Mama Foose

My mom is coming on Friday!!! I cannot cannot cannot wait. I miss my family so badly! She is going to be exploding with so much love :)

As for my research, I've become a bit of an expert on this import/export process. I've had to contact many different people to find answers, and I can actually hold my own in a conversation with them. They can answer my questions without having to explain every little detail. That's exciting to me! I'm not sure where this information will take me once I return to the States, but I hope it leads me into the Fair Trade industry. (Do I see law school in the future? Woods comma Elle?)

I am also compiling a business plan, because after all, a business needs extensive planning before jumping into the market. I actually like doing all this start-up. It's exciting to find one more piece to this puzzle. Kristin is going to help me with creating a Balance Sheet, Income Statement and Cash Flow Statement once she comes down. We will create an efficient inventory tracking system. Great stuff!

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." ~Isaiah 41:10

Finding Answers

Well, the research is well underway and there certainly is a lot of information about importing and exporting out there! Some of these documents are way over my head and at times I feel very overwhelmed. I have a composition notebook filled with notes, highlights to this and that and sticky notes stating what is to come next, but I don't have any concrete answers as of now.

I talked to one rather helpful and friendly man in New York today who told me if I got his information from Facebook, he was hanging up. I reassured him that I got it from the Customs and Border Protection website so he was willing to help me. He usually doesn't give any information over the phone, but since I was in a devastating earthquake and my parents were extremely worried about me, he was sure, he complied and told me everything I needed to know :) It looks like I will need to send samples and descriptions of everything to his office (I can do most of it over the internet thank the Lord!), but it can take up to a month. EEK! Please be praying that it will get to him quickly and he can determine what our Harmonized Tariff Schedule and Country of Origin is so we can get this business going!

A Harmonized Tariff Schedule determines what the rate of duty is. HOPEFULLY, our products will be within the CAFTA-DR (Central America Free Trade Agreement-Dominican Republic) so we will not have a 20% tax on our shipments. That would greatly help with our profit margin and that means more money for Cercadillo! The Country of Origin is also important for determining whether or not the product can enter the country free of duties or if we'll be taxed. According to my research, CBP is the only agency that can provide legally binding advice on the classification of imports.

"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."
~James 2: 14-17

Sewing

I think I need this in my life for the work I'm doing down here:



It would just make me really efficient.

Research

I'm not going to lie, I am a little sad I'm missing out on the biggest snow storms EVER. I love right after it snows at dark but its still glowing out because of the bright white snow, and how still and calm everything is. This is especially exciting for night skiing. Yeah, you can't see all the moguls and you might bite it, but its worth it to see the mountain all sparkely with the light reflecting off the snow. Snow is just so fun! It makes everyone feel like a kid again. Snow angels, sledding, snowmen (what did one snowman say to the other? Smells like carrots :>) I used to try to put the prettiest icicles in my freezer so that I could enjoy them even in the summer. That didn't really work out to well. I think Kristin and I actually tried to make snowcones too...again, not very successful. We probably just poured Diet Pepsi over the snow and called it a day. I know you guys are sick of it, but most people here have never even seen it! So enjoy that hot chocolate and your day off work (sorry retail friends, I know that will never happen for you!)

As for me, I am staying home from Cercadillo today to research importing and exporting laws. I did this the other day too and it really opened up a whole slew of questions. Its really difficult to find some of this stuff out when you don't know the language they're using (don't get me wrong, its all in English so far, but I think you have to be a lawyer to figure some of this stuff out). I've been in contact with a few friends that have their own businesses similar to The Cercadillo Project, but of course, laws are different in every country. Right now, I am trying to find wholesalers to buy fabric from in this country. That way, the women in Cercadillo will know exactly where to get supplies in their area. Then, I need to figure out the labeling laws (putting labels on the actual product and what needs to be listed on the label). After that, I will tackel the import laws for the United States which includes understanding the Free Trade Agreement. So, I would appreciate some prayer for all of this because its pretty confusing!

I'm off to wash my clothes before I get started on all of this. There's something about hanging them out to dry that just feels so relaxing. Looking out and seeing everything billowing in the wind and being drenched by the sun really does something for your soul.

Happy Birthday Joan!

Joan has arrived! I have been excited to meet this lady since about 30 minutes into me being here. Ina and her were just destined to be friends and have nothing but great things to say about each other.




We celebrated her birthday last night.

Giving

How do you tell a village that has absolutely nothing that it is a joy and a blessing to be able to give to others? What do you suggest they give? Well, our message last week in Cercadillo was that God loves a cheerful giver. We were talking about how Haiti needs our help and this is what they had to offer:



How cool is that!? Some children went to the store and bought things for the people in Haiti, that is too precious considering the store is like 20 minutes one way walking. Watching these people give their all to God is unbelievable. Their singing, prayers and offerings are unlike any I've ever seen. God is teaching me a lot about a heart of worship through them.

"Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." ~2 Corinthians 9:6-7

Project

Here is what I've been doing the past few days:

Organizing our inventory








I'm not even close to done.

Lost

So I wanted to give you all a schedule of what we do here:

Monday-Sabbath
Tuesday & Wednesday-Planning, preparing, organizing
Thursday-Every other one is Bible study
Friday-Cercadillo:Bible study, then work
Saturday-Planning, preparing, organizing
Sunday-Church downtown, then put on church for Cercadillo

In the Dominican Republic, you have to make plans to achieve something, but you also have to be prepared for those plans to completely fall through. We had this week laid out for workshops in the village both Wednesday and Friday to see where these women's strengths and weaknesses were, but we have no car to get there. When I first arrived, it was a holiday so I have not had a chance to work with the women yet but I did get to participate in a Bible study with them. We have, however, gotten to go put on church for them every Sunday so far. Although I could not understand a single word, I know it was amazing. Ina was telling me about some of these women that have come so far and are seeing God work in their lives and its just amazing. I cannot wait to understand!

I started studying some Spanish flash cards last night but just got to numbers. That's important for importing and exporting (and maybe some shopping)!

So many people around the Dominican Republic are helping out in Haiti that there are literally no cars left to rent! Any ships that were going to bring freight here, have been bringing supplies to Haiti. There are workshops taking place teaching people how to amputate, and churches everywhere are collecting supplies to send. Its beautiful to see how two countries that do not usually get along, are helping and relying on eachother completely. I know I'm right next door to this crisis, but I do not feel led to go as of now. It is pretty dangerous, and I'm not a doctor by any means, so I'm still focusing on Cercadillo (but in constant prayer for the volunteers there and the 1.5 million people without homes). We have cleaned out our house of any and all supplies that can be sent there (toothpaste, toothbrushes, socks, blankets, water purification containers, etc) and are opening our house to the piolets that have been flying back and forth.

The car we were borrowing left for Haiti, so we haven't had a car since Tuesday but we should be getting it back Saturday night. We've been taking this time to get the house in order. We've been cleaning, organizing and redecorating from top to bottom. We need to tackle Ina's office, but that will come after this break :> After all of this, we will start taking inventory of our supplies for our crafts. I think this will really help to know what is working and to continue producing, and what is a flop.

So after all of those projects during the day, we take time at night to really bond...over Lost :> Is anyone as addicted to that as I am? I have never watched it until now but I am hooked! We just started watching season 1 and Jack is my hero. (Don't read on if you want to ever become addicted because I might ruin it!) We just came to the part where Kate found that little airplane and confessed that she killed a guy. So who did she kill and why did she have to rob a bank for a little airplane? Where did Ethan take Claire?!?! Is he an "other" or is he related to the French girl?!?! Is Jack's dad really alive? Does Sawyer get Kate? I cannot wait to find all of this out...don't spoil it for me!

Verse for the day: "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." ~1 Peter 1:6-7

Help Haiti

So when you're a missionary, you are exposed to an amazing community of other missionaries in the country almost immediately upon your arrival. Somehow, they all know of you, have been praying for you, and are super excited to figure out your talents. It makes you feel like you have found your purpose in life. Ina had a workshop to go to for a few days this week, and I had the opportunity to stay with two lovely families and serve them (even though I'm pretty sure they did more for me!). They both moved into an apartment complex one floor away from each other. Kirsten and her husband Rich are missionaries here with their three children, and Karin and her husband Eric are working and living here with their son. Kirsten and Karin are both involved with our Cercadillo Project creating patterns and helping construct the designs. Their two families are such great examples of Christian families working together to love and serve those around them.

I happened to be at Kirsten's house Tuesday night when the earthquake happened. It was quite an experience. We were hanging out around the living room when all of a sudden, all of us became extremely dizzy and once we stood up we realized the floor was moving (we weren't really swaying, but it was almost to that point if that helps you visualize). We go outside and in the midst of trying to find out what just happened, the dog tries to jump off the roof! Everyone knows animals can sense natural disasters coming, so when a dog is trying to get out, you follow it! We all took a walk and got ice cream at Yogen Fruz (amazing-I got natural strawberry and I know my sister will disapprove of that, but you have to try it Kristin!). Naturally, no one we talked to on the street knew what was happening at that time. We did get to see where the head of the Judicial system lives. We found that out because one of the armed guards (machine gun and all) was actually really friendly and saw all of us and began a conversation.

