Update from Meagan and Melissa

Half Time Update

Greetings from Santo Domingo! Its coming up on four weeks now and we wanted to let you all know what we've been up to thus far.

Firstly, we have to share with you the amazing Ramirez family that we have been staying with. They are a family of six, which includes Shannon. Before we arrived they had just moved into this incredible new house, so its been great being able to see them make it their new home. They have been very accepting, supportive and gracious to us with our pathetic attempts to speak Spanish with them, our travelling and us mildly taking over their living areas. Pedro (a pastor at heart) has a great sense of humour and thrives on making people laugh. Zajamis is the most amazing cook in the world. She is so easy going, yet can rule with an iron fist! An honourable mention to the niños who teach us words that would render funny looks in public. They have been incredibly open and welcoming to us and it is truly a blessing to us to be here with them.

We have been attending the family's church with them on Thursday evenings and Sunday mornings. Though the services are in Spanish and we can only catch a few words here and there we still gain a lot from the worship and sermons. I don’t know how to explain how great their worship services are; Dominicans are a very musically inclined and a passionate people. At a house warming party we were able to meet and get to know many of the families who attend the church, so its great to build on those relationships weekly. Along with the regular services the Ramirez family are involved in ministries and growth groups which are known as cell groups here. Meagan was able to attend the youth cell group with the oldest child of the Ramirez family. The youth were very passionate and incredibly welcoming, one of the 'leaders' really wanted to translate all that was said for me and include me inconversations. Though I went in expecting to be a fly on the wall and just listen in and attempt to understand what was being said, I have to appreciate that they all went out of their way to make me not feel like a stranger. I would love to attend another cell group meeting before I leave.

We are also fortunate enough to attend Spanish lessons with two former students of Shannon who have now graduated. They are both very different girls, yet both great teachers. We have progressed quite a bit in Spanish, but don’t expect us to have a conversation with you. Today we understood a lot more in church, which is a first for Melissa. Yay! Although it’s frustrating at times not to be able to join in in conversations, ask for directions or even say 'no cheese please,' its a work in progress. Again we are really greatful for those around us and their willingness to translate jokes and challenge us to simple conversations.

One of our Spanish lessons we took to the streets; it was dedicated to getting out and using what we've been taught on victims of the public. In this adventure with our Spanish teacher, Adriana, we began with a walk through a 7 km “Mirador” which you could say is the Dominican central park (oceanview drive). It was HOT and beautiful. It is a great gathering point for those who want to play baseball, exercise in the outdoors, learn a bit of history, or gather with friends for a picnic. From there we bargained for some street bananas, which were overpriced at first ;) we took care of that. Then we took our first trip in a carro publico (public car) which seats four in the back and two in the passenger seat. It was a sweaty and rather fun ride to Blue Mall. There was no time for shopping, but it was interesting to see the same stores, yet rather different prices for the same attire back home. The AC was a highlight at that point in time. From there, Adriana's sister picked us up and we headed to 'Yokomo' for some Dominicanized sushi. There was a mix of bacon, plantain, avocado and fish wrapped in standard rice, but deep fried with a honey base sauce. Sounds interesting, I know, but was surprisingly delectable. Ahha very good!

We've experienced many Dominican things and we MUST express how AMAZING the fresh fruit juice is here. Even a simple lemonade can stand up to a passion fruit or nanberry creation. Plantaines are a big deal here and with good reason. There are a variety of kinds and can all be prepared in a different way. Mmmm Good Eatins... But I don’t know if it can beat waking up to a mean Dominican cup of coffee.

Though carro publicos have a bit of a bad rep, they are quite fun, because every car is an entire experience in itself. Each driver has new stories and they vary drastically, yet they are all huge characters. We also have to mention how much we love fans, I don't know where we'd be without them.

We have also had our personal battles with certain aspects of life here. Melissa often battles with her love for dairy and its hate for her. There has been many skuffles between them but she often comes out on top. Meagan had a rough fight with the stairs and the floor soon after she was not so lucky to come out without a scrape and some bruises from that, but in the end we have both come out of many obstacles, still fighting.

Though its great to learn a new language and experience a new culture, we’re here to study the Bible. Shannon has led us into a chronological study of the entire bible which we have recently finished. It was an overview of the entire bible while focusing on re-occuring themes to gain a greater understanding of the story as a whole. Our grueling homework has kept us up till the wee hours of the morning on many occasions; depicting a picture timeline of the story of God. We must admit that it has never occured to us to take a step back and look at the story from start to finish as a whole. It seems simple, yet was quite complex. Shannon's dedication to God has given her great insight that has blessed us and our many questions. Throughout this process we has realized how good God is and have witnessed his character through learning of the Jewish culture and their many struggles.

We also have spent some time at a beach... not only tanning but being introduced to some of the relationships Shannon has build over the years dedicated to this specific location. We meet with two of the guys who work along the beach-front at a restaurant. One is a Christian who gains spiritual confidence through our encouragement and Christian fellowship. We ask you to pray for his friend (Val) as he encourages him and challenges him on spiritual matters. We are also attempting to start some informal English lessons for some of the street kids who live in the area. We have a difficult time gathering them as everything is very informal and we’re at the beginning stages. We hope to assist them in understanding the basics of English so that they are able to continue in a more stable programme through the Compassion Int’l ministry here in the future. We ask you to pray for a kind of group leader named “Titi” as he keeps the other smaller children safe from kids who steal their money and for strength for him to stay on the right and honest path.

Thank you so much for all your support and encouragement. We hope that we’ve given you a bit of insight on our time down here.

Stay tuned for our next update ;)

Adios Amigos

Muchos Love,

Meagan y Melissa