Goodbye 2015, Hello 2016

I couldn't think of a better way to end this year than spending the last couple weeks with my family and friends here in the United States. It was different leaving the Dominican Republic this time, because it had become my home, not just finishing a short term mission trip. Yet, I felt like I was going home, too. I started to wonder what or where is "home" anymore. But those thoughts were quickly tucked aside when I saw my family waiting at the airport and later walking into momma's house all decorated for Christmas. It has been a time of rest, refreshment, and catching up on life.

I've spent a lot of time traveling, but have enjoyed some much needed downtime. I've been able to see all the Christmas lights I love at this time of year. I've bundled up in layers to brave the cold (yes, 40s and 50s are cold compared to 80s or 90s). I've had to remind myself how to drive, and not by Dominican rules (stoplights/stop signs aren't optional). I've made many trips to Walmart (and other stores) and packed out my suitcase for the trip home with things I can't find in the Dominican Republic. There are moments I've found it very strange being able to understand people wherever I go, such as church, the store, restaurants, and not having to have someone translate for me. I've had my fill of my favorite foods (and put on a few pounds). It is great to see my family and our time together has been so precious, but a part of me misses home. I wonder what my students have been up to, how my neighbor is doing, and I miss the sun and warmth. It's like being caught between two worlds, but I'm learning to enjoy the moment I'm in.  

Earlier this evening I mentioned to my family that I wasn't going to post anything about the new year because, academically, we are only halfway through the school year (so it doesn't feel like the end of a year). But, it makes sense to look back at this time of year to see all that I've come through and look ahead to what the future may bring. I started 2015 with this verse and it only seems all to fitting to claim this verse for the next year:"But forget all that- it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland." (Isaiah 43:18-19 NLT).  God's ways are so much higher than mine. 

Looking back...

This past year has been a year of major changes! I loved living back at home with my mom for several months during my transition time. It gave us some good time together before I moved out of the country. She was so willing to open her home to me. For that I am very grateful!  After a short interview process I accepted a teaching position at Santiago Christian School in the Dominican Republic in February. In many ways I felt like I was taking a flying leap into the unknown. However, God had been preparing me long before this. 

The school I had been teaching at for 11 years closed its doors in May. Letting go of this familiar setting was hard, but I had to trust that God had a perfect timing for this tough change. I really enjoyed my last year with a great group of students, and goodbyes were very difficult. I knew that was the end of one chapter, but the beginning of the next.

My younger sister graduated from high school. It was a time of celebration and time to let her test her wings. I'm glad I was here to watch her finish her senior year. She's accomplished so much in her high school years and I couldn't be more proud of her! She is now in college to be a dental hygienist and working two jobs.

I made some great memories with the junior high and high school youth groups. It's been a joy watching students grow in their relationships with each other and seeing their commitments to follow Christ. I treasure the memories we've made over the years and the relationships I've made with them as well as the youth sponsors. One of my greatest moments was seeing one of our students baptized in Lake Michigan (it was freezing). I will admit I miss the interactions I had with the older students since I moved to the DR.

I also watched my niece graduate from preschool in June. I can't believe she's started kindergarten. Time is flying! All three of them are growing up so fast. Two are now in preschool and one in kindergarten. 

My big move to the DR happened in July. I love the song "Day One" by Matthew West. This felt like it was day one of the rest of my life. It was a new beginning, a fresh start. The following months were full of adventures and learning how to live and teach in another country. I was able to make a classroom into my classroom/our classroom. Now it is filled with student work and projects to show what we've studied. I also had several opportunities to travel this beautiful island, and I still have so much to see.  

I'm so grateful for the support system God has given me both in the US and the DR. The other teachers and staff at SCS have become like family to me. We have laughed together and cried together. We've rejoiced on the easy days and encouraged each other on the rough days. I couldn't be in a better place. I am thankful for the times that God has answered my prayers like I wanted (like getting the job at SCS) and the times He chose something different (like months of severe migraines). 

Looking ahead....

I am excited to see what this next year will bring! I continue to adjust to life in the Dominican Republic, and I'm sure there will be more changes/challenges along the way. My goal is to learn the language and be able to reach out more to the community in whatever ways that God opens doors. I want to grow in my relationship with God, so I can be a living example of Christ for my students. I may not know exactly what will happen in 2016, but I have seen God prove His faithfulness to me time after time and that won't change. So....

