2015 DR Discipleship Trip Day: 5b

Location: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

After the band's practice was finished at the church we went to dinner with the Santanas Family. All of the girls rode with Patricia. She's a really fun driver in her cute little sporty Mini Cooper. We jammed out to all sorts of music while she drove, from EDM to Jazz to Dubstep. It was epic.

We ate at Adrian's again, this time we weren't as hungry, so Rogers, Janie, and I split the fried fish that Mr. R had the last time we went. We had juices, tostones, avocado, and everything Dominican...it was a very tasty dinner.

The waiter added an extra seat to the table, and we joked that it was Jerry/Zanie and that he was with Janie, it was hilarious. Connor has this hand motion he does to indicate that someone has crossed a "line" depending on the situation. And by now it cracks the group up like the wasted joke. About the wasted thing...it only gets better with age.

After dinner and on the drive home we had to actually stop at a red light. Well, a group of three kids were running up to cars stopped at the light and playing drums and dancing for the cars in hopes of spare change. We laughed because this is probably what Patrick might do if he wasn't a Christian. He's always overflowing with music and movement. Finally the light went green and Patricia floored it, it was epic.

Once back in the apartment the guys told us how they made plans on how they'd attack the dancers if they tried to do anything on the girls car. Josh and Connor were going to get out and beat up on the 3 Dominicans, and once everyone was beat up and the initial adrenaline was gone, Andrew would get out of the car, slowly shut the door, dramatically put on his aviator glasses, schwagger over and if they didn't run off then he'd beat on them too.

Aren't the guys great?!....it is nice to know they want to protect us from wild Dominican guys.

Following the story the girls just crashed into bed, read I Thessalonians (we take turns with the last chapter still holding out hope that Jenn will join us sometime soon), and promptly fell asleep.

much love from the DR,

Jessie Bear

Galatians 5:24

"And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."

2015 DR Discipleship Trip Day: 4

Location: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

I woke up later than I wanted to due to still feeling (in Knepps' words) "off". We decided that by now it's just the exhaustion and not really a sickness. All that's left to do is just chill and relax. When I came out I discovered that Andrew had already been doing the laundry. This was a perfect example of his character. He saw a need and fulfilled it. Also Josh had started a lovely steak and egg breakfast. Rogers added bread and the jam to it. It was fantastic breakfast for the group.

As soon as we finished we gathered up our stuff and went to the church to paint the rest of the building and do a second coat on the parts we'd started yesterday. Due to not having quite enough equipment for everyone to work at the same time Patrick, Josh, and Connor took a short break and made up songs for us to enjoy. It was thoroughly entertaining for all of the group.

The plan had been for us to have sandwiches and juices for lunch, but plans never work out in the DR. So, Mr. R's sister made us a lunch of pork roast, rice and beans, steamed veggies, ripe plantains, and "arepas de yuca". It was great!! Andrew, Emanuel, and I played jokes on Patrick. It was very fun.

When the professional painters arrived lunch was over. Figures. So, we got back to work painting, but since the painters both made it go faster but also took up more of the tools, more of us were out of work. Thus, I am on this break to write a post for you all!

Meanwhile Josh and Connor do a time laps with Patrick causing trouble for them...

Video by: Connor

Josh and Andrew are working on creating a song for the trip with the drum and guitar. It's awesome. Maybe a video later...



If you are on Instagram don't forget to follow our hashtag! #DRdiscipleshiptrip2015


Prayer Requests:
- Jenn to feel better
- paint to be finished
- for the team to grow together
- that no one would get stressed by plans changing

Praises:
- we're almost finished painting!
- I'm almost totally 100% again.

Random thought from last night, we had to go around the dinner table and share an observation from the day. There were many thoughts of teamwork and the culture, but the one that caught my attention the most was that it was a stress free day. Stress free. I hadn't thought about it, but it was true. It struck me because the idea of no stress hasn't been in my vocabulary in months and months. It was true, yesterday was entirely stress free and wonderful.

love,
Jessie Bear

Colossians 4:2

"Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving."

