Mi corazon es aqui...

I have recently begun to realize that my time here is coming to an end...at least for now. I have learned so much about myself while being here. I have made friends I'll never forget and I've done things I wouldn't have normally had the chance to do. Here are a few reasons why I love the DR.


1. I have 43 kids to play with all the time.

2. I walk out of my room every morning to a beautiful sunrise and a view of El Morro.

3. Nyerka and I now practice ninja moves in the kitchen...when she isn't cooking of course.

4. Moni takes meals seriously...watching her run down people on the basketball court is truly entertaining. We all got lectured (in Spanish) about coming to dinner on time.

5. On a given night, you can see 25 shooting stars on the roof.

6. Edison screaming songs in church and then drooling during the sermon is priceless.

7. Getting up at 530 is worth it when running with Eliezer, Kelvin, Leonel, Jochi, Jose Luis, Kristopher, Edwin, Ariel, Freddy, Argenis, Juary, Marcos, Edison, Domingo, Moncho, and Carmello.

8. Watching their antics along the way is even better.

9. Fighting with Nena for no reason is a daily occurrence. She is such a joy in my life.

10. Seeing Jose Luis' smile everday could lighten up anyone's mood.

11. Wondering what outfit Luz Maria will come out with each day is interesting. (i.e., sweat shirt and pj pants in midsummer with her insect boots) Cutest 5 yr old there is.

12. Laying on the basketball court and having the little girls throw a giant frog on me and run away screaming and laughing.

13. The twins' laugh and voice.

14. Junior calling me his novia shortly followed by taking a chunk out of my shoulder.

15. Rocking Luis Alberto asleep.

16. Having David jump into my laugh with his precious smile asking me to tickle him.

17. Chi Chi's sweet dance moves.

18. Leonel learning funny English phrases.

19. Jochi's Spanglish...(i.e., Pastor, Sara esta singing musica del world)

20. Tito being so bad yet so adorable.

21. Going to Batey Waltario and Isabel

22. Reading with ten little girls on your lap.

23. Helping teach Goanni to read.

24. Marcos teaching me basketball.

25. Manuel, Odalis, Marcos, Manuel, Edwinson, Erickson, and Ariel all make my life.

26. Frozen jugo de manzana.

27. Running and passing giant pigs, a cow, goats and sheep is now something I don't even think twice about.

28. Listening to a church revival and a discotec at the same time right outside my window.

29. Watching 5-6 people drive away on one motorcycle.

30. Limoncillos.

31. Rocking out on the bus with Richard.

32. Having Peguero help me ALL the time. He's the best.

33. Playing assassins with the interns.

34. Having worship on the roof.

35. The workers at the grocery store singing about Americans. (Pa mangar mi visa)

36. Music- Dominican, Enrique, Michael Jackson, Justin Beiber and Glee.

37. White rice and chicken ALL the time.

38. Mexican night.

39. Culture days.

40. Having kids in the community yell your name while you are walking through town.

41. Colmados

42. Siestas

43. Playa Popa with the kids. In fact any beach day with the kids.

44. Talking to Negra, Dani and Gio before separation time.

45. Laying on the mesita with the best kids ever.

46. Cool breezes on a hot day.

47. Tarantula hunting with the little kids.

48. Cafe y chocolate malteadas.

49. Camp songs that get stuck in your head for days. (i.e., bananas, boom chica boom, martian...)

50. Coming here to change lives and make an impact but having my world turned upside down by a culture and people I have fallen in love with.

Yo quiero mucho agua...

Well yesterday was my birthday. Here in the Dominican Republic they have a tradition of dumping cold water on you on your special day. I'm not really a big fan of birthdays because I don't like being the center of attention. I was however really excited when I realized I got to spend my birthday here. I wanted to be with the kids all day and I wanted to be drenched. Well that didn't go as planned. For culture day we were going to Santo Domingo (the capitol of the DR) which is an all day event. When I realized I wouldn't see the kids I was so bummed. We got up at 4:30 to leave at 5am for the day. NOT a morning person. I started walking for the bus and ran into Bryson. Not fully awake yet, he started to say good morning and he pretended he was going to dump water on me. It was way too early to be wet especially with a 5 hour bus ride. Santo Domingo was a lot of fun. I had gone a month ago so it was still pretty fresh in my mind. I spent most of the day with Heather and Bryson walking around the Calle. Julie got mad at me last time for not going into the Cathedral so I made sure I did that this time. It was really pretty. For lunch we went to Pizza Hut and then had Baskin Robins (thanks Bryson for my ice cream!). It's weird to eat American food now. When we were loading the bus to leave Santo Domingo, Taylor soaked me with water. Dustin had done it a little bit before her but he only did a little bit which was nice. We stopped on our way back home in Santiago and had dinner at McDonalds. So weird to have so much American food. My stomach was not impressed by my poor food decisions. I used to make fun of my Dominican friends when they'd help us with camp they'd get sick off peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and they complained about not having rice. I get upset now too when rice is not part of the meal. When we returned from Santo Domingo we did closing and I got another good soaking. Gotta love the DR.

Sunrises are truly a gift from God...

Well I started slacking with the updates sorry. Two weeks ago we went to Batey Madre. The people there were so appreciative for the camp we put on. We usually only go out for a day or two when we do camp there but this time we spent the whole week. They loved it. It's amazing how eager they were to learn. Mothers who were 15 and 16 years old brought their infants with them so they could participate. I'm still trying to get used to the fact that some of these girls have children. They love learning though so hopefully there was a spark placed in them last week.

This past week we went to Manzanillo which is where Orphanage Outreach first began. OO is trying to do more outreach there. The kids were so excited. The bus pulled up and they run towards it chanting their team names for the week. It's such an awesome feeling to see their faces lit up. I really started thinking about all kinds of ways to reach out to the community there. So many ideas...


