He’s Pretty Awesome, This God We Serve

Have you ever stopped to look at your life only to realize how overwhelmingly happy you are?  I have been doing that a lot lately.  I am so very happy to be in ASL.  I am so happy to be in my new apartment, rooming with Dana.  I am happy for the association I have and that I can keep in touch with friends from back home often.  I am happy to be here in the Dominican Republic, enjoying the most rewarding service days I have ever had.  And it is all thanks to the wonderful God we serve.  He is so patient, so loving and generous.  It is enough to make you  feel embarrassingly undeserving.  But we are.  He knows that.  Yet, still our lives can be overflowing with his blessings.

Let me try out my Spanish! ok:

Me gusta mucho la estudia de la Atalya de la semana pasada.  El texto en Salmo 119:165 es muy bonito: “Paz abundante pertenece a los que aman tu ley, y no hay para ellos tropiezo.”

Not sure how accurate that is, and I am much too lazy to check!  So anyways, we can fall many times, but if we love Jehovah and honestly try to give him our best He will make sure we get back up.  All he wants is our best, and really that is the least we can give.  Sign Language can be truly beautiful.  The sign for ‘support’ is a fist coming up under the other, like reinforcement. And that is what Jehovah does for us; His support is lifting and powerful.  Sometimes words just can’t express, and Sign Language is just so…so…filled with emotion.  Beautiful.

The Watchtower study for this week was just as beautiful.  Jehovah will give to us a heart to know him.  How often I have just wished that Jehovah would take my heart and fashion it in a way pleasing to him.  Just take out any inclination or desire that could separate me from him and be done with it!  Well, unfortunately it doesn’t work quite like that.  But he can give us a heart knowing him.  Then all we must do is be receptive to him and his principles.  I’ll take it! But I am still looking forward to the day when we will not have to constantly battle a treacherous heart.

Well Sunday was my first night out at the movies in the Dominican Republic!  It was the 3rd attempt at seeing this movie, but we made it and it was fun.  When I first started this post we were planning the second attempt, however it was raining pretty bad so it got cancelled.  But I wasn’t too bummed because I got to spend time with Gabby, Dana’s Bible student instead.  She came back with us after meeting and we had lunch together.  For a couple hours she just sat there looking though all of my photos (and I have hundreds!) and telling me stories.  I was amazed at how much Sign I know, but how much I need to learn at the same time!  She keeps me on my toes! If I nod like I understand she checks to make sure!  And if I don’t, well then I’m trouble.

Today I snuck over to the English because Jeremy was giving the talk.  He did very well and it was nice to be able to see everyone.  I think what I miss most not being in English is not being able to sing to Jehovah in my own language.  I’m not very good at signing the songs, but that is a small sacrifice I am happy to make.  Besides, we have the English convention coming up next weekend, so I can get all of the English spiritual food I want!  I am very excited.

Well I’m signing off, but before I go, here are some videos of Clara Luz for her study.  This is what it takes to prepare a comment for her.  Hope you enjoy!

 

The Slow Chug of an Old Engine…

7 am walking along the beach.

Wow, April is almost over! It seems like it has gone by so slow, yet so fast at the same time.  I had some spare time today and that got me to thinking about life and stuff.  Many of you know that in order for me to function, I have to continually be out-smarting myself.  But really I think it is a pretty common tactic among us humans.  For example, how many of you set your clock at least a few minutes fast?  This is so, even though you know the time is incorrect, for some reason it will motivate you to hurry up.  I do little things like this all the time.  Another one is to set dates for certain goals.  When I first moved to the DR, I set a goal of almost a year and that would be in the Spanish Congregation.  My mind was made up and my return ticket was purchased and that was set.  A few months in, I realized that I wanted more than a year.  So I set the new goal of returning after a short trip home and I gave myself the remainder of April to get prepared for whatever lay ahead.  And so now, Starting May, I have my new goal of at least a year in Sign Language.  The thing is, even though I gave my self the remainder of April to get prepared and moved and whatever else needs to be sorted out, I am so anxious to be doing 110% now!  ARRGGG! I need to work on patience.

