Outdoor Education Week

"Roar, sea, and every creature in you; sing, earth, and all who live on you!  Clap your hands, you rivers; you hills, sing together with joy before the Lord, because he comes to rule the earth.  He will rule the peoples of the world with justice and fairness."  Psalm 98:7-9

Hey all!  One of the unique things about teaching at Doulos Discovery School, is that every September we have an Outdoor Education Week.  This year I had the privilege of taking the 4th and 5th grade students camping again.  We hike with our backpacks up a mountain in Manabao and camp at a site for 2 nights.  During this time the students have classes to learn about the environment around them, reflection time to enjoy the Lord's creation, and plenty of time to play and be kids!  Below is a link to YouTube - it's the only way I could figure out how to upload the file.  Enjoy the slideshow....there is a surprise at the end!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LN1N9aWjUX4

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!

My 31st birthday surprise dinner!

good friends - leah, me, and meg

me and lorraine...can you find us??  It's Tim's 30th birthday - G.I. Joe style!

Lorraine and I

Year Two

“So then, anyone who hears these words of mine and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain poured down, the rivers flooded over, and the wind blew hard against that house. But it did not fall, because it was built on rock.” Matthew 7:24-25

I flew back to the DR on a Saturday and these were the words shared at church the next morning. I was filled with hope for the coming of my second year here. Reflecting back on the past year, I can truly see the value of the challenges I faced (and still do), yet rejoice in the foundation I have in our Lord. His strength is beyond compare.

The summer went by in a whirlwind – precious time with family and friends, 

Bywaters and sweet Anna



Jackson!

Cannon!

parents moving, an ESL conference, games of Antelope, the final Harry Potter… and suddenly I was packing to return. It is always hard to leave, but so good to be back in the DR. I returned to my own apartment for the first time and it really felt like home.

The past two weeks have been filled with workdays at Doulos as we prepare for students to arrive tomorrow! The first week back we focused on our Slice. A Slice is a mini-expedition that the staff does each year about something on the island. Last year we learned about the sugar industry and visited a Haitian batay. This year we learned more about public education in the Dominican Republic. We spent a day doing research and visiting local public and private schools. The next day we visited a public school and did various service projects: painting chalkboards, making classroom signs, designing and painting a mural, pouring concrete, sharing ideas with teachers, cleaning and painting the basketball court, and reworking the lighting.

Lorraine and I painting chalkboards

Keren, Rachel, Me, Christin, Kate, and Heather

This was a blank wall at the start of the day - we have some very talented artists on our staff!

Our final day was spent brainstorming a final project for expedition. We decided on a teacher mentor program through providing materials, ideas, and training. This is the most amazing part to me – our entire staff devoted a day to making materials (language games, math manipulatives, posters, a training PowerPoint) for another school. I’ve always been so self-focused as a teacher at the beginning of school. What do I need to get done before kids arrive? However, our focus was completely on another school and how we could help them before their students arrive. I was reminded yet again how special Doulos is and what a blessing it is to be a part of this community.

Picking black raspberries....it was a slow start...

Thank for your continued support as I begin another year here. Please pray for our teachers and students with school starting tomorrow. Young Life will be starting back up in a few weeks and we will need a new space for Club – please join with me in praying for that space. Pray specifically that it will be centrally located and free of charge. I am so excited to have you partner with me on another year here. Please continue to stay in touch and send news from your corners of the world.

Combining of worlds in Fredericksburg - Jill, me, Meghan & Sara (both from the DR), Sam and Amanda



The NY girls - Jessie, Lynne, me, and Andrea

the lovely Bethann

One of my favorite people - Gretchen

But we finished strong!
Rachel, me, and Amanda

Much love and peace to you,
Sara

The First Year

Dear Friends,
One year. It’s hard to believe that I have completed my first year in the Dominican Republic. What a ride it has been! It has been amazing to be able to share this experience with you. What a gift to have such wonderful people around me to lift me up and support me. Thank you.

Doulos Discovery School. Moving here in July I really had no idea what to expect, other than what I read about on paper. I’ve come to realize just what a special and unique school this is. It’s been amazing to watch and experience students from different cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds interact. And not only interact, but share and celebrate their cultures and traditions with each other. Just last night, we had a Talent Show where many students presented traditional dances from each country – and these kids can dance! However, what I have enjoyed most of all throughout the year is having the servant heart of Christ as the center of it all. Doulos is Greek for bondservant - someone who has been set free but chooses to remain and serve. It is a beautiful thing to watch this lived out daily. I struggle to actually put this into words. So you should really just come and experience it for yourself!

