Visiting Karolyn

Today's home visits have left me thinking a lot about my students and their lives outside of Anija. Today I got to visit Karolyn, who is in my small group for Awana. I had been to her house before with one of her sponsors this summer but boy has her situation changed. I hadn't realized that her mom, sister, and herself were living at her grandmother's house until today when Karolyn was so anxious to get me to their own house. I stood in front of a large sheet of wood as she called to her mother. They told me to move to the side so the sheet of wood (the door) wouldn't fall on me (as it wasn't attached to anything). I entered into their house and saw a space that is half the size of my bedroom. There was a small bed, a crib that was made into a "bed," a tv, and tons of clothes everywhere. That was it. They have to go to her grandmother's house for everything else (and I sensed there was some tension between the mother and grandmother) including to cook, bathe, go to the bathroom, everything. I was just wondering at Awana on Tuesday if there was something going on at home with Karolyn because she has been acting a little different recently with her behavior (a little less obedient, playing more with my hair, hanging out in the library, and giving/receiving more hugs!). I am so glad I get to visit and spend time with the kids outside of Anija although sometimes I'm not sure how to process what I hear, see, and feel...

A Good, yet Trying Week

My first week back in the Dominican Republic has gone well, at least as far as work goes. I've really enjoyed having more time to focus on my jobs as the librarian and Sponsorship Coordinator. For the first two months of the school year I was dividing each grade into two groups and only having one group come to the library per week, to help me adjust while learning how to run the library. Since I've been back from my trip, I've started taking both groups for each grade into the library and the kids are so excited! Yes, I have a lot more books to re-shelf but it's fun to see them excited about reading.

I've also started working on this years Christmas project (refer to post "Christmas Projects for Sponsors" to see pictures) to send to our sponsors. It's been fun explaining to the younger kids that they have "padrinos" (translates as godfathers) in the United States that are helping pay for them to go to school at Anija. It's also been great listening to the older kids talk about their sponsors, letters they've received from them, and if they've met them before. We are constantly looking for sponsors for our kids, please let me know if you or anyone you know are interested in sponsoring a child with Kids Alive and I will get right back to you! I can tell you from first hand experience that sponsors change kids lives.

On another note, adjusting to daily life here has been a different story, specifically in three different areas- bugs, power, and Spanish. First, I hate to say this but we've caught four mice in the kitchen last week (after never having them before!) among other friends (a frog, lizards, huge moths, spiders, cockroaches, little centipedes, and of course mosquitoes). Second, the power seems like it has been out more than usual. That means taking showers in the dark, cooking in the dark, working out in the dark, and simply being bored at times. And last, I went to the medical clinic for the first time as I had been sick for a couple of weeks. Let's just say I haven't invested in studying medical terms in Spanish enough. I wasn't able to explain all of my symptoms nor did I understand what the nurse was saying. All I know is that they didn't have me fill out one form, not my name or for any medications I was taking (I was on three including antibiotics) and before I knew it I had two prescriptions that I didn't know what they were for. Anyways, that is life in the DR and I know that God has kept me safe so far (somehow with minimal shrieking or screaming) and will continue to look after me. God is good! ALL THE TIME!

English Class at Anija

*This is a long post but I think it's worth reading to help you understand some what some of my hardest challenges have been*

As many of you know, teaching English was a huge challenge for me last year so I thought I'd write a little bit more about how teaching English at Anija and why it was so challenging.

In general, the government requires fifth through eighth grade to take both English and French classes in school, but at Anija we start English class in third grade. This year we have two third grade classes so we are teaching 7 separate grades, each twice a week. I'm not sure about you, but I had "Spanish class" in elementary school once a week and after 5 years all I had learned were some colors, numbers, and the days of the week. So let's just say I had a goal to teach the kids more then that but also understood that it's very hard to learn a language (in general) and especially when you only have classes two times a week (sometimes only once a week) for 40 minutes.

