Thursday, August 28, 2008-Jesse's 35th Birthday!

Praise the Lord for another day to be in the Dominican Republic! We had a break this morning and Hector and Patricia took us to “Altos de Chavon,” a gorgeous tourist area comprised of giant amphitheater made of stone as well as other stone architecture. This village paradise is located on the edge of large cliff overlooking a scenic river view. Built in the mid 1900’s, this area was designed to show tourist the natural beauty of the Dominican Republic. Notable artists who have performed at this outdoor amphitheater include Frank Sinatra and our very own Hector Santana. Here is a link for more information about this place. www.altosdechavon.com


We also ate lunch at “Altos de Chavon” where we celebrated Jesse’s birthday. At the end of the meal, the waiters of the restaurant came to our table delivering some cheese cake, with candles, and singing “Happy Birthday” in Spanish.

With our bellies full, we headed back to our hotel to get ready for a brief radio interview and then concert at Manuel Rueda Hall of fine Arts in Santo Domingo. This concert was bittersweet because it was our last one for the trip. The venue was a more formal theater atmosphere and the concert lasted about 2 hours long. We all had so much joy and pleasure with this gig that it seemed to just fly by. The highlight of the concert was to have Hector sit in with us on the electric bass for one of our songs and then Jason led the audience in singing “Happy Birthday” to Jesse. After the concert, God continued to pour out His grace to us by giving us the opportunity to visit with the audience and hear how blessed and encouraged they were.


To finish the evening, around 10:30 pm, Hector and Patricia decided to take us out to eat at a Mexican restaurant called Don Nacho (a glorified Taco Bell), where we ended with another birthday cake for Jesse, this time Dominican style (prune and dulce de leche filling), compliments of Hector and Patricia. It was very fun to wind down and to reflect upon the concert. Looking back over the week, the greatest fellowship that has happen amongst the team has taken place at our meal times together. Thank You, Lord for this sweet camaraderie with the team and Hector’s family.

“Life’s Little Victories”…the sucker story by Karin Heitzman

Everyone should appreciate this but all of us moms will understand this “One-of-Life’s-Little-Victories” moment that I was able to be a witness to.

You need a little background to see how this comes full circle for little Betty...

Back on Saturday when the band played on El Conde street, Betty was a magnet to people walking by. One was a grandma who stopped to tell us about her grandchildren and to meet adorable Betty. She gave Betty 5 pesos…apparently because her level of cuteness demanded a gift.

Now let me take you to the van ride on Wednesday heading to the Colonial City to walk around some historical sites before our evening gig. The conversation went a little bit like this:

“Mom, I need a sucker.” Betty proclaims
“Honey, I would love to give you a sucker, but I don't have one and I just can’t give you one right at this moment.” Answers Kristyn.
“But Mom…I really would like to have one now.”
“Betty…there is nothing I can do about that right now. I’m sorry.”
Betty turns to Karin whispering… "Karin, I need a sucker.”
Karin replies, “I will keep my eyes out for one.”
“It really should be red, yellow AND white” Betty instructs.

Suspiciously quiet time passes…

“BETTY! Why are you licking my arm?” asks Kristyn in an understandably surprised tone.
Betty replies, “I needed SOMETHING to lick.” In an understandably “DUH” tone.

More time…

“Why am I still getting wet?!” Kristyn asks while Betty is rubbing her recently licked finger on Kristyn’s arm
Betty, “I STILL don’t have a sucker!”
She was clearly driving home her desperate need for a sucker.

The van stops and we spend some time wandering around some amazing sites. Beautiful architecture, historically significant homes and monuments, when we come across a retrofitted baby stroller now being used as a vendor’s candy cart.

Now, you need to understand...Street vendors are selling cell phones, jewelry and services like shoe shining or window washing. This is the first candy cart that I had seen. It is late, and none of us have any pesos so the chances of there being a sucker, finding a way to purchase it, and finding the owner of the cart were slim from anyone’s point of view.

