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| Young Life Leader Christmas Party and WHITE ELEPHANT! |
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| YL Christmas Club - Mr. Christmas Tree Contest |
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| Nelly, my Spanish tutor |
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My women's small group bible study
Priceless. |
1.20.2011
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
11.29.2010
Happy Thanksgiving!
“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you all enjoyed time with friends and family over the past few days. We celebrated a day of thanks here with over 100 staff, family, and friends on the Doulos grounds. It was potluck style with turkey and a roast pig. Really a fun night.
Much has been happening in the month of November. It is very different to not experience the seasons here and it is hard to believe that December is approaching (although Dominicans prepare for Christmas beginning in October). Although the nights are chilly, the days are mostly sunny and warm. Here are some snapshots of different aspects of life here…
Doulos Discovery School
Expeditions are underway! Each grade level is studying something specific that is integrated into the curriculum with a final service project. I’m working with third grade on simple machines, fourth grade on recycling and making paper, and fifth grade on identifying endangered birds of the Dominican Republic. It has made for a busy month and Expedition Night is just a week and half away. This is a night where each grade level presents final products and we celebrate with the community! It is fun to watch the students gain a vision for serving their community.
Young Life
Fall Weekend camp was a great weekend. We had over 35 teenagers from Jarabacoa attend. Leaders and kids had some great conversations and some awesome fun together. Thank you for your prayers and support of the weekend. The Spirit is definitely moving in the hearts of the people here. We will be having our first Young Life summer camp at Pico Escondido in June and the kids are already excited to spend a whole week at camp. I am just enjoying getting to know these young women – we’ve had a chance to cook a meal together and they gave me a make-over last night (it’s appalling to them that my nails are never painted!). It’s been fun to share life with them here.
Prayer Requests:
Please continue to pray for the students and young people in this community. Also, we are still looking for a house to live in and use for ministry purposes. Please pray that God would provide a house in His timing and we would be patient in the search. Give thanks for all He is doing.
Thank you for your incredible support. I am so encouraged by you each and every day. I am so thankful to be here and learning the lessons before me. It’s an awesome thing to be stretched and molded by our Lord, no matter how hard it is sometimes. I look forward to seeing some of you in a few weeks during the Christmas break.
Much love, Sara
Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you all enjoyed time with friends and family over the past few days. We celebrated a day of thanks here with over 100 staff, family, and friends on the Doulos grounds. It was potluck style with turkey and a roast pig. Really a fun night.
Much has been happening in the month of November. It is very different to not experience the seasons here and it is hard to believe that December is approaching (although Dominicans prepare for Christmas beginning in October). Although the nights are chilly, the days are mostly sunny and warm. Here are some snapshots of different aspects of life here…
Doulos Discovery School
Expeditions are underway! Each grade level is studying something specific that is integrated into the curriculum with a final service project. I’m working with third grade on simple machines, fourth grade on recycling and making paper, and fifth grade on identifying endangered birds of the Dominican Republic. It has made for a busy month and Expedition Night is just a week and half away. This is a night where each grade level presents final products and we celebrate with the community! It is fun to watch the students gain a vision for serving their community.
Young Life
Fall Weekend camp was a great weekend. We had over 35 teenagers from Jarabacoa attend. Leaders and kids had some great conversations and some awesome fun together. Thank you for your prayers and support of the weekend. The Spirit is definitely moving in the hearts of the people here. We will be having our first Young Life summer camp at Pico Escondido in June and the kids are already excited to spend a whole week at camp. I am just enjoying getting to know these young women – we’ve had a chance to cook a meal together and they gave me a make-over last night (it’s appalling to them that my nails are never painted!). It’s been fun to share life with them here.
Prayer Requests:
Please continue to pray for the students and young people in this community. Also, we are still looking for a house to live in and use for ministry purposes. Please pray that God would provide a house in His timing and we would be patient in the search. Give thanks for all He is doing.
