Es La Vida

Blog Relocation

2010-03-05T15:40:00.002-04:00

now blogging at www.jonathanandshelly.com

seriously, we are blogging over there.

not like here where i have been in silent mode for over a year.

hope to gain your interest/blogging trust again.

grace and peace to you all.

A Spoonful of Fun

2009-01-24T12:32:00.002-04:00

The tiny green one on the left is me and my dear friend Amanda is on the right. If you are not up on your modern art that is the famous Spoon Bridge and Cherry by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen in the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden.
I spent 5 days in the great white north freezing my tail off and catching up with Amanda. I hadn't seen her since she left Jarabaca in June. It was a sweet time and I am happy to see her again in a few weeks under warmer conditions when she comes to Doulos to visit with me and all the lovely sponsorship families she worked with here.

Belated Christmas Recap

2009-01-24T11:54:00.006-04:00

Seeing as how we are approaching Valentines day at this point this is more than overdue. But I have a few pictures that are too precious not too share. So for posterity's sake and your enjoyment...

Brayden, Evan, Bennett, and Thompson
You see what I mean?...PRECIOUS.

The boys

The gals

Heather and I attempting to transfrom Bennett's new Transformer.
The task was more than meets the eye.

Mum and Daddio

My other sister, Courtney, was behind the camera for all these photos. I will sneak a picture of her in some other time I suppose.

I had a long break this Christmas. Five weeks long to be exact. With a short summer break and a long, slightly stressful fall it was a much needed break. I enjoyed sleeping in, meals with my parents, catching up on movies, mi sobrinos of course, my sisters, bookstores, coffee shops, quiet, local friends and not so local friends- Lauren and Adam representing the Rocky Mountain region, Sarah Mae showing for Singapore, and the Usrey clan on behalf of Paris. How blessed I am to not only have a wonderful community in Jarabacoa but to travel back to the States and experience much of the same love.

I also saw another special friend that involved my traveling but that is perhaps deserving of a seperate entry...

I Have a Dream

2009-01-19T10:04:00.004-04:00

There is this to rememeber and celebrate...

I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.

But also this...

I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.

And much, much more...

Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon. which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it. It is a sword that heals.

A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.

Nonviolence means avoiding not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him.

All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.

An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law.

Have we not come to such an impasse in the modern world that we must love our enemies - or else? The chain reaction of evil - hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars - must be broken, or else we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation.

Philanthropy is commendable, but it must not cause the philanthropist to overlook the circumstances of economic injustice which make philanthropy necessary.

The first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: "If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?" But... the good Samaritan reversed the question: "If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?"

Run Til the Cows Come Home

2009-01-16T15:04:00.007-04:00

And we're back...
We'll start 2009 blogging off with a light and quirky "only in the DR/never in the US" story.

I have started running on a "trail" by the river. It is beautiful and free from a lot of the noise you will encounter even on the back roads of town. Parts of the trail are more open running along the bank of the river. Other parts are more narrow and wooded, a single track really with brush/trees all around.

So I am transitioning from the wide open trail to the single track. I run up a short hill, turn the corner around a tree and what do I encounter but 2 cows obstructing the very narrow path. Now cows aren't the most uncommon of encounters here. The catch is twofold though - cows make me a little nervous at close range (for some reason or other I believe they are all moments away from turning into bucking, goring beasts) and there is no way around them.

They take a casual glance at me and decide to start walking. I am about 3/4 through my running loop at this point so turning around is not an option. So I follow them, keeping what I hope is a safe, non-threatening distance. They are casual and continue to glance over their shoulders with a look of annoyance in their eyes that their grazing has been interrupted. The narrow stretch of path continues so the procession goes on. After a few minutes the path opens up just a bit and I attempt a pass. Well, apparently cows have a similar mentality to slow moving vehicles...as soon as I go to pass the speed up their walk to a trot. As quick as it opened my window of opportunity to pass closes and the path narrows again.

Just when I am thinking I will have to mosey the entire remaining leg of my run another window of opportunity opens up. This time, like a slow vehicle that has become annoyed with its tailgater, the cows pull off to the side and let me pass.

If you told me I would have the same encounter everyday I would still run a long the river...its just too beautiful to pass up. A few minutes of cow bum is worth the other 30 of mountain river vistas.

PS- No I didn't have my camera with me. Yes I just happened to have a photo of a cow in my library. I knew it would come in handy one day.

Turkey for 40

2008-12-01T09:41:00.008-04:00

(and by turkey I mean chicken)

I am full of thanks for the wonderful Thursday I had with my family here in the Dominican.
We were created for community and any opportunity to celebrate that should be taken advantage of. With that in mind my dear friend Erin (Doulos Art teacher) and I took the lead in organizing dinner for our little community here in Jarabacoa. We made an announcement at the morning staff prayer time. By the time Thursday rolled around our guest list was around 30. YIKES! A little intimidating but doable.
Thanksgiving is an American holiday so in reality Thursday was a normal day in the DR. Normal day means we had school. Fortunately our boss sees the value of community and breaking bread together so she gave Erin and I the full day off to shop and cook.
We wanted to keep it as close to a "traditional Thanksgiving" as possible; however, turkey is a difficult/expensive thing to come by so we subbed in chicken. Everything else was what you probably had on your own table: mashed potatoes (15lbs.), green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole (actually there is no such thing as yams here so it was actually aoyama, a squash relative), corn fresh off the cob, homemade stuffing, cranberry sauce, deviled eggs (I thought of you Dad), apple pie, and pumpkin pie. The chicken came from a friends restaurant and even though we eat chicken almost everyday here it has this unique smokey flavor making it special to the occasion. I am proud to mention that other than the cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie everything else was sans cans, made from scratch.
Although Erin and I shopped and cooked a lot of the meal ourselves we could not have done it without the generosity of others in our community. Our friends Jake and Kyla volunteered their home, Micki lent us her car to shop, Kim and Pachi added a few dishes to the mix, and the guys (Troy, Patrick, and Jonathan) showed up early to help chop, clean, and set up shop for dinner.
The group seemed to go from the 5 of us to 40 in the blink of an eye. Second to the (almost) can free meal, I am proud to say that dinner actually happened at our planned time of 6:00.The GREATNESS of what happened the rest of the night is hard to put into words. It was a beautiful scene; mixing of cultures, ages, families, languages. We prayed for the meal and sang the doxology. Just that one act was enough to make my night. Conversation filled the room as people enjoyed their food. The kids played outside. The babies were passed around. After coffee and pie the musical instruments came out. It was perfect, picture of heaven, the Kingdom come here on Earth as it is in Heaven.
An EXTRA special surprise was a special friend's visit. Lindsay (last year's 1st grade teacher) came in town (from Michigan) to visit her beau Natan. She was only here for a few days but loves me enough to ditch Natan for the afternoon to hang out while we cooked. Her and Natan joined us for dinner. It was like she never left. It made the day all the more special to have her there.Later on in the weekend Natan and Linds went from dating to engaged! Congrats Linds.