2015 DR Discipleship Trip Day: 3b

Location: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

After we finished painting, we went back to the house to shower and rest for a while. It was then determined that we would go out for dinner.

The place was Adian Tropical, and turned out to be fantastic! I ordered the Fillete Tropical con tostones y piña Ca...or a bit of fish with fried plantain and pineapple with sweeten condensed milk added to it.

This is pigs feet...it was yummy!

It was fun to go over all the Spanish menus and figure out how to order my own diner. I really enjoy being able to ask for my own food (although I did need a bit of coaching from Josh and Patrick). We really missed Jenn. Her ability to tell us everything about the food was severely missed. Connor has a some food allergies so it was neat to find food for him.

Mr. Raimundo and Andrew ordered a "Boca Chica Fish" which was an entire fish (head, fins, everything) with a light breading then fried. This turned out to taste amazing! Given the chance I'd have traded my fish for it. But nonetheless my fish was fantastic. I had a ton of garlic on it...always good.

When we were stuffed to the brim we went back to the apartment with the decision that we would not have a study this night nor one the following night. That was bittersweet news. It was sad not to have a study but it was nice to know that we'd go to bed on time. Maybe secretly we are all just hoping that Jenn will make it for the studies.

It was very late for us and we were so tired from all the painting. It's always amazing how exhausted we all get here in the DR. So for the girls, instead of reading the whole of I Thessalonians, I just read them the first chapter as they fell asleep. I'm really blessed by how even when they are wore smooth out they don't give up on reading at least the chapter we are studying.

love,
Jessie Bear

Psalm 31:24

"Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD!"

2015 DR Discipleship Trip Day: 3

Location: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Today I had planned to get up earlyish and make coffee, but when I got up I was sore because the poor air bed had died, not fun. My head is almost totally better, I'm just a bit shaky and tired. By tomorrow I should be back to normal!

Breakfast was composed of left over fruit salad (kiwis, mangos, apples, bananas, pears, and cherries) and bread with jam. Just when I went out to make coffee (spanish: café) Mr. R had just started it. So I went back into the girls room. Janie, Rogers, and I talked a bit about what a "typical" day looks like in our lives and what we fear (heights, spiders, drowning, etc.) then we decided to go eat breakfast.

After breakfast we went to the church here in Santo Domingo and had WiFi to call home, email, and like here blog. Then we started to paint the inside of the church a blue grey, the accents are all a peachy color. I like it.

Patrick and Emanuel went to get us lunch. It was Pork, rice and beans, and yuca. Wonderful yummy food. Right now the team is touching up the paint and getting it set so that we can finish a second coat tomorrow.

(Hint to the parents: your minions will be somewhere that you can call them during the day. Also they should have sent you the house's number so that you can call in the evenings till the evening of the 5th: 809-533-6259 you can call us, we just can't call you.)

I'll try to keep you up to date. While the day isn't done, I'm going to post this. There will be times on the trip where I have no internet so please don't worry about the team we're always in the palm of the Living God.

Praises:
- I'm feeling a lot better than before
- Mrs. R got her passport

Prayer Requests:
- Jenn to feel better
- no one to get sick
- everything painted by Sunday

Love,
Jessie Bear

Galatians 6:2

"Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."

2015 DR Discipleship Trip Day: 1

Location: Reagan International Airport, Virginia, USA; Orlando International Airport, Florida USA; Santo Domingo Airport, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Last night after showers and dinner with the Groves (the family that came last year) we all went to bed very late. Knepps and I shared a twin bed, it was awesome how God can bond His people together that even after many months we are still a tightly knit family. At around 3am I got up to start the coffee for the group. Last year Tim was usually our coffee starter and as he is not on this trip, someone has to step up to the early hour task of starting the coffee. Today it was me. At 3:30am and the house was waking up to the smells of coffee and music of Josh Groban, Lauren Daigal, Hawk Nelson, Unspoken, and Francesca Batistelli. It was lovely to start with my own personal worship session.

So, Paul (a very sweet and funny man from the Raimundo's church) arrived at the house and the guys piled all the suitcases into the cars. We all hop in and head to the Reagan Airport. Upon arrival there we realized that we were missing Jenn's checked bag!!! So Naomi drives home to get it in the hopes that she can be back in time to get it on the same flight.