Young Life has also been an amazing experience. I have been challenged in some hard ways leading a team as I adjusted to a new culture. However, the Lord is faithful and I feel blessed by the challenges I faced. He has molded my heart and stretched me to make me stronger in Him. I came in knowing the ministry of Young Life very well, but never experiencing the Dominican culture. It turns out kids are kids! Who knew?! I love teenagers! They make me laugh. My friend, Rebekah, can sing the Haiti version of “We Are the World” in all the voices of the twenty-plus singers as we are driving around Jarabacoa. It’s awesome. And hilarious. She and I are hoping to begin a bible study together over the summer and into the fall. You can continue to pray for our time together. It’s amazing to watch the Lord break down barriers and begin to form real and trust-filled relationships.

Thank you so much for making this year possible. I can say in all honesty that it simply wouldn’t be possible for me to be here without your support. Financially, I am one hundred percent supported by you. Prayerfully, you have given me the strength to make it through the hard times and experience the sweetness of brokenness. Thank you just doesn’t seem enough.

Much love and peace,

Sara

So I'll stand
With arms high and heart abandoned
In awe of the One who gave it all

So I'll stand
My soul Lord to You surrendered
All I am is Yours

Hillsong United

I’m beginning to realize that my first year in Jarabacoa is coming to a close. Just one short year ago I had accepted a calling to come here and was beginning to tell people at home about the journey ahead. It’s hard to believe. So much has happened in your lives since I’ve been here… and so much has happened in my heart this year that I struggle to put it into words. My posts this semester have not been as regular as I would’ve liked them to be – and I think part of the reason is I just don’t know how to verbalize things sometimes.

Brokenness. Seems like a negative word at first; however, there is nothing sweeter. Real growth does not take place until the soil has been prepared. It continues with care and pruning. This year has been a time for the Lord to break into the deep parts of my heart that have been hidden unknowingly. I can truly rejoice in the brokenness I have felt this year. “So I’ll stand with arms high and heart abandoned in awe of the One who gave it all.”

Doulos – Four weeks left until graduation on June 11th! It continues to be a busy time of year (as any teacher anywhere knows).  :) The big news – we just completed our official ACSI accreditation visit and all signs point to Doulos being an accredited school for the 2011-2012 school year! We will find out officially in July. This is a huge step for the school and a LOT of work has gone into making this happen. Very exciting. In these last few weeks of school, I hope to soak up the time with my kids. They have worked so hard and I’m finding myself realizing how much I’m going to miss them over the summer.

Young Life – YL is also coming to a close for the semester. We have Club this Tuesday where Tim will give the Cross Talk. Please pray that kids would be excited to come and hear the message. We will have one more Club and then be finished for the semester. The Lord has blessed our time with high school folks this year. I’ve enjoyed being able to pick up girls in my car to have more frequent hang out times. I will be sad to leave for the summer.

I am excited to see all of you, though! I will be in the States for about 6 weeks this summer, mostly in VA and NY. I can’t wait to give hugs all around! I feel as though you have been on this journey with me and I can’t wait to see your faces. I truly would not be here without you and I hope you know how deeply I feel that.

love and peace,
sara

Semana Santa

When the hour came, Jesus took his place at the table with the apostles. He said to them, “I have wanted so much to eat this Passover meal with you before I suffer! For I tell you, I will never eat it until it is given its full meaning in the Kingdom of God.
 Then Jesus took a cup, gave thanks to God, and said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. I tell you that from now on I will not drink this wine until the Kingdom of God comes.”
 Then he took a piece of bread, gave thanks to God, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in memory of me.” In the same way, he gave them the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is God’s new covenant sealed with my blood, which is poured out for you.”
Luke 22: 14-20

This is one of my favorite times of year. This past week provides rich times of reflection as we begin the week with Palm Sunday, encounter Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and end with the Resurrection on Easter. I pray that you know the love God is pouring out on you. He is Risen! Happy Easter to you!

My first Easter in Jarabacoa turned out to be a memorable one. It began with an informal sunrise gathering at the river this morning with a few friends, singing hymns and reading Scripture – all in our pjs. We shared a yummy breakfast together and then headed to church. In the afternoon, my roommates and I had a few friends over for lunch and of course, an Easter egg hunt (we dyed eggs together yesterday).

