Hackert Happenings

Fiesta with the Girls

2010-05-23T14:32:00.007-04:00

On Thursday night we had a farewell fiesta with the girls we spend time with each Thursday night. We ate pizza and then made homemade ice cream in a bag. You put milk, vanilla and a little sugar into a ziplock baggie. Then you put that into a larger bag that is filled with ice and salt. After about ten minutes of squeezing and kneading, you end up with ice cream. It was a lot of fun!

Amy is helping one of the girls get the plastic bags sealed correctly.

Wow! It worked!

Time to eat!

At the end of the evening the girls gave us a book of photos and handwritten cards to thank us for all the time we spent with them. The book is filled with sweet memories. We will miss them very much.

The Path of Chocolate

2010-05-08T21:10:00.011-04:00

We went to a cacao farm today. We even got to plant cacao trees.

These seedlings will start to produce pods in about a year and a half.

This scarecrow helps to keep the birds away from the cacao pods.

The cacao seeds are found inside these pods.

The inside of the pod doesn't look too appealing, but these seeds produce amazing chocolate.

The seeds ferment for about five days.

Then they get spread out to dry. Every two hours they need to be raked.

We pounded some dry cacao seeds and added sugar to make some chocolate the old-fashioned way. It tasted great!

Then we headed inside to see the process done with modern machinery.

We all got to taste it. It was absolutely delicious. Chocolate is absolutely amazing.

Where do we live??

2010-05-06T22:04:00.003-04:00

Our street finally got a street sign! We live on Calle 9 but we've never had any street signs in our neighborhood. We were certainly confused when we saw the sign they put up on the corner. Did someone make a mistake? Or did they change the name of our street? We have no idea but we think we'll still be able to find our way home.

Created for Community

2010-02-10T18:55:00.003-05:00

During the last weekend in January, Amy headed up into the mountains outside of Santiago to attend a women's retreat. It was a great weekend filled with fellowship, prayer, singing, times of quiet reflection, and views of the beautiful mountains of the Dominican Republic.

The theme of the retreat was "Created for Community." Amy was able to be a small group leader. After times of quiet reflection and Bible readings, the group would meet to discuss, share and pray. It was a special blessing to be able to serve by leading this wonderful group of women.

Helping Hands for Haiti

2010-01-31T21:11:00.008-05:00

On Saturday, January 30 Brian was able to go to the airport in Santiago with a few people from our school and a local church. They sorted donated food and supplies in a small warehouse in the cargo area at the airport. Throughout the day loads of the items were prepared to ship to Haiti. The volunteers loaded seven tons of supplies onto airplanes. A few of the planes made two trips that day. The group also loaded another three to four tons on carts that would be ready to take out to planes the following day. A mission organization with ties to the United States coordinated the incoming donations, preparations of shipments, and the destination points in Haiti

Private corportations donated the use of their planes and pilots to make these relief efforts possible. Some of the pilots were from Boston, Atlanta, Vancouver, and California. Many Dominican companies donated various supplies that were sent out that day. Some of the items had also been sent from different churches and organizations in the United States. It was incredible to think about all the efforts and generous donations it took to provide this much-needed aid. While just a small part of the overall relief efforts, it was a rewarding experience knowing that we were able to help bring some hope to desperate hurting people.

Brian and Marie Elva, the French teacher at Santiago Christian School. She, being Haitian, was particularly eager to volunteer. Sadly, two of Marie Elva's cousins died as a result of the earthquake. Several days after the quake Marie Elva traveled to Haiti, bringing some food and supplies to her family whose homes were destroyed like countless others.

This enormous cargo plane arrived with UN containers and modular portable offices that were quickly loaded on flatbed trucks bound for Haiti.

Our Experience with the Earthquake

2010-01-17T21:49:00.003-05:00

We recently experienced the earthquake that caused so much destruction in Haiti. We had walked to the grocery store to pick up a few things after school. As we were walking home, the ground began to pitch and roll. Brian grabbed for a nearby metal gate. We didn't realize it was an earthquake at first. Brian mentioned that he felt dizzy. We stood there for a minute before we realized that it was an earthquake. We held on to the gate and watched the water in the puddles slosh back and forth. Above our heads, the electricity wires were swaying as if blown by a violent wind. However, the air was still during these eerie moments. Once the shaking subsided we walked the last block to our apartment building. Many of our neighbors were standing outside talking about what had happened. The math teacher from our school lives just three buildings down from us. He and his wife walked over, and we talked about whether or not it was safe to go back inside. During this time we were feeling some slight aftershocks. Eventually everyone started to go back inside, and we followed.

Nothing in our apartment was out of place or damaged. We later heard that the earthquake was about a 5.7 or a 5.9 here.

We haven't felt any more aftershocks, and there wasn't any damage in our city. We had school the next day and life settled back into its usual routine for us.

Dengue Fever

2009-12-25T16:22:00.006-05:00

Near the end of October I (Amy) went to the school nurse one morning because I felt feverish. My temperature was 102 degrees. I felt achy and figured it was just some type of flu bug. Before I left the nurse's office she asked if I had a headache. I didn't have one but she mentioned that those symptoms could mean dengue fever. The only way to get dengue fever is to get bitten by an infected mosquito. As the days progressed, it became clearer that I probably had dengue. I guess I came in contact with a really nasty mosquito. The symptoms of dengue fever are miserable: fever, bad headache, nausea, dropping platelets and extreme tiredness. These symptoms go on for a week or longer.

A few days later Brian got a fever and a headache. He also must have bitten by a dengue mosquito. Our days passed slowly. We took turns heading from the bedroom, to the couch, to the bathroom. For many days we ate only crackers and tried to drink a lot of fluids. Doctor visits and blood work added to our dismal week.