Since Anija isn't a bilingual school and the kids really aren't around English all the much, to get anything done, I felt it was best to instruct in Spanish. For example, I wanted to do a crossword puzzle for review one day and knowing that doing crossword puzzles may be confusing, I had a Dominican teacher explain the instructions (in Spanish of course), do an example, and get them started as I knew my Spanish instructions could confuse them more than help them. And what happened? It was like they hadn't listen one bit. They didn't match up the numbers and clues with the numbers in the puzzle or match the numbers across with the numbers across in the puzzle AND they just squeezed the word they wanted to use in the boxes with two or three letters in one box! This was with the seventh grade class. Needless to say, if I only taught in English I think we'd still be working on the same crossword puzzle.

Another reason teaching English was challenging is that I didn't have curriculum to use so I had been coming up with lessons for each grade without using a teacher's manual or textbooks! We have a set of Side by Side textbooks but after looking at the first chapter and seeing themes like 'learning your address, filling out a form, and what's your social security number' I thought, "There aren't even addresses in Jarabacoa! No way am I using this book." And that was it until I spoke with a fellow KAI missionary and English teacher (in Monte Plata) who told me she loved the Side by Side textbooks except for chapter one and that there should be a teacher's manual somewhere in my office. After looking and looking I finally found the teacher's manual under a box in another box and boy did planning get a lot easier!

One of the biggest challenges teaching in the DR was learning and adjusting to Dominican culture, specifically in a school setting. Learning that only 5-7% of all Dominicans graduate from high school and considering the kids we are reaching out to (abandoned, abused, neglected, those from the poorest communities) opened my eyes to the fact that these kids are most likely not getting very much support at home. With all the home visits I've done I can attest that there are very few or no books in most houses, kids are taking care of their siblings instead of doing homework after school, kids are playing in the streets until their parents come home from work, and these kids have many other things on their minds other than school.

In the classroom, kids are LOUD. No, I mean LOUD. Kids are use to yelling out instead of raising their hands, then the teacher tries talking over them, and the cycle continues. I had just graduated from a teaching credential program (with a concentration in MATH not English) with an intense course on classroom management and I think most Dominican teachers would say, "What's that?" if you asked them about classroom management. So between not knowing very much Spanish, not using any curriculum, and figuring out Dominican culture, I had my work cut out for me.

I can honestly say, after many tears throughout the year (thankfully none in the classroom), I made it through by the grace of God. Many days as I went to an empty office, set my stuff down, and asked God, "What am I doing here?! This is NOT how I expected to love these kids and I definitely didn't expect to struggle so much with the way I've been given to love these kids." I would then look at a verse posted on the wall that reads, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord, not for men." Colossians 3:23 I knew I was fulfilling a need for Kids Alive and that by being patient with the kids and not giving up on them like other people have done and by showing them my imperfections like struggling with speaking Spanish but persevering were ways I was working for the Lord and loving these kids. After finding a hint of motivation, I would then ask myself, "How in the world am I going to manage these crazy kids?" and more importantly, "How am I going to do that and teach in SPANISH?!" God was always good and would bring to mind, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness..." 2 Corinthians 12:9 and boy was He faithful and gracious every day! My favorite moments during the day were those 30 seconds of silence (more or less) during class and I would just take a deep breath and say, "Thank You God, I give You the glory for these 30 seconds of calmness." And sure enough when I would come home from a rough day, I would have an email, facebook message, or comment on my blog ensuring me that I have an army of friends and family surrounding me in prayer.

So now as I'm helping the new English teacher go through some of the same struggles and as I take on the new role as the librarian (and now I can't even use the excuse of 'I'm the English teacher' for speaking English when I don't know a word), I know that God will be faithful in being my strength and ability to continue serving Him and loving these kids.

The Little Things

Sometimes I don't realize how little things build up stress in my life. I wish I was more of a "go with the flow" kind of person than I am. I know that things like being pulled over by the AMED (the police who took my pasola) are going to happen and I can't spend my time fearing what could happen but i think it's good to recognize the little things that make me tired/stressed.

