Frequently asked questions and their answers

Below is a list of Questions and Answers sent to me by our hosts in Jarabacoa. Please take a minute to read them over so that you are informed about some of these expectations.

thanks,

mr. n

Q. Is there cell service? Do you sell phone cards to use on the base?

A. We do not sell phone cards, but there is a store just up the road that has some and we can pick them up in town. We have Claro, Viva, Tricom, and Orange. You will have to check with your provider to see if your phone will work here.

Q. What rules do you have about the use of the phone?

A. Staff would have limited access to our phones for business purposes only. The reason being we have no way to charge for the calls. Calling home to let someone know your group arrived safely would count as business. It does not cost us for incoming calls.

Q. Do you have an emergency contact phone number @ the base that I could give to the staff & parents?

A. Our number here at the Center is 1-809-307-5925. During week days there will probably be someone who will answer that phone. We also have a pay phone with the #1-809-248-7557. Otherwise you can give them my number: 1-809-309-5927. I usually have my phone with me all the time.

Q. Do we need to exchange money @ the bank?

A. We can do that once you get here. You can do it at the airport when you arrive, but we can get a better exchange rate here in Jarabacoa.

Q. Do you know the exchange rate?

A. Current exchange rate is around 34 pesos/1USdollar

Q. How do you usually handle the type of thing?

A. We usually take you guys into town (or someone from your team) the first day.

It is usually better for one or two individuals to handle all the exchange. Usually that is one of us and one of your leaders.

Q. What about drinking water?

A. Bring a water bottle, but we do have filtered water available. We also give everyone a bottle of water when they arrive, just in case they forgot (and because you are usually thirsty when you get off the plane!) We do sell water bottles in our store and they are widely available in this country. They usually sell for 10 pesos which is about 30 cents US.

Q. Do we need to bring food with us? Is there a place to keep food?

A. We do not usually give teams access to the refrigerator unless it is a medical necessity. We do have a small store here on the base that sells drinks, chips, snacks, t-shirts, books, etc. That can be accessible when you guys need/want it. As far as keeping food in the dorms, it will be OK as long as it is kept in sealed bags or containers. What you need to worry about are ants, roaches, and mice if you have open food in your rooms.

We really feed you guys well and provide snacks, so there shouldn't be a need to bring a lot of food with you. I would encourage everyone to try something different and eat what we provide. It kind of takes away from the cross-cultural experience if you bring a lot of food from home with you.

Q. Are there meeting rooms available?

A. We have a large classroom, a gazebo, and the dining room that all can be used for meetings. We also have sound equipment available.

Q. Is there a cloths line where they could hang towels after they use the pool?

A. Yes, we have lines on the roof of the main building and behind the dorms. There is also a railing on the balcony off the upstairs dorm that gets used for that as well.

Q. Are there laundry facilities?

A. Our washers are for staff and Center use only. We do have outside sinks for doing laundry by hand located behind the main dorm building.

Q. Are there certain times of the day when showers can be taken, and does it depend on the water supply?

A. The time of day for showers will depend on your schedule. We should have water all the time.

Q. Is the voltage the same voltage as the US?

A. Yes, it is the same.

Q. What kind of housing do you have?

A. We have dorms with bunks. Guys will be in one dorm and girls in another. We provide blankets and pillows, but we ask that you bring your own sheets and towels. We have two couple rooms available. The dorms are pretty rustic, but there is running water, hot showers, and regular toilets.

Q. Is there Internet access?

A. We have wireless Internet access here at the base. You may bring your own laptops to connect.

Q. Does the pool have any rules that we should know about? Are there times or days that we are allowed to use the pool? The pool can be used anytime during the day up until quiet time at night. Quiet time is usually around 10:30 or so. If you do swim there should be someone else at least at the poolside in case anything happens. We ask that girls wear one piece suits or wear a t-shirt over a two-piece. We also ask that girls and guys do not wear their suits around the base without being covered up with a shirt and shorts.

Q. What is the food like?

A. All you meals are included in the cost of your stay. We will go into town twice to eat, once to a chicken place that is great and once to pizza. The other meals will be at the base. Breakfast is traditional American food, cereal, pancakes, eggs, etc. Lunch is our main meal and that usually consists of rice in some form, beans and meat, chicken, beef, or pork. Dinner can vary. It is usually a little lighter than lunch, but if you guys are working hard on projects, we make sure you have a substantial meal for dinner, too. That will be something like spaghetti, tacos, salami and mongu (typical Dominican dinner meal, mongu is boiled and mashed plantains). We also serve salad with lunch and fruit at each meal. We will go into town for ice cream one night after dinner.

If you go online to www.ywamdr.org and click on Jarabacoa you can view some pictures of the base.