Monday, October 26
Things here just do not seem to remain the same even after setting a schedule. The key word around which you must build your time overseas is “flexibility”
Today was supposed to be a day of updating all materials and shopping to purchase holders for each of the copies of the CD cycles. So I took advantage of t he time the electricity was to be available wand completed some work. As always the only thing consistent is the “power shut off” – allo though you are never sure exactly when that will be. Then comes the unexpected: Announcement - we have to leave at noon to have dinner with the Pastor from the Assembly of God – the same one we had been with on Sunday evening after the service at the Mennonite Church..
I begin to wonder: What is she fixing now? I really begin to question what is happening because our journey does not go in the direction where we had the meal on Sunday evening. It is a long journey - requiring about one hour. I begin to recognize the area. It is the area where the Junta Judge lives. I visited him in August. Trying to locate the house is a problem but we finally see the husband of the pastor standing in the street and confidence builds. I hear my mind saying, “I would never have placed them in this neighborhood after seeing the area where the Church is located. This is “heaven” compared to the location of the Church.”
We eat, talk and I notice the time. I was told that we were to have out next appointment at 5:00 and that means rush hour traffic. I also know we are to pick up an interpreter. But we also have to journey back to the house and get my equipment. We do and I do. But it is “rest time” according to my host and of course that means a quick trip under the water in the shower to cool off afterwards. Finally we depart – late according to “gringo time” but “on time” according to Dominican Republic time.
We locate Daniel, the interpreter on a street, apparently at a pre-arranged location and head to meet Pastor Perez and his wife. After many turns and “returns” as well as phone calls we locate the building, climb the stairs and are taken into a room with a table, padded walls and a small table with snacks and drink. I almost panic but then I see that this is their recording room as well as a conference room for us today.
GREAT – was the meeting. They also are “on-board” and tell me they project that when they start in January they will have 100 +/- students. Fabulous! That means we are well over the original goal and will probably exceed the original by three times.
So we complete the evening by returning home but have a meal on the way. Monday is complete!
Tuesday, October 27:
My alarm goes off and I rise to prepare for the day. I hear the sound of other alarms but no one else rises to the occasion. When I am finally ready, equipment, clothes, tooth paste, etc., I make noise to arouse the others from their slumber so we can get on the way to Jarabacoa and the YWAM – DTS School. These students are preparing for a missions assignment in Africa. My host and I are to be substitute teachers for the morning.
Jarabacoa is in the mountains about 50 kilometers from Santiago. I was told it was going to be “cold” there so I wore a long sleeve shirt. Wrong! It was cooler but not “cold”. It is about 2 hours from Santo Domingo and we arrived in sufficient time for nothing! It was hit the road and teach. I taught for my allotted time and began a break. Then I am told what the subject was I am to speak about and questioned where I was going with the second session. Recognizing that the first session was on-target but the second was not in the middle of the subject, I suggested that my host, Augusto Chavez, take the next session.
WE ate with the students, had a time of fellowship and I was directed to a room where I could relax for the afternoon. Afternoon! I thought we were to be on our way to Santiago! Wrong! The actor from Peru, who had also been with us on many occasion and was also staying at the house was schedule to do a drama teaching that afternoon and we were to then proceed to Santiago. He did! I did but no rest only work!
My evening appointment became also my home for the evening. Pastor Raul Castellano, his wife and son were perfect hosts. But when their son was not available it was back to “Spanish Sign Language” because my interpreter was to spend the night with some friends and my host, Chavez was going back to Jarabacoa to teach the evening and the next morning – which I did not know until he had departed.
I meet with Pastor Raul and two other pastors as well as US missionary. Pacto De Vida was well accepted although we were not given any final decision. However, I know it will happen, “when” is the only question.
I am told they have hot water. I assume they were talking about the shower to which they had just referred in the same breath. WRONG! But it is too late as I am already in shock from the cold water that attacks my body. I decide that a simple running of water over my body will suffice for the night and got out quickly.
Wednesday, October 28
Morning comes, I slowly begin moving my body, pack and head downstairs for some coffee – yeah me! I spend the next hour using my hands to illustrate words, and the same for Pastor Raul. We laugh a lot but also recognize that we “have” communicated.
His wife makes her way downstairs and we go to the street to meet a taxi who takes me to meet Alvaro Rodriquez, the brother of Gustavo Rodriquez, a close pastor friend from Peru. I am taken to a beautiful school facility and discover that Pastor Alvaro, with his wife as director operate an English speaking private school of 275 students, 1-12.
So I figure that the morning meeting will take place here, but no mention is ever made about a meeting or discussing the university program. Instead I am taken to an outside pavilion where high school students are gathered and hear that the actor, my interpreter and another man from Santo Domingo will do the same play that was done in the Methodist Church where I ministered on Sunday morning.
Bottom Line: No university presentation took place! But Pastor Alvaro took us on a tour of Santiago of key historical locations and treated us to a lunch. Then back to his house to await the arrival of Pastor Chavez to begin our journey back to Santo Domingo.
Bored yet? Okay, I’ll continue!