Since my motorcycle was taken away I've had one close call with the AMED, even though i was wearing my helmet and doing nothing wrong (they tried to flag me down but i didn't make eye contact and just kept driving, which is what I've been told to do). One of my roommates has even been pulled over in her car at least twice since being here, and all the police officer wanted was to know if she had a boyfriend and if she would go out with him.

I also found out that it's not uncommon for motorcycles and pasolas to have the same key ignition. My friend and I exchanged keys and we were both able to start each others motorcycle/pasola (I have even changed my keys since I started driving my pasola). And as you can imagine driving in general here is kind of insane (there are basically no rules, at least none that Dominicans follow). I get anxious just going to the store or the bank as I anticipate how many guys are going to make "gringa," "dame una VISA," "I love you" comments, and kissing sounds (that's the worst). These are the things that make me tired at the end of the day and things that I would like a vacation from.

I'm so glad that God knows my thoughts and anxieties and that I can find rest and peace in Him throughout my day. Even if I get pulled over just because I'm American or get my pasola taken away again, I know God is right there beside me. Amen to that!

Psalm 56:3 "When I am afraid, I will trust in You."

Psalm 62:5 "Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him."

Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

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

I know there are many verses that talk about finding rest in God and not being fearful but trusting in God, so please feel free to make a comment with any verses that come to mind!

Update on Pasola

I removed my lastest post about getting my pasola back and sent it my email. Let me know if you didn't get the email and I'll send it to you. Thanks!

A Rough Day

Today was a rough day. It started out well as I got up, did a yoga video and spent some time with the Lord. Then, I made my first mistake of doing my laundry. Doing laundry here is a strategic thing as it always rains, even if it's only for 3 minutes (just enough to get your clothes wet), on laundry days. I thought, "well, the sun is peeking out so why don't I do it and then come home during lunch to take my clothes down before the afternoon rain."

So after doing my laundry and getting ready I headed to Anija. At 9am it started to rain, oh well. As for class, let's just say the kiddos got bored of coloring, crafts, activities, stories, etc. and we ran out of things to do within the days' curriculum. That left me with a handful of restless kindergarteners which didn't make the morning go so smoothly.

After lunch time I thought, "well, it stopped raining a couple of hours ago, my laundry is probably fairly dry, why don't I go home and take it down before it really starts to pour." As I started to leave Anija on my pasola (like a scooter), I debated whether to turn right or left to go back to my house. Mistake number two, turning left (my usual path to and from home). LONG STORY SHORT, THE POLICE STOPPED ME AND CONFISCATED MY PASOLA BECAUSE I WASN'T WEARING A HELMET. Now you have to know a little bit about the Dominican Republic. I've lived here for more than 10 months and have probably seen a total of 10 people (n0n-missionaries) wearing helmets throughout that time. I was so confused about what was going on, although I've heard they do this randomly- the police randomly choose a day and start pulling people over and giving them fines for things that are not enforced the other 364 days of the year to make a little money. So, as I walked the rest of the way home, I of course saw every other person on a motorcycle not wearing a helmet, motorcycles with two adults and a baby without helmets, and people who had helmets on but not buckled. Needless to say, the police really don't care about safety when it comes to wearing helmets. They care about money.

So I finally got home and needed to go to the bathroom as well as make some copies but of course there was no power. I took down my clothes (they were fairly dry) and started to walk back to Anija for the afternoon program. Of course it started raining hard.

Throughout the next hour I had all these emotions about the Dominican culture. I felt angry. I was angry at the fact that I heard one of the police yell "gringa!" (meaning there's a white female) before they pulled me over. I was angry that it really wasn't about wearing a helmet for safety and that I kept seeing others not wearing helmets and not being pulled over. I was upset that instead of being able to drive quickly past all those comments and "cat calls" from Dominican men, I had to walk by them and hear them. And I didn't like that I had to go back to Anija, knowing that I looked like I had been crying and that I wouldn't be able to explain all that in Spanish when people ask me what was wrong.