We all go to check in and get our tickets. Finally we decide that because we are both needing to be at our gate and wait for Jenn's bag with all her clothes. So the choice is made that the team would go to the gate and Mr. Raimundo would wait for the bag, and if the flight takes off we'd go without him. By God's amazing grace Naomi gets the bag to the airport, Mr. R gets it checked and through TSA, and everyone gets on the same flight to Orlando!! Wow...God is good.

Janie, a new addition to the discipleship family this year, asked why we wear matching team shirts. It is for the following story...

We all had our tickets and go to board the flight to Orlando, but upon the flight attendant scanning in our tickets 5 of the 9 members are rejected. Yet due to matching shirts and obviously being together, they are waived through onto the flight! Again, God is so good!

On the flight Josh and I switch seats so that I can sit with Janie and Rogers. We had lots of wonderful conversations and laughter. Oh, and naps. We journaled, and then when the attendant brought snacks, my bag of doritoes had 3 chips. No joke. (not happy, Bob...not happy)

Don't worry, I got over it.

In Orlando we discovered the food situation. Josh and Connor went to scout in one direction and Janie and I in another. We met up in the middle to talk over the options and bring only the 2 best choices to Mr. R. Turns out that Orlando has only one small food court. On The Border was the best then some little pizza place. A 3rd option was to leave the airport via shuttle and come back through security. (not fun...we'd gotten some unfriendly treatment at the Reagan airport.) Because there was no good option we offered Josh as tribute to be the one to tell Mr. R.

A bit of back story for this, Jenn wasn't feeling very great on the flight to Orlando, and in the Orlando airport she went downhill again. By the time the scouting parties were back at the group it was being figured out if Jenn should be flown back home. Calls back and forth with her DR. Long story short, Jenn flew back to DC. BUT...you must see God's mercy in this story. As we were figuring out how to get Jenn home, in the very gate we were sitting at there was a flight back to DC, and it left before our flight to Santo Domingo! Jenn was able to fly home and the body of Christ worked so beautifully to help. The Groves (the family from last year's trip) was able to pick her up! God's mercy and grace was overflowing on the trip already.

While sitting in the airport, I picked up Andrew's Ukulele and began to learn chords on it with the help of Josh, Andrew, Janie, and Knepps. It's so much fun!! I'm likely going to get one when I get home because it was so easy to pick up and so small to go anywhere.

After this it was decided that we would go to On The Border. It was here that Mr. R went over the food rules of the DR.

- Don't eat chicken. period.
- Don't drink the tap water or ice.
- Don't eat anything that Mr. R doesn't eat.
- Don't eat any fruit that isn't fresh.

Emily "Rogers" and I both have military dads, so we talked about the movies Lone Survivor and American Sniper and how they honor our fathers and families. If you see a veteran, thank them, they sacrifice so much for our freedoms.

During the ending of the military talk there was a baby just screaming and crying and basically freaking out, then his brother joined in with the distress. I happen to carry around a Teddy Bear that I was given by my best friend. So I grabbed my bear (KHB - Katy Huggy Bear) and walked around the seating layout to show the bear to the kids. It was a major success! I talked with the mother who spoke english. They were on our flight to the DR. So I played with the kids for a while, till I was sweaty and tired of running in circles. It was so much fun to have the chance to both play with the kids and let them run around for a while and get the chance to bless the mother.

As soon as I went to sit down one of the girls came to ask to go to the bathroom. See, on the DR trip you are never allowed to be alone. Even to go to the bathroom in America. We always need to be in groups of 2+. I have no idea how many times I "went to the bathroom"...just a lot.

I got tired of lugging around my heavy bags, so I'll be making notes of things to leave behind next year. As you can see in the voting poles at the top right of the page, I do have a fascination of packing as light as possible.

Some of the observations from the team upon landing in the DR and the drive to the house.

Talk about the politics:
- Do you vote?
     - no.
- Why not?
     - not useful.
- What is useful? What would fix the situation?
     - God coming back.

