Transitioning to normalcy in the Dominican Republic

Ma and Pa Kay, June 06

From my favorite perch on the end of the sofa, I can clearly see the gold-rimmed clock that newly hangs on our dining room wall. The clock itself is not tremendously valuable. I’m sure you could buy one similar to it at Wal-Mart. But the slow moving hands mean more to me than the passing of time—they are a reminder of my continuing responsibilities as a mom.

You see I have 45 children at present! They range in age from 20-25; and I confess I sometimes call them by the wrong names! These young Haitians, attending university here in Santiago, couldn’t be with their mothers on Mother’s Day; so they honored both Bob and me as their spiritual parents with the gift of the clock. To make the occasion even more special, in true Haitian style, they recited French poetry by memory. And shy (so we thought) Agnes sang us a special song in front of everybody. Several expressed their gratitude for our investment in their lives. So we pass this gratitude along to you who make it possible for us to serve the Lord here in this university ministry.

Like most college age children, they sometimes ask for money. Because of your generosity, we can help them with urgent needs—antibiotics for an infection, dental work for an aching tooth, an advance for the rent because the money hasn’t yet been wired from Haiti. As parents we pray for and with them, teach them the Word, occasionally give advice, and provide plenty of snack food! (But we don’t hand over the car keys!)

We are thankful for the Lord’s grace in our lives. Not having children of our own has not been the emotional burden for us that it is for some couples. Although we haven’t been blessed with children bearing the Kay genes, we do have a quiver-full wearing blue jeans! Our desire for them, and we ask you to pray toward this end, is that they walk in the truth. Some are new to this path. Others have been on it for awhile, but are easily side-tracked. Six of the Haitian students have been baptized in the last two months. In our studies lately, we’ve been trying to clarify for them what Christ did on our behalf on the cross and the eternal security available to those who believe in Him. Pray that they will understand the reality and the applicability of Christ’s finished work for them.

Pray also for wisdom for us as parents as we teach and counsel. Pray that we would openly share our lives with these special young men and women.Thanks for your prayers as we strive to create one community from two cultures in the Villa Olímpica church. The number of Haitians attending the morning worship now equals the number of Dominicans, and the church is running out of space! What a delight it was this past Sunday to see six Haitians and five Dominicans singing together in a men’s chorus. Only in Christ is that possible in this culture.

We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. 1 Thessalonians 1.8

Moving Mano in one carload, Mar 06

Sweating heavily as he moves down the court, Bob realizes he no longer has the moves of a 20-year-old. However, even if he’s a little slower than the teenagers guarding him, his aim is sure as he steps back and sinks a 3-pointer. In slow but sure moves, lives are changing as relationships are built. Because of the Saturday afternoon basketball games with the men and their sons from Central, the Dominican church we attend, three teenagers now come to church.

The Haitian Bible study we lead at the Villa Olímpica Bible Church has grown to 45. We are currently training five small group leaders. Two weeks ago we had the privilege of praying with two of the students as they received Christ as their Savior. They had been coming for several months and were basically loved into the Kingdom by others in the study. The Haitian students have seen God’s loving provision as he has answered prayers for housing, jobs, and basic necessities.

Bob helped Mano move this week. It took one carload to move him. Despite the shared bathroom, his new private room has a bed, chair, table, and closet. Some of the other students aren’t so fortunate—they have to buy furniture while sharing small dorm-style rooms with people they hardly know. Mano was a little upset because he had paid this month’s rent at his old place. But our Bible study group leaders counseled him to let it go, since neither former Haitian roommates nor Dominican landlords will easily refund rent money. We praise the LORD for this Godly counsel (1 Corinthians 6.7) and the spiritual growth it reveals in our group!

Building trust from mistrust, Nov 05

Maneuvering down four flights of stairs to the car each Sunday afternoon while juggling gallons of juice; bags full of chips, cookies, and crackers; song sheets and Bibles isn’t easy. But I realize that it is well worth the trouble as I look at the university students talking casually to each other while devouring every morsel of food. (These kids are hungry!) Providing snacks for the Haitian Bible study is helping to develop a sense of community within the group.

Satan’s legacy in Haiti is a people who do not trust each other. Even among Christians, Haitians are reserved with those they don’t know well. We never quite realized the depth of that reserve until coming here to the Dominican Republic. The contrast in cultures is evident after the Sunday service at the Villa Olímpica church, where more than 60 Haitians now attend. The talkative Dominicans stay to greet one another, while most of the Haitians are already out the door on their way home, without even speaking to each other.

We praise the Lord that the Bible study in Créole is beginning to break down this reserve. Agnes—shy, with beautiful eyes and long, beaded braids—is studying nursing at the university. Her first three months here she felt very alone. She hardly left her apartment except to go to class. Now, after attending the study for several weeks, she has friends who greet her on campus. She feels like she has a family here. In addition, a few brave students are venturing out to join weekly small groups with the Dominican believers. Some will participate in the upcoming church Christmas program as well.

By the time you read this, Christmas will be fast approaching. It’s still quite hot here during the day, but Santa Claus is already swinging from the large tree outside of the electric company. My neighbors started decorating for Christmas in October. If you want to celebrate Christmas Dominican style, have the whole family over on Christmas Eve. Roast a pig in the back yard or out in the parking lot. Visit, party and exchange gifts until the early hours of the morning, and then sleep in on Christmas day.

