November 25, 2009
I am almost speechless at how radically different it is in this country versus the states. Prior to moving here we did our research, we crunched the numbers, we talked to various people, but even then we were not even on the tip of the iceberg of knowing how the DR truly operates. It’s amazing to me how over 2 million people visit here a year, convinced it is heaven on earth… it is gorgeous but tourists only see the shell of this country. They are clueless about the corruption, the deception, the fabrication, and the crookedness that encompasses every dimension of this island. There is virtually no way possible for a foreigner (unless they have all the time in the world, or are mega-millionaires) to come here and establish a business in a legal manner. It would undoubtedly require bribes and under the table cash flow; both of which we were not prepared for.
Through meeting with an Editor in Chief of a newspaper yesterday we both were granted clarity on our personal reality of living here and operating a foreign-run tourism business. This man is a Dominican who was willing to take of the mask and unveil to us the ugly “truths” that run this island. He confirmed what we had heard about the few mega wealthy families that have an iron grip on the DR. They are the ones who control every aspect of this country, from hotels to excursion to shops and restaurant; all must be Okayed through them. Once they give the okay they are then given a huge percent of the profits. And so he said if we began operating without their consent, they would quickly make sure that they would receive 50-60 percent of our money, or else make sure we were drove out of the country. For example, our 60-dollar flight we would have to give them 30-35 dollars, then 5 dollars for gas, 10 dollars for rent, and another 5 for the tour rep, leaving us 5-10 dollars. We aren’t trying to get rich, but we would have to bust our butts flying to try and even make rent. It just isn’t conceivable. We didn’t come here to get rich, but we do have bills and college loans to take care. Not to mention we dreamed of helping out our families as well.
He also mentioned that unless we have an “in” with tourism and the aeronautical offices, we would not receive the permits. Of course they will not blatantly tell us that, but they keep us quiet by saying, “One week, One week, or keep waiting, it takes a long time here”. But, in reality we will be waiting forever because they do not want us to work here. It’s all about power and money. For whatever reason they feel threatened when foreigners try to start businesses here… they are worried about us taking their money and becoming powerful. So by whatever means necessary, they drive you out. One would think they would be grateful for people moving here and trying to generate businesses and help their third world country, but that is far from the case.
This man did tell us that if we would get ourselves out into the community more, that we would be able to make those connections with the power people who can get things done. He told us about two big parties that were happening this weekend; he insisted that we attend. We “have to be seen and introduced to the people here… create a status for ourselves.” These parties are at a club/discoteca and a bar. You see we have no issue getting out into the community and meeting people, but we refuse to open that door. If starting a business here requires us partying every weekend just to get an in, then we refuse to do it. We are not going to redirect our moral compass and exchange our values just for a means of operating a business. So, it was at that moment we realized we are putting on the breaks and calling it quits. The instant you alter your values is the same instant your vision becomes skewed… we will not let that happen.
So for that reason, and for some other safety reasons regarding drugs and trafficking, we with complete confidence have decided that the DR is no longer the place in which we should reside.
As of now, we are trying to sell the few things we have here. We don’t know what the future looks like regarding employment or what not… but we have an undeniable peace that we are doing the next right thing.
Thank y’all for being apart of this journey with us. For your prayers and encouraging words.
We love you and will see you soon!
D&T
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
The Crossraods
November 22, 2009
The crossroads.
Now that is something we haven’t come up upon since our whole vision of the DR was derived. To be a bit more specific we have never developed an exit strategy for this adventure. In the very beginning (April) I had mentioned a “plan B” to Trav but he said it wasn’t necessary. You see on paper everything works. We did every possible research that would be necessary to not only live here and make it, but also create a successful business. The DR is in the top 5 visited Caribbean destinations, specifically Punta Cana sees about 2 million people a year. The demand for this tourism attraction is HUGE! However, we were not aware at the hurdles and obstacles we would get tossed into in order to get our business in operating condition.
We are utterly powerless. We (with the Lords sovereignty) put all the pieces of the puzzle together regarding what is necessary to be entirely legal here; we have attempted achieving each specific task. Unfortunately, now our livelihood relies on the whim of a random Dominican worker. It’s not a question of whether or not these people will write us the permit; it’s a matter of when. As mentioned numerous times, everything runs very slow here. People don’t follow through and they don’t do things when they say they will. It’s as if people don’t care if they excel in their work and produce a fine job! They would rather be slow and if they get motivated, well then they will do what they are supposed to.
We budgeted for how long we thought it would take to get these documents; except we didn’t budget for all this nonsense and wasted time. Our attorney just informed us that it could take months before the boat registration inspector comes (when we were told they would be here a week ago). Unfortunately, we cannot fly until our boat is registered. Thus, we are stuck. So, I guess the main reason we are now thinking about what happens at our crossroads is because we don’t have all the time in the world. Rightfully so… we cannot just live here for another six months and wait. Not to mention I think we would go insane spending that much more time not working and being poor here, trying to motivate the people to write the permits.
So we’ve laid out three different options, in which one will presumably be chosen by December 21st. We will A) Wait on the Lord if he tells us to wait B) Count our losses, pack up and go… either working in NY or TX C) Leave in December, spend the holidays with family, work a few turn-arounds in the Oil Refinerys while the permits continue being processed, and come back when we have accumulated more money.
With all that being said, that is why I’m “trying to muster up more faith”. This is such an emotional roller coaster and right now we are clouded with confusion. Sometimes it’s hard to discern whether this is Satan trying to lure us away from something that could be successful and create huge ministry opportunities, or if it’s the Lord pulling us out of this plan because it’s no longer His perfect plan for us. It’s hard not knowing which idea to entertain. However, I believe that as we continue seeking Him, He will reveal to us the way in which we should go. The Bible says our God is not a God of confusion, so I believe He will provide us clarity in this situation.
Check out these Scripture I came across yesterday:
Isaiah 30:21 “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”
Jeremiah 6:16 “This is what the Lord says: Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls”
Isaiah 43:19 “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.”