We're so grateful that we didn't get the more serious kind of dengue. In some cases, the platelets drop so low that people need to be put in intensive care for dangerous bleeding issues or require blood transfusions. However, we're still much more cautious about wearing mosquito repellent. We certainly don't want a repeat of those miserable weeks.

Bright spots during our sickness:

*e-mails from friends, family and supporters

*fun cards from the students at school

*food deliveries by teachers who care about us

*help from the school nurse

A few weeks after our recovery, we saw this sign on the back of an exterminator's truck. Maybe we should keep these phone numbers handy!

Our Morning Walk on Christmas Eve Day

2009-12-24T21:05:00.012-05:00

We went for a walk yesterday morning, and we thought we'd share the sights with you. Take a peek at what we see on this December morning.

The people who live in this house raise roosters for cock fighting. We are very glad we don't live next door to all this early morning crowing!

This man goes up and down many different streets looking in and by the trash barrels to try to find plastic jugs to recycle for money. This is probably how he earns his living.

This is a roasted pig on a pole. They're selling this pork along the side of the street. Roast pork is one of the traditional foods for the midnight Christmas Eve dinner. This roast pork is called puerco asado.

The head is actually sold too because people like to eat the snout and the ears.

This is another roast pig. If you look just behind the table to the left you can see the scale where the salesman could weigh out the amount of pork that you want.

Public cars called conchos run routes through the city of Santiago. You can get on and off at any point along the route. These cars are usually rather rickety, and they often cram seven to eight passengers in the car. It costs about 15 pesos per person for a ride. That's about 50 cents.

This man is selling avocados to people who are driving down a main road near our house. When the cars stop for the red light, he goes from car to car trying to make a sale. The woman trailing behind him is selling phone cards to add minutes to cell phones. The name of this cell phone company is Orange.

Christmas with las niñas de Dios

2009-12-24T18:02:00.020-05:00

We had a special Christmas celebration with the girls at the local orphanage that we visit each Thursday night. Usually we go there to teach an English lesson, but on this night we were there to celebrate Navidad with them. Their joy was contagious. It was so much fun to see their excitement.

There are four of us from Santiago Christian School that go to this orphange each week. This past Thursday night we arrived with cookies to decorate, Christmas music in Spanish, a craft, and gifts. Among the gifts we gave them were towels embroidered with each of their names. We also placed a personalized note in every gift box that included the words of Isaiah 43:1. "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine."

It is our prayer that each of these girls will embrace the love of God. Likewise, it is our hope that our interactions with students at Santiago Christian School will cause them to understand God's great love for mankind in sending the Christ-child, Immanuel, to earth. We are grateful to God for giving us the opportunity to share the gift of his son with others.

Click on the triangle to see the video of all their excitement.

Breakfast Time

2009-10-15T21:02:00.005-04:00

Every morning we eat breakfast out on our little balcony. It takes several trips to get everything out there but it's worth it. There are window boxes on the ledge filled with beautiful flowers. A potted tree stands in the corner. We eat our yogurt and drink some juice and then a big glass of water while we listen to the quiet sounds of the morning. We watch our neighbor's dog in their yard. We see a few kids picked up in a van to head to school. A few ladies walk by on their way to work. It's a peaceful way to begin our day.

Will the Real Mrs. Hackert Please Stand Up?

2009-10-04T10:51:00.002-04:00

Last week Brian was subbing for the art teacher while she was in the states for a funeral. Later that day a very excited class arrived in the library. One of the students ran up to me to tell me, "There's a boy who's a Mrs. Hackert, and he taught us art today." It made me smile.

The First Noel

2009-10-04T10:47:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago we went to the store and noticed that the Christmas decorations were already for sale. We weren't quite in the mood for Christmas purchasing on September 23.

Church in English

2009-09-13T20:02:00.002-04:00

Tonight we went to an English church service. On the second Sunday of each month we'll be able to attend this service. It was a great time of fellowship, singing and praising God all in English. I can hardly wait until next month!

Our Farm

2009-09-13T15:04:00.005-04:00

On our little balcony we have a beautiful potted tree.

This week we also added some pretty flowers in a windowbox. We enjoy our plants each morning as we eat our breakfast on the balcony.

Granola, Bugs and Mold

2009-09-13T14:58:00.004-04:00

Today I began to make some homemade granola. The oatmeal comes in 4 cup bags which is just perfect for my recipe. I cut open the corner of the bag and poured the oats into the bowl as I was reading the recipe for the next ingredient. I took out the brown sugar and was beginning to measure it as Brian came into the room. He looked down into the bowl and said, "You have bugs in there." Sure enough, the whole bowl was swarming with busy little black bugs. They must have been living in the bag of oatmeal. After dumping out that oatmeal and getting out a new bowl, I opened another bag of oatmeal. The oats were greenish black and covered with mold. I was finally able to make some delicious granola with my third bag of oats. Some things are just more complicated here.

Shopping is Not Always Fun

2009-09-08T21:26:00.006-04:00

Step #1: Walk to the grocery store with the hot sun beating down on you.
Step #2: Stop at the cash machine outside the store only to find out it isn't working.
Step #3: Go into the store and fill your cart with groceries while crossing all the items off the grocery list.
Step #4: Enter the last aisle of the store as the power flicks off.
Step #5: Get in line for the nearest cashier just as the cash registers are rebooting after the power outage.
Step #6: Watch the power flick off again.
Step #7: Wait for the cash registers to reboot again.
Step #8: Watch the power flick off again.
Step #9: Talk about leaving the store.
Step #10: Wait for the cash registers to reboot again.
Step #11: Watch the power flick off again.
Step #12: Wait for the cash registers to reboot again.
Step #13: Talk about leaving the store.
Step #14: Watch the power flick off again.
Step #15: Wait for the cash registers to reboot again.
Step #16: Watch the power flick off again.
Step #17: Realize we've stood in line for 30 minutes and not one single person has checked out.
Step #18: Leave the store and catch a cab to another grocery store.
Step #19: Decide we're too hungry to shop. Tell the taxi driver to take us to Burger King.
Step #20: Eat hamburgers while listening to the blaring music from a birthday party in the restaurant.
Step #21: Walk to the grocery store down the street.
Step #22: Try to decifer the grocery list with all the items that were crossed off earlier tonight.
Step #23: Stand in line and pay for the groceries.
Step #24: Take a taxi home.
Step #25: Haul all the groceries upstairs and put them away. Deep sigh.