I think part of this anxiousness is also due to my 4 day vacation at Lifestyles in Puerto Plata! I mean who takes a vacation 5 days after a vacation??  But it was planned ages ago and so I was forced to sit in a beautiful resort and to live like a queen for three days….But seriously, the  beaches were beautiful, the food was amazing and never ending, the drinks were included and also there was plenty to do or not do.  But the company is what made it worth it.  There were so, so many witnesses there! In our group we had The Bells, Teresa, Britney, Marty, Aaron, Graham and his two friends, Sally, Adrean and Mario, and their two friends from Virginia Jeremy and Anthony.  Then we also ran into the Strongs, the Barons, a recently graduated couple from Gilead and on their way to Haiti, as well as many, many others.  It’s hilarious how we made sure to carry along at least a watchtower with us to attract any Witnesses.

We Jehovah’s Witnesses pull some funny moves to see if someone else is a Witness! One was, “Umm, excuse me, what Bible translation is that?” Or maybe we see a possible Witness and we start to say certain words really loud to see if we get a reaction.  Words like, “convention”, and “meeting” and “kingdom ministry”, etc.  That was actually how we met the Gilead couple.  Marty, Aaron and I were having dinner at one of the many restaurants and we saw them sitting at the table across from us.  So we start talking, very loudly, about the upcoming English Convention and how we were looking forward to it.  But maybe the restaurant was too loud.  So then Marty pulls out her Jeremiah book she just happened to have in her bag.  Along with her Bible, and her Study Watchtower and puts them on the table.  Eventually the brother looks up and catches Marty’s (probably very creepy) stare and then his eyes move the the library she has displayed on our table.  It was pretty hilarious.

Sally and Mario lookin fly!

 

 

After breakfast we heading to the beach beds and did the Bible reading!

 

 

Fun in the sun

 

 

This kid was teaching me to boogie board…I failed miserably.

 

 

Two brothers from Virginia visiting. Anthony on the Left and Jeremy on the right. Along with Marty these guys are the Spade champs!

 

But the resort was well worth the incredibly cheap price.  It was a little frustrating that I showed up at the resort and realized that I needed my passport, which was conveniently left in my room back in Santiago.  Without it they would have charged me $40 extra per night! So I had to go all the way back and get it.

On my way back to the resort after picking up my passport. I saw a tiny glimpse of what I like to call “Jehovah Rays”!

So now I am wrapping up April and all the slacking off and I am so ready to start May of with a BANG!  The Sign Language congregation is wonderful and I am so happy to be apart of it.  Today I went out with Nikki, a sister originally from Florida, but she has been here many years.  And a Dominican sister named Judith.  It was a great morning, we did some street witnessing and also one of Nikki’s Bible students.

Well that is all I have for now, but I hope you enjoy the pictures! WHOOP!

Teresa and Britney

 

 

The view from my beach bed

 

 

Glorious morning walk

Mowgli Returns

Ok, I have a new appreciation for Mowgli. As soon as I arrived in the airport I felt so out of place in its unending hallways surrounded by concrete and metal and man-made things. It’s the most surreal experience I have ever had and I felt constantly overwhelmed with the abundance that is America. When my mom showed up with my lil Ronna I felt like a wild animal taking its first step into civilization. Now I know that is a little extreme, but the contrast between the DR and the US is remarkable. And being away for so long had definitely altered my perception of “home.”

I was happy to see my friends and family and it was comforting to see some familiar sights, but what surprised me was my lack of desire to stay. My journey in the Dominican Republic constantly surprises me and demands my love for its foreign ways, but I was a little scared that my trip home would make my return a struggle. I was relieved to find that although I love my old congregation and I miss them dearly, I was desperate to return to my strange little island.

