Adios....

My time in the DR is officailly over. We just returned from our staff retreat to the beach, and with the exception of rain from Ernesto, the weekend was great. Tonight we picked up Pica Pollo for my last meal in the DR. This summer has been a great three month sabbatical for me. I would say that the biggest lesson that I have learned this summer is to stay disciplined in life, both spiritually and physically. It was also great seeing my Dominican family again. It is difficult leaving some of them behind. I will miss the Troyers and the Entrekins very much. These two families have opened their homes to me and accepted me into their families. I thank God so much for Lowell, Cheryl, Alicia, Brooke, Brian, Sissy, Mary Emily, and Isabelle. As I move on from my time here there are a few things that I want to take home with me. I want to take home the hospitality and relational way of life that is here in the DR. I also want to take home the heart to serve that is easy to take to the ministry sites but difficult to take to work with you everyday. The people of the DR will always hold a special place in my heart and I cannot wait to return soon. I am now moving on to a transitional period of my life. I have a very busy month ahead of me, headed by a job interview with a church in Marietta, GA. I am praying that God directs me to where He wants me to serve for the next phase of my life. Thank you for all of your prayers and support for my ministry this summer. I will miss the DR very much, but I have a peace knowing that God has this place in His hands and I will be back soon. Adios.....

Pico Duarte Day 4....

Our 4 day adventure is complete! We hiked 1540 meters downhill over 14 km. Today's hike was fairly easy since it was mostly down hill but we still did quite a bit of walking. We crossed the bridge to the end around 1:00 this afternoon. We were very excited to see the truck and be able to head home. All in all this once a once in a lifetime experience for us (partly b/c we wont ever walk that far again). First, it was a great accomplishment finishing this trip and helping one another along the way. Also, it was great to spend 4 days with some of my closest friends during my last week in the DR. There were a lot of memories made from this trip and I will never forget it. But after walking 29 miles and gaining 6,000 feet of elevation I am definitely ready for our trip to the beach this weekend!

It felt good turning our back to Pico Duarte and heading home...

Pico Duarte Day 3....

We have reached the top of Pico Duarte! We woke up this morning and hiked up 637 meters over 5 km to reach the peak. The view was awesome. At the top is a statue of Juan Pablo himself, which we dressed in a Students International shirt. We spent about an hour at the top hanging out, taking pictures, and having some snacks. It felt so good to reach the top of the mountain. After reaching the peak we hiked down to camp and were back by lunch. We were supposed to stay there and hike the rest of the way on Day 4 but we talked our guide into leaving the shelter and starting our trek back today. We hiked to Aguita Fria, getting the tough uphill swtichbacks out of our way for the last day and shaving about 3 hours off our time. Once we got to Aquita Fria we set up camp, which were half tarps, half tents. Just as we got set up we got hit with a hail storm. It was actually quite amusing, considering you never expect to see hail in the DR in August. It was cold, but it added to the adventure. Once the hail storm passed the sky cleared up beautifully and we enjoyed smores over the fire for the rest of the night. All in all this was the best day. Time to head back down the mountain tomarrow.

A cross at the peak of the mountain....

Pico Duarte Day 2....

We woke up when it was still darkand cold. After some bread, jelly, and coffee we hit the trails for Day 2 around 6:30 am. The morning started with an hour and 45 minute hike to La Cotorra (1720 mts) and an hour to La Laguna (1980 mts). The picture on the right is at La Laguna, where we hiked to the top of the mountain in the background and then back down part of the other side. The first part of that stretch was a steep 25 minute hike up to El Cruce (2180 mts). Then came our hardest stretch of the trip, a 2 hour and 45 minute hike, going up 500 meters over 3 km to Aguita Fria (2650 mts). Luckily we stopped for lunch in the middle because that was a tough hike. From there it was down hill 200 meters through a series of swtichbacks to camp for the night. Once we reached La Comparticion (2450 mts) we hopped into a spring for a "shower" in 50 degree water. We had some spaghetti for dinner, made a fire, and went to bed about 8:30. We had hiked from 6:30 am - 5:30 pm, so it was a long day, but tomarrow we reach the peak!

We hiked 14.1 km and climbed about 1200 meters on Day 2...

Pico Duarte Day 1....

