Living in a new culture or even just a different culture always presents its challenges. The one that has struck me lately is the whole how a guy shows interest in a girl and how he treats a girl. If a guy sees a pretty girl in the states, he might stare, but rarely will he say anything. Here, the guy might whistle, yell words in English and Spanish--pretty, I love you, marry me... you name it. You will also get stared at up and down. Sometimes I can convince myself it's a compliment. Other days it just drives me crazy! For example, there's a guy at school who sometimes picks up one of the boys I had last year. He's an uncle or friend or something. The other day he started talking to me and asked for my phone number and said there was nothing wrong with going to a movie, having ice cream, etc. Of course, I think there is a lot wrong with that if the guy is at least 10 years older than you and you know nothing about him! I did NOT give him my phone number, but now I am afraid every time I see him. He seems to pick up the kids a lot more now too! Thankfully he has not talked to me, but he did stare at me pretty bad today. You would think at a Christian school I would be a little more safe from that... I guess not. Oh well.
Well, things that make me smile? That's much better...
One of my little boys called me last night just to tell me he practiced running for the mile run they did in PE today. He also reminded me to bring my tennis shoes to run with them. I love that he called me just to tell me that!
I was out talking to Amanda when she was on recess duty with the first and second graders yesterday. One of the little first graders was eating cookies and gave her a piece of one. He didn't give me one, but I still told him he was nice to share. A little while later, I felt something slide into my back pocket and saw him run away. He had stuck a small piece of cookie in my pocket! Kids are so funny!
I went back to the throat doctor today. He said the nodules are gone and it looks really good! Praise the Lord! Now the hope is to keep them away. Please pray that the Lord would show me the best way to prevent them from coming back.
Well, may you see those little things in life that make you smile today. God is good!
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Smiles!
Woah, three days in a row! This is a record! Happy first day of December. I was just talking to a friend today about how when your students have a great day, it's easy to have a great day. The challenge is having a great day when they are not behaving! Thankfully today they did pretty good. The things that brought smiles to my face today?
We were working on changing singular nouns to plural nouns--pretty easy stuff for them. So I had them read the rules and the new words in their best "bossy" voices. It was hilarious! One of them sounded like Kermit the Frog. Not quite sure how that is bossy, but it was sure cute!
One of my little boys is a crazy athlete! He did 53 push ups (AMAZINGLY good ones) in two minutes! He was so proud of himself! It made me smile to see how excited he became. And these were not just silly kid push-ups--he was doing the real thing!
The gym. I love the music they play and how everyone starts to dance to it. Can you say YMCA anyone? Yes, it's hilarious. I was DEFINITELY NOT in a YMCA gym.
Well, it's off to lesson planning. Let's hope those smiles stay on. May you take joy in the little things today :).
We were working on changing singular nouns to plural nouns--pretty easy stuff for them. So I had them read the rules and the new words in their best "bossy" voices. It was hilarious! One of them sounded like Kermit the Frog. Not quite sure how that is bossy, but it was sure cute!
One of my little boys is a crazy athlete! He did 53 push ups (AMAZINGLY good ones) in two minutes! He was so proud of himself! It made me smile to see how excited he became. And these were not just silly kid push-ups--he was doing the real thing!
The gym. I love the music they play and how everyone starts to dance to it. Can you say YMCA anyone? Yes, it's hilarious. I was DEFINITELY NOT in a YMCA gym.
Well, it's off to lesson planning. Let's hope those smiles stay on. May you take joy in the little things today :).
Monday, November 30, 2009
Seeing the Good in all Things
This is my attempt to post on my blog more often. I want to try and reflect on my days, to see the good in all things. God has blessed me in so many ways, and so often it is easy to get bogged down and miss the positive things that have happened. The rays of sunshine in my day today?
-On Saturday Amanda and I went to one of her boy's pizza restaurants that his parents own. This kid is pretty much one of the cutest little Taiwanese boys on the face of the planet. He was so excited to see us there but was really shy and tried to hide in the kitchen. He did show us the pizza boxes he put together though, including trying to pull one out in the middle of the giant stack! Anyways, today when he saw me he got really excited and was saying my name and waving really big. I went over and asked him what his favorite part of his Thanksgiving weekend was, and he responded with, "When you and Miss Metzler came to my restaurant!" Wow. I love that my presence can mean so much to a little second grader who is not even my student. If only I was that excited about spending time with God every day.
-Bible Study. We talked about God's timing and how so often we want to wait upon the event rather than waiting upon the Lord. I was reminded that I need to wait upon Him and He will show me in HIS perfect timing what is best for me. I love good reminders like that!
May you feel His presence today!
-On Saturday Amanda and I went to one of her boy's pizza restaurants that his parents own. This kid is pretty much one of the cutest little Taiwanese boys on the face of the planet. He was so excited to see us there but was really shy and tried to hide in the kitchen. He did show us the pizza boxes he put together though, including trying to pull one out in the middle of the giant stack! Anyways, today when he saw me he got really excited and was saying my name and waving really big. I went over and asked him what his favorite part of his Thanksgiving weekend was, and he responded with, "When you and Miss Metzler came to my restaurant!" Wow. I love that my presence can mean so much to a little second grader who is not even my student. If only I was that excited about spending time with God every day.
-Bible Study. We talked about God's timing and how so often we want to wait upon the event rather than waiting upon the Lord. I was reminded that I need to wait upon Him and He will show me in HIS perfect timing what is best for me. I love good reminders like that!
May you feel His presence today!
Sunday, November 29, 2009
I am a failure at blogging
So it's the end of November and I haven't blogged since the beginning of October. Whoops. I keep wanting to blog and put pictures on, but I haven't downloaded any pictures this year because my hard drive is full. In order to download said pictures, I have to take my old ones off my harddrive. I am a chicken. Hopefully one day I will get brave enough to do that. Maybe when I see my brother in a month he can help me with that... So for now this will just be a written update. And it better be good, since I have two months worth of things to talk about. Let's see...what about the letters of the alphabet?
A--amazing talks with my class. Just the other day, I had an awesome talk with them about Jesus and our need for a Savior. I am praying that many seeds were planted and watered. I love teaching at a Christian school.
B--books. Over Thanksgiving, I was actually able to read something other than third grade level books. Yay!
C--church--I am still going to the same church down here. I have had church friends over a couple times now, and that has been really neat. I am hoping to do that more!
D--drama. My kids are WAY less into the "he said/she said" thing this year. Praise the Lord!
E--empanadas. One of my favorite Dominican foods--a meat filled pastry that you can buy from a stand on the side of the road for under a dollar. Let's just say several walks have taken place just to get empanadas :).
F--Food. On the topic of food, I enjoyed learning how to make a Dominican dish from my church friends. Now I just need to try making it by myself.
G--gym. I am going to a Dominican gym--let's just say I better be a better dancer after this! I usually go to the classes, and they all include some kind of dance moves. Favorite line from the instructor so far, "You try hard, but you lack a bit of coordination." Yes, that pretty much sums up my life.
H-Health. Unfortanately, my voice problems have come back this year. The nodules in my throat came back, but this time i just didn't have to talk for a weekend. I go back to the doctor next week--we'll see what he says.
I--Ice! I am SO looking forward to ice skating when I get home! It is still SO hot here!
J--jackets. We went to the mountains for Thanksgiving and it was actually cold enough to need a sweatshirt! Wow! It felt so good and a little weird to be cold.
K--kindness. The Lord has been so good to me--His kindness is amazing! I am so thankful for all the ways He has shown me kindness.
L--laughter. So many things make me smile. I love laughing with my kids. One of my favorite stories? We had an evacuation drill to practice for earthquakes, etc. One of my kids comes up to me and says, "Last year, we had a drill, and that same day there was a little earthquake. How did the principal know?" Oh, the innocence of third graders!
M--mountains. I love living in a city surrounded by mountains. It was really neat to spend a couple days in them as well. They are very different than the rugged ones of the Pacific Northwest, but beautiful nonetheless.
N--naps! What more can I say? :)
O--ocean. I love living close to the ocean as well. It is so relaxing! The beauty of God's creation truly blows me away!
P--Parents! My parents are coming in less than two weeks! I am excited to see them and spend time relaxing with them. They also will come to church with me--let's hope my Spanish brain is turned on then!
Q--Quiet. I am enjoying the few quiet moments I have in the craziness of life to get to know my Savior better.
R--Rita! My friend from college, Rita, is also coming when my parents come. She lives in Puerto Rico and we have wanted to "hop islands," and so she is! I am so excited that she gets to come too!
S--Spanish. My Spanish is slowly improving. I understand a lot now, but sometimes the words to speak back get way stuck in my head. I am taking lessons now, so hopefully that will help.
T--Turkeys! My mom sent me a little stuffed turkey last year. It has now been to the beach and to the mountains. Oh, I have to mention that this turkey gobbles. Yes, gobbles. Yay for funny presents!
U--Umbrellas. A necessity in this country. My friend Amanda and I learned a valuable lesson: make sure your umbrella is a good one before taking it outside, even if it's not raining very hard yet. It probably will, and your umbrella might break, and you might get very wet. I just wish we had a picture of what that umbrella looked like!
V--victories! My friend Sarah and I have the priveledge of leading elementary chapel every week. We have been talking about the names of God, and one of them is Jehovah Nissi, God is our battle fighter. He gives us so many victories! Thank you Jesus!
W--water. For some reason, about a month ago our water was cut off for two days. They were an interesting two days, that's for sure. You learn to not take things for granted when you don't have them any more!
X--x-ray. Well, I haven't broken any bones yet! That's good!
Y--youngsters. I am excited to go back home and meet my friends' new babies! And also to see those who were just tiny when I left.
Z--zippers. Makes me think of lunch boxes. My students have figured out you can do much more with a lunch box besides just put your lunch in it. You can: stick your head in it, zip it up, and walk around running into things; hit people with it; wear it like a hat; sit on it; swing in like a slingshot; use it like sumo wrestling pads; play catch, and I am sure there is more they can teach me! They're funny!
Well, that is a quick A-Z update on my life. Thanks for reading, and I hope your day is blessed!
A--amazing talks with my class. Just the other day, I had an awesome talk with them about Jesus and our need for a Savior. I am praying that many seeds were planted and watered. I love teaching at a Christian school.
B--books. Over Thanksgiving, I was actually able to read something other than third grade level books. Yay!
C--church--I am still going to the same church down here. I have had church friends over a couple times now, and that has been really neat. I am hoping to do that more!
D--drama. My kids are WAY less into the "he said/she said" thing this year. Praise the Lord!
E--empanadas. One of my favorite Dominican foods--a meat filled pastry that you can buy from a stand on the side of the road for under a dollar. Let's just say several walks have taken place just to get empanadas :).
F--Food. On the topic of food, I enjoyed learning how to make a Dominican dish from my church friends. Now I just need to try making it by myself.
G--gym. I am going to a Dominican gym--let's just say I better be a better dancer after this! I usually go to the classes, and they all include some kind of dance moves. Favorite line from the instructor so far, "You try hard, but you lack a bit of coordination." Yes, that pretty much sums up my life.
H-Health. Unfortanately, my voice problems have come back this year. The nodules in my throat came back, but this time i just didn't have to talk for a weekend. I go back to the doctor next week--we'll see what he says.
I--Ice! I am SO looking forward to ice skating when I get home! It is still SO hot here!
J--jackets. We went to the mountains for Thanksgiving and it was actually cold enough to need a sweatshirt! Wow! It felt so good and a little weird to be cold.
K--kindness. The Lord has been so good to me--His kindness is amazing! I am so thankful for all the ways He has shown me kindness.
L--laughter. So many things make me smile. I love laughing with my kids. One of my favorite stories? We had an evacuation drill to practice for earthquakes, etc. One of my kids comes up to me and says, "Last year, we had a drill, and that same day there was a little earthquake. How did the principal know?" Oh, the innocence of third graders!
M--mountains. I love living in a city surrounded by mountains. It was really neat to spend a couple days in them as well. They are very different than the rugged ones of the Pacific Northwest, but beautiful nonetheless.
N--naps! What more can I say? :)
O--ocean. I love living close to the ocean as well. It is so relaxing! The beauty of God's creation truly blows me away!
P--Parents! My parents are coming in less than two weeks! I am excited to see them and spend time relaxing with them. They also will come to church with me--let's hope my Spanish brain is turned on then!
Q--Quiet. I am enjoying the few quiet moments I have in the craziness of life to get to know my Savior better.
R--Rita! My friend from college, Rita, is also coming when my parents come. She lives in Puerto Rico and we have wanted to "hop islands," and so she is! I am so excited that she gets to come too!
S--Spanish. My Spanish is slowly improving. I understand a lot now, but sometimes the words to speak back get way stuck in my head. I am taking lessons now, so hopefully that will help.
T--Turkeys! My mom sent me a little stuffed turkey last year. It has now been to the beach and to the mountains. Oh, I have to mention that this turkey gobbles. Yes, gobbles. Yay for funny presents!
U--Umbrellas. A necessity in this country. My friend Amanda and I learned a valuable lesson: make sure your umbrella is a good one before taking it outside, even if it's not raining very hard yet. It probably will, and your umbrella might break, and you might get very wet. I just wish we had a picture of what that umbrella looked like!