You see, despite all the confusion and chaos, I believe that the Lord will not abandon us. I am confident that He will reveal to us what we are supposed to do, and then supply us with the courage to do so. I believe in the God who can make “a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland”, but I also believe that if He leads us away from here that it is for His higher purpose. I will be glad for the time we had to chase this dream, embrace the lessons we’ve learned, and march towards whatever He calls us to.
Please pray for us. Pray for wisdom, strength, and discernment. We truly don’t want to do anything out of selfish ambition; we just want to do what we are called to do.
And if you have any bouts of wisdom for us, we would greatly appreciate it! ☺
Love you & miss you!
D&T
The crossroads.
Now that is something we haven’t come up upon since our whole vision of the DR was derived. To be a bit more specific we have never developed an exit strategy for this adventure. In the very beginning (April) I had mentioned a “plan B” to Trav but he said it wasn’t necessary. You see on paper everything works. We did every possible research that would be necessary to not only live here and make it, but also create a successful business. The DR is in the top 5 visited Caribbean destinations, specifically Punta Cana sees about 2 million people a year. The demand for this tourism attraction is HUGE! However, we were not aware at the hurdles and obstacles we would get tossed into in order to get our business in operating condition.
We are utterly powerless. We (with the Lords sovereignty) put all the pieces of the puzzle together regarding what is necessary to be entirely legal here; we have attempted achieving each specific task. Unfortunately, now our livelihood relies on the whim of a random Dominican worker. It’s not a question of whether or not these people will write us the permit; it’s a matter of when. As mentioned numerous times, everything runs very slow here. People don’t follow through and they don’t do things when they say they will. It’s as if people don’t care if they excel in their work and produce a fine job! They would rather be slow and if they get motivated, well then they will do what they are supposed to.
We budgeted for how long we thought it would take to get these documents; except we didn’t budget for all this nonsense and wasted time. Our attorney just informed us that it could take months before the boat registration inspector comes (when we were told they would be here a week ago). Unfortunately, we cannot fly until our boat is registered. Thus, we are stuck. So, I guess the main reason we are now thinking about what happens at our crossroads is because we don’t have all the time in the world. Rightfully so… we cannot just live here for another six months and wait. Not to mention I think we would go insane spending that much more time not working and being poor here, trying to motivate the people to write the permits.
So we’ve laid out three different options, in which one will presumably be chosen by December 21st. We will A) Wait on the Lord if he tells us to wait B) Count our losses, pack up and go… either working in NY or TX C) Leave in December, spend the holidays with family, work a few turn-arounds in the Oil Refinerys while the permits continue being processed, and come back when we have accumulated more money.
With all that being said, that is why I’m “trying to muster up more faith”. This is such an emotional roller coaster and right now we are clouded with confusion. Sometimes it’s hard to discern whether this is Satan trying to lure us away from something that could be successful and create huge ministry opportunities, or if it’s the Lord pulling us out of this plan because it’s no longer His perfect plan for us. It’s hard not knowing which idea to entertain. However, I believe that as we continue seeking Him, He will reveal to us the way in which we should go. The Bible says our God is not a God of confusion, so I believe He will provide us clarity in this situation.
Check out these Scripture I came across yesterday:
Isaiah 30:21 “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”
Jeremiah 6:16 “This is what the Lord says: Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls”
Isaiah 43:19 “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.”
You see, despite all the confusion and chaos, I believe that the Lord will not abandon us. I am confident that He will reveal to us what we are supposed to do, and then supply us with the courage to do so. I believe in the God who can make “a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland”, but I also believe that if He leads us away from here that it is for His higher purpose. I will be glad for the time we had to chase this dream, embrace the lessons we’ve learned, and march towards whatever He calls us to.
Please pray for us. Pray for wisdom, strength, and discernment. We truly don’t want to do anything out of selfish ambition; we just want to do what we are called to do.
And if you have any bouts of wisdom for us, we would greatly appreciate it! ☺
Love you & miss you!
D&T
Thursday, November 19, 2009
:)
November 19, 2009
“God prepares great men for great tasks by great trials” –Charles Spurgeon
Oh how that has encouraged me the past two days!
Yesterday morning Travis went with a mechanic to get some spark plugs for our plane. I stayed home to clean up the house and such. Well when all was spotless I decided I wanted to go swimming for exercise. I got all ready and went to get my goggles and they were missing. I was searching all over the house for where I put them last and while I was looking I got this funny thought, “what if the Lord is slowing down my steps for a certain reason… maybe he doesn’t want me to leave yet…”. I know that sounds like “super-spiritual”, and I don’t always think like that. But, in this particular moment I did. I felt a prompting to wait. And so I did. Literally, within five minutes Trav rushed in the door and ran straight to the bathroom. He was very upset and about to have a panic attack. I was so happy that I listened to that small voice that told me to wait, instead of hurrying along and ignoring it. My husband needed me, and I was there to help him simply because I allowed the Lord to interrupt my life for a more important reason.
When life gets crazy and things don’t pan out like you want them to… you know, something blocks the road… I encourage you to pause and think that there just might be a bigger reason for why that is happening. Perhaps it is an inconvenience but maybe it’s the Lord divinely orchestrating the timeline for a bigger purpose.
Today is already a million times better than yesterday. Clearly yesterday was a rough day for Trav and I. Sometimes it gets overwhelming here. The whole process of establishing a business in a foreign country alone is enough to drive someone insane. Not to mention being from American almost puts us at a disadvantage. With that I mean we’re used to working with fairly educated people who understand what getting things done in a “timely fashion” means. Truly the only way to get things moving here is to pay people in hopes of motivating them to do with their work. And well, when you and your husband are recent college graduates, with school loans staring you in the face, and an allotted savings to get you through the anticipated waiting period, its not that easy to just leisurely pay everyone double to do their duties. We are also learned that the Dominicans also run by a system of connections. It’s not what you know, but whom you know. If you want something done you must have a connection… and well not being from here our connections are minimal. But, I believe my God is bigger than all of that. So despite all those roadblocks, I believe in the Lord who can move mountains!
