waking up

Here in the DR, alarm clocks aren't what you might think they are. Just like your ringtone, you can pick and choose what sound you desire to wake up to. These sounds are apart of life, apart of nature, apart of what starting your day is all about. Its 4:06am, the rooster crows, and it's not a pretty crow, more like the guy is about to die kind of crow. And don't worry, if you pressed snooze here... he comes back, more then once. Or at 5:23am you can awake to the song of birds, but more like a broken record kind of song. None the less they are singing. How about at 6:21 when the neighbor dog is talking.. and all the other neighbor dogs respond. Or if you are the punctual type, at 6:45am, on the dot, "veroom" one, "veroom" two, "veroom" three, "veroom veroom" four five..... "veroom" twenty three, "veroom veroom" twenty four twenty five "verrrrrrooommmmm" twenty six. the neighbor guy likes his moto to be very, very, warm before he leaves. Here is where the rooster comes back. He'll return a few more times. At 7:12am you can open your eyes, because your ears are now awake to the sound of your host brothers pushing and shoving their way into the bathroom. And if you've managed to sleep through those alarms, or have just refused to get out of bed yet. The sun will make you. by now, 7:34am your room is so bright your eyelids are red. And by now, 7:55am your sheets are far too warm to allow them to touch your body. So you awake ready to seize the edge of His garments, semi thankful for creation, asking that He bless the day, and offer you grace for your tired body. don't worry though, it won't always be like this. like I said you can choose which alarm. once you have set your mind on one, your body will recognize.

getting used to this again! 

time

In my 27 years of life, time is still a strange and wild concept. In the anticipatory longing to be in a place; hours, days, and months seem to move by as slow as the crab inching it's way from the shore back into the ocean. Once arrival has settled in, the same hours, days, and months take on a whole new effect. They pass as if the tide is rolling in. Wave after wave. Each day becoming tomorrow before you count how many you have seen. Time can move slowly for one, as his neighbor's watch spins in circles. Time can seem like it has lasted, while for others time is no longer. Time can heal and time can hinder. But this concept of time allows me to look forward to heaven, when there will be no concept at all. Its been two weeks here and it feels like I never left.