It’s crazy how we take technology and communication for granted…
Here in the DR there is not a postal system like in the states. For example you can hire a moto driver to deliver something to someone’s doorstep in town, but there are no mailboxes…and I’ve yet to figure out the address system here. Bills cannot be paid online, you must go to the business offices. The apartment we live in is one of four rentals in a large house. We live upstairs, and the bills usually get dropped on the front doorstep of the apartment downstairs, even though it says JEFFREY MICHAEL BUCHER on it…just like that:) So, a couple days ago, I mentioned to Jeff that he should probably go check with the electric company to see if our bill was due. He told me he would take care of it next week when he had more time. Well, yesterday afternoon when we arrived home, “no hay luz”…we had no power. He asked one of the neighbors if they had power, and THEY DID. Jeff ran out to try to pay the bill, but they had closed. He had tried calling me, but I didn’t pick up my cell, because at this exact moment it decided to end it’s life as well. Jeff ended up having to pay at a pharmacy last night, and they informed him that power would be on at 8:00 this morning. When we got home last night, he checked our electrical box, and there was a paper stuffed inside saying that our bill was due on March 6th and because it was not paid our electricity was turned off. The power did not return by 8am, so Jeff had to visit the office again to figure out what was going on at 1:00 this afternoon.
My parents are also here this week visiting, and this definitely makes for an eventful time. Here is how our last 24 hours were spent: cold showers (normal DR experience) with candle light, reading by candle light, coffee in the greca, computer batteries dead, no fans…you get the point. In the last 6 months, I have learned how to smile at these experiences that I would have been furious about in the states. I have truly learned how to live simply. I no longer have a smartphone and am learning how to make calls from an LG slide with T9 texting…woot woot!
For those of you who know me well, I am very punctual when it comes to emails, phone calls and texts. I like to have an empty mailbox, and I do not like to leave people hanging. So today, when I finally was reconnected with the world, I realized what it was like to have a full inbox of emails to respond to (like a normal person).
- Reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See?
On to other news, I have been teaching english lessons 1 hour a week at one of our local schools. This has been helping me with my spanish at the same time, since I have to initially be able to explain what I am saying to the students. Last week we talked about parts of the body, and this week I taught them colors and read Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See? It takes a lot of time for me to prepare for just a 1 hour lesson….reminds me of writing lesson plans in college, yikes! Yesterday, when the kids saw me in their classroom, they started drawing pictures of bodies on the chalkboard….I guess that’s what I’m known for:)
- My Spanish/English lesson of “Head, shoulders, knees, and toes”
Jeff is busy wrapping up several weeks of construction. Starting next week he will have a bit of a break from construction teams. This will give him time to work on some personal projects and relax. His parents are also visiting for a week, and we will be able to show them the different SRI ministries throughout the DR. Braegan occasionally gets to visit daddy at work.
- visiting daddy at the construction site
A few weekends ago we ventured to Hondo Valle for Nicole’s birthday…a 2 hour drive. The half was normal driving, but the second hour was only 15 miles of rough, curvy roads. We spent the day at an Ecological park and climbed a mountain. The view from the top was beautiful!
- mountain in Hondo Valle
How you can be praying for us:
–Residency: The process is moving along, we spent 6 hours at the immigration office this past Friday to submit all of our paperwork. I guess there is just one letter that still needs to be submitted, and then hopefully we will be on our way to receiving our Dominican cedulas (Identification cards).
–Health: With the busy weeks and lack of rest at times, our immune systems take a hit.
–Spanish skills: We are both making progress, Jeff more than myself, but we both have much more to learn. Braegan is comprehending both English and Spanish, and I’m sure it won’t be long until her vocabulary is spewing out:)