Friday morning, after devotions, we learned about education in the Dominican Republic. It was interesting to learn how the education system came to be the way that it is today. There was a time that the education system was steeply declining. It is encouraging to hear about changes that are taking place within the government, just within the last few years, to ensure that money is going towards education and hiring of qualified teachers. It seems that this is a time of continual yet slow growth and I am excited to see how the Dominican education system continues to make progress as steps are taken to protect it. We got a lot of information in a short time, but it was very insightful. It also showed me how blessed I am to teach at SCS. We then went to a museum, Centro Leon, for a tour of the history of the Dominican Republic (and some art displays) . Again it was a lot to take in, but very informative.

In the afternoon I worked on finishing unpacking the things I had sent ahead and started to decide how to organize the room. I'm sure I'll change my mind a number of times before the school year actually begins. I was glad to have a couple hours of uninterrupted time to work.

Someone had graciously blessed the staff with free tickets to one of the finals games for the Santiago Metros basketball team, so in the evening several of us took the opportunity to experience a basketball game here in the Dominican Republic. We arrived 25 minutes before the game was supposed to start and there were hardly any people there. I was very surprised because it was a finals game. We got our seats and waited for the game to start. The game must have been on Dominican time and started 30 minutes late. However, by then the crowds started rolling in and when the game started the stands were very full. I could sum it up in a few words: noisy, packed crowd, high energy, military police. When the Metros scored, the people yelled, beat drums and blew instruments, and made as much noise as they could throughout the stadium. This was a nail biter game for me. Both teams stayed within a few points of each other the entire game. The Metros came out in the lead and won 107-101. There was so much going on, so much to watch. I think my brain was on overload trying to keep up. We were quite a site, being the only large group of gringos in the stadium. And yes, the military police were present to maintain order. It was a late night, but well worth it. Now I can compare a Metros basketball game to a Torros baseball game...

Today (Saturday) we drove to the beach at Sosua. The team that was in Palo Alto for the week came with us. It is about a two hour drive. The beach is beautiful with white sand and amazingly clear water that reflected my favorite shades of blues and teals. God gave us a hot, sunny day to enjoy. The water was pretty calm, which gave us perfect weather to snorkel. There wasn't a ton to see in the reefs, but there were enough schools of different kinds of fish, lots of sea urchins, and large pieces of coral to make it worth the time. The rocks went really close to shore with smaller fish and sea urchins to see, so even the kids could "snorkel" (but made it dangerous to walk on).

It was so peaceful looking at the blue fish, yellow and black striped fish, black and white striped fish, and so much more. It was like swimming in a giant fish tank. This was definitely a more enjoyable snorkeling experience than the last time I tried it (too many waves and too cloudy to see anything). I'd love to try it somewhere with even more to see. Maybe someday. We had lunch on the beach (either chicken or fish). We tend to have rice with every meal, but I'm fine with that since I love rice. One new thing I had today was a pineapple drink. They cut out the inside of a pineapple, blend it with juice and strawberries, and put it back in the pineapple with ice to cool it off. It was a refreshing afternoon drink. I can't imagine making them for approximately 70 of us though! I stayed in the water as long as I could until it was time to leave. It was a mental break, but I was quite tired physically. Time to rest up for a full day in Palo Alto tomorrow. Another day, another adventure...

Today we went up into the mountains to Palo Alto. There was a building that was being dedicated as a place of retreat for different SCS ministries. We took several vehicles with 4-wheel drive, because the bus couldn't make it up the mountain. At first we were on paved roads and it didn't seem too difficult, but then we hit the rocky, dirt roads that curved around and around (ask this motion sick girl how many curves there were- not that I counted). There were times only one car could get through on the road, or so it seemed. Driving here doesn't exactly have rules of the road. At least I didn't have to drive!  I began to realize why we took the vehicles we did as we got further up the mountain. Paul did a great job driving safely up the mountain. We rode with Ruth (the Spanish teacher at SCS who is working on learning some English) and her husband, Antonio, who did speak English, for which I was very grateful. Even though I may not speak Spanish hardly at all, the more I spend with people who are speaking it in conversation, I'm finding I'm beginning to understand more (even just being here a week). I still can't respond with more than a word or two, but you have to start where you start.

The view at Palo Alto was breathtaking! Lush, green mountains in all directions. Pictures can't describe the beauty I saw and felt standing on the edge. I told a couple people I felt like it was a dream, only it was reality. I live in this incredible place. We toured the building seeing the balconies and sleeping quarters and shower areas (which aren't quite complete). The teams did an amazing job making this into a place of peace and refreshment. I can't wait to see all the ways God uses it to build His kingdom. There was a time of dedication (thanking different ones, prayer, reading Bible passages). It was nice to visit with some of the other staff during lunch. The weather is much cooler on the mountain and the constant breeze was refreshing.

After lunch we took a hike up (showed me I need extra exercise!) to a "plateau" where you could be surrounded by the mountains, yet see the whole city of Santiago in the distance. Someone said we were only like 15 miles from home, but it took approx. 45 minutes to get there because of the roads. Again, the view was stunning! Unlike any place I've been in my travels. Sometimes it is really muddy up there due to a lot of rain, but
because it's been so dry we didn't have to worry about slipping and sliding in the mud. We finally pulled ourselves away from the view to go back down to see where Amado and Ramona stay. They choose to live very simply, so they can better reach their neighbors. What an example that was to me.

Then we attended their local church, just down the road a bit. It was a simple small one room church. We had that place packed with the SCS staff and the team from Pennsylvania. Even though the service was in Spanish for the most part, it's amazing that we can still worship together in song, prayer, and Bible reading no matter what language we speak. Our hearts are united in worship to a God who isn't hindered by languages. Dan Boehning spoke about how God chooses to use ordinary people like Gideon. It was an encouraging message proving that God can use any of us, if we are willing, even if we start off timid and afraid as Gideon did. God still saw him as a mighty man of valor.

After the service we got to stop by and see the local school. It actually is deemed uninhabitable because of earthquake damage that occurred in the spring, but the students have no where else to go. The view would be a daily reminder of the awesomeness of God's creation to all students and staff. It makes me very thankful for Santiago Christian School. I complain too often about little things that may annoy me, but after seeing the way others live so simply, I'm humbled.


Then it was time to come down from our mountain top experience. I will miss the beautiful green mountains, but I can always go back to visit. I do love where I'm living. Upon returning home we had a task ahead of us. The last several days my roommates and I have been living on granola bars and chips/salsa for dinners. We weren't sure we wanted to venture into the world of delivery and phone orders (and we haven't done well buying groceries yet). Tonight we decided to order Yaway. It's like a Subway in the states. Kyla is the only one who can speak enough Spanish to order, so we gave her that job. We placed the order, figured out pesos, and waited to see what would happen. And it showed up with all of the sandwiches correct. We were quite happy to have a decent dinner. I'm thankful God (and the SCS staff) put a Spanish speaking roommate in our apartment. It's time to move on to better menu options for meals... After a long day we are full and ready for bed. Another day, another adventure....