cockroaches and mosquito nets...

I’ve been here in the Dominican Republic now for 2 1/2 weeks and I still find that I am learning more and more each day. I live with a Dominican family and have Spanish classes for 3 hours each day. My time spent at my new “home” with my new “family” has been a stretching time, but also a very rewarding time. I have a mom, dad, sister and brother. I don’t have a roommate from Bethel like all of the other students, so it has been a little different and difficult at times, but God is good and put two Bethel students at a house next door with my new “extended family.” Dan and Cory have now become my cousins, so I see them on a regular basis outside of class.
As for the cockroaches and mosquito nets, these are things I encounter almost everyday. I sleep with a nice bright blue mosquito net over my bed so I don’t get eaten alive at night. I never thought I would be so thankful for a mosquito net. My best cockroach story so far is about the one I found when I grabbed the roll of toilet paper. I had part of my hand inside of the cardboard roll and I felt something inside of it so I cringed and dropped the roll and out ran a cockroach. Now, it doesn’t surprise me much when I see flys, spiders, cockroaches, ants, or even a giant slug crawling across the wall during breakfast.
With all of the cultural changes, among other things, I am being stretched. Overall though, everything is going great and I am enjoying being here and bonding with my group!

Oh, and yesterday was a day of firsts for me:

1. It was my first bucket shower!!! The water was freezing...no joke. I stood in the shower holding a bucket over me...((the power just went out!!--it does that a lot....)) anyways, i was holding the bucket over me and it really took me a couple moments to convince myself to actually pour the freezing cold water all over me. After the first buckets, it wasnt tooo bed. So yah, that was fun. It might have actually been better than my ice cold shower this morning.

2. I got diarreah for the first time here. (im sure you all cared). I had just been saying recently how I hadn't gotten sick...and boom..i got sick. I took medicine though..and it made everything better.

so yah, thats all for now.
:)
take care.

Welcome to Jarabacoa!

I am officially in the Dominican Republic! It's our 4th day here. So far we have been having orientation, learning about the culture and how our new lives here are going to be. Last night we had a merengue class and a dominos lesson (two very big things here :) ) Oh, and merengue, for those of you who dont know, is a form of latin dancing. Today we will be moving in with our host families. I am the only one without a roommate from our group, but I found out yesterday I have a "host sister" who is 22 and I will be sharing a room with here, so I now have a Dominican roommate. I also have a "host brother" who is 18, and then a mom and dad. I am really excited to meet the family, but I am also nervous to start living there. Luckily, I do have "cousins" that are from our group. They are living with my "host aunt." Well, we are about to have breakfast, but I just wanted to keep everyone posted on a little bit of whats going on.

until next time.....

Welcome to the DR

Well, for those of you who don't know, I started my newest adventure today by coming to the Dominican Republic. I'll be here until December 17th. Im here with a group of 14 other students. We are going to be learning Spanish together and serving in ministry sites. I have an internship at the microfinancing site. It is my first evening here, so not much has happened. Luckily, all of our luggage made it and breakfast isnt until 9am tomorrow. :) on the other side of things, i am developing a cold..so please keep me in your prayers. Well, I do not have much to share other than that we made it safely.

Ill let you know what else is going on soon!!

-Ali