It was not until the next morning that we found out the severity of what happened. The earthquake was a 7.0 in Haiti and completely destroyed most of the country. Porta Prince is the heart of Haiti, and that's where most of the damage is: government buildings, schools (with children in them), hospitals, grocery stores...everything is gone. I believe the president of the country is now in the Dominican Republic, and thankfully, the US and others are sending disaster relief groups. Many of the missionaries I've met here are forming teams of doctors, water purification teams, construction workers, etc to head out there within the next few days. I know some people want to start donating, but there are a lot of false websites so if you're interested, I can probably get some information here from different teams. Hearing the stories so far of the people in this country affected by the earthquake is heartwrentching (for example, one lady is friends with a Haitian family and the father and their newborn stayed in the DR while his wife and firstborn went back to Haiti to visit. There is no way for him to get in contact with them to even see if they're still alive) :( There was in NO WAY any damage done to Santo Domingo, or to most of the DR if any. I know a lot of you were really concerned and thank you for all your prayers! Lets not forget about Haiti though because they have a long way to go. The newspaper here says 100,000 have died, but they really have no way of knowing exactly how many. The country is in a constant state of chaos, so I cannot even imagine how it is now. So lets hope and pray for them!

Helping Out Around The World

Look what I found today: http://www.kiva.org Its so amazing to see how many people want to help out all over the world. Check out the whole site and get involved!

I have arrived!

What a great way to start off 2010! I arrived in Santo Domingo two days ago, and so far I'm impressed. Ina's house is awesome! We have the best courtyard out back with palm trees and other tropical plants all over it. We leave the windows open all the time and wake up to roosters. Her house is painted yellow with royal blue accents and wicker furniture. My room is technically the maid quarters, but it has its own bathroom, a view of the awesome courtyard and is super cute...tough life huh? There are also two screened in porches, one with swings and the other with rocking chairs, which are great for Bible studies. I have vowed to work on building discipline in my life this year both spiritually and physcially. I have a ton of books I plan on reading all about building a healthy relationship with God...thanks to Mom, Diane and the Eagles!!! I'm really enjoying this time and I already feel myself changing (imagine that come April!) Nothing like moving overseas by yourself to make you really anazlyze yourself, and the life you've decided to live. The good news is, its not too late to change! I've already met some really amazing people (Ina included :->) who I just know are going to be life-changers. I feel so honored to be chosen to be a part of this whole plan.




We went grocery shopping today at a regular grocery store and at PriceSmart which is exactly like Costco...my grandparents would feel right at home! We bought a Wok today and already used it for dinner, so delicious. We had fish doused in lemon pepper, which might be my new favorite food, veggies with seasoning cooked in the Wok, and wild rice that bubbles when you make it in the rice cooker...surprisingly still good to eat when mixed with the veggies! I am already a pretty good baker, but I am going to become a cooker on this trip as well. My friend Laura has inspired me...tastespotting.com! (Laura, they actually have whole sections in the grocery store for vegans-its the Ellwood Thompson of the islands!) I also got a phone while I was out and already have one phonenumber in it! No US friends, you cannot call it because I'm really busy with my new friends. Just kidding! But its super expensive to call from a cellie, so let the Skype'ing begin :>

Verse for the day: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord, not for men." ~Colossians 3:23

Twas The Night Before Leaving

Twas the night before leaving, when all through the house,
my suitcase was growing, with sunscreen and blouse (s).

:)

I recently quit my job at a large department store in the South, turned down a job with a top 4 accounting/Government contracting company, and now I am leaving for a 3 month journey to the Dominican Republic. Tomorrow, January 7, 2010 at 7:50am is when I depart and I could not be more excited! I will be living in Villa Mella (via may-a) with Ina, the founder of The Cercadillo Project. The village of Cercadillo has many crafters that create beautiful purses, jewelry, and home accents. These people are very talented, but they do not exist to their government. They immigrated here and have no birth certificates or social security numbers so they are denied schooling and employment. Ina has set up a school, church, and is in the beginning stages of teaching them how to make these various works of art. They are at a point to begin earning an income from their craftiness but do not know how...that is where I come in! My Fashion Merchandising degree has come in handy by sending me to Guatemala for a Line Development class in 2007, and I hope to use some of those skills for this project.

There is no set itinerary for my stay, and I actually prefer it that way. I'll just kind of figure things out once I get down there. I have no idea what to expect, so follow me on this journey and lets go find the treasure!

Verse for the day: "See I will bring them from the land of the north and gather them from the ends of the earth. Among them will be the blind and the lame, expectant mothers and women in labor; a great throng will return." ~Jeremiah 31:8