Lizards and Skeeters and Spiders-Oh My!

   Last night I committed a murder. It was executed with malice and extreme prejudice. I have no remorse for this act as I was in fact defending my family, and my honor. Last night I killed...a tarantula.
   This was no ordinary spider. You had to see this thing, it was big and hairy, about the size of my four fingers extended. It moved with lightning quickness after I picked up my suitcase. Speedily it made its way up the wall pausing near the ceiling, glaring back at me, legs extended as if it were an old west gunslinger. "Reach for the sky arachnid" as I grabbed the can of bug spray, hitting my target. Down went the tarantula! As I went to get the obligatory tissue for the burial I noticed the prey again moving, up the ceiling on the rafters. This was one tough spider. Desperate measures were called for. I yelled for Suzanne.
   Broom in hand she came to my rescue. One strong, swift blow later, the offending insect was blown up into hundreds of little pieces. Final score: Jonathan 1-Tarantula 0 . Victory was short lived as I now had to clean up the mess.
   As I later lay down to rest for the evening, I reflected on our day. A flight into Santo Domingo, taxi ride into Juan Dolio, meeting the friends who will be our neighbors for the weeks we are here and being attacked by the locals(mosquitoes here are quite aggressive) one thought played in my mind: WHAT AM I DOING HERE!!!? Things are very different here from Lake Mary. New surroundings, stores, sites, and people. A simpler life- no a/c or hot water, no pizza delivery(oh the horror!)
   We are very excited about our "adventure" though. We are staying in a multi-unit town home. We are surrounded by our brothers and sisters and about a five minute walk from the Kingdom Hall. Most of the friends staying here are from Quebec and they attend the Creole Congregation. They are very warm and willing to help us get settled in. It makes us that much more appreciative of our brotherhood.
   The next three weeks will play a major role in the direction of our lives. Will we like it here? Will we be able to learn the language and adapt to the culture? Will we find a new home in the Juan Dolio Spanish Congregation? Most importantly; will the bugs finish us off? We invite you to follow us on our journey as we "spy out the land" here in the Dominican. Please join us as we experience what it would be like to live as needgreaters Declaring The Good News in The Dominican Republic.