My third proud announcement is we managed to feed 3 dozen people and used (almost) nothing disposable. This made for quite a few dishes but like the prep work, clean up happend upon the generosity of others as well and went fairly quickly. The day ended late with the same 5 people it started with, a few cold microbrews (courtesy of Lindsay), and some guitar playing.
It was a LONG day but the most beautiful day I have had in a long time. I went to sleep full of good food and full of great thanks for the day and for the many other blessings of life.

Work on the Water

2008-11-14T11:52:00.008-04:00

This is most definitely an "I love my job post".

I am back in the groove of work after spending a week on the beach with the sixth grade class for their coral reef expedition.
Playa Fronton is the only beach of its kind on the island - white sand with rocky cliffs just behind and a coral reef at the edge of its waters - and natural monument for that very reason. This is where the highly anticipated Doulos Coral Reef Expedition takes place.
For the past 5 years Doulos has partnered with Reef Check to educate our students in the importance of protecting the reefs that surround the island and to take inventory of the current vitality of the reef at Playa Fronton.
I was able to sneak my way on the trip as the cook. Bulk shopping and preparing 3 meals a day for 15 students is a small price to pay for 5 days on a breathtaking beach, snorkeling in crystal clear water, sleeping under the stars, on soft white sand, with the break of the ocean for background music.
I have felt so worn out lately, experiencing a bit of culture shock I think. This trip was just what I needed. Getting away from my task list and the noise of my everyday life was perfect medicine.

Just a few pictures for you to paint the picture:

The view looking in from the waterLooking out from the Cliffs above the beach

The first view from my sleeping bag in the morning

Sixth Grade with the service project sign we posted

to inform tourists of how to protect the reef.

Breaking the Silence

2008-10-31T10:21:00.011-04:00

After a 2 month hiatus I am back. Wow. 2 months. That is awful. I have failed you in my goal of regular updates. But in the ongoing battle between the proverbial horse and the proverbial towel I refuse to let the towel win. It will NOT be thrown. I will get back on the blogging horse and I will try once again to commit myself to regular updates.
The problem I now face and have faced before is the daunting hole a 2 month absence puts one in. So, the plan this time around is to put a pin in the events of the last 2 months and get back on the horse in the present. Then as time/desire/discipline permits I will add in old happenings with the current happenings.

For today I will take the easiest route and [mostly] plagiarize.
I am currently reading Eugene Peterson's A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, Discipleship in an Instant Society. The expert comes from a section titled "The Hazardous work of discipleship". It struck a chord with me as I work [and often fail] to live a life that puts life into the word disciple. I feel the conversation often gets circular and lofty never touching the ground of what we are to do. Words like "righteous" and "holy" are thrown around but what does that mean? What do I do?

Here is what Eugene has to say about the doing of discipleship:

"Everyday I put faith on the line. I have never seen God. In a world where nearly everything can be weighed, explained, quantified, subjected to psychological analysis and scientific control I persist in making the center of my life a God whom no eye hath seen, nor ear heard, whose will no one can probe. That’s a risk.
Everyday I put hope on the line. I don't know one thing about the future. I don't know what the next hour will hold. There maybe sickness, personal or world catastrophe. Before this day is over I may have to deal with death, pain, loss, rejection. I don't know what the future hold for me, for those whom I love, for my nation, for this world. Still despite my ignorance and surrounded by tiny optimists and cowardly pessimists, I say that God will accomplish his will and cheerfully persist in living in the hope that nothing will separate me from Christ's love.
Everyday I put love on the line. There is nothing I am less good at than love. I am far better in competition than in love. I am far better at responding to my instincts and ambitions to get ahead and make my mark than I am at figuring out how to love another. I am schooled and trained in acquisitive skills, in getting my won way. And yet I decide everyday to set aside what I can do best and attempt what I do very clumsily - open myself to the frustrations and failures of loving, daring to believe that failing in love is better than succeeding in pride."

(Italics are mine)

First Week

2008-08-22T16:45:00.006-04:00

This week has been FANTASTIC, busy but FANTASTIC.

Last year my busyness rapidly declined the last week of summer. With the work team gone, the summer tutor gone, and the new teachers settled in, the first week of school in 07 was almost painfully slow for me. This year was a different story all together. The summer work team and volunteers are back stateside but that in no way marked the slowing down of things for me.

Monday came with great energy. Even though a lot of my work is from behind my desk having a full campus adds so much to my day. Click here to read the Day one newsletter I sent out on Monday. A bridge was added to the pond this summer. The kids were enamored with it on the first day and pretty much all week.

Tuesday I prepped for the arrival of our 3rd grade teacher and later that night picked him up from the airport. Troy Bradley jumped on board with us just a week before classes started but couldn't join us until the second day of school.

Wednesday I spent with Troy filling his brain with cultural orientation info and the workings of Doulos. I think he has just the right laid back demeanor to be able to hit the ground running so fast. I don't know that I could have done it.

Thursday started early. 4 am to be exact. Two things happened on Thursday. First I had to say goodbye to my dear friend and roommate from the past two years. Tara and her fiance, Braulio, are moving to California. I am excited for them but sad to not have them around. The reality of it hasn't quite sunk in. Shortly after my goodbye with her I headed to the capitol. It was a full day of running errands and waiting for the start of the errand to end. Whatever that statistic is for spending years of your life waiting in line quadruple that for people who live in the DR. The prime reason for my going to the capitol was to pick up 2 guys from a church in Ohio interested in partnering with Doulos through a work team. There was A LOT of waiting involved in the day but overall everything went smoothly.

Friday, today, has been an excellent rounding out of an excellent week. I spent the day doing one of the best parts of my job - explaining what Doulos does, and hopes to do.