V--victories! My friend Sarah and I have the priveledge of leading elementary chapel every week. We have been talking about the names of God, and one of them is Jehovah Nissi, God is our battle fighter. He gives us so many victories! Thank you Jesus!
W--water. For some reason, about a month ago our water was cut off for two days. They were an interesting two days, that's for sure. You learn to not take things for granted when you don't have them any more!
X--x-ray. Well, I haven't broken any bones yet! That's good!
Y--youngsters. I am excited to go back home and meet my friends' new babies! And also to see those who were just tiny when I left.
Z--zippers. Makes me think of lunch boxes. My students have figured out you can do much more with a lunch box besides just put your lunch in it. You can: stick your head in it, zip it up, and walk around running into things; hit people with it; wear it like a hat; sit on it; swing in like a slingshot; use it like sumo wrestling pads; play catch, and I am sure there is more they can teach me! They're funny!
Well, that is a quick A-Z update on my life. Thanks for reading, and I hope your day is blessed!
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Santiago in September
Sometimes I truly think I am an "absent-minded professor." I keep forgetting to update this blog. So this is my attempt to let you know about September here in my life.
School: We are now 7 weeks into the year! It is just flying by! I have 20 great students. Some of them are really hard at times, but I am enjoying getting to know them and see them get excited about learning. I will post a picture soon--I do not have a good class picture yet. I need to fix that! My kids say the funniest things--one of them the other day said, "Miss Seeman, you can see us really well, because you are Miss See--man!" They are now all convinced that I have great eyesight and can see everything they do. I guess that's a good thing :).
Church: I am enjoying my church here more and more. The guys have been trying out their English on me--so far I've heard "Hello my brother!" and "Hi Mister!" I think I need to start some English classes :). It's fun though. Sometimes I don't understand anything, but it's good to practice my Spanish.
Voice: My voice has been bad again. We are starting to think that it's this country. They moved my classroom last week because I was right next to the neighbor who constantly burns trash and the smoke comes right into my classroom. It seems to help a little bit, but my voice was bad when I moved so it's still just not right yet. Hopefully the nodules did not come back--I will find out this week. If you think of it, pray for wisdom in all this--for me and for the doctors and the school too. It is frustrating, but I am trying to trust that God has a plan in all this.
Vacation time: Last weekend, a group of us went to the beach for the weekend and stayed at an all-inclusive resort. I have never done that before, but it was awesome! It was good just to rest and enjoy fellowship together. I do not have many pictures because I dropped my camera in the sand and it stopped working for while.
I was also able to go to a baseball game where some of my kids from last year were playing. It so happened that one of my kids from this year was on the other team. He was so excited to see me there! I love third graders because they still think their teachers are cool :).
Well, that is my month in a nutshell. I will try to post some pictures and more details later.
School: We are now 7 weeks into the year! It is just flying by! I have 20 great students. Some of them are really hard at times, but I am enjoying getting to know them and see them get excited about learning. I will post a picture soon--I do not have a good class picture yet. I need to fix that! My kids say the funniest things--one of them the other day said, "Miss Seeman, you can see us really well, because you are Miss See--man!" They are now all convinced that I have great eyesight and can see everything they do. I guess that's a good thing :).
Church: I am enjoying my church here more and more. The guys have been trying out their English on me--so far I've heard "Hello my brother!" and "Hi Mister!" I think I need to start some English classes :). It's fun though. Sometimes I don't understand anything, but it's good to practice my Spanish.
Voice: My voice has been bad again. We are starting to think that it's this country. They moved my classroom last week because I was right next to the neighbor who constantly burns trash and the smoke comes right into my classroom. It seems to help a little bit, but my voice was bad when I moved so it's still just not right yet. Hopefully the nodules did not come back--I will find out this week. If you think of it, pray for wisdom in all this--for me and for the doctors and the school too. It is frustrating, but I am trying to trust that God has a plan in all this.
Vacation time: Last weekend, a group of us went to the beach for the weekend and stayed at an all-inclusive resort. I have never done that before, but it was awesome! It was good just to rest and enjoy fellowship together. I do not have many pictures because I dropped my camera in the sand and it stopped working for while.
I was also able to go to a baseball game where some of my kids from last year were playing. It so happened that one of my kids from this year was on the other team. He was so excited to see me there! I love third graders because they still think their teachers are cool :).
Well, that is my month in a nutshell. I will try to post some pictures and more details later.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
First Things First
Well, I finished my first week of my second year of teaching. Wow. It was really hard! I think I forgot how hard it is the first week back to school. You are just getting used to the students, and they are just getting used to you. I have 20 little blessings so far--11 boys and 9 girls. There is always the possibility of getting more. It is neat because about half of them are the same kids my old roommate had last year, so I already know a bit about them. They are sure active! They did a pretty good job of listening most of the time, but when they didn't it was pretty crazy! It's hard sitting still when you've been playing all summer. Some highlights of the week:
-Meeting my new students for the year! One of my boys I had his brother last year, so that's cool. I also have a set of triplet boys! It will be an interesting year with that, that's for sure!
-Seeing my old students from last year! Most of them gave me big hugs.
-Being reminded of the cute things ESL kids say. During the summer, they took a part of the school that just had gravel and rocks and made it into staff parking. One of the boys was shocked that there were cars there, and he proceeded to say, "The cars are stepping on the grass!" I didn't know cars took steps, but they obviously do!
-Going to a baby shower for a teacher's wife. I had their daughter last year. The teacher's wife is having their third but their first son, so that will be exciting.
-Learning more about "shining like a star." My theme for my classroom is "shining like stars" from Philippians 2:14-15. We talked about what that looks like in our lives. May I truly learn those lessons too and be a good example to all those around me!
All in all, it was a good yet tiring week. Hopefully this week my students will be a little more used to the way I do things and be ready for the week!
-Meeting my new students for the year! One of my boys I had his brother last year, so that's cool. I also have a set of triplet boys! It will be an interesting year with that, that's for sure!
-Seeing my old students from last year! Most of them gave me big hugs.
-Being reminded of the cute things ESL kids say. During the summer, they took a part of the school that just had gravel and rocks and made it into staff parking. One of the boys was shocked that there were cars there, and he proceeded to say, "The cars are stepping on the grass!" I didn't know cars took steps, but they obviously do!
-Going to a baby shower for a teacher's wife. I had their daughter last year. The teacher's wife is having their third but their first son, so that will be exciting.
-Learning more about "shining like a star." My theme for my classroom is "shining like stars" from Philippians 2:14-15. We talked about what that looks like in our lives. May I truly learn those lessons too and be a good example to all those around me!
All in all, it was a good yet tiring week. Hopefully this week my students will be a little more used to the way I do things and be ready for the week!
Saturday, August 15, 2009
BACK IN THE DR!!!
Woah. It's been two months since I last posted. Sorry about that. My parents' computer at home is too slow. I had an amazing summer and now am back in the DR. It is good to be back. Here's a little catch up on the last two months:
~Craziness at the beginning of the summer! I got home late June 10th and left early June 11th for a wedding in Colorado. Unfortunately, my bags did not make it in time, so I went the next almost three weeks without them! Oh well. Colorado was beautiful, and so was Abi and Adam's wedding. Then from there on the 15th I flew to Seattle. I got to hang out with old friends and go to Amy and Joe's wedding, which was also beautiful. On the 24th I flew to New Mexico to hang out with Anna. Yes, your name must begin with an A if I am going to travel to see you! I headed home on the 29th.
~Relaxing in Dubuque. I was able to spend a lot of time with friends and family and just resting. It was totally what I needed! It was good to see my friends and hang out with them and catch up. I got to spend a lot of time with my mom too, and that was good. It was nice not having to plan lessons or work all day. I also enjoyed shopping for new clothes. Mine here had gotten so worn out!
~Heading back to the DR! I came back here on the 10th. My old roommate and I flew together, so that was nice. We both had guitars with us, so lots of people asked if we were performers! Haha it was great! It's nice to be back, though it is SO hot! I have two new roommates, Kari and Megan, and they are great. Our apartment has a TON of cockroaches, and yesterday there was a leach! Oh well. As long as they don't climb into my bed with me!
We start school on Tuesday. I can't believe I will be starting my second year of teaching! The first one went so fast and so slow at the same time! I am looking forward to it.
Please join me in praising God for:
-Great roommates
-A job!
-A good church to go to
-A voice!
Please pray for:
-My new students, that their hearts would be open and that I would know how to reach them
-That my voice would hold out. I am thinking it has a lot to do with the neighbor burning trash right outside my classroom window. The school is looking into ways to help fix the problem.
-A good first week of school
-That I would be a good witness to all around me.
Thanks for the prayers! May you be truly blessed this week.
~Craziness at the beginning of the summer! I got home late June 10th and left early June 11th for a wedding in Colorado. Unfortunately, my bags did not make it in time, so I went the next almost three weeks without them! Oh well. Colorado was beautiful, and so was Abi and Adam's wedding. Then from there on the 15th I flew to Seattle. I got to hang out with old friends and go to Amy and Joe's wedding, which was also beautiful. On the 24th I flew to New Mexico to hang out with Anna. Yes, your name must begin with an A if I am going to travel to see you! I headed home on the 29th.
~Relaxing in Dubuque. I was able to spend a lot of time with friends and family and just resting. It was totally what I needed! It was good to see my friends and hang out with them and catch up. I got to spend a lot of time with my mom too, and that was good. It was nice not having to plan lessons or work all day. I also enjoyed shopping for new clothes. Mine here had gotten so worn out!
~Heading back to the DR! I came back here on the 10th. My old roommate and I flew together, so that was nice. We both had guitars with us, so lots of people asked if we were performers! Haha it was great! It's nice to be back, though it is SO hot! I have two new roommates, Kari and Megan, and they are great. Our apartment has a TON of cockroaches, and yesterday there was a leach! Oh well. As long as they don't climb into my bed with me!
We start school on Tuesday. I can't believe I will be starting my second year of teaching! The first one went so fast and so slow at the same time! I am looking forward to it.
Please join me in praising God for:
-Great roommates
-A job!
-A good church to go to
-A voice!
Please pray for:
-My new students, that their hearts would be open and that I would know how to reach them
-That my voice would hold out. I am thinking it has a lot to do with the neighbor burning trash right outside my classroom window. The school is looking into ways to help fix the problem.
-A good first week of school
-That I would be a good witness to all around me.
Thanks for the prayers! May you be truly blessed this week.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Endings and Beginnings
The last week and this next week are a time of endings and beginning for me. It's been a crazy few days, and they will continue to be crazy, but God is still good and on the throne and teaching me more about Him. Here are some of these endings and beginnings:
-Ending: Last week marked the end of my first year of teaching. WOW! God has taught me so much, and I have grown so much in so many ways in the last year. I will greatly miss my third graders! I can't believe the year is done!
-Ending: School was supposed to end on Thursday, but the principal came at 11 on Wednesday and said it was the last day for the students. Two high schoolers had contracted swine flu, so they decided to end early. The parents were worried about it, even though their kids don't interact with high schoolers, and pulled their kids out early on Wednesday too. So by the end of the day I only had 7 kids. It was a weird ending, but that's life sometimes. Thankfully, nobody else caught the swine flu, so that's good.
-Ending: I am living with new roommates in a new apartment next year, so I have been packing up my apartment. How can I have so much stuff in only a year? It's crazy! Some of it though is my mother's fault. Rubber chickens, blow up monkeys, fake frogs...
-Ending: 10 months of living in a foreign country! I go back to the states for the first time in 10 months tomorrow! I can't believe it has been that long. I really am going to miss life here, and I am so glad I am coming back next year. It would be too hard to leave otherwise.
-Beginning: Saying goodbye. I do not like doing that. Thankfully, for most people, it is only for two months. I was sad because my two closest friends at my church weren't there on Sunday, so I won't see them again until August.
-Beginning: Preparing my mind for the summer! I get into Dubuque late tomorrow night and then drive with some friends to Colorado at 7 the next morning. I am going to be so dead! Then from there I am flying to Seattle on the 15th and then to New Mexico on the 24th and then finally home to Iowa on the 29. As a guy at my church says, "craziness!" It pretty much is
-Beginning: This isn't such a happy one. I have been having problems with my ear lately and went to the doctor. He did some tests and discovered it was my jaw. Now, those who know me know I have had braces twice and jaw surgery. I should NOT be having problems with my jaw! It's a little frustrating, but i need to just trust that God has a plan in all of it. Unfortunately, we have just been realizing it, so I am not going to be able to get all the appropriate tests and such before I leave to figure out the problem. That may mean trying to do them in the states. The orthodontist was going to make me temporary retainers that are supposed to help (don't ask me how) so hopefully they will hold up until August. It has certainly been a test of faith because I thought I wouldn't have problems after the surgery, and to have another medical problem here has been super frustrating. I am trusting God to provide the finances for all of it. He is big, and I know He can just take them away if that is His will.
-Beginning: SUMMER! I am sitting in my classroom waiting for the parents to come pick up the report cards. My room is mostly packed (we have to put everything away and get everything off the walls). It's crazy. I am looking forward to having a time to rest and get refreshed before next year.
