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.