Every one back home was so supportive and it warmed my heart to see the pride in their eyes, even though it felt undeserved. My parents have been a brick and I feel overwhelmed with their love and support. I hope they can come visit me next year and see the wonder that is the DR.

After I left California I stayed for a couple days in New York. I was planning to do a whole bethel/ New York trip with my friend Dawn Rae, but decided to postpone it until October. However I wanted to meet up with a few friends from there that I had met in the DR. One of the sisters staying in my studio while I was away offered for me to stay with her mom, Rosa, in Woodhaven, Queens. She is so sweet! And they have an amazing dog named Mia who is now my most favorite dog in the world!

I arrived late Wednesday in JFK. When I went to claim my baggage it was no where to be found! I asked someone who worked there and he said they took all the San Francisco luggage and put it in a room. It was so lovely and sunny out that I wanted to go get dinner and walk around, so I asked if I could just leave it there for a few hours and the guy was like, “sure”! Sweet! No charge too!

So I got to look around, walked the Brooklyn bridge, saw the Bethel (I wasn’t prepared for how excited that made me!) visited both museums, walked Central Park, traveled up Long Island, etc. I was very much in love with New York, it has always had a place deep in my heart. But it was time to go home.

I am now rooming with Dana, I moved everything the day I flew in! I am very happy with how it’s all working out. I went out in service today for the first time since I’ve been back and it is such a breath of fresh air. This is what I want to do for a very long time! Now that I am back I will do my best to post regularly. I appreciate all the comments and emails, sorry it took me so long to respond!

View of the Brooklyn Bridge

 

Walking around Brooklyn

 

Brooklyn Bethel! Stopped my heart!

 

 

When the heavens decided to open up and dump on me. Thunder storms in NY, what an experience!

 

My first train ride from Queens to Port Jefferson!

 

Best dog in the world! (sorry Max….)

 

Buildings!

 

 

Long Island Rail Road

 

The Met was AMAZING!

 

 

Truly amazing

 

 

Just outside Brooklyn Botanical Gardens

 

 

Lovely day, but FREEZING!

 

 

This painting of Joan of Arc took my breath away…the clarity..wow

 

DINOSAURS!!!! (yallz know how much I love Dinos)

 

 

Central Park stole my heart….

 

 

 

Emi and Catherine at our Rooftop Party

 

 

My knew apartment!

 

 

Crazy Joseph

 

 

……Reflections……

Sometimes I look at my life and I just can’t believe where I am and how I got here.  For those of you who know me, it is no secret that I tend to be a ‘glass half empty’ type of gal.  I loved to read the year book and dream of being in an exciting land trekking through rivers and villages to preach, having that one experience where  the person you walked 100 miles to meet tells you they have been praying for the truth.  However when it came down to it, it turned out that my fear would not allow me to even work toward such a goal.  To be honest, I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for all the support from my parents and congregation and a dear friend of mine with her zealous, energizer-bunny, optimistic personality.  She motivated me to make this goal and gave me the confidence that if I had the right motives and had a little faith, Jehovah would help me reach it.  And he has, every step of the way.  I am so thankful to my parents for sticking with me and helping me stick with my goal.

It is so funny how we say “Trust in Jehovah” so easily and just as easily forget to do it.  There is always a point where we feel it is time to take the control back, as if we gave Jehovah the chance to take care of us but he didn’t come through.  There have been so many times since the beginning of this whole adventure where this is exactly what I did.  However, with good council from trusted friends I would again ‘throw my burden on Jehovah’ and then watch in amazement how everything got worked out.

Case and point: Finding a roommate.  The beginning of this year I started to think of looking for a bigger place and maybe a roommate once the lease expired at my studio.  I have found it a bit of a struggle not being able to invite people over to my place because it is just so awkward to invite people to hang out in what is essentially my bedroom…I know people say it is no big deal, but I just feel way to uncomfortable, not to mention that I have only one chair and very few dishes.  So I thought it would be good to actually have a front room.  I started to ask if anyone was looking for a roommate and scouting out all the apartments.  But nothing was coming through, and I started to get a little stressed and discouraged.

