Dominican Republic Blog

Wednesday (8/12/09)

I arrived on time and that is after the plane arrived in Fort Lauderdale 35 minutes late. Somehow those “Spirit” people got us away from the gate right on time - 6:15 PM. And then they sat us down on the runway at 8:21 PM and I walked off the plane before 8:30 PM.

Immigration and Aduana (Customs) was no problem and I breezed through it and out the door to my waiting host – I thought before 8:45. But to my amazement – no one greeted me! And they had my picture – but maybe that is why no one was there. I finally went upstairs and ran into a friendly taxi drive hoping to get a fair I figured. He did not speak English but he wanted to help and in a few minutes with no help from any airlines or terminal staff, he just took out his phone and called the number of the pastor. I had that with me and in a few seconds the voice on the other end told him they had arrived and would be upstairs to get me in a few seconds. They did! And we were out he door.

Now remember, my Spanish level rises to the great heights of about the size of the letters you are reading. Well, on a scale of 1-10, it hits the heights of .001! But the pastor who knows no English brought a Doctor – and that is scarey in itself. Why is it that Ukraine, Peru, and now Dominican have doctors that come to meet me? Well, Paul had Dr. Luke so I guess I am in with the best!

We stopped by the mall to get some food – Burger King and then a couple of bottles of water and off we went to the bachelor pad! The pastor is single and his home is just that – a bachelor pad. No screens, an ocillating fan for AC, no shower head, just a stream of water and I’m not sure yet if it is hot or cold and a toliet that does not flush – you pour the water into it from the sink and the sink faucwet runs slowly so it is a major job to get enough water to flush. But anyway, it isn’t an “outhouse” and the place looks clean.

No internet tonight – problems with the equipment of the pastors, so off to bed – if I can sleep. Like a dumb bunny I did not bring my printer, having printed out the sermons I thought they requested but now I find out that there are several more services added with each having a requested subject.

Tomorrow it is a youth camp which focuses on missions and I am to speak about missions. That will not be hard but I’ll lay away most of the night tring to get it right so the Spirit can have something to use to speak to the youth.

Hey! This is enough for tonight. I’ll add to it later because tomorrow is here and the activity begins at 8:00 not the 10:30 that was on my schedule.

Thursday & Friday (11:00 AM on Friday)

I slept last night, rather Wednesday night “some”. No AC and a fan blowing on me and no pillow only my zipper bag of t-shirts as a pillow and covered by the t-shirt I had worn on Wednesday’s trip to Santo Domingo. Talk about “improvising”.

Then I had to face the shower! I could not do it! I decided I’d just do a “spash wash” (whatever that is) and get by since we were going to a YWAM camp. I knew it had to be rustic! Was I surprised! It was lovely and the youth were fantastic. But here was the “catch”.

I have never felt comfortable speaking to youth – at least in the last 20-25 years. However, God showed up and honored my faith and we had a fabulous morning service as I challenged the youth to give their life to a full-time ministry – to which we are all called! The only difference between any of us is “how we earn our living”. The response and altar service lasted for one and one-half hours.

After eating lunch, Pastor Chavez said we were going to take a nap, then we would talk about the university at 4:00 PM. That was okay with me, even though I had just found out we would remain here and go from here to the street meeting with these youth. A street meeting was in the agenda, but I did not know we were going with this group of kids. So, as in missions, you just “punt” and play hard.

HOWEVER! While I was resting, not sleeping, it began to storm and I mean STORM!!! Lightning, thunder and torrential rain for over two hours. When I got up to go outside, it had almost ceased so I journied from my room to the main area and open air cabana to meet with the pastor. He had a strange look on his face and I began to wonder “what now?” The “what now” was that the rain had flooded the low area where we had to ford the water and we were not going to be able to have the street meeting ... AND WE WERE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO EVEN GO BACK TO HIS HOUSE!
Hold it Jack! That meant I would have to sleep here, without any thing with me but what I had on. No towel, no soap, no toothbrush or toothpaste and all the rest! So, because of that, I was then told I would be the speaker for the evening service, after we concluded our discussion about the university – which lasted four hours (your eyes read that correctly - 4 HOURS) and no time to even get my mind in gear and hear what the Holy Spirit had planned.

But as is the beauty of the Spirit of God, he fed me and I fed the youth. Another blow-out service. The Word, prayer, prophetic words to some, encouragement to others, emotional healings and much much more. The service concluded about 11:30 and I was then taken to the cafeteria to eat what I refused to eat before the service. Now it was not because I did not like what they were serving. I eat what is set before me regardless (well almost) but because I do not eat just before speaking.

I ate, spent some time sharing with the youth who dropped by and spoke English or who brought an interpreter with them. Some workers brought us bedding and we ventured down to our room, mae our beds and took the towel and headed to the shower. On the way, Pastor Chavez entered the room of some guys and found a bar of soap. After taking my shower I found a tube of tooth paste God had placed in the room because of one youth’s forgetfulness and with my finger “brushed - that is rubbed” my teeth – at least my mouth felt clean.

