June 18-21, 2011

In an effort to help get the blog up to speed faster, I’m going to combine a few days together. June 18th was the final day of camp. It certainly did not start out as planned. This is why flexibility is EXTREMELY important in the Dominican :). Once we arrived at camp Stacy and Lisa soon realized that the medicine we needed was left at the hotel. So I rode a “moto-concho” (motorcycle or scooter for hire – the primary means of transportation for the many that don’t own vehicles) to the hotel to pick up the medicine, only to find out that the meds were at Pastor Rivas’ Church. On the way to the hotel Alfre informs me that it is a law in Sosua to wear a helmet. Even though 80% don’t wear helmets – you are taking the chance of a ticket if the police choose to pull you over. Hmm….so once we got to the hotel I got two baseball helmets for us to wear  --- good enough to be legal! So off to the Church we go to pick up the box of medicine. I get this box of medicine and wonder - how am I going to carry this on the moto-concho? - because I’m holding on with both hands. Good thing Alfre put it in the front with him. This whole trip took about 1 ½ hours, but we did get the medicine back to camp and Praise the Lord we were still able to get all the remaining kids parasite medicine in the short time left at camp.

Now just to write that ‘I took a moto-concho’ doesn’t seem like a big deal UNLESS you have actually been in the DR and seen the driving. They don’t really have a concept of “lanes” here. You could be driving on a 2-lane road, but have 2 cars and 2 moto-conchos all together – so in effect they have made it a 4-lane road. And the moto-conchos weave in and out and do just about anything they think they can with their small moto-concho. And don’t forget that stop signs are simply suggestions – hardly ever observed. So it really is quite an experience in itself :)!

But enough about moto-conchos as I’m trying to get the blog caught up. The next day we handed out candy in the villages. A couple of us stayed at Alfre’s house during this time to put up the new tin on his house (actually his sister’s house). Praise the Lord Sarah was able to raise enough money from the group to buy the tin. It was a blessing to be able to help Alfre with this as he has worked so hard to help the children in the baseball ministry.

On the 21st the AIM group’s trip was concluded and they flew back home to Houston. We are staying along with the Vigil family for a couple extra days to do some follow-up work with Checo (AIM’s Director here in Sosua) and to also visit the southern part of the island. We’ll be spending a week and a half in the city of San Pedro. This is where the Vigil family will be moving next summer. We are feeling called more and more into mission work here, so we are also excited to see the ministry in San Pedro and check out the area. You can check out their website at: www.drvision.org.

God Bless,

Carlos

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. (Prov. 22:6)