Chorizo and Juice

J made it home safely Sunday night.  Praise the Lord!  Overall the FCA camp was great and 6 men accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior!!  Gloria a Dios!  J drove the whole way home (about a 6 hour drive due to the availability of roads) so is now a true Dominican.  The ride home was interesting as twice the national police stopped J.  (Imagine a road with the police stopped on the side and they walk to the middle and put their hand out to stop you.)  We know from previous stories exactly what the police are looking for.  They are looking for someone who has a nice car but not too nice so they can stop them and get money from them. 

First police conversation: (In Spanish)
Police: (rifle in hand) How are y'all doing?
Pachuli (one of AIM coaches on trip): We're fine.  How are you?
Police: Good, what are y'all doing?
Pachuli: We're coming home from a baseball clinic in Hato Mayor.
Police: Oh, then y'all must have money.
Pachuli: No.  The clinic was for missionaries...
(20 seconds later as J continues to stare at police)
Police: Go ahead and keep going.

Second police conversation: (Again in Spanish)
Police: (rifle on shoulder strap) Where are y'all going?
Pachuli: We are going home to Sosua near Puerta Plata.
Police: Okay.  Do you have anything for me to get juice?
Pachuli to J (remember J knows exactly what the guy is asking for but is acting aloof): He wants a juice.
J to Pachuli: We don't have juice!
Pachuli to J: No, he wants money for juice.
J to Police: We don't have much but here's some change.
Police: (took money) Get going.

J then explained to the Dominicans in the car that he prefers someone to come out and ask for what they want rather than fish around with statements like "you guys must have money."  J also said he knows that the "juice" probably comes in a green bottle and is flavored with hops and barley. 

On another note, we visited an orphanage in Sosua yesterday.  It is an all boys orphanage ranging in ages from 6-16.  It is a beautiful facility and we wanted to see what there needs are and will be.  We are excited as J and Checo are going to start practicing with the boys on Monday and Wednesday mornings.  Again, kids spell love in P-L-A-Y, so I am pray these boys will feel the love of Christ through this time. 

And one last little tidbit to bring a smile to your face...  We enjoy eating chorizo con huevo (chorizo with egg) in the States.  We found some chorizo at the Supermercado and thought "Hey, let's try it.  It looks a lot like ours back home."  Fast forward to dinner time last night.  J opens the package and immediately notices a difference, but we think "let's push through and see what happens."  2 minutes later... "We're done."  J puts it this way, "I've never smelled spoiled Italian dressing, but I'm pretty sure this chorizo is what it would smell like."  The odor (not smell but odor) which made J queasy was mercifully overtaken by the smell of burning wood and trash from our neighbors.

And some pictures:

This was from the "girls weekend."  One of our neighbors, Genesis, helped us bake some cookies.  Genesis is like a big sister to Aubrey.

 Aubrey and Jhosiel at the AIM meeting on Monday.  He is 20 months old and it has actually been decided by the Decker family that they are to have an arranged marriage later in life.  :)

Daddy and Aubrey testing out some equipment to take to the orphanage yesterday.