I love learning new things and seeing how God works in my life. May you all feel His presence today! He is so good!
-Ending: Last week marked the end of my first year of teaching. WOW! God has taught me so much, and I have grown so much in so many ways in the last year. I will greatly miss my third graders! I can't believe the year is done!
-Ending: School was supposed to end on Thursday, but the principal came at 11 on Wednesday and said it was the last day for the students. Two high schoolers had contracted swine flu, so they decided to end early. The parents were worried about it, even though their kids don't interact with high schoolers, and pulled their kids out early on Wednesday too. So by the end of the day I only had 7 kids. It was a weird ending, but that's life sometimes. Thankfully, nobody else caught the swine flu, so that's good.
-Ending: I am living with new roommates in a new apartment next year, so I have been packing up my apartment. How can I have so much stuff in only a year? It's crazy! Some of it though is my mother's fault. Rubber chickens, blow up monkeys, fake frogs...
-Ending: 10 months of living in a foreign country! I go back to the states for the first time in 10 months tomorrow! I can't believe it has been that long. I really am going to miss life here, and I am so glad I am coming back next year. It would be too hard to leave otherwise.
-Beginning: Saying goodbye. I do not like doing that. Thankfully, for most people, it is only for two months. I was sad because my two closest friends at my church weren't there on Sunday, so I won't see them again until August.
-Beginning: Preparing my mind for the summer! I get into Dubuque late tomorrow night and then drive with some friends to Colorado at 7 the next morning. I am going to be so dead! Then from there I am flying to Seattle on the 15th and then to New Mexico on the 24th and then finally home to Iowa on the 29. As a guy at my church says, "craziness!" It pretty much is
-Beginning: This isn't such a happy one. I have been having problems with my ear lately and went to the doctor. He did some tests and discovered it was my jaw. Now, those who know me know I have had braces twice and jaw surgery. I should NOT be having problems with my jaw! It's a little frustrating, but i need to just trust that God has a plan in all of it. Unfortunately, we have just been realizing it, so I am not going to be able to get all the appropriate tests and such before I leave to figure out the problem. That may mean trying to do them in the states. The orthodontist was going to make me temporary retainers that are supposed to help (don't ask me how) so hopefully they will hold up until August. It has certainly been a test of faith because I thought I wouldn't have problems after the surgery, and to have another medical problem here has been super frustrating. I am trusting God to provide the finances for all of it. He is big, and I know He can just take them away if that is His will.
-Beginning: SUMMER! I am sitting in my classroom waiting for the parents to come pick up the report cards. My room is mostly packed (we have to put everything away and get everything off the walls). It's crazy. I am looking forward to having a time to rest and get refreshed before next year.
I love learning new things and seeing how God works in my life. May you all feel His presence today! He is so good!
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Frogs and Life
This is my attempt to post more than once a month. Let's see if this works. As far as I know, I only have about three readers. oh well. I guess I will update you three on the mundane and hilarious things in my life, though I may be the only one to find them that hilarious.
Lately we have had many adventures in our bathroom with frogs. A few weeks ago I was about to get in the shower, so I opened the shower curtain and something jumped off it. I, of course, start screaming when I realize there is a FROG in my SHOWER! I hastily wrapped a towel around myself and went and told Robin, my roommate who was here. She suggested we kill it. I was not too keen on frog guts all over my shower, so we decided to catch it. I was too chicken, so she caught it in one of our drinking glasses! Then we switched it over to an old peanut butter jar. It lasted through the night and we took it to school to show our students. Then we let it out in the grass at school, a good three miles away!
The next week, I was home alone and taking a shower. I was almost through and went to grab the conditioner bottle. There was something behind it! Of course, it was my favorite creature, a frog! I resisted the urge to scream, since I was the only one home! We spent the rest of the shower staring at each other. Thankfully he did not jump on me. If he had, I think I would have really gone crazy! I am hoping he does not invite his friends to join him in my shower.
My roommate Amanda and I had a new experience/adventure today. We went to the beach with another friend Jenny. I hadn't been for a long time, so it was cool to go enjoy God's beautiful creation. Jenny and I went out snorkeling. Besides a leaky mask that I returned for another bad one, it was really amazing. I will probably never get over the awe of seeing real live fish that look like the ones you see in magazines that look fake. Anyways, we took the bus back, no problem. Instead of calling our regular taxi, we took a random one at the bus station. We were about a mile from home and it sounded like we ran over something. It started to get really bumpy. The driver pulls over and says, "la goma," which means the tire. He gets out and Amanda and I just stare at each other like, "can this really be happening?" He goes and opens the trunk to get out the spare. Then he comes and turns on his hazards and tells us "un momentito," one little moment. To change a tire? Yeah right. We start laughing hysterically. Here we are, in the middle of the Dominican Republic, with a taxi with a flat tire! It was pretty humorous to say the least.
In other news, the drama at my church went fairly well. There were times where I was lost and didn't quite understand what was going on, but that happens in other settings too. The mothers seemed to enjoy it, and I did too. After that, some of the people started calling me the wife of Noah instead of my name since that is what I was in the skit. We'll see if that continues!
The next day all the third graders went on a field trip to the capital. We went to a children's museum there. The kids seemed to really like it, and it went well for the most part. We went with a tour company, which was the best thing ever. They had three guides with us who do this kind of thing all the time. They had snacks, games, and songs planned for the kids. The kids really liked it.
I've been thinking a lot about how much God has blessed me. Sometimes I question "why me?" I had the privilege to be born into a household with two loving Christian parents who had the means to provide for me. There was always enough on the table. I look around here and see so many children who do not have that. And then I go to school and see students who are far more well off than me. Why them? Then I remember that God has a plan in all of it, though sometimes it's so hard to see. I get frustrated with my students and with their families who ignore that there is even poverty in this country. Most of my students didn't even know there were people in this country living in shacks without electricity or toilets. They were shocked when I told them that. It is easy to wonder if I am doing any good here, if the students are even learning anything. I have to live "by faith" and remember that God has a plan. I may never receive the things promised--I may only see them and welcome them from a distance. May I dwell in the hope of the things to come!
Lately we have had many adventures in our bathroom with frogs. A few weeks ago I was about to get in the shower, so I opened the shower curtain and something jumped off it. I, of course, start screaming when I realize there is a FROG in my SHOWER! I hastily wrapped a towel around myself and went and told Robin, my roommate who was here. She suggested we kill it. I was not too keen on frog guts all over my shower, so we decided to catch it. I was too chicken, so she caught it in one of our drinking glasses! Then we switched it over to an old peanut butter jar. It lasted through the night and we took it to school to show our students. Then we let it out in the grass at school, a good three miles away!
The next week, I was home alone and taking a shower. I was almost through and went to grab the conditioner bottle. There was something behind it! Of course, it was my favorite creature, a frog! I resisted the urge to scream, since I was the only one home! We spent the rest of the shower staring at each other. Thankfully he did not jump on me. If he had, I think I would have really gone crazy! I am hoping he does not invite his friends to join him in my shower.
My roommate Amanda and I had a new experience/adventure today. We went to the beach with another friend Jenny. I hadn't been for a long time, so it was cool to go enjoy God's beautiful creation. Jenny and I went out snorkeling. Besides a leaky mask that I returned for another bad one, it was really amazing. I will probably never get over the awe of seeing real live fish that look like the ones you see in magazines that look fake. Anyways, we took the bus back, no problem. Instead of calling our regular taxi, we took a random one at the bus station. We were about a mile from home and it sounded like we ran over something. It started to get really bumpy. The driver pulls over and says, "la goma," which means the tire. He gets out and Amanda and I just stare at each other like, "can this really be happening?" He goes and opens the trunk to get out the spare. Then he comes and turns on his hazards and tells us "un momentito," one little moment. To change a tire? Yeah right. We start laughing hysterically. Here we are, in the middle of the Dominican Republic, with a taxi with a flat tire! It was pretty humorous to say the least.
In other news, the drama at my church went fairly well. There were times where I was lost and didn't quite understand what was going on, but that happens in other settings too. The mothers seemed to enjoy it, and I did too. After that, some of the people started calling me the wife of Noah instead of my name since that is what I was in the skit. We'll see if that continues!
The next day all the third graders went on a field trip to the capital. We went to a children's museum there. The kids seemed to really like it, and it went well for the most part. We went with a tour company, which was the best thing ever. They had three guides with us who do this kind of thing all the time. They had snacks, games, and songs planned for the kids. The kids really liked it.
I've been thinking a lot about how much God has blessed me. Sometimes I question "why me?" I had the privilege to be born into a household with two loving Christian parents who had the means to provide for me. There was always enough on the table. I look around here and see so many children who do not have that. And then I go to school and see students who are far more well off than me. Why them? Then I remember that God has a plan in all of it, though sometimes it's so hard to see. I get frustrated with my students and with their families who ignore that there is even poverty in this country. Most of my students didn't even know there were people in this country living in shacks without electricity or toilets. They were shocked when I told them that. It is easy to wonder if I am doing any good here, if the students are even learning anything. I have to live "by faith" and remember that God has a plan. I may never receive the things promised--I may only see them and welcome them from a distance. May I dwell in the hope of the things to come!
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Grace Like Rain
As I sit here listening to the rain outside my window, I can't help but think about the "grace like rain" that pours down on me. The last month, and more, has shown me so much about grace and what it means. It's been a long time since I've posted, so I will try to catch you up on the happenings of May.
First of all, I only have EIGHT school days left! One is a field trip, one a half day, and one is field day! Really, the time is going to go so fast! Our last day of school is June 4. I cannot believe the year is almost over. I'm ready for a break but I'm not ready to give my kids up. I told them i am keeping them all and they can't go to fourth grade. They didn't like that very much! We have grown so much together this year. I love seeing their passion for Jesus. They are AMAZING prayer warriors! They are still praying for needs I brought to them months ago.
Last week was spirit week, and they had a ton of fun dressing up for it. Here are some pictures of the craziness:
The next 50s boy band! For oldies day, I showed them pictures of Elvis and most of my boys dressed from that era. It was hilarious! They did most of this posing on their own!
Oldies Day Crazy Picture!
Pajama Day. Taking a nap--Miss Seeman wears us out!
Yes, to all you teachers out there, it was CRAZY having spirit week so close to the end of school. They were even crazier than they would have been, but it was a good week.
I have been getting more involved in my church, specifically in the area of the kid's drama. A lady approached me at camp about helping with it. A few weeks later, she asked if I would write a skit for them. She needed a drama for Mother's Day and wanted to use one the kids already knew about Noah's Ark. Yes, I know what you are thinking--how in the WORLD does Noah's Ark relate to Mother's Day? You're right--it doesn't. I wrote a skit about Noah's sons talking about how their mother didn't give up and helped right alongside them to finish the ark and how much they were thankful for their mother to go before the drama. Okay, so that helps it tie in at least a little :). Then, the lady asked me to be IN the drama! Thinking I was only in the skit I wrote, I said yes. THEN I found out I need to be in ALL of it! I still don't know exactly what I am supposed to do. Yay for huge language barriers! I guess I'll find out come Tuesday when we perform. Mother's Day here is the 31st, which is why we haven't celebrated it at church yet.
I am still going to a girl's home on Thursday nights with one of my roommates and a couple who works at the school. They have two little ones at the home now, three and four, a couple who are seven or eight, and the rest are pre-teens and teens. It has been good for my Spanish and really good to hang out with some girls in a non-school environment. The littlest one is crazy--she makes me laugh a lot!
I am trying to think of all the crazy cultural stories that have happened this last month that I was going to write down to put in my blog and of course didn't and now can't remember any of them. Hmm...come on brain! A few weeks ago, I went to a birthday party at a farm for one of my little boys. The contrast between rich and poor is just so startling here! There was of course a butler serving drinks. They brought pizza out, and I was like "whew, I can understand this!" But of course the pizza was only for the kids! They called the grown-ups inside to have a huge sit down dinner with china and linen AT A THIRD GRADERS PARTY. Wow. I have tasted bits of the liftestyle of the rich, and I must say I'm not sure I could live like that. My kids don't even understand that there are people who don't have enough food to eat. They waste food more than I knew was possible. All day I'm faced with life like that, and then I go to church, where some of the families are wondering where their next meal comes from. My heart is burdened and I don't even know how to express it or what to do. I tell my students about the need and they don't even know how to process it. I see the need and I struggle over my thoughts and what God wants for me. I feel like at this moment He has called me to work with the wealthy children, when sometimes all I want to do is go work among the poor. But I know God has a plan in all things, and I love that I can openly share the gospel with my kids. They know I LOVE to talk about Jesus, and they have that same passion. May they continue to have that same passion.I understand that not all wealthy kids have no concept of the poor people. My prayer is that my students would change and be aware of the needs around them. I can't even imagine how many lives they could change if they did!
There are little things that are different when living in another culture. Sometimes I grow so accustumed to them that I forget most people don't experience these things on a daily basis. Let's see if I can think of some...
-Riding home from church with six or seven Dominicans in a little car. Of course, all the women are talking and talking quickly! It's quite the ride home!
