April 3 of 2012, I was living in Augusta, GA. I got a phone call from my mother, while I was home on my lunch break, that my grandmother had been hit by a car while walking home from the bank. She was being taken into surgery immediately in hopes to relieve pressure and swelling around her brain. A few hours later, back at work, I got another call that the surgery was unsuccessful and she hadn't made it through. I was shattered, broken, lost, and alone! I wanted nothing more but to get on the next flight out of town and be at home, in Iowa, with my family. I had no idea at that point what an amazing blessing my grandmothers death would be!
I did fly home that evening and spent the next week with my family and friends, celebrating what an amazing person, an Angel really, my grandmother was! I returned to the south, and over the next few months life changed quite a bit. Due to other circumstances, I made the decision to moved back to Iowa in August 2012.
Later that year, as Christmas got closer, a holiday we had spent every year at Grandma's, Dad decided that we should have a "completely different Christmas". He began the planning and research and ended up booking a trip to the Dominican Republic. I was very excited to spend some time in "Paradise" with my immediate family. We had never been able to take vacations like this while I was growing up, and I had spent the last 4 years living 23 hours away from my family, so I was not only looking forward to the once in a life time opportunity to travel, but also to spending time with the people I love (& at times dislike) so much! :)
The trip was life changing! Not only for Me and my family, but we were able to make numerous connections that truly have changed our lives, and I feel the lives of local Dominicans as well. We were blessed to use money that my Dad inherited from Grandma's passing to sponsor an event called "12 Days of Christmas", which is held at a restaurant just around the corner from the home we stayed at in DR. Local orphan children are brought into town to this restaurant and served a traditional Dominican meal, Santa Clause comes and gives out gifts, games are played, pinata is hit, its over all an amazing day for these children who truly have only each other!
At this event our family met Pastor Joel, who runs an orphanage in Puerto Plata, DR. He invited my family to come visit the orphanage and spend an afternoon with the kids! Because I had to return to the U.S. for work, I wasn't able to make the visit with my parents and sisters. But I heard all about it when they returned home! It was very clear that a forever connection was made that day!
In March, my Dad, Brother, Sister and a good friend of our family returned to DR and the orphanage. They spent a week there, and were able to start a second story addition to expand the living area for the kids. It was on this trip that my Dad, Brother & Sister heard about and got to visit Monkey Jungle. When they returned home, they told me about the summer "internship" opportunity, and all about what the facility does, I was immediately interested!
Monkey Jungle is a medical/dental clinic in Sosua, Puerto Plata, DR, which is funded by a tourist Zip Line attraction and Monkey Tour. I have always enjoyed the medical field and have always hoped to do some type of missions work, so after hearing all that Monkey Jungle does, it seemed like a great opportunity & fit for me. I decided I was going to take the plunge! I knew I had a limited amount of time before I turn 26 in October, and would no longer be able to be on my parents insurance, which as a diabetic, I cant go with out. So this was it, I booked my ticket, and I would leave June 16!
Now my departure is just 12 days away! The packing is overwhelming, my Spanish has not improved at all, and I've made new friends in Clear Lake & reconnected with so many people that I know its going to be hard to leave. BUT, I know this will be an opportunity I will never regret! Gramaudie always encouraged us grand kids to do what made us happy! And she was such an amazing example of giving, and caring for others, I only hope that I can be half of the woman she was! I look forward to bringing a little piece of Maudie to the DR again with me!
I will continue to blog over the Summer, in hopes to share my adventures with y'all!! I'm sure its going to one heck of a journey! :)
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