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!