-Motorcycles or scooters that can carry anything and everything. Today I saw two people on a little scooter thing and the driver had a guitar standing upright resting on the floor up to his nose in front of him!
-Fruit and vegetable sellers that come by in old pickups at all hours of the day.
-Plantains in sushi. It was surprisingly good!
-Going to the salon and just getting your hair washed and dried. Maybe some of you have experienced this, but I had never before gone to the salon without getting a hair cut. Many here just go to get their hair washed and blow dried straight.
-No cross walks anywhere. Well, they do have them, but nobody pays attention to them. We pray like crazy before crossing the street!
-Greeting each other cheek to cheek. I am actually going to miss this a lot when I go back to the states! Even if you don't know someone, you greet them. It is such a friendly culture!
As some of you know, I have had a lot of health problems this year. One problem has been with my skin. The doctors haven't been able to figure it out. I went to one last week who thinks he knows what is wrong with it. Praise the Lord! The challenge is the medicine is expensive, but God has already been providing for my needs. It is amazing how He provides in ways you never expect! I am hoping my skin will clear up and I won't have to think about skin problems ever again! My voice has also held out for FIVE months! Yay! It is still not very strong, but it is much better than it was, and I have been able to teach all semester. It is amazing the things you learn to not take for granted when they are taken away from you!
God has been teaching me more about relying on Him in everything. I tend to be a perfectionist, and He has been teaching me that my imperfect perfection is nothing compared to his perfections. I need to let go and let Him work in my life without trying to control everything. I need to have faith. I need to trust Him at all times. I am so thankful for the grace He pours out on my life!
I can't believe I will be in the states in just two and a half weeks! I haven't been back since early August. I am leaving here June 10th. I will be in Iowa, Colorado, Seattle, and New Mexico this summer. I am excited to see people in those places and catch up! God has done so much in my life this year, and I am sure it is the same for you. May you feel His incredible grace this week!
First of all, I only have EIGHT school days left! One is a field trip, one a half day, and one is field day! Really, the time is going to go so fast! Our last day of school is June 4. I cannot believe the year is almost over. I'm ready for a break but I'm not ready to give my kids up. I told them i am keeping them all and they can't go to fourth grade. They didn't like that very much! We have grown so much together this year. I love seeing their passion for Jesus. They are AMAZING prayer warriors! They are still praying for needs I brought to them months ago.
Last week was spirit week, and they had a ton of fun dressing up for it. Here are some pictures of the craziness:
The next 50s boy band! For oldies day, I showed them pictures of Elvis and most of my boys dressed from that era. It was hilarious! They did most of this posing on their own!
Oldies Day Crazy Picture!
Pajama Day. Taking a nap--Miss Seeman wears us out!I have been getting more involved in my church, specifically in the area of the kid's drama. A lady approached me at camp about helping with it. A few weeks later, she asked if I would write a skit for them. She needed a drama for Mother's Day and wanted to use one the kids already knew about Noah's Ark. Yes, I know what you are thinking--how in the WORLD does Noah's Ark relate to Mother's Day? You're right--it doesn't. I wrote a skit about Noah's sons talking about how their mother didn't give up and helped right alongside them to finish the ark and how much they were thankful for their mother to go before the drama. Okay, so that helps it tie in at least a little :). Then, the lady asked me to be IN the drama! Thinking I was only in the skit I wrote, I said yes. THEN I found out I need to be in ALL of it! I still don't know exactly what I am supposed to do. Yay for huge language barriers! I guess I'll find out come Tuesday when we perform. Mother's Day here is the 31st, which is why we haven't celebrated it at church yet.
I am still going to a girl's home on Thursday nights with one of my roommates and a couple who works at the school. They have two little ones at the home now, three and four, a couple who are seven or eight, and the rest are pre-teens and teens. It has been good for my Spanish and really good to hang out with some girls in a non-school environment. The littlest one is crazy--she makes me laugh a lot!
I am trying to think of all the crazy cultural stories that have happened this last month that I was going to write down to put in my blog and of course didn't and now can't remember any of them. Hmm...come on brain! A few weeks ago, I went to a birthday party at a farm for one of my little boys. The contrast between rich and poor is just so startling here! There was of course a butler serving drinks. They brought pizza out, and I was like "whew, I can understand this!" But of course the pizza was only for the kids! They called the grown-ups inside to have a huge sit down dinner with china and linen AT A THIRD GRADERS PARTY. Wow. I have tasted bits of the liftestyle of the rich, and I must say I'm not sure I could live like that. My kids don't even understand that there are people who don't have enough food to eat. They waste food more than I knew was possible. All day I'm faced with life like that, and then I go to church, where some of the families are wondering where their next meal comes from. My heart is burdened and I don't even know how to express it or what to do. I tell my students about the need and they don't even know how to process it. I see the need and I struggle over my thoughts and what God wants for me. I feel like at this moment He has called me to work with the wealthy children, when sometimes all I want to do is go work among the poor. But I know God has a plan in all things, and I love that I can openly share the gospel with my kids. They know I LOVE to talk about Jesus, and they have that same passion. May they continue to have that same passion.I understand that not all wealthy kids have no concept of the poor people. My prayer is that my students would change and be aware of the needs around them. I can't even imagine how many lives they could change if they did!
There are little things that are different when living in another culture. Sometimes I grow so accustumed to them that I forget most people don't experience these things on a daily basis. Let's see if I can think of some...
-Riding home from church with six or seven Dominicans in a little car. Of course, all the women are talking and talking quickly! It's quite the ride home!
-Motorcycles or scooters that can carry anything and everything. Today I saw two people on a little scooter thing and the driver had a guitar standing upright resting on the floor up to his nose in front of him!
-Fruit and vegetable sellers that come by in old pickups at all hours of the day.
-Plantains in sushi. It was surprisingly good!
-Going to the salon and just getting your hair washed and dried. Maybe some of you have experienced this, but I had never before gone to the salon without getting a hair cut. Many here just go to get their hair washed and blow dried straight.
-No cross walks anywhere. Well, they do have them, but nobody pays attention to them. We pray like crazy before crossing the street!
-Greeting each other cheek to cheek. I am actually going to miss this a lot when I go back to the states! Even if you don't know someone, you greet them. It is such a friendly culture!
As some of you know, I have had a lot of health problems this year. One problem has been with my skin. The doctors haven't been able to figure it out. I went to one last week who thinks he knows what is wrong with it. Praise the Lord! The challenge is the medicine is expensive, but God has already been providing for my needs. It is amazing how He provides in ways you never expect! I am hoping my skin will clear up and I won't have to think about skin problems ever again! My voice has also held out for FIVE months! Yay! It is still not very strong, but it is much better than it was, and I have been able to teach all semester. It is amazing the things you learn to not take for granted when they are taken away from you!
God has been teaching me more about relying on Him in everything. I tend to be a perfectionist, and He has been teaching me that my imperfect perfection is nothing compared to his perfections. I need to let go and let Him work in my life without trying to control everything. I need to have faith. I need to trust Him at all times. I am so thankful for the grace He pours out on my life!
I can't believe I will be in the states in just two and a half weeks! I haven't been back since early August. I am leaving here June 10th. I will be in Iowa, Colorado, Seattle, and New Mexico this summer. I am excited to see people in those places and catch up! God has done so much in my life this year, and I am sure it is the same for you. May you feel His incredible grace this week!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
By Faith
My mom and I often "joke" that you shouldn't memorize a verse or pray certain things (for humility, etc.) because then God will really do it. Joking is in quotes because obviously you shouldn't not pray certain things, but at the same time, God really does work on those things in your life. He is so faithful in that! Even after being humbled many times after those kinds of prayers and learning hard lessons through verses I've memorized, I often forget just how much God is willing and will work in my stubborn heart. I wanted to share one instance that is near and dear to my heart right now.
A few months ago, Janna, the lady who is discipling me, asked if I wanted to memorize the "Hall of Faith" chapter, Hebrews 11. Excited about the accountability and the chance to know more of God's word, I said yes. I set out to memorize them, thinking about faith and amazed at how much my forefathers lived in faith. I was (and still am) blown away by all the "By faiths." BY FAITH Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, BY FAITH Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as an inheritance obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going... and so many more! I thought some about how I could be more like them, but never really thought about how God would work in me to make those verses come alive in my life and to teach me to really live by faith.
Sure, I've heard all the stories of missionaries living by faith for food, money, etc. By the grace of God, I have not been tested in that way yet, though God may one day consider me worthy to bear that trial for His name. So I didn't really think about how else He would teach me to live by faith. As many of you know, the last few months have been really hard. Challenge after challenge has come up, and one by one, God has given me the grace to get through each one of them. Some I am still in the midst of, but God is with me holding my hand for all of it. Many of them I have no idea why they have come up. I knew God had a reason, but just in the last two days did I realize that maybe they have come into my life to teach me to live by faith.
Wow. That took awhile to figure that out. I am glad God didn't stop teaching me after I didn't understand the purpose the first couple hundred times. Obviously, I still don't fully comprehend, but maybe He is trying to teach me how to live by faith. I'm sure Abraham and Noah and all the other famous ones from Hebrews 11 weren't like, "Okay God. Of course I will move to a foreign place where I don't know anything or even where because someday I will be in the hall of faith!" They just stepped out and did it! Am I willing to step out in faith and follow Him? Will He be able to one day say, "By Faith Mindy...?" Wow.
I love that it doesn't just stop after all the "by faiths." Just today did I notice something super cool about verse 13. It says "All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did NOT receive the things promised. They only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth." Cool verse, huh? I just realized that there are so many things in my life that may happen to teach me to live by faith, and I may never see the things promised. I may never see the fruition of so many tears shed, of hours on my knees, of hard situation after situation. I may just see them and welcome them from a distance. I love that it doesn't just say saw them from a distance. It says WELCOMED them froma distance. I can WELCOME the results living by faith. And there are things promised for me! In verse 16 it says, "Instead, they were looking for a better country, a heavenly one." I can look forward to a better country than this one on earth, and there I will see what God was doing on this earth to prepare me to serve Him and worship Him best. I will receive the things promised! I will miss out on so much if I do not live out my "By faiths!" The rest of verse 16 says, "Therefore, God is NOT ASHAMED to be called their God, for He hs prepared a city for them." How cool is that? Having lived most of my life ashamed of this and that, I love that it says God is not ashamed to be called their God. Oh, that I would live in such a way that God can say that of me!
So, my dear readers, that is my ponderings of living by faith and what God can do in this stubborn heart of mine. May I truly live out my "By faiths." For those of you who want to know more of the specifics of the "By faiths" God seems to have been teaching me, email me or leave a comment and I would LOVE to tell you more about the lessons He has been teaching me. This year has contained many of them for me, that's for sure. I am so excited to be able to welcome the things promised and one day see them in heaven, though on this earth I will most likely not receive them. It will all be so worth it! May you learn to live life "by faith." What an incredible journey we are on, and it is all so worth it!
A few months ago, Janna, the lady who is discipling me, asked if I wanted to memorize the "Hall of Faith" chapter, Hebrews 11. Excited about the accountability and the chance to know more of God's word, I said yes. I set out to memorize them, thinking about faith and amazed at how much my forefathers lived in faith. I was (and still am) blown away by all the "By faiths." BY FAITH Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, BY FAITH Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as an inheritance obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going... and so many more! I thought some about how I could be more like them, but never really thought about how God would work in me to make those verses come alive in my life and to teach me to really live by faith.
Sure, I've heard all the stories of missionaries living by faith for food, money, etc. By the grace of God, I have not been tested in that way yet, though God may one day consider me worthy to bear that trial for His name. So I didn't really think about how else He would teach me to live by faith. As many of you know, the last few months have been really hard. Challenge after challenge has come up, and one by one, God has given me the grace to get through each one of them. Some I am still in the midst of, but God is with me holding my hand for all of it. Many of them I have no idea why they have come up. I knew God had a reason, but just in the last two days did I realize that maybe they have come into my life to teach me to live by faith.
Wow. That took awhile to figure that out. I am glad God didn't stop teaching me after I didn't understand the purpose the first couple hundred times. Obviously, I still don't fully comprehend, but maybe He is trying to teach me how to live by faith. I'm sure Abraham and Noah and all the other famous ones from Hebrews 11 weren't like, "Okay God. Of course I will move to a foreign place where I don't know anything or even where because someday I will be in the hall of faith!" They just stepped out and did it! Am I willing to step out in faith and follow Him? Will He be able to one day say, "By Faith Mindy...?" Wow.
I love that it doesn't just stop after all the "by faiths." Just today did I notice something super cool about verse 13. It says "All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did NOT receive the things promised. They only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth." Cool verse, huh? I just realized that there are so many things in my life that may happen to teach me to live by faith, and I may never see the things promised. I may never see the fruition of so many tears shed, of hours on my knees, of hard situation after situation. I may just see them and welcome them from a distance. I love that it doesn't just say saw them from a distance. It says WELCOMED them froma distance. I can WELCOME the results living by faith. And there are things promised for me! In verse 16 it says, "Instead, they were looking for a better country, a heavenly one." I can look forward to a better country than this one on earth, and there I will see what God was doing on this earth to prepare me to serve Him and worship Him best. I will receive the things promised! I will miss out on so much if I do not live out my "By faiths!" The rest of verse 16 says, "Therefore, God is NOT ASHAMED to be called their God, for He hs prepared a city for them." How cool is that? Having lived most of my life ashamed of this and that, I love that it says God is not ashamed to be called their God. Oh, that I would live in such a way that God can say that of me!
