Year Three!

"Ask me whether 

what I have done is my life."  

(words taken from William Stafford’s “Ask Me”)

In reading Parker Palmer’s Let Your Life Speak, I ran across this William Stafford poem.  These words intrigue me as I begin my third year in the Dominican Republic.

Am I letting my life speak here?  Or am I letting the busy-ness of responsibility take over and letting my true purpose get lost?

I had the most refreshing and life-giving summer I’ve had in a very long time.  I was blessed with visits from friends and family, time to read and journal, opportunities to share about life in the DR and meet with many of you, time to exercise, and time to enjoy sitting by the water.   I was blessed by the simplicity of life for a few weeks and because of that the transition back to the DR has been the easiest one yet.  

Third graders Nathan and Maralis

On the first day of school and I was SO excited to see the kids!  I am still teaching third, fourth, and fifth grade English.  My fifth graders this year are my third graders from my first year... it is so fun to have them for a third year.  I’m excited to see the high schoolers as well and spent an afternoon making cookies with a few girls last .  I feel blessed by the depth of relationships here and am excited for what this year will bring.

Third graders Adrian and Akiva

Please pray for this year and that I would not allow busy-ness to take over.  My natural tendency is to be busy for the sake of being busy.  Then I become overwhelmed.  However, this year I want to focus on the simplicity of living life with others and the lessons I learned this summer.  I am so thankful to enter into this year with you.  It is amazing to know that this is not just my third year investing in this community, but yours as well!  What a journey we are on together and I could not be more thankful for your support.  I look forward to sharing pictures and stories from the year ahead.

Much love and peace,

Sara

Summer Newsletter

                                      
As any teacher anywhere knows, the end of school is bittersweet.  And leaves us wondering, “Where did the time go?”  This May was no exception at Doulos Discovery School.  The final week of school brought Math Madness Olympics 2012!  And it was madness!  Team Kenya (3rd and 10th grades is pictured above).  All week long students competed in math challenges based on their curriculum for the year... but in the style of Doulos, it’s done in a creative and adventurous way!  Answers often had to be sent down a zipline to an awaiting team member, sprinted across a field, and even shot with a paintball gun.  The bonus round included shooting a faculty member with the paintball gun.  Don’t worry - with all this adventure, Doulos is first and foremost about safety and supervision!  What a great week for students to celebrate all that they have learned this school year.  Graduation was another joyful night of celebration on June 2nd.  Glenys, our Young Life Student Leader of two years, graduated that night.  She plans to attend college in the States and is praying that her funding comes through.  She has been an amazing student leader and even though I will miss her tremendously, I’m so excited to see how she will be serving next.

The Third Year...

As you know, I have agreed to continue serving in the DR through Doulos and Young Life for at least another year.  Many of you initially agreed to support me for two years, because that was what I initially agreed to.  I do not feel released from here yet and would like to invite you to continue this journey with me.  I am still in need of financial and prayer partners.  Please indicate your recommitment on the included card.  Thank you so much for your support over these past two years.  It has been a joy and privilege to share and serve with you.  

“Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. 

Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy." 

Habakkuk 3:2 

 RAIN...

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.  “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.  As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth:  It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”          Isaiah 55:8-11

Young Life Camp!

Doulos high school girls at breakfast

As the rain comes down from heaven….  OH, and how it came down!  Our weekend at Pico Escondido last month was filled with rain.  The hardest, longest rain I’ve ever experienced.  However, one of the Program guys shared these verses with us during a leader’s meeting on the first morning and it struck a chord deep within my heart.  Just as rain does not return to the skies without serving its’ purpose, the words of our Lord do not return to Him empty.  And isn’t that what Young Life camp is all about?  Teenagers hearing the word of our Lord.  And so I rejoiced in the rain – knowing that as it drenched us, the Lord was speaking in many ways that weekend and His words were drenching the hearts of teenagers.  Thank you to all who made it possible for kids from Jarabacoa to go to camp!  We took over 30 high school students from our area!!  

Following Camp, we met with the high schoolers for Bigger/Better Club - starting with a small item and visiting houses to trade for bigger or better items...  Here are some things we received.  The winning team came back with a mattress!

We traded a straw for some sweet Math textbooks...

And then a beautiful plant...

Expedition Night

Continuing with the rain theme … “When it rains, it pours”, right?  All good things fell close together this year.  Following our YL camp weekend, we had Expedition Night at Doulos.  This night is a celebration of learning.  The focused areas of study for my classes were: third grade Ancient Egypt, fourth grade Incan culture, fifth grade Immigration. 

Immigrants getting seasick

Incan weaving

Ancient Egypt - Check out Leah's shirt....Thanks, Dad!