Steve suggests we keep walking because Betty hadn’t brought it up and she didn’t notice the cart. But not KG! She subtly walks by and sure enough! A row of suckers! In her consistently growing recollection of her Spanish skills she asks the vendor (who finally showed up) how much the suckers were. “5 pesos” the street vendor replied. KG reaches in to find the coin from the generous grandma we met back on El Conde street and the transaction is made! I have never seen a kid so happy to get a sucker. Well done Kristyn. Challenge extended, challenge accepted, challenge accomplished!

The room key lost itself to me

Today marks the end of day 5 (Wednesday) and our day was packed! We woke up bright and early and made appearances at three different schools, all private. Each school’s venue for us to play at was uniquely different - a music class, an all school Christian assembly, and an outdoor playground for the students’ free time. It was a tiring morning but very fun playing for all the students. The best news came on our drive to lunch when Hector told us that it was a near miracle for us to be able to play in two of the three schools. He explained how it is next-to-impossible to try and get the gospel into these schools and that the teachers and staff at both schools were very pleased with our music and presentation and have invited us back whenever we want to go! What a great grace that God would give! We were all so excited to hear about that…

Steve started to feel a little carsick on the way home and we dropped him off at the hotel to rest up before the night’s gig. We all got to sleep some and rest before the night where we were planning on heading into the Colonial City before our gig. The Colonial City features lots of embassies from different countries, monuments, memorials, and an awesome nightlife!



We headed over to our gig at Casa de Teatro, a jazz club that has Wednesday night jam sessions and other events throughout the week. From the moment we walked into the club, we were all super psyched to play – what a hip club! Just a few days earlier, Paquito de Rivera brought his band into play! (in case you didn’t know, he’s a pretty big deal…) For us to have the opportunity to play in the club, Hector had contacted Fernando, the man in charge of the Wednesday night sessions. The two know each other because Fernando gave Hector is first gig when he was 16! Fernando invited us not only to come and enjoy the music, but to play a set of our own music before the jam started. So we proceeded to do a set of over an hour’s worth of music and it was a TON of fun.


Great playing and great enjoyment – thank you Lord! It was also quite hot and sticky in the club, evidenced by John’s shirt:

Overall, we had a great night playing and meeting the different musicians and people in the club. We headed back fairly late at night to get as much sleep as we could for tomorrow’s day. We’re all looking forward to tomorrow and the three main things that will take up our day:

1) we are going to visit Altos de Chavon, a small ‘city’ of sorts located on the bank of a beautiful river
2) we are doing a radio interview at night for the jazz radio station in Santo Domingo
3) lastly, we will play our final gig of the tour, and our biggest/most publicized yet! We are expecting a large crowd in a formal setting with a great acoustically-sound auditorium and great lighting (Karin’s getting photo-happy already!). Most of all, we’re anticipating God’s hand in our music and through our songs and Jason and Suzanne’s explanations of them.

Looking forward to tomorrow!

Tuesday…and a HUGE surprise for Karin

Today started out like most others, except we were in Santiago instead of Santo Domingo. We grabbed breakfast and then loaded up into the van to head to a Christian school in Santiago. Patricia and Hector had brought their kids along to Santiago because of the possibility of Gustav becoming a hurricane and they didn’t want to be apart from the kids. Once we got to school, we found out that Jorge, Pamela and Hector all were skipping school for the day! They were pretty excited-especially Hector since it was only his second day of school!

Once at Santiago Christian School, the guys set up and started playing for the school kids during their lunch periods. The children in the school LOVED the music. In fact, some even collected “tips” for the band! Several groups came to eat and enjoy the music. Then one teacher asked if the band would play for his class. So they stayed another hour to play for them.


