Recycling

Well, our Christmas tree went to the dogs - literally. The watchdogs that guard the church during the night decided to "play" with the Christmas tree. They tipped the tree over and chewed on the branches and broke most of the ornaments. There was not much left of what had been a beautiful Christmas decoration. So our beautiful tree was recycled and now we have several decorative wreaths, hung high up on the walls!

Recycling is a very common thing in third world countries. Nothing is ever thrown out. Everything is fixed again and again until it cannot be fixed anymore and then it is taken apart and used as parts for repairing other items!

One very common item that is recycled is the oil drum. You see them everywhere. Most people use them for garbage cans. But some creative people have used them for dog houses. And we see them used as grills that hold quite a large quantity of meat for barbecuing.

We also see many people that push carts around town looking for things that can be reused or sold. Rule number one is - never throw anything away! If you do, expect someone to pick it out of the trash and find some use for it. This man pushes his cart around our neighborhood. Usually he is looking through the trash for empty bottles which he can trade in for a peso a piece. This is his income to take care of his family.

It is really interesting to see how things that could be trash become useful items. Chewed up trees become beautiful wreaths, oil drums become grills, used bottles become a family's income. And here also, God has deigned to recycle souls - from sinner to saints. His Word is changing hearts by washing away sin and guilt and giving forgiveness and hope. People who feel "chewed up" by their sins and rejected and "thrown out" by others hear the good news of forgiveness in Jesus and that because of His perfect life and innocent death, God has a use for them - to serve Him and to speak of His love to others.

So, even though we had to recycle our tree, our hope is still strong. This past Sunday over 80 recycled souls attended worship service to hear that their sins separate them from God, but that because of Jesus, in His great love and mercy He will still find a useful purpose for them in this life. Trees becomes wreaths, oil drums become grills, bottles become pesos, sinners become saints.

Remain Calm

"Place the oxygen mask over your nose and mouth. Breathe normally. Remain calm".

Anyone who has ever flown hears these words over and over again before the plane leaves the ground. But they are not the words you want to hear when the plane has reached cruising altitude. On a recent flight, our plane had reached 25,000 feet and we were expecting the flight to go well when the pilot announced that the plane was losing pressure. The pilot started a steep decline and the oxygen masks fell out of the ceiling. As everyone worked at putting on the masks, the plane kept going down until we leveled out at 10,ooo feet. After about 15 minutes we were allowed to take off the oxygen masks.

At that time, the man sitting next to me was visibly shaking. The first words he said were, "What if we had all died?" During the remaining portion of the flight I was able to tell him about the Savior. Jesus lived the perfect life we have not been able to live. He gives us that perfection which we have not earned and do not deserve. What happens to all the sins that we have already committed? Jesus paid for all of them with his innocent death on the cross. His perfect life and innocent death are all we need to enter heaven. And He gives them to us freely.

A frightening situation became the open door to talk to someone about the peace God gives us through faith in his Son Jesus. Now we do not need to fear death because we know what comes after this life ends. We can be calm, Jesus is there.

Cholera

Now that the hurricane is past and the rains have stopped we are watching the cholera situation. The official count now lists the number of deaths from cholera nearing 1,000, with another 12,000 being treated. Because of the poor hygiene conditions in Haiti, the bacteria is spreading at an accelerated rate. The poor living conditions and lack of clean water aid the spread of the bacteria.

With the death rate exceeding 100 per day, there is a problem of what to do with all the deceased. There is a shortage of coffins and also unavailable space to bury the people. More and more cases are appearing in Port au Prince where the situation is especially precarious since the city is still full of rubble from the January earthquake and since so many are still living in tents.

People on the Dominican side of the border are watching the situation in Haiti and hoping the cholera will not spread to this side of the island. There have not been any "official" cases of cholera in the DR yet, although there have been several reported cases. For the past two weeks the border has been closed and the authorities are keeping a tight watch on anyone coming over the border, most Haitians are not allowed to cross into the DR. The border was opened for a short time this past Friday, and three women were trampled in the stampede of people that tried to cross into the DR. This is causing increasing tension between the two countries. The governments of the two countries are trying to come to an agreement of an orderly passage of people over the border, but until they formulate a plan, everyone is watching and waiting.

Thomas

This past weekend hurricane Thomas passed over Hispaniola causing flooding in Haiti and in the Dominican Republic. The first rains started at the beginning of the week and slowly increased as the week went on. By Friday, schools had canceled classes and the rains were coming down quite steadily. The rains continued throughout the weekend, and even this past Sunday it was still raining.

The flooding in Haiti has increased the fear that the cholera will spread. Health officials hope to keep the cholera epidemic from spreading to this side of the island, but with the flooding caused by the hurricane, the fear has increased that the original source of the cholera bacteria will now be swept over much greater areas of Haiti. There have been some reported cases in Port au Prince, but the greatest fear is that it will get into the "tent cities" and cause many more deaths. There have not been any confirmed cases of cholera in the DR so far. Now, the debate has become: can cholera be kept out of the DR - or if it is just a matter of time?

In an effort to keep the cholera from entering the DR, the border has been closed for the past week. Even "healthy" people are not allowed to cross since a person can carry the bacteria for up to a week without showing symptoms of the disease. There has been no word as to when the border might be re-opened.

photos from Listin Diario

Fellowship Sundays

Once a month the congregation gets together to enjoy a fellowship evening. This also works as an opportunity to invite friends and relatives for evangelism opportunities. We always meet new people and have many opportunities to witness. There are usually several activities going on at the same time - the men play dominoes, the children like to play games, the women may play board games or work on preparing the meal. The evening ends when a typical meal is served for all. These get-togethers are very well attended, over 100 people at the September one.

