recientemente

The end of the year is always really busy, but thankfully we've had some days off from elections and random holidays to be able to relax and spend extra time with friends. The beach trip was just what I needed! Here's a part of the big group in the pool at Kaoba.

Here's Natan and I at Lax...

and Amanda, Shelly and I, too.

I've also since the last post learned how to make my favorite Dominican dish...pastelon con platanos maduros (it's like a ripe plantain casserole which sounds funny, but it is delicious!) Natan's sister, Pachi, taught me how to make it and I'm very excited because we have all the ingredients in the States so I can make it when I move back.

Here's me with my Pastelon...

and here's the twins being cute like always!

We only have 14 days left of school...then I have a week and a half to pack up my life here and say "adios." I move back to Michigan June 24 - so mark your calendars and be ready for some sort of celebration to say THANK YOU to all of you that have supported me and prayed for me and loved me from thousands of miles away :).

Elecciones

Due to heavy campaigning, heavy drinking, loud discussions and loud music, school is cancelled the next 3 days for the Dominican Republic Presidential Elections which take place on Friday. I've had some interesting conversations with some Dominican friends and have been comparing their complaints and desires with those of us Americans who have also been discussing who should be the next President of the United States. Here are some comments I've heard, "The ones in power have all of the money, the price of food is rising, the electricity is still inconsistent, we've heard too many promises that can't be kept." A few of those may sound familiar...but there are for sure more economical complaints since this country is still struggling so much with poverty. These issues above (corruption - money and power, food prices, electricity) are of equal importance to Dominicans as to Americans are our war, health care, environmental issues. So who will it be?

Leonel again? "E' pa' 'lante q' vamo Presidente."


Miguel Vargas - MVP? "Ya se va, ya se va...e' pa' fuera q' van."

or Amable? "Para los pobres."

I do care, but I am not hopeful that much will change with any of them...what a sad situation. But I will be celebrating whoever wins at the beach this weekend with a group of 15 friends! It's our last hoorah with everyone together...I can't wait to relax and do some body surfing in the ocean with my favorite people here.

de to un poco

A little bit about everything...first, here's some pics of what's been going on the last few weeks:


I feel like I've been working a lot - this time of year is always so busy! Here's Krista (our director), Tara (2nd grade teacher), Melanie (Kindergarten teacher) and I during our planning meeting last week. Just wanted to show you the normal and mundane of my life as a teacher...and look how beautiful the teacher's lounge is now thanks to our last work team!

Here's Pricila from my class with her mom and little brother, Ezdra...they are always such a fun family to visit - and Sra. Delgado always serves me my favorite fruits :)!

Here's Gibran and Elias (Natan's cousin and brother) and I at the Pizzeria...another normal part of my life. I'm so thankful I can eat pizza again with no problems...my body seems to be handling its "gall bladder-less-ness :) just fine."

Okay, and here's Stephen Levy, author of the book "Starting from Scratch" and expert on Experiential learning. This is the 3rd time he's visited Doulos to do workshops for us about this way of teaching and it's always such a blessing having him here!

As I talked with him after lunch one day I was especially blessed by our conversation. Let me preface it with this...

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This may be news to some of you, but I have made the decision to move back to Michigan at the end of June. I have no idea what I'll be doing or where I'll be living, but hopefully I'll be teaching and living in the GR area. It obviously is a hard decision and I know it will be very difficult to leave, but with my health issues and now money issues due to my past health issues, I believe it is the best decision.

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So my conversation with Steven was mainly me expressing my frustration and doubt because the main reason I had decided to leave was because my health...but now I finally feel healthy! So each day is different, feeling peace and excited to go back to MI, and some days feeling like I want to stay here longer. He encouraged me by saying that this something he has seen over and over again in his life. The pattern is, each time he needed or wanted to move because of a certain reason, that reason would disappear a few months before he was moving. Sounds similar! Now that I have been telling people I'm leaving and starting to make plans, the reason of my health issues has disappeared.

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It was just comforting to know that maybe this is a God-thing...the word "urgency" keeps coming up. It was more urgent for me to start mentally preparing to move away when I was sick all the time. Now the "urgency" is gone, but I have begun that mental preparation and have starting facing it and telling the people in my life here that I'm leaving...even though it's really hard.

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Please pray for the plans for my life "post-DR"...that I will feel so much peace about leaving and that opportunities will open up for me in GR. Please pray for all the little decisions that are coming with this big decision and that I continue to have good health so I can enjoy my last 8 weeks in this beautiful place.

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Keep checking for more pics of my kids, and the last hoorah's - beach trips, parties, end of the year presentations, etc.

Paz y amor.