I have arrived!

On July 29, 2013, I officially moved my life to the Dominican Republic. I couldn’t be happier.

The last two weeks of language school were great. God loved on me in so many ways, including giving me friends from college and high school that so happened to be in Antigua at the same time I was. I’m telling you, God knows my extroverted heart very well and gave me some wonderful people to spend time with. My friend Richard was a beau for my sorority at Harding and he now lives in Antigua doing mission work. We cruised around on his motorcycle A LOT and he took me to a ton of fantastic places in Antigua I wouldn’t have been able to see otherwise. My friend Betsy is from high school back in Maryland. She arrived in Antigua my last week of language school to get her certification to teach English as a foreign language. Super awesome, right? It was so good to catch up on life with her and eat crepes at one of my favorite restaurants in Antigua, Luna de Miel.

I “graduated” from language school on July 26. They had a small little ceremony for all the students leaving that month and my teacher made me speak in front of everyone IN Spanish to tell them what I would be doing in the Dominican. I already hate public speaking anyway, so speaking in Spanish in front of a bunch of people almost gave me a heart attack. I very much enjoyed the experience of language school. There is just something about traveling to a country and learning their language that gives the experience so much more meaning. It gives you a special bond with the people and the place and I am hoping I will be able to return some time next year to continue learning. One of my bucket list items is to be fluent in another language and I think I am off to a pretty good start.

I can’t even begin to explain how happy I was to arrive in the Dominican and drive down the bumpy road to Bobita. It was like coming home. There is a special joy God saves specifically for my heart when I see my kids again and it never, ever gets old. Coming back and feeling that joy was so much affirmation for what I am about to do. I am a person that constantly needs affirmation, especially when it comes to making huge life decisions like this one. God never holds out on me. Even though I have never taught a thing in my life and I don’t know a thing about lesson planning or setting up a classroom, God doesn’t care. He knows that I love this place and I am in love with these kids and that is all he needs to work everything out. “For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10) That statement has never rang more true for me than it does right now. I am extremely inadequate, but God is not. He delights in using our weaknesses for his glory.

Aside from battling the usual power and internet outages, life in Bobita has been pretty laid back the past two weeks. I helped out a bit with the end of our summer group ministry (when youth groups come down for a week for their missions trips) and have already had a meeting about this upcoming school year. I will be teaching Science to our second and third year students (sophomores and juniors) and English to the third year students as well. I’ve received the curriculum for my science classes and my first section with my Juniors is genetics. HA. We’ll see how that goes. I have two wonderful roommates. Keely, who is also a teacher at the school, and Brickie, a 4 month old lab and rottweiler mix. I met Keely 3 years ago when I went to Haiti and we are kindred souls. I am blessed to live with her and learn from her.

Manna Christian School starts on August 19. In 10 days. And I still don’t have a clue what I’m doing. But God knows what He’s doing. Combine that with all of my wonderful support here and all of my faithful friends and family in the states who are constantly sending up prayers and resources my way and I think that I’m going to be just fine. Please keep my students and I in your prayers as we start this next school year journey together. God is going to incredible things and I can’t wait to see it.

Cruising around Antigua with Richard

Dinner with Betsy at Luna de Miel

My teacher, Lourdes, and I on graduation day. She is one sassy lady.

Some of my girls and I on VBS day

Brickie!!!!

Sunset in our backyard two nights ago 🙂 God is so awesome.