Thank you for your incredible support. I am so encouraged by you each and every day. I am so thankful to be here and learning the lessons before me. It’s an awesome thing to be stretched and molded by our Lord, no matter how hard it is sometimes. I look forward to seeing some of you in a few weeks during the Christmas break.
Much love, Sara
10.27.2010
Life
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| Me, Maggie, and Robyn at Erica's birthday dinner |
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| Leah and I at a waterfall |
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| The beautiful school campus |
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| 80s Night/Chili Cook-off for Tim's Birthday (Jyll, Me, Erica, Amanda, and Leah) |
10.26.2010
The second quarter begins...
“Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord.” Psalm 117
The Lord is faithful. I am finding this to be true each day here. I am finding myself in an interesting position… I am craving the things of comfort from home that I wanted to leave behind and be challenged in. I had a very comfortable life at home that I enjoyed very much, but also felt that the Lord has placed a calling on my heart to GO. Those things of comfort started to seem insignificant to me as I searched out God’s will for the next stage of my life. Now here I am in unfamiliar territory and am longing for the things of comfort from home. When really, the only true source of comfort is our Lord. I probably could have said all of this with “I’m homesick”. :)
Even though I miss home, I continue to feel at peace that I am where God as called me to be. There is exciting stuff happening here and I love being able to share it with all of you. Your letters, emails, packages, and prayers continue to be a source of encouragement for me.
Doulos Discovery School
The past few weeks have been a rich time with my students returning from our camping trip together. The students are more open to sharing and respond slightly quicker than before our three days in the wilderness together. The staff also benefited from a recent visit from Stephen Levy, an expert in the field of expeditionary learning. It was great to see him in action, meet with him one-on-one, and discuss in small groups together. Speaking of expeditionary learning, the second quarter has begun and expeditions are underway. In third grade we are studying Simple Machines, fourth grade Recycling (sound familiar FAers?), and fifth grade Endangered Birds. All so different and I am excited to be a part of each one.
Prayers: the 4th grade class – struggling with respect and authority issues (14 boys and 5 girls makes for a rowdy group)
ACSI accreditation – teachers are feeling the crunch to finish curriculum maps
Young Life
The big news is our Fall Weekend Camp is quickly approaching (November 12-14). The high school kids are excited! If you are interested in sponsoring a kid to go to camp it is roughly $50.00. Let me know via email and I can get the information to you. All kids are asked to pay at least half of the total amount for the weekend and then we are gathering willing sponsors to cover the remaining amount. Young Life weekend camps provide these kids a chance to hang out in God’s beautiful creation in the mountains of Jarabacoa, eat good food, have insane amounts of fun, and hear about God’s love for them. I can’t wait for my first international Young Life camping experience!
Prayers: Fall Wknd Camp – kids to sign up and hearts to be changed
House – a YL ministry house where we can hold meetings
Transportation – we have one car at the moment among leaders and it is a little stressful. Pray for wisdom if one of us should purchase a car to be able to drive kids around, or if there is another option for transportation.
Me
As for everyday life for me, the days go by quickly. I have borrowed a bike for a few weeks from a friend to let a hurt foot heal and am enjoying the ride to and from school each day. It feels good to work different muscles and get exercise other than walking. It will be a sad day when I return the bike, but am thankful for the time to ride it to let my body heal. There have been many families visiting in the recent weeks and it is nice to see into the lives of the people I work with. We all took a trip to the beach last weekend with a few of the families and it was wonderful. I can’t wait for you all to come visit! I’ve included some fun pictures from a birthday celebration for Erica. We enjoyed dinner at a restaurant on the mountain. Beautiful scenery and great food provided a chance to relax and have fun. I hope the pictures give you a glimpse at yet another side to life here. This is such a rich place. The door is open – come and see!