Comfort, the god of all? July 05

The breeze has died down to a whisper in the early hours before dawn. The distant sound of waves lapping the La Pointe, Haiti shore is now drowned out by the insistent buzzing of mosquitoes in my ear. It's too hot to cover up with a sheet, and the itching of multiple bites tells me the insect repellant I liberally sprayed on earlier has not lived up to its name. Oh for electricity and a fan at this moment!

I confess I like comfort. I know that God is the God of all comfort. But as I lay here in the dark wondering if it was worth it to come back to chaotic Haiti, I have to ask myself, "Has it become comfort, the god of all?" However, in Haiti pwomès se dèt—a promise is a debt. Bob promised to return to teach the book of Hebrews in the La Pointe summer Bible school, where six La Tortue church leaders and 43 others from Northwest Haiti are completing their fourth and final year of study. So, after a two-year absence, we are back in Haiti for two weeks.

As we crossed the border on a bus from the Dominican Republic, the roads became rougher, the crowds of people more intense, and the poverty more palpable. The political situation in Port-au-Prince is precarious as gangs terrorize neighborhoods. Each day several people are kidnapped and held for ransom. At first, the victims were members of the business class. Now even market ladies and shoeshine boys may be taken for the meager amounts their families can pay. The effect has been widespread fear and paralysis of most business activity in the capital.

Times are hard financially. There's a growing sense of hopelessness as people wonder if Haiti has a future. Already the shutdown of businesses in Port-au-Prince is making it difficult for the hospital here to find supplies and medications.But was it worth it to come back? YES!! In the midst of the insecurity and physical discomfort of life in Haiti, our hearts have been comforted and encouraged by good reports from several of the La Tortue churches. Elice, a homegrown seminary graduate, is working at Montry and teaching Bible classes. The radio station, 4VET, has been faithfully maintained, and now airs 10 hours of evangelical programming each day. And the 49 leaders had a great time studying about how God comforts us in difficult circumstances in the book of Hebrews.

One happy family? Mar 05

HUMILITY 101—Bob cheerfully tells a new friend that we’ve been tired for 13 years, when he meant to say that we’ve been married for 13 years. Perhaps there’s a correlation there?! —My heart is pounding and my palms are sweaty after being asked to pray aloud in front of a group. I’m wondering if I really understood the requests that were given. I find new meaning in Romans 8:26, “We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us.”

ONE HAPPY FAMILY? How can I describe this society? Dominicans are a very warm and emotional people. Family is very important. However, families are becoming more fragmented through divorce and estranged relationships. Indebtedness and living for momentary pleasures result in heavy drinking. Many struggle with depression. Among the relatively small group of people that we know, three families have had loved ones attempt suicide in the last five months. In the midst of these suffering families, God raises up His family, the church. We’ve seen God working in and through the church family here to restore relationships, heal emotions, and lead friends to Christ. The church recently had to buy 60 more chairs to accommodate the increased attendance at the worship services. Currently, the church is preparing for a 40 Days of Purpose campaign.

Comparing the DR and Haiti, Oct 04

“Their right-of-way ends where my skin begins,” I commented to Bob as we threaded our way through the traffic of Santiago, Dominican Republic. There must be a required course here on aggressive driving. Drivers run red lights, cut each other off, and go the wrong way on one-way streets, all the while using the horn liberally.

As it was in Haiti, the Dominican approach to personal space is, “Take it!” Bob’s response to all this? Go with the flow!! He has adapted quickly to Dominican driving, claiming his right-of-way along with the rest. He sings and laughs while dodging other cars. Although my sense of humor is not so well-tuned, I am grateful that our Nissan Sentra is small enough to get through most traffic snarls. And we are delighted to have paved roads.

We arrived in Santiago September 20. After a week of unpacking boxes and arranging the apartment, we began studying Spanish. Our ears are trying to tune in the Dominican accent, while our tongues are limbering up to try to match their speed. Afternoons are also for adventures—like searching for hardware stores that sell faucets, windowpanes, and screens. We find that, away from the steering wheel, Dominicans are very patient and kind! Although we have to search though several stores, we are amazed at how much is available here compared to Haiti.

We can’t help comparing the DR to Haiti—two very different countries on the same island. We still see an occasional lady astride her donkey, straw saddlebags full of vegetables to sell. Only now the donkey seems out of place trotting along the sidewalk next to four lanes of traffic. The rice and beans, fruits, and vegetables are the same as in Haiti, only more plentiful, and I can now shop for these in an air-conditioned supermarket!

Yes, our life has been modernized. The telephone has replaced our ham radio. A cell phone takes the place of the 2-meter radio. DSL-speed email has definitely increased the speed of our communication to the states. Bob can now get news and SPORTS up to the minute, instead of waiting for weeks! In place of mountain trails, we now walk up four flights of stairs to our apartment. Piped water from town has replaced gathering rainwater in water cisterns. The sweet sound of flushing toilets has replaced our LaTortue outhouse. Although we still have an inverter and batteries for blackouts, solar panels and generators have given way to almost 24 hour/day electricity. A washing machine has replaced the wash lady who washed our clothes by hand.