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

A Time of Thanksgiving and Adventures

I can't believe it is already December!! I have been in the Dominican Republic for almost 5 months and in less than two weeks I will be going home to visit my family. I am so excited! I love technology, but nothing can take the place of being in the physical presence of your family and friends. School is flying by. My students are teaching me important lessons as much as I'm teaching them.

We've had a lot of fun learning about animal adaptations in science, starting multiplication and division, and learning how raisins are made in reading. At Thanksgiving I had them put all the things they were thankful for onto note cards and we made a bulletin board full of our blessings. It got them thinking (and me) about all the things God has given us and reminded us to be thankful for not just the good things but also the hard things.

My roommate, Kyla, is busy prepping the students for our school music program. We are getting into the Christmas spirit, as much as we can with the temperatures here being in the high 80s or low 90s, with music, baking (they bake, I eat), and lights. I bought and decorated a little Christmas tree, which I must say I'm very proud of.

A couple nights ago Darlene drove me around looking at some of the Christmas lights in town. We figured out that most people decorate inside, because we didn't see many outside decorations. There were a few brightly lit trees. I love Christmas lights!

In mid-November Santiago Christian School had a Family Fun Day. The parent's association did a great job putting this event together. So many people were involved in pulling this off. There was a great turn-out. The students couldn't stop talking about all the fun inflatables, the great food, and the rides they went on. It was awesome to see our campus full of students and their families!

Thanksgiving was very different for me this year. The Sunday before Thanksgiving the SCS staff did get together for celebration with all the traditional foods for an American Thanksgiving. We ate till we couldn't move and ate some more. We enjoyed fellowship and a time of worship. It was like a big family get together- with my Dominican family. But, I wasn't home for the Thanksgiving traditions of cooking dinner with my mom and sisters, eating together around the table, sharing blessings from the year, playing games, and eating leftovers for days to come. This year I spent Thanksgiving traveling around the island. 

A couple other teachers and I headed to the southern part of the Dominican Republic for a few days of vacation. The drive was beautiful and took us through the mountain back roads of the country. I loved driving through the small towns and taking "peeks" into the lives of Dominicans. I always said that traveling wasn't just about reaching your destination, but enjoying the adventures along the way. We had construction, winding/rocky roads, GPS sending us in circles, stopping for cows, etc. After several hours of driving through winding roads, we made it to Barahona.

We stayed at a bed and breakfast that was right next to the water. It had a pool, but we were gone so much that we didn't actually use the pool. The first night we just settled in and enjoyed the view of the sunset over the water.

Genny taught us a new game- Unexploded Cow, which sounds like an interesting game, but is quite fun. It reminded me of the games my family would play after our Thanksgiving dinner (adding in lots of mosquitoes).

The second day we set out early to go to Bahia de las Aguilas- "Bay of the Eagles". We stopped several places along the way to take pictures of the incredible view.

We decided to stop at the Haiti/Dominican Republic border, because I hadn't been to the border before and wondered what it was like. It had a chain link fence that separated the two countries.

It used to be open for market days and people could cross back and forth. But, in recent months they have closed it down. You could see people of both sides talking and a couple people were sending food to the Haitian side. As we left, I felt a sense of sadness, knowing the difference between the quality of life between the two sides, and I can't do anything to change that for those that struggled. We continued on to Bahia de las Aguilas. It is part of a reserve, so you go to this restaurant where you pay and take a boat over to the beach (only a few minute boat ride). We stopped at Lover's Beach, a very small beach on the way, to do some snorkeling.

Then we went on to the main beach. I love walking the beach looking for shells. I also got to do some more snorkeling. I could see starfish and multi-colored fish. The reefs look pretty healthy. The water is beautiful with so many colors of blues! It's really clear too. I love that we can go to the beach at the end of November and it's still warm. It was a long day, but a great day, enjoying God's beautiful creation- from sunrises and sunsets to the Caribbean Sea and everything in between. The next morning I was up with the sun. I had to get some pictures of at least one of the breathtaking sunrises I see daily here in the DR. It was so worth it! I sat in stillness as the waves broke against the shore and thanked God for blessing me with eyes to see and ears to hear.

This day we decided to travel all the way around Lago Enriquillo. It is the largest salt lake in the Caribbean. It is rapidly growing for reasons not entirely clear.

The government actually had to relocate a whole town to higher water because of flooding issues. There are trees that have been completely submerged over the last few years.

We saw quite a few rhinoceros iguanas running around. This one kept yawning (or maybe he was telling me to back off), so I waited with my camera ready for the next "yawn". They weren't scary at all (except when they all came running towards us at the beginning).