The Lord is faithful. I am finding this to be true each day here. I am finding myself in an interesting position… I am craving the things of comfort from home that I wanted to leave behind and be challenged in. I had a very comfortable life at home that I enjoyed very much, but also felt that the Lord has placed a calling on my heart to GO. Those things of comfort started to seem insignificant to me as I searched out God’s will for the next stage of my life. Now here I am in unfamiliar territory and am longing for the things of comfort from home. When really, the only true source of comfort is our Lord. I probably could have said all of this with “I’m homesick”. :)
Even though I miss home, I continue to feel at peace that I am where God as called me to be. There is exciting stuff happening here and I love being able to share it with all of you. Your letters, emails, packages, and prayers continue to be a source of encouragement for me.
Doulos Discovery School
The past few weeks have been a rich time with my students returning from our camping trip together. The students are more open to sharing and respond slightly quicker than before our three days in the wilderness together. The staff also benefited from a recent visit from Stephen Levy, an expert in the field of expeditionary learning. It was great to see him in action, meet with him one-on-one, and discuss in small groups together. Speaking of expeditionary learning, the second quarter has begun and expeditions are underway. In third grade we are studying Simple Machines, fourth grade Recycling (sound familiar FAers?), and fifth grade Endangered Birds. All so different and I am excited to be a part of each one.
Prayers: the 4th grade class – struggling with respect and authority issues (14 boys and 5 girls makes for a rowdy group)
ACSI accreditation – teachers are feeling the crunch to finish curriculum maps
Young Life
The big news is our Fall Weekend Camp is quickly approaching (November 12-14). The high school kids are excited! If you are interested in sponsoring a kid to go to camp it is roughly $50.00. Let me know via email and I can get the information to you. All kids are asked to pay at least half of the total amount for the weekend and then we are gathering willing sponsors to cover the remaining amount. Young Life weekend camps provide these kids a chance to hang out in God’s beautiful creation in the mountains of Jarabacoa, eat good food, have insane amounts of fun, and hear about God’s love for them. I can’t wait for my first international Young Life camping experience!
Prayers: Fall Wknd Camp – kids to sign up and hearts to be changed
House – a YL ministry house where we can hold meetings
Transportation – we have one car at the moment among leaders and it is a little stressful. Pray for wisdom if one of us should purchase a car to be able to drive kids around, or if there is another option for transportation.
Me
As for everyday life for me, the days go by quickly. I have borrowed a bike for a few weeks from a friend to let a hurt foot heal and am enjoying the ride to and from school each day. It feels good to work different muscles and get exercise other than walking. It will be a sad day when I return the bike, but am thankful for the time to ride it to let my body heal. There have been many families visiting in the recent weeks and it is nice to see into the lives of the people I work with. We all took a trip to the beach last weekend with a few of the families and it was wonderful. I can’t wait for you all to come visit! I’ve included some fun pictures from a birthday celebration for Erica. We enjoyed dinner at a restaurant on the mountain. Beautiful scenery and great food provided a chance to relax and have fun. I hope the pictures give you a glimpse at yet another side to life here. This is such a rich place. The door is open – come and see!
10.09.2010
Outdoor Education Week at Spirit Mountain in Manabao
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| The girls shelter |
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| Oliver and Kaden with a stick bug |
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| The boys shelter |
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| The kitchen and the other responsible adults...Amanda, Erica, Rob, Tim, and Daniel |
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| Orienteering Class |
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| Issac and Oliver exploring |
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| Me with some of the 5th graders |
"A tree in a story about a forest " D.Miller
"Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch." Luke 5:4
The command to let down our nets in deep water requires us to have trust. Deep water is desolate, dangerous, and unknown. But there is beauty in the unknown, in the dangerous, in the desolate.
It’s October. It is so hard to believe that it is halfway through the first semester here. I am feeling much better physically and have enjoyed a busy couple of weeks.
