End of Year

Wow, where has December gone? At the beginning of the month, I wrote a list of everything I would be doing between my last blog and this one to ensure I didn’t forget to share anything. I packed a lot in on our 3 weeks off.

I officially hosted my first Thanksgiving dinner. Never in a million years did I think it would be in the Dominican Republic, but this is where God has taken me. While I provided the space, I didn’t do all the work on my own. Thankfully, Sarah was kind enough to make the turkey and a pumpkin dessert, so I covered the sides. I also made my first-ever pecan pie from scratch! Our friend Hannah had mentioned wanting one, and I figured I would give it a shot.

The next day, we were able to celebrate Sarah’s 30th birthday! It was a nice day spent with most of her people here in San Juan.

Bianca and I headed to Puerto Plata for a few days during our time off. We explored all that the city had to offer. My friend Hollie and her husband Mark were in port for one day on Tuesday, and after a little back-and-forth, we found each other and made our way to the beach! It’s always nice to have someone from home here in the DR. Hollie is a treasured friend, so I’m so thankful she and Mark were willing to venture out of the port for the day.

After returning from Puerto Plata, it was time for our Solid Rock Christmas Party! Kate did all the work to organize this party, so all everyone had to do was show up and enjoy. We had a devotional led by Pastor Enol, shared dinner, and did some gift exchanges. I always appreciate any time we spend together outside of work, so it was a beautiful night!

I spent some time in Cuenda and had lunch with Eucledes’s family and another family from the area. Thank goodness Eucledes’ wife was willing to cook all the food because I don’t think I would have done it right.

Kate, Sarah, and I also took some kids from the local orphanage for a drive around town to see the Christmas lights. We all had trucks full and loved hearing all the “wows” coming from the backseat. I took the opportunity to practice some of my very basic Spanish, like “What is your favorite color?” and “Do you like baseball?”

The following Sunday, after church, a group of friends loaded up, and we headed to Bani to the Christmas farm! This is the same farm we went to for the pumpkins, but this time with some kids, the lights and time together seemed a little more magical.

Then, we said goodbye to our friend Yomalis. Some of you know her from working in surgery and barrio clinics. She is moving to Ohio to start schooling and hopes to enter the nursing program. So, I hosted a small taco night so we could all send her off with love.

Kate, Sarah, and I went to the capitol to spend a few days outside San Juan. The girls were nice enough to go to IKEA with me so I could purchase a dresser and some new curtains for my apartment. We stayed at the Dominican Fiesta (our home away from home), so we spent some time relaxing by the pool while we were there. But the main event was definitely to see Wicked! Kate and Sarah had been talking about it for a few days. It was so good! I can’t believe we must wait another year to see part two.

Kate and Sarah returned to San Juan on Saturday, and I stayed in Santo Domingo to pick up the team. Our last team of 2024 was from the Utah Health Scholars, and man, they were a great team to end the year. I don’t know why this week seemed so special, but it was great.

Now, our team has a few weeks off to rest and celebrate the holidays with family before getting into a fairly busy spring schedule. Kate, Sarah, and I have all felt a little under the weather at some point in the last few months, so I’m praying these next two weeks can be restful for our bodies.

We spent Christmas Eve with Monchy, Adia and their family for Nochebuena. Then Christmas Day Sarah hosted us for dinner, and we had a movie night last night with our American friends and watched The Holiday. It’s a favorite Christmas movie for me, so I was happy to watch it with friends.

I’m looking forward to starting our spring schedule and working with teams. My little sister and her husband are coming with our church at the end of January. I’m excited for them to see life here in San Juan. On that team, I also have many friends coming that I am looking forward to seeing. Let’s be honest; they are all family at this point.

I’m also looking forward to learning the medical coordinator position from Sarah as she prepares to transition home later on in spring, and working alongside Angel and Bianca to make our medical teams as successful as possible.

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