of you who have been sending letters. I really appreciate them.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Some Bitter...Some Sweet
HAPPY ALL SAINTS DAY!!
There are some bits of news to post. The first is melancholy. Michelle, the other young woman volunteer had to return home for personal/family reasons although she had been planning on staying the year with me. I miss her! Here is a picture of Michelle and I after Mass yesterday, before she left. I'm looking forward to your visit in December, Michelle!
The kids here in Banica and in the two campos I travel to are starting to get to know me better, and I them...so it's getting easier to both discipline and motivate them. The campo kids are MUCH quieter than the Banica students. I am always trying to discipline my classes at the Banica colegio, and trying to get my campo classes to talk and answer questions so can find out what they know! I will try to upload a picture of one of the schools I teach at out in the campos and also of some of the sights here. Right now, internet is slow, so I can't.
Lastly, I tried fresh sugar cane! It's brown and kind of looks like bamboo. They remove the brown shell layer with a machete, then you bite off the cane, chew and suck out the sugar, and spit out the rest. A lot of fun!!
There are some bits of news to post. The first is melancholy. Michelle, the other young woman volunteer had to return home for personal/family reasons although she had been planning on staying the year with me. I miss her! Here is a picture of Michelle and I after Mass yesterday, before she left. I'm looking forward to your visit in December, Michelle!
The kids here in Banica and in the two campos I travel to are starting to get to know me better, and I them...so it's getting easier to both discipline and motivate them. The campo kids are MUCH quieter than the Banica students. I am always trying to discipline my classes at the Banica colegio, and trying to get my campo classes to talk and answer questions so can find out what they know! I will try to upload a picture of one of the schools I teach at out in the campos and also of some of the sights here. Right now, internet is slow, so I can't.
Lastly, I tried fresh sugar cane! It's brown and kind of looks like bamboo. They remove the brown shell layer with a machete, then you bite off the cane, chew and suck out the sugar, and spit out the rest. A lot of fun!!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
My room
Here is a photo of my room and one of my house. I have my own door on the side. Probably the best part about it is the tree right outside which shades my entire room for most of the day, keeping things cool. A great blessing in this tropical land!!
Saturday, October 4, 2008
The Patronales
Here is a short log of my first experience with the Patronales, an important celebration here in Banica. The Patronales is roughly 9 days of celebration culminating in the feast of St Francis on October 4th. Everything started on the 24th of September with a procession up to a cave near Banica where many people believe St Francis appeared. Two processions (one from banica and the other from Pedro Santana) met up and processed with statues to the base of the hill leading up to the cave. The picture gives you an idea of how many people participated...and these were just locals!
Here is an image from inside the cave. People come from Banica, the surrounding campos, the capital, from places far away or even from Haiti. The pilgrims come witha promise to fulfill. Some may have promised to climb up to the cave barefoot, or to rub the dust from the cave on their faces or wear franciscan garb etc... While Banica is full of people who are in town just to see family, experience the spectacle and/or party, many do come truly as pilgrims and their faith is very moving and real. Do they love St Francis and Our Lady!! Though I did witness the danger of people honoring St Francis without giving Our Lord His due, I definitely saw that the cult of the saints is alive and well here, and something that this culture understands.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Photos and a prayer request
Finally, I have managed to get some photos uploaded. I hope the internet connection holds up long enough for this to work! Sorry for those of you who have had to prod me for pictures.Here is a photo of Fr. O'Hare, Tom Brock and I when they came to pick me up from the capital.