Last week I happened to be on the English side of town and I decided to call every rent sign and find my new place that day.  I was praying the whole walk around town, saying that if I get a good deal that feels right on the English side I would move to the English congregation and wait to joint the sign.  (I had a small overwhelming meltdown where I thought there was no way I could join the ASL)  Well after 2 1/2 hours of walking around town I had nothing.  And I took that to mean that I was just supposed to renew my lease at the studio and stay there for another year.  I was a little unhappy with that outcome, but I decided I couldn’t wait for Jehovah any longer, it was time to make a decision.

Monica and my new roomie, Dana

Of course I still kept it in my prayers, and a few days later I received an email from Dana, a sister from the ASL (she is the one who would accompany me to Clara Luz when I was commissioned to go by Big T) She mentioned that she was without a roommate and asked if I was still interested…..WAS I??? I went out in service with her this morning (Yay first day of track work!) and then she showed me the apartment.  It is a little far off from town, but that complex is beautiful and very safe, and it just felt right!  We get on great together and we will both be in the ASL so that’s a plus! It just goes to show we are expected to make ourselves available, put forth our best effort, but then we need to wait on Jehovah and he will always come through!

7 days to go!  I am so excited!  Today there are two sisters from NY coming to serve here for a year and they will be renting out my studio while I am in the states.   So I will stay at the Bells for next week and then CALI HERE I COME!  Alright, so this means for all of you out there interested in serving here there are many places to stay.  My studio will be open.  $150.00 includes a fully furnished studio, water, electricity, and even cable! The 2 bedroom next door to me will be open soon too.  It’s not furnished but it is a decent size. It is just under $300.00 including utilities.  My landlady also just built another studio downstairs, fully furnished, for about $175.00 .  And don’t forget if you are interested in staying just for a short time that both Marty and The Bells offer a Bed & Bath for $10 per person per night.

Well life is going pretty good right now, I must say.  I thank Jehovah for all these blessings and I am truly in debt to all who have made my adventure as wonderful as it is.  So, without further delay, on with the pictures!

Awww!! English Congregation, you guys are all so cool!
(left to right: Jessica, Hanna, Rachel, Sarah, Madison with her dad behind, Janet, Amber, Brandon, Adela, Alexis and Esmirna)

Alexis and Janet wanted to stop by the Orphanage before they went back to California to say good bye to the kids they grew attached to.  It was a little sad to see them say good bye, they are such good kids.

Watching the videos for kids in Spanish on Jw.org

Yanira looking beautiful

Yes, super adorable…..but all trouble.

 

This came out strange…anyways
(Left to right: Esmalin, Me, Alexis, Yordaliza, Janet, Yizel, Yanira and Esteban.)

Picture Time!

Hello all! 3 weeks to go! I am actually getting really excited to go back to Cali, I can’t believe how fast this month is going by!  Well here are some pictures to keep y’alls interested.  Enjoy!

Special day English

Surprise shot at the English Congregation Gathering

Crazy Faces (Me, Catherine and Esmirna)

Arrived at the study tonight and we were waiting for Teresa….had fun with the camera…

Oh dear…someone gave me a baby…Don’t they know that isn’t a good idea…

Yep…ok there’s why….

Jorge knows it is best to be afraid of me…

Me and Nichole and Leah’s head

sisters

Sunset from the roof

I Am Too Legit To Quit!!

So this is how it feels to be a resident of the Dominican Republic.  Before I was un-legit.  I just had a piece of paper I carried around that said my paper work to become a legal resident was in order.  But now, now I have not one but TWO identification cards with my face on them!  How legit is that?

