A day in the life of living in the Dominican Republic is an evolving experience.

I’ve been here for three weeks now, and it feels like only a few days, but sometimes it feels like I’ve been here longer. Not because it was a bad experience, but because of all the learning I’ve gained and the experiences I’ve had.

Every day starts with learning! From the time I wake up, I’m reviewing what I’ve learned the days before. At first, I woke up exhausted. Not because I didn’t sleep well, but because my brain was fried. All the new information sent my brain into overload. It’s like learning from a firehose, not a trickle but a blast.

From the first day I arrived, Pastor Ysidro has been speaking mostly in Spanish. He said he ‘forgot’ how to speak English. He is a wonderful teacher, but challenges me every day.

He provided me with a book called El Libro Nacho. It is a book they give to Kindergartners to help them learn to read. When Pastor’s adult children heard what he was using, they gave him grief about it. They told him that I’m not a child, but I defend him and say how helpful it’s been.

It helps loosen my tongue from all the different sounds and movements! Even though I did tell Pastora Lucie that I had a nest in my tongue, not a knot. The words nido and nudo are very close, in my defense.

Little by little, my brain has begun to get less tired and my tongue less tied. A day in the life is full of work, learning, and joy.

The joy comes each day, but one of the most joyful experiences was when I went with Pastor Ysidro to tell a family that they were fully funded through Compassion International Causes for a new house! Can you imagine that for less than $5500, a family gets a new house?

Again, joy exploded when a family of four was fully funded for new beds. If you’re interested, there are other causes that need funding here in the Dominican Republic. Afew dollars can help in ways you would never expect, impacting a day in the life or a lifetime.

Another joy is seeing the children at the school each day. They are full of life and joy. Like my kids in school, they are rambunctious and loud! But oh, the joy. Each day I walk in to meet with my teacher, they greet me with, “Hello.” I respond in Spanish, and they say, “Thank you” in English. Their vocabulary is as limited as mine was in Spanish when I started. But the universal language of hugs abounds.

Even though a day in the life is not the same every day, I’m enjoying each day to the fullest.

One daily ritual is feeding the birds and cats, just not at the same time. The time together for meals is another. We’ve eaten lots of rice and beans with plantains. I’ve actually cooked turkey for them with mashed potatoes and green beans, and they loved it. The next day, they served the turkey with rice and beans and plantains. A day in the life!

The peace I feel here, sitting under the mango trees on the patio, is beyond explanation. Taking time to slow down and not fill every minute with something has given me time to connect more deeply in prayer. It’s given me time to pause and listen for God’s direction about what’s next.

How’s your day?

Are you finding time to pause and feel the peace?

Pause and listen for His direction?

I’d love to know!

Until next time…