Two weekends ago there was a holiday on Friday, so I enjoyed a three day weekend with a trip to a nearby town (Constanza) with my host family, a pancake breakfast with friends, another trip to a waterfall (pics below), and time with new friends in Jarabacoa. A week ago I helped with a 4th and 5th grade camping trip from Wednesday to Friday. It was so great! We hiked for about an hour or two with our packs to the top of Spirit Mountain (an organic coffee farm) and camped for two nights with our students. This was part of Outdoor Education Week. The 6th and 7th grades also do their own camping trip at Spirit Mountain and the 8th grade backpacks for five days to summit Pico Duarte. I am hoping to find another 3 day weekend to tackle Pico Duarte – it is the highest peak in the Eastern seaboard. The experience of camping with my students was so unlike anything I have done, but I feel has only strengthened our bond as we go forward in this school year.
God is doing some amazing work in this area. The Young Life ministry has just exploded this year. It is only the second year of Young Life in Jarabacoa. We had over 60 kids at our last Club, many from schools other than the two where we currently do ministry officially. It’s exciting that it is becoming a draw to the community as a whole. Please pray as we try to navigate through language barriers. Our clubs have taken on a Spanglish feel – parts in English, parts in Spanish. We are also outgrowing our current meeting spot. I have been looking for a house that can serve as a Young Life ministry house and also possibly live there with one or two other girls. Please pray that God would make a house available that is centrally located, has a large meeting area, and not too expensive. It’s exciting to watch Him work and a privilege to be along for the ride.
As for me, I am starting to feel more peaceful here. I have always felt like I’m in the exact place God has called me to be, but have certainly felt challenged along the way. I was reading the new Donald Miller book and he used an illustration that just fits me right now and one that I could relate to this past summer. He talks about paddling away from shore and when you start your journey, the first part happens fast. The shore behind you is getting smaller and the distant shore doesn’t seem so far away. But then all of the sudden you find yourself in the open water and neither shore seems within reach. This summer, my family (meaning the Drebes/Gast family) went on a kayaking excursion in Cape Charles. It seemed simple enough… Paddle through the beautiful marshes of the inner coastal waters of the Chesapeake Bay and cross the channel to the barrier islands to enjoy a day on the Atlantic Ocean. So… the twelve of us set out and all was fine and dandy till we found ourselves in the open water of the channel. We were aiming for a lighthouse on the far shore and it seemed that the lighthouse remained the same size for hours as the strong current kept us from making much progress. It’s this place I feel God leading me to. Perseverance, strength, faith, and trust will all be needed as the pace begins to slow down and life becomes more familiar here. Thank you for your prayers as you paddle with me.
The command to let down our nets in deep water requires us to have trust. Deep water is desolate, dangerous, and unknown. But there is beauty in the unknown, in the dangerous, in the desolate.
It’s October. It is so hard to believe that it is halfway through the first semester here. I am feeling much better physically and have enjoyed a busy couple of weeks.
Two weekends ago there was a holiday on Friday, so I enjoyed a three day weekend with a trip to a nearby town (Constanza) with my host family, a pancake breakfast with friends, another trip to a waterfall (pics below), and time with new friends in Jarabacoa. A week ago I helped with a 4th and 5th grade camping trip from Wednesday to Friday. It was so great! We hiked for about an hour or two with our packs to the top of Spirit Mountain (an organic coffee farm) and camped for two nights with our students. This was part of Outdoor Education Week. The 6th and 7th grades also do their own camping trip at Spirit Mountain and the 8th grade backpacks for five days to summit Pico Duarte. I am hoping to find another 3 day weekend to tackle Pico Duarte – it is the highest peak in the Eastern seaboard. The experience of camping with my students was so unlike anything I have done, but I feel has only strengthened our bond as we go forward in this school year.