It is home to the largest population of American Crocodiles in the Caribbean, which frequently came to mind as we took a boat ride around the lake. I must admit when the boat driver first pointed this crocodile out I was very skeptical that it was even real. I thought it was a fake placed there to wow the tourists. We sat there watching it for several minutes without it moving, mouth open. UNTIL, it turned and flipped into the water right in front of us. Then all skepticism was gone.We saw quite a few in the water around this cove area. And I was secretly praying the boat wouldn't malfunction right then. The boat ride was an awesome opportunity, since it took us right through the trees that were partially submerged and right up to the crocodiles. It was over an hour ride. Well worth it.

Our last stop was at a Taino cave right down the road. The hike up to the top was not entirely pleasant by this point of the day, but it was interesting to see the carvings and the panoramic view of the lake from the top was breathtaking. Unfortunately, I started feeling ill and this was the end of sight-seeing for me on this trip. However, our adventure did not quite end, because on my way to dinner I decided to lock the door on the way out of our hotel room and leave the key inside the room. I felt so bad since we had to wait a while for them to find the right key to unlock it. Later, I was able to laugh about it. What is a trip if it doesn't have memorable moments?

We stopped in Santo Domingo on the way home to pick up some things from IKEA. This place has so many things, including escalators (and those that know me know I love escalators!). After some rearranging, we were able to load up the car and head back to Santiago. So, maybe this wasn't my traditional Thanksgiving, but it is definitely one that I'll remember.

Today Darlene took me to Camp David, a hotel and restaurant up on the mountain, which has an amazing view of all of Santiago on a clear day. We watched the clouds roll through and were able to see planes fly in to the Santiago Airport. 

It is always hard to get back into school after a break, but we had an awesome week. I think counting down days until Christmas break is helping us have something to focus on. Both students and teachers are in need of an extended break, and I know many of us are very ready to see family back in the states! 

So these are snippets of my Dominican adventures from the last month. My pictures don't do justice to the beauty all around me. Every day I stand in awe of the place God has called me to serve- from the sunrise to the smiles of my students to the sunsets each night. 

Choosing Joy

Be forewarned. This is going to be a consistent theme in my writing for months to come- choose joy. In chapel at school we have been talking about the fruits of the Spirit. We started with love in the month of October. This month we are focusing on joy. Honestly, I know there are some fruits of the Spirit that I struggle with more than others, but joy wasn't something I thought I'd ever put at the top of that list.... until now. God is showing me how many times I do not have joy in the midst of my current circumstances. The past two weeks, as the students are learning about joy, I also am convicted. For too long I have confused joy and happiness. Happiness is a feeling- it comes and goes. It is temporal. It is an outward expression. It is dependent on external situations. Joy only comes from the Holy Spirit living inside of me. It is something I have to choose. I can be joyful in moments of sadness, loneliness, and tiredness. I can be joyful when things are not going as I planned. I can be joyful when I've had a rough day. Why? Because I choose it. And when I do, God's supernatural power enables me to see past my circumstances. The times I have the least joy are often the times I stop trusting that my God is in complete control, whatever may be happening. So, this is the lesson God is teaching me currently.

It has been a busy month. My headaches continued, so I was able to see the neurologist. After her exam, she ordered several tests, including an MRI. I've learned over the past several weeks to be content in resting. There were days I had to give control of my class over to subs and realize that was okay. As a wise doctor told me, "These students (your classroom) are not yours alone. They are God's, and we are all in this together as a team." I have had very good experiences with the medical staff here in the Dominican Republic. I know a lot of people have been praying for me, for which I am very thankful. After lots of rest and some new medications, my headaches have become much less severe, and I am slowly building up strength to have a social life again. My students (and their parents) were very patient with me and I know many days I wasn't easy to have as a teacher. God has a perfect timing for everything. I got the tests I needed. I got some much needed answers (yet still some questions remaining). It's a continual learning process of how to be the teacher my students need.

