Life is Like a Snowball

Sitting in Miami, at the airport, I had plenty of time to look back on the last year of my life.  I’m shocked to realize that it really has been that long.  Time has really flown by and so much has happened that I know it’s going to take me awhile to process everything.  And that’s when it hits home that I would not have been able to do this by myself.  People tell me all the time, “I don’t know how you do it.”  In reality, neither do I; the only explanation is God. 

The last few months have been so busy, so I’ll try to catch you up with my final days in the DR.  It’s still so weird to say that. 

Before our school year ended, another group from Mt. Vernon Church came down and accomplished a wide variety of jobs!  One group painted the entire school, inside and out, with the help of the school kids!  I can’t believe that we made it to this point, especially when I think back to the fact that we didn’t even have a roof on the building when we first got there!  A gracious donor even donated money for two solar panels, so Shawn Rineholt hooked those up right before we left!  God continues to exceed my dreams for this community and it still never ceases to amaze me!

BEFORE

AFTER!!!!!!!!

Our boards are hung and benches made…started to look like a real school!

Another group made connections with five families in the community in hopes of established more permanent relationships.  I really think some great things are going to come out of this and I can’t wait to see God work through our limited knowledge and skill!  I got the opportunity to show a few people around the batey and we visited my kids’ homes!  It’s still an eye-opening experience to see how they live, even after seeing it multiple times, and yet they are so giving and compassionate.  I really do love these families…it’s hard not to when they always have huge smiles as they’re hugging me and offering me what little they have.  While we were doing this, we took a few kids with us, including Jony and Leidy, two of my kids that have really excelled.  Some of the locals that we encountered only spoke Creole, so I spoke to the kids in Spanish and they translated to Creole.  I explained to them afterwards how proud I was of them and that one day, I hope that they will also know English and be trilingual.  At that time, I believe they truly grasped why this opportunity is so important for them and their families.  It still makes me smile thinking about the way their faces lit up when I said this to them.

The team also hosted a small clinic where they recorded information on an online database to connect the DR to the US.  Patients’ information can and will be updated as they are seen and problems can be addressed from across the world.  This will hopefully provide a better healthcare solution for these people that have limited options. 

   Jen learned how to give shots!

We also got the opportunity to take a day trip into Haiti with the team.  They hosted a small Bible school with some singing, a few skits, and craft time.  It was definitely a neat experience.  It’s easy to see why the Haitians try to immigrate to the DR…even though we are so close, the landscape is SO different.  

We officially finished school on June 7th.  The last week of school, we had finals every day.  Most of the tests I gave had to be done orally.  I made the decision that for the material I taught, I wasn’t really going to do any extensive reviews before testing because I wanted to see what my kids actually retained throughout the year.  Admittedly, this worried me a little bit, because I obviously didn’t want anyone to fail.  Thankfully, they almost all did amazingly well!  A few of my kids remembered almost everything, including the information that we only briefly discussed!  I can’t believe how far they’ve made it…some didn’t know their colors in Spanish, and now some can read and comprehend an easy book in English!  I look back to my expectations and realize that I didn’t really have any…that I was just worried and scared that I would fail miserably.  I laugh at myself when I realize that before the idea of teaching in the DR, my dream was to find a job very close to home in fourth or fifth grade…God has quite a sense of humor when He moved me thousands of miles away teach Kindergarten in a language I only partially know!

To celebrate an amazing school year, we took all the kids out for pizza and to the beach!  Seven of them had never even had pizza before!  A local news station came while we were there and interviewed us about our ministry and all the kids got to be on TV! 

Then we all piled in the van…as soon as we arrived, they took off running!

Until we reined them in for some group photos and then they were off again!

We had an amazing time of course!  A few kids were afraid of the water, so I had some of them clinging to me the whole time.  Others are yelling out for me to watch them every second…gotta love these kids. :)

We spent a day at the beach with our neighbors.  It was so fun to just hang out, play Uno, and cook over an open fire!  I love how this community has accepted us and I feel like they truly do care about me.  Through all of our cultural and language barriers, God has still connected us and provided the support that we need while in a strange place. 

My last two weeks in the DR were extremely busy.  I worked with Steve Hull and the Least of These Ministries, building a warehouse to store rice and beans that they provide to the people in the bateys for free.  It amazes me how many people they reach out to every single day!  What also amazes me is how I can be thousands of miles away from home, and people will come on teams that live only a few minutes from my home in Delta!  It’s always so rewarding working with these teams, seeing the country through their eyes…the shock when they see five people on a motorcycle (and laughing to myself when I think about doing that on my way home from school the week before) or when they talk about Minute Rice…how we would love to have that…it’s more like hour rice for us.  I always think back to my first few trips and smile at the memories where I know I must have seemed like such an American tourist!  It’s weird to be on the other side of it now…many of my friends in the DR say that I’m now Dominican, which is such a huge compliment, especially when I think of all the barriers that I had to overcome…God is good!  That’s a lot of rebar to cut, carry, and tie!