.

Our Apartment Building

2009-08-18T19:45:00.003-04:00

Our apartment complex is getting a facelift. Each of the four buildings is being painted on the outside. They're even painting the awnings. Today our apartment building hallway was painted too. Everything looks bright and clean.

Look Where You're Walking

2009-08-18T19:42:00.002-04:00

The other day we went for a walk in our neighborhood. I was busy talking to Brian when I saw a flurry of movement on the ground. A rat ran across the road about a foot in front of me. I nearly jumped in Brian's arms.

Wednesday Night Walk

2009-06-04T17:10:00.002-04:00

Last night we went for a walk so we thought we'd tell you about a few of the things that we saw along the way. About a block from our apartment we saw a man wearing exactly the same t-shirt as Brian: a t-shirt from the men's retreat he went to a few months ago. As we walked along they talked a bit about the retreat before we parted ways. As we passed a trash can near a big field, we saw four rats run out. We often see one or two. Four was a record. Later we heard some accordian music coming from a big house. There was an advertisement for an accordian player on the side of a truck along the street, and the accordian player was sitting in the living room playing a song. We saw a pizza stand along the side of the road. We saw beautiful tropical flowers and lots of palm trees. It was a good walk.

The Votes Have Been Counted

2009-05-30T17:01:00.002-04:00

We recently had a special staff banquet for everyone who works at Santiago Christian School. Near the close of every school year the staff members vote for their colleagues who they feel have exhibited outstanding dedication and service to the students and school community throughout the school year. A wide number of awards are given to a variety of people: grounds crew members, cafeteria workers, office staff, and teachers. It was hard to vote for these awards because many people are so dedicated to the school and deserving of recognition.

Amy was honored to receive the Teacher of the Year Award for specials (art, music, PE, computer, and library) this year. The plaque reads: "In special recognition for: Outstanding service to students, dedication and love for the SCS community and for being a Christian example to all of us." Amy is grateful that God has given her the opportunity to serve the staff and students at Santiago Christian School.

Encouraging Words

2009-05-30T16:47:00.002-04:00

Brian recently received a special note from one of the first graders. It said:

Dear Mr. Haket,
You are the best. I like you. You take ckar of us.
Love
(student's name) ,

Of course, this was written in first-grade fashion with lines slanting down the paper and a cute little drawing of something indiscernible at the bottom. Yes, he wrote the comma after his name rather than after the word love.

We never know the full impact we have on kids, but we pray that they will see God's love through us. It's encouraging to see a note such as this because we know Brian's care for the students is touching their lives.

Great Saying

2009-05-30T16:33:00.003-04:00

The Dominicans use an interesting expression to refer to speed bumps which we recently learned from Luis, a taxi driver we frequently use. They call a speed bump "policia acostado," which literally means "policeman lying down." We think that's a great way to refer to speed bumps. They also assign ranks to them, depending on the size. For example, a "general" (this is also a Spanish word) is a larger speed bump than a "teniente" (a lieutenant).

Diego Columbus's House

2009-05-05T20:03:00.002-04:00

We got to see Diego Columbus's house while we were in the Colonial Zone of the capital. Brian is standing outside the building in one picture. I'm sitting in a window seat thinking about the possibility of Columbus himself sitting there long ago.

Oldest Church in the New World

2009-05-05T19:48:00.002-04:00

This weekend we got to see the oldest church in the New World. It's called Catedral Primada de America. Its foundation stone was laid by Diego Columbus, Christopher's firstborn son in 1510. It was completed in 1540.

Where is Christopher Columbus buried anyway?

2009-05-05T19:34:00.003-04:00

This weekend we went to the capital to see some of the historic sites. One place we visited was the place where Christopher Columbus' remains are. You can see the black box in the photos above. It was interesting to us because when we were in Spain a few years ago, we saw Christopher Columbus' remains there too! Both countries claim to have his remains. Our tour guide this weekend assured us that the actual remains are here, and that Spain has his son's remains instead. We assume we've seen his resting place in one of the two spots!

First Graders Writing Acrostics

2009-04-28T22:20:00.002-04:00

The first graders in Brian's class are learning about acrostics. Check out what they wrote about him.

Empanadas

2009-04-20T21:46:00.006-04:00

Every once in a while we walk down to the local park and enjoy some empanadas for supper. An empanada is a wonderful deep fried treat. My friend Sara took this picture when she came to visit. On the left you can see an empanada. On the right is a quipe. Empanadas can be filled with cheese, chicken, or pizza filling. Our favorite is pizza. A quipe is also deep fried. It's made from whole wheat, cheese, and ground meat.

This is our local empanada man, Francisco. He cooks the empanadas while he talks to Brian. He's a Christian and loves to talk about his church, mission work, and things that he's learning. We sit on white plastic chairs near his stand to enjoy our delicious supper. Yumm!