On a different note I got to spend some extra time with some great boys this week. Yesterday Steph and I got up super early to run with some of the boys who live here. I've learned here that I am not a morning person. We walked over to the orphanage a little before 6 and waited for them to come out. Slowly they came out one by one. First came Edwin (14ish)- who randomly walked around the field for a little while, then Jochi (16) and Kristopher (17ish) who chatted with us for a little bit. Jose Luis (13) came out next with his bright smile that could turn anyone's bad day right around. He is such an amazing kid. Marcos (16) soon followed after. Then finally out came Argenis (15ish) Kelvin (17), Leonel (19), and Eliezer. By this time I laid down on the patio and was practically back to sleep. We made our way to the gate and the boys started their stretching routine which was quite entertaining. We then realized Leonel didn't make it to the gate so we waited for him for a little bit. He had forgotten his water bottle (he's gonna need that later). So we start down the rocky road and within 10 minutes needed to stop. Leonel and I walked for a bit while the others ran ahead. I got to chat with him for a little bit about what he wants to do with his life. He then thought it would be a good idea to take some random road that was supposed to put us ahead of the rest of the group...didn't happen. Not much of a short cut. So we run to the end of the street and then stop for a bit again because his back started cramping. He needed his water but forgot he handed it off to Eliezer to hold for him. Woops. So we walk for a while and then see Marcos who had quit running. We caught up to him and then Odalis (18) comes out of nowhere and is practically sprinting to catch up with the rest of the group. Apparently he was really late so they left him. Leonel decided he wanted to sit at the benches and wait for everyone to come so Marcos and I walked to the bridge to meet up with everyone else. Marcos and I haven't really spent much time together. I tried to talk to him using the Spanish I know but we didn't get very far. I felt like he had a lot of stuff he was holding in. When I'm in these situations with the kids I usually try to talk to them about their future. He didn't really have much he wanted to share so we moved into hobbies. I couldn't make this kid crack for anything. Finally we met up with the rest of the group and Eliezer went to take Leonel his water. I think Marcos was relieved to have his other buddies back. I really want to get to know him though. I've kind of neglected that because the other kids were so much easier to break into. He's a bit deeper. We waited on the bridge for just a bit longer to watch the sunrise. GORGEOUS!! And then we headed back to meet Leonel in Eliezer. The thing I love about these boys most is that they are such a reminder of my brothers just in a different culture. Randomly Jochi, Kelvin and Kristopher stopped and started climbing trees to get grapes, Jose Luis decided to go running for the ocean and jump in, and the rest of them looked at the others as if they were all crazy. Overall it was a good morning. Best of all, Marcos gave me a nickname. The nickname is bamba which means peanut butter BUT here nicknames are a big deal. I broke down a wall with him and I will continue to try for the remainder of my time here.

Raining again...

Yesterday afternoon in the Batey was great. My new friend was there with his little brother who I love already and my old friend from Batey Woltario came by. He seems to show up in all kinds of random places that we are at. Camp went so well. Rotations were much smoother and the older boys seemed to have chilled out some. My favorite little kid ever followed me around and helped me tell the groups to switch. He's smart for a three year old haha. I got his older brother to help me ring the bell too. It's too high for me to reach and he's a giant so it worked out. He was so excited that I had given him something to do. He's too old to participate in camp but loved that I included him. His face lit up and he took his responsibility so seriously. He got so excited and rang the bell early but it didn't matter because the face he had on while ringing that bell is something i'll never forget.
Last night we had dinner early so we could go on the sunset hike/swim. I took the new volunteers up the mountain for a quick hike and then we ran down for some body surfing. The waves have been awesome these last few weeks so of course we all had a great time.
This morning I woke up feeling sick. Here comes the gripe (cold). Bryson hooked me up with some Vitamin C energizer something or other that got me through camp in the afternoon. Camp this morning went smooth as usual. A woman who I'd met earlier this week brought me the best present ever. FRESH MANGOS!!!!!! So excited : )
When we got back from camp this morning I took a nice little siesta hoping that between that and Bryson's remedy I'd be good to go. At the Batey I played soccer with the two boys groups and hung out with my little friend. He wasn't there when we first got there and so I was kind of sad. His brother ran up to me and told me he was in school. Then I saw him running across the field. He ran right up to me and jumped up in my arms. Most precious kid ever. His brother laughed a lot, went and did the bell for me, and then told me he had to go get ready for baseball. Sure enough in the middle of our soccer game a baseball game started. Woops. It worked out though. I took the little one to go read for a bit and he loved FROGGY. We will probably have to read it again tomorrow.
As soon as we got home I went straight to bed thinking I could get a quick nap in before dinner. Somehow the dinner bells got mixed up and so I got up early and went out to watch the boys play basketball. Then it started to rain and hasn't let up yet. Tonight was activity night with the kids but when I went to go get them Pastor said no. So I sat in there with them instead. We had so much fun. Nena told me three bible stories...Adam and Eve, Noah, and the Creation story. It was so funny. Mini culto again haha. And we sang every song I've ever learned here too. Domingo then tried to tell me a joke but there were too many words I was unsure of so I just laughed when he did. I love going over there with them. They all try to pile in my lap and it's just the best feeling. Up until Junior starts biting. Then it turns ugly quickly. They are my sweet little angels though. After story time little Nicole and the twins did my hair for me. Four and five year olds have quite an imagination let me tell you. Gio laughed a lot at me tonight. He always tries to keep the children from piling on me but I never mind it. That's about all that happened here tonight. Sad that tomorrow is our last day of camp in the Batey but hopefully I'll get to go again soon.

Batey Isabella y Kilometer 13

Camp yesterday was great! I love taking camp to different places and that's what we are doing this week. In the morning we do camp at Kilometer 13 which is a small school off the highway. The kids are really well behaved and excited to learn. I read with one of the younger boys today who had a bilingual book and he wanted me to read in Spanish while he read in English. It was cool to see that. Most kids are intimidated by things they don't know.
After we have camp in the morning we head back for lunch and siesta. Yesterday during siesta I played a quick one on one game with Jochi. He of course won but I think I'm going to surprise him one of these days. We only had time for one game and then had to leave for Batey Isabella. Batey Isabella is on the same road as my favorite Batey Woltario. I LOVE THE BATEYES. Most of you are aware of that already. Some people hate going because of the misbehaved children, lack of cleanliness, and lack of structure but I thrive there for some reason. The kids get sooooo excited when the bus pulls in. It's almost like Disney is coming to town. They love it. It is definitely very crazy and hectic but the kids have so much fun. Once we get them divided into their groups we sing random camp songs. They love the banana song especially when they get to go bananas. We try to keep camp for kids ages 6-12 but sometimes the older kids and adults want to participate too. There was one kid probably 16 years old who had his younger brother (6ish) with him. He couldn't get the little boy to play so instantly the little one became my special friend. I grabbed him up and he helped me run camp. He loved it. The older brother kept checking on him and laughing when he saw the little boy with me. I'm excited to head back this afternoon.
Going to the Bateyes is probably one of my favorite things to do here. God has really placed a special place in my heart for them. I would live there in a heartbeat if I could. The song God of this city by Chris Tomlin always comes to my mind while I'm there. It's amazing how you can always find him even in the worst of places. They have almost nothing but yet can be so content and so giving. I love seeing their excitement when we come to play or read with them. The adults too. If we all could only love even those that people view as "unloved." our world would be so different. Love one, change a life. Love ALL, change the WORLD!

Romans 12:13
When God's people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.

And it's raining...

