missionaryMAC

...which is bound to happen, if you get married in the tropics in the middle of hurricane season. Thanks, Laura.  Tropical storm notwithstanding, Jamielynn and Rafa finally  tied the knot. The road to the altar was anything but easy. Due to COVID-19's various manifestations - the prohibition of public gatherings, flight cancellations, government shutdowns, the resurgence of curfew, etc. - their Big Day was rescheduled twice, and loved ones on multiple continents who had planned to come were relegated to Facebook Live. Then, Saturday's ceremony started on "island time" on account of overzealous hair and makeup artists. The grace with which these two handled every setback was a testament to the faith on which their relationship is founded and constantly pointed me to my Savior.  My role in wedding weekend was picking up Jamielynn's sister Elizabeth and her fiancé Garrett on Friday. We went straight to the Krey house, site of Jamielynn and Rafa's civil ceremony, ...

One of my missionary colleagues has a section in each of his newsletters entitled "Work Up North." (He divides his time between Ascension Lutheran Church, a multicultural SELC congregation in Montreal, and several Caribbean islands, so there's another section entitled - you guessed it - "Work Down South.") Last week at this time, I was preparing for some Saturday morning work up north (in Costambar, on the DR's northern coast) of my own, namely the Montreal virtual FORO. It was an educational few hours for me, as I knew admittedly little about Ascension's many bridges into its community, how the saints there have weathered COVID-19, and what could be on the horizon given the right mix of human and financial resources; short-term volunteers would contribute on both fronts.  I didn't make the hour-long drive just for the spotty WiFi, though. By the time the FORO ended, Jamielynn's bridal shower was in full swing! Maid of Honor Tirzah outdid hersel...

Things I didn't do on day 153 that I would have done if COVID-19 weren't a thing: fly to St. Louis for the start of my home service.  Instead, I'm still working...er, serving?...from my home in Santiago. The latest out of the DR is that we remain in a state of emergency. Curfew was extended another 25 days as of yesterday, although that's subject to change when president-elect Luis Abinader takes office on Sunday, August 16.  I toyed with a library work session this morning but wound up sticking around Cerro Alto. My inbox was full by my standards, and I'll be spending a few days outside the city this weekend. I'm waaaaay out of practice packing, and I want to leave things - including my Mission Central presentation for the day I come back - in order. I'll be giving another presentation tomorrow for the LCMS Volunteer Connection volunteers and making two videos in the coming weeks (one for an LWML district convention ...