A Simple Errand...Is Not So Simple After All

2009-03-30T16:43:00.005-04:00

Today after school we wanted to pick up the painting that we were getting framed. The frame shop is not too far from school, and it's right along the bus route. This was our simple plan: Brian would get a ride to the frame shop to pay for the frame. I would ride the school bus at 4:00. The bus driver would stop, Brian would hand me the framed picture, and I would take it home. Brian would then head over to the allergist. It all seemed so simple.

Brian arrived at the frame shop, but the framing wasn't done yet. He hurried the people along, all the while watching out the door for the school bus. Brian waved to me from the frame shop, the bus stopped, but Brian didn't come out to give me the frame. I'm on a bus with a bunch of tired, hot teachers who are eager to get home. So when Brian still doesn't come running out with the frame, I get off the bus, letting the driver know that he can head on his way. I figure that I'll just take a taxi home with the picture. Once I get into the frame shop, I notice that the entire shop is empty. The lady finally comes running from a back area, carrying the newly framed painting just as the bus pulls away.

We decide that it will be most cost effective for me to take a concho home instead of a taxi. A concho is a car that runs a route, somewhat like a bus route. For just 13 pesos you can get in the concho and then you just call out when you want him to stop and let you out. If you pay double the price, you can get the front passenger seat all to yourself rather than squeezing two people in the single bucket seat. I could pay double, and sit up front with the painting on my lap. However, all the conchos that pass by are full. Finally one drives up that has one passenger in the front but the whole back seat is empty. This seems promising. I can't pay double to ride alone in the front seat, but I figure it won't get too crowded in the back seat. We head off down the road and pull over in about a block to pick up two soldiers. One squeezes up front with the other passenger while the other one joins me in the back seat. This is still very workable. We start down the road again, but get hailed by two women needing a ride. The soldier slides over next to me and the two women squeeze into the tiny back seat with us. I am now holding the painting in front of me, trying not to rest it on the soldier's leg, when I realize that I can't see where we are because the painting is blocking my view. I keep peering out the left passenger window, but I don't really recognize things on that side of the road. I continue to try to balance the painting but my arms are starting to get tired. I finally give up and let the one corner of the painting drop down onto the soldier's leg. We continue to drive down the road in the hot, crowded car. As I try to peer for landmarks from behind the painting, I spot the grocery store where I want to be let off. We've zipped past it by the time I yell out, "Esta aqui!" That translates to "It's here!" Even though it wasn't exactly what I meant to say, everyone seemed to understand. The driver pulled over, the two women and the soldier climbed out of the back seat, and the soldier took the painting so that I could get out.

I'm rather hot and sweaty, but I'm relieved to be out of the concho with the painting intact. I now begin to walk home from the grocery store area. Dogs bark, people stare, and the sun beats down on me, but I finally arrive home with the painting. It seemed like such a simple errand...

How Many People Fit in a Guagua?

2009-03-22T21:37:00.006-04:00

Last Saturday we headed downtown Santiago to shop for some candles to give as gifts. When we arrived at the candle shop, it was closed up with a sign on the door. The sign was partially ripped so it was hard to decifer. It mentioned a date in July and listed three phone numbers. At first we thought that the shop was going to open up in another town during the month of July. However, Brian called one of the phone numbers and realized that the shop was already open. Here in the Dominican Republic, streets are often named after important dates in history. For example, almost every city has a street named 27 de febrero (February 27th), which is the independence day here. The date in July wasn't the date the shop was going to be opening. It was the address of the candle shop in the town of Moca. The man on the phone told Brian that we could take a "guagua" to Moca. A guagua is a large van that travels from one town to another picking up passengers along the way. For just 35 pesos each, we could ride the guagua to Moca in about 30 minutes. This van would comfortably hold about 15 people. At one point there were 27 people in our guagua. Every time someone wanted to get out of the vehicle, a bunch of people would have to pile out so that the person could exit the guagua. It was quite a trip!

Sharing Faith

2009-03-22T21:24:00.003-04:00

Brian led staff devotions recently on a Wednesday morning for the teachers. On his way out the door, the high school Bible teacher caught him and asked if he'd share his story with the senior Bible classes. On Tuesday Brian went to each of the classes and told the story of how God reached out to him during the darkest time of his life. The classes listened, asked a few questions, and later responded in their journals. We pray that God will bring his words back to them in their own times of darkness or despair.

Thursday Nights With the Girls

2009-03-12T20:53:00.004-04:00

On Thursday nights we've been going to an orphanage for girls that's right in our neighborhood. When we walk in the door, we're greeted with hugs from the littlest girls. The older girls are eager to learn English and see what we've brought to do with them. We had lots of fun teaching them clothing words today. Then we played a game to review the words. The room was filled with laughter. When we come home, I'm already starting to think about next Thursday with the girls.

Mmmm... Supper Smells Good

2009-02-21T20:49:00.002-05:00

We made chicken enchiladas tonight. While we were waiting for them to bake we went into the living room. After a while I mentioned that it sure was smelling good. When I went into the kitchen to check on it, I realized that the supper I was smelling was our neighbor's not ours. The two apartment buildings are so close that we could smell their supper cooking through our open window!

Did you Give Your Rooster a Ride Today?

2009-02-21T20:41:00.002-05:00

Today we were walking down a road when a motorbike passed us. Two men were riding on it, and the one in the back was holding a rooster. As they rode by, the rooster began to crow. It certainly let everyone know they were coming down the road!

Girls of God

2009-02-19T21:06:00.002-05:00

There is an orphanage near our apartment. It's less than a 10 minute walk from where we live. We saw it one night when we were going for a walk. The name on the building is "Hogar de Ninas de Dios" which means Home of the Girls of God. We stopped by there one night to ask if we could volunteer in some way. The director suggested that we spend time teaching the girls English. There are about fifteen girls living there. Two of them are little and the others are middle school or high school age.

