The next chapter

     Wednesday morning again. Outside, it is raining. Inside, all is quiet and I need to be writing. Seven days can hold so much!

Last Thursday afternoon we walked to the river. It is a beautiful river, and really very close – though you cannot see it from where we stay. Our three “special” young neighbors met us at the gate, prompt at the appointed time, and we 5 set out, bags, hats, sunscreen and water bottles in hand. At the corner where our “alley” intersects with another, we turned right.  I won't attempt any descriptions of the dwellings along that lane!  A swarm of children, playing, saw us and fell into step behind us. We felt like the “Pied Piper of Hamlin”!

The river flows fast over it's rocky bed and is fairly clear. The water is 2 or 3 feet deep, sloping gently from the edge. We waded in carefully. The children plunged in joyfully. They wore whatever was convenient...and quickly discarded any garments that impeded. To the two-year-olds, the brown “birthday suits” they had been playing in were very sufficient! Nobody asked permission. Nobody came to check on the children. Here, it is just part of life. Our friend Maria and her two boys joined us a little later, and all had a happy afternoon. I wish I had pictures to share!

Friday, we left before noon and stopped for a quick lunch on the way out of town. We turned off the “auto-pista” and headed up, up, and over the mountains to Constanza. The mountains are high and very beautiful. The two lane highway is steep and a constant round of blind curves with glimpses of a valley far below. In places, houses are wedged in between the road and the drop-off behind. Clean laundry is carefully draped over the guardrail to dry. Actually, laundry is draped over whatever available – be it fence, balcony – or guardrail!  Clothes here are clean and whites are very white!

At the summit, we stopped at the lookout and enjoyed the view, then wound down, down the mountains. We turned off in a village and drove up and around on a rutted dirt trail to a home on the hillside and had a Gospel Meeting on the open “porch” with the couple of the home and a neighbor listening. After the meeting and a cup of sweet herb tea, we went up the hill to visit a young mother (who is usually there to listen) with a brand-new baby boy – Jaciel. At the suggestion of the others, we also stopped to visit an older lady – in her 90's – in a quite nice home below. She didn't know us, nor we her, but she welcomed us in, talked a great deal, and was sorry we were leaving so soon. She assured us we were welcome to spend the night. Several grandchildren of the home continued life in the background, but gave us friendly smiles.

We continued our journey into the late afternoon, and stopped at a home beside the highway for another Gospel Meeting, with only the couple of the home listening. 

 Just at sunset we came to a place where we could park and look out over the lovely, productive valley of Constanza. The view in the setting sun was so beautiful! We had supper with an elderly friend and then in the cool dark found our apartment at the other end of the city – and had a wonderful cool night snuggled under blankets. ;-) The night temperature was in the low 60's, and the wind was blowing! I felt right at home....but I DID put on my jacket for the first time since leaving Nebraska in October.

Saturday, we had lunch with our friend Ramona, and her son and daughter who were home on vacation from the college in Santiago. Later, we visited in the home of a contact where we would have had a meeting, but this holiday weekend was not a good time. Monday, here, is kept as “Three Kings Day” or something like that. This is the day, you know, when those three “wise men” come and bring all the children gifts!!! The stores were filled with people buying toys. (All this and Christmas too!). Later, we had supper with Ruben's family, but tragedy struck in the middle of that meal. Ruben and his wife had taken her father to the clinic earlier, and she had stayed with him. Now when the phone rang it was the news that he had died. Ruthie and I did up the dishes, and later we walked with one of the grandsons to the home where the body...and the  mourners...were. There was no comfort or comforting.

And so, as the chapter moves on, so did we. Somewhere in the labyrinth of dirt lanes and neighborhoods outside the town, again among the poorest of homes, we came to the place where an elderly lady with one tooth in her smile waited to welcome us. Like magic, a number of children (young teens and a little younger) appeared, unstacked plastic chairs, and sat down in expectancy. So...the Gospel Meeting was mainly directed to the children. When asked if anyone had a hymn, number 1 was chosen without delay and sung with gusto! They also obviously knew “Was it for me?” . This country is full of surprises, and some – like this one – are delightful! The children left promptly after meeting, as with only a couple minutes to spare, someone from somewhere was going to pass out presents!! ;-) Tired and thankful, we wound back over the mountains to Bonao and “home”.

The holidays are over and the year begins.  We pray it will be a year of progress....a year of watching and praying....a year of walking in faith. That prayer extends to every part. The reminders at convention were very, very sober in regard to this need.