God is always present.

This is amazingly true in every moment of our lives. My blog today's not about that thought, but wanted to share the light within.

An older thought-
I wrote this a couple of days ago with intentions of sharing yesterday, and even since it was written, the list has been growing...

"As the time goes by, so will my list grow longer; however, from being here a week, my list is quite long already. The things we as Americans take for granted: [presented to you in spanglish.] luces -- lights. electricidad -- you guessed it. agua -- caliente y frio, or any at all. security -- seguridad. familia. space y privacy. clean streets. clean sidewalks. clean feet. clean anything. silence. cars. clothes. food. healthy food. leftovers. microwaves to reheat those leftovers. computadoras. el internet. mail. puertas -- doors. libraries -- bibliotecas (Mom, you know this one). education. literacy. the desire to read. good company. laughter. peliculas -- films. game systems -- (I'm including this for you, Wes). movie stores -- RedBoxes. shopping. convenience. grocery carts. efficiency. lines! kindness. air conditioning. large trashcans. trash pick-up. flushing toilets. live music. accessibility to it. paved calles -- streets. speed limits. traffic regulations. signs. noise regulations. good policia y politicians -- I believe there are indeed a few who exist. game nights -- with family or amigos. huge stadiums to watch our favorite equipos juegan deportes o futbol americana (...teams play sports or football) -- you know who I mean in particular, GO TIGERS! shelter from condiciones de clima -- weather conditions. seatbelts. helmets. democracy. jazz.

I'd say that's long enough for now.

I hope you're enjoying America in the fullest today."

Today in English-
Now, I'll share some more longings with you, although I do not find myself in a dreamlike state thinking of home often here, if ever. Today, in English the writing assignment given was to answer the following journal questions. "Have you ever been a visitor in another culture? What did you long for?" Here was my response. (I'm no famous author, now!)

“As I write this sitting at a desk in the Dominican Republic, I assume my thoughts are meant to drift home. As much as I hate to admit, familiarities and comforts are the things I miss most.

When I go home, I have a key to my house, when here I wait for someone to let me in as each day ends and I return a mi casa, where I find myself temporarily living during my stay. Days start with freezing cold showers, sending me alert in the morning routine; at home, I am awakened slowly by with whatever temperature shower I choose.

The only thing I choose to make familiar here is breakfast. Classic Raisin Bran is quite different than mangu and fried cheese or sausage that appears on the Café Taino’s counters.
A familiar greeting is even hard to come by in Spanish, as I frequently grasp for the right verb tense or appropriate phrase to use.

It’s funny to be in a country whose smaller city reminds me of New York in terms of the traffic and unpredictable motos and pedestrians. However, I could not truly feel further away from the Big Apple and all of the American comforts I have grown so accustomed to throughout my life.”

Laughter abounding-
Although my sentiments today may seem on a sadder note, don’t let that fool you! Today has been full of life and humor, as are most days here at Doulos and in the DR. I love the sound of children singing praise songs (You are my prince of peace, and I will live my life for you…), laughter at recess, and teachers speaking in a mix of Spanish and English in their subjects or with students during breaks.

I got to teach the English class today, with much assistance from Krista, the director, and it was so fun to hear the 10th-12th graders’ responses to the story we read and what they perceived. Non-fiction was the focus today, and I loved learning along with them while my memory was refreshed and taken back to high school English myself.

I love trying new Dominican foods with each passing meal, and today I tried a trigo salad with lunch, a mix of wheat, cilantro and other fresh tastes.

My favorite part of today was of course involved with music, for those of you who know me well. A hilarious teacher and husband to another fantastic staffer, Daniel (Dahn-yel), shared a YouTube video with me this afternoon in the staff lounge. It was of merengue, one of the main Dominican dances. Ruben Blades, from Panama; Juan Luis Guerra, from Dominican Republic; and Robi Draco Rosa, from Mexico sing and dance to a merengue, “Que Bonita Luna.”

Rodi, a high school math teacher, told me the places I needed to visit to have a full Dominican picture: Santiago, Santo Domingo, and a beach – playa. He said the things I needed to experience to have a fully Dominican life here were comida (food), transportacion public (public transportation), and un fiesta (party). I’m well on my way. Santiago’s my next weekend visit, and I’ve tried lots of new foods with each day. I’m sure I will attend plenty of parties, and the first work team is a group of middle schoolers who are accompanying me to the beach for four days of camping.

OH! And can't forget Bible study last night. It was A-mazing to be with such a welcome, God-seeking group of Christian women who I truly feel I can call myself a sister of theirs in Christ. We shared our stories together and laughed together, prayed together and worshipped through song together. PLUS, I got to hold THE cutest puppy of the most precious litter ever. What a night. The stream beside their house reminded me of Charleston, as far as away as I am.

LOVE! Oh-and here's another friend's blog to check out that actually has picturas on it!