The billboards are dominated with political campaigns though there are really only two candidates, the rest are just endorsing other candidates.

The three main political parties are: Revolution, Liberty, and Social Christian Reforming. Yet, they are all the same with different names, it's about power and money, not the people.

Janie made the observation that there are buildings on top of buildings. (awesome observation!)

Connor made the observation of the forest still growing even in the middle of the city. (this is important to have seen!)

I learned the classification of 1st, 2nd, 3rd world countries.

1st - Involved in the Cold War

2nd - Impacted by the Cold War

3rd - Nothing about the Cold War

We had Juices after dinner! <3 Chinola Ca is my favorite. Chinola is Passion Fruit, Ca is "Ca"rnation sweetened condensed milk.

Some questions to think on from the day:
- How can the gospel change that which is not according to the gospel?
- What is one childhood (good) memory that you remember?
- What are you hoping to learn on this trip?
- How do you want to be growing?

love,

Jessie Bear

Jeremiah 17:5

"Thus says the LORD: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD."

Dominican Republic Discipleship Trip 2014 - Day 6 in Santo Domingo ready to go to Jarabacoa (July 28)

Day 6 is today, Monday, and I am posting it now, because I will be unable to do so later.

Now, this is a shorter post because I don't have a lot of time today, we've all been packing and well...we played Mao. (it's the evil version of Uno) The unfortunate news is that now we will be going up into the mountains where we shall not have internet for something like a week. So, if I or your kids don't email for a week, know that they aren't ignoring you, rather we just don't have contact with the outside world.

We were supposed to leave at 9:30...but it's AFTER noon and our ride is not here yet.

The plan was for someone to go to Bravo market to pick up food then come pick us up, but so far we are just hanging out. Everyone is journaling, checking email one last time, napping, reading their Bibles, or just chilling for a bit.

Update...remember that chicken from yesterday that I said I would come back too? Here it is...

Pollo (Chicken) is the only meat that Mr. Raimundo was very adamant that we do NOT eat in the DR. But yesterday for lunch it was served to us, and most of us gathered it up and set it in a place where no one would eat it. Unfortuately, a couple people were more adventurous and had a go taking on the hormonal chicken. DRians pretty much raise their chickens on hormones, which is why it is unsafe to eat.

This morning, those couple of people woke up sick. Both Andrew and Knepps (Emily) Knepper are sick and they are the only one of us seven to have tried the chicken. So, pray they get better because it's not at all fun being sick in the DR.

Please pray for:

- Andrew and Knepps to get better.

- No one else to get sick.

- Safe drive to Jarabacoa.

In Summary:

Time means nothing.

Stop eating chicken...unless it's American Chick Fil A (in that case, please take me!!!)

Pray for people not to eat the chicken...just nooooooo....

I love you all, and will talk to you in a week-ish...

I Timothy 2:5-6

“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.”

love,

Jessie Bear

Dominican Republic Discipleship Trip 2014 - Day 4 in Santo Domingo (July 26)

Day 4 - Saturday

So, I'm a day "behind" in journaling so that I can write about the FULL day. Thus Day 4 is being blogged on Day 5. On Day 4 I blogged about Day 3, and I don't know if you noticed or not, but the time that it was posted was later than the first 2 days... This was due to a few things, one being spotty internet. When we went to the church, I was able to get internet and post the blog. For this post, I was unable to finish it before scurrying off to Church, but the church we went to did not have an internet connection for my lap top, so I have needed to wait till now to post!

Breakfast:

Mangu,

Fried eggs,

Mashed potatoes,

Café/pear juice/milk,

Marathon Class - The lifestyle of the living and the dead

Josue taught for two hours about the lifestyles of those who are dead in sin and those who are alive in Christ. This class was the “capstone” of the last 3 years of seminary classes that Mr. Raimundo has been teaching, it is also the final lesson for this year’s DR trip “Theological Heart Surgery” class. I have a few notes to share for you to be thinking about.

"The heart was designed to worship. You are always worshipping something.”

"The thing is not to do right, but to do it right.”