Matthew 17:20
“I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
So, a funny story from yesterday…
Upon Travs frustration with the slow process of the business he decided to go and scout out a different attorney, one who, as Trav puts it, “we don’t have to baby-sit”. So we got referred to this Dominican attorney. We were sitting there in a meeting presenting him all that we have as well as the areas we need his assistance. One area we are looking for more information is regarding Dominican residency. Well, in order for him to quote us a price he had to ask us a variety of health related questions. As previously mentioned Trav wasn’t having a good day and was out of sorts. Well the attorney proceeds to ask us about our health background. He says, “do you smoke and do drugs?” and 100% serious Trav shakes his head YES! The attorney then says, “when is the last time?” And Trav shakes his head yes again! At this point I pipe up and say “Hold on!! Did you just ask him if he does drugs?” And he said, “Yes, of course…” and I looked at Trav and said WHY did you tell him you do drugs!? Haha he had no idea that’s what the guy said. I’m not sure if he wasn’t paying attention or if the Dominican accent made him unsure of what he said… so I’m pretty sure he thinks we do drugs and I was trying to cover it up. Haha…
Just wait… it gets better.
So then he goes on to ask us if we have STD’s, and various diseases. And this man is trying to say Hepatitis, but instead it sounded like “Hypo-titties”. So Travis goes, “What? Do I have heavy titties?!” Haha, oh man I’m almost confident this guy thinks were on drugs now. It did make for a good laugh though ☺
Anyways, today is a good day. The Lord has restored our joy, our vision, and our tenacity. We also found out that Trav’s dad and step mom are coming to visit us in a little over a week! We are so excited to have some family down here. It’s just what we need.
Hope ya’ll can come visit soon!
Love & Miss you!
D&T
“God prepares great men for great tasks by great trials” –Charles Spurgeon
Oh how that has encouraged me the past two days!
Yesterday morning Travis went with a mechanic to get some spark plugs for our plane. I stayed home to clean up the house and such. Well when all was spotless I decided I wanted to go swimming for exercise. I got all ready and went to get my goggles and they were missing. I was searching all over the house for where I put them last and while I was looking I got this funny thought, “what if the Lord is slowing down my steps for a certain reason… maybe he doesn’t want me to leave yet…”. I know that sounds like “super-spiritual”, and I don’t always think like that. But, in this particular moment I did. I felt a prompting to wait. And so I did. Literally, within five minutes Trav rushed in the door and ran straight to the bathroom. He was very upset and about to have a panic attack. I was so happy that I listened to that small voice that told me to wait, instead of hurrying along and ignoring it. My husband needed me, and I was there to help him simply because I allowed the Lord to interrupt my life for a more important reason.
When life gets crazy and things don’t pan out like you want them to… you know, something blocks the road… I encourage you to pause and think that there just might be a bigger reason for why that is happening. Perhaps it is an inconvenience but maybe it’s the Lord divinely orchestrating the timeline for a bigger purpose.
Today is already a million times better than yesterday. Clearly yesterday was a rough day for Trav and I. Sometimes it gets overwhelming here. The whole process of establishing a business in a foreign country alone is enough to drive someone insane. Not to mention being from American almost puts us at a disadvantage. With that I mean we’re used to working with fairly educated people who understand what getting things done in a “timely fashion” means. Truly the only way to get things moving here is to pay people in hopes of motivating them to do with their work. And well, when you and your husband are recent college graduates, with school loans staring you in the face, and an allotted savings to get you through the anticipated waiting period, its not that easy to just leisurely pay everyone double to do their duties. We are also learned that the Dominicans also run by a system of connections. It’s not what you know, but whom you know. If you want something done you must have a connection… and well not being from here our connections are minimal. But, I believe my God is bigger than all of that. So despite all those roadblocks, I believe in the Lord who can move mountains!
Matthew 17:20
“I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
So, a funny story from yesterday…
Upon Travs frustration with the slow process of the business he decided to go and scout out a different attorney, one who, as Trav puts it, “we don’t have to baby-sit”. So we got referred to this Dominican attorney. We were sitting there in a meeting presenting him all that we have as well as the areas we need his assistance. One area we are looking for more information is regarding Dominican residency. Well, in order for him to quote us a price he had to ask us a variety of health related questions. As previously mentioned Trav wasn’t having a good day and was out of sorts. Well the attorney proceeds to ask us about our health background. He says, “do you smoke and do drugs?” and 100% serious Trav shakes his head YES! The attorney then says, “when is the last time?” And Trav shakes his head yes again! At this point I pipe up and say “Hold on!! Did you just ask him if he does drugs?” And he said, “Yes, of course…” and I looked at Trav and said WHY did you tell him you do drugs!? Haha he had no idea that’s what the guy said. I’m not sure if he wasn’t paying attention or if the Dominican accent made him unsure of what he said… so I’m pretty sure he thinks we do drugs and I was trying to cover it up. Haha…
Just wait… it gets better.
So then he goes on to ask us if we have STD’s, and various diseases. And this man is trying to say Hepatitis, but instead it sounded like “Hypo-titties”. So Travis goes, “What? Do I have heavy titties?!” Haha, oh man I’m almost confident this guy thinks were on drugs now. It did make for a good laugh though ☺
Anyways, today is a good day. The Lord has restored our joy, our vision, and our tenacity. We also found out that Trav’s dad and step mom are coming to visit us in a little over a week! We are so excited to have some family down here. It’s just what we need.
Hope ya’ll can come visit soon!
Love & Miss you!
D&T
Sunday, November 15, 2009
The power of networking :)
November 15, 2009
Here’s an update on our business status:
Kingdom Flyers, S.R.L. will be able to take their first tourist on a flying boat ride when:
-We nail down a lease agreement for beach space
-The inspector looks at our aircraft and issues the boat registration
-We get insurance
With the way things look and only these few tasks left to accomplish, we believe we should be up and running within 2 weeks (at most!). If you only saw the mile-long list we were first presented, you would understand why looking at this one is so refreshing.
At times this process is frustrating. Meeting with the attorneys, meeting with different land owners, going here, going there, not understanding Spanish and of course waiting, waiting, waiting… But, at the end of the day we are ALWAYS in awe of how perfectly everything fits together.
