From Jordan

Christmas is over….really before it even began. Coupled with the warm weather here in the States and then our DR vacay, it never really felt like Christmas much. I postponed writing this blog thinking that I would think of something really great to say. Well the days passed and I figured I better go ahead and write before Lauren called me internationally wanting to know why I hadn’t done her homework assignment.
Christmas was a little different for each of us this year:

After talking to Lauren on Christmas Eve, we found out that the old woman living in her house had died and a nine day funeral was taking place outside her bedroom complete with moaning and wailing. So scratch the pig roast; no Christmas celebration for you! (I’ll let her tell you more about that in her next blog.)

For me, her absence was definitely felt – mainly I miss having a person to roll my eyes with when Mom or Dad does something “funny”. Last year it was Dad blowing into his stocking after it was empty. This year it was Mom dancing to her new iPod. Now that was genuinely funny. I really want to try to upload pictures to this site so everyone can appreciate the humor.

I can’t wait to get back to the DR and see Lauren. Hopefully on the next visit I can stay with her in Baoba and learn more about the people and the town. It’s obvious that the people there love her just as much as we do!

An Early Christmas

The day that I have been waiting for finally arrived this past week: my family came to visit! While I was excited about seeing them and spending a relaxing week in a resort in Puerto Plata, I was even more excited about them meeting everyone in Baoba and everyone in Baoba meeting them. We walked all over the town, visiting the school and its professors, the kids in my youth group and English classes, and all of the people who went out of their way to make me feel comfortable in Baoba when I first arrived. Of course, the introductions were awkward with lots of pauses and me translating english into spanish and spanish into english, but I think everyone left with the impression that I am definitely in a comfortable place here in Baoba. It was so refreshing to hear everyone in Baoba tell my parents how they need not worry about my safety because I am a part of their family and they all will take care of me. And it was also nice to hear them all ask me to promise to return back to Baoba after my trip in Puerto Plata because they were worried I wouldn't return.

It definitely does not seem like Christmas now. It's 80 degrees here, and I go to the beach almost daily. There aren't any Christmas trees, snow, or traditional carols, and I think this is the first year in about 10 years that I'm not going to Concord Pres. for Project Christmas or the Christmas Eve service, so that's hard to come to terms with. But luckily, Mom, Dad and Jordan were able to bring a little bit of Christmas down here with them. They arrived with a 6 inch ornamental tree that I will put in my bedroom and presents that I can open on Dec. 25. Dominicans don't really celebrate Christmas Day; their big celebration is Christmas Eve or Noche Buena, where everyone roasts a pig (hawaiian-luau style) and dances merengue and bachata, so that will certainly be a different experience.


I've given Mom, Dad and Jordan homework to write an entry in the blog so that you can get their perspective on the Dominican Republic as well. If I don't get to update the blog again within the next week, have a merry christmas and a happy new year! And when you see Jordan, give her an extra hug from her big sister; apparently she isn't enjoying being an only child as much as she thought she would.

From Mom & Dad in Baoba

Well, I think we now know how the Pied Piper felt as we walked through the streets of Baoba with LR. As we are being shown around the town and meeting all the new people she is working with, the crowd that follows keeps growing, with the teens that obviously would follow her anywhere.
It is a great feeling to see the acceptance of LR into not only their community but into their families and lives. It seems that at every other house we are told how she is their newest daughter and a major part of their families. We feel she is being well taken care of. It is apparent that she is now a major part of this small rural community, with their expectations as well as hers growing into one. As parents, it is such a joy to watch LR be a part of this community in need knowing that with each day her accomplishments with them will grow.