Tonight was our first official visit. We brought along some picture books from our school library as well as a game. We listened to them read, talked with them, and played games. We were going to be there for an hour but ended up staying for two! We can hardly wait to go again.

Valentines Day

2009-02-15T16:34:00.004-05:00

Candy, cookies, and chocolate were enjoyed by all. This holiday celebrates love, and we pray that our students see God's love this school year.

Pied Piper, Where are You?

2009-02-13T19:16:00.003-05:00

The other day when we were going on a walk after school, we noticed a totally flattened rat in the middle of the road. This was not my favorite sight along the way. Then to make matters worse, we saw a small rat run across the road and into a field when we were on our way back home. When Brian was trying to show me where the rat was in the field, he spotted a giant rat. Three rats in one day... we need a pied piper!

Buying Allergy Meds

2009-02-07T10:36:00.002-05:00

On Tuesday we went into the tiny drug store near our grocery store so that Brian could buy some Zyrtec-D. You don't need to buy a whole box here. You tell them how many pills you want, and they'll add up the cost for you. Then they take a scrap of paper, fold the paper around the pills, put on a piece of tape to seal up the tiny package, and send you on your way. This time she had only one pill. Brian paid 43 pesos. She wrapped up the pill, taped it shut, and we headed home.

Last night he called a different pharmacy. He ordered ten Zyrtec-D. After about twenty minutes we heard a motorbike heading down our road. It was the pharmacy delivery man. He came right up the steps to our door and delivered the pills through our gate. Now, that's service.

Being Transformed

2009-02-04T18:20:00.004-05:00

Over the weekend Amy went to a women's retreat in Jarabacoa. It's in the mountains about 45 minutes from Santiago. The retreat center was beautiful.

This area of the retreat center was where we slept at night. Two people shared each tiny room.

Saturday afternoon was free time, and I opted to go on an excursion to a waterfall. It was very pretty.

At the retreat there were over one hundred women. We met as a whole group in the chapel several different times. The theme of the retreat was "Becoming Transformed." We also had times when we met with our small groups. You can see my small group in the above picture. There were also time periods when we would meditate and reflect on our own. It was a good time of learning and growing for me.

Need a Prescription?

2009-01-15T19:21:00.003-05:00

Brian's been having trouble with his allergies so he went to see an allergist one day after school. The school nurse gave him a ride to the hospital, the allergist was able to see him, some tests were set up, and the doctor wrote two prescriptions on a piece of paper.

The next day Brian and I set out on a walk to get the prescriptions filled. The first pharmacy we walked to only had one of the prescriptions. This was a problem because both prescriptions needed to be filled at the same time to get them covered by insurance. We headed out the door and walked about a mile to the next pharmacy. They also had only one of the drugs, but said that they could call and have the other one delivered to the store in about 10-15 minutes. This was great news... until we found out that this pharmacy doesn't take our insurance. It was too late to walk to another pharmacy so the prescriptions wait for another day.

Another example of how everything takes longer here...

Very Close Neighbors

2008-12-18T20:02:00.002-05:00

Our apartment building is very close to the apartment building next door. As a matter of fact, it sometimes seems like our neighbors are right in our apartment when they talk. Tonight I was standing in the kitchen when I sneezed. The neighbor girls in the next building called out, "salud," which is like the Spanish way of saying "bless you." Talk about close neighbors!

School Christmas Program

2008-12-13T14:11:00.005-05:00

Here are a few of the first grade boys waiting for the Christmas program to start.

Excited about the program and about Christmas.

Each class did a song or two for the Christmas program. These are the fourth grade students doing the song "Mary Did You Know." It was beautiful.

It was different to be outside for a Christmas program. We wearing bug spray and short-sleeved shirts.

Mission Retreat

2008-12-13T12:11:00.002-05:00

Last weekend we went to a Christian Reformed Mission retreat. It was a wonderful time of fellowship. We spent a lot of time worshipping God together and even celebrated the Lord's Supper together on Sunday.

It was wonderful to worship in English again, and it was so good to meet the missionaries. The retreat was led by a Christian Reformed pastor from Lansing, Michigan, and a few members of his church were able to come with him to spend the worship times with us. It was good to meet together in God's name.

Christmas Cookies

2008-12-10T19:50:00.003-05:00

We had a great time baking, decorating and eating Christmas cookies tonight! What fun.

Carols and Car Alarms

2008-12-02T19:11:00.003-05:00

We've heard that there's snow back home. Despite seeing holiday decorations in stores and in our neighborhood, it just doesn't feel like Christmas without cold weather, snow and hot chocolate. Tonight we turned on the Christmas music and decorated our cute little tree. Soon "Silent Night" was drowned out by our neighbor's car alarm. Thankfully we are now experiencing Peace on Earth and in our neighborhood.

Amy got the tree, lights, ornaments, and nutcracker from Brian's sister's family as a birthday present. Even though most days are sunny with warm temperatures and there's no chance of snow, we're feeling festive and look forward to seeing friends and family in just a few short weeks.

Pilgrim and Native American Feast at School

2008-11-26T15:53:00.005-05:00

Today the kindergarten, first, and second grade students wore Native American or Pilgrim costumes to school to celebrate a Thanksgiving feast together.

Here you can see Brian with some of the first grade Pilgrims.

More first grade Pilgrims with one of the second grade teachers.

Local Wildlife

2008-11-25T20:00:00.002-05:00

Tonight we went for a walk before supper. As we were passing a grassy field, I stopped because I heard some rustling. We saw some plants moving and could see an outline of a furry critter scurrying along. Finally he emerged out of the tall grass, and we could see he was a rat. Eewww.