Today has been a day for rain. It has rained off and on through the week but not like today. I love the rain. Sundays are mainly filled with orientations regarding OO and camp. While the volunteers were finishing up their planning for camp, I went and saw the kiddos. The little girls were all cute in their Sunday dresses and David and Tito looked so spiffy in their dress shirts. I just love it. I stopped by to say hey to Marcos and Odalis at the mesita and then all of a sudden Marcos took off running for the covering underneath the stairs of the education center. I wondered for a few seconds on what he was doing and then it started to downpour. He laughed because by the time Odalis and I made it to the stairs we were pretty wet. To pass the time the boys decided to rap. It was the funiest thing I had seen in a while. Marcos even busted out some English raps. Pretty skilled. At one point Bryson came out of nowhere with Mineli, Checa and Lisy also looking for shelter. I think he realized it was too crowded and then tried to carry all of them to the Comodor. So funny. Once the rain let up Odalis and I played 3 one on one games. He won all of them. Marcos hurt his ankle yesterday so he watched and announced are game. To give you an idea of how that went..."And Sara has the ball and she shoots and she misses just like she always does." Thanks Coach. And my other favorite..."Wow she finally made a shot." After those games ended me Odalis and Whit were on a team against Steph, Leonel and Moncho. They won all three games. Leonel is a beast. I played with Jochi earlier and could maybe take him if I work harder. He won both games but it was close both times. It doesn't help that he has a good foot on me. I'm so glad he and I are friends again. That was a long three months of the silent treatment. The rest of the day was pretty chill. I just went to check on my babies that didn't go to church and I think I caused a disaster. I think Negra was trying to have them sit calmly and wait for dinner. I walked in and then jumped all over me. I told Negra sorry and made a quick exit. She laughed. She and Gio are trying to teach me new words in Spanish. I couldn't remember rainbow and that one was just last night. Oh well...maybe one day.
To catch up from Friday...after lunch we went for icecream, checked out the Cuban museum, got a tour of this shipwreck salvage project which was pretty cool and then finally to the beach. The waves were so crazy. Carlos, who we had met one other time at the beach, was there and joined us for body surfing. We had a really good time. After the beach we headed back and got ready for PIZZA night. I love going to the pizzeria. It's so fun to get to go out at night.
Saturday was pretty low key. Usually a day of chores and catching up on rest. I spent the morning out with the kids and catching up with Eliezer. I'm so glad he's decided to stay long term. It's going to be fun having him around. Junior and baby Nicole came and sat with us while Luz Maria and Goanni did my hair. It was just an all around good morning. In the afternoon Bryson took us to the beach with the kids in the back of the truck (my favorite thing here). They unfortunately remembered the game I played with them last week that involved swimming under water with them on my back. Very tiring but so fun. Yasmin and I played tag for a while too. She's absolutely crazy in the water. She and Indiana teamed up on me for a while too. We have been in an on going battle since Noche Especial. I'm always tickling them and they tackled me at that sleepover and tickled me until I couldn't breathe. Such a fun night. I got them back in the end and now they are always tag teaming me especially at the beach. Domingo and I did handstands for a little while until Jose Luis brought me Junior so we could teach him to swim again. Not anywhere near as successful as least week but it's progress. We got back a little before dinner time and so after showering we went back over and played random games on the basketball court. Carlos from the beach showed up and we played one on one for a little while. He kept trying to teach me some weird game and I had no idea what he was talking about. I thought I got what he said but then he kept yelling no at me so no clue what that was about. We still had fun. I played moster with the twins and Lisy for a little bit before separation time and then said goodnight to the little monkeys. The weekend was pretty good overall as usual.
This week we are going to Kilometer 13 and a Batey for camp. I love the Bateyes. This week will be great.

Ice please...

Monday was day one of English camp/Extreme Makeover at the Institute. In the morning we had about 25 kids maybe. Because we had so few kids, some of the volunteers jumped in to the cleaning that needed to be done. We also had an announcer drive around and advertise camp for us hoping that would increase our numbers. After camp was over half the group drove home on the bus and the other half wanted to walk so I went with them. It's always fun to see people in the community especially when they start getting to know you. Camp in the afternoon had a dramatic change. After the announcement we had over 100 kids join us. It was intense. When we got back after camp everyone was so exhausted so we all just kinda chilled with the kids. While we were playing volleyball the kids told me Eliezer was back. He came over about a month ago with his sister in law and loved it. He's such an awesome person. I'm really excited he's sticking around for a while. That evening we watched Rusty with the kids. Tuesday and Wednesday went the same. Around 25 kids in the morning and then 100 plus in the afternoon. Coco asked me to stop and get ice one afternoon before camp which was enternaing. I accomplished it though. I got back on the bus and everyone cheered. Talk about awkward. It was funny. It's funny how much I'm learning without even realizing it. We went to Lilo's (grocery store) Tuesday night and I was able to ask the employees random questions that volunteers were asking me. It seems like it was just yesterday I was freaking out over how to order ice cream with Elizabeth in the airport.
In the evenings we've still been sticking with basketball and volleyball. Tuesday night before separation time we hung out on the basketball court. The power had been acting funky so it was relatively dark. I sat down for a it to watch the younger boys play basketball and Nena came up and sat on my lap and fell asleep instantly. She hadn't done that for a long time. Meri came and sat with us too. My sweet little angels. Culto was cancelled Wednesday so we extended the activity night with the kids and watched Peter Pan. I had Nena with me for most of the movie of course and then around 20 minutes before the movie ended Luz Maria came and found me and wanted to sit with us. That's probably a record for her to have still been awake that long. She's usually out by the first 10 minutes. Nena scooted over so they each had one of my legs and 5 minutes before the movie ended Luz Maria was out. It's times like those that make me so happy here. Yesterday we had camp again all day and got back around 4:45 for game time. Ariel taught us some Spainsh for a while which was entertaining. I watched the boys play basketball for a little while and then Amaury (Marcos' brother) and I played before dinner. After dinner Steph and I jumped in with the bog dogs. For the first game it was me, Eliezer, and Leonel. Steph played with Odalis and Manuel. We won the first game and then started game two. I switched to play with Eliezer and Marcos and then Steph played with Manuel and Odalis. It's fun to play with them but sometimes deadly. I had my first knockout by my own team mate. I decided rebounding is too dangerous for me when I'm playing with the big boys. I actually hit the ground last night which was rather entertaining because all the boys came to make sure I was ok and I couldn't stop laughing. After our games we had an intern meeting upstairs with Canadian chocolate so everyone was a little crazy. We are going through this book called the greatness guide and the chapter was on taking risks. Ironincally enough that's what I've been thinking about for the last two weeks. So many decisions to make.
Welp time to get ready for the rest of Culture day. We checked out the clock tower, an art gallery, a cemetary, and la playa granja. Next to icecream, the cuban museum, and the BEACH! Wohoo.

1 John 3:18-19

"Dear children, let's not merely say that we love each oher; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God." ~1 John 3:18-19

This has been the verse that I have chosen to meditate on this week. I feel like it is very much applicable to my life right now and it has become my goal every day. I don't want anyone to ever question my love for them. I want them to just know not only that I love them but also that they may see Christ's love in that.

