Today I will try once again to write this blog. Over the last few weeks it has been getting harder to find time to sit down quietly, get events into perspective... (okay, I just went and killed another spider)...and write.
The team from Runnymede Community Church (our home church) was here last week and they left late Wednesday. It was good to see someone from home and hear about something besides the D.R. (we get no news here from outside and feel very isolated sometimes). We had a great time participating in some of the ministries with them as well as sharing a few meals at Crossroads (a real treat), and one at the beach. Pastor Mike (from Runnymede) gave a sermon at Pastor Joseph's church on Sunday after the rest of the group returned to Toronto, based on Luke 10. Jesus sends out the Disciples. It was so great of them to lend him to us for the few extra days, and we really appreciated it. Seemed like the sermon was just for us. God is Good. If you want to see Pastor Mike's sermons they are at the Runnymede Community Church web site. (there is a link at the lower right on our blog)
Some of Elio's neighbors visiting from Belguim donated shoes, backpacks, books and other school supplies to all the children (59) who go to the Algodonas School, thanks to teachers, Professor Joseph and Wendchell who found out all the childrens shoe sizes.
Most days Sandy and I visit the village (L.A.) and are kept quite busy, we travel around with a medical kit in the car full of treatments for infections, (fungal and whatever) bandages, baby formula, and an assortment of over the counter medications, and packages of food for those who are especially in need. What the village really needs is a real doctor but there are few here. Every time we open the kit we are swarmed with those who need treatment for everything from small cuts to scabies to babies to serious infections that just won't heal. It's overwhelming to say the least. We stumble around in broken Creole and Spanish (we are beginning to speak broken English as well) Classes for Spanish begin this Wednesday.
This Sunday we experienced the heartache of losing one of our older villagers "Batania" whom we had taken for tests and to the hospital at Puerto Plata. Monday we had planned to take her to the hospital in Santa Domingo but she died Sunday. The past two weeks we have been into Bournagal Medico Clinica and the L'opital Ricardo Limardo (a free hospital in Puerto Plata) many different times with people from our village (L.A.) The needs in the village seem sometimes to be never ending. It took a bit of time for Sandy and I to overcome the emotional stress of losing Batania. We took a break from visiting the village for a few days at the suggestion of Elio and it helped to restore our equilibrium. Upon return, we were greeted by the new batch of health issues (chest colds now), and some just plain buenas diaz, and Batania's daughter Chimona who was very sad, but expressed her appreciation so gently, it made us cry again.
The medical centre in L.A. is coming along but it still needs a roof, plumbing and electrical on the inside. We find ourselves actually looking forward to living there, as the drive in and home every day is starting to get to us (I've got to make a video clip of us driving up that hill, now that's a commute!) Arriving in the morning now I hear calls of "Sandy, Sandy" as we slowly disentangle ourselves from the kids (and adults now). It's encouraging that we are beginning to be accepted as a part of the village. It is also heart-breaking as we can do so little while so much is needed. We are still bringing patients in to see Doctor Bob twice a week, (last Thursday it was eight in our little car plus Sandy and I) Some medical supplies were donated by a group from Cambridge (Journey 2008) and we have tried to sort them at night when we get home but the power isn't always on so it has taken a while to figure out what we have. (it's hard to read medicines, uses and doses by candle light).
Some good news! The little school in the church at Algodonas has received some financial aid and promise of teachers pay cheques from a local charity for Haitians, which is funded out of Holland, Stichting SOSua. Meanwhile Elio and Fundacion Samaritano are looking for a group to run the new school that will be opening in Algodonas in September. Elio's idea is that the school should be available to every child in the village regardless of sponsorship which the available school management systems don't do. They only accept children who have sponsors for the $30/month. (How he is going to manage that I don't know, but God seems to do miracles here everyday.)
As for ourselves, although usually sweaty, dirty, uncomfortable and exhausted, God has blessed us with work to do and keeps us quite happy and full of joy. We complain a lot about physical things but we feel incredibly blessed Spiritually. I wake in the middle of the night and with tears and thank God for allowing us to be here.
Please continue to pray for us and our village (Los Algodonas) we still need a miracle -- permission to build the homes.
God Bless you.
Dave and Sandy