You see we have been blessed with so many people helping us. It is mind boggling at how the 1-2 year process of beginning our tourism business is actually taking us roughly 3 months! It’s so remarkable to us how we meet someone, who then leads us to another person, who introduces us to someone else who is able to help. I mean the unintentional marketing that has gone on here is incredible! Nonetheless, we all know its not mere coincidence ☺. There is undoubtedly something bigger going on here… Ironically enough, I just read in my devotions yesterday, “we can all see God in exceptional things, but it requires the growth of spiritual discipline to see God in every detail. Never believe that the so-called random events of life are anything less than God’s appointed order. Be ready to discover His divine designs anywhere and everywhere.” (My Utmost for His Highest, Nov. 14)
Here are two examples:
1. We were asking a worker at the local fruit stand if they knew a welder who could build us a water trailer and our popped a Haitian named Rodney. He said to meet him there tomorrow at 5:30pm. He took us around to some welders and we began sharing with him our business ideas. He works for a Tour Operator called Scuba Caribe and thought this company might want to do business with us. Well he introduced us to a manager of one of the stores named Damian. Damian also liked our business idea, and thus referred us to Nicholas, the manager of the land where his shop was, on Bibijagua beach. We met with Nicholas and presented our business plans to him. He was a very stoic man, we couldn’t really tell if he was thrilled or not. But, he told us he would call us back either way. But you see, we ended up getting hooked up with Nicholas all because of the guy at a fruit stand. It’s kind of comical!
2. So, the other day we went to this local mailbox/print store to get our business cards printed up. We were aware that the manager/owner of this particular store is very good friends with the fellow who we were originally going to work underneath.
((As previously mentioned, things were not working out with him and getting help from him was like trying to nail jell-o to a tree. As of right now we have no idea what he is thinking. In other words, we’ve been back almost three weeks now. We’ve contacted him a few times and even stopped by his beach hut. In spite of that, he’s never there and hasn’t returned our calls. In my mind, that is our easy way out. We’re here, ready to go, and he isn’t giving us the time of day. Therefore, we needed to become independent. Bills don’t pay themselves, you know? ☺ Travis and I just can’t figure out why he is acting like this. I guess we figure, we could have potentially made him a lot of money and he would be required to do nothing. Wouldn’t you want to help get someone get set up quickly so your return investment could begin? Anyways, we don’t know if he thinks we gave up or are independent, or what...))
Sorry for the rabbit trail, but I felt like that was a good place to update the situation with that guy ☺ So we’re at this print shop and scoping the store to see if the owner is there. At this point, we were still being very careful about what we would say to people. We were slightly paranoid that the information would get back to the guy we were first planning to do business with. As were sitting there anticipating for the business cards to finish being cut so we could exit unnoticed, in walks the owner. We both could have died! We were literally about 2 minutes away from getting away undetected. Luckily we both happened to be wearing hats that day. We tried every way possible of being disguised. And it worked… until we had to go to the cash register to pay out.
As we were being handed our change back the owner walks right over to us and greets us in the friendliest manner imaginable! He was asking us all sorts of questions about if we’re flying yet, what needs to be done, this that and the other thing. This guy used to be a helicopter pilot so he knows the logistics about how it all works here. Travis and I were both being so careful talking to him. Of course were immediately going to assume that he is going to relay this information. So of course the only answers we were giving were very vague. However, as we talked a little bit longer Travis and I both had a peace about him. We didn’t have any sort of intuition that he had malicious motives. Trav says, “It’s a pilot thing, he wants to help another pilot out!”. After some more business talk he told us that he really wants to help us with whatever is left in the process. He had compassion because we are young, trying to do everything by the books, and of course it’s a flying business. He gave us his business card and said to call tomorrow at 4pm.
We can’t help but laugh. The one person we were trying so hard to not talk to, is the one who sincerely wants to assist us, with entirely pure motives. Some people who offer their help are very quick to include that they want a percentage of our income, but then there are others who just want to do good for someone else out of the kindness of their hearts. So after us both agreeing that we didn’t think he was up to anything, we met up with him again the very next day. The poor guy was a little scatter brained because he had been running around all day with work, and came directly to meet us and had not even eaten that day. Maybe I’m naïve, but why would someone go out of his or her way that much just to snitch on us? Anyways, be was very helpful! Apparently he used to be the head manager at an insurance company so he was going to contact them and get some quotes. He also knows the owner of the land, Bibijagua, which is the exact land we’ve been trying to get in with. We will see what all comes about with this guy and his help, but I’m sure it can’t hurt.
As far as the land goes… Nicholas, the manager of Bibijagua and finally called us back yesterday. He told Travis he wants to do business with us, but that he wants to see him do a demonstration flight. After Nicholas sees that then the negotiation process will begin. But, if we get in with the owner as well, perhaps they won’t try to take THAT much money from us. ☺ But, first we must wait for the boat registration.
Sorry if I was rambling, sometimes I try so hard to not make this thing 10 pages long yet inform ya’ll of what’s going on.
Please pray that these last few items come about in a timely manner so we can begin flying soon!
Love & miss you all!
D&T
Here’s an update on our business status:
Kingdom Flyers, S.R.L. will be able to take their first tourist on a flying boat ride when:
-We nail down a lease agreement for beach space
-The inspector looks at our aircraft and issues the boat registration
-We get insurance
With the way things look and only these few tasks left to accomplish, we believe we should be up and running within 2 weeks (at most!). If you only saw the mile-long list we were first presented, you would understand why looking at this one is so refreshing.
At times this process is frustrating. Meeting with the attorneys, meeting with different land owners, going here, going there, not understanding Spanish and of course waiting, waiting, waiting… But, at the end of the day we are ALWAYS in awe of how perfectly everything fits together.