If you recall I had started my residency process within a few days of arriving in the country.  I just received the email stating my residency was ready about 2 weeks ago.  My appointment was for today at 10:30 a.m. in the capital.  That means the 7:00 a.m. bus from Cariribe Tours in Santiago.  Everything was going smoothly until I was about 2 minutes from the station in Santo Domingo and I looked in my purse only to find my passport was no where to be found…That was the one document I was required to bring and where was it?  Not with me, nope.  It was laying on my bed all the way back in Santiago.  I was starting to seriously panic.  When I called the Holt and Abreu Lawyers office they said it was required, but that they would see what they could do.  I was pretty convinced that I had just taken a 3 hour bus ride for kicks and would be going home empty handed.

I called the recommended taxi driver who happened to be a brother to pick me up from Caribe Tours.  As I was waiting for the taxi I noticed a couple dressed very nicely.  When I looked closer I saw the man had a Spanish tract in his front pocket.  He noticed the Watchtower I was holding and so we introduced ourselves.  They were originally from Oregon, but they have been in the country for about a year now and were on their way to the same place to collect their residency as well.

When the taxi arrived we learned there was a fourth, and she soon arrived.  Jill from Texas, just starting her process.  When we arrived at the office we were greeted with a whole group of needgreaters completing their residency process!  It was very stressful having to to this whole process, but it was made so much more enjoyable with my brothers and sisters.  It was an all day process so we were able to share all of our stories with each other.  ”Where you from?”. “Where are you serving?”, “How long have you been here?”, “What language?”, etc.  It was such an encouraging, wonderful experience and I am so grateful to Jehovah for blessing me with such privileges.

The Immigration accepted the copy of my passport, (another thing to thank Jehovah for) and now I have a residency card and my very own cedula!  I am sooooo legit I can’t stand it!  I can go set up a cell phone…ON MY OWN!! This is awesome.  I am happy that it is all taken care of and I don’t have to worry about it again until next February.

And now, some pictures for your viewing pleasure!  Thanks for the emails, I love hearing from you guys!  Keep ‘m coming!

We did evening witnessing yesterday. (left to right: Nicky, Armando and Cesar)

 

 

Armando, Nicky and his mom Joesfina

 

awww,, they picked up a lil homeless girl there on the left…OH!….that’s me..

 

 

 

Nancy! One of the lovely sisters I met today.

The top one is the Residency, and the bottom is the Cedula. Whoop!

I feel…I think I may be homesick…or maybe its just a parasite….

31 DAYS!!!  Today is the first day of the count down.  I have been so busy lately that I haven’t been paying attention to the date.  I have started working  for a second English teaching company, this one out of Moscow.  There is a lot more work involved with this company, but it is better pay.  Also, Teresa had corrective eye surgery done and so I took some of her studies for a couple weeks.  That is an incredibly easy sentence to type, but I can’t even convey how much work it involved.  When you do not have a car it is difficult to get to studies, and they are never close to each other.  Even with the conchos, there is a lot of walking involved.  And not to brag or anything, but it is still incredibly hot here.  Not as bad as the summer,but we went to the beach the other day and it was LOVELY! So taking these studies has been a nice taste of what my new focus will be starting May, once I move to the ASL.  I am looking forward to starting my own studies!

Now that Teresa is back and on here way to recovery she has taken back her studies and I’ve had time to take a breath.  So it would seem logical that this is the perfect time for my laptop to die.  Dead, as in super dead, as in ‘No soup for you!’ dead.  I mean, it really isn’t surprising, since I use it everyday for hours on end, either studying, teaching, blogging, etc.  But I was still completely shocked when it decided to pack up.  What had happened was I had just finished working all day teaching my classes and decided to look up a recipe for dinner.  I went into the kitchen and I heard it go ”etetetehh, sszzzweerrrrmmp!”…..I tried to turn it on…nada.  I probably sat and stared at it for a good hour before it really sunk in.  My whole life, just gone.  I had classes starting the next morning at 7 and I couldn’t even begin to imagine what a dead laptop meant for me.  So I finally snapped out of it enough to do what I always do in times of crisis: GO TO THE BELLS!!!  They helped me stay calm and made sure that I was able to make my classes, and then Gladys (probably the most awesome sister in the whole world) let me borrow her laptop.  I went today to have it checked out, and I was told, “No sirve” because it was just old….I think it may have been a little too technical for me….But I was able to get an enclosure for the hard drive, so at least I still have all my files.