For the weekend I "have to" take the guys on a camping trip further up in the mountains. Some of the staff are going up to the coffee farm we take kids to for outdoor education week and our visitors wanted to jump on board. So rough, I know. How do I manage to continue in this difficult work?

I still want to share with y'all my OUTSTANDING expeditionary learning experience I had last week. Hopefully next week my Do It Now list will dwindle and I can devote some time to blogging.

Have a great weekend (I know I will).

Doulos Day One

2008-08-22T13:12:00.001-04:00

School is back in session. It was a great first day. The start of every year comes packed with potential. This year is no different, perhaps there is even more potential than years previous.

Coming into the last weeks before school we were still missing a few key positions. God has provided, consistent with his nature, perfectly and from unexpected places.

Following an inquiry about a history position, our third grade classroom now has a guide teacher. Troy Bradley, from Hendersonville, NC will be joining us this week and in the mean time I [Krista, Doulos Director] will be getting the third grade class situated into their new setting. We are still on the search for a second grade teacher but Mark O’Neal, our first and second grade aid, has stepped up and is helping out the team by teaching second grade until God brings forth a full time teacher.

With two new Doulos babies there was also a need for 2 long term substitutes. Sarai Abreu, our full-time substitute, will be teaching middle school math and leading 8th grade devotions until Sarah Espinoza returns in the fall. Sandra Jose, our PreK 3 teacher, will be filling in for Damaris Robertts as the elementary Spanish teacher. I [Krista] am so grateful for the staff’s willingness to shift and help wherever and whenever needed. It is really a beautiful picture of Christ’s body at work.

For the first time Doulos has a full middle school team of teachers and a full high school team. This has created much needed room in teachers schedules for planning and class preparation. I [Krista] know it will yield great results that teachers now have the time to invest further in their expeditions and building deeper relationships with their students.

With every year I [Krista] am less and less surprised by God’s unique ways of providing for the needs of Doulos. Every year He proves himself faithful and every year my trust is deepened as I watch his unique provision unfold.

This is what was sent out for the Doulos Discovery Constant Contact Newsletter on Monday. I [ghost]write the Newsletter each month and any other written work Doulos sends out. To be added to our Constant Contact list leave a comment or send me an Email.

I Love My Job

2008-08-14T15:31:00.003-04:00

An Introduction to Expeditionary Learning

First I should start by saying I must have been taking crazy pills to think I could manage multiple posts this week. But they are coming...and they are outstanding.

Doulos is an Expeditionary Learning School. This doesn't mean much to a lot of people. It didn't mean much to me when I started working here two years ago. At most I could have told you it meant hands on learning or critical thinking. It involves both those things but it is certainly more than that.

Like many things in life, to understand Expeditionary Learning you really have to experience it. You can not teach what you do not understand yourself (or at least not well). Logically then, to teach Expeditionary Learning you have to have experienced it. So last week the Doulos Staff (the whole staff not just the teachers) became students and participated in what Expeditionary Learners call a "Slice". Expeditionary Learning consists of semester long projects called expeditions. Through expeditions students become investigators of a particular topic. The topic is researched and experienced in some or all of their subject classes. Through research, interviews with subject experts, experiments, field trips, and rough drafts students work toward a final product. A Slice then is a piece of an expedition. The staff spent 3 days as Coral Reef investigators.

Are you intrigued? You should be.
Are you jealous? Wait til you see the pictures, you will be.

The OUTSTANDINGNESS of these 3 days and Expeditionary Learning in general is too much to capture in one or even two entries. Over the next week get ready for 3 more entries covering my 3 days as an expeditionary learning student.

Day 1: The gallery
Day 2: The reef
Day 3: The product

Reading Frenzy

2008-08-12T16:05:00.004-04:00

(I know I promised pictures but the internet would not cooperate, sorry. Hopefully tomorrow. But you never know around here. I just try to be thankful when things actually do work.)

We change over time, or at least we should, because their is always a better version of ourselves that we can be. I have changed a lot since high school (Again it would be concerning if I hadn’t) But in light of a book I just finished, Here’s to Hindsight, where the author writes a letter to her former self it got me thinking...If you told the seventeen year old me that I would spend my summer time reading book after book I would have laughed at you...My English teachers probably wouldn’t believe it either.
But nonetheless, that is the case. I have some how burned through 5 books in the last month, and working on another.
This might not seem like the OUTSTANDING summer follow up. But to have this kind of time to do something I love so much was OUTSTANDING for me. So indulge me a little by reading this post and I promise the next one will entail some adventure.

I have deemed myself sub-par to awful at reviews so instead I’ll give a little quote from each and what it left me thinking in the end.
Jesus for President
(the title is exactly and not at all indicative of the book’s contents)
By Chris Haw and Shane Claiborne
[Piggybacking off of the great commission- "Go and make disciples"] “Making disciples meant they were teaching the world to do the things Jesus did. To wash feet. To proclaim jubilee. To love enemies. To welcome strangers. And they would become known as the Way. Their community was more than just a group of people who shared religious beliefs. They were a group of people that embodied a new way of living, the way out of the empire where slavery, poverty, and oppression were normal. They were to become the salt and the light of the world. The credibility of their gospel would rest on the integrity of their lives.”
The book left me thinking A LOT of things but mostly that the systems of this world have failed us and duped us repeatedly but there is another way, a third way, another world is possible.
Everything Must Change
(this was an inspired re-read after Jesus for President)
By Brian McLaren
I don’t think you can extract just one quote from this book and not either sound cynical or overly idealistic. The book really has to be taken in as a whole to understand that it is neither cynical nor overly idealistic. What it is is hopeful and since that hope is pinned on Jesus it is also possible.
[re]Understanding Prayer
By Kyle Lake
“As long as I am aware of my own corrupt state, God’s grace toward me remains constant. But when I push my sense of sinfulness away my relationships and my approach to life become fragile because I have begun to live out of my own illusory sense of righteousness.
Eventually the book boiled itself down to two words: transparency and truthfulness. It left me thinking I often don’t know how to pray but I can handle those two things.
“Here’s to hindsight”
By Tara Leigh Cobble
“How has [God] not given up on me yet? How can I see what I’m supposed to be so clearly, and yet every day go back to being who I’ve always been”
This book left me thinking traveling musicians and overseas missionaries have a lot of the same plights. Or maybe more so that people in general have similar plights. Either way felt a little less alone/crazy in a world where I often feel alone/crazy.
Miles to Cross
By Mike Howerton
“Love. Every life you touch is significant. Every life is infinite. What you do matters. Love. Of course you will be confronted with need that far outdistance your ability to solve. You can’t do everything….Don’t worry about doing everything. You can’t. Just do something. Notice things. Know yourself. Never complain. Love.”
This book left me thinking there is a lot of this beautiful created world I want to see and reminded me there is a lot of this beautiful created world I have already been blessed to see.
I foresee the frenzy tapering off as friends return from summer break and as I prepare to move into my new place.
Perhaps I will take on something a little more playful for my next literary venture. Either way I’ll let you know.