This week we had camp in Manzanillo which is kind of where orphanage outreach had its beginning. It was cool to take camp on the road again. It makes for a different week. Sometimes it's rough being gone for the whole day but I like it. Manzanillo is about 45 min- 1hour, depending on the road conditions, outside of Monte Cristi. The first day Ariel, Marcos, Leidy, Ana and Erickson went with us to help with camp. The next day we added Oscar to the mix. That made for some interesting bus times. We had so many random songs going from all directions. Ariel was listening to an ipod and started singing "I believe I can fly" while Oscar is singing Omega with his ipod and Marcos jamming out to I'm Yours by Jason Mraz. We are still working on teaching him all the words. He does really well though. We had camp at a central park and we were expecting tons of kids when we got there. Well, when our bus pulled up around the corner Marge had 5 faithful kids that were ready to come to campamento. Some people were a little discouraged but I knew it would pick up. We got there early so we split up and walked around the neighborhood to try and recruit kids. I think we had about 100 kids for each camp every day. It was awesome. We did a camp for two hours in the morning and then one in the afternoon as well. The kids loved it. Sometimes the boy's group would act out for rec so Ariel and I started a game of football and then went in to crazy soccer. We had a blast.
Monday night we had movie night with the kids as we usually do. I baked with Julie and got to catch up with her for a bit. It's always entertaining in the kitchen. Tuesday night we had an optional movie...The Price of Sugar. It was a pretty good documentary about the sugar bateyes. Wednesday night was a lot of fun. After we got back from camp we of course played basketball except there were enough people for my first full court game. It was so fun AND I didn't die. I went to get a rebound at one point and had Manuel, Marcos and Odalis coming down at my face and that's when I decided I probably won't try that again. They were good sports about me playing though. After our awesome basketball game we switched to Volleyball. We did girls vs guys which is a change from our normal American vs Dominican. The girls team consisted of me, Stephanie, Bre, Lauren, Indiana (off and on), Carolina, and Lisa. The boys team had the Manuels, Franklin, Odalis, Kristopher, and Erickson. We won all 3 games. Later that night Roberta and her team showed up. The kids all love her and call her grandma. It's so fun to watch her with them. They have been awesome to get to know. Thursday night the boys finally came out and played basketball like they used to. Meri and I sat for a while talking and hanging out. I love that little girl. Luz Maria and Nena joined us too for a while. After a bit we switched to Volleyball again. We also had our intern meeting and closing that night. Closing was really good. It was sad to have to say goodbye to Lisa but it was fun remembering all the crazy times we had. Friday was a blast. For our culture day we went to CABARETE. I had been once before but this week I was pumped about going back. I was so ready to see Heather and spend time with the interns from Jaibon. We pulled into Jaibon and they were all ready for hugs. Dustin and his hat along with Collin and his blue shirt with red dolphins just made my day. I had missed them alot. We had breakfast around 6am and set out for the 4 hour drive. We shopped for a little bit and then went to a restraunt that overlooked the beach. It was great. After that I just caught up with Heather and Emilee. We literally sat on the beach the whole time we were there, except for the 10 minute ice cream break at BON. Thanks to Elizabeth I am hooked on the 1/2 coffee 1/2 chocolate. SO GOOD! Yesterday was mixed day. Julie left yesterday and that made me so sad. I've really enjoyed our late night chats that we've been having and just her overall sense of humor. I know she's going to do great things but I'm definitely going to miss her. Saturdays are usually pretty slow. It's more of a catch up day. Yesterday afternoon we had beach day with the kids. SOOOO FUN! I love going with them. They get so excited to see your bathing suit. Right before they load up they run around like crazy lifting up everyone's shirt to see your suit. It's really funny. Indiana told me she wasn't going but I talked her out of that. Then she said she'd go but she was not swimming...also talked her out of that. : ) We loaded up in the back of the truck and headed for Playita. When we got there Nena and I played for a while. She thought it was so fun to ride on my back while I swam under water. Then of course everyone had to do it. Very tiring but so worth it. Yasmin and I played tag for a while too and tried to float. I tried to teach Junior how to swim but I'm not sure how far we got. He at least was kicking and moving his arms. Maybe next time he'll have it. Yennifer, the twins and I had fun in the shallow end too. They can't go out super deep so we just kind of goofed up on the edge. The kids are so funny when they get in water. They're crazy in general but this is a whole different kind of crazy. Last night I took Roberta, Serena, and Whit to Catholic mass and we had a great time. Marcos and Manuel were translating for the row in front of me and then Erickson tried to help me some too. It's always entertaining going places with them. That's pretty much been the week.

Training has been moving along. I'm leading this week which is a definite change. Continue to pray for this transition stage for me. And the kids here as well.

Happy 4th

My favorite thing about the 4th is watching the fireworks and this will be the first year I don't get to see that. No worries though. Today has still been great. We did speed orientation and camp planning so that we could pack up and spend the afternoon at the beach. We had a great time. The weather was so nice and the water was just the perfect temperature. Odalis, Manuel, Marcos, and their friend showed up and entertained us for a while. We had more handstand contests and random water games. Right before we left my friend from the Batey showed up and so we caught up for a bit. We got to ride in the truck which is always so fun. It's almost like being in a parade. People are always yelling at us and waving. Tonight we have dinner, church, and then a Bible Study after. Dinner is supposed to be somewhat Americanized for the 4th. It's a surprise though. Everyone is guessing hamburgers and hotdogs but I doubt that. Maybe. After we get back from church, Steph and I have started a small group for anyone that wants to participate. I think tonight there will be around 5-7 of us. We are going to go through Isaiah. It will be nice to form that community again.
Well more later. We are super excited for camp on the road this week so pray that that goes well and also pray for rest. It's fun but very exhausting.

