grateful.

"If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.  For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that One died for all, and therefore all died.  And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again."

2 Corinthians 5:13-15

I'm on my third cup of coffee this morning, thinking about these words and feeling so incredibly blessed and alive.  It rained here today for the first time in who knows how long, and as the sounds of rain on the tin roof filled my room, I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with thankfulness.

Three and a half years ago, I went back and forth with the Lord about moving down here.  I had fallen in love with the Dominican and God had completely rocked my world.  Everything in me knew I was supposed to be here, but leaving all I knew and everyone I loved seemed so scary.  It's funny to look back on those moments now because I really can't imagine being anywhere else.  I feel like God made me for this place.  There's something in me that comes alive the second I set foot back on Dominican soil... endless days full of cafe con leche, kids playing on dusty roads, smiles stretched across beautiful, wrinkled faces, and spending time with the amazing kids at the orphanage who stole my heart 5 years ago.  Grateful doesn't even begin to describe how I feel.

The past three weeks have been mostly full of visiting families and setting everything up in our new home before we start teaching on Monday.  I already love our new neighborhood and I can't wait to see all that the Lord is going to do... 

more than we could ever ask or imagine.

 

Visiting Leonel, Kelvin, Argenis, and their family in Esperanza.

home.

I'm home!  I've been in the States for about three weeks and it has been just what my soul needed.  To be honest, by the beginning of June I was plain exhausted and needed a break at home more than I knew.  Day in and day out of speaking/thinking/teaching in Spanish and living life in a culture not my own had left me drained.  

Emilee and I made the trek across the country to catch our flight back to America which was nothing less than complicated an adventure.  From waking up early and finding that we had no water to shower... to blow-drying my only pair of jeans that hadn't dried hoping they would be dry enough to wear.. to dragging our suitcases down dirt roads and lugging them across streams of water at every intersection... to arriving at the bus stop only to find out that they couldn't sell us tickets because the printer wasn't working... to boarding the bus at the last possible second and it pulling away before we even sat down.  Five hours later we arrived in the capital and were blessed by a friend who picked us up at the bus stop, treated us to lunch, and got us to the airport in time for our flight.  

We arrived in Miami, cold and tired, but grateful that we made it.  All I know is that I could feel your prayers that day.  Though many things seemed against us, we also had a friend who came out of his way to a bus stop to give us one last hug... and our water came on just in time for us to quickly shower and run out the door.. and another friend bought us coffee at the airport just before we went through security.  In the Miami airport, I found out that my Papaw had passed away while I was flying home.  I wasn't sure I would be able to take spending the night on the airport floor when all I wanted to do was get home as fast as I could.  But even that night I was overwhelmed by the love of strangers as a big group of teenagers gave Emilee and I some chocolate pie.  We then met a man who gave us ten dollars for coffee after using Em's computer to check an email.  God is so faithful.  I miss my Papaw a lot and am so thankful that I'm able to be here right now with my family.

...

I was also blessed with a trip to the west coast to see my sisters.  It had been too long since I had seen them and been able to spend time with them.  It was a week and a half full of laughs and tears, of catching up on the past year(s) and telling stories from years ago, of hanging out at the beach and decorating a new home, of meeting a new brother (Erin's husband!) for the first time and seeing Erin after three years of us living overseas, of a 4th of July cookout and watching fireworks from the roof, but mostly a week and a half full of love and life and the Lord's goodness.  So blessed.

I'll be in the States for two and half more weeks, before heading back to my other home in the Dominican Republic.  I couldn't be more excited to head back, feeling renewed by the Lord and refreshed by time with family and friends.  Please let me know if you would like to receive an update letter about last year and next year in the Dominican!

...

Steph, Katie, and I at the beach in California

beautiful.

Steph, me, Katie, and Mike on a boat where we saw TONS of dolphins!

Katie, Mike, and I at the pier in Santa Monica

more pier fun.

Seeing Erin after too many years apart.

