Yet again, I have let time get the better of me. 2021 is more than half over now, and I don’t know how that happened. It has been a while since I have sat down to write a post, so let me backup to March….
I had a birthday in March and was able to celebrate with some of my friends here in San Juan! They made me my favorite foods including my mom's cheesy potatoes! It's always so hard being so far away from family for special occasions, but I feel so blessed to have such a great community here with me! Luna and Coco are doing great! Luna is 2 and half now and coco is turning 1 in a couple of weeks!
In the beginning of May, Cora and Terry, two other missionaries that live with me, came down to serve their organization, Solid Rock International, in San Juan. It was so nice to have other people in the house with me. It was great to learn about all of the amazing things that their organization is doing!
We have started doing clinics consistently in Rosa La Piedra. Public health has given us the green light to provide medical care at our clinic. We are not able to go out into the other communities quite yet, but we will hopefully be able to resume our other mobile clinics soon. It has been wonderful working in the mountain area and seeing familiar faces. Due to lack of clinics, we have been finding a lot of our patients with uncontrolled blood pressures and blood sugars. They have not been taking their meds consistently or at all because of lack of medical care. We have found a handful of malnourished kids as well, and many kids with skin issues. This last Thursday, we had a clinic and saw 95 patients!
Adam, Jessica Carlile and their four children returned in May after being in the states for a year! It has been great to see all of them!! I can’t believe how big the kids have gotten. There is a group of other missionaries in San Juan that we have gotten to know over the years, and they all have been slowly returning as well!
As of May 10th, the COVID vaccine has become available to people 18 and up. I was able to get both vaccines. A third vaccine just became available. We still have a curfew but thankful it has FINALLY gotten better. Curfew is 11pm now!
Over Memorial Day weekend, two of our good friends Lindsey and AJ came for a visit! They treated us to a girls’ weekend at the beach and brought us some medical supplies that we were running out of at the clinic. They were also able to bring baseballs and gloves for our kids baseball team in El Llano. These kiddos were sooo excited!!!
In mid June, we had another visitor, Cassie. She brought down two full suitcases of medicines that we had run out of in our pharmacy. Not only that, she was able to help me clean, organize, and inventory the entire pharmacy!
At the end of July, Jordan, a friend of ours who has been coming down since she was 14 came for a visit. We spent the first part of the week in Las Terrenas, which is in the north part of the country. This is all thanks to a dear friend of ours, Anna, who booked us a place to stay, giving us some time to relax! During this week, I also got my temporary residency card!!! Finally!! After more than two years!
Sadly Sister Roselyn, one of the founders of the organization, FUMSIL, that we work with here in El Llano died at the end of May. It was beautiful to see how much of an impact she had on everyone here in our town. Another Sister that I have gotten to know over the years, Sister Lluvia, who runs a school and orphanage in Port au Prince, Haiti, and who graciously cared for one of our kiddos, Nelson, died in June as well. Two amazing women who have touched the lives of so many.
I have been able to visit Nelson a couple of times since he has been reunited with his family. Nelson is doing well and will be attending a school in Rosa la Piedra (the community where the clinic is located) in the fall!
Construction has been slow. Between the master builder being sick for a short time and the amount of rain we had been getting, construction has been at a stand still. The majority of the floor in the clinic has been placed. They will be finishing placing sinks and doing touch ups. That leaves us with a final layer of paint and electrical to be done on the clinic side!
We have been working hard to get the medical/volunteer house side of construction to the same level as the clinic, since we will be sending a sea container worth of supplies down at the end of August! We are getting so close. The walls have been smoothed out and a base layer of paint has been added. All of the rooms are ready for windows, doors and flooring! If you are interested in sponsoring a room we have 3 rooms left to sponsor in the house.
Some exciting news is that a group that works with us from California, recently held a fundraiser on our behalf to raise money for Solar panels and the electrical system! We are so thrilled that we will have electrical power up in the mountain!!! Our plan is to install the solar panels later this fall.
Sea container planning has been keeping us busy! I am blown away by everyone's generosity. I am so very thankful to everyone who has been helping plan, store, and donate/purchase items for the container! A huge thank you to my parents who have agreed to collect and store the items!! Their garage is completely full!
We are still in need of a few items! Please check out our needs list or amazon wishlist.
Or consider donating to help off set the shipping cost.
On August 13th, from 8 am until 1 pm, the donations will be loaded into a 53’ foot semi trailer at my parents’ house to store until August 25th the shipping date. If you can help, please call or text my dad Gary, or Leeann.
Gary (616-260-1779) Leeann (517-392-1518)
Huge thanks to Grand Rapids Transport in Jenison, Michigan for letting us use a truck and their space for 2 weeks before shipping the sea container.
On the actual ship date, Wednesday, August 25th, we are looking for volunteers to help move everything from the 53’ semi trailer to the actual 40’ foot sea container that we will be sending to the Dominican Republic! We have a limited amount of time to move everything from one truck to the other, so the more hands available to help the better!
Prayers:
For the successful completion of the sea container loading and delivery.
For the communities that we still have not been able to visit due to COVID.
For the opportunities to have mission groups return to the DR.
Kailey, you are making such great progress despite the occasional setback. I'm in awe of what you are accomplishing. My God continue to bless the work you are doing.
Great update! It's fantastic to hear how God is working in your life.