Me, Leah, Lo, Em, Rach, Erica, Amanda, and Brit in between egg  hunts...
yeah, we had so much fun with the first one we had to hide them again!!

I have also enjoyed a week off from school for Semana Santa. I spent the first half of the week camping on a beach with a couple of other Doulos staffers. It was absolutely gorgeous. Here are a few pictures, but there are more on my Facebook page if you are interested. It was a wonderful few days of sleeping, snorkeling, eating, reading, and repeating! We saw shooting stars at night and a whale swam by in the morning. Just beautiful.

Leah, Brit, and Me

Our campsite.

Before school let out for Semana Santa, the students were able to show off their hard work at Expedition Night. Here are the third graders presenting on Ancient Egypt and the ninth grade performing original poetry after a study on hip-hop. Plus a second grade animal from Australia!

Young Life continues to be a fun time with high school kids. Here are James and Sugiery – King and Queen of Nerd Prom Club.

Anna and Me

Three of our best YL leaders!
Tim, Brock, and Mer

It’s hard to believe we have only three Clubs left before the summer!

Thank you for your continued love and support.  I can't tell you how much you encourage me daily!  I'm beginning to realize I'll be seeing some of you relatively soon... how time flies!  I'm excited for hugs all around!  Love and peace to you. ~ sara

pictures, pictures, pictures...

Dad and I hiking a waterfall

Mom and I hiking back down from the waterfall

Mom and Dad at the Lower Jimenoa

the "new" car!

Mom reading to the 4th graders - they LOVED it!

Mom and Dad after a long waterfall hike... lookin' good!

Chrissy and 3rd graders - they love her!

Jill is loved too!!

Silliness before Jill and Chrissy say good-bye to 3rd grade

My sweet third graders

Chrissy helping during Service Week at the public school

Me, Jill, and Chrissy eating pico pollo!

News...

"But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir."
Galatians 4:4-7

God has placed the Spirit in my heart and my heart cries out.

What a beautiful thing to progress from a slave, to a son, to an heir. This is what we focused on during our staff devotions this morning. The discussion struck a different chord with me this morning as I thought about dear friends going through the adoption process. After many years of waiting and logistics, they brought home their little girl recently! While reading this scripture in Galatians, one of my co-workers commented on how we are adopted into the Father’s kingdom. Something I’ve heard before, yet this time, after following bits and pieces of a friend’s journey to adopt, was struck by the magnitude of it all. Just as my friends have persevered and faithfully sought their daughter, Jesus has faithfully sought me (and continues to do so!). A little child waiting adoption has done nothing to deserve to be picked by a family – they are simply naked and helpless. It is the same for me before the Lord. What a humbling and amazing thing.

Personally, this past month has been filled with big news! First of all, I have unpacked my suitcases for the first time since moving here!! I now have a dresser to hold my clothes in the apartment and it is definitely beginning to feel a little more like home here. Second of all, through prayer and God’s direction I am now the proud owner of a 1999 Mitsubishi Montero! I am excited to be able to pick up high schools kids to hang out, give rides to YL Club, transport YL sound equipment and supplies, etc. All of this was being done by one couple who were happy to do it, but definitely feeling the strain of being the only ones who own a car. My high school friend, Rebekah, and I broke in the new car by going for ice cream on Sunday afternoon. Finally, this month has brought my first visitors!! My parents were able to come for about a week and half and we had a great time! Mom and Dad experienced most of what Jarabacoa and the D.R. has to offer in their short time here, even hiking one of the most difficult waterfalls! Also, two good friends just finished up a visit here. Jill and Chrissy (both from Fredericksburg) were here for a week and it was so good to have them here. I miss my family and friends being here, but know that the Lord is growing me in different ways.

Doulos. Last week was Service Week at Doulos. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday each grade level served a different part of the community with various projects. It’s a week where kids get to experience service to the community around them. Some of the projects that took place were: 5th and 12th grade travelling to a batay and working with kids in the community, 4th grade built a road at a local camping site, 2nd and 3rd grade did activities with a local public school in the afternoon, high school art painted a mural in town, middle school kids served those adults that serve us on campus…. and the list goes on! At the center of all of this service is our love for Christ and His calling on our hearts. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45 It was so great to have Jill and Chrissy to be a part of Service Week with me!