So, my dear readers, that is my ponderings of living by faith and what God can do in this stubborn heart of mine. May I truly live out my "By faiths." For those of you who want to know more of the specifics of the "By faiths" God seems to have been teaching me, email me or leave a comment and I would LOVE to tell you more about the lessons He has been teaching me. This year has contained many of them for me, that's for sure. I am so excited to be able to welcome the things promised and one day see them in heaven, though on this earth I will most likely not receive them. It will all be so worth it! May you learn to live life "by faith." What an incredible journey we are on, and it is all so worth it!
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Spring Break Adventures, Part 2
So, here is the rest of my adventures over spring break. This half was much more adventurous than the first half, except for the pig legs :). On Wednesday, I headed out to my church to get on a bus to go to church camp with my church and other young people from all over the country. They said to get there at 12:30 to leave at 1, so of course as the American, I was there at 12:25. And of course, this is not the US, and the whole church was shut. Nobody was around. Since I don't have a car, I was in a taxi. Thankfully, it was the taxi driver I usually take, so he got out and checked the gates. One was open, and the church worker's son was there and came out. I apologized for being early and proceeded to wait. Eventually, everyone got there and we piled on the bus. I was in the first seat and sat there looking lost. My lack of Spanish ability is frustrating sometimes :). The full-time church worker came out and asked if I wanted to go with him instead (I think he noticed how lost I looked or something). So I drove up to camp with his daughter and him.
The camp is in the mountains, about three hours from here (two and a half by car). It is beautiful! When I first arrived, it was a bit awkward because my church wasn't there yet and I didn't know anyone. A while later, a family I know came, so it was good to see familiar faces. Then, a girl came up to me and started speaking in English. She is Dominican-American. As we were talking, something came up about Emmaus, and I realized I had met her at Iron Sharpens Iron last year! Small world! She had come down with four other friends for the camp. They became my companions since they all spoke both English and Spanish. I should explain that out of over 35o young people, I was the only non-Spanish speaking one! It was quite interesting!
I ended up being in a cabin with my Sunday School teacher for the leader, so that was good. I think the most interesting part of the cabin times was having devotions at 6 in the morning! It was hard for my brain to comprehend Spanish that early! I did better by the end of the time, but the first morning it was almost impossible!
When I hear the word "camp," I think dirty, games, don't care what you look like, etc. NOT so with camps here! The girls wore HIGH HEELS AT CAMP!!! They would go change before dinner every night into their nice outfits and makeup! Some would even miss dinner because they were too busy getting ready for dinner! Being an American, I did not feel the urge to join in this activity, so I stuck out in that too. Oh well. I did dress up for the last night, which was a special dinner. Here is a picture of me with one of the Dominican-Americans next to me and two other girls from my church.
Every morning and night, we had a meeting with singing and a speaker. The speaker was from Argentina and had really clear Spanish, which was good for me. I was able to understand most of what he said. I enjoyed learning more songs in Spanish, and I can now say I know some songs in Spanish better than I know them in English! A couple of times I was a bit tired because we did not sleep much at camp, so those meetings were a little harder, but they were still good.
On two of the days, they had events planned--one day to climb a mountain and the next to go swim in a river. I went to both the activities and had a lot of fun! The mountain was quite the adventure--basically straight up and straight back down! We were SO sweaty when we got to the top, but it was beautiful. I fell down about a hundred times on the way back down because it was so steep! For a while, nobody was around me, so it was good because I had to slide on my bottom several times. Once again, the crazy American! It was so worth it though! Then the next day, we walked to the river that is close to the camp. It was probably a two or two and a half mile walk, but so worth it. We went to a place with a man-made waterfall and spent time just swimming and playing in the water. All of my English speaking friends didn't go, so I spent most of my time by myself, but it was still fun. My friend took pictures for me, and it is fun to look at those now. On the way back, I was walking by myself, and must have looked like the lost American with no friends again because a truck with people from camp drove by and asked if I wanted a ride. It was one of those trucks with a short bed, and there were 11 of us crammed in there! It was funny, especially for those of us right against the hatch when going uphill! It was really cool because I realized that was the first time I had done crazy things like that with people who lived in that country! Usually I do crazy things with other Americans, so it was refreshing to do weird things with others.
On top of the mountain.
Swimming in the river.
The man-made waterfall. If you look closely, you can see the people in the background resting against it. If felt pretty cool!
I was able to meet more people from my church, so that was good! I don't know them super well, but I know names now, and they know mine. I want to go to more services at my church, so it is good to know people now. I found a few more people who speak English, so now when I get totally lost, I can ask them for help.
My new friend Hilma. Her mom is my Sunday School teacher.
On Sunday, we headed back to the city. Our bus broke right before we got into the city! Thankfully, they were able to fix it enough for us to get back home. It was a dusty and hot ride, but it was good to hang out with some of my new friends. I came home and went to bed by 7:30. When I say "lack of sleep," I really mean it! I've decided camp to them means dress up and no sleep. I went to bed earlier than most of them and still got only 5 or so hours of sleep every night. On the last two nights, the guys went around seranading their wives and girlfriends in the different cabins, so it's hard to sleep with that too! It was all worth it though, and I am hoping I can go back to camp another time. It was good to start building relationships with people there. I am looking forward to seeing what happens with people at church!
The camp is in the mountains, about three hours from here (two and a half by car). It is beautiful! When I first arrived, it was a bit awkward because my church wasn't there yet and I didn't know anyone. A while later, a family I know came, so it was good to see familiar faces. Then, a girl came up to me and started speaking in English. She is Dominican-American. As we were talking, something came up about Emmaus, and I realized I had met her at Iron Sharpens Iron last year! Small world! She had come down with four other friends for the camp. They became my companions since they all spoke both English and Spanish. I should explain that out of over 35o young people, I was the only non-Spanish speaking one! It was quite interesting!
I ended up being in a cabin with my Sunday School teacher for the leader, so that was good. I think the most interesting part of the cabin times was having devotions at 6 in the morning! It was hard for my brain to comprehend Spanish that early! I did better by the end of the time, but the first morning it was almost impossible!
When I hear the word "camp," I think dirty, games, don't care what you look like, etc. NOT so with camps here! The girls wore HIGH HEELS AT CAMP!!! They would go change before dinner every night into their nice outfits and makeup! Some would even miss dinner because they were too busy getting ready for dinner! Being an American, I did not feel the urge to join in this activity, so I stuck out in that too. Oh well. I did dress up for the last night, which was a special dinner. Here is a picture of me with one of the Dominican-Americans next to me and two other girls from my church.
Every morning and night, we had a meeting with singing and a speaker. The speaker was from Argentina and had really clear Spanish, which was good for me. I was able to understand most of what he said. I enjoyed learning more songs in Spanish, and I can now say I know some songs in Spanish better than I know them in English! A couple of times I was a bit tired because we did not sleep much at camp, so those meetings were a little harder, but they were still good.
On two of the days, they had events planned--one day to climb a mountain and the next to go swim in a river. I went to both the activities and had a lot of fun! The mountain was quite the adventure--basically straight up and straight back down! We were SO sweaty when we got to the top, but it was beautiful. I fell down about a hundred times on the way back down because it was so steep! For a while, nobody was around me, so it was good because I had to slide on my bottom several times. Once again, the crazy American! It was so worth it though! Then the next day, we walked to the river that is close to the camp. It was probably a two or two and a half mile walk, but so worth it. We went to a place with a man-made waterfall and spent time just swimming and playing in the water. All of my English speaking friends didn't go, so I spent most of my time by myself, but it was still fun. My friend took pictures for me, and it is fun to look at those now. On the way back, I was walking by myself, and must have looked like the lost American with no friends again because a truck with people from camp drove by and asked if I wanted a ride. It was one of those trucks with a short bed, and there were 11 of us crammed in there! It was funny, especially for those of us right against the hatch when going uphill! It was really cool because I realized that was the first time I had done crazy things like that with people who lived in that country! Usually I do crazy things with other Americans, so it was refreshing to do weird things with others.
On top of the mountain.
Swimming in the river.
The man-made waterfall. If you look closely, you can see the people in the background resting against it. If felt pretty cool!I was able to meet more people from my church, so that was good! I don't know them super well, but I know names now, and they know mine. I want to go to more services at my church, so it is good to know people now. I found a few more people who speak English, so now when I get totally lost, I can ask them for help.
My new friend Hilma. Her mom is my Sunday School teacher.
On Sunday, we headed back to the city. Our bus broke right before we got into the city! Thankfully, they were able to fix it enough for us to get back home. It was a dusty and hot ride, but it was good to hang out with some of my new friends. I came home and went to bed by 7:30. When I say "lack of sleep," I really mean it! I've decided camp to them means dress up and no sleep. I went to bed earlier than most of them and still got only 5 or so hours of sleep every night. On the last two nights, the guys went around seranading their wives and girlfriends in the different cabins, so it's hard to sleep with that too! It was all worth it though, and I am hoping I can go back to camp another time. It was good to start building relationships with people there. I am looking forward to seeing what happens with people at church!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Spring Break Adventures, Part 1
YAY FOR SPRING BREAK!!! March was a very long and tiring month here in the DR, hence no blog posts after the Haiti one. March was Reading Month, which meant extra activities, Fair Day, where we had booths and such for each class that we had to run, and other little things here and there that just made for a very full month. But, now March is over and it's spring break! I can't believe it's already Wednesday, which means break is half over! And I have a feeling mine is going to get more crazy as the days go on...more about that later.
Let's see...well, I finally found an orphanage (actually a girl's home) to go spend time at and just love on the girls. They have 15 girls, most who are in middle and high school, but also a couple of little ones. Some friends and I have been going there every Thursday. My friends Bryan and Amy have been teaching them English. I either help with that or play with the little ones. I also got to visit another orphanage where a friend works about an hour away on Saturday. That was a lot of fun as well.
Since the title of my blog post is about Spring Break adventures, I should tell you all about my adventures so far this week. As I said earlier, I went to an orphanage on Saturday, and that was really neat. On Sunday, I did the usual: went to a Spanish speaking church all by myself :). Before I explain what happened next, I should give some background. I have some friends about 2 hours away who my mom met at Emmaus last May at Iron Sharpens Iron. They are a Dominican family but they speak English. They had invited me to come to their house Sunday-Wednesday and then go to a church camp Wednesday-Sunday. I was nervous but said I would do it. I didn't know my church was also going to that camp, but I found that out a little later. Anyway, as of Sunday morning, I had not even heard from them again and I was supposed to go with them that day to their house. So after church, a man came up to me and asked if I was going to camp. I tried to explain to him in my limited Spanish the situation. I told him I wanted to go but wasn't sure what was happening. He had me talk to another guy, who said he would call my friends and see what was up. But they told me to just plan on going in a bus with them from here on Wednessday. Anybody confused yet? Anyways, later on the guy from my church got ahold of my friend, and I did as well. He and his wife said just to go with my church on Wednesday, which is what I was already planning on doing. All that to say, I will be leaving in about an hour to go with them to a camp ALL IN SPANISH where I know very few people! It will be quite the adventure!
Sunday afternoon I didn't do too much, but I decided I would go to Sunday night church, which I never had done before because it is late and kind of far away. So I go to church, and it was awesome! People actually were talking to me! Everyone was very excited that I am going to the camp and kept telling all their friends that I was going! This lady who I had seen from far away but never talked to came up and talked to me. She ended up inviting me to go with her on Monday to another girl's house for dinner. They informed me we would be eating pig's legs! I decided to brave it and go anyway!
So on Monday, I went to this lady's house and then to the other girl's house for pig legs. The lady, Marlin, has a three month old little girl, so I finally got to hold a baby in this country! I was a little overwhelmed at the girl's house, but it was good. Let's just say I don't try to talk much! After a couple hours, out came the pig legs! Let's just say they don't look that appetizing, nor do they taste that great! Marlin knew I had never had them, and she thought it was hilarious! Of course, she told many others that I had never had them, so they are chuckling and watching me try to eat this thing! I didn't want to pick it up with my hands, so I was trying to eat it with a plastic fork. Let's just say it was difficult to get off the bone AND difficult to swallow! They of course noticed that I was not fond of it, but I tried to eat as much as I could! I will not be asking for pig legs for my next birthday dinner, that's for sure.
Tuesday passed with much fewer adventures. I spent the afternoon with my roommate and her friend that is here, so that was good. I went to school in the morning so I could be ready for school next week, as I don't get back from the camp until Sunday and I have heard that sleep is a scarce commodity! So...if you think about, please pray that I can understand at least some things and don't make too many cultural blunders! I heard it's a great week, so I am looking forward to it! I will definitely post pictures and stories when I get back!
I love Easter, as we get to celebrate the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior. May you also rejoice in this wonderful event that gives us so much hope! As my kids memorized last week, "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my words and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." (John 5:24). Oh, that you may cross over! Have a wonderful Easter!