This morning, after 7am Mass in Banica with the choir, I caught a ride to Sabana Cruz in the truck to attend the 8:30am Mass. Father wanted me to meet the people of that community. The camion starts empty and picks up people from the campos on the way to Sabana Cruz, about 10 minutes away. After Mass, it then drops them off on the way back. is picture of me and the campesinos of Sabana Cruz. Maria Altagracia, the young girl with pink pants made it her job to hold on to me in case I should fall. Guess it was obvious I hadn't ridden on the back of the truck on these Dominican roads before! She was very kind about it though, and we shared some laughs.Please keep Luisa in your prayers. She is the girl in the bottom left of the photo with the lollipop. We dropped her off, and as she was leaving (with her parents, I think) on a motorcycle, the motorcycle fell sideways and landed on top of her. Father went and grabbed her, and we headed straight to the hospital. She was bleeding quite a lot and was unconscious. She has a broken leg and her head is very swollen, and I think she lost some teeth. But she is going to be fine, I am told. It was so providential that it all happened when the church truck was right there to take her straight to the hospital. Anyway, please say a prayer for her...it was quite a morning!
Monday, September 22, 2008
Banica...Day 3!
After months of preparation, I am finally in Banica! It's so amazing ot finally be here...and I am so grateful to my parents, my friends, all of those who donated, and everyone who encouraged me and helped make this possible. THANK YOU!
Over the past two days, I have managed to get my room all unpacked and organized. On Saturday, Fr. OHare, Tom Brock and two of the parish staff members came to pick me up from Gertrudis' house. I said goodbye to my wonderful host family and after a brief photo shoot (pictures coming soon) we headed for Banica. We arrived in Banica at 5:15pm and I had just enough time to get all of my things into my room and freshen up before 6pm Mass. After Mass, Fr. OHare announced that I had arrived and I was able to meet and greet many of the women who help out with altar-guild type stuff. They are so sweet! There is one woman who every day since then has told me thank you for coming. Sunday morning I joined the choir for their cursory review of the songs before 7am Mass.
One of my first jobs while I am here, will be to lead the rehearsals and help the choir learn new songs, and sing well during the liturgies. This is a telling bit of news for you because...Any of you who know me, know that my musical talent is quite lacking and though I can read music, I would never think of singing in, much less leading a choir in the States. But that's the thing...I can read music. Here, whatever little you have is something that you can give. So starting tomorrow I will be working with the choir. My other project now is just getting familiar with the curriculum that we use to teach the Mass classes and the sacramental prep classes. The formation classes are fairly basic (starting with "Quien es Dios?") and all oral. Everyone is literate at least at some level, but the most effective way of teaching is still orally and with pictures. My Spanish is improving day by day, and right now my big focuses are 1) understanding the way people speak in Banica, where the Spanish is quite a bit different and 2) expanding my vocabulary.
Yesterday evening all of the Americans had dinner together at the parish (pizza, french fries, carrot cake...all homemade). I am really going to enjoy how fresh all the food is here. Everything was picked that day or the day before, and we make almost everything from scratch. It's great news to me since I had just finished reading "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" and was ready to start eating fresh, local foods! There is no other kind here (of course, I can always get my Dorito fix if I really need it).
Right now internet is down at the parish because one of the recent storms has moved the very finicky dish out of kilter with the sattelite. In order to use the internet I have to trek up to the volunteer center...but at least we have access! If I don't update for a while, you know why...but I will try to be good!
Overall, I'm excited to be here, and can't wait to jump in. I'm also looking forward to becoming more accustomed to having bugs around. Right now using the latrine elevates my blood pressure to dangerous levels. The first night there was a huge, nasty black spider and a roach with wings. But I came out unscathed. Other than that, there have been no other scary things. Those of you who have been worried about storms...know that in Banica we are surrounded by huge mountain ranges, which basically protect us from the bad weather. Thanks be to God!
Over the past two days, I have managed to get my room all unpacked and organized. On Saturday, Fr. OHare, Tom Brock and two of the parish staff members came to pick me up from Gertrudis' house. I said goodbye to my wonderful host family and after a brief photo shoot (pictures coming soon) we headed for Banica. We arrived in Banica at 5:15pm and I had just enough time to get all of my things into my room and freshen up before 6pm Mass. After Mass, Fr. OHare announced that I had arrived and I was able to meet and greet many of the women who help out with altar-guild type stuff. They are so sweet! There is one woman who every day since then has told me thank you for coming. Sunday morning I joined the choir for their cursory review of the songs before 7am Mass.