In the midst of resting, I've been able to slip in a couple days away. This past weekend I went with a group of friends to a beach up north called Buen Hombre. It was a more secluded beach. We walked the shore, finding some amazing shells. After lunch we went out in a boat to see some mangroves and possible manatees (we didn't see any manatees). The trip had a rough start with the waves picking us up and dropping us (like a roller coaster). This resulted in some of our group having to return to shore. The rest of us went out for try two. It was better and we learned to link arms to keep from being thrown around (and I moved to a better spot- not in the front). The mangroves were so cool to see in person (I'd seen pictures or exhibits). We kept saying how peaceful it was driving through them.
Then we continued to a sandy key in the middle of the water. It was just a little island with fine white sand, shallow areas around it, and reefs beyond that. We swam around, enjoying the view, the peacefulness, the beauty, and each other's company. We don't have pictures of the boat trip since no one wanted to risk losing a phone off the boat or in the water. It reminded me of the lyrics "You make me brave, you make me brave, you call me out beyond the shore into the waves..."

I loved seeing a new part of the country up by Monte Cristi (close to the Haitian border). On the drive there and back we were stopped at military checkpoints. Our driver, Hugo, knew exactly what to do and we had no problems. No trip around this island is ever the same. There are always new things I learn about the culture, the people, the land (such as the rows and rows of banana trees we passed). I've met new people and grown in previous relationships. I'm learning to open up and not be afraid to experience life with others.

 Parent/teacher conferences have come and gone. I am so appreciative of the parent's support at SCS. I enjoyed getting to talk to a lot of them and hear more about their student- their hobbies, interests, etc. The parents I talked with were so happy with the class and how their student was doing. My reply was that it is only God working through me, as this is my first year teaching ELL students in another country and there have been many adjustments.

Our neighbor continues to be a huge blessing to us. She takes us shopping on the weekends and recommends outings to places we haven't been yet. She has been available for me the last couple months as I've had severe headaches and listened when I needed someone to talk to. She translates for us when we go places. God knew what He was doing when He put us, girls, in this apartment.

As the holidays approach, I find it's a little harder to be away from family. We had our Thanksgiving traditions, and this will be the first time I'm not home to be a part of them. I was able to make plans for a weekend getaway, which I am very excited about (thanks to my dad). I'll have more to say about that in a couple weeks. In 35 days I will be heading home to see my family and friends. For many of us, this cannot come soon enough. But for now, I will continue to enjoy my students, friends I'm making here, the amazing adventures I get to experience, and the awesome 80-90 degree days here in the Dominican Republic.

Teacher to Tourist

It's only been a month since I've posted, but it seems like so much longer with everything that's happened since that update. I'll try not to bore you with details and hit the highlights of what I've been doing.

I've started Spanish lessons! That's a really good thing, not just for me, but for all those around me that can't speak English. It is a slow process (and here I thought I'd be speaking Spanish fluently after week one- bummer). I am content now with increasing my vocabulary and putting one sentence together at a time. It may be broken sentences and slow going, but it will come (as everyone encourages me it will). I'm finding my students are excellent teachers (when 10 don't talk at the same time and they talk slowly). They've even learned to write things down for me, because when I see it I grasp it better. Their favorite thing right now is trying to teach me to roll my r's and then proceed to show me how well they can do it compared to my inability. I keep telling them my roller is broken. Spanish lessons are one hour a week, but I am constantly asking Profesora Ruth questions, because she is right down the hall from my classroom. I'm so glad she's patient with me!


My weekends went from very slow to very busy the past couple of weekends. At the end of September my two roommates and two other teachers took a few day off and drove up to Jarabacoa (further in the mountains).

lunch on the mountain- beautiful view

It was a wonderful getaway (in spite of several severe migraines that occasionally took me down). I needed the change of scenery and something to take my mind off of school for a bit. It was definitely a change of pace. Some days we walked to waterfalls (didn't get in because the mud from the rain made it really brown).

We rode horses along the river. My favorite times were reading on the deck as I watched amazing thunderstorms roll in or making smores in the fireplace during the cool nights.

back of our cabin- we spent much time
on this deck!

It was much cooler at night, but still was pretty warm during the day. We could almost bet on a thunderstorm rolling in around 3 pm every day. I spent some of my time floating in the pool looking at the mountains and clouds. It was a great mini vacation.



Last weekend our neighbor, Darlene, took us to Santo Domingo. It is about 2 to 2 1/2 hours from Santiago. She had lived in Santo Domingo for many years and knew exactly where to go and how long everything would take. The drive was beautiful. I will never grow tired of seeing the mountains and green rice fields.

The traffic as we approached Santo Domingo reminded me of traffic back in Chicago, Illinois.


We went to several places, starting with Columbus' Lighthouse. It is in the shape of a cross and at night the lights make a cross. This is where Columbus' remains are supposedly at, but a couple other countries claim to have his remains too.