As for the rest of the school year, we have just three short weeks until graduation!  Our year will end with a week of Math Madness Olympics 2012…complete with teams of one lower grade and one higher grade, uniforms, and an Opening Ceremony with a torch and some fire. :)  I’ll keep you posted…

Me

Keith, Kerrie, Lexie, Lorraine, Me, and Krista

Recently I had the privilege of attending the National Expeditionary Learning Conference in Denver, CO.  I attended with 5 other Doulos teachers.  Our week in Denver proved to be a valuable one.  Our days were full of classes and conversations with other EL teachers from around the States.  We left absolutely exhausted, but with awesome ideas and larger picture of EL learning.  We are excited to process everything and implement new strategies in the coming Fall.  We also made some amazing contacts and are looking forward to new partnerships.

On my way to Denver, I was able to stop in VA and attend a friend’s wedding.  What a special blessing to be there (thanks Abi and Jorge!) and see a few a friends and family along the way. 

And here are some fun pics from the past month or two...

Some of the Spring Break crew at the beach

old friend, Daniel Kuckuck, visiting with a Work Team!

I will be in VA this summer and can’t wait to see many of you!  Thank you for your support through this busy month!

Love and peace,

Sara

Service

“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

This verse has resonated deeply with me for many years… I actually picked it as my “Senior Quote” for my high school yearbook, oh so many years ago! This simple, yet complex verse is one that I come back to over and over again. Service… When done from the heart of Christ can be humbling, joy-filled, hard, teary, freeing… The Son of our precious God came to love and serve those that walk this earth – and I am called to follow in His footsteps. It can seem like a daunting task at times, and one for which I am not worthy… but He makes me worthy.

The mission statement for Doulos Discovery School reads: “Equipping and educating servant leaders through Christian discipleship and expeditionary learning to impact the Dominican Republic.” I love the first part (I love it all, actually, but the first part is relevant to the above thought) - “equipping and educating servant leaders through Christian discipleship…” Our students are constantly being mentored in what it means to be a disciple of Christ and to serve as He did. This past week was our annual Service Week at Doulos. Each grade decides on a Service project out in the community of Jarabacoa, as well as surrounding towns. This is not a time for us to serve ourselves with projects on campus, rather a time for each student to experience going out into the community and serving freely. I got to spend the week with fourth grade and had a ball with them! Those kiddos are so dear to my heart (if you’ve come to visit, you know those sweet girls from 3rd grade last year…). Their guide teacher got them started on making fun English games and manipulatives for a public school up the mountain, in a town called Manabao. At the end of the week we were able to take these things to the students. Our students ran centers and taught them how to use each thing. Pictures are below!

Whisper Phones - genius idea.

blocks!

Amy and her new friend working on a puzzle made by the 4th graders

Issac (middle) leading his new friends through the centers

Young Life has also been kickin. We are preparing to go to weekend camp in one month! It will be a great time for kids to be taken out of their normal environment and to experience the love of Christ through fun, laughter, meaningful conversation, crazy games, good food, and so much more. If you would like to be a part of helping kids go to camp, please email me at sdrebes@gmail.com! The cost for one kid is about $80, which is much more than most have here. We are currently running some Serv-a-thons to give kids a chance to earn camp scholarships; however, we are in need of a few more sponsors. Let me know if you are interested! Pictures of our first Serv-a-thon below!

Pamela, Steffy, and Sharleen

Yeudi!

Naomy!

Yuedi, Belinda, and Eridson

Last month was super fun because my little brother, David, came to visit! It was great!! We had fun hiking and eating good food for a week. I may have even surprised him with the Spanish version of Monopoly while he was here because he loves that game so much… heehee… It’s so great to have visitors from home – the only problem is I now miss Dave more than before.

David and I

Random Fun Pic
Ruth, Me, Leah, and Justine at a "Favorite Sport" birthday party

Okay, my friends. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of saying “thank you”. Your support in all ways makes every one of the above things possible. May you know the sweet peace of our Savior today.

love, sara

the good news

“Have you taken your hands off of your life?”

 I had the privilege of attending the Young Life All Staff Conference this past week in Orlando, Florida and these were the words Tim Keller left us with on our first morning together. Hmm… He continued the next morning with the statement, “If you believe the Gospel, it restructures your identity.”

 We are called to first let the good news of our Lord, Jesus Christ, infiltrate our hearts and change us from within, before bringing that good news to others. In Young Life, we form relationships with people in the community to bring that life-changing news. I was challenged by Tim Keller’s words – have I taken my hands off of my life? When he asked, I had to honestly answer no. Sure, I am outwardly serving Him each and every day… but our Lord looks deep into our hearts. And deep in my heart, I like to maintain control over a few insecurities. So, now I am resting in the truth of the good news – that I am “more wicked, yet more loved, than I ever believed” (T.Keller).

 Returning to Jarabacoa, we are about to start our programmatic events with Young Life. Please pray for our leadership team that we would approach this semester with Christ as our focus and love kids through His love and power. Please be especially lifting up our student leaders – Rebekah, Daniel, and Glenys.