One “God Thing” for the day was once we got to the school, the elementary school principal came out to watch the band and hear the music. Karin was walking around taking pictures (of course!) and suddenly was face to face with the principal. She was shocked because the principal looked really familiar, but Karin thought there was no way she could possibly know her. After a few more glances, Karin just had to ask her if her name was Eileen Baas. IT WAS!! Eileen Baas was Karin’s piano teacher during high school and was her church’s organist in Milaca, Minnesota! Eileen had moved down to the DR just a few weeks earlier to be the school’s principal. She said that some of her friends had retired, but she felt like she had another adventure to do and so she took the job at Santiago Christian School. It was a huge surprise, a great taste of home and just one of those little blessings from God…the icing on the cake!

After we left the school, we went to lunch at a great little restaurant and had some great fellowship with the Santana family. Suzanne shared a devotion from Hebrews 1:1-4 that was just a great reminder of how amazing our God is and the grace that He has bestowed upon us.


Next, we headed to the Centro De La Cultura Ercilia Pepin, which is a school/cultural arts center. The people who came to this gig were so interested in jazz and the stories behind the songs. It was really neat to hear Jason’s heart and the history of the songs in English…and in Spanish (through Suzanne). Afterwards, many people wanted to hear more about how the guys got into jazz, how often they play, where they work, what other musical ventures they are involved in. It was once again and incredible demonstration of the heart of the Dominican people. They want to be invested in your life. They want to know more about you. They are sincerely welcoming and warm.

After we packed up from the gig at the cultural center, we needed to pick up our luggage at a pastor friend of the Santana’s home. We thought we would just pull up and throw the luggage in, but the family had prepared hot chocolate, cookies and bread for us. We went inside and were able to just relax and spend time together. It was so refreshing.


The father, Newton, took Karin outside to show her his backyard so she could take pictures. Then he jumped up into trees and picked some fresh guavas and avocados.



The avocados were huge…as big as Jason’s hand!

Eventually, we needed to say goodbye and head back to Santo Domingo. I am continually amazed at the people we have met so far. The people of the DR have truly blessed us.

Here we go...the rest of the posts from the trip!

Prayer Updates...And a birthday wish

So sorry we have been out of touch...the internet has been not working well, so we have been journalling in word and I am going to try to post as many of them as I can now. Enjoy!

Just wanted to give some of you prayer updates-especially since some of the requests had to do with health.

As of now, Steve, Betty and Jason are doing much better. Betty's ears and eyes have seemed to have cleared up and her fever finally broke yesterday. In fact, as I write this, she is playing with Steve in the hotel pool. Which also tells you that Steve has been feeling a lot better as well. His cold is much better. The only issue he is having is motion sickness while we drive. The driving "laws" here are much different that home and the driving sometimes reflects that. (Bring back fond memories, Lori?!) Jason still has his TB cough (as we have come to refer to it as such), but his constant taking of vitamin C and drinking lots of water has really paid off and he is feeling much better.

Please continue to pray for the team members and Patricia who are either battling the sickness or trying to avoid getting it. Suzanne's throat has been bothering her and as the interpreter (aka the voice of the team), it is difficult for her to have to be talking all the time.

Also-the weather here has been very rainy and as you read in the previous post, we are thankful that it isn't hot and that Gustav didn't hit us, but we are praying for those who ARE in its path. Today-the clouds have cleared and the sun is out.

And lastly-the Goolds want to say a very Happy 11th Birthday to Cousin Isaac! Betty says she is excited to see you and give you a big hug. We hope your day is wonderful and we are looking forward to having a night of sushi and Dave & Busters with you. We love you!

Mondongo Monday!

Hola todos! This is Karin (team photographer) and Suzanne (team interpreter) checking in.

We started out Day 3 by packing up our things, checking out of the Hotel Clarion and hitting the road across town to our first destination: a local TV station in Santo Domingo to record an interview for a Christian television program to be aired this Sunday. Our first stop inside the station was to the make-up room to have the "brillo" (shine) taken off our faces to make us camera ready. Although a bit uncomfortable for the men at first, it provided for great photo opps and they took it all in good stride! We then moved into the one of the studios, got mic'd up, practiced our questions, and were ready to roll. Our host, Willie, asked some tough questions about being musicians; the fruits of this group's labor; any biblical justification for quality in equipment, instruments and sound; and the such. And what a joy it was to see God at work in and through the responses of the guys!