The whole community came together and threw us a going away party…we sang, ate, and smeared icing all over everyone’s face…good times indeed! 

My Dominican family, the Rineholts, left on June 19th.  Although it was nice to have a little quiet time, I truly missed the people that taught me how to live, laugh, and love the DR.  It was so hard watching them walk through airport security and then taking off  in the plane and realizing that I wasn’t going with them.  My time in the DR would be impossible without this family’s generosity, and for that I am so grateful!  Everyone kept joking with each other that we were all going to cry when we left and we said that the Dominicans were going to do the same…we were all right.  Once Jen and the neighbor started crying and I ran for the house to avoid it! 

My last day in the DR, I worked a half day with the team and then we hit the beach!  Got to soak up a few rays before coming home.  They took us all out for dinner and ice cream afterwards.  When I got back to the house, our neighbor had prepared a huge meal for me…I wanted to cry just because I felt so loved…and also because I had just stuffed myself, but it’s rude to turn down food, so we ate and laughed and then played Uno until very late.  Our one neighbor told me to have a safe trip and thanked me for everything and fled for his house.  His wife chuckled a little bit and said that he didn’t want to cry, so he said what he wanted and had to leave quickly.  I split up my leftover candy with the families that I had become really close with…such a little thing, but they looked at me like I was amazing.  They said that they owed me so much, little do they know how much they’ve already done for me that I could never repay. 

Running on an hour of sleep, I packed the van, hugged Ricardo, my Dominican brother, and made him promise to keep in touch on Facebook and to protect my motorcycle!  And then I fought tears as I drove down the bumpy hill for the last time.  How do you say goodbye to your best friend, Spanish teacher, partner in crime, guard, etc.?  It’s not easy to say the least.  Since I’ve been home though, he and some of my other friends have called me, so we’ve gotten to talk for a few minutes! 

Wilkyns, another missionary, and I headed out for the capitol in the van, until it sounded like the front tire was going to fall off…again.  So, we called a friend, who just happened to be following us, gave him the keys and were going to catch a bus.  And miraculously, there was a bus sitting right where we stopped that was driving straight to the airport, which seems to never happen!  Once again God took care of us!  And so begins my transition back into the abundance of America…not necessarily a bad thing, just very strange after such a long time away.

Transitioning thoughts…

Once I got to the airport in the DR, readjustment started...some things easy, some things not so easy.  I literally could not understand people speaking to me in English because I expected them to speak Spanish.  Although it was definitely easier to navigate the airport, being able to speak Spanish!  Weird how my “normal” has changed so quickly.  

Phone service and plans…It makes me happy because I got to call my mom and sister for the first time in 10 months.  It was so weird to be able to talk to them, but it made me really happy!  AND 3G!!!!   I was wondering what I was going to do during my layover in Miami until I remembered I have a phone plan again!

At the airport in Miami, I ordered some food and couldn’t finish it all, so I looked around for someone to give it to…and then laughed when I remembered I was in the US and nobody would want my leftovers.  Oh what a different world we live in!

Of course, I still have to tell myself toilet paper gets flushed, not thrown away…gross but true!  All of you who had to do this on a short term trip can relate!  Mom says I’m in trouble if I forget!

It’s still hard to drink water from the faucet because that was avoided at all costs for almost a year.  I forgot one time, the day before I left the DR, and brushed my teeth with the sink water…you can bet I spit that out as soon as I realized what I had done! 

I was in the grocery store, which in itself was overwhelmingly awesome because of the abundance,  I joked at the meat department that I hadn’t seen that much fresh, refrigerated, edible meat in a LONG time.  And did I mention sour cream, sweet corn, and watermelon!  My mom asked me if I needed anything at the store and I just kind of stared at her dumbly because I’m not used to these options, so I just said nothing. 

Fast internet…enough said!

I got into my car for the first time, which represents freedom for me here.  I realized how much I took it for granted when I didn’t have a mode of transportation all the time.  And then I went to turn it on and nothing happened…the battery was completely dead.  I had to laugh because I felt like I was back in the DR again.  My dad told me to just go pick one up at the store…which would work if I had a vehicle…which made us laugh again.  When I actually did get to drive it, it was so weird to have a clutch that worked properly and gears that you didn’t have to slam into position!  Took me a little while to get used to the fact that I don’t have to fight with the car to drive it!  And gas isn’t around $6 a gallon here!  And I’m gonna be the first to predict that I’m probably going to get a ticket because I’m so used to unlimited speeds, driving the wrong way, and pretty much breaking every other law!

