In short, I suppose my return can best be summed: ‘Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen.’ Goodbye because, though I will return eventually to the DR, this particular experience has permanently ended. Farewell because I continue to pray for my neighbors and wish the best for their futures and endeavors. And Amen, because we have all been blessed, you, me, and those in the DR, by God’s love through our relationships. If you have the time to read on, please share with me, in these next two paragraphs, this last reflection of the life lessons…
           
Relationships and time: When I became frustrated and disillusioned in January that many of my goals for the year were not materializing (though many eventually did), a wise, experienced missionary encouraged me to focus on relationships. It was very difficult for me to seek such an intangible goal, yet, after returning and spending days (literally) reflecting, it is by far the greatest impact I could leave with the community. If my neighbors saw in me a Christian who genuinely cared only about their relationship with Christ—not about their wallets---and who did his best (though not without error) to live the life preached in the gospel, then an accomplishment greater than meeting any material need was realized, especially given the frequency with which people desert God because they have placed their faith in the people of His Church, rather than in Him. In short, I have learned the value of placing priority on relationships, regardless of how much time it may take. That is largely why Dominican time is so slow—no one is ever too busy to say hello to a friend. I think we all can take a lot from that. How many friends do we have who we think of, and never ‘find the time’ to call?
 
Giving: Those with less tended to give more. This, of course, is a generalization, but, at least in the DR, it is largely true. I cannot get past that this year I received invitations to meals from around 10 different ‘poor’ families, and only one from the ‘rich.’ And there was much more theft by the ‘rich’ (via embezzling) than by the ‘poor.’ This has both encouraged and jaded me in my reflections of societies and our interactions. This particular lesson of both incredible love and selfish greed will continue, I am sure, to play out in my perspective of situations for years to come.
 
The community of Tigaiga of Santiago, Dom. Rep. was, I pray, impacted spiritually from my presence there and financially in the work that was done to houses and family businesses (about $2,000 worth by your generosity). Additionally, there was an untold number of lessons and reflections I gained from this year. Moreover, writing you and hearing your replies rekindled many relationships, and I give thanks for that. My Spanish is much better, too. In short, this year has been important in a multitude of ways to innumerable people, especially me, and I give thanks to God and you for your support, in thoughts, prayers, and finances. I truly hope that this will not mark an end to our communication, but rather be the beginning of coming years of further discussion of thoughts and developing relationships. I cannot thank you enough for allowing me to represent you and the Church in Santiago. This year will always bring a smile to my face and warmth to my heart. I have been blessed to be able to share it with you. Thank you for your loving support.