"The man who is NOT slow to speak IS quick to anger.”

I forgot to charge my lap top and was at 18% when I got to the church. I actually have prayed for my wifi signal before, but this time I was praying that my battery would last though the class. Through the whole time it lasted!

• searching for a wifi signal for more than half and hour,
• internet for about 3 hours,
• typing for 3.5 hours

I was so thankful! God is epic!

From class…I have a question for you!

First is a list of three characteristics of God, these three things have ALWAYS been, and will be eternally True. Then is a list of three characteristics of man. At the end of the list is a question…please comment with your answer to the question, and if you desire to, please give your reason.

Three characteristics of the Lord:

- Infinite

- Complete

- Self-sufficient

Three characteristics of Man:

- Finite

- Incomplete

- Dependent

When did man begin to be those three characteristics? (As in, was there ever a time when man was NOT those things?)

After the marathon class we decided to take a group picture, unfortunately all the Grove family was at the main apartment to rest and regroup as a family. But the Raimundo’s and the 7 non-Raimundo/Grove group peeps were able to take a picture together with a handful of the DRians.

After the class and pictures, we walked over to the apartment to get with the Groves, and I got the chance to charge my lap top! (Thank you Jenn!!!!) I plugged in my lap top and then we walked to lunch at La Quinta.

Lunch:

Rice,

Beans,

Fish,

We walked back to the house, and went to the church once more, this day’s goal was to finish painting. Before I went up to the roof, I learned that there would be a group going to the Bravo market. I asked to go with the excursion to gather food. So the expedition group was comprised of myself, Jenn, Joanna, Mr. Raimundo, and one of the joint owners of the market, and crawling into the car we were off! A curious series of adventures awaited us at the market...

First, we were met in the parking garage by Segway riding “security” people wearing gas masks…don’t ask why, I have no idea...

Then we found ourselves on a smooth escalator going up to the main level for the market, it was like a “people mover” belt…but at the angle of an escalator. Once inside, Joanna and I talked about how cold the AC felt. I realized at this point that my jeans were INSIDE out for painting…so here I am in the DR wearing jeans and my shirt inside out (in case you don’t know, the culture here dresses nicer than the US culture…even the poor people wear polo shirts…).

Decked out in my snazzy attire, I grabbed a cart/buggy/basket (choose the name you understand) and began my DR driving practice! Joanna also got the chance to do this! It was fun and a lil silly...but more fun that way! One thing we found by their (heavenly) smell was the cinola fruit! <3 It smells wonderful! (I wish it was legal to bring these back to the States…) We also found the zapota fruit, and it did not look at all like what I suspected it would. Joanna and I were meal planning and decided that we would be cooking purple/yellow/green cauliflower sometime next week. (shh!! Don’t tell the group, they don’t know yet!)

Just over half finished shopping, we came across monster lobsters…they were huge, I got a picture…someone needs to remind me to load pictures…eventually… As we were in line to check out, I finally begged Mr. Raimundo enough that he let me grab Sprite and limes! So, soon we can enjoy that refreshing treat!

When we got back to the house we went right over to the church…where we again played ninja, and finally after much practice (not really)…i won a game! The cost was a close call with a black eye…Babes’ offensive move went for my eye instead of hand…but it’s all good now!

Because of going to the Bravo market, back to the house for hang time and sandwiches, and chill out for the evening.

Supper:

Same exact thing as yesterday...

Sandwiches,

Cinola Ca <3

At the apartment we sang some songs and had a Theological Heart Surgery (THS) class. It was amazing...I'm sure I will blog about open heart surgery later... Thus we went home, and I was able to  do a call with Dad, Momma, Ruth, and Buddy (Charlie). Not too much later I fell asleep hard...to the point where when my alarm went off...I walked over through the whole room to find it and kill it, then went back to bed and was out like a light again.

Please Pray For:

- everyone's health, pray that we don't get sick.

- on Monday we are driving to Jarabacoa in the mountains, pray for a safe drive!

- that people would see Christ who is our Father, and not see us as ourselves, but that we are His children and we look like Him.