Math Camp

This week we switched camp up a bit. We have been having English camps for several weeks now and decided it would be fun to do Math camp instead. I think the kids really enjoyed being able to work on something different. This particular week I became more aware of how flawed the school systems are here. One of the boys who lives at the orphanage was really struggling in his class and for a while I didn't know why. According to his age he should have gone with the Level 2 kids upstairs to work on multiplying and dividing large numbers. Instead he was kept downstairs because "he was further behind." I started walking around the different classrooms to see how everyone was doing and I saw him getting ready to break down. I went over to sit with him and see if I could help. The assignment was to match the number with the word in English. He knows his numbers in Spanish and in English (at least to 10) so why couldn't he do this. He was shutting down because he couldn't read. How had he gotten this far and he still couldn't read but then another little girl was sitting in the same class practicing basic algebra? Overall though camp went well. The kids had lots of fun and are pumped for the next camp at the Institute. Our friend Luis Alejandro from Batey Woltario stopped by because he was in Monte Cristi. That of course got me thinking about my love for the Bateys and if that's where God was calling me. Still praying about that. This week we are taking camp on the road. We are going to Munzinio (about 45 min away) where Orphanage Outreach kind of first began. I'm excited to go and hang out with some new kids. Some of our Dominican friends are going to help out again which is going to be awesome. I love it when they participate and I know they were really excited to have the chance to.
Sunday night at church was entertaining. I sat with Lisa, Leonel and Junior. Not sure why Junior was allowed to go to church. He's only three and the younger kids usually stay back from church because they can't keep still. I saw that firsthand with Junior. Poor Leonel tried so hard to keep him quiet. I held him for a little while too but he still was crazy. He and his sister are still trying to adjust to their new home here. While the congregation was singing and while we were keeping Junior entertained Pastor asked if any of the Americans wanted to lead a song. When they ask you to do something like that it's offensive in this culture to say no. Well right after that Marcos started yelling my name and I was trying to duck down and hide but Coco ended up taking one for the team. The same thing happens at Culto. Sometimes they'll call out specific people to lead a song or a prayer. I haven't gotten my chance yet. Oh man when I do.
Tuesday night was our sunset hike/swim. Bryson had been leading the hike up the mountain for several weeks now so I led it this week while the other group hiked down to the beach. The girls I went with were really fun. We took some crazy pictures and just had a blast talking and watching the sunset. We got back to the bus 10 minutes before the other group did so we entertained ourselves by doing exercises in the street. About halfway through our ab routine of "swimming in the street" we realized the ranger was in his house laughing at us. GREAT! It as a good time though.
I've also been trying to play more basketball this week. Marcos and Edwin grande actually picked me for their team for two days. They usually playabout 3 games to the first one who gets to 21. It was a lot of fun. I'm still working on it but they were so patient. I think out of the 10 times Edwin passed me the ball I may have scored 4. Granted it is hard to shoot when you're playing with giants. Moncho and I have played a few games this week too. Edison and I started one but he left before we got to 21 so I guess he was bored. Saturday nights are usually my favorite games. The neighborhood guys come to play and it's so fun to watch. When there aren't games going on Marcos coaches me and sometimes we'll play one on one. I've grown to really love that kid. He's working on deciding what to do about his future so if you guys could keep him in your prayers regarding that that'd be great. Julie and I have been brainstorming on how to get him a chance for a college education. He's so smart and I know he would succeed at whatever he puts his mind to. I started talking to Leonel about his future too. He said he wanted to be a Psychologist but the problem is he doesn't apply himself like he should. He's a bright kid but he has to study.
Then there are my cute little girls. We watched Tarzan for movie night this week and Mineli sat with me yet again. She's such a funny kid. Litte Luis sat right next to me and rested his head on my shoulder. Times like those are the best. I've been trying to work with Joanni and her reading. She has learned so much but I want her to keep practicing. She's so fun to read with. Yesterday we got back from "Culture Day in MC" earlier than the group that went to Santiago so some of the volunteers started a baseball game. During the game it started to rain so the caretakers made all of the little girls come in. While I was helping Negra get them in I noticed they started going crazy (not really unusual for them). I started singing My God is so big in Spanish and Nena got the idea to have an impromptu Culto service in the Comodor. That was probably one of the funniest things I've ever seen from her. Culto is the kid's informal worship service on Wednesday nights. There are usually some prayers and the kids lead some songs. Well Nena decided she was going to be the pastor and stood on a chair and led the entire service. Jennifer, Mineli, the twins, Checa, and Lisy were pretty good sports about it. I went out for a little while and watched the game in the rain which turned into Jose Luis tyring to soak me. That kid has the best smile ever. It's so hard to get mad at him. Shortly after that the rain stopped and the little girls could go back outside again. I went over to the playground and pushed Ari and Luz Maria on the swings for a bit. Luz Maria is so fun to talk to. She's smart for a 4/5 yr old. She was telling me about this fiesta she had at school and listed EVERYTHING they ate and did.
Today has been rather chill. I've been working on writing up Spanish charts to hang around our room so my Spanish improves. I've been using it a lot more since I've been in training. I have to communicate with the kitchen, Peguero, and the bus drivers so much more now. Moni and Nyerka have decided that they are going to teach me a new Spanish word every day. This morning when I went into the kitchen to greet them before breakfast we discovered that Lucy had had her kittens. Crazy cat. She just had her second set the week before I got here. Later this morning Richard came to get the people who were leaving for the airport. He's been helping me with my Spanish as well. Erickson appeared this morning too. He is from MC but he moved to Santiago for college. He helped lead a station of camp in the morning two weeks ago and then went to help me in the Bateys in the afternoon. He left for Santiago last Saturday to find a job and then came back today. I think he's going to help us out next week with camp. He seemed excited about it.
I think that's mostly all that happened this week. Please be in prayer for me as I am trying to decide what happens when I leave here in September. I have so many possibilities going through my mind and I want to make sure I follow God's plan for me. Also remember Marcos and the other neighborhood kids, as well as the 43 kids here.

Snapples...

That's a rap for camp this week. We had such an amazing turnout of neighborhood kids this week. There were consistently 450 kids that came. Camp ran so smoothly for that many kids. Baseball camp was awesome too. Wednesday and Thursday I went to the Batey in the afternoon. Richard drove us so it was fun to get to hang out with him again. He hasn't been around much since he's been working with the rice plantations. Me, Erickson, and Richard had some fun jam sessions in the bus. Of course it was Spanish music so I didn't know much of the words but we still had fun. Oh Dominicans. Luis Alejandro (from Batey Woltario) came and visited me while we were at the other Batey. It was fun to catch up with him and chat for a little while. He's a good kid overall I just wish he could have more opportunities. We left for the Batey earlier Thursday so we could be back for the big baseball game (Americano vs Dominicano). They killed us of course. The game ended early though because of a huge downpour. The youth pastor of the church that was here this week started all the kids sliding into home in the mud. They had so much fun. It was a great way to end the afternoon. Then we had a huge revival for the community that night. Unfortunately not many people could get here because of the storm and the conditions of the road. We still had 150 or 200 people I think. It was a good night overall.

Friday morning was the best! We had our cultural day around Monte Cristi in the morning and then got ready for our beach trip. We went to Punta R. which was an incredible beach. The water was so clear and gorgeous. Very blue and green. We took our awesome Dominican friends that helped us out with camp this week. That made the trip so much more fun. They tried to make a huge human pyramid in the ocean. They almost got to 3 levels but Jose Luis kept slipping off Edwinson's shoulders. We had an awesome peanut butter/jelly picnic for lunch. After lunch Kelly, Allie, and I had handstand contests for a good 20 minutes. Dustin was our judge and made us all winners. He's a good sport. Bebo joined us for a little bit but then went back to making the pyramid. Right before we left, we burried Edwinson in the sand and while I was taking a picture I stepped on a stick and it's thorn went through my foot. Awesome feeling. On the way back home (2 hour drive) I tried to practice my Spanish with Andres our bis driver. It was rather amusing as that usually is. When we got back Edwinson and I played one on one basketball and I scored 4 points on him. Friday nights with the kids are fun too because everyone comes out to play. They are always so hyper and full of energy. I taught Nena some new hand games. She memorized them and now she's a pro. We had a small tarantula hunt also before dinner. It wasn't very successful but still I think they had fun. I played tag with Mineli, Nena, Yoanni, Yenifer, and the twins. They go crazy and run around like mad. After closing, we had our final intern meeting together. We then brought a bunch of mattresses to the roof and had a final bonding session. It was a lot of fun to just cut up and let loose with each other. It definitely made for a harder morning.

I had been dreading this morning all week. Every Saturday groups come and go but this week was different for me. I had to say goodbye to so many new friends. Some were heading back home to the States, others were heading to Jaibon for the remainder of the summer, and then of course Bebo left with Graystone for Georgia to start college. I'm used to people coming and going from here but this morning was harder. The interns that left were my family for this month. We did everything together literally. We ate all of our meals together, ran camps together, siesta-ed in the comodor together, spent time in God's Word together, and hung out on the roof every night together. It was the best community I've had for a while. I'm so thankful for the new friends I have. I'll definitely be in touch with several of them.