Cholera
The cholera outbreak in Haiti has officially recorded about 300 deaths. We have talked to some people who have actually been in Haiti - they say the number is actually much higher. Many are dying in the countryside without being "officially" registered as a cholera death. Here in the DR we are hearing on the news how to prevent the disease - washing hands, washing fruits and vegetables, don't buy food on the street. There have been some "rumored" cases of cholera here in Santiago, but health officials have yet to confirm that these cases are valid.

Christmas

"Se acabó el año". Christmas trees and decorations are in full swing here and have been for over a month now. The stores are full of Christmas merchandise and a night time drive is lit up with beautiful lights all over the city. Seems like everyone is anxious for the holidays!

Disguises

"Newborns are born with disguises. When you see them, you marvel at how cute they are, how helpless, how beautiful. But this is all just a disguise. You see, beneath this disguise lies a sinful, rebellious heart, an unbeliever, an enemy of God".

This is how Pastor Alex began his sermon this Sunday, explaining the realities of sin and the necessity of baptism. He continued:

"Baptism is such a simple thing. Just water and the Word. Where is the grandeur, the lightning, the ground shaking - announcing that God is working faith and forgiveness in the heart of the child? We don't see it - but we believe it because of the One that promises that it is so."

After this, two children were baptized, sins were forgiven and faith was worked in their hearts. The ground didn't shake, the sky didn't go dark but we believe the promise that these souls received the gift of eternal life. Thanks be to our wonderful Savior who keeps his promises and continues to forgive sins and create faith through the sacrament of baptism.

Rejoicing

This past Sunday we were privileged to have another baptism. The parents were very anxious to have their newborn receive the blessings of forgiveness and faith. The birth was on Wednesday evening and was done by c-section. On Sunday morning, the mother walked about a quarter mile to church, carrying the newborn so he could be baptized. When the pastor asked the parents to come forward for the baptism, you could see the joy on their faces as they walked up to the front with their daughter and their newborn.

Many of the children of the congregation also walked up to the front to see the baptism. They were also curious as to what was happening. What a thing God has worked in these hearts! A whole new generation is learning that God works faith and forgiveness in the heart of a newborn in the sacrament of Baptism, just as He promises.

This was the fifth infant baptism of this year and more are planned for the coming weeks.

What a wonderful blessing to pass on to our children the inheritance of faith that we were given by God's mercy - by grace giving what we have received by grace. The angels are rejoicing and our hearts are full of praise for such a wonderful Savior and for the great gift of Baptism - for babies too!

Rainy Sundays

Most of us are accustomed to going to church and sitting in a quiet sanctuary, enjoying the beautiful stained-glass windows, maybe listening to the organist play inspiring pre-service music.

When you go to other countries, things can be quite different. In the Dominican Republic we usually have to contend with loud motorcycles going by, trucks loaded with speakers blaring music or political ads passing by, or as happened recently - rain! Here is a video of the pastor of the Pueblo Nuevo congregation attempting to preach over the sound of the pouring rain falling on the tin roof.

Haiti. Seven Months

Haiti Prepares for Upcoming Elections

The National Office for ID's has been flooded with people requesting an ID card to be able to vote in the upcoming elections. Every day more than 1,000 people stand in line requesting this identification paper. Unfortunately, there are only 3 offices where citizens can apply. (Alter Presse)


Seven months after the quake, people from the tent cities staged a sit-down in front of the National Palace. They are demanding that the government of President Preval grant them access to decent living quarters. The homeless are fearful of forceful expulsions from the tent cities. Everyone knows that seven months later, the conditions are horrible, a situation of prevailing misery without any respect for the principles and guidance of the UN for the internally displaced. To date, only 3% of the refugees have been relocated. (Alter Presse)


Thirty-four candidates have submitted their names for the upcoming elections. The electoral council has 10 days to approve the validity of the candidates (Aug. 17). The election of Nov. 28 will choose not only a new president but also 10 senators and 89 members of the parliament's lower house.

Haiti's next president will face an enormous task of rebuilding a country devastated by the Jan. 12 earthquake. The office is never an easy job. Presidents have only rarely completed a constitutional five year term. Most in history have been overthrown, assassinated, declared themselves "president for life", or some combination of the three. (Evens Sanon, Haiti Star)

Dominican Cooking

Living in different countries gives you opportunity to learn new ways to do things. I have been invited into many kitchens where Dominican women have shared cooking tips and recipes with me. The first rule of all Dominican cooking - wash your rice before boiling it!

Another thing that at first seemed curious to me was the way in which meat is handled. All meat is washed before it is cooked. Chicken is first cleaned by holding it under running water and then soaked in lemon or vinegar water before cooking, to remove all bacteria. I was really surprised the first time I saw someone put ground beef in a sieve and wash it under running water!

One thing I have seen many times in the DR and have come to see as something "normal" is the way Dominican women open cans. Most homes do not have a can opener. You just use a sharp knife to open the lid of the can. These are some pictures of women opening cans with large kitchen knives.

Some might think it would just be easier to give everyone an opener, but I have come to admire the creativity and ingenuity of these women. They use what they have available to them and use it to create and prepare delicious dishes for their families and guests.