In Summary:

I'm behind in posting...sorry!!!!

Mangu is awesome.

I want to take Mr. Raimundo's class.

God answers prayers, even about wifi and batteries...

I hope you answer my theological question...

I Timothy 2:5-6

“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.”

love,

Jessie Bear

Dominican Republic Discipleship Trip 2014 - Day 2 in Santo Domingo (July 24)

Day 2 was tons of fun!

First getting up and chilling in the room for a bit with Katy, then we went out to the kitchen for breakfast. It was wonderful!

Breakfast:
Mangu (not Mangos...and I will explain mangu on another post),
Scrambled eggs with veggies,
Café,

After eating I went over and talked with the other peeps that are staying in this house. Because we were going to the Villa Alta Gracia there were a few things we needed to do beforehand.

- Drink a large glass of water in the earliest part of the morning that you can.
- Eat very well.
- Just before we head out...go to the bathroom. Because there will be absolutely no options for that for the next 5-7 hours.

Then we headed out to meet up with everyone at the other house! Once there we started the first talk of the trip, basic information about why we are here and what we are doing. The other Jessica on the trip sat in front of me so I gave her a neck and shoulder massage. A bit later, one of the other girls said she was in line for a massage, and before a few hours went by, apparently most of the group is claiming a spot in line. So, someone ends up in the floor in front of me, or siting in the seat ahead of me in the bus, is hoping for a massage.

Lunch:
Sandwiches of (I think) turkey and ham, mayonnaise, and cheese.

The entire Grove family is here on the trip, and so there are a LOT of names that start with the letter J. Thus putting our initials on water bottles doesn't work. The Grove family has a system of J1, J2, J3, etc. It's kinda cute actually. Only one slight problem...J3 and JB look a LOT alike when written small on the top of a bottle cap and slightly worn away from wiggling in a backpack. Now the funny part. J3's name is Jessica. JB...that's me....Jessie Bear.

Once everyone had a name on a water bottle we pile in bus and start heading to Villa Alta Gracia. The talks on the drive...hmm...I'll just keep you guessing on that one. Hehe...
No, but actually for a bus packed with 14 "kids" ages 25-9 you'd think we'd be more goofy, but rather talks are about the culture, what games are best for observing the culture, what are the moral issues with the culture, etc. Babes made the two best observations about the DR culture of the day.

1) Why do they paint all their trashcans?
2) Why are the houses bright on the outside, but dark on the inside?

Well done Babes...keep asking "why?", keep looking for the root of this issue...

Now the actual drive was quite an adventurous occasion. We go in two cars, all the "kids" in one bus and the parents in the other. Our (us kids) bus driver lost the other car in the crazy DR traffic, and we didn't see them for about an hour. We were only a little bit concerned, and only learned later that night, that the other car had ended up networking a small handful of calls in order to get directions, their adventures also included a cell phone running out of minutes.

When we arrived at the Villa, and went into the church building, all the people were clapping, they clapped long enough for a single file line of all 19 of us to walk in through the door and find seats on the floor in the corner of the front of the church. As we walked into the church I noticed the children first. 80-100 children were seated on the floor packed into this small single room building. When I sat down and looked out, I noted that all the girls were on one side and all the boys were on the other.

Our coming to the Villa was to bring a Bible story to the children, and to see the progress of the buildings. For the story, Mrs. Raimundo taught about Elijah and the widowed woman and her son, the story of God providing for our needs. (I Kings 17:8-24)

My God is a Providential God, He provides everything we need. Sometimes that means doing some really neat things. Mr. Raimundo found a girl selling food, and bought all her food. That gave her the free time to come listen to the Bible story...it also gave the kids a snack...and provided her family with a little bit of money. God provides. Always.

For some pictures with the kids and our team, we all scattered into the group of kids sitting on the floor and sat with them. I ended up with one lil girl snuggling in my lap,  two girls with their fingers interlocked with mine, and another girl had fun when I leaned over close to get a picture with her! Bar none....snuggles are the best!

After the Bible story, singing a couple songs, and snack, the kids took us for a short walk around some parts of their shack village. We ran out of time and needed to get back to our apartment, so the walk was cut short.