Let's see...well, I finally found an orphanage (actually a girl's home) to go spend time at and just love on the girls. They have 15 girls, most who are in middle and high school, but also a couple of little ones. Some friends and I have been going there every Thursday. My friends Bryan and Amy have been teaching them English. I either help with that or play with the little ones. I also got to visit another orphanage where a friend works about an hour away on Saturday. That was a lot of fun as well.
Since the title of my blog post is about Spring Break adventures, I should tell you all about my adventures so far this week. As I said earlier, I went to an orphanage on Saturday, and that was really neat. On Sunday, I did the usual: went to a Spanish speaking church all by myself :). Before I explain what happened next, I should give some background. I have some friends about 2 hours away who my mom met at Emmaus last May at Iron Sharpens Iron. They are a Dominican family but they speak English. They had invited me to come to their house Sunday-Wednesday and then go to a church camp Wednesday-Sunday. I was nervous but said I would do it. I didn't know my church was also going to that camp, but I found that out a little later. Anyway, as of Sunday morning, I had not even heard from them again and I was supposed to go with them that day to their house. So after church, a man came up to me and asked if I was going to camp. I tried to explain to him in my limited Spanish the situation. I told him I wanted to go but wasn't sure what was happening. He had me talk to another guy, who said he would call my friends and see what was up. But they told me to just plan on going in a bus with them from here on Wednessday. Anybody confused yet? Anyways, later on the guy from my church got ahold of my friend, and I did as well. He and his wife said just to go with my church on Wednesday, which is what I was already planning on doing. All that to say, I will be leaving in about an hour to go with them to a camp ALL IN SPANISH where I know very few people! It will be quite the adventure!
Sunday afternoon I didn't do too much, but I decided I would go to Sunday night church, which I never had done before because it is late and kind of far away. So I go to church, and it was awesome! People actually were talking to me! Everyone was very excited that I am going to the camp and kept telling all their friends that I was going! This lady who I had seen from far away but never talked to came up and talked to me. She ended up inviting me to go with her on Monday to another girl's house for dinner. They informed me we would be eating pig's legs! I decided to brave it and go anyway!
So on Monday, I went to this lady's house and then to the other girl's house for pig legs. The lady, Marlin, has a three month old little girl, so I finally got to hold a baby in this country! I was a little overwhelmed at the girl's house, but it was good. Let's just say I don't try to talk much! After a couple hours, out came the pig legs! Let's just say they don't look that appetizing, nor do they taste that great! Marlin knew I had never had them, and she thought it was hilarious! Of course, she told many others that I had never had them, so they are chuckling and watching me try to eat this thing! I didn't want to pick it up with my hands, so I was trying to eat it with a plastic fork. Let's just say it was difficult to get off the bone AND difficult to swallow! They of course noticed that I was not fond of it, but I tried to eat as much as I could! I will not be asking for pig legs for my next birthday dinner, that's for sure.
Tuesday passed with much fewer adventures. I spent the afternoon with my roommate and her friend that is here, so that was good. I went to school in the morning so I could be ready for school next week, as I don't get back from the camp until Sunday and I have heard that sleep is a scarce commodity! So...if you think about, please pray that I can understand at least some things and don't make too many cultural blunders! I heard it's a great week, so I am looking forward to it! I will definitely post pictures and stories when I get back!
I love Easter, as we get to celebrate the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior. May you also rejoice in this wonderful event that gives us so much hope! As my kids memorized last week, "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my words and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." (John 5:24). Oh, that you may cross over! Have a wonderful Easter!
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Haiti
Yesterday, I took a personal day and went with some friends to an orphanage and school in Haiti. Wow. I don't even know how to begin describing that experience with you. This blog post may end up being very long, so those of you who want to hear about my trip in detail can read it. Those who don't, feel free to just look at the pictures of all the cute kids :).
I have been wanting to go to Haiti and visit an orphanage since I got here. There is one just across the border called Danita's Children. Some people connected to my school here go there pretty much every week. Usually they go on a school day, so I was never able to go. My friend Sarah told me she was going to take a personal day to go, so I decided to do the same and go with her, her friend who was visiting, and the couple who usually goes on Fridays.
To start out with, we took a bus from here in Santiago to the border, which, on a good day with a good bus driver, takes about two and a half hours. Going there, we thankfully had both a good day and a good driver. Once we got to where we got off to walk across the border, it got a little crazy. On Mondays and Fridays, there is a market on both the Haiti and DR sides. Haitians are allowed to freely cross the border and buy things and then return. That of course means many people pushing wheelbarrows full of stuff, carrying stuff on their heads, in their arms... however they can do it. Annie, the lady who goes weekly, said she had never seen it so crazy as it was yesterday. There were people literally everywhere! Many times we were stuck in a sea of dark skin not able to move for minutes or else being pushed along and getting run over by wheelbarrows! I have some pictures, but they don't do the craziness justice! It was this crazy all the way across the bridge and into Haiti. We thankfully got across the border just fine, as they will often charge, but we got permission to go over for the day.
This does not even begin to show how crazy it was getting through the hoards of people, but you can see the big bags tied onto wheelbarrows, people carrying things on their head, and a little bit of how the people are super close together. 
Some people decided NOT to deal with trying to get across the bridge and made their own way across the river!
Here are more people trying to get across the border.
Hope for Haiti Children's Home, also known as Danita's Children, is about a 5 minute walk from the border into Haiti. When we arrived, the children were all in school. The ministry has about 75 orphans and 580 kindergarten-eighth graders who go to school there. The ones who are not orphans living there are very poor children from the community. It is amazing what they do with very few supplies. The kindergarteners and other classes meet in the large chapel, where many classes are meeting at once. You could barely hear the teacher, yet the 30 or so kids in the first kindergarten class we saw were sitting quietly listening to them. They learn in Creole and French, so I of course did not understand anything! It totally challenged my view of a classroom, as the first group of kindergarteners we saw were sitting only in chairs, many of which were broken--no crayons, no paper, no nothing. This school has some of that, but obviously not enough to use it all the time like we do. It made me appreciate the resources we have.
The first kindergarten class we visited. Annie is working with them on some French. Notice that many of the chairs have lost the wood that is supposed to be on the back. The kids sang us a song in Creole, French, and English. I have heard that song in English and Swahili, and it was so cute to hear these kids sing it in more languages for us. They were so cute!
Two older boys who came over to watch and see what the white people were doing. Notice the socks and tennis shoes--even the girls all had socks. A lot of the little girls had frilly girly socks like I had when I was little.
We looked around some more, and then it was time for chapel. Annie had asked Sarah, my friend, to do some impromptu Bible story skits for chapel, and Sarah asked me to help. After listening to them sing in Creole, we went up in front of all those kids and did some silent Bible story skits, like David and Goliath, Jesus calming the storm, and Jonah in the Big Fish. It was funny to have Sarah be the big fish and eat me and then spit me back out. Of course, there were some glitches since we didn't practice at all, but the kids loved it. They got to guess what we were acting out, and thankfully they figured out most of them.
The kindergarteners singing in chapel. They have good voices! Notice all the hair ribbons. Many of the girls had bows all over their heads.
I am not quite sure what story we were acting out at this point, or what I am doing with my arms, but you can see our crazy expressions.
Little boys at the back trying to see our skits.
A little girl just checking things out during chapel.
Chapel lasted about an hour, and then it was about lunch time. Another part of their ministry is feeding all those children lunch. With over 600 people, that is a lot of work and a lot of money! For many of these kids who do not live there, that is the only meal they get all day. I think we served for about an hour since they had to eat in shifts so everyone could fit in the cafeteria. Every single kid said thank you to a meal I probably as a child would have looked at and said, "that's it?" Wow. It showed me how blessed I truly am. It was funny because some kids said thank you in Creole, some in Spanish, and some in English, probably to impress us. We never knew which language we would be saying "You're welcome in!" I never got the Creole one down. Oh well :).
Serving Lunch
After we ate, we helped them sort through donated toys and supplies. That took a while. As we were taking some of the supplies and putting them in a crate outside, one of the little girls who was finished with school, as they go in shifts, came up and just put her hand in mine. I had never seen this girl before, nor could I even talk to her. It is amazing what you will do when you are craving love! She was not one of the orphans, but obviously wanting just to be loved. She stayed with me until her dad came. She swung on my lap and just held my hand. We couldn't even get her to say her name, but that didn't matter to her. She enjoyed just getting love. Wow.
Some of the donations that we sorted through. The orphanage was features on "Extreme Home Makeover" in November in part of a special on a family who adopted 5 boys from Haiti. The family wanted to give back to Haiti, so the TV show sent two containers full of food, toys, school supplies, etc. A lot of the supplies have already been given to those who need it.
Sarah modeling one of the more unusual donations. I think it said something about being a cool shark or something.
My little friend and I. I could not get her to smile in the pictures, but since i couldn't talk to her, it was kind of difficult!
This picture captures so much. I love the girls in their uniforms, holding hands, just enjoying each other. Wow.
A little girl using her recess time to look at a book. I love her hair bows!
These two girls caught me trying to take their picture, even though I was quite a ways away, and rewarded me with huge smiles!
Boys will be boys. Playing in the dirt is great in any country!
Shortly after my little friend left, it was time for us to go back across the border and catch the bus back home. The border was a lot less hectic this time. Most people had already come and gone from Market.
The market on the Haiti side.
I want to learn how to do this!
I think these women are doing laundry in the river. I am so thankful for a washing machine!
The bus ride back, however, was much crazier than the ride there. The buses are not supposed to stop and get people or let them off along the way because it is an express route. Some do though, and this one sure did. It was also making really strange sounds, like it was falling apart, and going really slow. Annie and I could not figure out what was going on. After we stopped and the bus driver got out for like the fifth time, Sarah and her friend Dar told us we were pulling another bus! They could see from their seats, but we couldn't. We had been pulling a bus our same size for over a half hour! If that wasn't crazy enough, I guess that wasn't working, so the driver decided we would PUSH the other bus! We got behind it and began pushing it by "gently" running into it! Thankfully we did not push it all the way to Santiago. Because of all this, we were about a half hour late getting back into town. That was definitely one of the most interesting bus rides I have taken!
After a fairly interesting taxi ride (I have never ridden with a taxi that has a DVD player showing Jacki Chan on the dashboard before) we made it home. The whole trip was incredible, and I hope to go back often and soon. It was like walking into what I want to do some day with my life. I do not know if God will have me more involved at that home, but it is what the Lord has laid on my heart to do some day. I am so glad I was able to go and help out, but like many things, I got more out of it than I had to give. I learned a lot about how much I truly have and how I need to love on kids. Even working with the wealthy kids, I need to show them that I love them, and even more than that, that Jesus loves them. It broke my heart to see the poverty, but I am trusting that Jesus has a plan even for that. I am thankful for organizations like Danita's Children who are working to reach out to these precious kids.
That post was really long. I hope it gave you a good glimpse into part of my life. If you think of it, please pray for Danita's Children and all the ministries involved with that. It takes a TON of work, and they are very understaffed. It also costs a lot to do all of it. But our God is big enough to handle all that and more. What a mighty God we serve!
I have been wanting to go to Haiti and visit an orphanage since I got here. There is one just across the border called Danita's Children. Some people connected to my school here go there pretty much every week. Usually they go on a school day, so I was never able to go. My friend Sarah told me she was going to take a personal day to go, so I decided to do the same and go with her, her friend who was visiting, and the couple who usually goes on Fridays.
To start out with, we took a bus from here in Santiago to the border, which, on a good day with a good bus driver, takes about two and a half hours. Going there, we thankfully had both a good day and a good driver. Once we got to where we got off to walk across the border, it got a little crazy. On Mondays and Fridays, there is a market on both the Haiti and DR sides. Haitians are allowed to freely cross the border and buy things and then return. That of course means many people pushing wheelbarrows full of stuff, carrying stuff on their heads, in their arms... however they can do it. Annie, the lady who goes weekly, said she had never seen it so crazy as it was yesterday. There were people literally everywhere! Many times we were stuck in a sea of dark skin not able to move for minutes or else being pushed along and getting run over by wheelbarrows! I have some pictures, but they don't do the craziness justice! It was this crazy all the way across the bridge and into Haiti. We thankfully got across the border just fine, as they will often charge, but we got permission to go over for the day.
This does not even begin to show how crazy it was getting through the hoards of people, but you can see the big bags tied onto wheelbarrows, people carrying things on their head, and a little bit of how the people are super close together. 
Some people decided NOT to deal with trying to get across the bridge and made their own way across the river!
Here are more people trying to get across the border.Hope for Haiti Children's Home, also known as Danita's Children, is about a 5 minute walk from the border into Haiti. When we arrived, the children were all in school. The ministry has about 75 orphans and 580 kindergarten-eighth graders who go to school there. The ones who are not orphans living there are very poor children from the community. It is amazing what they do with very few supplies. The kindergarteners and other classes meet in the large chapel, where many classes are meeting at once. You could barely hear the teacher, yet the 30 or so kids in the first kindergarten class we saw were sitting quietly listening to them. They learn in Creole and French, so I of course did not understand anything! It totally challenged my view of a classroom, as the first group of kindergarteners we saw were sitting only in chairs, many of which were broken--no crayons, no paper, no nothing. This school has some of that, but obviously not enough to use it all the time like we do. It made me appreciate the resources we have.
