Week at a glance

Well...since I haven't really told you anything about what Jeff and I are doing in the Dominican, I thought I'd write tonight about what a week looks like here at the guesthouse.  As I write this I hear the motorcycles on the local street running through the country.  There is music off in the distance and a cool breeze blows through the room.

Below is a rough schedule of our typical week...obviously everything is run on "Dominican time" so everything is very very flexible.   

• Sunday: Jeff and I attend church at one of two locations: Central Evangelical Church or Prince of Peace.  Then we come back to the guesthouse and open up the rooms for the next group arriving later in the afternoon.  Once the group has arrived, we help to assure that everyone knows where their room is and orientation follows shortly in the dining hall.  During dinner the groups are informed about the expectations and schedule for the week.  They are also given a short history of Solid Rock and the Child Sponsorship program.  We then eat:)
• Monday: Jeff gets up each morning to help Dan prepare breakfast.  This is followed by eating, a run to the the Detallista (grocery store) and the market.  Jeff and Dan make sure the groups are where they need to be with the supplies they need to get their job done.  Kari and I prepare lunch and take care of things around the guesthouse.  The group arrives back for lunch around 11:30/11:45 to each lunch at noon.  The groups are back on their way out around 1:15.  After cleaning up, Kari and I look over the details for the next weeks group.  Margo and Rosa prepare an authentic Dominican dinner each day.  Kari and I make sure everything is set for dinner, then the group eats.  Mondays are also when the Guesthouse store is open.  There are a few local entrepreneurs that come to sell their artwork (paintings, baskets, jewelry, clothing, etc).  Dan and Jeff also sell Dominican coffee and vanilla.  This is also a time for the groups to exchange their American dollars (USD) for Dominican pesos (RD).  At 7:30 the groups are invited to participate in a friendly game of softball with the Dominicans at a local field.  (I look forward to this time every week.  Everyone absolutely loves it!!)
• Tuesday: The schedule is pretty much the same minus the Guesthouse store and softball for the rest of the week.
• Wednesday: We confirm details for next week's group.  Dinner is at a local restaurant called Bienvenidas.  This is followed by ice cream at Splash or Bon.
• Thursday: This is usually the last work day for groups.  Herman the taylor usually shows up around dinner time to deliver his handmade clothing items.  If there are sponsored students, the families get to spend some time with their sponsor child.  Depending on the group's size, this may even include a fiesta!!
• Friday: Breakfast is followed by loading the vehicles to be transported to the capital.  Most groups choose to make a stop at the Colonial Zone in Santo Domingo to see and experience the history of the capital.  The groups leaving stay at the Barcelo Capella resort in Juan Dolio.  Jeff and I stay at the guesthouse to take care of Diego (Dan and Kari's dog), and clean up things around the compound for the next group.
• Saturday: Dan and Kari meet the new group at the airport and they are transported to the Lina. They go out for dinner in the evening.  Depending on the amount of groups coming in, there may be several trips to the airport throughout the day.  For Jeff and me this is a pretty relaxing day of exploring San Juan and catching up on rest.
• Sunday: The old groups depart for the states, and the new group attends church in the capital and then begin their journey to San Juan de la Maguana.

*When the groups are not busy with their work projects, they walk around the local barrios and tour the local city.  
*There are a lot of youth groups throughout the summer so they are usually completing construction projects at the local schools and churches.  This includes cement work, painting, and demolition.  The youth groups also do a lot with the local children by organizing Vacation Bible School with Juan Ernesto.
*We also have medical groups that come down.

I know that I am probably missing something.  It is crazy to see everything that gets accomplished in a day.  There are constantly people coming and going.  Depending on the size of the groups, there are translators that are hired for the week to assist with the variety of projects.