The view of Santo Domingo and the Caribbean Sea from the steps of Columbus' Lighthouse was quite breathtaking.


We went on to see Tres Ojos (when there are actually four if you count the one you have to take a raft over to get to). These are four bodies of water down in a cave- three of which you could walk up to. It was VERY humid, not cool like a cave you would think of.

Then we drove to the colonial part of the city to see Columbus' son's house. It had replicas of a lot of the furniture and other decorations from that time period. This governor's house was built in the early 1500s and reconstructed in the 1950s. I LOVE the architecture with the stone and arches. I said over and over how much I'd love a house with all those beautiful arches and intricate stonework details.

After touring the house/museum, we continued walking down Calle Las Damas to the mausoleum- Panteon Nacional.
Again, it had beautiful designs and arches. This was where important people are laid to rest. I am really glad Darlene was along to be our translator. Everything was in Spanish and even though I can pick out words, she could help clarify the significance of these places. We continued walking to Parque Colon- the central square of Ciudad Colonial District. Here we saw a large statue of Christopher Columbus (that was home to flocks to birds).

Some especially liked the spot on the top of his head. This place also included the Cathedral of Santa Maria la Meno, which is the oldest cathedral in the Americas, completed in 1540.


We walked down Calle El Conde- a pedestrian only street with street vendors, many restaurants, and a variety of shops. I loved seeing all the colorful paintings for sale along the side of the street. If only I could have gotten a few to brighten up our apartment. One seller saw I was the only one in our group without sunglasses and tried to convince me to buy a pair (not that I could understand his Spanish). We had lunch at a food court down the street.

At the end of the street there is a white marble mausoleum containing the remains of the three founding fathers- Juan Pablo Duarte, Fransisco del Rosario Sanchez, and Ramon Matias Mella. Both mausoleums we saw had the eternal flame.

After walking back up Calle El Conde, we were quite hot and tired from a busy day and decided it was time to head home. I am thankful for Darlene's willingness to take us to all these places.

School has been keeping me very busy. Lesson planning and grading for a teacher are never done (at least for me). Nights are spent attempting to catch up on school work, a short break mentally, and sleep. My students and I have gotten into a good routine during the day. We have pretty much adjusted to Reading Street and Everyday Math. I am finding that I am getting much more comfortable in teaching the curriculum and am now trying to add things occasionally to break up the repetition of the schedule. The differences in teaching in the United States and the Dominican Republic are getting somewhat easier to handle, and God is giving me much grace. I have found that in previous years of teaching I have been able to do a lot on my own, without complete reliance on God. I had fewer students, a smaller school, a more flexible schedule. Here I am finding that I CAN NOT do this in my own strength. Oh, I try! For a short time, until I find myself back on my knees asking God for His guidance and wisdom. And He gives it, just when I am at the end of myself.

Honestly, the last few weeks have been very difficult. I have had daily migraines (more severe and frequent than the ones I had in the states). This has made it hard to cope with the continued adjusting to life here in the DR. I have spent some days laying in bed for hours. I've struggled with the enemy attacking me emotionally, physically, spiritually. Occasionally a good day would come and I would make it through without a migraine or intestinal issue and I would be so thankful (like yesterday)! But what He's teaching me is to thank Him on the rough days too. The days that I think my head will fall off, or my students just did not understand what I was teaching, or my emotions are going crazy, or homesickness hits me. Those are the days I need to choose to be thankful. Thankful that God shakes me out of my complacency, that He gives me one more day to impact these students, one more day to live, a friend who says something that encourages me, a verse that speaks to my heart, and safety. A lady in our woman's Bible study was robbed last week and it shook me up, since she lives one street over from us. I spent days in fear that the same could happen to me. Over the last week God has given me peace that nothing will happen to me that He doesn't allow. He is in control and I can't live in fear. I have to trust His sovereign hand over my life. I will be cautious, but not fearful.

In our ladies Bible study we are going through Jonah. There are so many things I'm learning from the life of Jonah. I've reminded God is a God of grace. It's in my weakness that He can display His strength. I can walk in confidence that He will give me everything I need, when I need it. I can continually yield to Him and His purposes for me, even when they don't make sense. All He requires of me is obedience. Jonah's life was interrupted, and at times so is mine. But those are opportunities, opportunities to let God write chapters in my story that are far beyond my expectations.

I will finish with this. God is teaching me that He can only use me to the extent that I choose to yield and follow Him. I want my life story to reach others far beyond my life here on earth. Today is a day to do just that!