Get ready for it

2008-08-11T15:49:00.002-04:00

It has been an OUTSTANDING summer.
So OUTSTANDING that I need to get my thoughts in order and figure out what to post first.
Check back tomorrow I should have at least one for your reading enjoyment.

Until then I will pass on the EXCITING news that we hired a third grade teacher!
We are excited to welcome Troy Bradley to the Doulos staff.

Remember. Check back tomorrow.
I promise this is the last [lame] post without any pictures.

Glorious rest

2008-07-28T13:15:00.005-04:00

After 9 days of being on call around the clock I was able to take 2 days off to relax and recharge. Like I said in my previous post my week with the work team from College Station was excellent so although I would have been alright to keep working comp time is comp time and I figure I might as well partake. I spent 2 glorious days laying low in my house.

In case you are interested I'll walk you through it...

Day 1, I wake up sans alarm, always reason to celebrate. I start the morning off right with my wonderfully dark, blissfully smooth French press coffee. I firmly believe the taste it creates can not be replicated with any other form of coffee production: drip, percolator, cowboy...nothing does it the same. I read a little bit while I enjoy my first cup. Then I proceed to make the most heavenly breakfast, what I like to call egg deliciousness. Skillet cooked potatoes seasoned with salt, pepper, and chili powder. Once potatoes are golden brown add in eggs, pico de gallo, and black beans. This time of year the deliciousness is taken to the next level with freshly sliced avocado. Put all the fixins in a warm tortilla, enjoy with second cup of blissfully smooth French press coffee and possibly a glass of milk. PERFECTION. I eat. I read a little more. I pour my third and final cup of coffee. If I am pacing myself correctly it is still warm.
The day also involves laundry, which isn’t blissful or heavenly but is necessary since I was out of some essentials. I write and read and listen to my newest Paste sampler as I wait for the washer to empty out so I can reload. The process takes steady vigilance but I have come to enjoy the many ways life forces you to pay attention here. There is no auto pilot. Its lots of mindfulness and also some elbow grease.
Some time in the late afternoon I suit up to go for a run. I load my iPod with the most recent episode of This American Life and I run through the campo with Ira Glass to keep me company. I have mentioned this before but I love, love, love, running past the gardens. Rows upon rows of green agriculture set in front of green mountains beneath a blue, blue sky with puffs of clouds gathered just above the peaks. Amazing.
Dinner follows the run. A great day like this requires a great meal to go along with it. I am deeply thankful for the amount of fresh produce at my disposal. I chop up eggplant, carrots, and tomatoes for my signature veggie curry tacos. Seasoned with a little salt, pepper, and of course curry, I add the veggies to warm tortillas with hummus spread, black beans, and shredded cabbage (preferably red). WOW.
Not much left after dinner but to get cleaned up, read for a little while, and eventually call it a [glorious] day.
Day 2: I am a creature of habit. The second day off runs a similar pattern enjoying the simple pleasures of my favorite things: good coffee, good books, good music, and good food. I branch out a little and include good people in my second day.

PS- I am no gourmet chef but if my menu peaked your interest and you want any more ideas just let me know. I love to share.

College Station Work Team

2008-07-21T14:02:00.004-04:00

I am coming off of an EXCELLENT week. Things could not have gone better with the high school students from College Station, TX. Project wise the group was very impressive. I don't remember hearing one complaint all week about the work load and it was most certainly a load of work. They dug out trenches for a sprinkler system on our soccer field. They mixed and hauled cement for a concrete floor. It should be mentioned that when I say they mixed cement it in no way involved the familiar contraption known as a cement mixer. The kids were the contraption. That is how it works here: sand, gravel, cement, water, a shovel, and lots of elbow grease. They also started the work to expand the Doulos cafe' eating area. Lots of hard work in the hot sun. Not only did they not complain they had fun with it.
Hang out wise the group was also impressive. I spent the week with them day and night. They were a great mix of playful and insightful. It is my observation that either high school kids have gotten a lot cooler since my day or I really was that big of a dork. Perhaps a bit of both. Point being I don't know that my 27 year old self would enjoy my 17 year old self as much as I enjoyed this group of 17 year-olds.
I also had a wonderful week getting to know the leadership team. So much of a good work team depends on how they are lead. Zack, David, BJ, and Shelly did a great job of working alongside the kids, but what I most enjoyed was how they challenged the students in their faith walk, asking questions, and having them really think about how they live.
I so enjoy good conversation and I was able to listen in on and be a part of some quality conversations with the College Station team. Thanks to all of you. Specifically to the students: Thank you for your service to Doulos and to me. Always remember what you are called to - "to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God."
I would love to see each of you again next summer.

The whole group before their Saturday adventure.

Its not the DR without a waterfall hike.
Me with Jenny, Hannah, and Bonnie

Villa Anacaona: Home for the week.

Fearless leaders Zack and Shelly (who I proudly share my name with)

Some of the hard work I had mentioned, trench digging.
I know it appears as though the girls are sitting while the boys work...I assure you they are simply taking a short rest after much much digging.

Back on the Horse

2008-07-14T11:10:00.004-04:00

Well, I fell of the blog horse yet again. But as a creature of habit it is no surprise for 2 reasons. One I am out of habit of blogging and have not followed the steps of discipline/repetition to create a habit. And two, being in the States throws me off all normal routine and practice. So back in the DR we will try yet again to create the positive habit of keeping the faithful and patient readers of Es La Vida up to date.