You see we have been blessed with so many people helping us. It is mind boggling at how the 1-2 year process of beginning our tourism business is actually taking us roughly 3 months! It’s so remarkable to us how we meet someone, who then leads us to another person, who introduces us to someone else who is able to help. I mean the unintentional marketing that has gone on here is incredible! Nonetheless, we all know its not mere coincidence ☺. There is undoubtedly something bigger going on here… Ironically enough, I just read in my devotions yesterday, “we can all see God in exceptional things, but it requires the growth of spiritual discipline to see God in every detail. Never believe that the so-called random events of life are anything less than God’s appointed order. Be ready to discover His divine designs anywhere and everywhere.” (My Utmost for His Highest, Nov. 14)
Here are two examples:
1. We were asking a worker at the local fruit stand if they knew a welder who could build us a water trailer and our popped a Haitian named Rodney. He said to meet him there tomorrow at 5:30pm. He took us around to some welders and we began sharing with him our business ideas. He works for a Tour Operator called Scuba Caribe and thought this company might want to do business with us. Well he introduced us to a manager of one of the stores named Damian. Damian also liked our business idea, and thus referred us to Nicholas, the manager of the land where his shop was, on Bibijagua beach. We met with Nicholas and presented our business plans to him. He was a very stoic man, we couldn’t really tell if he was thrilled or not. But, he told us he would call us back either way. But you see, we ended up getting hooked up with Nicholas all because of the guy at a fruit stand. It’s kind of comical!
2. So, the other day we went to this local mailbox/print store to get our business cards printed up. We were aware that the manager/owner of this particular store is very good friends with the fellow who we were originally going to work underneath.
((As previously mentioned, things were not working out with him and getting help from him was like trying to nail jell-o to a tree. As of right now we have no idea what he is thinking. In other words, we’ve been back almost three weeks now. We’ve contacted him a few times and even stopped by his beach hut. In spite of that, he’s never there and hasn’t returned our calls. In my mind, that is our easy way out. We’re here, ready to go, and he isn’t giving us the time of day. Therefore, we needed to become independent. Bills don’t pay themselves, you know? ☺ Travis and I just can’t figure out why he is acting like this. I guess we figure, we could have potentially made him a lot of money and he would be required to do nothing. Wouldn’t you want to help get someone get set up quickly so your return investment could begin? Anyways, we don’t know if he thinks we gave up or are independent, or what...))
Sorry for the rabbit trail, but I felt like that was a good place to update the situation with that guy ☺ So we’re at this print shop and scoping the store to see if the owner is there. At this point, we were still being very careful about what we would say to people. We were slightly paranoid that the information would get back to the guy we were first planning to do business with. As were sitting there anticipating for the business cards to finish being cut so we could exit unnoticed, in walks the owner. We both could have died! We were literally about 2 minutes away from getting away undetected. Luckily we both happened to be wearing hats that day. We tried every way possible of being disguised. And it worked… until we had to go to the cash register to pay out.
As we were being handed our change back the owner walks right over to us and greets us in the friendliest manner imaginable! He was asking us all sorts of questions about if we’re flying yet, what needs to be done, this that and the other thing. This guy used to be a helicopter pilot so he knows the logistics about how it all works here. Travis and I were both being so careful talking to him. Of course were immediately going to assume that he is going to relay this information. So of course the only answers we were giving were very vague. However, as we talked a little bit longer Travis and I both had a peace about him. We didn’t have any sort of intuition that he had malicious motives. Trav says, “It’s a pilot thing, he wants to help another pilot out!”. After some more business talk he told us that he really wants to help us with whatever is left in the process. He had compassion because we are young, trying to do everything by the books, and of course it’s a flying business. He gave us his business card and said to call tomorrow at 4pm.
We can’t help but laugh. The one person we were trying so hard to not talk to, is the one who sincerely wants to assist us, with entirely pure motives. Some people who offer their help are very quick to include that they want a percentage of our income, but then there are others who just want to do good for someone else out of the kindness of their hearts. So after us both agreeing that we didn’t think he was up to anything, we met up with him again the very next day. The poor guy was a little scatter brained because he had been running around all day with work, and came directly to meet us and had not even eaten that day. Maybe I’m naïve, but why would someone go out of his or her way that much just to snitch on us? Anyways, be was very helpful! Apparently he used to be the head manager at an insurance company so he was going to contact them and get some quotes. He also knows the owner of the land, Bibijagua, which is the exact land we’ve been trying to get in with. We will see what all comes about with this guy and his help, but I’m sure it can’t hurt.
As far as the land goes… Nicholas, the manager of Bibijagua and finally called us back yesterday. He told Travis he wants to do business with us, but that he wants to see him do a demonstration flight. After Nicholas sees that then the negotiation process will begin. But, if we get in with the owner as well, perhaps they won’t try to take THAT much money from us. ☺ But, first we must wait for the boat registration.
Sorry if I was rambling, sometimes I try so hard to not make this thing 10 pages long yet inform ya’ll of what’s going on.
Please pray that these last few items come about in a timely manner so we can begin flying soon!
Love & miss you all!
D&T
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Heavy Hearts...
November 8, 2009
Well Trav just about summed up our time in Santo Domingo. We got so much accomplished and we received good news after good news with our business. The head honcho at the ‘Civil Aeronauticas Department’ gave us the okay to fly; now we just have to find a company to insure us and nail down the location. Many of our headaches are no longer an issue and all the puzzle pieces are slowly beginning to connect. Needless to say, the light at the end of the tunnel is slowing becoming more luminescent and promising. We are undoubtedly seeing Gods favor on our lives.
Despite all the wonderful news, my heart is very heavy and I’ll explain why.
This evening we were blessed to spend some time with some American friends who live here. They are always so sweet and hospitable to us. We enjoy quality time and conversation with them. After a fantastic dinner we sat around and talked about various topics. One topic, in which my husband joyfully participated, was the current state of the U.S. and how much turmoil we are all in. If anyone knows me well, they’ll know that I don’t talk much about politics and how the world coming to an end. The stock market crashing, the spending deficit being unsustainable, and health reform don’t send me into any sort of frenzy. I have no absolutely no interest in it. Yes, Travis says I’m burying my head in the sand, but to me I find no importance in dwelling on the negativity and being consumed with worry and fear, for I have absolutely no control over it anyway. Maybe I’m naïve, but I believe the Lord is in control regardless, I trust He will take care of us. So anyways I heard all about how the US is quickly coming to ruin, and of course get uneasy. Its not exactly comforting news ☺.
