A Powerful Love

One month.  Time sure does fly by fast when you are doing something that you love.  As I sit down to write this I struggle to put the experiences I have had these last few weeks into words.  To say the very least, it has been a very eventful month.  Filled with highs, but also with some lows.

About a week ago, the Dominican Republic said good-bye to an amazing woman.  Martha (a member of the church I go to and a cook at the compound where mission groups stay) lost her life to an illness.  Her death affected everyone around here, including many people all over the United States.  If I could describe her in just one word, I would say that she was a woman of faith.  A faith so strong, that it's hard for most of us to understand.  I attended her funeral, and I have never experienced anything like it before.  People passing out because they were crying so much, people screaming at their top of their lungs with emotional pain.  Hundreds of people came, which just goes to show how much of an impact Martha had on the lives around her.  It was a difficult time watching my friends in so much pain, but it is such a good feeling to know that she is now at peace in heaven.

Despite these difficult times, I have been having a wonderful time teaching.  I am beginning to feel comfortable with the children and they seem to love learning English.  I am still amazed by how fast they are catching on.  Every child that attends this school is truly a blessing.  Every morning I receive little gifts from the children.  Whether it be a flower they picked on the way to school or a little note, these kids are always trying to give back with the little that they have and show their appreciation the people around them.   Every day the children have a break time when they can play and buy food at a little snack bar that a local neighbor sets up.  Usually children just have 5 or 10 pesos, which is enough to buy a small package of crackers, nothing more.  Just the other a day, one of my students came up to me and gave me a big hug before going out to buy food.  I have noticed that this little boy rarely ever has money to buy food and sometimes goes the day without eating.  But on this particular day he had 5 pesos.  He bought a piece of candy, but as he was heading back to his classroom he stopped by  me and gave it to me and said "Para ti."  This boy chose to give the only thing he had to eat to me.  If that's not love then I don't know what is is. It's moments like these that make me realize how amazing God is and how powerful love can be.  And I am so blessed to be a witness of this love everyday.  
Love is here. Love is now. Love is all around.
I am so excited as I continue to grow in faith and love as I work along side my brothers and sisters here in the Dominican.  

Am I really here?

On December 28th I arrived in a place that has a very special place in my heart, and I still can't believe that I am actually here.  The Dominican Republic. La Republica Dominicana.  The DR.  Some people know it as a beautiful island filled with flawless beaches; others wouldn't be able to locate it on a map.  And some people call it home.  Although California and my family will always be my home, the Dominican Republic isn't a bad place to be my second.

I have been here for almost three weeks now and my experiences here have been better than I could have ever imagined.  Here are some of the highlights:

1.  I moved into a beautiful house.  Despite not having a working toilet and good water pressure for a period of time (everything is good now), so far it has been a great place to live.  A local neighbor has been staying with me so I don't have to be here all alone.  It's nice having someone around to keep me company.

2.  I just finished my first week of work, teaching English at the school in Kilometer 6 (a local barrio just outside the city).  I'm still in disbelief and so amazed by the condition of the school now.  It feels like just yesterday the construction of the school wasn't even in existence, and now it's functioning with four classrooms; a total of 100 children ages 3-7.  I am so blessed to be a witness of the wonders of God's work here in La Romana.  My first week here at the school has truly been amazing.  I feel so welcomed by the director of the school and all the teachers.  It is like a family and I already feel so loved by each of them.  I have a period of time when I teach English in each classroom everyday.  The children are just so anxious to learn and always get excited when I walk into their class.  Although I love being around children, it has definitely been a challenge.  The children are so young, so I'm still trying to figure out the best way to teach a new language to a group of students who are just learning the basics in their native language.  I know with hard work and a lot of prayer I will be able to figure out a way to effectively reach out to each child.  When it comes down to it, seeing smiles on their faces is really all I could ever ask for.

3.  I have been practicing my Spanish a lot.  I have good days and bad days.  Sometimes I surprise myself with how much I know.  I'll be having a conversation with someone, and after I realize that the entire time we were speaking in Spanish.  Other days I draw a complete blank.  I can't think of the words and can't understand (especially when the person is speaking so fast).  It's definitely a work and progress.  I've also attempted to learn Creole.  I'm picking up a few words here and there, but I think it will take awhile before I master this language.

4.  These last few weeks I have visited many of my friends' homes and spent time with their families.  Although I have always been aware of the poverty here, it really stood out to me how poor some of these people really are.  Parents go with empty stomachs so they can feed their children.  Others don't even have parents that look after them.  In one house that I visited, a ten year old boy is responsible for looking after his three younger siblings, the youngest being only one years old.  Many of the children that attend the school I work at have almost nothing, yet they come to school everyday with huge smiles on their faces.  This is something that I still do not quite understand yet.  It boggles my mind that people who have nothing can be so joyful and appreciative, while people who are extremely rich are unable to find happiness with anything.  This is the reason why I love working with children.  No matter where a child lives or how much money they have, all children are the same.  They all can find joy even in the worst circumstances.

Poverty can be found all around the world.  The United States, England, Japan all have people struggling to find work and to provide for their families.  God has given me a heart for the Dominican Republic and I wouldn't change it for anything. I have truly been given an amazing opportunity and I feel so blessed to be living in a place where I can see people everyday praise God in everything that they do.  I can't wait to see what is in store for me next.  I feel so loved.  I feel so cared for.  I feel so appreciated.  Life is good.