The first kindergarten class we visited. Annie is working with them on some French. Notice that many of the chairs have lost the wood that is supposed to be on the back. The kids sang us a song in Creole, French, and English. I have heard that song in English and Swahili, and it was so cute to hear these kids sing it in more languages for us. They were so cute!
Two older boys who came over to watch and see what the white people were doing. Notice the socks and tennis shoes--even the girls all had socks. A lot of the little girls had frilly girly socks like I had when I was little.We looked around some more, and then it was time for chapel. Annie had asked Sarah, my friend, to do some impromptu Bible story skits for chapel, and Sarah asked me to help. After listening to them sing in Creole, we went up in front of all those kids and did some silent Bible story skits, like David and Goliath, Jesus calming the storm, and Jonah in the Big Fish. It was funny to have Sarah be the big fish and eat me and then spit me back out. Of course, there were some glitches since we didn't practice at all, but the kids loved it. They got to guess what we were acting out, and thankfully they figured out most of them.
The kindergarteners singing in chapel. They have good voices! Notice all the hair ribbons. Many of the girls had bows all over their heads.
I am not quite sure what story we were acting out at this point, or what I am doing with my arms, but you can see our crazy expressions.
Little boys at the back trying to see our skits.
A little girl just checking things out during chapel.Chapel lasted about an hour, and then it was about lunch time. Another part of their ministry is feeding all those children lunch. With over 600 people, that is a lot of work and a lot of money! For many of these kids who do not live there, that is the only meal they get all day. I think we served for about an hour since they had to eat in shifts so everyone could fit in the cafeteria. Every single kid said thank you to a meal I probably as a child would have looked at and said, "that's it?" Wow. It showed me how blessed I truly am. It was funny because some kids said thank you in Creole, some in Spanish, and some in English, probably to impress us. We never knew which language we would be saying "You're welcome in!" I never got the Creole one down. Oh well :).
Serving LunchAfter we ate, we helped them sort through donated toys and supplies. That took a while. As we were taking some of the supplies and putting them in a crate outside, one of the little girls who was finished with school, as they go in shifts, came up and just put her hand in mine. I had never seen this girl before, nor could I even talk to her. It is amazing what you will do when you are craving love! She was not one of the orphans, but obviously wanting just to be loved. She stayed with me until her dad came. She swung on my lap and just held my hand. We couldn't even get her to say her name, but that didn't matter to her. She enjoyed just getting love. Wow.
Some of the donations that we sorted through. The orphanage was features on "Extreme Home Makeover" in November in part of a special on a family who adopted 5 boys from Haiti. The family wanted to give back to Haiti, so the TV show sent two containers full of food, toys, school supplies, etc. A lot of the supplies have already been given to those who need it.
Sarah modeling one of the more unusual donations. I think it said something about being a cool shark or something.
My little friend and I. I could not get her to smile in the pictures, but since i couldn't talk to her, it was kind of difficult!
This picture captures so much. I love the girls in their uniforms, holding hands, just enjoying each other. Wow.
A little girl using her recess time to look at a book. I love her hair bows!
These two girls caught me trying to take their picture, even though I was quite a ways away, and rewarded me with huge smiles!
Boys will be boys. Playing in the dirt is great in any country!Shortly after my little friend left, it was time for us to go back across the border and catch the bus back home. The border was a lot less hectic this time. Most people had already come and gone from Market.
The market on the Haiti side.
I want to learn how to do this!
I think these women are doing laundry in the river. I am so thankful for a washing machine!The bus ride back, however, was much crazier than the ride there. The buses are not supposed to stop and get people or let them off along the way because it is an express route. Some do though, and this one sure did. It was also making really strange sounds, like it was falling apart, and going really slow. Annie and I could not figure out what was going on. After we stopped and the bus driver got out for like the fifth time, Sarah and her friend Dar told us we were pulling another bus! They could see from their seats, but we couldn't. We had been pulling a bus our same size for over a half hour! If that wasn't crazy enough, I guess that wasn't working, so the driver decided we would PUSH the other bus! We got behind it and began pushing it by "gently" running into it! Thankfully we did not push it all the way to Santiago. Because of all this, we were about a half hour late getting back into town. That was definitely one of the most interesting bus rides I have taken!
After a fairly interesting taxi ride (I have never ridden with a taxi that has a DVD player showing Jacki Chan on the dashboard before) we made it home. The whole trip was incredible, and I hope to go back often and soon. It was like walking into what I want to do some day with my life. I do not know if God will have me more involved at that home, but it is what the Lord has laid on my heart to do some day. I am so glad I was able to go and help out, but like many things, I got more out of it than I had to give. I learned a lot about how much I truly have and how I need to love on kids. Even working with the wealthy kids, I need to show them that I love them, and even more than that, that Jesus loves them. It broke my heart to see the poverty, but I am trusting that Jesus has a plan even for that. I am thankful for organizations like Danita's Children who are working to reach out to these precious kids.
That post was really long. I hope it gave you a good glimpse into part of my life. If you think of it, please pray for Danita's Children and all the ministries involved with that. It takes a TON of work, and they are very understaffed. It also costs a lot to do all of it. But our God is big enough to handle all that and more. What a mighty God we serve!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Day by Day
I am learning more about relying on the grace of God to face my trials moment by moment. The song that's currently floating through my head says, "Day by day, and with each passing moment, strength I find to meet my trials here. Trusting in the Father's wise bestowment, I've no cause for worry or for fear." Wow. Even through the most challenging of days, I can trust in the Father, and He will give me the strength to face my trials right here. Not in the future, not yesterday, but now. What an amazing God we serve! I am overwhelmed by His goodness and learning more about trusting that His plan is best. In those tough days, it is good for me to focus on the joys around me. One of my favorite verses says, "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer" (Romans 12:12). I need to remember that I can be joyful in hope DURING affliction. I thought I would share with you all out there some of those joys.
Things that make my day:
~Hugs from my awesome third graders
~Sunrises and sunsets
~Laughter
~The funny things my kids say on accident and on purpose
~Letters in my mailbox
~My students asking me questions about Jesus and really seeking
~Passion fruit
~Having a voice!
~Spending time with my Savior, who I can talk to with and without a voice
Some of those are definitely more important than others, but it is so cool to stop and see the little things that make such a big difference. So often I can pass by them quickly. Regarding my kids seeking Jesus, please pray for them. They have asked me some tough questions lately but are truly seeking to know more about this thing called faith. One of my boys asked me, "How do we know that God is the one true God?" What an awesome opportunity I have to tell them about the best thing ever! Some of them are really close to trusting. Please pray that they would make that decision and follow Him the rest of their lives.
I will try to post pictures of whale watching on here soon. I have yet to download them onto my computer. May you find strength to meet your trials, holding onto God's grace for each passing moment.
Things that make my day:
~Hugs from my awesome third graders
~Sunrises and sunsets
~Laughter
~The funny things my kids say on accident and on purpose
~Letters in my mailbox
~My students asking me questions about Jesus and really seeking
~Passion fruit
~Having a voice!
~Spending time with my Savior, who I can talk to with and without a voice
Some of those are definitely more important than others, but it is so cool to stop and see the little things that make such a big difference. So often I can pass by them quickly. Regarding my kids seeking Jesus, please pray for them. They have asked me some tough questions lately but are truly seeking to know more about this thing called faith. One of my boys asked me, "How do we know that God is the one true God?" What an awesome opportunity I have to tell them about the best thing ever! Some of them are really close to trusting. Please pray that they would make that decision and follow Him the rest of their lives.
I will try to post pictures of whale watching on here soon. I have yet to download them onto my computer. May you find strength to meet your trials, holding onto God's grace for each passing moment.
Monday, March 2, 2009
God is Big
Well, it's only been 2 weeks since my last post! I'm slowly moving up in the world! This one will probably not have any pictures, but I wanted to give you an update on my life in the past couple of weeks. Let's see...
-One highlight was definitely going whale watching this past weekend. The DR is the only place in the world where humpback whales come to have their babies. They come from as far away as Iceland EVERY YEAR! We went out on Friday and were able to see a baby and its mother. Wow. God truly showed me that He is a big God. He created a huge creature who has the ability to travel thousands of miles every year! And that's only one of the things He made! Isn't he awesome? If I ever figure out how to post a video, I will post one I got of the mama whale coming right up by our boat. She is about 50 feet long. It was incredible.
-This week is Spiritual Emphasis Week at school. A group of highschool seniors from a Christian school in the states came down to help with it. We had our first chapel today, and the kids loved it! Highlights included puppets, songs, and skits. We are looking forward to the rest of the week!
-Hmm, on a not so fun note, I managed to sprain my ankle this weekend. Another stupid injury to add to the list. No exciting stories, though I tell people I am going to say that I fell off the whale watching boat, got swallowed by a big fish, like Jonah, and then got spit back out and hurt my ankle. That's a cooler story than falling off a single step in the dark! I am supposed to be on crutches all week. Today was killer trying to teach with them. We'll see if I make it that long with them! Even through this, I have learned that God is bigger than the little things that get in our way. I can still teach and serve Him even with a hurt foot! Please pray for fast and complete healing.
-Falling more in love with our big God every day. Sometimes I struggle with seeing Him in the little things and spending time with Him every moment of every day, but it is so worth it. Today I had an AMAZING conversation with my kids about God. We could have talked all day! It made me so excited to talk about my favorite subject with them. Their hearts are open--please pray that they would not only ask Jesus to take away their sins, but that they would serve Him the rest of their lives. These are the kids who are the future leaders of the DR. May they really love Jesus with all their hearts! What a blessing their childlike faith has been to me. Wow. God is so big, and I love how he shows me that in the little ways each and every day! May you see that as you go about your day as well.
-One highlight was definitely going whale watching this past weekend. The DR is the only place in the world where humpback whales come to have their babies. They come from as far away as Iceland EVERY YEAR! We went out on Friday and were able to see a baby and its mother. Wow. God truly showed me that He is a big God. He created a huge creature who has the ability to travel thousands of miles every year! And that's only one of the things He made! Isn't he awesome? If I ever figure out how to post a video, I will post one I got of the mama whale coming right up by our boat. She is about 50 feet long. It was incredible.
-This week is Spiritual Emphasis Week at school. A group of highschool seniors from a Christian school in the states came down to help with it. We had our first chapel today, and the kids loved it! Highlights included puppets, songs, and skits. We are looking forward to the rest of the week!
-Hmm, on a not so fun note, I managed to sprain my ankle this weekend. Another stupid injury to add to the list. No exciting stories, though I tell people I am going to say that I fell off the whale watching boat, got swallowed by a big fish, like Jonah, and then got spit back out and hurt my ankle. That's a cooler story than falling off a single step in the dark! I am supposed to be on crutches all week. Today was killer trying to teach with them. We'll see if I make it that long with them! Even through this, I have learned that God is bigger than the little things that get in our way. I can still teach and serve Him even with a hurt foot! Please pray for fast and complete healing.
-Falling more in love with our big God every day. Sometimes I struggle with seeing Him in the little things and spending time with Him every moment of every day, but it is so worth it. Today I had an AMAZING conversation with my kids about God. We could have talked all day! It made me so excited to talk about my favorite subject with them. Their hearts are open--please pray that they would not only ask Jesus to take away their sins, but that they would serve Him the rest of their lives. These are the kids who are the future leaders of the DR. May they really love Jesus with all their hearts! What a blessing their childlike faith has been to me. Wow. God is so big, and I love how he shows me that in the little ways each and every day! May you see that as you go about your day as well.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Happy Valentine's Day!
Wow, I said I would get better at this, and I still haven't. Sorry to all my readers out there who even bother checking this since I don't really write much. Hopefully that will change soon. I haven't written much mainly because I haven't taken many pictures and I didn't want to just write a word post. Let's see if I can remember what has been happening in the last month...
-I have been able to teach every day since Christmas! My voice has held out, and for that I am so thankful! It is scratchy by Friday, but I can still teach. It definitely has changed. I cannot sing as high as I used to nor can I change pitch very well by the time Friday rolls around. But I am very thankful that I have been able to be in the classroom everyday!
-I finally decided for sure to regularly attend the church down here that is similar to the ones I grew up in. I am the only American and therefore the only one who doesn't speak Spanish who goes there out of about 300 people, but it's good. People have started to talk to me. One couple, their daughter, and the wife's mother have taken me home a few times. That's been quite the trip! The first time, there were 7 of us in their little car! When the first one got out and there were only 6, it felt like a luxury vehicle with tons of space! Last week, the dad was trying to talk to me, and his Spanish is very hard to understand. The funniest part was everything I would say in Spanish, the grandmother would repeat in Spanish for the dad! I was already speaking in Spanish, so it made me laugh! I probably misunderstood half of what he said, but oh well.