After the TV program, we hit the road for our two hour ride to Santiago. We stopped en route for late lunch and were faced with a culinary adventure: a typical Dominican soup called "Mondongo" which, as the menu stated, is "stewed bowels". Most of the group faced the challenge and partook in this typical dish (wearing a sunbrerro, of course!). Needless to say the term 'mondongo' is now part of our everyday vernacular!



Upon arriving in Santiago, we set up for an evening gig in a jazz club. Jazz Mondays is a regular event at this joint. By the time set up had ended and the guys were ready to play, 10 people at most were present. After 30 minutes, the club was standing room only, and an empty chair was not to be found!!

Suzanne, the team interp, has taken it upon herself to teach the team a Spanish word, phrase or question of the day. She thinks this experience just wouldn't be right if she didn't. So far the team has learned 'dangerous', 'How did you sleep?', 'May God bless you' and 'Van/Bus'. The team was even challenged by a phrase in English that was found on a sign in the hotel bathrooms in Santiago that left everyone scratching their heads: "Poor use of the lencery will be registerated to your account'. After some investigation, we took this to mean that "poor use of the linens would be charged to the hotel bill". Talk about a curve ball!

It's been such a joy to see Karin in her element, employing the gifts and skills God has given her in photography as she's worked to capture the ordinary and not-so-ordinary events of this experience. As we were making our way back into Santo Domingo last night, we watched a quick slide show of the shots she's captured so far of this trip - and was it ever fun! From ordinary things like Betty dancing with Jesse in the hotel lobby to capturing small details of flowers, to snapping a shot of two people talking, it's been fun to see this trip through her eyes.

In closing two more things about today... Steve/Betty health and our God thing.

Steve and Betty seem to be on the mend; praise God! Betty is back to her chipper little self and has provided much daily entertainment! But please pray for other members on the team who continue to be sick, or are coming down with sore throats, cold symptoms and other stuff.

Two God Things (among many others from today): 1 - As we listened to the guys answer the questions during the TV recording today, our hearts were encouraged as we heard their rock-solid faith in God come through! What a joy it was to hear them testify of God's greatness and their joy in being musicians for HIS glory. 2 - We are thankful we've been spared the suffocating heat and humidity that is commonplace here in the DR this time of year. Yet we are humbled by God's mercy to us in this way, while being fully aware of the threat Gustav poses to Haiti, Cuba and the Gulf states.

Day 2!

We're done with Day 2 and onto Day 3 here in Santo Domingo, the Lord's Day, and we started off our day yesterday with a great laugh - see for yourself:


Betty and her daddy performed a great dance number also (with a nice victory reception by Steve):


Needless to say, our Sunday was off to a good start :) We arrived at Hector's church at around 8:45am for the 9:30 Sunday School. We played one song here and we also served the church in leading worship for the morning and night services. The music went great - what a joy it was seeing and hearing the Dominicans worship God! It was such a neat experience to be singing the songs in English and have the rest of the congregation, who are all singing in Spanish, be the dominant voice in the worship.

Pastor Hector gave an especially great sermon on Mark 14:32-42. I think it struck all of us in a very meaningful way. Hector talked about how Jesus reacted to his disciples in the garden of Gethsemane, and the awesome grace and mercy that Christ showed them despite their failures and lack of ability to follow Jesus' instructions. Hector preached God's supreme greatness and character in being the one who is abundant in mercy, so freely giving it away. He talked about how Jesus knows our failures and temptations and has bore it all on the cross when He died for our sins - what an amazing display of God's love for us! It was so great to hear about and ponder the grandness of God...

We went out and had a great lunch, and got a chance to talk to Hector and his wife Patricia some more about life in the DR and their family life. They've been married for 17 years! We also got to hear some more about Hector's career as a bass player, which was very fun to listen to. He's played with so many world-renown musicians, but it is so clear he counts it all rubbish for the sake of Christ (Philippians 3:7-10) - what a great model for us! We've bonded so well with their family and we've all been incredibly blown away at their incredible hospitality. Hector is essentially taking his whole week to drive us wherever we need to go, get us anything we need, and he's doing all this as the head pastor of the church! pretty sweet...

