If Your Friends All Climbed a Mountain, Would You?

Ashley's answer to the title question: a resounding no (now that she knows better after doing it once). If all your friends did a whole bunch of other fun stuff after climbing a mountain, though...

My church had a 4 pm Divine Service on New Year's Eve, so Tirzah, Ashley, and I dragged our aching muscles to Licey to join in thanking God for the blessings of the year gone by and asking His blessing on the one to come. We also celebrated Ely's deaconess consecration, having been unable to do it on a Sunday morning due to her work schedule.

We made a detour to see Monumento Natural La Ceiba on the way home. A few others had the same idea!

The Naumanns put on quite the party for everyone from the missionary AND seminary communities who was in town. I helped translate and emcee a trivia game complete with prizes (and brought Lemon Rosemary Hummus because I can't pass up an opportunity to try a new recipe). 

New Year's Day, we drove to the north coast and had a low key day of curating and posting 2022 year-in-review social media content, tacos, playing cards, and finishing the post-hike movie we were too tired to watch in one sitting. 

Monday was the most perfect beach day. On the way to Cabarete, we saw the world's largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas, in port at Taino Bay. 

Waffles before waves. 

I finally got to see if Vagamundo, a breakfast joint whose topping-forward waffles are each named for a different city, was worth the hype. I had the "Paris," which might more accurately be called the "Athens"...

The ship was pulling out as we made our way back. 

It drew quite the crowd! When you think about it, it IS encouraging to think about the economic impact of such a high profile vessel on a post-COVID economy based principally on tourism. 

Tuesday night, Ashley's last, a group of us went to a round robin baseball game. The Águilas Cibaeñas suffered a painful 5-0 loss, but the company was good. 

The Kreys graciously hosted us for brunch and a 10th day of Christmas hymn sing before Tirzah & I drove Ashley to the airport Wednesday around 10:15. 

I admittedly didn't enjoy the game or the lovely morning as much as I could or should have, as it hit me  that I was not at ALL ready for either of the coming week's two events: I couldn't find my seminary keys, and multiple people had asked me questions I couldn't answer before 10 am. Despite the logistics being more haphazard than I might like, the Lord is blessing my efforts and those of the incredible support team around me for His glory. I heard nothing but glowing reviews emerge out of Saturday's Venezuela FORO, and tomorrow is already the halfway point of a conference for all of the seminary's distance (Formación pastoral Hispana, or FPH) students. I've been te-rri-ble at taking pictures but will share my take on both soon. 

Until next time, blessings in Christ!