But you know what, even though it was a rough day, I can honestly say that I know God was right there by me, reminding me that He is GOOD no matter what happens, even when I'm really upset. At the end of the day, God is good and He is faithful and will work things out. I'm grateful for our summer interns at Anija who listened to and encouraged me this afternoon. I had a fun time tutoring a couple sixth graders in math. My roommate Katie happened to drive by as I was walking home and gave me a ride. And I got to have dinner and Bible study with some great people tonight. As for my pasola, it's a little complicated. Usually, you could go to the police station, pay a fine and show documents for your pasola, motorcycle, etc. But, I've been using a former missionaries pasola (from a few years ago) and we don't have her documents and haven't been able to get a hold of her since I started using her pasola. So, please pray with me that things get cleared up with having papers for the pasola or that other transportation would work out such as purchasing another motorcycle.

Thanks for your prayers and for reading this! GOD IS GOOD!

Thoughts from today

I am overwhelmed by a feeling of sadness for the people of Haiti. I think back on Tuesday night when I felt the tremor. I said to my roommate as I watched the fan shake and felt the house sway, "I think there's an earthquake," as if it were no big deal. Only later did we find out that it is a big deal- life changing. I've received emails from other missionaries that live in Port-au-prince describing the destruction, loss of lives, and fear that they won't be able to recover from this.
I am glad to be a part of an organization that is already taking action in supplying relief but we can't help but ask here in Jarabacoa, "What can we do right now," as we are so close and as we have friends from Haiti who don't know if their family and friends are alright.
I started thinking about 'what if this happened in Jarabacoa and my family or friends died and everything was destroyed.' I am grateful beyond words that I have hope in Jesus Christ. And that made me think of what I can do right now. I can pray that the people of Haiti (a country that has been dedicated to the devil in the past) will find not only hope in future days but an eternal hope through the saving grace of our Mighty God.
Please pray for Kids Alive as they are brain storming ways we can help, whether that may be taking supplies in the very near future or opening our ministry site to kids left with no families.

Psalm 46:1 "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble."

My Thoughts

Last week was a rough week in many ways for me. Here are some thoughts from my journal...

My mind has been occupied with thoughts about my future, frustrations, and doubts. And although I have had a thirst for the Lord I have let distractions come between me and spending the time I really need with God each day. I have been analyzing my time here so far, thinking about the future, letting myself get frustrated about my Spanish abilities (or inabilities), and doubting what may or may not come instead of focusing on today and resting in what God Almighty has in store for me.
Matthew 6:26-27, 33-34
"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?... But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
I have been reminded to pray and leave all my frustrations in God's hands. Although teaching English has been very challenging and not what I initially expected to do here and may feel discouraged at times, I am encouraged to know that I am meeting a need with Kids Alive and for the students at Anija.
Psalm 37:4
"Enjoy serving the Lord, and He will give you what you want."
The Lord has been faithful this week in providing encouragement, wisdom, and fellowship from many new friends and family in Christ. This week (and always) I am trying to remember Colossians 3:17,
"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."

Here are some pictures from a walk I went on recently. This is one of my favorite routes to walk/run.

Gramma Bailey has gone to be with the Lord

I'm glad I got to see gramma before leaving for the DR.

This was at gramma's 90th birthday party a couple of years ago.

I'm so grateful to have had gramma Bailey in my life for 23 years. I will miss taking her shopping at Mervyn's and going out to eat at Mexican restaurants with her. She was such a loving gramma and I'm glad to know that she has passed away peacefully and is with the Lord.
Please keep my family and I in your prayers as I will be making a trip home for the funeral.

"Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints." Psalm 116:15

Joan Hirst

Joan Hirst and myself.

The last picture I took with Joan and Capt. Hirst before I left San Diego.

I just found out Joan Hirst, Captain Hirst's wife died recently. I worked for Capt Hirst and Joan for 3 years and they were like my grandparents away from home. I especially spent a lot of time with them the summer and year after I graduated from Point Loma. I am very sad for Capt Hirst and his family but I know that Joan is in heaven now. Please pray for comfort for the Hirst family as there are 8 children, many grandchildren, and 5 grant-grandchildren in the family.