On a lighter note, I gave my first talk last night!!! Whooo, I was soooo nervous.  but it went smooth, thank you Jehovah!  I had written the talk in English, then my house holder, Yasmeli, translated it for me.  Everyone was well impressed! It was a pretty exciting night because it was also announced that the congregation would be moving to the Villa Olympica Kingdom Hall because we were just too big for the current one.  It is very crowded, sometimes the chairs are so close together its difficult to stand for the song!  The first meeting at the new hall will be March 7th, so I will be able to go before my trip home.  They are also hoping to start a group in the Campo.  So some will be moving out to support that.  It is just constantly moving forward here!  If you have had a chance to read some of Aaron’s blog you can see the progress in the English, which is just awe inspiring.

Lately I have been making a special effort to improve the focus of my prayers, ever since the last assembly.  I have decided to make a list of the specific things that I am concerned about, what I think I need, and certain qualities I would like to improve upon.  In less than a month I have been able to check off:

-A second job (and it pays more!)

-Equipment for teaching in ASL

-More studies in the ministry

-Cutting out unnecessary stress

Everything that I am putting into prayer is being met with an answer.  I know I shouldn’t be surprised by this, its just wow!  Jehovah is awesome!  Also, when I receive an answer, even if it is not the one I was hoping for, it is so much easier to accept because I know that I have been praying about it and this is what Jehovah has provided.  Even with the dead laptop I feel I am being blessed.  How many people would lend their laptop to you in an instant for as long as you needed?  If I didn’t have Jehovah’s organization I would be so lost!

Well, with all of this action over here I almost forgot that I will be in California IN 31 DAYS!!!!  I have started a list of things I need to bring back with me, now added to that list is a Laptop.  Along with multi-vitamins, GSE, curtains, Hairspray, body wash, shoes (I’ve had to throw away 3 pairs already!) and a hot shower.  Oh, I guess I can’t bring the last one back with me….

I have been living in this country for almost 10 months, and I can’t say that I have felt homesick.  There have been times that I get overwhelmed with the language barrier, and I wish I could just walk into a store and communicate exactly what I want instead of causing a big scene because the American accidentally ordered a pig head instead of a ham and cheese sandwich.  And sometimes I wish the phrase “let’s go on some studies” would mean, “let’s hop in an air conditioned car and drive to a study” instead of “let’s walk for 20 years and then hop in a smelly, dirty, hot concho with 12 other people and then try to crawl out gracefully in a skirt.”  But these times are few and far between, and I can honestly say that all of it is worth it.  I am thankful to all those here who have made it possible for me to have such wonderful experiences.   It is heartwarming to watch the truth of Jesus’ words in Mark 10:29, 30 come to life for me.  Even though I am thousands of miles away from my family it is as if I stepped right into another one here.  It truly is a blessing to be part of this international brotherhood.

So thank you Jehovah!  He is seriously working overtime for me it seems, I am overwhelmed with all of the blessings!  Like one brother said, if you stay at Jehovah’s table, you can’t run from a blessing!

Out in the Campo on a Study

Teresa and Yoanna

The DVD player given to me by an amazing couple! I am soooo grateful!

Can you believe we are swimming in the ocean in JANUARY!!!!

Me, Nikaury and Yasmeli at meeting

Thank you for your emails! I love hearing from the friends and I always reply, so keep them up!  I am looking forward to seeing everyone back home!  31 DAYS TO GO!!