On from there we talked about prostitution, brothels, human trafficking, and child sex slaves. We didn’t just talk about it in a broad spectrum, but we were talking about the problem it is here in the Dominican Republic. Our friends informed us that all the little places around that look like small motels, but are labeled “cabanas” are actually brothels. We were already aware of all the prostitutes that linger around the car washes, trying to lure customers in. But, I wasn’t aware of the amount of brothels.
Our friends showed us a book they are reading regarding sex and prostitution in the Dominican Republic. Apparently, it is a massive business run by Dominicans but made possible by sexually hungry tourists. For most of these men and woman it’s been a way of life ever since they were small. Perhaps it’s not enjoyable to them, but in their eyes it is their job. It’s merely their means to an end; it’s the only feasible way for them to survive. To give themselves to paying customers as they so please.
And then my heart breaks a little more.
You see it’s one thing living in a nice home in the States with luxuries, security, and safety at hand. Yes Americans have heard about sex slavery and prostitution, perhaps some have witnessed it. But, my guess is that most haven’t. The majority of it is foreign issues that only exist in poverty stricken lands and/or third world countries. Well here I am, in the middle of it. Surrounded by poor locals who give of themselves to survive. The problem is that it’s almost impossible to set them free from this torture. We are in a third world country with only a handful of jobs, if you take them out of their “job” how are they going to make enough to survive. Realistically they make more in one night than they do in two months. How then is there a remedy for them?
I still don’t know, and my heart hurts even more.
You see, the DR is on a tier three-watch list for child sex slave and human trafficking. Which means it is a huge problem here, but the government is choosing to not do anything about it. They turn their cheeks and ignore it. It’s one thing to hear about it occurring in other continents, but it’s another to witness it from a close distance…
The other day (In the middle of the day) I saw a young Dominican girl, probably about 11 years old, dressed in a very small mini skirt with an open back tube top on. She was holding a small bag and was waiting outside an apartment. She was looking down timidly while waiting for a middle-aged non-Dominican man that was digging through his car for something. The man made his way up to his apartment and the two entered his house. I lingered around for a little while, playing with the puppy and about fifteen minutes later the little girl came out of the apartment and made her way through the parking lot. She turned around twice and just stared at me. Since then, I can’t get her precious face out of my head. She looked broken and hopeless. She should be running around playing like every other 11 year old in the US, worrying about what Barbie she should play with, but instead the cards she was dealt left her here. (Yes, I admit I am assuming what was going on, but with what I observed it’s hard not to.) All I keep thinking about is “Why Lord?”. Why was I so blessed to be born into my amazing family in the States and presented this chance at life and success when these poor children here have nothing and are nearly forced to sell themselves just to still be in poverty?
Now you see why my heart hurts?
It’s like I’m now living amidst this terrible and astronomical problem. Yet I’m utterly helpless and don’t even know where I can begin to revolutionize this. Everything inside of me desires to give the children, sex-slaves and prostitutes freedom. But, how can I do that when there are no other jobs available to sustain them?
I’ll let you know when I figure it out.
But, until then... I believe the Lord with present me with opportunities to show them the love of Christ, even if it’s one person at a time.
Love and Miss you all.
D&T
Well Trav just about summed up our time in Santo Domingo. We got so much accomplished and we received good news after good news with our business. The head honcho at the ‘Civil Aeronauticas Department’ gave us the okay to fly; now we just have to find a company to insure us and nail down the location. Many of our headaches are no longer an issue and all the puzzle pieces are slowly beginning to connect. Needless to say, the light at the end of the tunnel is slowing becoming more luminescent and promising. We are undoubtedly seeing Gods favor on our lives.
Despite all the wonderful news, my heart is very heavy and I’ll explain why.
This evening we were blessed to spend some time with some American friends who live here. They are always so sweet and hospitable to us. We enjoy quality time and conversation with them. After a fantastic dinner we sat around and talked about various topics. One topic, in which my husband joyfully participated, was the current state of the U.S. and how much turmoil we are all in. If anyone knows me well, they’ll know that I don’t talk much about politics and how the world coming to an end. The stock market crashing, the spending deficit being unsustainable, and health reform don’t send me into any sort of frenzy. I have no absolutely no interest in it. Yes, Travis says I’m burying my head in the sand, but to me I find no importance in dwelling on the negativity and being consumed with worry and fear, for I have absolutely no control over it anyway. Maybe I’m naïve, but I believe the Lord is in control regardless, I trust He will take care of us. So anyways I heard all about how the US is quickly coming to ruin, and of course get uneasy. Its not exactly comforting news ☺.
On from there we talked about prostitution, brothels, human trafficking, and child sex slaves. We didn’t just talk about it in a broad spectrum, but we were talking about the problem it is here in the Dominican Republic. Our friends informed us that all the little places around that look like small motels, but are labeled “cabanas” are actually brothels. We were already aware of all the prostitutes that linger around the car washes, trying to lure customers in. But, I wasn’t aware of the amount of brothels.
Our friends showed us a book they are reading regarding sex and prostitution in the Dominican Republic. Apparently, it is a massive business run by Dominicans but made possible by sexually hungry tourists. For most of these men and woman it’s been a way of life ever since they were small. Perhaps it’s not enjoyable to them, but in their eyes it is their job. It’s merely their means to an end; it’s the only feasible way for them to survive. To give themselves to paying customers as they so please.
And then my heart breaks a little more.
You see it’s one thing living in a nice home in the States with luxuries, security, and safety at hand. Yes Americans have heard about sex slavery and prostitution, perhaps some have witnessed it. But, my guess is that most haven’t. The majority of it is foreign issues that only exist in poverty stricken lands and/or third world countries. Well here I am, in the middle of it. Surrounded by poor locals who give of themselves to survive. The problem is that it’s almost impossible to set them free from this torture. We are in a third world country with only a handful of jobs, if you take them out of their “job” how are they going to make enough to survive. Realistically they make more in one night than they do in two months. How then is there a remedy for them?