Young Life. We had Club last Tuesday and kids once again heard of God who loves them. Please continue to pray for relationships between high school folks and their leaders. Please continue to pray for our leaders as all of the stars are aligning right now to make this a busy time in our lives. We are approaching the mid-way point of the semester and it is the time that we all start to hit our valleys. We so appreciate your prayerful support of this ministry!

Thank you so much for your letters, emails, notes, packages, thoughts, conversations, and prayers. I think of you often and feel so blessed to have such an awesome support system. The Lord is using you here. Thank you.

A new semester

“You are like light for the whole world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bowl; instead it is put on the lampstand, where it gives light for everyone in the house. In the same way your light must shine before people, so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.”

Matthew 5: 14-16

Hello!

I have just returned from a yearly women’s retreat held here in Jarabacoa at the Catholic Retreat Center. I am feeling refreshed from the time spent in a quiet part of the town admist the beauty of the Lord’s creation. The above verses from Matthew were assigned to me at the beginning of the weekend for reflections. At first, I did not bond with these verses. But the Lord opened a deep part of my heart that has been hidden from even me. My people-pleaser personality has kept me, at times, from truly worshipping our King. Without realizing it, I have focused more on the people around me than the calling on my heart. I experienced beautiful worship this weekend and as cheesy as it sounds, I hope to let my light shine a little brighter.

The start of the second semester has been a busy one! The big news – I am now living in an apartment with two other teachers, Rachel and Lorraine. We moved two days after returning to the country! It was quite the whirlwind! Rachel is a first grade teacher and Wyldlife leader (Young Life’s middle school ministry) and Lorraine is an English teacher and Accountant, as well as a Young Life leader. It’s great to share a house with other women interested in investing in kids’ lives. Already we’ve hosted our high school girls bible study (Campaigners) and will continue to do so every other week. Rachel hosted a middle school girls sleepover (I vacated to a friends house for the night!).  One of the high school girls came over last week after school and just hung out for a few hours. It has been wonderful to have our home open to the community here. Even though I miss my host family, our house is truly a blessing.

In the midst of moving, I was also able to join friends at the beach for a long weekend in January. We had a four day weekend with holidays here, and it was nice to have the time to go to the beach and relax with friends. It is really beautiful here this time of year.

Doulos. The semester started January 11 and things are in full swing. A few of my ESL kids have moved back to being with their classroom teacher. Yay! One of those kids is Priscila from the video I posted a couple of weeks ago.  February should be a fairly normal month for school, which I am looking forward to! I like meeting with my kids consistently. Then, in March, I am looking forward to Work Week, when all grades take three days to serve the community in various ways.

Young Life. We had our first Young Life club two weeks ago and started off with a bang. We gave away a summer camp scholarship for the high school student who arrived wearing the most t-shirts. Melisa won with 47 shirts! It was a fun night. Please pray for our next club this coming Tuesday, February 8.
Also, I have been praying for a few months about purchasing a car here. It was not in my original plan to buy a car; however, after arriving and living the first semester here I can see how much this culture depends on transportation. If kids don’t have rides, then just won’t come to things even if they are within walking distance. Because of this, I began contemplating trying to buy a car. I have some extra funds in my account at the moment and am feeling led to use them towards buying a car. Would you pray with me on this? I don’t just want a car to have a car, but rather one that is big enough to pick up kids for club and campaigners, to transport food for the Young Life leaders, to take the sound equipment to and from Young Life and Wyldlife club… My budget is on the smaller side, so I am praying for an SUV that can handle the roads here and is in good shape. I’ll keep you posted!

I think that is it for now. It was great to see some of you last month… and really sad to miss others of you. I do think of you SO often and look forward to hearing the latest from you.

Much love and peace,
sara

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Young Life Leader Christmas Party and WHITE ELEPHANT!

YL Christmas Club - Mr. Christmas Tree Contest

Nelly, my Spanish tutor





My women's small group bible study

3rd grade expedition project

4th graders Priscila and Heidy talking about their expedition project of recycling paper.
Priceless.



Happy Thanksgiving!!!

My table at Thanksgiving dinner

4th graders making paper!

For LOST fans... I think I found "The Hatch"

Rebekah and I at YL camp

During Club at YL camp

YL camp

3rd grader Mayelin rock climbing at Pico Escondido as we explore Simple Machines