Campamento de la Biblia is here...

There is so much excitement for this week. A church from Georgia is volunteering for their sixth year in a row. When they come we put on a huge Bible Camp in the morning. It was awesome watching 450 kids line up outside the orphanage gates waiting to have the best day ever. There is so much energy and excitement. We divide the kids into 4 groups (older girls, older boys, younger girls, and younger boys) and then we rotate them through four stations (recreation, Bible, English, and crafts). Yesterday ran so smoothly for having as many people as we did. Today I got to play soccer with the older boys and they had so much fun. Some of them were from my class at the English Institute so it was fun to hang out with them in a different environment. We also have some AWESOME Dominican friends helping out. They are the same group that comes and plays basketball every night here. They are a blast to hang with. One of them, Bebo, has such an awesome opportunity. He is going back to Georgia with this group to get a college education. His dad is the pastor of the church and he is also the Director of the orphanage. I'm so happy for this chance for him but I'm definitely going to miss him. That will leave Marcos and the Manuels left to teach me some bball skills. Back to camps...

So morning camp runs from 9:30-11:30, lunch at 12:00, siesta (greatest invention ever), then we have two more camps that run in the afternoon. Half of the group will go to a Batey and the other half goes to baseball camp. I went to baseball camp yesterday and had so much fun. I had forgotten how much I missed the sport. Oscar (plays bball at OO) was catching for his team and I got to tell him all about my brothers, especially Tay because he catches. Lucky for me I've learned alot of family Spanish so I think he understood me. They all loved the fact that I was taking pictures of them. They felt like celebrities. I talked to Manuel 1 for a bit. Two months went by before I found out he speaks English pretty well. Now we get to talk alot more and he helps me with my Spanish. I got some good pics of Manuel 2 while he was batting and I think he really enjoyed seeing them. They love it when I can get them batting, the catcher, and the ball all in the same picture. He started talking about something else having to do with baseball but their were too many words I didn't understand so he just laughed at me instead. Sometimes I get so frustrated with not knowing more but then other times I think it's ok. Sure I still wish I was fluent but for the most part they help me understand. My new friend from the game yesterday came to camp today too. Him and Marcos' brother Amaury are awesome. I just love Dominicans. I'm excited for more baseball this affternoon and then I think tomorrow I'm going to the Batey (my other love).

Last night was movie night with the kids and so we try to keep them over on their side right up until it's time to start. I played with Nena for a while. I love that child so much. She is so fiesty, hardcore and sometimes mean but all at the same time she's the best. The kids for a while were calling me "loca fea mona" which translates to the crazy ugly monkey. Now I get up and walk away when they do that and they come running back saying Sara la linda or Sara la princesa. Last night Nena called me a bruha (witch) and so I called her hormiga (ant). We then continued with every word I knew in Spanish. I love that I know more now. I missed so much of their personalities before. Our movie for last night was the Game Plan. Mineli sat with me again. That little child makes me laugh. She does the craziest things.

We also had our one-on-ones after the movie. Twice a week we meet with whomever we've been assigned to and find out about them. I had mine with Emilee last night. She is such an awesome girl. I'm really going to miss her. This is the last week everyone (except Julie, Coco, and I) is in Monte Cristi. Most interns were only here for a month and this is their last week. Everyone else is moving to Jaibon. I'm glad they get to go see it I'm just going to miss them. Bryson's coming here though so that will be fun too. These last few weeks have flown by so fast. It's been so busy here AND FUN!

CAMP TIME!!!!!

Noche Especial!!!!

Twice a year there is a massive sleepover with the kids and the volunteers. The boys had their's two weeks ago and last Wednesday night we had ours. There was Culto (informal worship service) that night so we didn't really get started until around 8. All afternoon we had spent covering the 2nd floor of the education building with mattresses, baking cupcakes, setting up for special relays and events for the older and younger girls, picking out girlie movies to watch all night, and of course decorating. We set up tables on the roof and put a variety of snacks out for them. Around the ground we set up Christmas lights which made for a cool feel. After Culto, we lined the girls up to take them upstairs. They went crazy when they saw everything. They flipped on the mattresses and flung the blow beach balls we had everywhere. There were huge pillow and tickle fights along with dogpiles. I unfortunately was at the bottom twice. It was so fun though to be able to just let loose and have fun with the kids. We then went to the roof for some snacks and bonding time. Heather made a video of pictures of all of the girls and we showed that after snack. Then we had some relay games on the basketball court. The first one was popping a balloon on their chair which the little kids struggled with. It was funny watching them try to do it. Then the next relay was putting on all the clothes in the bags they were given and they had to run to the other side of the court and back. I think they enjoyed that one alot. Seeing the twins wearing an XXL shirt was great. They are 4 but are very small for their age. Then we split up the older and younger girls for their special activity. The older girls went with Heather to make tie-dye shirts and the younger girls stayed with Julie and played the present game. They would pass a present around the circle and once the music stopped, the person with the gift had ten seconds to open it. Once that was done they had to begin to pass it again. Whoever opened the present got to keep it. after everyone finished their special activity we went back to the roof to decorate cupcakes and goof off. Then we came back downstairs and started the movies. Some of the kids passed out right away others were up all night. Indiana and Lisy came and watched with me for a little while and then during the next movie I had Jennifer and Nena. They both fell asleep and stayed their the rest of the night. Poor Nena had a cold and was snoring incredibly loud. She's so precious though. Some of the older girls had a bingo stamper and stamped most everybody's face (not mine haha) and so there were a few unhappy people in the morning. I don't know how I lucked out without getting it on me. Probably because I was awake most of the night. As part of Noche Especial they get to come to our side of the compund and eat breakfast with us. Overall I think it went really well. I definitely thought it was a fun night. Tiring...but so fun!

Dame tus ojos!!

So many things have been running through my mind the last week or two. The main thing was my experience at Batey Woltario. This particular Batey is about 45 minutes outside of Monte Cristi. As I explained in one of my earlier posts, a batey is a small community surrounded by rice, sugar cane, and banana plantations. Corporations would hire workers to work in these plantations and they would then build these communities for them in the middle of the plantation making it convenient for work. After a while the workers went on strike because they weren't making a fair amount of money. Instead of dealing with the problem the large companies backed out and left all these people without a means to support themselves. I had been to two other Batey's when I first got here but the one we went to a few weeks back was different. I think it's because God has changed my heart so much since I've been here that this experience hit me differently. I fell in love with the people. They were at times challenging and the kids were so misbehaved because of the lack of structure and discipline they have but I still hated to leave. I've been so torn the last few weeks. I feel like everything is perfect here. Everyone makes fun of me because I always talk about how it's "the best day ever." September is going to come before I know it and then what? Come back and serve here? Find a new country to become a part of? Stay in the States? But there is only one problem; the Batey's are still so fresh in my mind. What if someone took the time to serve that community? What if the abondoned church had a pastor and bible studies during the week? What if the local school could be improved and students were given more of a chance to go to college or at least given a chance at a better education? What if the younger boys and men were taught to respect women? What if the women were taught how to respect themselves? Teen pregnancy would for sure go down. Women could be taught how to manage small businesses by selling jewelry they produce or other goods. Food and clean water is also a necessity for the Bateys. Most important of all though would be the fact that they could have a chance at having a relationship with God. Most Dominicans believe in God. The only difference is that they don't have a relationship with him. By no means do I want to go in and change their culture. I don't necessarily agree that Americans have it right. I do however think Jesus had it right. I want to see not just the Batey but also the world through his eyes. I want so badly to see the plan he has for my life. With that I would need to pray for the patience to wait for his timing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xz3HodXOSiY

Right where I belong...