Fireworks Display

2008-11-20T20:47:00.004-05:00

Tonight we heard several loud bangs outside our apartment window. I snuck out onto our little balcony to see what was going on. There was a fabulous display of fireworks that we enjoyed from our balcony. No need to fight the post-fireworks traffic jam when you watch the fireworks from the comfort of your own home.

More About Our Beach Weekend

2008-11-16T05:44:00.015-05:00

Here I am eating my birthday mousse dessert. They turned off the lights in the outdoor restaurant when they brought it to me with candles on top.

This is a view of that outdoor restaurant.

The sign for the restaurant.

I went snorkeling for the very first time! I loved seeing the pretty fish, the strange coral formations and all the underwater sights, but I did get a big panicky about breathing sometimes.

This is our pool and the thatched roof of the breakfast area.

This is a view of our room in the Secret Garden.

We enjoyed swimming in the pool.

This little porch was just outside our door.

This was our room. There were fresh leaves and a beautiful flower from the garden on the bed when we arrived.

Birthday Breakfast!

2008-11-11T20:05:00.003-05:00

Since November 10 is a holiday in the Dominican Republic, I was able to have a very special birthday weekend. We stayed at a beautiful little bed and breakfast along the north coast. When we came out for breakfast that morning, I saw a table strewn with beautiful little flowers. My tropical fruit plate was decorated with gorgeous flowers too. We enjoyed a delicious breakfast of eggs, bread with chinola jelly, and the best french toast I've ever tasted!

Even my chair was decorated for the occasion. Here you can see a side view of the beautiful palm branch and flowers that brightened my morning.

This is a front view of the beautifully decorated chair. Such royal treatment!

Another Saturday Walk

2008-11-02T11:08:00.002-05:00

We went for another walk again this weekend. As we were roaming through the neighborhood, the missionary family that lives near us called to us and asked us to join them as they finished eating lunch outside. We enjoyed our visit. Here you can see Amy with their daughter and dog, Buddy.

Here is one of the gorgeous houses that's near our apartment building. We always wonder what it looks like inside.

We even found a small field of corn growing a few blocks away. We thought it looked interesting with the nearby palm trees.

It's warm and sunny here. We're planning a trip to the beach next weekend. We're really looking forward to that!

Saturday Afternoon Walk

2008-10-25T17:18:00.002-04:00

This afternoon we went for a walk through our neighborhood. We thought you might like to see a few of the things we passed along the way. Across the street from our apartment building we spotted these beautiful flowers. I guess we'll enjoy a beautiful pink color this fall.

This house is just across the street from our apartment. We enjoy looking out over their pretty house and plants as we eat breakfast on our balcony each morning.

There is a plant nursery about two blocks from our apartment. We've purchased several plants for our balcony there.

We often see this horse grazing in this little corner field about three blocks from our house.

Sighting of the First Tree

2008-10-18T19:45:00.002-04:00

When we were walking through our neighborhood this afternoon, we noticed one house where the family had already put up their Christmas tree.

Have You Decorated Yet?

2008-10-14T19:41:00.002-04:00

Our neighbors decorated their door with a Christmas wreath this week. We noticed Christmas decorations, candy canes, and lights for sale back in September. The other day we saw three snowmen cut-outs in a yard full of palm trees, flowers, and lush vegetation as we were walking home from church. Seems a bit early to decorate to us!

Time to Pay our Bills

2008-10-09T18:05:00.002-04:00

We needed to pay our bills today. We were walking up to the grocery store to pick up a few things, so we took the bills with us. We went into the little pharmacy next to the grocery store. At this pharmacy you can buy medications, get phone cards, and pay bills. We paid our electric and our water bill there today.

Avocado Man

2008-09-28T21:38:00.005-04:00

This Haitian man walks through our neighborhood every Saturday and Sunday selling avocados which he carries in a big bowl on top of his head. If we call out to him, he'll come to our door. Brian helps him take the bowl down from his head so that we can choose our avocado. After haggling a bit over the price, we pay him, and Brian helps him lift the bowl back up so that he can continue down the road.

We Bought a Tree

2008-09-27T13:09:00.004-04:00

This morning we bought a small indoor tree for the corner in our bedroom. It cost us about eight dollars for the tree, the stones she put over the dirt, and the use of her wheelbarrow to bring it home. It makes our apartment feel a bit more like a home.

Santiago Christian School

2008-09-24T14:34:00.004-04:00

This is a picture of our cafeteria.

Here is a picture of our school sign.

Art and music classes are inside this building. Gym classes meet in the open air gym on the right side of the picture.

This is called a "ranchito." Students like to sit here to talk, study, or eat lunch.

Another open air gym.

This is the preschool play area.

The Library

2008-09-21T20:46:00.007-04:00

This is where Amy spends her days at school. The library has two "wings" all in one room. The top picture shows the middle school/high school part of the library. The next picture shows the elementary section. Two of my favorite things in that area are the red elephant bookcase and the Cat in the Hat which was painted on the wall by a high school art class.

The library also has about twenty computers that can be used to search the internet or locate books in our library. High school students also use them to type papers or print off work that they've completed at home.

Saturday Night Sightseeing

2008-09-17T19:42:00.010-04:00

On Saturday evening we went with James and Carol Dale to do a little sightseeing. We headed downtown in a cab to see "the monument." This momument was originally built by the dictator Trujillo in honor of himself. After he was assasinated, the monument was dedicated to the heroes of a war. The figure on top is the Betsy Ross of the Dominican Republic.

We walked all around the monument, and even stopped to check out some baseball sculptures nearby.

Then we ended our evening at a wild west restaurant complete with waiters in cowboy hats, holsters, and plastic pistols. The restaurant specialized in a variety of grilled meats, but strangely enough, they also served sushi.

How Did He Do That?

