Wednesday morning the new staff, their families, and the administrators (and their families) loaded up and headed to Puerto Plata to Gran Ventana (an all inclusive resort). I had my agenda of what I was going to do for three days including read, working on school curriculum, and swimming for hours each day. God had a different agenda for me, which included building relationships with the staff.

The minute we walked into the hotel I was quite taken back by the grandness of the entry and the view beyond it to the pool and the beach in the distance.
I knew I wouldn't be spending much time in the room. We checked in and went to lunch. There weren't just a few things to pick from on the buffet at each meal. It was option overload. They had several kinds of fruit, a salad bar, bread bar, dessert bar, different kinds of rice, vegetables, meats, etc. I was so full. And just when my food would settle it was time for another meal! Maybe that's why the pool isn't really deep, because people would sink and drown. By the way, I love being an adult and making the choice to go for the dessert first. I had to make sure I had room for dessert and this was the only way to do it. After lunch we found our rooms. The buildings were shaped like triangles with the rooms on the outside and a beautiful garden courtyard in the center.

Lori and I were surprised walking into our room for several reasons: First, it was as cold as a refrigerator (and unless you turned it off, you froze). I think I'm adjusting to being hot. We chose to freeze most of the time and enjoy being cold while we could. Second, we had no lights until we were later told you had to put your card in a slot by the door to turn on the lights (brilliant because you never had to remember to turn them off, you just took your key out). Even then we went without lights the first night since we couldn't find the switches (they put them in odd places we didn't think to look). Third, there was a big television with several channels including some in English (even though I wasn't ever in the room long enough to watch anything). Fourth, we had a refrigerator with soda and water and a beautiful fruit tray.

After our discoveries we got changed into our swimsuits and went exploring with several of the girls. We walked out to the beach, found where we could get unlimited drinks, and ended up back in the pool.

We spent the afternoon floating around, chatting with each other, and drinking pina coladas. Then we got ready for dinner. People tended to dress up more for the evening meal. Meals were one of my favorite times, not just because of the delicious food, but because I knew it was one of the few times during the day that most of the staff gathered and we could enjoy each other's company. No one was in a hurry to get done and move on. After dinner we got together (again in a frigid air conditioned room!) for a time of worship and devotion. This was another one of my favorite times. That first night each of us shared about ourselves including one thing that surprised us coming to the DR, I knew the SCS staff already from orientation, but it was nice to meet the spouses and children and to put families together. People shared many different things that surprised them, but the overwhelming response included the openness and kindness of the people here. This culture is so relationship oriented and community based. It definitely makes the transition easier to know you have a group of American and Dominican people that truly support you!

After devotions we got out the games for a while before bed. Stacey taught several of us how to play Dutch Blitz. I started off well, but quickly went negative in points. I don't think we really cared about what or how we were playing as much as the quality time spent together. Okay, maybe I do have a competitive side to me, but I'm sure I'll have opportunities to improve my speed next time. Then we switched to the headband game. It's the first time I've played and it's really fun. However, trying to remember the names of animals at 10 pm at night can be challenging. It was good to laugh though.

I will say that even though it felt like I slept in a refrigerator, it was the first time in two weeks that I was able to snuggle under the blankets and sleep soundly.

For breakfast the next day they had just as big a buffet as lunch/dinner- eggs, french toast, pancakes, fruit, cereal, muffins, smoothies, etc. After a couple cups of coffee I was ready to hit the beach. There was a staff volleyball game, which I didn't play since I was already playing bocce ball with some of the ladies.
I actually won a couple times, even though my ball throwing skills are almost non existent. And I didn't knock anyone out around us. The water was pretty warm and the waves weren't too bad, so Stacey, Kristi, and I got our goggles to go snorkeling. The reef was covered with a lot of brown algae, which someone said meant the reef is dying. It was disappointing to see it in such a sad state. Because of this, we didn't see a whole lot of creatures. I did see a few schools of fish, some beautiful iridescent small blue fish, and several sea urchins. These weren't the small sea urchins I saw at Sosua. These had long spikes that probably could have gone clear through my foot if I stepped on one. Well, after seeing some of these on the ocean floor, I was terrified to go back to shore thinking I might step on one. But after swimming a ways out and seeing I was the only one out there, the thought of sharks eating me outweighed the possibility of stepping on a sea urchin. (I've watched too many shark movies.) I made it back to shore pretty quickly.