Forgot to post this entry here:

Several nights ago, I went in the orphanage's common room where the kids can watch tv and be crazy at night. I love hanging out with them right before they get ready for bed. Shortly after I rocked Luis to sleep chaos began. Nena(8), Indiana(10), and Luz Maria(4) decided they wanted to mop the floors since they were pretty dirty from dinner. They poured water everywhere and began their task. Ariel(12) and David(5) came and sat in the rocking chairs on both sides of me and we chatted about their day. At some point during the mopping process, Ari(4) got mad and pitched a fit throwing herself into the middle of the floor. This made Indiana mad because that was the area she was mopping for the third time. Indiana decided to pull Ari to the other side of the room by her feet and go back to mopping. Ari, being super fast and sneaky, ran back to her spot, threw herself onto the ground, and wailed. That didn't stop Indiana. She decided to just mop over Ari. While this is going on, Carmello and Edison come running in from outside and made it halfway across the room before they hit the ground. They of course laughed alot once they realized they survived the fall and then decided it would be fun to do it again. They quickly turned it into a game. As the chaos continues to break out, I noticed sweet little Jennifer(5ish) sound asleep at one of the tables. I sat back and took it all in and thought this chaos was absolutely beautiful. It was loud, crazy, and hectic but I am so thankful for being there during those moments. Through all of that going on I realized not only was I in the right place, but that these kids all have a piece of my heart. Soon Negra(one of the caretakers) came in and yelled at all of them. Apparently they weren't supposed to be mopping. I couldn't help but laugh. Negra saw me and she began to laugh too. It was at that time that I felt like I was part of this huge commnuity. A family.

Bleeding Feet

Yesterday I experienced my third trip to Dajabon. Words can't even describe this place. It is the bordertown between the Dominican Republic and Haiti. There is a river that separates the two countries. There are two bridges that connects the countries - the north bridge and the south bridge. Right before you get to the bridge there is a huge market. You can find anything from vegetables, food, chairs, diapers, jewelry, shoes, etc. On Mondays and Fridays from 9-12 the border is open for Haitians to cross into the DR and buy the supplies they need. Every time I go to this place, God shows me something different.

Well, yesterday was no different. We woke up, put on our required long pants and closed toed shoes, and went to breakfast. During breakfast I spent a good 10 minutes complaining about the fact that it was 100 degrees outside and I was wearing jeans and sneakers a combination I hate. After breakfast we loaded up the bus and set out for our hour drive to Dajabon.

We have a routine that we follow very closely to ensure everyone's safety. Once we get off the bus, we all form a single file line with leaders at the front, tail, and dispersed in between. There are sweet little Haitian shoe shiners that meet us every week. They see it as their responsibility to help us through the market. There are about five of them. My favorite one is blind in one eye and deaf. He is always checking through our whole line to make sure we don't get separated from each other. There have been several times where I've been too far behind in his eyes so he runs up and drags me back up to the rest of the group.

As we began to head in I noticed it wasn't as crowded as it has been the past few times. We walked down our normal path to the bridge. When we got to the bridge we noticed a huge traffic jam. All throughout the market you have to be aware of people carrying huge baskets on their heads, motorcycles, and huge carts full of supplies. The Haitians go back and forth between the country as many times as they can to get the merchandise they need. Alot of times you will see a single man weighing 100 lbs pushing a cart 10 times his weight and twice his height. They yell beep beep when they are coming up behind you because most of the time they can't stop the carts. When we saw the huge traffic jam on the bridge we decided to only go on one side. All of a sudden, we saw a pickup truck trying to cross at the same time. We quickly decided to evacuate before it got worse. Once we leave the bridge we go down deeper into the market. That's when things get real intense. You have all kinds of people grabbing you and pushing you. There are always pick-pocketers checking your pockets looking for anything they can find. After our first turn, we got stopped briefly to allow some wheelbarrows through. I looked down at that moment and I noticed this small weak man pushing his cart in his bare feet. Not only were his feet bare but they were bleeding. Here I spent 10 minutes complaining about the heat and that I was "forced" to wear sneakers for my safety and this man didn't have anything to cover his feet. There is no telling how many miles he had gone or how many trips he had made back and forth with supplies. My heart sank. How could I have been so selfish? Not only do I have the option of wearing sneakers, but I got to debate about which pair I wore. We continued on and within the time it took us to get to the next turn I saw 10 people without shoes. For a momentI forgot about the crowd, all the people that had forced their way inside my bubble, the intense smell of the market, and my desire to it in front of a fan for hours. I was only feeling one millionth of what these people fight for every day. I pray that God changes my heart and shows me the things that should consume my mind. As if those ten weren't enough, I counted fifteen more by the time we had left.

As we headed back toward the bus the shoe shiners noticed that an additional bus had pulled up behind ours. He got super excited because he put together that the rest of group from Jaibon (the other orphanage site) was inside. His face lit up, he waived goodbye to us, he grabbed his friends, and into the market they went.

