oh yeah the dog too..

sorry to all you dog lovers but if anyone has a rifle I would love you to send it!!! it seems that not only is there a generator behind my bedroom, but at 3 to 4 a.m. daily you will hear a do howling to another and the doggie bay battle begins ....it is killin us for sleep so I have a bit of black around the eyes...yes, in this place noise comes in many forms! kidding aside, the enemy is working hard here....is it because there is much potential here¿ I think yeah. todo la gente alla ora! people pray!

Y Entonces?.....

OK well school has definitely begun with all of its regular stress and first week happenings. The kids are good and the particular challenge I am facing is that they often understand the concepts but not the language I am using to convey it so it is difficult to gauge their level of intelligence. But ...the show must go on and i hope to communicate better soon. I am talking so much in spanish )broken as it is! and I plan to meet with another teacher at the school to learn more.
tambien,
I began walking to work because it is fresh and cool at 5'45am and there is no other time to exercise and the driver for all te teachers is always late...something that is very typical of dominican culture! I have to be at school by 6'45 and it only takes about 25 minutes to walk there. also it´s good because last week I met some pulic school kids and we walked home and chatted. I also get time to reflect and SEE the country. I was reminded of the need when I walked by a small river with mountains of trash on either side...ther is no sanitation here and no regard for the land. This place needs prayer for people to respect themselves and their land.
tambien,
I think i mentioned the noise and the traffic is rediculous well listen to this, as i was walking and trying not to get killed yesterday ...because people hit you and keep going as that is the rule here....I saw a few kids riding horses through the street...I thought it was odd but all of a sudden a car came speeding and hit the horse the kids went flying and I stood in shock...then like it was nothing, the horse got up, the boy got back on and they rode away! lol this is not the US!
Final,
Pablo the electrician and I are becoming great friends as he is at my house daily bc things are always broken. But he asked me if I was a CHristian and in spanish I said yeah and began to talk with him. please pray that through others in his family and friends he will come to know Christ. I also have a parent in my school from PA she works here as a missionary nd she is involved with community development, she is excited to speak with me about creating a community center so please pray that this connection or another will begin to open the door in that area. This week I will be attending a new church with a friend David, it is supposed to be a great experience so I am excited.
Otherwise, I am well, GOd is more than enough and I feel good. Please continue to pray for my family at home my sisters seem to be having some problems. con mucho amor, Jaime

Aidria, Publico, Henry and Dios

ok ok ok so I am sitting in a small bodega with some small ants on the keyboard typing fats so I don't run out of my 30 pesos worth of time! Aidria is my roommate who is clueless and funny and never out of the country before and speaks not a lick of spanish...I have become a new translator all of a sudden! Next, Publicos....they are the transportation cars ahhhhh yes...the publico is a miracle from God! it is a toyota size car that somehow fits 7 people plus the driver if you don't mind body odor and a gear shift in your rear with a cracked windsheild, it is great cheap transportation! The other day on the way to the new school I saw a big cow eating in one end and peeing out the other!!!! This is not the US! Ok There is a little guy named Victor who takes us places in his car to work and stuff his friend Henry loves my roommate and bought her 120 roses from the street great right? except they were each individually wrapped and all night we spent openning them yippee!
Seriously ...the primero reason that I came here....Dios (GOD)
Side bar- when you begin tvo think in one language it is tough to switch to another!
sidebar over...
Well so far I have encountered an interesting thing which it seems many of the American teachers here have talked to me about God or wanting a new church or experience...maybe part of this ministry will be for americans here? I am noticing that in so much as GOd's beauty is here, there is soooo much noise to drown out the glory...like a huge distraction. Pray that the noise would suppress and His voice would be heard. Also it is soooo obvious that people are hungry for women and money and stealing and nasty talk are rampant. Also the consumption of alcohol is outrageous...Pray that God would perform a spiritual cleansing and surgery to transform minds and break strongholds. People are at odds racially too in terms of dominican and Haitain, pray that the Love of GOd would begin to transcend nationalities. Pray for the school International School of santo Domingo. THe teachers seem anxious to begin and happy and love kids which is good. the kids are fairly wealthy as it is a private school so pray for surfaces to be broken and depth of vision to be realized.
Lastly, I am going to a church called Nueva Generacion which has just finished a new building project and move ...sound familiar anyone? Anyway, Today was the first day and it was emotional for me as I began to sense the approach of this for CHrist Church as well...Pastor Toca and his senior pastor lead and I could feel GOd in the service...the pupose here is great! Pray for favor, radical praise and motivation for the church. Also safety in the spiritual realm......
As for me, I am praying for the new school year which will begin Thursday. I am to teach 1 and 2 grade and my supplies have been stuck in customs for about 1 week and getting them is a BIG MESS! But God reigns and dispite the MESS I will be teaching loving and nurturing young minds! Aslo pray as I begin to see exactly where and how God would have me begin the community center. I have been praying on some ideas and locations but nothing secure yet...financially things here are very expensive and pesos go fast so I have to use the phone and stuff sparingly.....I am NOT ABLE TO RECIEVE TEXT MESSAGES!!!!! FYI
Finally, friends and family I love you. Please pray for me as I will continue to pray for you. My God is great and greatly to be praised. I feel very comfortable and honored to be here. I hope to be obedient and effective in my calling for however long it will be. I am quite secure and just giving tremendous glory to God for he is known in all the earth and there are many who need to know him more. PRAY FOR THE NATIONS> Gloria Dios Amen.