We went to lunch at a cafe place on the beach, so we didn't have to get changed for the buffet (even though they wouldn't let us in wet, they did allow us to get food and go to another area to eat). They had things like hamburgers, quesadillas, nachos/cheese, and pizza. It was nice to have some of my comfort foods again. By the afternoon the wind picks up on the beach and I was pelted by sand. So, it was off to the pool.

We had time to read, enjoy the swim up bar with as many drinks as we wanted (making sure they were non alcoholic), lay out (and attempt not to burn), and float around. The thing I loved the most about the pool is that time seemed to stop. No one had a to-do list they were anxious to get to. Technology had all been laid aside. And it opened up the perfect opportunity to just talk about life. It was neat to hear about others experiences in the Dominican Republic, their families back in the states, their interests. I was able to listen to Ruth speak in Spanish and understand some of what she was saying to me. I had someone help translate what I had trouble understanding. I've learned it is just as tough for her to learn English as it is for me to learn Spanish. We can both figure out simple phrases and want to communicate with each other. Little by little... I'm looking forward to seeing us both progress throughout the next months and soon be able to talk together, even if it is in broken English/Spanish.

We all knew we were going to the Italian restaurant after our evening meeting Thursday night, but most of us decided we couldn't wait that long to eat. So we had two dinners. We ate a light dinner from the buffet (of course including dessert first), and tried to save room for our second dinner. After dinner Dave, Stacey's husband, led us in worship. We sang the song "Oceans". I love that song. It constantly reminds me that God has called me out on the water and He won't leave me to walk through the waves alone. I can continually give the fears that arise over to Him knowing He's never failed me and He won't start now. Then Alan gave the devotion. It was a reminder that we need each other for encouragement and support. God placed us here, working together for a common purpose. After the devotion we all walked over to the Italian restaurant. We were there for a couple of hours, which is typical, because in the Dominican culture no one rushes, especially at meals. I hadn't gotten a chance to really visit with Kristi and her family up to this point, so it was great to get to know them better over dinner. Seth and Anne also sat with us. It was a beautiful evening with a cool breeze blowing through. I love all the outdoor dining. The Dominican weather is perfect for it, especially because it cools off in the evening. It was a late night and I knew it would be an early morning since I wanted to see the sunrise. After hitting the snooze a few times I did make it to the beach before 7 AM, but the sun was already up. There were very few people out, so I used that quiet time to sit on the beach and read my Bible.
The waves breaking on the rocks were distracting, but seeing so much beauty around me caused my heart to overflow with praise and wonder at the majesty of God. The expanse of the ocean is huge, and I am so small. Yet, He created me and loves me and has a plan for me. What a wonderful way to begin the day!

At breakfast I had a chance to talk with Stacey again and find out more about her family. One question I've asked all the staff that have been here already is what has been the hardest thing for them and how did they overcome it. I know transitioning into another culture is difficult and I'm willing to listen to any words of advice from those who have come before me.

After breakfast it started pouring, but the rain was short lived and we were all going to be wet anyway, whether in the pool or at the beach. I spent my last couple hours at Gran Ventana visiting with Paul, his wife Hollie, and Anne at the pool. Again, I went on this trip with different expectations for how I'd spend my time, but God had a much better plan. I am so grateful for every conversation I had. Little do they know just how much I was soaking up as I listened to them share their experiences and wisdom. Overall I really enjoyed getting to know them better on a personal level, not just professional. Sadly we had to pack up after lunch and head home. I had fun, got to relax, and enjoyed being spoiled thoroughly. I only wish I could have had time to talk with ones I didn't get to talk with.

