Well we hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We were thankful to be able to make it back to the states for the holidays. We spent Christmas with the Bykers in Philadelphia and rang in the New Year with the Rauschnots in California. We had a great time spending almost three weeks surrounded by family. We especially enjoyed watching our 15 month niece, Eliana (Bruce and Sarah) as she was has just begun walking. We feel so blessed to have had such a long break and are feeling ready and energized to start a new semester.
Before we can move on to that, though, Joe and I wanted to catch you up on what we did the last couple weeks of school, starting with Thanksgiving.
For Thanksgiving we and 3 other couples (and Patch, of course), made a short journey to Cabarete beach for a weekend of fun and relaxation. We arrived Thursday afternoon and instantly began preparing for our first Thanksgiving dinner in the DR. It was a huge combined effort and was quite the tasty meal. Joe was very happy that where we were staying had a tv and cable and was able to watch a LOT of football over our 4 days there - including Michigan's first win over Ohio State in 7 years! We also spent lots of time on the beach and Patch had a pretty good time too. The waves were HUGE but we eventually got him out in the water with us. He was pretty exhausted and maybe even a little traumatized afterwards, however. Overall it was a great weekend spent with friends and regenerated us for the next three weeks of school.
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| Our perf Thanksgiving spread! |
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| Joe was so excited to watch College football for the first time all season! |
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| Patch passed out after his first ocean experience. |
December also meant my very first Expedition Night. This is a night where the students at Doulos compile all of the information they learned during their expedition and put it into a final product form for parents and members of the community to see in an open house style. As you may recall, 6th grade's expedition was on coral reefs. We spent a week preparing for this night, creating posters, displays, and preparing a presentation. I was so amazed at how much my students had really learned and their passion for sharing this with others. They came up with all of the ideas for our final products - which was awesome for me since I did not have to do much thinking! Their presentation was based on the "domino effect" showing how one thing leads to the next in the case of dying coral reefs as well as with healthy coral reefs. I was so proud of each and every student as I watched them during their presentation and how much wisdom was in their words. I must admit, when I began this expedition with this group of 11 and 12 year olds, I did not think it was such a good idea. I thought that the information was way over their heads and that they would not appreciate the experience. However I have been converted. I totally underestimated the power of learning through experience and am still in awe at how much these kids really did learn - not just the ability to recall information, but actually applying what they had learned and teaching others about it. Wow!
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| Ysmayar, our narrator for the night, explaining the different effects educated and non-educated people have on coral reefs. |
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| Frailyn starting off the domino effect |
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| The boys being boys |
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| The whole group at the end of the night - I was exhausted! |
Once expedition night was over it felt like we were on the downhill towards Christmas. After just one week of classes, we were free for three whole weeks! There was still much to do with getting grades out and passing out report cards. The weekend after expedition night, we had a Christmas party with all of our neighborhood kids. We had contacted our Sunday school class back in Tennessee who agreed to put together little gifts for 10 of our neighbors ranging from ages 4 to 17. Joe let them all know that we wanted to have them over for dinner that Saturday at 7 pm. Saturday rolled around and the kid's anticipation was palpable. They were waiting around all day long for the party, none of them straying very far from the front gate of our house. When 7 pm rolled around, we invited them all in and had dinner, soda, and dessert ready for them. Once they had finished eating all of the chicken and tostones (fried plantains) they could possibly stomach, we pulled out the gifts and handed each of them their bag. We wish every one of you could have been there to experience the joy on their faces They were thrilled, surprised, and SO GRATEFUL for these gifts! Each gift bag had some type of candy, a New Testament Bible, toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss, mechanical pencils or markers and a notebook or sticker book. It was as if these were the best gifts they had ever received. After they all had gone through their gifts and said thank you a thoasand times, they ended up staying around for several more hours. Joe showed them all his TRX trainer and even let them try it out. Then we taught them to play a game called Signs which they loved. Finally around 11 they said their reluctant goodbyes, gifts in hand. What a night! I am not sure there is any greater joy than giving. We are so grateful for our friends back in Tennessee who were willing to do so and enable us to create this lasting memory!
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| David, 4, enjoying food - I do not think anyone left hungry that night! |
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| Evelyn with her gift! |
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| The kids love sliding down our stair case - Cristal, Evelyn, and Clari |
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| The girls and me watching the boys on the TRX |
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| Frandi trying out the TRX |
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| Group pic! |
After our Christmas party the next week flew by. We ended the semester by attending the wedding of one of Doulos' staff members, Jerry Cabot, to his beautiful bride, Leidy. Jerry is originally from Puerto Rico and is a huge asset to our Doulos staff. He knows how to connect to his students, and especially ministers to our middle school boys. I know that I am expecially grateful to have him on the middle school team and have gone to him many a time for advice!
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| Jerry and Leidy, the newlyweds, with the Doulos staff |
Jerry and Leidy's wedding was a beatiful finish to our first semester here at Doulos. Sitting there and hearing them say their vows, Joe and I looked around, surrounded by our new friends we had made in the Dominican Republic, filled with joy at how God has provided for us here. We are so grateful for all you who have chosen to support us in prayer and financially and are amazed at how God has blessed us. As Joe and I were flying back to the Dominican Republic, we gazed out the window as we were leaving Miami and both agreed that we were excited to be heading back home to the DR. Many of you may know the song by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes but home really is wherever Joe and I are together.
Soli Deo Gloria
