Dominican Flag

  The other night at our Family Home Evening with several other missionary couples, the hostess pointed out that the flag for the Republicana Dominicana has some unique features that we should appreciate.

The flag was designed by Juan Pablo Duarte who was the father of the national independence of the Dominican Republic from Haiti.  The independence came February 27, 1844.  We frequently drive on the street, February 27th.  We like the colors--blue for liberty, red for the fire and blood (of the independence struggle) and white for salvation (Another interpretation says  it is for God has not forgotten His people.) However, very significant is the center symbol, which is enlarged above.  The words at the top honor God, Country (or Fatherland) and Liberty (or Freedom).  There is a Bible in the center, said to be opened to John 8:32, "Y la verdad nos hara' libre." ("And the truth shall make you free.")  I thought that was such a nice theme.

Another nice thing we have noticed is that in the outer office of where we work, the morning begins with a scripture reading.  We think they may have a prayer too.  Usually these happen before we arrive.  It is a government records office, but that does not seem to be a problem.

What if those of us who live in the "land of the free and the home of the brave" were to do that?  In the olden times it would have been expected.  In the most recent years, it would be criticized at least.

Still clicking pictures

    Earl, also known at the office as Raul since his name is hard for them to pronounce, is getting quite good with the filming.  He checks out the books from the birth records room, brings them to our little office, works on getting them just right for focus.  Caren fills out the form on the computer to designate which book it is.  The books may be from the late 1800s or from 1940s.  Either can be in pretty good condition or quite bad.  So, here is Earl at work--wearing the visor that helps with the bright lights.

Most of our pages look more like the one on the right, sometimes with holes in them.

This left one was particularly bad, so you had to be a puzzle worker to try to put it

together.  It isn't so much the age of the books, but the humidity and the ink and paper that were used.  Now I am understanding more about acid-free materials!

This week we captured over 4500 images--birth records--which will pretty soon be available onlne for viewing!  The records are sent to Santo Domingo from all over the country to be used by people for various purposes--identity cards, voting privileges, getting visas or passports, etc.

Sights on the way to La Isabela

   On the way to La Isabella, which was a fairly long drive, but decent road, we saw a few interesting sights we would like to share.

                                          Apparently, you can herd cattle on your moto.

You might notice that there is a skill of good posture and balance here!

You can click to see these larger.

Then we saw several houses of interest.  The first one is built with slats of coconut wood.  You can do all sorts of things with coconut trees.  Of course, then you want to paint it a pretty color.

As long as we are talking about color, I am still intrigued with the colors of houses here.

Puerta Plata

  As mentioned on the previous post, seeing this area was a big goal.  The drive up was quite interesting, though pretty long.  We did see the country!  The end was worth it, though.  Just sharing a few shots of the beach back of our hotel--and early morning we were there alone!

 yes, those are beds on the beach! (taken from surfside)

   so nice to be out on our beach!

So, I guess you could say this is the "sun and sand" part of this blog!  Loved the warm sea water!  Nice pool too and we had that to ourselves early in the morning!  Afternoon was much busier at both places.We stayed at the Blue Jack Tar and enjoyed the included big breakfast!

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" I love my job!"  Our waiter exclaimed for the second time as he served our mango sorbet with chinola glaze.  (Chinola is a rather unattractive fruit that is delicious inside--a lesson in not judging by the exterior.  Juice is made from it.  In some other places it is called "passion fruit," but here it is chinola.  The other dessert at our table was a small chocolate volcano.  While we enjoyed the snapper--boneless, but not headless and the mashed yucca with cheese, our friends had the churasco (sp/) steak and the fried sweetened bananas.

Cabo Isabela

   A Dominican holiday this week--celebrating when they got their independence from the Haitians--meant we couldn't work at the government office building, so we took a great holiday!  Since Earl heard we were coming here, he has wanted to see the place where Columbus landed and created in 1493 the first Spanish settlement in the Americas that lasted.  (The fort he had left on his first trip was destroyed by the natives in reaction to mistreatment by the Europeans there.) We went north to Puerto Plata (so named because the explorers heard there was silver there), where we stayed.  We took the trip over to Cabo Isabela (yes, one l) to where the settlement had been.  Not much is really there, but they have outlined in rocks where they think the houses might have been and they have the place where the church was.  There were really bodies where the cemetery was.  In fact, a little is known about one skeleton that has been preserved there.  He was a sailor, about 37, who died of dengue fever--from mosquito bites and which people still suffer from on the island.  A scientist came from Italy to preserve the bones.

Here is the place the admiral's (Christopher Columbus) house was.  He had a magnificent view--all that blue

in back is the water in the bay and the sky.

Outlines of where they thought houses for one person each may have been----

Hurricanes (a word from Tainos--the indigenous people)--came in 1494 and 1495.

Soon after, Santo Domingo on the southern side of the island was established and became important to other explorers.  It became a headquarters for exploration to other countries.

There is too much history to tell it here, but you can find it online and learn.

   The light tree in the center here is at the head of the outline of the church "footprint."  It is thought to be about five hundred years old and may have been here in Columbus' time--very hard wood!

As we drove to Quisqueya, Earl got this shot out the window--loaves of bread riding on a motorcycle.   There is actually a man under that pile too!  A fairly normal sight!

  Today we were in the little town of Quisqueya, where we go to a branch of the church.  There, as in some other places, they seem to like bright colored homes.  I quite like some of the colors they use.  These are some typical houses in the town.

  

The last blue one is right across from the church.

We also went over to the Relief Society President's home.  It had a flood a while ago and some of the men, led by Elder Yturralde helped to fix it and put some more stability to it.  They also have been  building a house in back for her daughter.  It is not finished, but the shell is there.  They built all of the things from recycled or found materials--like packing boxes and old wood and some cinder blocks.  I've never seen a place quite like it!  Here are a few pictures.  In the rear to the left is a small building that is the bathroom. You will see the "pet" rooster in the picture with Earl and the Yturraldes standing in front of the second house to be built.  Sort of a different version of Habitat for Humanity.

Inside her house you can see first her kitchen then her living room and then the arch between that they made of packing boxes.  You don't see the two bedrooms, which are divided from the living room by curtains. The house is maybe 25'x15' and full of people right now.

In this picture you see our smiling friend holding some "swappies," which are
string mops that were made in another Yturralde project and which they
sell for money.  There are lots of customers at the Junta, where we work, that buy them.