The drive back was one of the most fun drives ever. We played some clapping games, took way too many pictures of each other, talked about culture, and about our families.

Finally regrouping at the apartment...we realized that we did not have time for the 19 of us to all shower and dress up for going out. So, we ended up going out to diner in t-shirts and jeans. Cramming 19 people into 2 vehicles is an adventure in itself! In the Ford explorer I was in, we had 2 in front, 4 in the middle, and 2 in the luggage area in the back. It was very fun! We went to a nice place to eat. Mr. Raimundo ordered for us all. (I will detail this later if possible.)

Ricardo lives close to a fun ice cream parlor. It was a much looked forward to event for those of us who came last year. Ricardo and Mr. Raimundo decided to go, and about 1/4 of the peeps at the whole table knew we were going but before we told the group, we got the idea of making it a secret!

We told everyone that there was a change in plans and that we would not be having a study. A few didn't really think anything of it, Jenn and Joshua seemed genuinely surprised and asked what was going on. But Mr. Raimundo didn't say. So we all got up, went to the public bathroom (this is a big no no in 99% of cases...but in the DR 1% is really big!)

When we pulled into Valentinos Jenn and Joshua knew what it was, and so did Knepps. It was a lot of fun seeing the delight on the faces of the Grove family and James and Timothy. Apparently, no matter where you go, ice cream is always a hit!

Just like in the car trips, plane rides, and hanging out at the houses...conversation never dies off and is always stirring. Jenn, Katy, myself, and Jessica stood together eating our ice cream and talking about our favorite books of the Bible and why they are our favorites. Another conversation I had was with Evelyn (Ricardo's darling wife), we talked about homeschool and how things work for homeschoolers in the United States.

After all the ice cream, fellowship, and just a general great time together, we had to head back to the apartment. We all got there, then got back into our two groups and split up to go home for the night.

Finally, after almost exactly a year, I was back in the black police Suburban with Ricardo. It was so much fun. Knepps and I were kinda emotional about it actually. I think she was more so than I because she's kept up a closer relationship with them through the year than I have. But it was very touching to me to be back, to sing songs in that Suburban again, and joke with Ricardo once again!

Amid all our songs and talking we ended up lost.

So, Ricardo called but no one answered, I think he called 3 people before getting someone. But finally we got to our house, and went almost exactly straight to bed. I say almost...because I diverted that trek to take a shower. A much awaited first shower in the DR.

My shower... *happy sigh*
I was coated in two days of sweat, bug spray, sunscreen, and dirt from Virginia, Florida, Santo Domingo, and Villa Alta Gracia. This shower was very wonderful. <3
Half way through my shower, I remembered...DO NOT DRINK THE WATER. For the second half of the shower I could not remember if I had drank any...but getting lost in thought, I realized that some got in my mouth. I spent the rest of the shower spitting out any liquid in my mouth.

I went to bed shivering cold and woke up with a bit of a sore throat. I am not yet convinced that I am sick, but...I now have to keep a close eye on things.

**epic fail**

On the positive side, I do not think I will be getting nearly as sick as last year! So, I am very happy. I can't wait for the studies to start.

Please pray for:
- We are supposed to paint at the church, pray that we are helpful and willing workers,
- That we are all gracious and loving when time schedules get thrown out the windows...all the time,
- That we continue to grow in fellowship and are bonded ever firmer in love for one another because of Christ,
- That I and all the team does not get sick at all on this trip!

In Summary:
I love Mangu...I missed it!
Drink lots of water, but don't go to the bathroom except at home, church, or specific very nice restaurants.
The 9 yr old has the best observations.
I love snuggling kids. <3
God provides!!
If you take a picture of James, he puts his hands around his face and has a silly grin. (oh dear...what are we going to do with him??)
If you want a massage...get in line.
Ice cream is yummy.
Getting lost in a foreign country is fun...with the right people.
Showers are good (please take lots of them).
Drinking shower water...**epic fail**

I Kings 17:24

"And the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth.”"

love,

Jessie Bear