-Two weeks ago I had the privilege of going to an English speaking Women's Retreat in the mountains. It was an amazing time of reflection and meeting other Americans on the island. God taught me a lot through it. On Saturday, a group of us went for a very long hike in the mountains. It was beautiful! I went back down on a motoconcho, which is like a motorcycle taxi, with a friend because she had really bad blisters on her feet. That was quite the adventure to say the least! It was a really good weekend, and I am sad it only happens once a year.
-Yesterday at school we celebrated Valentine's Day. My room literally looked like a candy store--it was ridiculous! I am glad it was only a half day, because my kids were crazy the whole time! My mom had sent me stuff for them to make Valentines for their moms, which they absolutely loved. We did that earlier in the week and they took them home on Friday. Here are some pictures of making Valentines and other fun things associated with that....
Making Valentines for our moms and having a fake smile when Miss Seeman pulls out the camera :).
Yes, I can make a Valentine for my mom even with a broken arm!
Amanda and I making cookies for our classes. We ended up with a few more than we had planned--she and I only needed 40 and in this picture there are about 90--we ended up with over 150 cookies when we only needed 80 total for four of us to give to our classes. We spent over 6 hours making and decorating cookies, but it was exciting.
Happy Valentine's Day! One of my girls brought in this cake--notice how big it is. The heart shaped cakes I had always seen were about a third as big as this one!
Thank you Mrs. Seeman for the cool pencils, stickers, and heart candies! My mom sends them a lot of things, and they love it! In one girl's words yesterday, "Your mom sends us a lot of stuff and she's not rich!" They couldn't believe it that my parents didn't have a ton of money after all the things she has sent us. It was a good opportunity to talk about generosity.
Let's see, what else...
-Hundred's Day has come and gone. I can't believe we have been in school for over a hundred days! I am still enjoying my kids, so that is good.
-I have been introducing many new subjects/concepts since Christmas. We have started to learn multiplication. I am hoping they will really understand it and be plenty ready for fourth grade! So far they are doing well. Now they have to just memorize all of them! We also started Science, which they absolutely LOVE! We have done many experiments. Right now we are talking about living things, and we were talking about metamorphosis. A couple weeks ago I saw some tadpoles in a little creek right outside the school. I thought it would be exciting for my kids to go out and look at them. We looked on Thursday and they LOVED it! I knew they would want to keep one, so I told them we could. I brought a jar to catch them, hoping one of the maintenence guys would be willing to. Unfortunately, I could not find one yesterday. The kids were so excited about it that I went down into the nasty, slimy creek to try and catch one. They are super fast, and it was taking a while. The kids were all telling me where to catch one. Meanwhile, the guard comes over and starts watching me try to catch one while my kids are all smashed up against the fence telling me what to do. I am sure it was quite the sight! I am so thankful there is a fence there or all my kids would have fallen in the creek! So the guard tells me to scoop faster, and finally I catch one. I get the kids all together and start to head in, and then the guard tells me it's not a tadpole but a guppy instead. So I had to do it all over again! I finally caught one, so now we have a tadpole sitting in our room! I have a feeling it will be dead by Monday, but we will see. Does anyone know how to keep them alive?
I love that here in the DR, today is a day of love AND friendship. I want to say thank you to all you readers who are my friends. I appreciate you a lot! On this day set aside for love and friendship, I can't help but think about the One who is my true friend. He will never leave me nor forsake me. Jesus gave up His own life to show me that love. God gave up His only Son because He loved me! There is no greater love than one who lays down His life for His friends! Thank you Jesus for laying down your life for me and for calling me your friend! May you truly feel the love of our Savior today.
-I have been able to teach every day since Christmas! My voice has held out, and for that I am so thankful! It is scratchy by Friday, but I can still teach. It definitely has changed. I cannot sing as high as I used to nor can I change pitch very well by the time Friday rolls around. But I am very thankful that I have been able to be in the classroom everyday!
-I finally decided for sure to regularly attend the church down here that is similar to the ones I grew up in. I am the only American and therefore the only one who doesn't speak Spanish who goes there out of about 300 people, but it's good. People have started to talk to me. One couple, their daughter, and the wife's mother have taken me home a few times. That's been quite the trip! The first time, there were 7 of us in their little car! When the first one got out and there were only 6, it felt like a luxury vehicle with tons of space! Last week, the dad was trying to talk to me, and his Spanish is very hard to understand. The funniest part was everything I would say in Spanish, the grandmother would repeat in Spanish for the dad! I was already speaking in Spanish, so it made me laugh! I probably misunderstood half of what he said, but oh well.
-Two weeks ago I had the privilege of going to an English speaking Women's Retreat in the mountains. It was an amazing time of reflection and meeting other Americans on the island. God taught me a lot through it. On Saturday, a group of us went for a very long hike in the mountains. It was beautiful! I went back down on a motoconcho, which is like a motorcycle taxi, with a friend because she had really bad blisters on her feet. That was quite the adventure to say the least! It was a really good weekend, and I am sad it only happens once a year.
-Yesterday at school we celebrated Valentine's Day. My room literally looked like a candy store--it was ridiculous! I am glad it was only a half day, because my kids were crazy the whole time! My mom had sent me stuff for them to make Valentines for their moms, which they absolutely loved. We did that earlier in the week and they took them home on Friday. Here are some pictures of making Valentines and other fun things associated with that....
Making Valentines for our moms and having a fake smile when Miss Seeman pulls out the camera :).
Yes, I can make a Valentine for my mom even with a broken arm!
Amanda and I making cookies for our classes. We ended up with a few more than we had planned--she and I only needed 40 and in this picture there are about 90--we ended up with over 150 cookies when we only needed 80 total for four of us to give to our classes. We spent over 6 hours making and decorating cookies, but it was exciting.
Happy Valentine's Day! One of my girls brought in this cake--notice how big it is. The heart shaped cakes I had always seen were about a third as big as this one!
Thank you Mrs. Seeman for the cool pencils, stickers, and heart candies! My mom sends them a lot of things, and they love it! In one girl's words yesterday, "Your mom sends us a lot of stuff and she's not rich!" They couldn't believe it that my parents didn't have a ton of money after all the things she has sent us. It was a good opportunity to talk about generosity.Let's see, what else...
-Hundred's Day has come and gone. I can't believe we have been in school for over a hundred days! I am still enjoying my kids, so that is good.
-I have been introducing many new subjects/concepts since Christmas. We have started to learn multiplication. I am hoping they will really understand it and be plenty ready for fourth grade! So far they are doing well. Now they have to just memorize all of them! We also started Science, which they absolutely LOVE! We have done many experiments. Right now we are talking about living things, and we were talking about metamorphosis. A couple weeks ago I saw some tadpoles in a little creek right outside the school. I thought it would be exciting for my kids to go out and look at them. We looked on Thursday and they LOVED it! I knew they would want to keep one, so I told them we could. I brought a jar to catch them, hoping one of the maintenence guys would be willing to. Unfortunately, I could not find one yesterday. The kids were so excited about it that I went down into the nasty, slimy creek to try and catch one. They are super fast, and it was taking a while. The kids were all telling me where to catch one. Meanwhile, the guard comes over and starts watching me try to catch one while my kids are all smashed up against the fence telling me what to do. I am sure it was quite the sight! I am so thankful there is a fence there or all my kids would have fallen in the creek! So the guard tells me to scoop faster, and finally I catch one. I get the kids all together and start to head in, and then the guard tells me it's not a tadpole but a guppy instead. So I had to do it all over again! I finally caught one, so now we have a tadpole sitting in our room! I have a feeling it will be dead by Monday, but we will see. Does anyone know how to keep them alive?
I love that here in the DR, today is a day of love AND friendship. I want to say thank you to all you readers who are my friends. I appreciate you a lot! On this day set aside for love and friendship, I can't help but think about the One who is my true friend. He will never leave me nor forsake me. Jesus gave up His own life to show me that love. God gave up His only Son because He loved me! There is no greater love than one who lays down His life for His friends! Thank you Jesus for laying down your life for me and for calling me your friend! May you truly feel the love of our Savior today.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
2008
I had lots of deep and profound things to write until I sat down to write them....hmmm. I think my brain fell out! Well, the rest of my break was wonderful. It was awesome to have my parents here, and then my friend Katie came. We got to do a number of things together, including snorkeling, lying on the beach, WHITEWATER RAFTING for my birthday!, and a baseball game. Dominican games are very different than American ones! We stayed with a great Dominican family when we went to the beach, so that was a good experience too.
Now I am back in the swing of things with my kids. It is good to be back with them. They were really quiet all week, which is not normal, but it was really nice! We started multiplication this past week, which they absolutely LOVE! It will be interesting to see if they continue to love it!
I am starting to fall in love with my church. It has taken me a while, but I am so glad it is happening. I am going to a church that is the same kind I grew up in, but in a church of 300, I am the only American and the only non-Spanish speaker. Talk about standing out! I met a lady though who speaks English, so sometimes she translates the preaching for me. I understand a lot more when she does, but I am slowly starting to understand even without it. I love that it is the same format as my churches back home. I love worshiping the same Lord with believers who speak another language. Today we were singing about all languages confessing that Jesus is Lord. I love that I was singing it in another language with believers that speak another language. Isn't our God awesome? People are slowly starting to realize that I know a little Spanish, so they are talking to me, which is always nice. It is good to break out of my comfort zone and do things in a language I don't fully understand.
Looking back on the year 2008 reminds me so much of God's faithfulness. He has brought me a long ways this year and has shown Himself in so many ways! The first day of 2008 I was traveling to and arriving in Kenya, and the last day of 2008 I spent in the Dominican Republic. During that time I went from college student with no job prospects to college graduate teaching third grade in another country! My verse for the year was Romans 12:12--Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. God taught me a lot through that verse. I had many opportunities this year to be joyful in hope: playing with my first graders in Kenya, holding precious orphan babies, counseling at camp, teaching third graders, seeing God transform my life in so many ways, and more. I also had plenty of opportunities to be patient in affliction: not being able to talk for two weeks twice, skin problems, not knowing where He wants me to teach or do, and many other things in my life that He was changing to make more like Him, but the process was so hard. And of course, I had many opportunities to be faithful in prayer! I am so thankful for all He did in my life in 2008! He shut many doors (slammed some) and opened many others.
I am so glad He brought me here though! I have not been able to spend any time at an orphanage, and that has been so hard, but so many other opportunities have been great. I love my kids, I love my roommates, I love my church... God is good! I pray that you have seen that in your life this year too!
On to 2009...I have no idea what it will bring, but I am excited for it! I am excited to have God work more in my life this year. I am still praying about a year verse, but it might be a couple. My goal is to truly get to know God better. How can I fall completely in love with Him when I don't know Him? I don't just want to know about God, I want to know God! May I truly do that this year. I am so thankful for our faithful God who does no wrong! May you experience His faithfulness in your life this year. Hallelujah, what a Savior!
Now I am back in the swing of things with my kids. It is good to be back with them. They were really quiet all week, which is not normal, but it was really nice! We started multiplication this past week, which they absolutely LOVE! It will be interesting to see if they continue to love it!
I am starting to fall in love with my church. It has taken me a while, but I am so glad it is happening. I am going to a church that is the same kind I grew up in, but in a church of 300, I am the only American and the only non-Spanish speaker. Talk about standing out! I met a lady though who speaks English, so sometimes she translates the preaching for me. I understand a lot more when she does, but I am slowly starting to understand even without it. I love that it is the same format as my churches back home. I love worshiping the same Lord with believers who speak another language. Today we were singing about all languages confessing that Jesus is Lord. I love that I was singing it in another language with believers that speak another language. Isn't our God awesome? People are slowly starting to realize that I know a little Spanish, so they are talking to me, which is always nice. It is good to break out of my comfort zone and do things in a language I don't fully understand.
Looking back on the year 2008 reminds me so much of God's faithfulness. He has brought me a long ways this year and has shown Himself in so many ways! The first day of 2008 I was traveling to and arriving in Kenya, and the last day of 2008 I spent in the Dominican Republic. During that time I went from college student with no job prospects to college graduate teaching third grade in another country! My verse for the year was Romans 12:12--Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. God taught me a lot through that verse. I had many opportunities this year to be joyful in hope: playing with my first graders in Kenya, holding precious orphan babies, counseling at camp, teaching third graders, seeing God transform my life in so many ways, and more. I also had plenty of opportunities to be patient in affliction: not being able to talk for two weeks twice, skin problems, not knowing where He wants me to teach or do, and many other things in my life that He was changing to make more like Him, but the process was so hard. And of course, I had many opportunities to be faithful in prayer! I am so thankful for all He did in my life in 2008! He shut many doors (slammed some) and opened many others.
I am so glad He brought me here though! I have not been able to spend any time at an orphanage, and that has been so hard, but so many other opportunities have been great. I love my kids, I love my roommates, I love my church... God is good! I pray that you have seen that in your life this year too!
On to 2009...I have no idea what it will bring, but I am excited for it! I am excited to have God work more in my life this year. I am still praying about a year verse, but it might be a couple. My goal is to truly get to know God better. How can I fall completely in love with Him when I don't know Him? I don't just want to know about God, I want to know God! May I truly do that this year. I am so thankful for our faithful God who does no wrong! May you experience His faithfulness in your life this year. Hallelujah, what a Savior!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