God is doing some amazing work in this area. The Young Life ministry has just exploded this year. It is only the second year of Young Life in Jarabacoa. We had over 60 kids at our last Club, many from schools other than the two where we currently do ministry officially. It’s exciting that it is becoming a draw to the community as a whole. Please pray as we try to navigate through language barriers. Our clubs have taken on a Spanglish feel – parts in English, parts in Spanish. We are also outgrowing our current meeting spot. I have been looking for a house that can serve as a Young Life ministry house and also possibly live there with one or two other girls. Please pray that God would make a house available that is centrally located, has a large meeting area, and not too expensive. It’s exciting to watch Him work and a privilege to be along for the ride.
As for me, I am starting to feel more peaceful here. I have always felt like I’m in the exact place God has called me to be, but have certainly felt challenged along the way. I was reading the new Donald Miller book and he used an illustration that just fits me right now and one that I could relate to this past summer. He talks about paddling away from shore and when you start your journey, the first part happens fast. The shore behind you is getting smaller and the distant shore doesn’t seem so far away. But then all of the sudden you find yourself in the open water and neither shore seems within reach. This summer, my family (meaning the Drebes/Gast family) went on a kayaking excursion in Cape Charles. It seemed simple enough… Paddle through the beautiful marshes of the inner coastal waters of the Chesapeake Bay and cross the channel to the barrier islands to enjoy a day on the Atlantic Ocean. So… the twelve of us set out and all was fine and dandy till we found ourselves in the open water of the channel. We were aiming for a lighthouse on the far shore and it seemed that the lighthouse remained the same size for hours as the strong current kept us from making much progress. It’s this place I feel God leading me to. Perseverance, strength, faith, and trust will all be needed as the pace begins to slow down and life becomes more familiar here. Thank you for your prayers as you paddle with me.
10.05.2010
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| Stephen... my "little brother" |
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| Aurora..."my little sister" |
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| Hiking to the Upper Jimenoa waterfall (the one from Jurassic Park the movie?) |
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| The trail |
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| Upper Jimenoa Waterfall |
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| cool rocks by the waterfall |
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| Tavin, Abby, and Rachel. Abby and Rachel are my adventure buddies... we jumped rocks and swam through rapids to hike down the waterfall. The best day!! Don't worry, Mom! |
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| New friends Erin and Ezre helped me sew for the first time. Pretty good lookin box, 'eh?? |
9.18.2010
“For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” Luke 6:45
Hello friends!
I’m sorry it’s been so long since my last update. The past few weeks have had their ups and downs in many different ways. I continue to draw near to Christ and try to be faithful in letting him be the source of life for me so that my words and actions are the overflow of Him. Here are some highlights and challenges from life here…
Young Life: We had a great Leader’s Weekend at Pico September 3-5 and have the largest leadership team I’ve ever been a part of – 12 men and women! We also had our first Club on September 7 and had a great turn out of high school kids. They had great energy and we are looking forward to our second club this Tuesday, September 21. Campaigners (small group bible studies) will also be starting soon!
Doulos: I have started teaching small classes of third, fourth, and fifth grade students who need a little extra help with English. I have pictures of the third and fifth grade classes to share. Fourth grade is an energetic group and I will try to capture them soon! It has been a challenging task to teach a new curriculum with a language barrier… but I am enjoying it!
As for me… please pray for my health. I have been feeling sick off and on for the past two weeks and it is starting to take its toll on my energy level (I don’t think it has anything to do with turning 30 recently!!).
Thanks to all who continue to pray and send me updates via email and mail – you are such an encouragement to me!
Hello friends!
I’m sorry it’s been so long since my last update. The past few weeks have had their ups and downs in many different ways. I continue to draw near to Christ and try to be faithful in letting him be the source of life for me so that my words and actions are the overflow of Him. Here are some highlights and challenges from life here…
Young Life: We had a great Leader’s Weekend at Pico September 3-5 and have the largest leadership team I’ve ever been a part of – 12 men and women! We also had our first Club on September 7 and had a great turn out of high school kids. They had great energy and we are looking forward to our second club this Tuesday, September 21. Campaigners (small group bible studies) will also be starting soon!