One of my first jobs while I am here, will be to lead the rehearsals and help the choir learn new songs, and sing well during the liturgies. This is a telling bit of news for you because...Any of you who know me, know that my musical talent is quite lacking and though I can read music, I would never think of singing in, much less leading a choir in the States. But that's the thing...I can read music. Here, whatever little you have is something that you can give. So starting tomorrow I will be working with the choir. My other project now is just getting familiar with the curriculum that we use to teach the Mass classes and the sacramental prep classes. The formation classes are fairly basic (starting with "Quien es Dios?") and all oral. Everyone is literate at least at some level, but the most effective way of teaching is still orally and with pictures. My Spanish is improving day by day, and right now my big focuses are 1) understanding the way people speak in Banica, where the Spanish is quite a bit different and 2) expanding my vocabulary.
Yesterday evening all of the Americans had dinner together at the parish (pizza, french fries, carrot cake...all homemade). I am really going to enjoy how fresh all the food is here. Everything was picked that day or the day before, and we make almost everything from scratch. It's great news to me since I had just finished reading "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" and was ready to start eating fresh, local foods! There is no other kind here (of course, I can always get my Dorito fix if I really need it).
Right now internet is down at the parish because one of the recent storms has moved the very finicky dish out of kilter with the sattelite. In order to use the internet I have to trek up to the volunteer center...but at least we have access! If I don't update for a while, you know why...but I will try to be good!
Overall, I'm excited to be here, and can't wait to jump in. I'm also looking forward to becoming more accustomed to having bugs around. Right now using the latrine elevates my blood pressure to dangerous levels. The first night there was a huge, nasty black spider and a roach with wings. But I came out unscathed. Other than that, there have been no other scary things. Those of you who have been worried about storms...know that in Banica we are surrounded by huge mountain ranges, which basically protect us from the bad weather. Thanks be to God!
Thursday, September 4, 2008
A los que madruga, Dios le ayuda!
I know this blog doesn't look very nice. If anyone wants to tell me how to fix it, feel free!!
So I've been here for five days in Santo Domingo. Not that much has happened, but I wanted to email in case after Josephina comes this weekend we don't have power for a while :-) We had a bunch of rain and wind from Hannah that passed through Tuesday night and yesterday that flooded the streets and all classes were canceled in, I think, the entire country. In Santo Domingo, they don't really get full blown hurricanes, but it did rain a good deal. Everything is fine though, and we already have power and water back, so don't worry!
My first week here has been amazing! I arrived on Sunday and met my host family for my three weeks in Santo Domingo. Dominicans are SO welcoming! Gertrudis (my host mom) is renowned for her cooking, which always makes me feel like I'm home, and she always tells me to eat more or I might get too thin...haha) Fr OHare and the principal of the school in Banica came to visit the day I arrived, which I really appreciated. Thankfully, I have my own room and bathroom, which is such a blessing and I have a lot of privacy for studying, praying etc... The only bad part is that because it's so private and there is only one window which I keep shut, what I intend as a short nap can turn into a two hour one!
The school is walking distance and I walk there and back every day. Gertrudis says it is safe, but people (especially the men) might make comments or try to get you to come over. They are harmless, and you are supposed to just keep walking normally. I'm still working on this! Monday was my first day of school and when I got there, there was a birthday card and some Hershey kisses from Michell, Fr. Murphy and Fr. OHare so I've been enjoying that little piece of home (along with the goldfish and **who can guess this?** fruit snacks which I brought as my comfort food when I'm homesick...haha).
My "profesoras" are two young women who are devout Catholics so I am able to learn a lot from them in conversation class that is going to be helpful when I am actually teaching catechism in Spanish. They both have a lot of personality, and bright, wonderful smiles that always brighten my day! Because of the storm yesterday, there was no class. But I didn't find this out until I had walked to school in the rain. Oh well! That's part of what they mean when they say Dominicans are laid back! Instead, the owner of the school took one of the other students and I out for coffee. Certain people on this email list, I know, would love the coffee here. The owner of the school is Italian and drinks 4 cups of coffee a day!