Erin and her husband, Robert

english institute graduation.

One of my favorite things about living here is being able to celebrate special moments and milestones with people.  Whether it's a birthday or a holiday or a lost tooth, I simply love celebrating.  This past Thursday, we celebrated the graduation of some really special teenagers.  When Christine and I served with Orphanage Outreach, we both taught English at their English school.  The students studied English for four years and can now carry on a conversation without saying a word in Spanish.  Thursday was especially significant because all of the students that Christine and I taught years ago were the ones graduating.  We were incredibly blessed to be able to be there.

 

Marleny and Yeimy are sisters.  Loooove them.

bittersweet.

I’m reading an incredible book right now called Bittersweet.  It’s written by Shauna Niequist, and you should definitely check it out.  I feel like she is sitting across her kitchen table sharing her heart with me, and the Lord has shown me numerous things about my own heart through her words.

But the book aside, these days (and I know the weeks to come…) can be described by no other word than bittersweet.  Sometimes I don’t even understand how my heart can feel two entirely opposite emotions at the same time.  Because part of me absolutely cannot wait to be back in America, tightly hugging the people that I’ve missed so much.  Emails and few and far between phone calls just aren't the same as being in the same room with family and friends.  But there is another part that dreads the moments when I have to say goodbye.  While I know that I will be back before I know it, these people have stolen a part of my heart that will be left here when I get on that plane in a couple of weeks.  So I find myself within one of the most bittersweet seasons, full of beauty and difficulty and mostly just grace.  Grace to say those goodbyes and grace to trust that the Lord is always holding His sons and daughters here in the palm of His hand and grace to be able to see people at home who I ache to see and grace to be able to rest and be filled up.

I'm flying back to the States in less than two weeks and I really am so excited and blessed to be able to spend some time with family and friends.  Before we leave the country, Emilee, Christine, and I will be moving.  We are moving closer to one of the orphanages and into a neighborhood that has been on my heart since last fall.  I cannot wait to share more once we have moved, but we would definitely appreciate prayers over the next couple of weeks.  The three of us are spending some much needed time in America before coming back here in late July/early August.  I'm also excited to share more about what next year holds, but for now, here are a few photos...

Sunset in Jaibon

Jochi.

Albenis and Malvin with fake SNOW at school!

An old picture from Christmas time of one of my favorite families who I will dearly miss.

...love.

photo booth.

This weekend is the presidential election and everyone is more than excited about it.  There are caravans almost every day, trucks that drive around with insanely loud music about the politicians, political flags outside of houses, and most conversations include some sort of question about who you are voting for.  On Monday none of the schools are open, and although our school is open today, very few students showed up.  So me and my six kids that came this morning have been having some fun with photo booth.  

Enjoy... 

 

 

...much love :)

weekends.

Weekends are for...

...making bracelets with my favorite little twin girls. 

...watching Carmelo eat a HUGE fresh papaya.

 

 ...posing for pictures with a sucker.

 ...sister love.

...celebrating our moms from across the ocean.

 ...laughing too hard to take a picture.

...special occasions and a black and white dress and spending time with some pretty incredible people.

...freshly picked cherries from a friend's tree.

...old wooden rocking chairs and appreciating special moments where friends become family.

 

...big smiles and reminders of how blessed I am to be here as they grow up.

kindergarten graduation.

This morning, my 20 incredible students graduated kindergarten.  I love them with my whole heart and will miss them a ton.  Here are a few pictures from an awesome graduation day...

Yulianny... or Julie-Bulie :) 

Christine and I attempting to get their hats to stay on their heads.

 John Keith... always ready for pictures.

The whole class... minus Melany.

Melany... refusing to be in the group picture.

 

 Another group picture... this time with Melany included :)

John Keith receiving his diploma.

These kids have blessed my life more than I ever thought possible.  I've learned so much from their giving hearts and their laughter and their honesty.  I've been blessed to see life through their eyes and I'm going to miss seeing their smiling faces every day.