In the past I have missed great opportunities to grow in my relationships because of fear (fear of being judged, fear of not being accepted, etc) . But God proved to me this week that if I will trust Him and step out of my comfort zone to speak to others, He will bless me far beyond what I can imagine. It was a quiet bus ride home. I think most of us couldn't keep our eyes open. It's time to get back into the routine at home. I may not have all of the things that make me comfortable, but I've already decided I love being just where God put me (heat, skimpy meals, cold showers, and all).

Monday, Owen (the high school principal) spent most of the day teaching us the 9 essentials skills for using Love and Logic in the classroom. We finished up this morning. It is an approach to discipline that I've used parts of in my classroom over the last several years, really without realizing it (and it works!). Love and Logic is based largely on a positive relationship between the teacher and student. It teaches the importance of empathy, giving choices to the students, and setting limits with a positive tone. There are many things I still need to implement within my own classroom.

After orientation a few of us walked to La Sirena again to pick up a few necessities to get through this short week at home. I'm mastering checking out at the store without assistance. (Actually, I just watch the screen to figure out how many pesos I owe, the whole time praying the cashier doesn't try to speak to me in Spanish! And if they do I just shake my head no.) It's working. When we returned home Allison brought over some tools to put my bedside table together. She had just put the same one together at her house and knew what mistakes not to make the second time. She did a great job showing me how to do it and not just doing it herself. I'm terrible at reading directions from pictures, but seeing someone do it makes it much easier. It was definitely a sense of accomplishment for both of us to see it together and with sliding drawers that worked! I stayed back when the girls decided to walk to Bravo (another grocery story), a craft store, sweetFrog (a frozen yogurt place), and a pet store (where they sell monkeys?). However, I will eventually get to try sweetFrog and go to the craft store (which I've heard I will like). I was able to Skype my sister, Beth, which was nice since I hadn't talked to her since I'd left the states. 

Today, after orientation I was able to work for a couple hours on my classroom. The books are somewhat organized. All my "office supplies" are finding places in my desk or on the shelves by my desk. The shelves and boards are dusted. And so far I haven't found any critters living in my room. Little by little. 

Occasionally there are things that happen that remind me I am no longer living in Illinois. For example, coming home on the bus this afternoon there was a random cow hanging out on the sidewalk of one of the neighborhoods. Someone made a joke about organic free range beef (or at least that's the Spanish part I understood). Or the washer taking two hours to fill with water then saying finished, but it never washes/rinses the soap out. Maybe it's when I see clothes drying all over the shelves in my closet because we don't have the clothesline hung to put the wet clothes. But, these are small things in the grand scheme of life. Yes, I may go to school with clumps of soap in my clothes that never rinsed out, but that's okay.

I'm so thankful for our maid (her first time was today) who reorganized the few things in my bedroom to make it feel more welcoming, cleaned our apartment top to bottom, put away our new kitchen items that had been laying out for a week, and so much more. It was wonderful to walk in the door and see a clean, tidy apartment after a busy day. I didn't have this in Illinois (well, my mom did a lot but she wasn't paid :)).

I'd like to finish with my thoughts on the devotions for the last two days, both shared by Sheila. Yesterday she shared about Peter. I can identify with Peter. He messed up and failed many times, and so have I. But Jesus saw potential in him. He saw past Peter's failures and mistakes. Jesus could have given up on Peter at any point, but He didn't. He kept going out to Peter, encouraging him to keep on going. Jesus showed Peter grace, just as He does for each of us. Sheila reminded us that just as God shows us grace time and again, we need to show grace to our students- to give them a clean slate every day, sometimes every hour. God sees great potential in each of my students and my prayer is that God would give me eyes to see that same potential. Today Sheila's encouragement was that "where I plant my feet is crucial for my success"- they should be firmly planted by the Source of the stream. She shared about Joseph, how in the midst of all of his overwhelming circumstances he was still prospering, because he was planted by the Source. People could see God IN Joseph even in the hard times, because Joseph was so in tune with God. In times of great success and great failures I must be firmly planted, spiritually fed, praying without ceasing, in tune with my Source of life and strength. It really challenged me, because I tend to be so busy that I forget or push off my times with God. Then, when I need that strength or wisdom in times of storms, I am lacking. The Bible says, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask..." It's crucial that I find that "nugget of truth" every day. I love that verse in Jeremiah 17:8, "They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." This is how I want to live every day, firmly planted by the Source.