Pack. Pack! Pack!! Pack????

Ok so seriously, how does one fit a two bedroom apartment into two 50 pound bags? Give up? The answer is pack, pack, scream, pack some more and oh yeah did I mention undo packing and repack? Really it is all a bit absurd! Anyway, after literally 2 days five hours and four people helping I have finally arrived at a reasonable luggage quota! So, tomorrow I will be on my way to Santo Domingo. All the preparation of stuff and still I am not truly prepared. It's a good thing I know the truth that "the man in the attic" (as Christina says) has got my back and he will give me the strength and wisdom for the journey. Thanks for all the support and love by all. Please pray for safety in travel as well as favor in customs and increase in language. I will be in touch soon. Hasta luego.

The Opportunity

Driving in the car onw Wed. afternoon, I knew I had to begin the search for a new place to work as I had lost all grace for my current job. The phone rang and a woman from the International school in Santo Domingo said that she had recieved my resume, wanted me to come to work there this year, and that I would teach reading and help to create a new elementary reading curriculum. She said that the apartment would be paid for and that the school would take care of basic transportation needs. Sounds good right? Oh and did I mention she wants me to start a community center in a Barrio nearby???? Does God have his hand in this or what? I will see Aug 20 when I arrive for my year commitment in DR.. I know He has plans greater than I can imagine. To work, experience, learn and help a nation is a blessing and I'm sure a true challenge ...welcome to the ride with me!

The dream

Earlier this year I had a dream, I was pregnant. I mean very very (gonna pop soon) pregnant! In the dream there was no one around and while I waited for my water to break, I began to feel extreme pressure. The next thing I knew I was all alone brithing a baby boy and praying that he would cry and breath. Suddenly when he cried I felt a man's hand on my shoulder, and then I woke up.

Interpretation:
Ok so it was weird yeah, but I knew it was meaningful. After much discussion and thought I realized it was a birth of a ministry or a vision that God had imparted to me. It was also clear that I would be alone to birth it but hwen all had started well, there would be people to support me. Hmmmm, cuold this be the community center?

The Birth of a Vision

Many years ago (1999) I had a incomplete concept of beginning a community center for kids. A safe place. A place of learning, fun, character building, education and skills training. A place to hear of Christ and learn to communicate. I can see it in my mind's eye but even now, I have no idea what to do to get to this place.
God granted me the opportunity to see a community which needs these very same things. He has opened my eyes to a culture so rich, so full of life and yet lacking in many of the tangibles: jobs, money, training etc. Can this be the place for the vision to be birthed? If so how?