We return to the city, drop off my interpreter at the YWAM facility, drive across town and drop of the man who came to assist with the drama. Find our way home, with a stop to acquire a Cappuccino and I unpack and ready my materials for the evening sessions – two fo them. One is only a presentation and the other is a sermon.
Yeah, you guessed it! We depart late and have to swing by and pick up Pastor Omar Ramirez, the older brother of Imer, the interpreter who went to Santiago with us. We drive to the house of the Pastor Reuben Peguro with whom we have the appointment. But......!
Here is where things are different than I was told! He get in the car and we drive all the way across town to the same area where I had lunch on Monday but to a different section. We have to drive through mud holes that are at least 12 - 18 inches deep and after several phone calls we arrive at a home where people are in prayer on the lanai area with 50+ white plastic chairs assembled. A projector hangs from the ceiling and musical instruments line on one end with sound equipment.
I am introduced to a pastor and discover here is the connection for the university, not with Pastor Peguro. But I am told by my host, Chavez, that I need to do this meeting in less than one hour so we can hit the road again and make it to the next location for their evening service. I condense my presentation with speed. Pastor Chavez shares and we see 25 hands raised to indicate the desire of those who want to enroll.
We make a hurried exit and on the way to the next location I am told that the pastor where we departed was going to take the university to his whole neighborhood and to the other pastors and churches to involve them in the education opportunity.
Hurriedly we travel and arrive to see the congregation eagerly awaiting our presence. With Bible in hand and giving the Spanish scriptures to Pastor Omar we launch into the message of the evening. They church has already received the Pacto De Vida presentation and their projected number had doubled on Friday evening. The Word was readily received with joy and after special ministry to several we departed for home.
I spent some time working on some documents and crashed into bed knowing that I was to be taken about 9:00 AM to the home of one team member where I would have internet access and electricity so I would complete all documents to leave with Pastor Chavez for the extensions and final preparations.
Thursday, October 29:
Things changed again! I am invited to have lunch with the ladies on the board of the ministry to abused wives and children headed by Janette, a TV personality and the wife of the “high judge” with whom I met in August. I take advantage of the electricity until noon,– it ends and we depart for the lunch.
Five ladies arrive and later the husband of one. We greet, sit and order our meal. Well, our host does. Not one of them speaks English and my only interpreter is the actor from Peru and his English is only slightly better than my Spanish. Difficult? YEAH!!!! They are brought up-to-date regarding what is transpiring with the university – they have volunteered to assist. Two are lawyers, one of them is a law instructor in the university and is currently also studying clinical psychology. Another is a journalist. Ooops! I can’t remember the occupation of the last one. Sorry!
As we are about to leave the table, I am requested to change my return ticket and remain to be with them in the morning for a breakfast meeting. Why? I an not sure, but God does. However, I tell them I cannot because I must get home and prepare for a trip to Oklahoma City early Monday morning. So until the next visit we do the typical Spanish “check-to-cheek goodbye” and depart with a full stomach and pocketbook – the treat was theirs!
The afternoon schedule included a Pacto De Vida review and discussion with Pastor Chavez and Pastor Omar Ramirez. POW! WOW! I discover Pastor Chavez has not understood the terminology of “academic year” vs. “calendar year” and the number of credits that complete the “academic year.” After much time new light enters the mind and we complete out planning, having set the stage for further expansion.
The final sharing of the working of the university is with Tabernacle Asaemblaes De Dios, and Pastor Francisco Morrobel. I had ministered there in August. It is a good church, filled with receptive people. Again the process of getting there on time is blurred as we have to pick up my interpreter for the evening, Marlene Luna, pick-up and drop off two and the actor at their location for the evening – again hard to find – and then cris-cross already traveled roads to get to the Church.
Finally we arrive, make the presentation, take a count of hands – I think the count was between 25-35. And we depart to pick up the others. But we do not go to the same location and eventually arrive at an apartment complex. It is the home of the lady who interpreted for me on the previous Friday evening. She has fixed a meal, spaghetti. We all eat, fellowship and then head home – of course dropping off the two Dominican actors, my interpreter and then home for the final hours of preparation for a 9:01 AM departure, meaning a 6:15 AM departure from the house.
I can tell it will be an “all-nighter” It was, in fact no sleep because by the time I finished the work I had to do about 3:45 AM. But there is no reason to try to sleep for one hour and fifteen minutes – I’d be too groggy.
The final surprise was awaiting me. I found out that we were going to pick up Pastor Peguro who is to be on the same JetBlue flight back to For Lauderdale. No problem! Now the problem! I had two suitcase and my carry-on. My host had a case as well as the actor, apparently they were going somewhere on Friday. Then the pastor we picked up had his suitcase and a carry-on.
The car? A Toyota corolla! And the trunk already had a propane gas tank in it as well as some tools and other odds and ends. Pack? Yes! We packed two men and several suitcase into the back seat and “bounced” across the streets to the airport.
That ends it, except for a stop at Ikea on the way home. Marilyn and Nicole met me and had plans to do some shopping. Ikea is only one block north of I-75 on the way home, so no problem, except I had not had anything to eat and no sleep. But I survived as you can tell – I hope.
Thanks again for your interest and prayers,
Dr D
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