Technology has Arrived!!

So, it's been three months in the Dominican Republic...and finally we have received the Internet. Bob and I took turns 'nagging' the powers that be, and eventually it all payed off!! This is very exciting, but I do realize that this means that we have no excuse not to stay in contact with our friends and family. Let's see how we do. :)

Bob and I feel so spoiled to have family here. Terry, Jill and Hazel "play" with us every Sunday. We visit waterfalls, eat lunch together or just hang out. That doesn't mean that we don't get homesick every once in a while, but having family nearby is an amazing blessing.

School is busy! Bob thought that he would have very little to do with only 30+ computers on campus, but he has been running. He had new/different ideas than the last computer 'geek' and that he kept him busy. He is excited about his job and doesn't foresee boredom in his future.

I feel the same way about my job. It has been evolving and changing ever so slightly, and I feel like I fit more and more each day. Some parts of my job I would trade in a heartbeat- like the paperwork part of it. And other parts- the 'resource teacher' part and working with the kids....brings more excitement and joy to my life than I thought I would get here. Every once and a while I really miss my old job at ECS, but the satisfaction here is great, and I am reminded why we were brought here.

We were told that we would be working with delinquent teens and that they had done some pretty horrible things. Some with severe anger management issues, others with real addiction problems to various things, some tied up with the law for drugs, violence, robbery etc. I was expecting really rough kids. The truth is, the kids here had done all the things listed above and way more. I can't believe how they can mess up their lives so badly. But I was wrong about how rough they would be. The kids here are great! Messed up, but genuinely great! Some have real learning disabilities, and are ready to feel 'smart'. (That's where I come in!!) All the students are in counselling and most want to 'get better'. I asked one of the students on my caseload to explain my role/job to a new student. It was so exciting to hear what he had to say. He told him, " When I got here, I knew I was dumb, but Mrs Friesen showed me how I learn, and now I KNOW that I'm not dumb, I just learn different. She kicked my butt so much that now I just learn!!" I love it!! Happy girl!

The boys are struggling with friendships. They still miss their days back in Winkler where they would meet their buds at Lion's Park for football. They have a few closer friends here, but they still talk about going home- and have been 'chatting' with their Canadian friends ever since we got the Internet.

So- life is good. God is good. We learned to be thankful for so many things that we didn't know that we were thankful back in Manitoba. Drinking water from the tap, sewage systems that work (ours failed us for a short while and sprayed our sewage over our backyard...ewww), power that is on all the time (we lose ours daily- but for short periods of time. When the power goes out, we also lose water), propane- our stove runs on it, and we ran out when cooking our Thanksgiving supper. (T and J saved the day!!). So many things that we didn't even know that we were thankful for.

We will keep updating. I hope to add some new pictures soon. We've had several days of Tropical Rain- never ending, so photos haven't been happening lately. We love ya all!- Carrie

Always something new!

Two Months are almost up and we are still learning. Everyday there seems to be something new to learn. Whether it is patience, humility, or something new and interesting, there isn't a day that goes by that doesn't throw something new at us. For Ethan it always seems to be a new bug, or lizard; for the older two it's new friends, coping with school, and soccer practice; for Carrie and I it's our duties at work, trying to get to know our Dominican neighbours, and learning the language. This past week we began boarding a student who is attending our school until December. This has given us a great opportunity to learn Spanish from someone who is tryly bilingual! Yahoo!

Life is good

This week has been feeling a little like living in North America, and I have to admit I wasn't loving it. Carrie's job description and hours were changed, I fought with technical issues for 3 days straight, and in between all this we had to get the kids off to school on Tuesday. We didn't have the right uniforms, we didn't have the correct supplies (which cost a ridiculous amount over here by the way), and we were both supposed to be at work. It's not supposed to be like that in the D.R.! As schedules start to click I'm sure we will find our pace, but on days like these it's hard to believe. I thought this picture would remind me that life really is good, and sometimes all you need is a quiet stroll to set your head straight.

The days seem to be going by extremely quick! Today marks three weeks in the DR. Our house is officially becoming a home, complete with plants, furniture and a dog! Let's just say if you mention that you might want a dog...10 will show up on your doorstep. Chiquita belonged to a staff member that was leaving, and the kids felt that it really was our duty to take care of her ( and in doing so..help out a fellow missionary!). Nice guilt trip. Regardless, Kita is now a part of our Dominican family. We are really starting to find our groove here, and although our Spanish is pathetic, we still manage to get the meat, cheese and milk we need. Our learning curve feels painfully slow, but in retrospect we probably aren't doing so bad. Some days if feels as though your head is going to pop trying to remember everything you learned that day!

First Impressions

It's pretty hard to sum up all of what we have seen (and heard...the DR is loud!), but we have had a great first week. Terry and Jill have been playing the role of host and hostess and have showed us around their town. It is quite an adventure learning to drive and find your way around the many twisting streets. Part of the adventure is not having a phone and internet yet, so I am posting this from Terry and Jill's apartment. The pictures are just what happens to be on my camera! I thought I'd just give you a little shot of the streets and a little Sunday afternoon hanging about at the "Confluencia"(kind of like our "Forks", but with nothing to do but to stand around, play loud music and drink. I don't know whether you can hear the thump of the subwoofers or the revving of approximately 100 or so scooters, mopeds, and dirt bikes, but it was definately an assault on the senses. Noise pollution is a term that is foreign to the Dominicans. I have a lot more pictures of the city and I will post up a photo album soon.

Exit

Friday marked our final day in our Winkler house. Leaving really didn't seem so hard when there was nowhere left to sit, eat or sleep! The endless week of goodbyes was difficult for some in our family though, and I think we were all looking forward to getting this show on the road. A relaxing day in Niverville with Carrie's folks (chinese food, steak, and a few other "Last time in Canada" things), and then up at 3:00 a.m. to catch our flight on Sunday morning. We should have know everything had gone too smooth up until this point. The word was that our plane had suffered "damage" (enemy fire perhaps?), and we would have to try again Monday morning! At least this time we can sleep in until 4:00 a.m.! Something tells me that we may be a bit tired by the time we arrive in the D.R.

Trading up?

Last week it was final... I sold our Chevy lumina van and bought our new Dominican ride. A well-loved 1988 isuzu trooper complete with a history full of dents and dings, and a wooden turtle glued to it's hood. Truth be told, I'm more excited about this crazy propane-fueled, dent-filled box riding on a smorgasbord of tires, than I have been about any other vehicle I have ever purchased. I've already got some really big tires bookmarked on Ebay!! Did any one ever mention I like adventure?