A different Culture

I've been very busy working with Frank & Eduard (our Engineer/Builder) working out daily logistics, construction methods, construction plans/details, negotiating with local truckers and mine owners, reporting/billing/tracking methods once the building itself is underway and we have this contract finalized with Eduard. It is complicated working a legal document out between our overly-detailed culture and this Dominican one that is so pleasantly simplified (in case you don't know me, I admit that I tend to look at rules and laws more as "guidelines"  - to a certain extent anyway - common sense is my base. This cultural difference shows up in general construction methods and techniques as well, so it is a rewarding challenge working things out. The bottom line is that I truly fell everyone involved has a quality built, completed Clinic as the same goal in the end. 

  But enough of the whining - Here are some fun things I've experienced lately:

1- A DR wedding - very fun and also very meaningful.  
   Fun = attending a DR wedding and being asked by the groom (right before the wedding started) to go get the pig for the meal after the ceremony. Quite an experience - truly a fire-roasted facility that beats Boston Market or Kenny Rogers! (see photo).

  

Running Laura's friends and family members around San Juan and even attending a wedding luncheon at Wellingtons family home (the groom).
   Meaningful = Very nice ceremony capped by the small remaining group of Laura's friends and SRI folks packing up the paper and other decorations away - nothing gets thrown out - it will be used again at another ceremony.  Once cleanup was done, With Kari's suggestion, we did a laying-of-the-hands on Wellington and Laura -  Nicole and Monchy then prayed over the couple - very cool.  And Wellington telling me he has a very good friend in me - honored.

2- Ever seen your Left Rear Tire pass you on the highway?
     Sorry, no photos, but quite an interesting morning on the way to the construction site: 
They were working Sunday, so I needed to set up the laser level for them ...passed a slow-moving pickup, picked up speed as the road narrowed to the two lanes, felt a shimmy in the tires, then a hop, look out to my left and see my Tire Passing me, Shooting by and off into the ditch on the other side of the road! About this time the left-rear slumped onto the pavement and we were scratching along on the asphalt - so I pulled over as quick as I could.  Wasn't 20 seconds that 4 to 6 Dominicans had stopped, asking if I was ok while two of them were looking for a tire off in the bushes across the highway! They got my jack out, found some chunks of concrete to get the truck high enough, took off a lug or two from the other three tires, bent the drum shield so it wouldn't scrape and got my wheel re-mounted!  Almost like a NASCAR pit crew!  
  So very helpful - people were slowing to see if they could help while this was going on - this is a culture where people help other people in need - helping is more important than their own schedules or destinations. Can you imagine this in the States - probably get cursed at for causing someone to have to slow down! 
Serving others, that's what Life should be about. 
God is good. 
Goodnight from the DR.