One of my favorite phrases that I have learned so far is the subject of this email... God helps those who get up early. Of course it is MUCH better in Spanish because it rhymes and here you grow up hearing it in the mornings when you are tired and want to sleep more. So far its been easy to get up because I've been so excited for the day and about learning more Spanish (ok, I'm a dork), but I know that it will get harder so I will try to tell myself this!
Interestingly, people often ask how long I will be here and I tell them that I will be in the capital for three weeks and then go to Banica. Nobody knows where Banica is, so I have to tell them it is in Elias Pina (the region/county) near Haiti. The city dwellers here just can't even imagine going all the way out there...for a year no less, and they all pretty much think I'm crazy.
I'll blog again again when I get to Banica in a two weeks, if not before. If you would like to keep up with this blog, please also send me your email so that I can send you email updates if I can't blog!
Que Dios te bendiga y la Virgen te cuide,
Saman-ta (That's my name here...)
So I've been here for five days in Santo Domingo. Not that much has happened, but I wanted to email in case after Josephina comes this weekend we don't have power for a while :-) We had a bunch of rain and wind from Hannah that passed through Tuesday night and yesterday that flooded the streets and all classes were canceled in, I think, the entire country. In Santo Domingo, they don't really get full blown hurricanes, but it did rain a good deal. Everything is fine though, and we already have power and water back, so don't worry!
My first week here has been amazing! I arrived on Sunday and met my host family for my three weeks in Santo Domingo. Dominicans are SO welcoming! Gertrudis (my host mom) is renowned for her cooking, which always makes me feel like I'm home, and she always tells me to eat more or I might get too thin...haha) Fr OHare and the principal of the school in Banica came to visit the day I arrived, which I really appreciated. Thankfully, I have my own room and bathroom, which is such a blessing and I have a lot of privacy for studying, praying etc... The only bad part is that because it's so private and there is only one window which I keep shut, what I intend as a short nap can turn into a two hour one!
The school is walking distance and I walk there and back every day. Gertrudis says it is safe, but people (especially the men) might make comments or try to get you to come over. They are harmless, and you are supposed to just keep walking normally. I'm still working on this! Monday was my first day of school and when I got there, there was a birthday card and some Hershey kisses from Michell, Fr. Murphy and Fr. OHare so I've been enjoying that little piece of home (along with the goldfish and **who can guess this?** fruit snacks which I brought as my comfort food when I'm homesick...haha).
My "profesoras" are two young women who are devout Catholics so I am able to learn a lot from them in conversation class that is going to be helpful when I am actually teaching catechism in Spanish. They both have a lot of personality, and bright, wonderful smiles that always brighten my day! Because of the storm yesterday, there was no class. But I didn't find this out until I had walked to school in the rain. Oh well! That's part of what they mean when they say Dominicans are laid back! Instead, the owner of the school took one of the other students and I out for coffee. Certain people on this email list, I know, would love the coffee here. The owner of the school is Italian and drinks 4 cups of coffee a day!
One of my favorite phrases that I have learned so far is the subject of this email... God helps those who get up early. Of course it is MUCH better in Spanish because it rhymes and here you grow up hearing it in the mornings when you are tired and want to sleep more. So far its been easy to get up because I've been so excited for the day and about learning more Spanish (ok, I'm a dork), but I know that it will get harder so I will try to tell myself this!
Interestingly, people often ask how long I will be here and I tell them that I will be in the capital for three weeks and then go to Banica. Nobody knows where Banica is, so I have to tell them it is in Elias Pina (the region/county) near Haiti. The city dwellers here just can't even imagine going all the way out there...for a year no less, and they all pretty much think I'm crazy.
I'll blog again again when I get to Banica in a two weeks, if not before. If you would like to keep up with this blog, please also send me your email so that I can send you email updates if I can't blog!
Que Dios te bendiga y la Virgen te cuide,
Saman-ta (That's my name here...)
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Blog up and running!
I hope to update this blog regularly with news from my adventures in the Dominican Republic. Please pray for me as I prepare for my trip. Thanks for your support!
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