One Last Entry

Hola por la ultima vez!!! Hello for the last time from the DR!!!
This week is my last week writing as I will be leaving the DR in two weeks and packing up all my things. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy my final ramblings...oh and those interested, I will probably be starting a new blog from Kansas in Aug. so if you check here, I will post the new site address when I launch it!
Here we go:
Yesterday was my last full day of classes and the last day of meeting with 7th grade. I don't know if I ever shared this but, I have 3-4 girls in my class who daily perform a mini theatrical dance for me as I enter the class. Well, to my surprise, since it was the last day, they came in costume and fully prepared with a cd song mix for their performance!!! They were so cute as they sang and danced and basically made fools of themselves for me! But also to my surprise, after their performance they presented me with a handmade certificate and told me I was the best teacher for them this year!!! Wow, I was shocked and overjoyed!
I later gave each of them a card of affirmation and encouragement which I had thought of individually to motivate and just love them....it was a nice time. Next week I will only see them as they take their final exams.
The final play, talent show and craft days as well as the moving up ceremony will take place next week and then the teachers have closing duties. I can't believe how fast this year went!!
Anyway, on a spiritual tip:
Last year in April I was herevisiting in Santiago trying to decide if I felt God calling me to DR. To make a long story short, I was here for 2 weeks instead of one as my flight kept getting cancelled due to a storm in NJ. Anyway, during that time I found myself crying out literally, for God's grace and mercy over this nation as I was opening my eyes to the poverty and oppression in some areas. Well, funny how God has a way of saying "it is finished!" Because this past week while cleaning up around the house, there wasmusic playing in the backround and I was suddenly arrested in spirit to the pointI sat and wept!!! like I was crying out again for god to bring more of His glory here and to forgive us for not calling upon His mercy and love for one another here.....it was the same experience only a year later!!! It was like he said to me, now your time is complete and others will be moving forward....I was reminded though that no matter what nation we reside in, the promise is that if we HUMBLE ourselves and pray, he WILL heal our land. and be it USA or Haiti or DR or wherever, we all need healing and spiritual cleansing! Anyway, this time has been a myriad of emotions and lessons all of which I hope to carry into the next phase of the journey. the people have been a blessing as the culture andlanguage as well. Dominicans have huge hearts and its beautiful the way they value family. I can only pray that I have been an asses to others here as they have been to me.....end of life chapter DR MISSION next chapter KANSAS TRAINING ...thanks for sharing in these moments with me. God has truly changed me and shown me more of himself through this time. He is to be honored and glorified and praised. Amen
pray for financial blessing and continue to pray for the International School ofSanto Domingo as well as the DR and all other nations. Also pray for Tracy's kidney match as the testing will be happening soon.

Maybe Dorothy's not in Kansas anymore...

Maybe Dorothy's not in Kansas anymore, but it appears Iwill be!!! Well, for those of you who have been traveling this blog journey with me, here is the next phase. Asyou know I have been praying about a training program of bible study and the next level ofpreparation for my mission's calling and I finally have a plan...I think.
I applied to a program namedTHE CALL which is an Institute out of the International House of Prayer organization. They have a school there and various programs. I came about this by a "chance" meeting with a young missionary here in the DR.i have never met him before and never seen him since our one and only discussion, but it was definitely a purposed encounter.

So the program will run from August until June with a break for Christmas. And yes as per the title, it will be in Kansas City. Funny, I surely did not expect to be back in the states and definitely not in Kansas, but God had other plans. So I am excited about alot of the unknown, but I do know when you are walking in HIs will according to His purposes and timing, you can't go wrong.....trying to explain this to others, not so easy!

Anyway, I do randomly have a cousin living in the area and it will be a great opportunity to spend some time with her and her family. Otherwise,please if you can not join me financially, pray, pray,pray that my time there be spent trusting and listening so as to maximize learning. i know my time here in DR has made memore aware for the next part of the journey. I am trusting for wisdom and tangibly for finances and a part-time job once I get to Kansas. The program cost $1600 per semester not including books so I need to raise or earn the money by August and also have a means to put gas in the car and pay for living. Iknow God will provide as he has here in DR. I thank you for your prayers and I am excited to see how my life will bechanged as wellas the lives of those in my path, as God continues to transform and conform me to HIs likeness....this has been a strange trip, but like Dorothy, I am learning there is no place likeHOME...Home being the shelter and dwelling of the FATHER. thank you all for your support.

ps DR is doing well. LeonelFernandez won president and so he will continue which is god news. I am tidying up loose ends and in 3 weeks adios muchachos!!!
pray for my financesand traveling mercies as well as direction and spiritual foundation for my roommate. Pray for wisdom, favor and peace.

just a day...

just took a day at the beach with some friends...4weeks to go!

Welcome to the Jungle!!!

