Life in the DR: Beginnings...

"The basic plot of the whole True Romance of history seems to be just that Love will have us lovely before he's through or split a gut trying. He will badger us, bulldoze us, clobber and cajole us till in the end we all make it 'to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ' (Ephesians 4:13)." Frederick Buechner

Praying today that each of you would be badgered and bulldozed by the great love of Christ that is never-ending, ever-pursuing, never-failing, and ever-present with us.

A friend shared this quote a few weeks ago and it has stuck with me. As we are completing the first month of school here in the DR, I am noticing the drastic changes from last year to this year. Personally, I am seeing the ways the Lord has grown me in a year and how much this place seems like home. Super encouraging! So, take heart if you are feeling badgered or bulldozed today – there is purpose.

We kicked off the Young Life semester this year with Tribal Wars Club this past Tuesday. The Lord has provided in big ways for this ministry already. The place we were holding our Club meetings last year was no longer available, so many of us were praying for a new space. Our YL Committee Chair communicated our needs to the local Lions Club and we are now using their building right in the middle of town on Tuesday nights…for FREE! It’s a great space – perfect for hosting hoards of teenagers! Funny story… the night of our first club I ran my car right into one of the concrete poles because it was raining so hard and I couldn’t see. It was late and my car is a freakin tank, so I thought everything was okay. The next morning I checked out my car and realized otherwise. Worried about our new relationship with the Lions Club and that there might be some damage to their pole, I drove by early that morning before school to check it out. The pole was completely fine; however, I noticed parts of my car scattered around the parking area. So I stealthily slipped out of my car and began gathering the parts….

Onto other news….the Doulos school year has started beautifully! The ESL program looks much different this year as I am co-teaching more in the classroom with the other teachers. Instead of pulling a small group consistently, the classroom teacher and I are trying to provide in-classroom support. This calls for a lot of collaboration, which has been so much fun with the group of teachers I am working with. Currently we are preparing for Outdoor Education Week – I will be accompanying the fourth and fifth grades on a three day camping trip in the mountains next week! Please keep us in your prayers for fun and safety.

Below are some random pictures of the lighter side of life here… Enjoy!