Five guys, one lady, and a series of swinging bridges. Amazingly no one got wet.
Bread delivery Dominican style
28 Oct
Believe it or not, this guy has already delivered half his bread. When he starts in the morning you can’t even see someone is driving the motorcycle! Gasoline and cars are expensive, yet fresh bread is a must. So these little bikes are everywhere and their drivers are incredibly inventive in getting the most out of this most convenient mode of transportation.
Last view of Santo Domingo
20 Oct
I’ve gotta come back here and add a day to enjoy the ocean. The diving is supposed to be wonderful. Believe me, this has not been my surroundings these past five days!
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Quick update from the DR
20 Oct
Incredible ministry here in the DR. Holistic, Christ centered, disciple making, team led.
A Common Theme: Connecting
17 OctMy life in the past month could be summed up by one word: Connecting. Time alone in an empty house during my first “official” personal retreat day allowed me to connect with God meaningfully. An introduction at church allowed me to connect with a doctor who works with the underserved in a Christian clinic in La Carpio, and has provided an opportunity to use my skills to minister to those in need. Facebook has allowed me to reconnect with individuals from high school and college whose lives intersected mine in a specific time and place. My older children attend the college in which Brian and I met over 25 years ago—and I was able to reconnect with them while attending my 25th year class reunion, and with my maid of honor and matron of honor. My spiritual mentors from high school and bubbly blonde Diane shared our lives over pie at Bakers Square, and a late night Christmas shopping spree at Walmart.
Such connections are manifestations of God’s grace and goodness, encouraging us to continue on, and to offer hope and love to individuals who are disconnected, discouraged and hopeless. Jesus spoke of connection in John 15- He referred to Himself as the true vine and discussed the importance of abiding in Him—and of the converse, a branch not connected, which withers, dies, and yields no fruit. Are you connected? Am I?
How we treat our guests
13 Oct
Anna washes dishes while instructing our guest in the finer points of rinsing.
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Hiking La Carpintera
11 Oct
Sunday on my own…a hike into the hills seemed in order. So I called my friend Rick to join me and we hiked into the cloud forest of the little mountain ridge called La Carpintera. Behind Rick in the first picture were five of the largest aloe vera plants I’d ever seen. Not pictured (but true) one had a central stem that rose 30 feet into the sky through the surrounding forest. In the second picture is seen the Central Valley area of Costa Rica where half the population of the country lives.
Nice hike up, but my bad knee (thanks to a little motorcycle accident in Pakistan many years ago) had some trouble coming back down. Time for some ibuprofen, ice, and a good book.
Kart race in mall parking lot
10 Oct
Anna and I were out tooling around and ran into a professional kids kart race…right in a mall parking lot. The drivers couldn’t have been more than six years old but they handled high speed turns like pros. Lots of fun but it sure made it hard to find somewhere to park!
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Dinner with Tico friends
8 Oct
Typical food with long conversation is part of every dinner with friends all over the world. Costa Rica is no exception.
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Personal retreat day
7 Oct
Each month I schedule a personal retreat day to pray, think, reprioritize and refuel. Today I am in the mountains of San Ramon de Tres Rios.
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