Brian, Jose, Nate, Joel, and I took off for Pico Duarte this morning. Pico Duarte is named after Juan Pablo Duarte, one of the founding fathers of the DR. It is also the highest point in the Carribean, standing at 10,127 feet. After packing our bags and driving out to La Cienega, we hit the trails for our first part of the hike. Day 1 was definitely just a warm up day. We hiked 4 km into Los Tablones where we stayed in a shelter for the night. The sign told us that this would be a 2 hour climb, but it took us a mere hour and 10 minutes. We had mac and cheese for dinner, played cards, and chilled around the fire. We need much rest tonight because Day 2 lies ahead and it is going to be our most diffucult day....

Jose, Me, Brian, Joel, and Nate at the start of the trail...

Postcard from the Dominican....#5

We just completed out last 2 week outreach of the summer and it was a great finishing group. Friday night was a very special time as we had our last banquet of the summer. Usually during the banquet the staff will present the outreach team with a certificate and thank every individual member of their site. On Friday night, the students presented our staff with a card and individually thanked our site leaders. It was a time that really blessed our staff for their service this summer. It was a special time to share together. I now head into my last week here in the DR... a week of vacation! I leave in the morning for a 4 day hike up Pico Duarte, the highest point in the Caribbean. We return Thursday from the hike and we take off for the beach from Friday until Sunday. It should be a great last week here with my Dominican Family.

Parasite!

Yesterday I woke up at 3:45 in the morning to an awful pain in my stomach. I was not able to get back to sleep after. I kept having to go to the bathroom and I kept feeling worse and worse. Around 7:00 I took a sample in to the clinic. It turns out I had parasites in my stomach. I stayed home and slept all day (when I wasnt in the bathroom). I am on antibiotics now and I am a little better than yesterday. I am pumping Gatorade in me so I dont get dehydrated. I still feel a little week. I am supposed to leave on a 4 day hike on Sunday so pray that I can be at full strength so I dont miss the trip.

Pica Pollo!

Pica Pollo is one of the finest establishments not only on the island, but maybe in the world. It is a staple in my dominican diet. I make sure I eat there once a week. It is a street vendor in Jarabacoa that serves pechuginas (deep fried chicken strips) and tostones. It was also the first place I ever ate in the DR. I will have to go as many times as I can over my last week and a half.

My Last Game.....

I have had the privelage of playing on our church league softball team all summer. Last night was my last game with the team. It was an awesome night. First, at church the team called me foward to thank me and pray for me. Then they presented me with a softball shirt. The front says Dominicano Soy which means "I am Dominican." The back has Wilson and the number 2 on it. They also told me I am now a citizen of the DR. After church we headed out to the field to play. I went 3-5 with 2 doubles and a diving catch in center. After the game the all laid hands on me and prayed. It was a great night. I loved playing with my team and I will miss them a lot.

Congratulations Annie!

Last summer I was able to help build a house for Maritza. Last week Maritza became a grandmother for the first time as her daughter Annie gave birth to her son Anyel. Annie also works at the the school in El Callejon and my mom got the chance to work with her in March. Congratulations Annie and Maritza!

My New Dentist....

Today I got to expereince getting my teeth cleaned in the DR. I have been well overdue for a teeth cleaning but it was much more cost effective to do it here than at home. Vanesa is the Dentistry site leader and she is an amazing woman of God. She does a great job at the site. She is so sweet that she can make it seem painless to get a tooth pulled (without novacain). In fact, if Mary Emily is about to lose a tooth, Vanesa is the only one she will let take it out. She did a great job cleaning my teeth and even educated me on my dentistry knowledge. I learned that because I breathe through my mouth so much it is effecting my front teeth. I guess that means I have to get sinus surgery again so I can breathe through my nose. She also keeps me and Jose in line. When we are not behaving she threatens to pull my teeth out. Vanesa thank you for being the godly woman you are and for all the work you do at SI.

Postcard from the Dominican....#4

I am about to head into my last outreach here in the DR. I have 2 weeks left of work then I will have a week of vacation before going home. This past outreach we had our largest group ever with 56 students. It was crazy. The highlight of the outreach was the night we had Dinner in the Community. I made spaghetti and breadsticks and took it to Marisol's for dinner. It was so good spending time with her and her family and providing a meal for them. They are in a very tough situation right now and I am praying about how best God can use me and my resources to help them while still teaching them responsibility. Pray for me with that. I am looking foward to the next group coming on Monday and seeing what God does during the final outreach of the summer. Pray that God brings good closure to my time here and that I get to spend time with those I love over the next few weeks. Saying goodbye is going to be tough, but I look foward to seeing everybody at home in 3 weeks!