The hardest thing has been that I feel like I have two completely different lives and only a few people can truly understand this.  It’s a very weird situation to be in because when I’m in one world, I miss the things from the other, and vice versa.  I have tried to explain this to a few people, but no matter how hard someone tries, they just can’t comprehend until they live it.  The first two weeks, I got angry easily because the “petty” things of America really bugged me.  I was watching the news and people were talking about a tragic accident that a dog was in and how people gathered together and raised over a million dollars for this dog to have spinal surgery and wheels attached to its hind legs so that it could move again.  It just made me really, really sad to think of the families that I personally know and love in the DR that scrounge for their next meal and sometimes don’t find anything, yet this animal has everything is could ever need.  All of this being said, I just ask that you stop and think about the things you say to other people, because we never truly know where they’re coming from.  We don’t know the trials and joys they’ve gone through. 

I am truly happy to be back in the US though.  Hanging out with family and friends…I’ve missed it so much.  I haven’t made it to bed before midnight yet just because I’m always trying to enjoy every moment!  Working at the snowball stand that my sister and I now own has also kept me busy.  It was a huge relief to be able to come home and not worry about having a job and I get to work with my sister!  One day as I was working, I related my choice in snowballs to my Christian life.  Before owning the stand, I only ordered Cotton Candy.  I played it safe; I was comfortable with that choice and knew I would always be fine with it.  I didn’t want to waste my time and money on something that I wouldn’t be happy with.  Now, my eyes have been opened to Sour Cherry, Coconut Cream Pie, Peach Cobbler, Mango, Blueberry Muffin…man they’re SO good!  Before, I was a Christian; I played the role, but I was too afraid to try anything else, even if someone said I should get in to missions.  But, God told me to give it a try, to fully trust Him with my life.  When I did, it wasn’t easy; it wasn’t always fun, but I am so glad I followed the plan God had for me…the plan He STILL has for me.  I’m going back folks!  I definitely have mixed feelings about this decision, but God reconfirmed that, that is where He wants me.  I fought it in the beginning.  Wilkyns kept telling the kids about seeing me next year and I would quickly tell him to be quiet, that I didn’t want to get their hopes up.  Then Jen started in on me that I had to come back.  I probably knew for sure about three weeks before I left that I would be back, which made it easier to leave because I only had to tell people that I would see them later.  I didn’t enjoy thinking about the idea that I would have to tell my family and friends in the US.  Amber sent me a text while I was still in the DR asking if I had to worry about seeing this one creeper guy again so I tried to be creative and say that I’m sure I’ll see him eventually when I go back at some point.  She responded that I avoided her question and blatantly asked if I was going to go back to the DR.  My family assumed I would, but I didn’t want to tell them through texting or Facebook.  Some days are harder than others when I think about going back.  I look forward to it and I dread it all at the same time.  Which leads me to my prayer requests:

• We found out that Visa requirements have been changed, so I need to fill out a bunch of forms and pay a bunch of money so that I can legally stay in the DR for another year.  I was planning on going back in mid September, so I’m praying this paperwork doesn’t hold me up, but I’m thinking that I won’t get my paperwork done until the end of September at the earliest.
• That God provides the funds so that I can fly back and stay in the DR.
• For Wilkyns and his family as they continue to reach out to the community surrounding the school.
• For the Rineholts as they are sharing their heart for the DR along the east coast and that God will provide for them during this time.
• That my family and I will be able to enjoy the time we have together this summer.
• Because of Obama’s new healthcare system, I will be dropped from my mom’s insurance in December, and then I have to find affordable health insurance or risk the penalties, so please pray that a good option comes up!
• I’ve been thinking/praying a lot about reliable, safe transportation for when I return.  I will still have my motorcycle, but it isn’t always the safest option, especially when driving to and from school.  It would also be really helpful when teams, family, and friends visit, and also for the weekly surfer’s ministry at the beach where we take many of our community’s youth to learn how to surf.  Please pray for God’s wisdom in this situation.
• Hurricane Isaac just went through, and although we’ve heard from many of our friends, many people are still suffering from the overabundance of wind and water.
• I know there are many more that I am forgetting, but I’ll post them as I think of them! 

Lastly, THANK YOU to everyone who has supported me spiritually and monetarily, and to those who continuously offered words of encouragement and listened to my complaints.  God has truly blessed me by placing you in my life and I’m not sure what I would have done without your support.  If you would like any more information about what is going on in my life or in the DR, please let me know!  I love to talk about how God is working in my life and the projects in the DR!  Stay tuned for more updates…hopefully this time around I’ll be a little better at blogging!