Friday morning, after devotions, we learned about education in the Dominican Republic. It was interesting to learn how the education system came to be the way that it is today. There was a time that the education system was steeply declining. It is encouraging to hear about changes that are taking place within the government, just within the last few years, to ensure that money is going towards education and hiring of qualified teachers. It seems that this is a time of continual yet slow growth and I am excited to see how the Dominican education system continues to make progress as steps are taken to protect it. We got a lot of information in a short time, but it was very insightful. It also showed me how blessed I am to teach at SCS. We then went to a museum, Centro Leon, for a tour of the history of the Dominican Republic (and some art displays) . Again it was a lot to take in, but very informative.

In the afternoon I worked on finishing unpacking the things I had sent ahead and started to decide how to organize the room. I'm sure I'll change my mind a number of times before the school year actually begins. I was glad to have a couple hours of uninterrupted time to work.

Someone had graciously blessed the staff with free tickets to one of the finals games for the Santiago Metros basketball team, so in the evening several of us took the opportunity to experience a basketball game here in the Dominican Republic. We arrived 25 minutes before the game was supposed to start and there were hardly any people there. I was very surprised because it was a finals game. We got our seats and waited for the game to start. The game must have been on Dominican time and started 30 minutes late. However, by then the crowds started rolling in and when the game started the stands were very full. I could sum it up in a few words: noisy, packed crowd, high energy, military police. When the Metros scored, the people yelled, beat drums and blew instruments, and made as much noise as they could throughout the stadium. This was a nail biter game for me. Both teams stayed within a few points of each other the entire game. The Metros came out in the lead and won 107-101. There was so much going on, so much to watch. I think my brain was on overload trying to keep up. We were quite a site, being the only large group of gringos in the stadium. And yes, the military police were present to maintain order. It was a late night, but well worth it. Now I can compare a Metros basketball game to a Torros baseball game...

Today (Saturday) we drove to the beach at Sosua. The team that was in Palo Alto for the week came with us. It is about a two hour drive. The beach is beautiful with white sand and amazingly clear water that reflected my favorite shades of blues and teals. God gave us a hot, sunny day to enjoy. The water was pretty calm, which gave us perfect weather to snorkel. There wasn't a ton to see in the reefs, but there were enough schools of different kinds of fish, lots of sea urchins, and large pieces of coral to make it worth the time. The rocks went really close to shore with smaller fish and sea urchins to see, so even the kids could "snorkel" (but made it dangerous to walk on).

It was so peaceful looking at the blue fish, yellow and black striped fish, black and white striped fish, and so much more. It was like swimming in a giant fish tank. This was definitely a more enjoyable snorkeling experience than the last time I tried it (too many waves and too cloudy to see anything). I'd love to try it somewhere with even more to see. Maybe someday. We had lunch on the beach (either chicken or fish). We tend to have rice with every meal, but I'm fine with that since I love rice. One new thing I had today was a pineapple drink. They cut out the inside of a pineapple, blend it with juice and strawberries, and put it back in the pineapple with ice to cool it off. It was a refreshing afternoon drink. I can't imagine making them for approximately 70 of us though! I stayed in the water as long as I could until it was time to leave. It was a mental break, but I was quite tired physically. Time to rest up for a full day in Palo Alto tomorrow. Another day, another adventure...