We got to spend a few hours back at the hotel and then went back for the night service at the church. We then were driven to Patricia's parents house where they had families over from the church, a few guys playing music for us in the yard, and they cooked a monster of a barbeque for all of us! WAY too much food. And all of it was REALLY good :)


We'd love prayers for Betty - she's been such a trooper but we're concerned for her health that might have an ear infection or just might be sick. We'd also love prayers for our continued focus on the Lord in how we can spread the gospel with our music and how we can serve the people we're around. Thanks!

The First Day

After a good night of sleep, we all woke up and got ready for a busy day. At dinner the night before, Hector told us that the day would be pretty busy, so to prepare to leave at 10 a.m. and not be back to to hotel at all until late that night. We packed up and went to breakfast at the hotel. For those of you who care about coffee...probably some of the best stuff I have ever had. It actually tasted like chocolate!

Hector picked us up and we headed to the church for a sound check/rehearsal (for the concert that night and for Sunday services). One "God Thing" for the day was once at the church, we realized that Betty wasn't feeling super well, her eyes were getting goopy and she was holding her ear and saying it hurt. Kristyn asked Patricia if there was anything we could do for her. Patricia told us that a doctor was already coming to the church and she could take a look at Betty! Within an hour, the doctor had looked at Betty and we had gotten eye cream, drops and amoxicilan for her! The Lord was looking over her.

After our sound check, we went to lunch at a deli/market. The food was amazing! Patricia and Hector ordered for all of us and we shared many dishes with one another. Then, we headed to the pedestrian marketplace and set up for a street concert. We were instantly an interest to people and many stopped by to chat or ask what we were doing. There was one boy, named Brian, who stopped by to ask what we were doing. We told him we were playing, "musica jazz" to which he smiled and said he loved jazz. He and Betty played a bit and we found out that he was 12 years old and worked on the marketplace shining shoes. His sweet spirit and genuine smile really lit up the cloudy day.













The street concert was great. People stopped by to listen for awhile, some danced, many clapped and most just enjoyed the music. After about 30 minutes, it started to rain...I mean, downpour! All the instruments were covered with tarps and everyone ran under canopies and into stores. Once the rain stopped, we packed up and headed to the hotel for about 20 minutes to freshen up and head out to the gig at the church that night.

The gig at the church was a youth event. Hector said that the church has never done something like that before and the church was packed! The people were so welcoming and so responsive to the music. They clapped during solos and after songs. At one point, Jason asked the people if they had questions for them and one woman asked why some people call Jazz the music of musicians. In his answer, Jason was able to articulate that it is because through jazz, so much can be communicated. You can put your personality and your heart and your interpretation into what you are playing. For the Jason Harms Quintet it is a worship experience. Afterwards, that woman expressed to the guys that she really could see that in their music. She said she always loved Jazz, but now she understood it and could see the guys' hearts through what they were playing. I think that is another "God Thing" for the day. It is a direct answer to prayer that we have had in preparation of this trip. That people would encounter and see Jesus through us.


The rest of the night was fine...dinner and van issues, but I feel like we shouldn't end on that note, but rather to end by thanking the Lord for using us in that woman's life and for using the people at the street gig, like Brian, to touch our hearts.

Itinerary Changes

For those of you at home that would like to know where we are and when, here is an updated itinerary for the trip:

Friday-Monday morning: We are staying at the Clarion Hotel in Santo Domingo. Our gigs range from a street concert, to church services to a TV appearance (not live, but recorded and played at another time).

Monday afternoon-Tuesday afternoon: We are staying at the Aloha Hotel in Santiago. The gigs are in some schools while in Santiago.

