Six Months In

That's right...we've been here six months already and it feels like such a great milestone to celebrate. The newness of our new life has worn off, the good as well as the bad. We are settled. What a thing to finally say after many months of transition that started well before we arrived in the Caribbean.

A new season has come and gone, and although we don't have winter and spring or summer and fall there is a dry and a rainy season. As I write this we are being pounded with rain for the __th day in a row...seriously, I have stopped counting. All I know is that it's really tough to do laundry in this weather when you rely on the sun to dry your clothes. And, our street is literally an impassable lake at the moment. Hopefullly, our first hurricane season, which starts June 1st, will be q-u-i-e-t.

I have so many emotions and thoughts swirling around in my head as I think about our last six months. It has been a growing experience for our family and for me personally. The first few months were some of the toughest months of my life. The transition here was a lot more difficult than I had expected. It wasn't so much the lack of water or electricity during the day, the adjustment to living so close to family (and latino family for that matter) or the change in our environment. I think the move brought up a lot of discontent in me that I had been able to suppress for awhile. That and a total lack of freedom resulted in behavior I am neither proud of or want to visit again. BUT, and that is the key word, growth comes from struggle. At the end of my emotional rope I started crying out to God for some relief and it came. Thank God for it. I am determined to hang on tight to Him through prayer and never to visit those darker days again. I am actually looking ahead with a smile on my face instead of wishing I could be anywhere but here. And, I realized last Sunday while singing a simple song at church with the words, "Gracias, gracias mi señor, gracias mi señor Jesus," that for the first time in six months I was glad to be living here.

We are all doing really well. Eric is busy and thriving at work. Failing students in his classes, haha. We just celebrated his birthday this Tuesday and I made Strawberry Shortcake with strawberries from Jarabacoa in the mountains.

Little Eric is talking up a storm in Spanish...not so much in English, although he understands EVERYTHING in both languages. It's so cute to here him talk in Spanish, but I am hoping he catches up in English soon or he'll be teaching me Spanish! He is getting ready to celebrate his 2nd birthday with help from Elmo and a visit from his family in Providence (Eric's dad, stepmom, brother and stepbrother are coming to visit). He is CRAZY for cars ("carro" is what he says) and his trains ("choo-choo"). He pretty much plays with them all day linking them together to make a long choo-choo out of them. Can you guess what we are planning on getting him for his birthday?

I have met some great new friends, who at times have been lifesavers, through my Bible study with American women. It's such a nice feeling to know you have friends to call on when you need a little break...from the culture, motherhood, your family, etc. Many of them are doing some amazing work with various ministry projects around the area. One project in particular has been special to me as I have been able to volunteer little bits of time when I can. My friend, Ina (who actually worked in minstry in NE) has a special ministry to women who are making necklaces and small sewing projects to sell. Ina sells what the women make to visiting groups and is hoping to start shipping some things over to the states to sell there. All of the money goes back to these women. It has literally changed some of their lives. I have developed a pattern for an easy bag that you wear across your chest that they can sew (thanks to Stacey and Anne for the bag they brought me from Turkey). And, I have been sewing a few (12 to be exact) for my missionary friends to take back with them to the states as gifts. I never thought sewing would be something I could use to serve others, but it seems to be something God is using.

We are still looking for a church. We have been to several and like some of them, but just haven't found the right one for us yet. Eric is doing a lot better about being in Sunday School, which is g-r-e-a-t. I actually don't dread Sunday mornings anymore.

We have been able to see some of the island and are looking forward to taking a trip back to our favorite beach, Las Terrenas, when Eric's family gets here for a short weekend jaunt. If it stops raining we might head to the mountains this weekend. I was planning to go to the Zoo tomorrow with Eric's colegio class, but since it looks like more rain it was cancelled and that means a stir crazy day is ahead of us.

Life is good, but man we still miss friends and family in the states like crazy! Well, six down...who knows how many more are ahead of us on this crazy Caribbean tour!