Doulos: I have started teaching small classes of third, fourth, and fifth grade students who need a little extra help with English. I have pictures of the third and fifth grade classes to share. Fourth grade is an energetic group and I will try to capture them soon! It has been a challenging task to teach a new curriculum with a language barrier… but I am enjoying it!
As for me… please pray for my health. I have been feeling sick off and on for the past two weeks and it is starting to take its toll on my energy level (I don’t think it has anything to do with turning 30 recently!!).
Thanks to all who continue to pray and send me updates via email and mail – you are such an encouragement to me!
8.27.2010
8.23.2010
And it begins...
“There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.” 1 Samuel 2:2
The kids are here! After much preparation, school began on Wednesday. It was fun to meet the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classes. Each class is so different and there are definite language barriers. I am spending the first two weeks with the kids in their English class, and then will begin pulling small groups a few weeks in. I’m enjoying getting to know the kids and their families. It is a very open and relational culture. I did discover this week that as I was trying to ask kids and parents their names, I was actually telling them “I love you”. Oh well… there are worse things to be said, right?
Doulos has a unique school community that runs PK3 – 12. Each morning starts with a school wide meeting at the flag. Snack, recess, and lunch are also times that the whole school has a break together. This has been great for getting to know some of the older girls as we begin to gear up for Young Life this year. I met a great group of junior girls this week and hope to follow up with them this coming week. Speaking of Young Life, give thanks for Chad and Krista Wallace for taking on the Committee Chair position for Young Life and Vida Joven (Spanish speaking Young Life)! This will be the first Young Life Committee for Jarabacoa. The committee will be made up of adults from the community and will be a solid presence in the community as staff come and go. Krista is also the director of Doulos, so they have a lot on their plate, but are super excited about Young Life/Vida Joven. We will have a kick-off for committee and leader interest at the Leader’s Weekend in September. Club (large group gatherings) and Campaigners (bible study groups) for high school age kids will begin after that. There is a lot happening right now and it’s crazy that I am here to be a part of it!
It’s still surreal to me as I walk to school in the mornings with the mountains all around me that God has called me to serve in the Dominican Republic! I miss home (a lot), but know that this is the place for me right now. Thank you for your continued prayers and notes of encouragement!
The kids are here! After much preparation, school began on Wednesday. It was fun to meet the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classes. Each class is so different and there are definite language barriers. I am spending the first two weeks with the kids in their English class, and then will begin pulling small groups a few weeks in. I’m enjoying getting to know the kids and their families. It is a very open and relational culture. I did discover this week that as I was trying to ask kids and parents their names, I was actually telling them “I love you”. Oh well… there are worse things to be said, right?
Doulos has a unique school community that runs PK3 – 12. Each morning starts with a school wide meeting at the flag. Snack, recess, and lunch are also times that the whole school has a break together. This has been great for getting to know some of the older girls as we begin to gear up for Young Life this year. I met a great group of junior girls this week and hope to follow up with them this coming week. Speaking of Young Life, give thanks for Chad and Krista Wallace for taking on the Committee Chair position for Young Life and Vida Joven (Spanish speaking Young Life)! This will be the first Young Life Committee for Jarabacoa. The committee will be made up of adults from the community and will be a solid presence in the community as staff come and go. Krista is also the director of Doulos, so they have a lot on their plate, but are super excited about Young Life/Vida Joven. We will have a kick-off for committee and leader interest at the Leader’s Weekend in September. Club (large group gatherings) and Campaigners (bible study groups) for high school age kids will begin after that. There is a lot happening right now and it’s crazy that I am here to be a part of it!
It’s still surreal to me as I walk to school in the mornings with the mountains all around me that God has called me to serve in the Dominican Republic! I miss home (a lot), but know that this is the place for me right now. Thank you for your continued prayers and notes of encouragement!
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