 I am adjusting to my new schedule at the school and truly finding joy in the kids that I work with. We will be entering the “expedition season” soon, which is always exciting. Also, the whole school will take a break at the end of February for Service Week. I love that each grade in our school serves the community in all different ways for a whole week! It truly shows the revolutionary love of Christ.

Thank you all for your continued love and support. I am so grateful for each one of you.  Don't forget to check out the pictures below...

much love to you, Sara


Housemates Lorraine and Rachel on Lo's bday



Friends Christen and Kerrie at Lo's birthday dinner

Below are just a small handful of the people I got to see in Florida

(really the only times I remembered to take pictures)

The Florida fam
Ryan, Robin, Giovanna, & Maddox and Barry, Gretchen, Jackson, & Cannon

Sarah Bond and I finally made it to Harry Potter world!
Hello Hogwarts!

Fun times catching up with Dave and Maureen

Friends Andrea and Jeremy - who are coming to the DR soon, right?

Happy New Year!

“The great enemy of the life of faith in God is not sin, but the good which is not good enough. The good is always the enemy of the best.”-Oswald Chambers

This quote by Oswald Chambers begins to explain the Fall semester for me. There were so many wonderful things about the past few months – teaching English, leading Young Life, bible studies, discipleship with Rebekah, Spanish classes, accountability groups, tutoring… but all of these wonderful things left no time for being in relationship with those around me, or for maintaining relationships with those far away (you!).

As I was praying about whether or not to stay for a third year, I also began to pray about my schedule. I didn’t want to give up anything because they are all good things; however, I knew something needed to change for a better balance. The solution in my head was to work at Doulos Monday – Thursday and to have Friday as a workday for Young Life, allowing me to do both of my jobs well, rather than just getting the minimum done. I met with our Managing Director who has a gift for seeing the whole picture. He saw my whole picture and countered my idea with a three day work week at Doulos and two days for Young Life…. AND he said rather than thinking so far in the future to next school year, he didn’t see any reason why this change couldn’t take place in January.

Our Heavenly Father knows what we need.

I felt so encouraged by that conversation with my director and am learning the importance of recognizing my limits. By being open and vulnerable with my situation, the Lord went way above and beyond my expectations for this year and next. With that being said, I am planning on staying for a third year. I am excited to see how this new schedule shakes out and how the Lord brings out the best, not just the good.

Please be praying with me through these changes. It has been wonderful co-teaching with the third, fourth, and fifth grade teachers this year. Please pray for them as they transition into this new schedule as well. Also, please pray for me as I begin to structure these new workdays – for wisdom and vision for the ministry of Young Life in Jarabacoa.

I am thankful for you and your partnership. It was so refreshing to be with some of you over the holidays. I hope to see more of you during the summer. Please let me know how you are doing and how I can be praying for you!

Much love and peace,

Sara

Happy Thanksgiving!!

“Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” Deuteronomy 8:2-3

I was reading in Deuteronomy this week – actually in my hammock while camping with 5th grade for our Bird Expedition (I teach at a sweet school!) – and was reminded that in the unfamiliar is where God meets us and where our hearts turn to Him. I have spent over a year now in an “unfamiliar” land that is now beginning to feel normal and more like home every day. However, I was reminded this past week walking into Supermercado Jarabacoa and seeing Cherry Coke, how comforting the familiar can be! So comforting that I bought six cans, when I don’t even drink Cherry Coke in the States! So, as I live and work and play in an unfamiliar land, I take comfort in the truth that the Lord continues to shed light into the dark places in my heart so that I may be molded to more and more like Him.

This Fall has been a whirlwind of school and Young Life. With zero holidays this semester, all teachers are counting the days to Christmas break. It’s been a great semester, but I am ready to rest.

Young Life Update
So MANY good things from the Lord – new leaders, a new schedule, special events once a month, co-ed Campaigners bible study, one-on-one leader/student discipleship, our first All-City Young Life and Vida Joven Club… I am just enjoying getting to know these high school students better and better. Below are some pictures from our Fall events.

Rebeca, me, and Emily - YL staff getting ready for All-City Club!

All-City Young Life/Vida Joven Club

Young Life Scavenger Hunt - we found Waldo!!

Friday afternoons making posters for Young Life

teachers Keith and Kerrie disguised during our YL Scavenger Hunt

YL leaders and our Doulos Managing Director, Tim, and Whit disguised during the Hunt

Doulos Update
We are nearing Expedition Night, so things are busy with 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade! I was able to go rock climbing with 3rd grade as they explore Simple Machines. And this past week, I went camping with 5th grade on a Bird Observation trip. Our kids are learning some amazing things!

5th grade camping trip for our Bird Expedition

learning to use the binoculars

Thank you for your continued prayers and support. I feel it deeply here. Please pray for me as I discern what next year holds for me. It’s hard to believe my two-year commitment is almost complete. Below are some photos from life here.

Iron Chef - DR style
2 teams
Tri-State Area vs Kansas
Secret ingredient: yuatia

Tri-State Area wins!!!

Much love and peace,

Sara

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