networking

Since getting back from the states, I've had some cool opportunities to network with other missionaries and organizations.

A few weeks ago I spent a day with the head of the agriculture office here in Jarabacoa. I was frustrated by the day, because I got the impression that he wanted to show me around not so much for professional purposes, but because he wanted to spend the day with a single, american girl. Although that was frustrating, I did get a call from him today letting me know that they got a bunch of seeds in that are available to farmers in Los Higos for free, so hopefully some doors have been opened.

Last weekend, I went with another missionary (who is also working in agriculture in a different part of the country) to Los Dejaos so I could see a fuel efficient stove. While there we met several other people who had gone to visit this same family-- they included a man who worked for USAID, the owner of Jarabacoa River Club, and the woman in charge of the Falcon Bridge Foundation in the country. The Falcon Bridge lady told me that the next day they were bringing several eye surgeons to Jarabacoa to do free operations. I asked her if there were still appointments available, because a boy in Los Higos needs catarac surgury. She told me to bring him in. When I did, the doctors decided they couldn't do the operation there, because they needed an anestesiologist, but the foundation agreed to pay for the young man to have surgury next month in the capital!

Finally, I've been trying to find some folks who know something about rabbits. In the process of following different leads, I've gotten to meet people who work for Plan Codillera (a catholic group), who are so helpful, and eventually that led me to the neighbors with the Lorena stove (and they have a peacock and rabbits).

So, all this networking has been fun and I pray that it will help advance the kingdom as new doors open through these relationships.