Bienvenidos a la Republica Dominicana!

Today we woke up in a very nice hotel with an even nicer breakfast buffet. It had omelets, toast, fruit, and anything else you could imagine. And then some. We left propmtly at nine and rode for a short time on a suped-up retro van straight out of the 70's. We then arrived in the gorgeous colonial sector of Santo Domingo. Walking around the town, we were pursued by a persistent dog named Roberto. We took a tour through an old riverside fort and then browsed old antiques being sold on the street. We shopped in a store that spanned a few football fields in length before settling down to eat in a lovely outdoor cafe. Well, EVENTUALLY we got around to eating while the chef took his time making sure our food was absolutely perfect (and it was). We enjoyed each other's company while waiting, even if it made us a few minutes late.

(Group photo in front of the cathedral, "the oldest in the New World") Not that we were especially eager to get back on the bus. The next ride took over three hours and included an unplanned stop (*breakdown) on the side of the road. A bottle of what purported to be normal non-drowsy motion medicine acted to incapacitate half the bus for much of the ride. We still got to see some amazing sights, though. Locals hung out in big groups on the side of the road, and many came right through the street to knock on our windows and sell us peanuts, fruit, and lollipops. Passing by the seaside and along the mountains was awe-inspiring. We arrived in San Juan around four and we immediately swept up in a whirlwind of activity getting settled in, used to the compound, and prepared for the week ahead. After a lovely dinner we enjoyed a 1.5 hour church service conducted entirely in spanish, which was a very unusual experience for most members of our group.

(Photo: VBS prep at the guest house) After a sketchy back-of-the-truck ride back to the compund, we all "speed-dated" to get to know each other and share our hopes and fears for the coming week. It looks promising. -Tyler Anderson and Brad Prescott

(A shot of the guest house courtyard)