I still don’t know, and my heart hurts even more.
You see, the DR is on a tier three-watch list for child sex slave and human trafficking. Which means it is a huge problem here, but the government is choosing to not do anything about it. They turn their cheeks and ignore it. It’s one thing to hear about it occurring in other continents, but it’s another to witness it from a close distance…
The other day (In the middle of the day) I saw a young Dominican girl, probably about 11 years old, dressed in a very small mini skirt with an open back tube top on. She was holding a small bag and was waiting outside an apartment. She was looking down timidly while waiting for a middle-aged non-Dominican man that was digging through his car for something. The man made his way up to his apartment and the two entered his house. I lingered around for a little while, playing with the puppy and about fifteen minutes later the little girl came out of the apartment and made her way through the parking lot. She turned around twice and just stared at me. Since then, I can’t get her precious face out of my head. She looked broken and hopeless. She should be running around playing like every other 11 year old in the US, worrying about what Barbie she should play with, but instead the cards she was dealt left her here. (Yes, I admit I am assuming what was going on, but with what I observed it’s hard not to.) All I keep thinking about is “Why Lord?”. Why was I so blessed to be born into my amazing family in the States and presented this chance at life and success when these poor children here have nothing and are nearly forced to sell themselves just to still be in poverty?
Now you see why my heart hurts?
It’s like I’m now living amidst this terrible and astronomical problem. Yet I’m utterly helpless and don’t even know where I can begin to revolutionize this. Everything inside of me desires to give the children, sex-slaves and prostitutes freedom. But, how can I do that when there are no other jobs available to sustain them?
I’ll let you know when I figure it out.
But, until then... I believe the Lord with present me with opportunities to show them the love of Christ, even if it’s one person at a time.
Love and Miss you all.
D&T
Friday, November 6, 2009
From Travis :)
November 5, 2009
This is Travis writing… I felt like so many monumental things happened today that I just had to write it down, lest I forget what God has brought us through and to. When D and I sat down to write I grabbed the computer and then just stared at the screen. After a few seconds I looked over and said, “How do you start these things?”…haha. I have never blogged before so excuse me if I don’t write the stereotypical message.
Up to this point in our Dominican journey we have been under a tremendous amount of stress and anxiety. Living in a third world country alone is enough to give someone from the US an ulcer, but for us starting a business it’s even worse. I doubt Danielle has left any stone unturned, so I wont rehash what’s already been discussed.
After our hiatus in the States we came back with plenty of supercharged enthusiasm. We had several days to discuss the highs and lows of our first trip over. That break also gave us a chance to clear our heads and think with a clear conscience about what our strategy would be going back into the country. If anyone knows me very well they know how excited, crazy, and passionate I can get about some things. Well, business is one of those things. There is just something about business that sends me into a frenzy when I let my creativity run wild with scenarios and possibilities. I guess that’s part of being ADHD. By the way, D gets so frustrated when I get in my “zone” and somehow totally ignore everything going on around me.
So here we are….were back in the country and ready to grab the bull by the horns! We met with some friends and sent out some emails hoping to generate interest in our services. I honestly thought that our offer was so genius anyone who turned it down had to be down right brainless. It’s no mystery that we have one of the most sought after excursions on the island, yet we received absolutely ZERO feedback from our efforts. We created a proposal letter that we thought was sure to be a homerun with our prospective tour operators, but nothing was replied to. Imagine being in the last game of the World Series, all tied up, last inning, bases loaded and your up to bat. There’s a seemingly perfect opportunity to be a major producer for the team, yet you whiff every single ball. That’s pretty close to how I felt.
At this point in the game were almost do or die. I feel like any second God is gonna pull us through and then….BOOM, another dashed hope. I’m sure you’ve read up to this point and you can imagine the rollercoaster ride that it has been so far. It seems like were climbing a colossal mountain, fighting every inch to the top. When we get close enough to see over to the other side we begin to smile and prematurely celebrate, thinking that were done struggling and gasping for air. Yet every time we get close to the top, there seems to be a giant of a man that always shows up right in time to kick us back down to the bottom. This has happened so many times here that I have honestly had to psych myself out to keep my head in the game. I knew quitting wasn’t an option so I literally had to trick myself into believing that we could achieve this goal. A goal that deep down I told myself was far beyond our reach, yet somehow mustered the strength to continue pursuing. I know that sounds really weird, but we faced so many giants that I thought were impossible to conquer. In my heart of hearts there have been times where I thought that this dream of ours is nothing but a mirage. A mirage that looked so promising and foolproof, yet every time I thought we were making progress on it we only found our selves equally as far as when we had started out. The hurdles have seemed so big and unachievable that I know we couldn’t do this on our own. God has put so many random people in our paths it’s almost comical to us. To think that two 20-somethings could get this far on our own is absurd. God Almighty has been so incredibly good to us!
Today, we teamed up with our friend in the capitol, Richard. He has been a tremendous help to us throughout this whole process. We left the house with a plan to hit up the aviation department and see where we stood on our pilot license paperwork and aircraft registration. First, we went on wild goose chase for some medical certificate that the paperwork said we needed. After about and hour or two I got really frustrated and suggested that we just go to the aviation dept. and present what we had filled out. My plan was simply to inquire if we had all our ducks in a row with the exception of the medical certificate.
Richard is awesome and he knows our situation very well, so most of the time he talks to the people without us knowing what’s going on. We went through several people and finally got to the head of the licensing division. Everything we have been told up to this point is that I needed to convert my US pilot license to a Dominican one. However, after talking with this gentleman I found out that having a DR license was sort of a luxury rather than a necessity. That relieved a load of stress, lots of money, and stacks of paperwork out of the equation. Our last stop was to figure out how to get the boat registered. We went round and round with the guy on what the requirements were. He told us that they were in transition from an old law to a new one so we needed to submit a letter asking which law we must abide by. Seemed silly to us, considering we could ask someone verbally much easier and quicker. We were so confused by this point. After debating with the guy for several minutes I said, “Cant we just pull the file on the guy who is flying near us now and do exactly what he did?” You would think I just invented the wheel when I made that statement! They proceeded to pull the file and the rest is history. Now we have all our ducks in a row and tomorrow we go to submit all of our final documents. This should land us all the permits we need for operating.