2008-09-14T17:36:00.003-04:00

Today we went to a church near our home that has English translation for the sermon. Right before the service started, a man handed me the headset that would allow me to listen to the sermon. After all the initial singing and prayers, I turned on the headset and put it over my ears. The young man who was translating the sermon listened to the sermon and translated it into Spanish as it went along. His words flowed so well, and it was so easy to listen to. As he was speaking in English for my benefit, he had to be listening in Spanish to figure out the next part of the sermon. I have no idea how he could do it. He only slipped up one time, and he said into the headset that he was sorry but he lost his train of thought. I'm so grateful he was there, and that he was willing to translate today.

Pizza Delivery

2008-09-12T20:14:00.006-04:00

Tonight after school we walked to the grocery store. We took a taxi home with all of our bags of groceries. By then we were very tired, hungry and hot. We decided to order pizza. A teacher had filled us in about the local pizza places so we decided to call Pizzarelli. Brian called and asked about some pizza toppings, ordered a medium pizza to be delivered, and gave them our address. The pizza was scheduled to arrive in about 35 minutes.

We were busy putting groceries away when the phone rang about 10 minutes later. It was a survey to see if we were happy with our pizza ordering experience. The woman asked if we were satisfied with our treatment when we called in the order. Then she wanted to know if the pizza had arrived within the scheduled time. Brian explained that we had just ordered a few minutes earlier.

I'm including a picture of our pizza delivery man. He delivers the pizzas on the back of a motorbike. It was hot and delicious. If the pizza survey woman happens to call again, we'll be able to tell her it was a wonderful experience!

Come in for a Visit

2008-09-07T21:40:00.009-04:00

Brian is working on his lesson plans in his "study."

We usually eat breakfast out on our balcony.

The couch in our living room is loaned to us until we get our own.

Our tiny bathroom

Our kitchen has a brand new gas stove.

We just got this table and chairs, and it was delivered by a taxi.
The table was upside down on the roof of the taxi with its legs
pointing up to the sky.

We have a great ceiling fan in our bedroom to keep us cool at night.

Our Apartment Building and Views from the Roof

2008-08-30T19:37:00.008-04:00

The first few pictures were taken from the roof of our building so that you can see the mountains outside Santiago and so that you can see what part of our city looks like. Then there are a few pictures of our apartment building. We live on the second floor on the right hand side with the pretty orange awning. We have a wonderful little balcony where we sit to eat our breakfast and supper since we don't have a kitchen table yet.

Cabarete Beach Trip

2008-08-30T18:39:00.010-04:00

The first weekend we were here we went on a staff retreat to the beach at Cabarete. We spent the afternoon swimming or relaxing and then ate supper at a restaurant right on the sandy beach. Then in the evening we sang songs together and prayed. It was a good time of worship together. Here are some pictures of the beach scenes. You can also see a few pictures of us loaded into an open-sided Dominican bus to ride to church that Sunday morning.

A Trio of Sundays

2008-08-30T06:41:00.002-04:00

The first Sunday we were here we went to a Spanish-speaking church. Rene, a Dominican worker from our school, and his wife picked us up at about 4:30 in the afternoon. The service began with some lively singing. Then people formed small groups with the people near them to have a time of prayer. After that was the sermon. Amy followed along by reading the passages in English and trying to pick out some words. Brian understood most of the sermon. Rene and his wife took us out to eat in a grocery store. It was kind of like a deli counter but there were tables nearby and a waiter would come to take your order. We had friend chicken and some rice.

The next weekend we were up at a beach town for a staff retreat. On Saturday night we spent a long time singing songs together as a staff in both English and Spanish. Then on Sunday we went to an English-speaking church in the next town. We got there in a "Dominican" bus with open sides and long benches inside. The building had a roof but the sides were open, almost like a picnic shelter. A nice breeze blew through during the service. Two tiny dogs attended the service too, up in the front row. After the service we rode in the bus to a tiny Dominican restaurant where we had chicken and rice and beans. It was delicious.

Last weekend we went to a Pentacostal-type church with Noemi who teaches at our school. The time of singing and prayer began at 10:15. The songs were very lively and fun. At about 11:15 the sermon began. The service ended at about 12:45. When we thanked Noemi for picking us up and driving us to church she said that she was blessed by serving. She is wonderfully kind and has offered to drive us wherever we need to go.

Spend an Evening with Us

2008-08-27T20:04:00.002-04:00

What's a typical evening like for us? We come home from school on a bus that goes on a route dropping all the teachers at their apartments. We can take the 4:00 bus home or the 4:45 one. Since we're one of the first ones dropped off, we're home in about 15 minutes.

Once we get home we can begin making supper. First we need to prepare the fruits and vegetables. We take a big bowl and fill it with tap water. Then we add a half of a capful of bleach to the water. We soak the veggies and fruits in this water for about 15 minutes. Then we rinse them with pure water.

After supper we heat up some water on the stove for washing dishes since we don't have hot running water in the kitchen. Tonight I did the dishes while Brian worked on gluing screen material over the second window in our bedroom. It looks great and helps keep out the mosquitoes.

Then I usually call the neighbors to see if I can use their internet. Ours isn't hooked up yet at home, and I'm eager to spend a little time on the computer. James and Carol are very willing to let me come and use theirs for a while each night.

At about 8:00 I turn on the hotwater heater near the bathroom by flipping a switch on the wall. After about 15 minutes it's all ready for a perfect shower. I take a quick shower in the evening because it's been a sweaty day but I also like to wash my hair at night now. I just can't think of using a blowdryer in the morning. It's just too hot here.

Brian works on lesson plans in our "study" but he moves the fan nearby to get some circulation going. He often creates things on the computer and then prints them off when we get to school.