Sleeping??? Well that was another story that will have to wait until I return from my noon appointment. See you then!

I AM BACK! I hope you are glad to see me! I mean read what I have to say about my experiences here.

The night was rough when it came to sleeping. The ceiling fan was on high and it blew a “mean wind.” The bed was tolerable but the sheets did not fit and so you kept waking up trying to put the bottom sheet back in place over the vinyl that covered the mattress. Then the sheet you covered up with was not enough to keep the cold air from bothering you so you do the next best thing and pull the sleeping bag you were given down from the steps of the bunk bed and draw it up over you. All the time you are wrestling with the pillow which was about the size of a legal sheet of paper – a piece of foam also covered with vinyl and of course a pillow case on it. That made it hot! Now my body in hot and my head is cold because the wind from the van was whipping it around bouncing it off the wall and it was “very cool,” that is cold. So between all that and getting to bed at 12:45 AM it made for a rough night of missions.

I skipped breakfast - first of all because I do not normally eat breakfast and secondly because I was asked to speak again – in 10 minutes to a very talented group of youth dancers who were facing competition on Saturday against many others who are not believers. When I say dancing, I mean the youth stomping, coreographed to perfection. They are good!

Then a quick meeting with the director who wanted to know more about the university she heard I was here to open in some churches. She is a lovely person who loves the youth and they love and respect her. Finally we departed.

Oh, did I tell you that the place where the camp is located requires us to drive through the Seattle Mariners baseball camp facilities here in Santo Domingo? I didn’t? Well it does!

Now to fill you in on the rest of the day! It is now about 9:45 AM and we are on our way back to the house. I am offered a shower and time to rest. I forego the shower because I am afraid of cold water and I also skip the 25 minute nap because I must get some material ready for the day. So onward and upward we go departing the house at 11:35 AM and off we go to get my interpreter for the day.

We picked up Marlene Luna, a 21 year old psychology major after a drive across Santo Domingo. She is a beautiful young lady who dearly loves the Lord. She has been through YWAM (Youth With A Mission) training and has been on location in Africa and Peru (both in Lima and in the the jungle). Her English is clear and without any accent.

Our next stop was to meet Jeaneris, who works for a local TV station – on the air and who has aan organization registered with their Dominican Government to help abused and underprivileged children. I was requested to share about the “project” (as Pastor Chavez calls Pacto De Vida). She said she wanted us to meet with her and the other “prominent ladies” who serve as members of her organization because she wants to help with the “project.” Who knows where this will lead.

Because Pastor Chavez is from Peru and both Marlene and I are familiar with Peru and like Peruvian food, he took us to a Peruvian restaurant to have Civichi and Lomas Saltada - a beef, vegetable, and french fry, rice combo.

A quick stop by the house to get my materials for the evening service and we were on the road again headed to meet three pastors and to share with them about the project. From the time we departed at 3:45 PM until almost 8:00 we were sharing the “project” and the “project” was very warmly welcomed and accepted with great anticipation and with the expression – “God sent you here at the right time. Our country is experiencing a move of God and we need to teach our people.”

The evening ended by sharing with an Assemblies of God pastor, and teaching a lesson from the Marriage Material I have developed with PowerPoint and student notes – The Basis of Marriage, lessons one and two: The Yoke of Marriage and The Emotions of Marriage.

Now when the church is on a very busy neighborhood intersection, with card games taking place in the street outside, children funning to and fro on the sidewalks, all doors and windows open to attempt to stay cool, all fans in the building running a full speed, a generator running on the door steps of the church because it was the time of day when the electricity for this section of Santo Domingo has their service turned off, and children inside moving about freely – well you get the message! AND – then we had to stop and turn the generator off, throw a switch to return to the “normal power” – which meant to turn off the projector to protect the bulb, the restart it and then to have to stop and do it again because the “normal power” when off again, which meant we switched back to the generator. Anyway it was an eventful evening and the teaching was well received – anyway that is what the pastor (a lady) and her husband and the pastor’s mother (who is a pastor in New Jersey) expressed.

So I thought since it was now 9:00 PM that we would be going back home. WRONG! We drove to another part of the city, found the YWAM team in the process of holding a street meeting with their 96 youth and a large crowd. Then I discovered that the pastor was to bring the evangelistic message. So I spent my time observing and chatting with some of the youth from Thursday’s event-filled day.

Well that brings you up-to-date and here it is Saturday morning about 10:00. I did sleep good with the help of two little friends and a cold shower.

Now for the day and all it holds. Thank God he hold this day as he has all the others in this “timely” – “God’s time” venture through this door He has opened.

I’ll be back on line whenever I have access to the internet.

God bless,
Dr D