Tuesday evening-Friday morning: We are back in Santo Domingo at the Clarion Hotel again. We have a few "jazz club" gigs and schools to play in, as well as a big concert hall gig. The concert hall seats up to 600 people and Hector is anticipating that it will be full!

Friday morning-Saturday: We are headed to Puerto Playa and staying at a nice hotel. We may have a gig at a college on Friday but that is yet to be confirmed.

This information may change, but I will try to keep it as updated as possible. We do have internet access, so if you need to get a hold of anyone at anytime, you can email or post a comment on the blog.

We ARE here...

So sorry that we haven't written on here since before we left. Things have been extremely busy and this is the first time I have figured out how to get online. I have a few hours so my plan is to get everyone up to speed and post some pictures so that you all can see what we have been up to.

To begin, Friday started early and ended late. Thank you all for your prayers for safety and all that was involved with traveling. We all met at the airport at 5:30 a.m. and were able to check-in and get through security without any hitches. Even Betty had a fantastic attitude that early in the morning and was excited for the "special trip" to the Dominican Republic. Some of us grabbed coffee and we all boarded the flight. The trip was great! A little turbulence as we were landing, but that is to be expected when flying through a tropical storm, I guess.

We had a good lunch in the Miami airport and were able to relax before boarding the next flight. Betty took a great nap in her stroller while listening to her ipod! Once on the plane, we waited for about an hour before learning that we were delayed because of lightning. Eventually we took off and landed in Santo Domingo around 8:30 p.m.

Our hosts for the week, Hector (the pastor of a church we are playing in) and his wife Patricia, met us at the airport with a huge van that fit all the gear and all of us perfectly! They even had a carseat ready for Betty. They took us to dinner and we had a meeting about the week. A lot of the initial itinerary has changed, so I will post that information for families back home so you know where we are and when. (Next post) After dinner we went to the hotel to check-in and go to bed. We were all exhausted, but thrilled to be in the DR.

One thing we wanted to do on this blog was to tell about at least one "God Thing" we experienced each day. For Friday, I would have to say to see how the Lord just orchestrated everything perfectly. The team unity; the way we all were able to get through security, customs, check-in and such without any problems; attitudes; safety; and so much more. Another amazing aspect is that we received all the funds needed for the trip just before we left. Praise the Lord!

Leaving on a Jet Plane...

Tomorrow the adventure begins! I figured I would write this post today since our flight leaves at 7:20 a.m. and we are meeting at the airport at 5:30 a.m., which means we need to be getting up about 4:00 a.m. or so...didn't think I would have the clarity of mind to write anything at that time.

Thanks to you all for your prayers this week. We have all been busy preparing, packing and trying to get some sleep. Some of the team members have been battling colds, but are starting to feel a lot better. All in all, I think we are ready to go!

As we leave tomorrow, there are several things we ask you to pray for:
1. Good sleep tonight in preparation of an early and long day tomorrow.
2. For the families staying behind-for strength, for safety, etc.
3. Flights to be on time and for us to make them, as well as safety.
4. For luggage weights and checking...for all the luggage and musical equipment to go through check-in and customs as well as having them all arrive in the Dominican when we get there.
5. That God would be working through us from the moment we arrive at the MSP airport. The opportunity to share the gospel doesn't start when we step off the plane in the DR.

We are excited to see how the Lord will work. Thank you again to each of you for your prayers and support to us. We love you!

Welcome

The team is getting excited as we prepare to leave in a week to serve the Lord and the people of the Dominican Republic. We are so thankful to you and to our Lord for the gifts and prayers from our friends and families. Our hope is that this site will be an avenue to share our prayers, photos and God-inspired experiences so that you can see first-hand what the Lord is doing in the DR.

As we prepare to go, please pray that this next week will be a week of rest for the team. As many of you know, the schedule of playing once we get there is pretty busy. Another prayer request is that Christ will work in us and through us as we minister in the Dominican Republic. In is our desire to see and encounter and enjoy Jesus more deeply through this experience.

Thanks for visiting our site-be sure to check back for updates!