When it's time for bed we both put in our earplugs so that we won't hear the dogs, roosters, and music during the night. Lately our closest rooster hasn't been crowing. Has he been eaten? Or did he meet an untimely death in a cockfight? We don't know... but we don't miss him!

Call to Order Your Groceries

2008-08-26T19:53:00.002-04:00

Last night we needed to get a 5-gallon jug of water delivered to our apartment. Brian called the local market to order it. You can also have basic groceries delivered like flour, pineapples, mango, sugar, or pop. It's delivered on a small motorbike by a young man. He carries it right up to the apartment door.

Last night Brian starting putting up screen material over our windows. On Saturday we had purchased all the supplies to do this. It looks great and soon the bugs will have a hard time getting us.

The Sounds Surrounding Us

2008-08-24T20:00:00.004-04:00

We're in our own apartment, and we're getting settled. We're getting used to the sounds of our new neighborhood. A ringing bell coming down the street means that a local ice-cream man is coming on his bicycle selling yummy treats. A man's voice calling out over and over as he walks is often selling avocados that he carries in a large plastic bowl on top of his head. A rooster behind our apartment building crows from about 4:00 am until about 6:00 am. That's when we're glad for our ear-plugs!

We've Arrived in the DR

2008-08-10T09:55:00.002-04:00

On Friday night we arrived safely in the DR. However, our four suitcases didn't make it! We were picked up by missionaries, teachers, and some staff members from the school. Most teachers are staying in their apartments, but our water isn't hooked up yet so we're living in our neighbor's guest room. Our neighbors, Bob and Janna Scott, have been lifesavers to us. Last night Janna fixed a delicious meal of cashew chicken for our supper. Their guest room has a comfortable bed, and we can shower in the attached bathroom.

Saturday we went shopping with all the new teachers. Dominican staff members came along to help us locate things. We bought lots of supplies for our apartment like buckets, a mop, a broom, a dish drainer, silverware, trash cans, a giant garbage can to store water in just in case the water to our area of town is off, and some basic groceries.

Today we're going to church with Rene who is a Dominican staff member at our school. His family will take us to church and then have us over for supper after the service. We're looking forward to that.

Apartment: The Sequel

2008-07-30T17:20:00.002-04:00

We found out that our apartment in the DR has been switched. We're now in a two-bedroom apartment on the second floor of a building. Our apartment has nice big windows to let the breeze flow through! Another teacher from our school lives on the third floor.

There is Music in the Air

2008-07-30T12:49:00.002-04:00

Brian had his first violin lesson! Hikari was willing to teach him some things when we visited with her and Jim in Kalamazoo last week. Brian learned how to hold the violin and the bow. He even played along with Hikari after he learned some notes and finger positions. We won't be taking the violin along to the DR, so Brian will have to wait quite a while to get his next lesson.

Internet Craziness

2008-07-28T08:52:00.002-04:00

We're sitting in Panera with our laptops trying to catch up on e-mailing and other things. Our internet service provider mistakenly cut off our internet service two weeks early, and then forgot to put in the order to get us reconnected after we called. Now we're in a very frustrated holding pattern.

We leave Grand Rapids on Saturday so we've been very busy finishing up details at home. We're getting very eager to get to the DR to see our school and our apartment!

Time is Flying By

2008-07-13T09:00:00.003-04:00

On Tuesday we mailed two boxes of our things to the Dominican Republic. Then on Wednesday we started our orientation sessions with Christian Reformed World Missions. We're covering a lot of great topics: Staying Healthy, Cultural Transition, Practical Help for Powerpoint Presentations, Personal Security and much more. We're learning a lot!

Packing Boxes

2008-07-05T21:40:00.001-04:00

Today we packed our first box to mail to the Dominican Republic. We hope to send off two boxes by Tuesday.

Dominican Republic, Here We Come

2008-07-01T19:08:00.003-04:00

Our tickets to Santiago have been purchased! We're flying on Friday, August 8, from Indianapolis to Chicago, then to Miami, and finally to Santiago. Pray for safety. Also pray that our luggage will arrive in Santiago when we do.

Prairie City Wedding

2008-07-01T15:20:00.000-04:00

Last Thursday we headed out to Iowa. We had a great visit with the VanKootens and the Harms in Pella. We even had a tour of the town on Friday morning. Then we headed out to the farm to see where Brenda would be living after the wedding. On Saturday we attended the wedding and the reception. It was a great couple of days!

Twelve Miles for a Bear Hug

2008-06-30T22:20:00.001-04:00

Tonight we rode on the new bike path all the way to Byron Center. There are some hills to conquer but the treat at the local ice-cream shop kept me going. Bear Hug ice-cream is wonderful: chocolate ice-cream, caramel swirls and chocolate-covered cashews. Now you know why I kept pedaling!

A Shot in the Arm (or two or three)

2008-06-18T22:38:00.000-04:00

We spent part of the afternoon figuring out what immunizations we need to get before our departure. We'll get our first vaccinations for hepatitis A and hepatitis B next week Tuesday. More shots and pills to follow...

Our Apartment

2008-06-18T06:54:00.000-04:00

They found an apartment for us in the Dominican Republic. It has three bedrooms, a living room, two bathrooms, a small kitchen and a tiny balcony. The apartment is on the third floor of the building. It's across the street from a missionary family that sends their daughter to our school. It's also near a grocery store and a gym. We were glad to hear that it gets a good breeze!

Wedding

2008-06-10T20:12:00.002-04:00

We had a great weekend in Chicago attending Andrea and Dustin's wedding. The ceremony was at Fourth Presbyterian Church and the reception was at the W hotel.

The Beginning of our Journey

2008-05-27T21:04:00.000-04:00

About two weeks ago we accepted positions at Santiago Christian School in the Dominican Republic. We're excited about the adventures that are before us.