Last summer I went from language school in Costa Rica to a quick visit with friends in CO, to a cousins wedding in PA, to a few short days in GA with my family. What a wonderful gift to be able to go all those places and experience those things BUT after a go, go, go six weeks I returned back to work a day before our summer volunteer and work team arrived. I thought I was going to go INSANE. This year I opted to sacrifice a few days off my time in the States in exchange for my sanity.

So I arrived on July second, one week before our summer volunteer and work team. The week was quiet and gave me plenty of time to get details lined out before anyone arrived.

Where I am not crazy about staying in my house by myself it was a nice time to be quiet, reflect on my time in the States, reflect on this past year, and prepare for the many changes that lie ahead for the coming year. It was also nice to get my running shoes back on the dirt roads of my neighborhood and past the jardins in La Joya. Despite the perils of running around here (dogs, pot holes, crazy drivers) I always miss it.

I tend to get anxious and impose unnecessary stress upon myself when events or projects are coming up (even with extra prep time). So during my week of preparation I was wishing the days to pass quickly in some ways because I knew despite my worry everything would be fine and the tension would break once the group arrived and our summer volunteer was settled in. I was right. I had prepared all I needed to and all the stress was for nothing. Someone really smart once said that "worrying doesn't add a single hour to your life". Smart guy...I should listen to more of his advice.

The work team is here from College Station, TX (I never seem to escape from Aggies) and I am having a great week with them. We are off to 27 Waterfalls and the beach this Friday. I know, I know, I have such a grueling job.

I will write about the week with the team some time next week. I actually remembered to take some pictures this time so you can see what they were up to.

Family Vacation

2008-06-26T14:09:00.003-04:00

Amelia Island, FL

I flew back to the States June 15. After a quick one night stay in Marietta, I was back on a plane to meet up with my family in Amelia Island.
I swapped out waking up to roosters in Jarabacoa for waking up to my 5 year-old nieces and 3 year-old nephews (with Sponge Bob Square Pants in the background) running through the beach condo. Not exactly relaxing but I can't throw the roosters around in the pool, or play Uno with the roosters, or give the roosters zerberts.
The living quarters were slightly cramped for 7 adults and 4 rambunctious kids but we managed with an inconsequential amount of blood and/or tears.
We split our time between the pool and the beach taking afternoon rests back in the condo.
I don't believe all the Crowther girls, husbands, and children have ever all been under the same roof. I enjoyed the sweet rareness (or rare sweetness) of it.

Papa pulling the kiddos around in the pool.

Fun on the beach with the Kite.

Tia Shelly with the 4 most adorable kiddos around.
From left to right: Bennett, Evan, Brayden, and Thompson

Stay tuned for an Doulos end of the year update. I know its not chronological but I like to keep you on your toes.

¡Feliz Cumpleaños!

2008-06-06T16:09:00.001-04:00

Enjoy your day Mum.
I am excited to see you next week.
Love you,
Sheller

Don't Say It Can't Be Done

2008-06-02T15:51:00.007-04:00

There are a few divine moments here when you happen to have your camera ready when something AMAZING crosses your path...

Yes, that is about a dozen used mattresses in the back of Toyota.

Yes that is a cow in the back of a Toyota.

Yes that is a Honda Civic in the back of a Nissan pickup.

My Every[at the house]day

2008-05-26T13:02:00.008-04:00

In keeping with my blog from last Wednesday I thought I would show you some of what goes on once I leave school and get to my house. Most of my posts consist of events or activities that are exceptions to my everyday so I thought I should devote some time to my everyday.
People ask me all the time what we “do” here. They want to know where/how we live. Honestly my life isn’t that different from before. I wake up. I make my coffee. I go to work. I go to the grocery store. I do my laundry. I cook myself dinner. All the same stuff it just gets done differently.
Life here is somewhat of a paradox (at least from an American perspective). Few Dominicans have the time-saving devices common to most Americans. But I would wager a hefty amount that most Dominicans have more time to spare than any given American. Where does all that saved time go? I have my guesses but I can’t be sure. Needless to say time is not something Dominicans save, borrow, or lose. Time is something that happens, something that passes while you do the things you do, while you visit with friends, or while you wait for the rain to stop. Time is not a commodity. It just is.
So here is a peek into how I do life here, just like you, yet most likely vastly different from you.

Meet my washer. We are fortunate enough to have an American washer, which no surprise holds more clothes so I do save a little time. However, if you look at the photo you notice the garden hose. That is right. No hook up, so we do what is second nature here and accommodate. It really doesn’t add much time you just have to be attentive. There is no auto shut off. I am the auto shut off switch for both the wash and rinse cycles. Lose focus and we have a flooded back patio - Another thing that is standard here, no laundry rooms just put the machine on the back porch right next to the dryer.

Meet my dryer. Sustainable and energy efficient. Only drawback is its function is contingent on the weather. Good tips: Do your laundry in the morning, better electricty and more sunshine; turn your clothes inside out to prevent fading and to provide bird protection.

Meet my dishwasher. Also sustainable and energy efficient. Always dependable (although my roommate might say other wise).

Meet my microwave. Works with or without electricity. Just make sure you have matches. A meter on the gas tank would be nice too but that is only a problem every 3 or 4 months.

Meet my hot-water-heater.
Now this one doesn’t require manual labor just forethought. Dominicans are so “green” and they never knew it (this is laughable for many reasons). Energy is expensive, no sense in leaving something on that you only use once a day. You just better remember to flip that switch 30 minutes before you actually need to shower.
Hot-water-heaters are a luxury here. I hope to always have one but if not I can always boil water in the microwave.

That is how we do life here. I wouldn’t want it any other way. The time things take is not time robbing, it is simply life. Because while I do my laundry I read my book. While I cook dinner I talk with friends. While I wash dishes I reflect on my day. Time isn’t lost or saved or wasted. Ideally time is experienced.

The Last Hooray (for the school year)

2008-05-26T09:30:00.003-04:00

Presidential elections happened last week. In a developing country you never quiet know how people are going to react to political change...or change of any sort. Although the likelihood of anything dangerous happening was slim we cancelled school just to play on the safe side. So what do you do when you have a 5 day weekend? Easy enough, you go to the beach with your friends. Since this trip would be the last for those who are moving back (Amanda and Lindsay) to the states we decided to get as many of our friends on board for a last hooray. It ended up being about 16 people in all.
We actually drove on voting day and weren’t sure what to expect. I think it might have been the easiest drive to the beach ever. Minus passing directly by a couple of voting stations the roads were clear and calm. And so was the beach. We spent 3 days relaxing in the sand, playing in the waves, and eating good food.

