"Llego La Luz"

This is what you say when the electricity has been out and it comes back on. Eric used to say it all the time when he was little. It means "Here come the lights!" or literally "The lights are arriving!" We said it on Tuesday for the first time, so I thought it was an appropriate title.

On Tuesday...

The first full day of life in the DR is coming to a close. I am sitting at my mother-in-law’s table after feeding Eric his dinner. It is 6:30 and dark and there is no electricity. We have a back-up generator, but it only gives enough power to use one or two lights at a time. Not enough to use the refrigerator. All of the windows are open and there is a gentle breeze keeping the temperature warm, but mild. Eric keeps running to the patio to look over the bars at the kids playing in the parking lot. There are two kinds of meringue music playing over each other in the background. Eric is out trying to get a cell phone and Edi is working late. I feeling a little relieved to be alone with Eric and not struggling to listen or communicate, however I am feeling a little lonely, too. The feeling of being locked in behind the iron bars covering our door and knowing there is no electricity is just enough out of my comfort zone to make me long for familiar Boston.

We have had a crazy last few days, as you can imagine. Just what I expected a change this big would bring. We have seen what we recognize as the hand of God guiding us and giving us a glimpse of himself in the midst of all of this. I read something today about how sometimes just when He seems complicated He draws us stick figures that . I would say this is how we could sum up a lot of what’s happened to us in the past four days.

It started on Friday morning, the day before we left, when hours later we were to deliver our car to the shipping company. We discovered we didn’t have the title to our car. In a miraculous moment of talking to the right person at the right time who had compassion on our situation, we were able to get the title and deliver the car that same day. Of course, not without driving about 100 miles from one end of the Boston area to the other and back again, but it didn’t matter at that point.

That night we were stuffing our suitcases full of diapers, clothes, Eric’s books, toys, shoes, etc. to discover that every one of our four large suitcases was overweight. We spent hours with the help of some great friends trying to rearrange and take things out to send later only to give in and resolve to pay the overweight fee. What we hoped, and was told by three airline employees was impossible, was to only pay the fee once from Boston to Puerto Rico and not a second time when we flew from Puerto Rico to the Dominican Republic two days later (even though it was part of the same ticket). In Puerto Rico I rearranged again and loaded up our carry-ons, which were almost as heavy as our bags, and we had several (we were using the limits of our baggage allocations here). I was able to par down a little. When we got to the airport the woman at the checkout counter explained to us what we already knew about why the airline policy was to charge for the second flight as well even though we explained we were moving and the it was a big sum of money (believe me). She proceeded to weigh each of our bags in at about 15 pounds over the limit and check us in and then she handed us the tickets and said she wasn’t going charge us because she was the only one who saw the scale. After the emotional roller coaster ride of the whole move I couldn’t hold it in and started crying right there. We knew it was a movement of God through the kindness of this woman. We lugged our two backpacks stuffed with books, huge tote with books, baby things and a clock radio, a roller bag too heavy to lift up to the overhead bin on the plane, a guitar, my pillow and kid in stroller to the gate and onto the plane with a HUGE sigh of relief.

When flew over the DR as we were landing. I had a mix of emotions swirling around inside me. I was excited about what lie ahead, relieved to just get into the country, sad about leaving my comfortable life that fit us both so well, and nervous about all of the challenges to be faced (language and Eric getting sick topping the list).

We went thru immigration, paid our fee, got a stamp in our passports, picked up our baggage (two carts were necessary), flew thru customs and met Eric’s mom with open arms. It was raining and muggy, but we were here!

Eric’s family in Santo Domingo came over last night. Two aunts, two uncles, five cousins, one sister, one brother-in-law and a grandmother all greeting us and welcoming us in true Dominican style. Eric played with the cousins and was really happy and relaxed. I tried my best to use as much Spanish as I could and listened as well as I could to the conversations around me. Several people told me my Spanish was much improved and complimented me. I’ve got a lot to learn, but I gave it my best shot last night.

So here we are. Eric’s playing at my feet. The electricity just came back on, which means the ice cream we just bought will start to re-freeze. I’ve already had Dominican coffee with my breakfast and rice and beans for lunch. We’ve tackled the grocery store looking for food for Eric and the lunch I am going to make tomorrow. We have unpacked our four suitcases as much as is possible while we are staying at Eric’s mom’s house. We are rested and you know what? It’s really not that hot. It’s been a little humid, but breezy and nice like what you hope it feel like on an island. Let’s just see what tomorrow brings.