Wednesday, 16 August 2006

• bloom where you're planted
  so i've been home for about a month now, readjusting to the american culture that is oh-so-incrediiibly-different from that of the dominican republic. i listen to 97.9 all the time [mega noventa-siete-punto-nueve! the latino station] because they play alot of bachata, which is this really chill genre of latino music--music that makes you imagine swaying palm trees, pina coladas, and the little colmados from the DR :] my mind wanders back to the DR often, especially at express, where half of our customers are dominican women who love to ask me about my trip and help me practice my spanish...and my prayers are very often down there, focused on my precious special education kids, on the friends i've made, on SI's ministry. and i don't think that's a bad thing, hay realmente un lugar muy especial en mi corazon para la republica dominicana..but God's been patiently teaching me that there is also room in my heart for america--yes, a less warm culture that revolves around achievement and materialism..but a country filled with people who desperately need the grace of Christ, just like any other place. just like me. i want a non-discriminatory heart of compassion that beats and breaks with the heart of God..
  
  "Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. when He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." [matthew 9:35-36]
  
  here's a little taste of my DR experience :]
  
  ^my favorite picture ever. becky playing with lilia :]
  
  ^manicuring + pedicuring our precious maria :]
  
  ^family friends :]
  
  ^some chiquititas and i went to the river to swim :]
  
  ^they call me "tia katalina" :]
  
  ^representing good old BU :]
  
  ^representing korea, china, norway, jamaica and italy :]
  
  ^almost the entire intern group at el rancho :]
  
  ^mercedes' class :]
  
  ^mi princessa, ruht :]
  
  ^precious daniel :]
  
  ^mercedes + wilman :]
  
  ^nelito, our dominican steve urkel :]
  
  ^nairoby, darwin, kata hanging out on the playground
  
  ^brothers :]
  

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