You will have to take my word for it b/c the picture doesn't show it but this is Amanda and Lindsay and me eating dinner on the beach. The ocean is just to our backs.

Cabarete is your pretty standard tourist beach: hotels, restaurants, and souvenir shops stretch on for miles. No real cultural experience is going to happen here. What I do love though is watching the kiteboarding and windsurfing. Cabarete is known for it. Its something I would love to learn but for now, without the time or the resources, I will have to settle for watching. In the afternoons you can close to a hundred of kites on the water. How they don’t get tangled in each other I’m not sure.

My Every[work]day

2008-05-21T15:20:00.006-04:00

This is my everyday, in front of the computer sending e mails, updating documents, writing newsletters. Look how diligent I am...I didn't even look up for the picture (I hope you can see the sarcasm dripping off those words).
So in my commitment to blogging more the plan was to have something really profound for you today, like the paradox of time here.
You know what I did instead? I spend the day writing a work team projects report and revising the information packet for new teachers. Not very deep but necessary. Now I could get profound here and go on about how God is behind the scenes as well as in the front. How he hems us in and is in the teacher in front of the class and the administrator behind the desk. I could talk about the hand and the foot and how we are all necessary in the body but I'm not because I still have that teacher FAQ to update.
But hold on to your seats because depth is coming as well as a fun beach update. Yes that is right, I spent 3 glorious days this past weekend laying in the sand with my friends. And guess what? I don't have to work tomorrow either b/c its Corpus Christi Day. Don't ever believe if I tell you I am suffering for Jesus by living here.

Accountability

2008-05-20T09:57:00.003-04:00

Sometimes you have every good intention in the world but things just don't get done. My thanks to my dear friend Amber for holding me to my goal of better communication...I will have a post ready for you faithful readers by tomorrow morning (May 21).

Change is Possible

2008-04-30T10:17:00.005-04:00

Becoming a better communicator

Well confession is good for the soul, so I must confess I have done a horrible job this spring (and this year) of keep people updated. This is not exclusive to my blog but also with letters, e mails, phone calls. My only excuse is, "How on earth is it May?" Time has gone SO fast this year. But no more excuses. It is time for action...
The good thing is through my work with Doulos I am learning that change is always possible. Therefore there is always hope. With effort and time it will come.
That means it is possible for me to change into a good and timely communicator. First thing, first, I have to get myself out of the communication hole. So I put in some time these past few days and have a slew of posts for you.
Take them in pieces if you like. Click on what ever strikes your fancy first.

WORK:
Grace Fellowship, Work Team #1 (January)
Prince of Peace Men, Work Team #2 (February)
Prince of Peace Intergenerational, Work Team #3 (March)
Prairie Lutheran, Work Team #4 (March)
First Baptist [Tyler], Work Team #5 (April)...coming soon

PLAY:
Waterfall Adventure
Spring Break
Lauren's Visit
Micki and Daniel's Wedding...coming soon

So here is the hope, or the plan for change: Weekly blog posts. It can be done. I have confidence. And please feel free to bug me about it if it does not happen. Accountability is the best motivator.
You should know, what I am good about is replying. Meaning if you leave a comment or send me an e mail I will write back and since I want to know what you are up to as well I would LOVE that.

Thank you for being with me on this journey.

Equipo de Trabajo Numero Cuatro

2008-04-10T14:37:00.007-04:00

Prairie Lutheran Church March 28-April 5, 2008 Eden Prairie, MN

I wasn’t sure I would live to write the recap on this week. A group of 39 first timers, overlapping with another group of 22. I felt a HUGE amount of pressure (mostly self-imposed) for this to be a great week. I will save you from the suspense and tell you all my worry was for not. Besides a ridiculous amount of rain (which wreaks havoc on work projects and transportation) the week was WONDERFUL, for the group (I think) and for me (I know).
Restoration is a word God has recently put in front of me a lot. Even more so at this time of year as we come off of Easter. God is about restoration. Restoring us unto himself. Restoring people unto each other. Restoring creation. Restoring life to its original intention. The Prairie Lutheran group were the hands and feet of God’s restoring work - for Doulos and for me.
The main projects for the group were building a fence and remodeling (or better yet restoring) the staff lounge. Our barded-wire fence surrounding the soccer field had claimed one too many balls and almost a few kids. It was time to be replaced by chain-link (not super aesthetic but MUCH more functional). The fence team gets a gold star for their HARD work. Rain and the lack of a cement-mixer did not deter them. They learned from the Dominican workers the depth of the word resourcefulness and now we have a kid-safe, soccer-ball-safe, chain-link fence.
The staff lounge team did a great work of restoration on our staff lounge. Before Prairie Lutheran’s arrival it was little more than a dark hole and a dumping ground for homeless school materials. Using a lot of reclaimed materials from the Doulos workshop, the group created a space that is beautiful, peaceful, functional, and peaceful one more time. And like I made mention of with the new botanical garden, the environment shapes the mind.

I actually wasn’t with the team a whole lot during the work day. I bounced around checking on people. I was running errands in town. I was on the phone rearranging transportation plans. It was after the work day staying with them that I fell in love with the Prairie Lutheran group. Again, I was VERY nervous about this group. My fears melted away with every conversation I was able to have with different folks in the group. I especially want to give a shout out to the women in the group. I have been blessed through out my life to always have the council of older women, women I aspire to live like. Since moving here I have not had that in the same capacity. Even though these ladies were only here for the week I got a bit of that again and it was restored my soul.
The group as a whole was a blessing to Doulos. But to the Ladies of Prairie Lutheran you were a special blessing to me. It was a true gift to talk with you, to share life with you but also to watch you be mothers, to be wives, to be friends.
I will see you in December when I come visit Amanda and the Spoon.