long overdue

It's so hard to believe that I've lived in the Dominican Republic for almost three months. Time has flown. So many things have happened since I've been here. Most of you know by now that I have decided to stay here until Septemeber 1 and train for leadership. I'm super excited to see where this will lead. Here's a summary of my time here so far:
March - May: I taught Level 2 kids at our English Institute. The English Institute is a school the organization runs. Here kids go to school for half days. If they want to learn English they can come to the Institute for an additional hour of schooling. My first few months I taught alone which was madness. They tried me everyday and knew just how to get on my nerves. My first week I didn't think I'd make it to the end of May. Well, I did. I am so glad I didn't quit. I am also thankful that Joe co-taught with me the last two weeks. He was a huge help. I learned so much during those few months of teaching. I didn't realize how much the kids meant to me until graduation night. They were the first graduating class from the Institute. Two of the kids that live here, Christopher (18) and Jessica (12) were in that Level 4 class. I was so proud of them. Various other awards were also given out to the other level students. I have so many pictures from that night haha. Bryson made a slideshow of pictures from the whole year. Watching that video reminded me of how awesome it was teaching the kids and what an amazing experience it was even through the rough days.
Summer: Summer has officially begin. We just finished our first week of the summer program. The Christian program is here in Monte Cristi for four weeks and then switches to the other site in Jaibon. At that time, the Secular and Social Work programs, who are in Jaibon now, will switch to this site. This week (M-Th) we did VBS camps at a sister church of the church we attend here in Monte Cristi in the mornings. We have four different stations (rec, art, english vocab, and reading/story time) set up and we divide the kids into four groups: younger boys, younger girls, older boys, and older girls. The kids all go to each section for 20-25 minutes. Overall the camp was amazing. It was awesome to watch how the numbers grew from the first day. There was unfortunately a tragedy one day right after camp had ended. Two lives were lost after a moto accident occured, one being one of the chidren who had been attending the camp. The rest of the children were sent to Santiago for treatmeat and are bad condition. Please pray that God be with the families involved. After some debate, about whether it was appropriate to return, we went and finished the last day. The funeral was that morning so many attended that service instead but while the people were walking by the church we were at to the burial site, some waived and smiled at us. I was glad they did that. In the afternoon, we went to a Batey. A Batey is a small community of families who live off of plantation farms. Workers were hired to field the rice and banana plantations. The companies they worked for made these communities for the workers to stay. Many of the companies have left but the communities still remain. We would pull up in our bus and kids would coming running from every direction. They basically see this camp as what we would see Disney as. I had been to two other Bateys before but for some reason this one was my favorite. I hung out with the two boys groups alot. They were absolutely crazy but so much fun. I jumped in with the younger boys (around 8yro) and played soccer with them. It was fun to run around and be crazy with them.
Dajabon y la playa: Fridays are culture/fun days. In the morning we go to Dajabon and tour through the market. It's about an hour away from Monte Cristi and we spend about an hour there observing and becoming part of the market. (I'll write a separate entry to elaborate more on this later.) After the border, we go to lunch and then head for the beach.

Gotta run for now but I'll try and update more soon. Updates hopefully will be more frequent. Thanks for reading. Oh and random adventure for the week...I went tarantula hunting. Maybe this week I'll catch one!

I'm here

Wow so much to type and so little time. I have just finished my second week and this place is amazing. I love this country so much already. Last week I helped lead groups around the city to teach at different schools. This week was my first week teaching English at the English Institute. It was very challenging but I liked it. I love the kids here. They are adorable. More to come. Sorry this is so short.

Packaphobia

So apparently I have a fear of packing. My clothes have been set out by my suitcase for almost a week and still only half of my two suitcases are full. I have rearranged and folded everything so many times I could be a professional packer. If I could just zip it up, we’d be good to go. I decided writing my last blog from America was more important.
Tonight was my final goodbye to a couple of families I’ve grown to love so much. I didn’t have a true understanding of just how much I cared for them until it was time to part our ways. I am so thankful for them. The next few months I’m sure will fly by faster than I’d ever think they could, but it’s still hard to leave people you care about. I took Chris and Tim for one last ice cream run tonight and asked them if they were going to miss me. Their reply was “Yeah, who else is going to take us to SteaknShake.” Great, that’s what they’re worried about. I love my brothers.
As far as my travel plans go, I leave tomorrow for Miami and then my plane departs for the DR Saturday night. Not sure when I’ll send my first update, but I can’t wait. Thanks so much for all of your prayers and encouragement. Love to everyone.

Micah 6:8

O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

This passage of Scripture has become very prevalent in my life lately. God is calling me to not only love mercy, do justly, and walk humbly, but also to love his people. The fourth should be a direct result of practicing the first three. So, that is my goal no matter the cost. I’ve been so worried about looking too extreme that I’ve pushed away what I know God wants for me. I don’t want that to be my focus anymore. As a Christian, I’m always going to look different than the rest of the world. That’s never going to change. I’m ok with that. I don’t need anything this world has to offer, but what I do need is a Savior.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_yBlnSUalE

Micah 6:8 – Charlie Hall

Verse 1
You could feed the whole world with the crumbs of old bread
Spread the good news through dreams and stones
With a breath of the wind You could raise up the dead
But You ask us to go

Chorus
Help us love mercy, help us do justly,
Help us walk humbly with You God

Verse 2
Forget not the widow, the orphan, and slave
O God please remember the helpless today
Call on Your children repairing the breach
There is no place too far that Your mercy can’t reach

Chorus
Help us love mercy, help us do justly,
Help us walk humbly with You God

For the children who sleep beneath cities at darklet love go and touch them with your Father’s heart

What if...

we made the choice to love unconditionally? What would our world look like if we stopped focusing on ourselves and began to care about the people around us?

This past weekend the youth participated in BFBC’s annual Disciple Now (DNOW). The theme was What if? All weekend we tossed around “What if” questions and tried to uncover the different paths each answer would lead to. These kids always amaze me. Just when I think a concept is too great for them to understand, they seem to grasp it better than most adults. We began to talk about what would happen if we did things for other people. What stops us from “getting off the couch?” Why do we put so many conditions on love? Why do we expect something in return for our love? Does it matter? Ultimately, our love should be an outflow of Christ’s existence in our lives.

This is something I struggle with. I’m always looking for justice. If someone wrongs me, they should pay. Why? Have I paid for all of the mistakes I’ve made? Does God love me any less? Why do I only love the people who are easy to love? Lately, my prayer has been for God to transform my heart and give me the same love for His people that He has. This morning on my way to work I heard Brandon Heath’s song “Give Me Your Eyes.” I want to learn not only how to see the world the way that God sees it, but also to encourage the world to love unconditionally. A big task, but a challenge I’m up for.

Give me your eyes for just one secondGive me your eyes so I can seeEverything that I keep missingGive me your love for humanityGive me your arms for the broken heartedOnes that are far beyond my reach.Give me your heart for the ones forgottenGive me your eyes so I can see

You’re going to do what…

I have been blessed with the opportunity to travel to the Dominican Republic with Orphanage Outreach. While sharing this news, I got mixed responses. Some were so excited for me and others thought I was crazy. I wondered why people didn’t understand me quitting my job, leaving my family, going to a foreign country not knowing the language, and leaving everything that made me comfortable. Well, after thinking on it some more, it does in fact sound crazy. So why am I doing it?

Those of you who know me best know that I have struggled with figuring out what to do with my life. Going back and forth, constantly changing majors and life plans is a regular occurrence for me. Over the past several months, I’ve taken a step back and reevaluated my relationship with God. I realized that the times I felt happiest and closest to Him were the times when I was serving others. So, why don’t I do it more often? Why don’t I take the time to build relationships with people and serve them as Christ would? Am I too busy? Too scared? Or maybe it’s just selfishness. Whatever the reasons, I don’t want to ignore the path He has for me.

For the next several months I will spend all day everyday with hundreds of kids in an area I am completely unfamiliar with. I am choosing to leave my comfort zone and I look forward to being uncomfortable. My main job will be teaching English and tutoring. I want to do more than that. I want to build relationships in the community and show the Dominican people the love of Christ. I want to show each of the kids that they do matter and that they have a purpose. I am so excited to see how God will work through this adventure.