Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

2012 has gone and 2013 is here. I suppose these numbers don't mean much to God, to whom “one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as a day”. Interesting though, that in a world where many try to forget that God exists, these dates are still counted from the approximate time Christ was born.

The week since I last wrote was a lovely interlude “between chapters”. Tuesday afternoon five of us - at the invitation of friends vacationing in the seaside resorts – spent a couple days at Sosua and Cabarete on the north coast. Each of us enjoyed the ocean in our own way....diving and swimming, wading, walking along the beach, or just resting within the sound of the surf. To Roslyn from Barbados, the sea has always been part of life. To me, who has lived so far from an ocean, it never ceases to be special. This time I actually got IN the water. I wasn't familiar enough to venture very far in, so mostly I got a good pounding from waves coming in and a sand-bath as they retreated. I'm in awe of the force of the swells that continually come, crest, break on the shore and pull back into the sea. We laughed and enjoyed, and had a wonderful turkey dinner (a day late) on December 26 at Sid and Martha's.

Wednesday afternoon, we all went out into the “other world” in the hills away from the shore for the study meeting at Nicolas and Eusabia's. The verses in our study were so fitting....Micah 6, “What does the Lord require of thee? To do justly; to love mercy; and to walk humbly with thy God”. Things that are possible for the very poorest as well as the richest; the old and the young; for those of every nation and all situations. This couple, among the poorest in this world's goods, felt “rich” that afternoon. Again and again he expressed how thankful and how privileged he felt to have us in his home. Incidentally, neither of them can read or write, but the rejoicing in 

their hearts was evident.

The air is fresh out on that hillside, and the view of the green hills is beautiful. So were their smiles. 

Thursday we returned to our inland city of Bonao, and very early on Friday we were on the road again, to Santo Domingo, and the airport where Roslyn and Marie left for Puerto Rico. It was nice to have a little time in the city with Glen, Derek and Benigno, and we all had lunch in the home of other friends. Before Ruthie and I left the city, we visited a Haitian girl in a ward in a hospital. OH MY... well, it is for the poor, it was clean enough, and I'm told they are given the services of the best doctors.

Now, after many days together with others, Ruthie and I are left to care for those in this area through January. Sunday morning it was special to have our three young neighborhood “teens” waiting at the gate to go with us to the fellowship meeting. This was the first for the two boys, and good to hear 

their parts in the meeting.

After meeting, we invited everyone to come for supper and time together on Monday evening, New Years Eve. Some weren't free to come, but Venecia and Jacqueline came – and “our” three young “neighbors” plus three more. Those six, ages 15, 13, 13, 13, 12 and 7, kept our evening full of fun.

They ate and ate and ate, and when they finally could hold no more, jumped up and found dish towels, broom and dustpan. We played some games, then sang some hymns. The singing sure wouldn't have won any prize as they didn't follow the tune and our 7 year old couldn't really read the words....but they made up for it with their zest and eagerness to choose another. We passed the Bible around and read the story of Noah and discussed it a bit – and then we sent them home. Ohhhhh....the influence around them is so bad! We long that they would reach for and hold on to this that is better.

Today has been a pleasant, quiet holiday. Well....quiet here inside, but plenty of noise drifting in from outside! It is cool and cloudy with a gentle rain falling, which makes us glad that the last of the convention sheets were washed and dried in the bright sunshine yesterday. The city has left the electricity on most of the time through the holidays. Now we'll have to get used to it being off most of the day again.

Tomorrow we'll move on, a little further into this new “chapter”.