Equipo de Trabajo Numero Tres

2008-04-01T14:33:00.003-04:00

Prince of Peace Intergenerational March 24-31, 2008 Burnsville, MN

Because one trip isn’t every enough, Prince of Peace came back again, this time with families in tow. This was my first ‘intergenerational’ trip. Which is a longer way to say family trip but not be exclusive of those who want to come w/out a family.
The Intergen trip, 22 strong, also helped carry out a class learning expedition. The fourth graders have been researching and planning a botanical garden. Producing a final product is a key part of expeditionary learning, therefore, you don’t just plan a garden, you build a garden. And we are not talking about a patch of grass with a few flowers. This is more on level with a landscape architecture project. There was a back-hoe involved, boulders, truck loads of dirt, more rocks, a lot of fertilizer, and a few plants too.
This project also ties into your environment setting the stage for your state of mind. I was hesitant of this project to begin with. We’re a grade school. Why do we need a garden in place of a play space. The answer - It is important to be centered by peace. Chaos is not hard to find. Peace on the other hand can be difficult to encounter. So what is the best way to be sure you encounter it each day.? Plop it right in the middle of your life. The garden looks great and will only look better over time as the grass takes root, the plants grow tall, and we get the pond up and running.
I didn’t get to spend a lot of time with this team since I spent the week preparing for the next team that overlapped with them but I think about them each time I look out my office window (The after picture was taken out my office window). School is still chaotic but just like the plants need time to take root so does peace but its a good start.
Thank you Prince of Peace for bringing Doulos what every life needs, more green spaces and more peace.

Feliz Cumpleanos Papa

2008-03-26T15:24:00.004-04:00

My favorite part of CO Visits the DR

2008-03-25T13:30:00.008-04:00

I came home from Fronton to the most wonderful surprise possible. My dear friend Lauren was waiting at my house along with my friend Adam (her boyfriend). Suffice it to say I was beyond excited. I have known the 2 of them separately for years. A few years ago they met, not through me, and it was just a few months ago that they started dating (por fin). So, anyhow, it was really fun to have them both here and to watch them be a them.
We mostly putzed around Jarabacoa for the 4 days they were in town. We drank a lot of coffee, walked a lot of places, ate some good food, and had some good conversations. Time with Lauren is always good for my soul. She encourages me. She inspires me. Our time together is always too short. The good news is this time we actually remembered to take some pictures.
LSAT - I love you and miss you and am already anxious for our next adventure.

Better than any resort

2008-03-25T12:04:00.004-04:00

Playa Fronton

Working for a school has many benefits. One of them being spring break. A group of us planned to spend the better part of the week camping on a remote beach on the Samana Peninsula. So you might be wondering what I mean by remote so I shall explain. There are 2 ways to get to Playa Fronton: a 20 minute boat ride or an hour hike. We chose to boat in and did not so much choose to hike out.
The weather was wonderful during our 3 night stay (well minus one night of rain and one night of the ocean trying to take our tent away but nothing disastrous). So the skies were good, the ocean not so much. For some reason or other (meteorological, lunar, just because) the waves were INSANE.
Now the coral reef comes right up to the beach at Fronton so the waves weren’t necessarily crashing hard onto the shore but 50 yards out they were ginormous. Apparently it was the same along the entire North coast. Needless to say the little 15 passenger motor boat did not come back to get us. Not a problem (in fact I was some what relieved...I certainly did not want to be out on that water). We simply strapped everything on our backs and walked out.
So what does one do for 3 days on a remote beach? We relaxed. We snorkeled, We cooked over the fire. We spent a lot of time staring at the water, mesmerized by the hugeness and beauty of the ocean. Patrick said, and I agree, “No wonder surfers are all quasi-spiritual.” There is just something about the vastness of the water and the power of the waves.
Camping isn’t always the most relaxing vacation. It comes with some work and some weather risks involved. But the beauty and the company far outweighed the bit of work that was required to make it happen.

This photo is taken from just above the beach at the base of the cliffs that run along the coast.

This is of course taken from the beach. You can see where the waves crash out beyond the reef.

I mentioned the boat couldn't come pick us up. This is the view after the hour hike out. And yes the water really is as blue as it looks in the photo.

Welcome to Colorful Colorado

2008-03-01T11:52:00.006-04:00

Two days after Christmas I made my first of four state hops and went to Colorado to see some friends and get reacquainted with my snowboard. It was 10 wonderful days that of course went by way too fast.
My friend Ken picked me up from the airport in Denver and we bummed around for the day. I ate at Smiling Moose for lunch (which is the FABULOUS deli where I used to work when I lived in Vail...If you are ever traveling on the I-70 corridor between Denver and Utah you should try and find a Smiling Moose. There are about 10 of them now and they are about the best sandwiches you will ever encounter, EVER. We couldn’t go to the original that I worked at of course but the Denver chain satisfied my craving just fine). We also caught a movie in the afternoon. I know neither of these events sound very exciting but they are 2 things I rarely get to do.
Lauren (my primary reason for the trip) lives in Salida, CO (next town south of BV, where I used to live) but she has visiting family in TX and flew in that night. Ken and I picked her up around 10. We caught a big 4 hours of sleep before getting up to head to the high country (Salida) for Lauren to make it to work before 8. I spent the next 4 days hanging out in Lauren’s office at Monarch Ski Resort and taking some runs on my snowboard here and there. The rest of the time we hung out around Salida (2) and I went up to BV a couple times to visit with camp friends. It was great to be back in the mountains.
I didn’t get near enough time in BV but what I did have was great. A few of the folks I got to see...Chris (1) along with being my YL team leader when I was in school at Samford was also my boss when I was an intern at camp, he is also a dear friend and one of the many I didn’t get to spend enough time with. Grace (5) was my roommate as an intern and is now the store manager at the other YL camp in BV, Trail West. Brandee (3) was the camp nurse during my summer as an intern. I wasn’t going to get a chance to visit her in Colorado Springs so she drove up for the day to visit.
As you can see its hard to take a picture in BV or Salida without getting a killer background in the pic (one of the many reasons I miss the place so much)
Keeping with Lauren’s and my tradition, we forgot to take a picture together…but she was sitting next to me when I took picture 4...which didn’t do enough to capture the explosive pink color of the sky that morning.
I surprised myself on this trip. I miss Colorado immensely many days and spend a lot of time thinking about moving back. I worry a little bit each time I set foot in the state that I won’t be able to let myself leave. Miraculously that was not the case this time. Something sank in about my work and life here in the DR and I found myself feeling okay with leaving, feeling okay that I don’t know when I will (if ever) get to move back. Pretty amazing step for me (that doesn’t of course negate my excitement for my next visit).