Wow, so this is election wek herein the DR....For about the past 3/4 nights there has been crazy noise as the candadates do their final campaigning through the streets. Yesterday my roommate and I wanted to go to the mall to eat and it was incredible! The streets were jammed packed in every direction with people hanging out of cars and yellin.....most of them I think just like the attention and rowdiness. There is lots of chaos and no gov't control which is ironic asit is a political rally! Anyway, EVERYONE is drinkin and trucks with speakers even motorcycle contraptions shoutin out stuff.....We saw a minivan that had literally been flipped over in the middle of the street! I think I will be staying inside until it is all over.....but wow I have never seen anything like it.
If I have learned anything here, itis an appreciation for structure and order in life....a world without rules while seemingly liberating, causes chaos and more confusion....nothing can get done like that!
So the elections are tomorrow and when the president is chosen people will either rejoice or riot. I pray that God will permit hte person who will truly serve His purposes and bring thisplaceto advancement. It will not be easy. Its like ignorance or lack of knowledge or lack of education are rampant and stability, dicipline and integrity are hidden. But if God canmove mountains, he can change this country. so. thatis all for today.

take a breath...and release YES!!!

ok well today was the big show down...7th grade had the debate and though I was not able to watch (as Iwaswith my other class), I heard it went well. We finished our novel yesterday and many responded very well with respect to Jesus and following him. I gave each one a gospel of John in spanish and they actually seemed interested in reading it!!! I pray they will continue to develop their walk with GOd as we discussed in class is very necessary in life.

grade 1/2 was excited to do their hip-hop performance and it went well. THey made a mess with confetti on the floor and did a nice job explaining Australia and our classwork to the parents. Now I can exhale......

This week we will have only 3 days and then a 4 day weekend and the following 2 weeks are teaching review and the last week and half are exams and final talent shows....I can not believ how fast it all went. All in all it was a great experience and I just hope I can unravel allI have learned and did and not just let it pass by. God is so gracious that he knows the plan even when we don't and for that I need to remember to trust Him as He is in control.
Please pray for this country and the presidential elections tis week as it can get crazy and the DR needs gov't stability! Also pray for Kari (the other missionary) as she has been having many health problems. Finally, please pray that I make the correct choices for the coming year, and that I trust financially god knows what I need and how I can earn it! thanks enjoy the photos!

Calling all cars!

Racers, start your engines......vrmmmmm
Ever notice that at the jump of the race you are amped up with adrenaline and excitement and somewherein the middle you get a bit weary but thank GOd for the final lap where you are at the brink of victory...you can hear it, sweat pourin down, you can taste it.....you just gotta finish welll........
Welcome to my last lap. This week marks the last of the unit finals and the next 3 weeks are full of clean up, close down and semester exam reviews. we have many days off in the next few weeks observing a country holiday Corpus Cristi, and the presidential elections are May 16 so for safety and to get voters school is out the 15 ad 16!

I am wrappin it up with the 7th grade and their Bronze Bow novel....my ability to educate them on the ways of GOd as per the Torah and the Bible has been going fairly well and we are in the home stretch in terms of me preaching!!!! So I am strongly asking that all of the fans ( and fellow prayers) please pray that all 12 students in the class will have learned accademically, but have their hearts open to God spiritually as well. They have been showing an interest and understanding and I pray that GOd will call them to know HIm more deeply after this class. Please pray that the next few days will be fruitful ones. That the seeds planted in their hearts will mature and grow.
The first grade is revvin up fo rth efinal presentation and food fair saturday and then we will be preparing a little somethin for mother's day which is observed here May 25th. Other than than please please pray about my finances, my future decisions for next year, and that all financial and other details be tied up here before I leave. I truly am grateful for how much I have learned and grown fromthis experience and now it is truly time to finish well and move to the next adventure.....I know that when you lead God'sfollowing you will always be where you need to be in the right time. pray for the country at election time, and pray mostly for my students and I as we sprint the last 50yards home.....

Irony

This week as I think about the fact that it is already May, I am strangely aware of how comfortable I had become in this "third world"environment. Its funny because we as extranjeros (foreigners) think that people in other countries know that there is lack....but I guess that depends on what you consider lack andon what side of the wallyou are looking from.
Here in the DR there is a huge dividing line between rich and poor. The rich live well with maids, cooks, chaufers and experience all the luxuries of the average american. Many of these families even children have expressed to me that they love to visit the US but would never want to live there. That was so contrary to what I would have thought. They believe that in the US drugs and drinking and money and all of life's stresses are greater...you know what? They are right.
The families here that fall in the poverty line are the ones who act as maids and cooks etc. They have many kids and some barely go to school. The ones who do, are stuffed like sausages in classes that only run half day and are generally taught by peoplewith a degree but not necessarily in teaching. Therefore the teaching basically consists of taking notes from aboard for about 3 hours. To these people, going to the US is dream. They live off the image of bball players, rappers and celebs who roll around in money. Only to realize the big dissapointment that being in the US and having money means pressure and alot of work!!! Therefore, many of these either never get to the US or when there, they begin to act illegally to obtain the dream.
This is ironic to me really...one man I met on the street said he lived in Texas and decided to come back to the DR because here people can relax and party and there it was work work work.
Now in terms of family the relaxing and spending time seems viable, but look around, we celebrate a labor day in a country where the majority DON"T labor!(DR) Now in the US on this same holiday, we usually don't relax with family!! I suppose there are lessons from each side to be learned.
I beleive it is all of our responsibilities to teach the next generation about balancing work, and play and education. On the top of a hill there sits a family with a beautiful house with walls around it....immediately outside is a dengue, malaria infested river but they don't see it! How do we open our eyes to the cry of our nations to restore them to their intended prosperity? By allowing GOd to open our hearts and becoming who He has intended us to be....Please pray this week that we would be open ..there are nations in famine and dying because of lack ....and others continue to flow....this is not as it was intended to be and we can do something about it. Specifically pray for Haiti and the Sudan. May we not take for granted what we have no matter what side ofthe line we are on.