We are back from the Dominican.  Hard to put into words our time there.  Lovely little place on the ocean. The setting really cannot be beat nor can the price.  It actually is a lot like the place we have here in Novi in that it is apartments with a most diverse group of people from all around the world.  We appreciate that in both places.

We attend an English speaking international church while there.  We also appreciate how we can go to and fro to the barrios and villages where we work; in ALL those places we get to interact with so MANY folk from so MANY places.

There are the Dominicans and Haitians who live there but there are also many who may live there or come for part of the year or just come for a short time as we do.

In our work, we met folk from the UK, Canada, Switzerland, Sweden, USA, France, Cypress, Algeria, etc... MOST were doing some form of humanitarian work.

It is humbling and it is hopeful.

Sometimes, the people would ask us about USA politics and, usually, I felt at a loss as to what to say.

One family brought their 4 children aged 4 to 15 to Cabarete for one year to experience mission work. The father asked us about our time in Africa, Haiti, etc. as they had done such travel.  He wondered if we had felt afraid, especially in Haiti as they considered if it was wise to take their kids there.  He said the only time he felt fear was in the USA when they stayed in a hotel where people were arguing next door and his wife banged on the wall to quiet them.  He stopped her because he knew in America, "people have guns and they shoot you."  When he said that, his mother who was there visiting for 2 weeks, nodded her head and referred to America as "the gun country".  She and her husband have traveled all over the world and currently have homes in Cypress, Phoenix, Calgary and the UK.  Actually, they were flying back to Phoenix from there....and their son said he might be in Detroit area next year and would look us up.

In other words, they were not criticizing America.  They were just describing it.

Do with that what you choose.

Other times, persons asked me about Trump.  A woman from Switzerland asked what we were "going to do about him?"  A man from Canada laughingly pointed out when I said that I didn't know many who were supporters that clearly I was in the minority so I'd better start prepping myself for the new President.

I had no satisfying response for either of those folk.

But, it certainly caused me to ponder....and to choose to meander it with you.

Maybe it will cause you to ponder or meander or pray...

...or 'world whisper'?

It is so easy to not look beyond our own WALLS...pun intended...but when we decide instead of building more walls to climb up and over the ones already there, we find folk who have also climbed beyond their walls and guess what?

There IS common ground on which to stand.

But, to get there one MUST climb UP and OVER...

...into the minds and HEARTS of others.

When one does, it is both humbling and hopeful.