Were not totally in the clear yet, but this is definitely a monumental moment for us. Consider the fact that the man we originally came to work under said it might take years to get the proper permits. That man has made me so mad throughout this whole process. I really have such a hard time trusting anyone now.
We have come such a long way in our journey! The end seems near, but there’s still lots of work to be done. At least now I can get the boat in the air and practice more. The Lord has been ever so faithful to us throughout all of our trials here. Were so thankful for all of our friends and family that remember to pray for us as we continue to fight.
I don’t know if any of this makes sense. I just figured I would throw my 2 cents in to give a little different perspective to what is going on.
Much love!
Travis Baggett
This is Travis writing… I felt like so many monumental things happened today that I just had to write it down, lest I forget what God has brought us through and to. When D and I sat down to write I grabbed the computer and then just stared at the screen. After a few seconds I looked over and said, “How do you start these things?”…haha. I have never blogged before so excuse me if I don’t write the stereotypical message.
Up to this point in our Dominican journey we have been under a tremendous amount of stress and anxiety. Living in a third world country alone is enough to give someone from the US an ulcer, but for us starting a business it’s even worse. I doubt Danielle has left any stone unturned, so I wont rehash what’s already been discussed.
After our hiatus in the States we came back with plenty of supercharged enthusiasm. We had several days to discuss the highs and lows of our first trip over. That break also gave us a chance to clear our heads and think with a clear conscience about what our strategy would be going back into the country. If anyone knows me very well they know how excited, crazy, and passionate I can get about some things. Well, business is one of those things. There is just something about business that sends me into a frenzy when I let my creativity run wild with scenarios and possibilities. I guess that’s part of being ADHD. By the way, D gets so frustrated when I get in my “zone” and somehow totally ignore everything going on around me.
So here we are….were back in the country and ready to grab the bull by the horns! We met with some friends and sent out some emails hoping to generate interest in our services. I honestly thought that our offer was so genius anyone who turned it down had to be down right brainless. It’s no mystery that we have one of the most sought after excursions on the island, yet we received absolutely ZERO feedback from our efforts. We created a proposal letter that we thought was sure to be a homerun with our prospective tour operators, but nothing was replied to. Imagine being in the last game of the World Series, all tied up, last inning, bases loaded and your up to bat. There’s a seemingly perfect opportunity to be a major producer for the team, yet you whiff every single ball. That’s pretty close to how I felt.
At this point in the game were almost do or die. I feel like any second God is gonna pull us through and then….BOOM, another dashed hope. I’m sure you’ve read up to this point and you can imagine the rollercoaster ride that it has been so far. It seems like were climbing a colossal mountain, fighting every inch to the top. When we get close enough to see over to the other side we begin to smile and prematurely celebrate, thinking that were done struggling and gasping for air. Yet every time we get close to the top, there seems to be a giant of a man that always shows up right in time to kick us back down to the bottom. This has happened so many times here that I have honestly had to psych myself out to keep my head in the game. I knew quitting wasn’t an option so I literally had to trick myself into believing that we could achieve this goal. A goal that deep down I told myself was far beyond our reach, yet somehow mustered the strength to continue pursuing. I know that sounds really weird, but we faced so many giants that I thought were impossible to conquer. In my heart of hearts there have been times where I thought that this dream of ours is nothing but a mirage. A mirage that looked so promising and foolproof, yet every time I thought we were making progress on it we only found our selves equally as far as when we had started out. The hurdles have seemed so big and unachievable that I know we couldn’t do this on our own. God has put so many random people in our paths it’s almost comical to us. To think that two 20-somethings could get this far on our own is absurd. God Almighty has been so incredibly good to us!
Today, we teamed up with our friend in the capitol, Richard. He has been a tremendous help to us throughout this whole process. We left the house with a plan to hit up the aviation department and see where we stood on our pilot license paperwork and aircraft registration. First, we went on wild goose chase for some medical certificate that the paperwork said we needed. After about and hour or two I got really frustrated and suggested that we just go to the aviation dept. and present what we had filled out. My plan was simply to inquire if we had all our ducks in a row with the exception of the medical certificate.
Richard is awesome and he knows our situation very well, so most of the time he talks to the people without us knowing what’s going on. We went through several people and finally got to the head of the licensing division. Everything we have been told up to this point is that I needed to convert my US pilot license to a Dominican one. However, after talking with this gentleman I found out that having a DR license was sort of a luxury rather than a necessity. That relieved a load of stress, lots of money, and stacks of paperwork out of the equation. Our last stop was to figure out how to get the boat registered. We went round and round with the guy on what the requirements were. He told us that they were in transition from an old law to a new one so we needed to submit a letter asking which law we must abide by. Seemed silly to us, considering we could ask someone verbally much easier and quicker. We were so confused by this point. After debating with the guy for several minutes I said, “Cant we just pull the file on the guy who is flying near us now and do exactly what he did?” You would think I just invented the wheel when I made that statement! They proceeded to pull the file and the rest is history. Now we have all our ducks in a row and tomorrow we go to submit all of our final documents. This should land us all the permits we need for operating.
Were not totally in the clear yet, but this is definitely a monumental moment for us. Consider the fact that the man we originally came to work under said it might take years to get the proper permits. That man has made me so mad throughout this whole process. I really have such a hard time trusting anyone now.
We have come such a long way in our journey! The end seems near, but there’s still lots of work to be done. At least now I can get the boat in the air and practice more. The Lord has been ever so faithful to us throughout all of our trials here. Were so thankful for all of our friends and family that remember to pray for us as we continue to fight.
I don’t know if any of this makes sense. I just figured I would throw my 2 cents in to give a little different perspective to what is going on.
Much love!
Travis Baggett
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