November 30, 2007

On November 8, I returned to the states from the DR, and since then I have spent time in four states and traveled through four others as I have attended G.O. staff meetings in Louisville, KY, and the National Missionary Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio, and visited family and friends in Virginia and Alabama! The time has been fun and exciting, though I have to admit to being a bit tired from all the traveling. Now, I am in Louisville, enjoying staying in one place for a while, until December 12, when I return to Virginia (via a two day visit in Georgia) to spend Christmas with my family and then return to the DR on December 31 to celebrate the New Year there!

During my last month in the Dominican we hosted three teams (one that was there when Tropical Storm Noel hit!) and celebrated the school’s 24th anniversary, and I also finished up my formal observations and meetings with the teachers, hosted a teacher appreciation meeting for all the staff at the school, and wrapped up my English classes in Hoyo de Bartola and Hoya del Caimito, so my days were pretty full!

Celebrating the school’s 24th anniversary on October 26 with the students and teachers at the school was a great experience! The first picture to the left is of the Administration and a few teachers on the day of the celebration. Our pastor, Gabriel, who started the school in 1983, is at the center of the group. As part of the celebration, the students each drew pictures of the school, and the Administration asked me to select winners from each of the sessions, which was a challenge! It was amazing to see how far the school has progressed from the small house that Gabriel first used to provide around 30 children in the neighborhood a Christian education to the three story building that now provides 420 students a Christian education! Some of the artwork was very impressive, and one of the students who won had taken part in Jen’s art classes earlier this year! She is the student pictured to the right.

Because of my work with the school, I had limited contact with the teams, one of which went to Batey Nueve to do construction and children’s ministry, and another that was from Crestwood, KY, and offered a soccer clinic and a medical clinic in La Mosca, one of the poorest areas of Santiago. However, I was able to spend more time with the third team, which was from California and was in the DR from October 27 to November 3, because when Noel hit, all schools were closed in the DR for three days. It was an interesting experience to be with a team that had traveled so far to work in the DR with their partner church in Hato del Yaque and had left a state where wildfires were raging, that then had to wait out a Tropical Storm and was not able to “do” anything for the first part of their trip.

This experience became one that several team members said was quite a learning lesson for them, and it was one for me as well. The first day of the storm, we were all optimistic that the rain would pass over quickly and we would be able to “get to work” – it is very easy in the Dominican to not pay attention to weather reports, as just about every day is beautiful, so even I did not know that a tropical storm had hit the island until toward the end of the first day. At points the rain would break or slow a bit, and we were able to get out and visit the school for a tour and do a short tour of the neighborhood.

The second day was a different story, however, as the worst of the storm hit that day and we all realized what was happening, and that we would be staying put for a while, unable to do the work that had been planned for the week. Thus, on top of feeling a bit confined and “stir crazy” was the feeling of frustration that we all face when our plans are clearly not going to be followed, mingled with the desire to get out and help the people who were dealing with the effects of the storm. The picture above is of one area of Santiago that flooded during the storm.

That morning, though, we were challenged by the G.O. staff member in charge of facilitating the team, John Martinez, to take some time away from the group and in prayer to ask God what He was leading us to do with this time that seemed to be “wasted.” What came out of that time was an obvious calling to prayer, for the people of the DR, for people back home, and for each other. As a result, this group of 13 people, most of whom did not know each other prior to their trip, came together in a way that I have not seen a group come together since I first moved to the DR and started working with teams. Throughout the next two days, they spent time worshipping God, praying, and being open to where God was leading them to go in a way that would not have happened had they done what they were “supposed” to do according to the plans they had made for their trip.

When, after three days, the rain finally broke and it was safe to travel, instead of being frustrated or irritated about the time they spent waiting, the team members were renewed and refreshed by their time with the Lord and focused on doing His will and listening to His Spirit guide their every step, which led to some truly Spirit-led experiences while ministering to and with the pastor their church supports - he and his family are pictured to the right. It was truly a remarkable week.

Following the storm, during the first week of November, I wrapped up my English classes, having conversations in English with the students to put into practice all they had learned. It seems hard to believe that these classes, which first began in January, have ended, and it was exciting to hear my students speaking in English, some more confidently than others, but all of them having grasped the basics of the language! The picture to the left is of my students in Hoyo de Bartola after I gave them their certificates for completing the class. I will begin new classes in January, and some of the students in this class have expressed the desire to repeat the class to continue practicing their English and improve their skills.

While it was clear that they learned and have gained confidence through this experience, what has encouraged me the most is how God has moved in their lives and in mine through the course of the class. One member of this group was baptized over the summer, and God has used all of them to teach me about what is most important in life. Hoyo de Bartola is one of the poorest areas I have seen, and yet my students there have a positive outlook on life and a joy and contentment in the daily experiences of life and opportunities God provides them that I have not had in my own privileged life in the states. I have never truly wanted for anything materially, and yet I have not had the peace and joy I see in my students here in the Dominican who have so very little materially. This has challenged me in my own faith, and when I begin to feel frustrated by an experience or overwhelmed by the events of my life, the witness of their lives in spite of the challenges they face on a daily basis humbles me and reminds me to look to God, remembering that He loves me, He is in control, He knows more than I do, and He is good.

When I am back in the states, it can be easy to get caught up in the rush of “getting things done” according to plan and being overwhelmed by all that has to be done; however, I pray that throughout this time I will remember these lessons God has taught me over the last few months. I pray that He will also guide each of you to take some time away from the “busyness” of the holidays to take some time to spend with Him in prayer and to find joy and contentment in the daily experiences of your own lives, regardless of whether or not your plans work out according to schedule.

May God bless and keep you all!

Con el Amor de Jesucristo,
Catherine