W is for: Walking, Wilderness, Waterfalls

2008-02-25T11:50:00.005-04:00

We are certainly not in shortage of beautiful sights here in the DR. Myself and few other teachers decided to head out of town a little ways and checkout a waterfall on a friend of a friends property. Every bit of the trip involved great views. The drive winds deeper back into the mountains. The hike provides a distant view of Pico Duarte (the tallest peak in the Caribbean). And our final destination “Salto Stefan”. Okay so the waterfall doesn’t actually have a name but Steve is the guy who owns the land, so its as good a name as any.
We ate lunch by the waterfall and relaxed with our feet in the water before heading back. Most everywhere you look in Jarabacoa and all over the island is breathtaking. But Saturday was especially great. It was one of those days where the words “I live here” rolled through my head over and over again. I am one lucky girl.
Our history teacher Patrick took some great pics that day. I am going to be lazy and defer you to his blog to see the great views he captured that day.

Equipo de Trabajo Numero Dos

2008-02-08T11:33:00.005-04:00

Prince of Peace Men’s Trip Burnsville, MN February 2-9, 2008
Repeater trips certainly make my job easier. The POP men’s group was my first team to ever host so they hold a fond place in my heart. They are an ornery bunch but it gives them a certain depth of character I can’t quite articulate.
This year the group of 12 worked on the new outdoor amphitheater designed by our fifth grade class as part of their science/math learning expedition. A couple of the guys mentioned the idea of adding a classroom above the backstage area and volunteered to raise the funds for it. The addition has extended the project far beyond just the week the men were here but when its done it will be amazing (and multi-functional). The photo you see here is just phase one. Check out pictures from Equipo de Trabajo Numero Tres to see the progress made. The hope is to have "everything" ready for the end of year presentation.
Thanks guys for all the hard work and all the laughs.
Los Presidentes are waiting for your return. I look forward to next February.

Even in the "Happiest Place on Earth" 26.2 miles is a LONG Way

2008-01-28T16:15:00.002-04:00

...The joy of the finish is worth the pain of the journey

4:48 and ran every bit of it...which accomplished all three of my goals:
Finish before the street sweeper comes through, check
Run the entire time, check
And if possible finish under 5 hours, check
I owe a little of that to my training and the majority of it to Sarah Mae for running the entire 26.2 miles with me. I don’t think I would have finished with out her.
I’m not gonna lie...I didn’t enjoy that much of it. In case you didn’t know 26.2 miles on foot is A LONG WAY. I did however enjoy the sense of accomplishment after the fact. Despite my muscles feeling like jell-o and my feet feeling like ground beef, I myself felt outstanding.4:48 and ran every bit of it...which accomplished all three of my goals:
Finish before the street sweeper comes through, check
Run the entire time, check
And if possible finish under 5 hours, check
I owe a little of that to my training and the majority of it to Sarah Mae for running the entire 26.2 miles with me. I don’t think I would have finished with out her.
I’m not gonna lie...I didn’t enjoy that much of it. In case you didn’t know 26.2 miles on foot is A LONG WAY. I did however enjoy the sense of accomplishment after the fact. Despite my muscles feeling like jell-o and my feet feeling like ground beef, I myself felt outstanding.
Along with Sarah Mae the surroundings also helped. You can see we started out early and that we ran with some “classic characters”(#2, 6). We hit Epcot first (#4) and ran right underneath the big ball. Have I mentioned yet that I have NEVER been to Disney world?...so pretty much every aspect of this event was new for me.
Okay I have to make mention of pic #3 b/c I’m sure you are wondering why I included a photo of the port o johns. I go through cultural adjustment/shock every time I come back to the states. Things operate a little differently here in the DR on many different levels. One of those things is lines and organization...they pretty much don’t exist here. They are more in favor of the “whatever space you can fit in to get to the front fill it” mindset. I could not believe that with no cones to set boundaries or an official person to create order all these Gringos (at 5:30 am no less) naturally formed single file lines every 2 or 3 stalls about 6 feet back from the port o johns. AMAZING. The DR version of this scene would have been a mass of people pressed up against the doors ready to jump at the next available stall.
After passing the infamous Tea Cups and Flying Dumbo ride, I ran right through Cinderella’s castle at mile 13 (#5). Strange thing was it was Prince Eric and Ariel standing on the balcony to greet us...I saw no signs of Prince Charming or Cinderella, perhaps they were in a spat and not in the mood for public appearances.
Sarah Mae and I crossed the finish line together (#7). I know the clock in the picture says 5:58 but that is the start time for the front of the line...our lovely shoe chips that we got testify our start to finish time at 4:48. We got official (not the least bit tacky) medals (#8) although no one gave me the memo you were supposed to where them in the airport (I saw at least half a dozen people sporting their proof of triumph).
We had just enough energy at the end to pose for another pic.
I spent the rest of the day laying on the couch.
Don’t ask me just yet if I plan on doing another one.

I Lead Staff Devotions this morning

2008-01-26T15:04:00.001-04:00

We have been walking through 1 John for the last few months. This is what I shared with our staff this morning.

I write this, dear children, to guide you out of sin. But if anyone does sin, we have a Priest-Friend in the presence of the Father: Jesus Christ, righteous Jesus. When he served as sacrifice for our sins, he solved the sin problem for good - not only ours but the whole world’s
Here’s how we can be sure that we know God in the right way: Keep his commandments.
If someone claims, “I know him well!” but doesn’t keep his commandments, he’s obviously a liar. His life doesn’t match his words. But the one who keeps god’s word is the person in whom we see God’s mature love. this is the only way to be sure we’re in God. Anyone who claims to be intimate with God ought to live the same kind of life Jesus lived.

1 John taken from The Message

Verses 1,2
We have certainly made a mess of things. Globally and individually. There are solutions to all these problems.
A global example: Americans spend enough on ice cream annually to feed the poor for a year. Problem: hunger. Solution: 600 million people give up ice cream.
An individual example: That thing I just said cut my friend/spouse/kid deeply . Problem: Our uncontrollable tongues. Solution: Cut it out.
A quote from a favorite author of mine says “The solution to a problem is rarely found in its extreme opposite”
Thankfully God seems to act in a way consistent with that line of thought.
So instead of solving our sin problem (or rejection of his commandments) with rejection of his creation he sends a solution in Christ to save and to restore.
Verse 3
Keep his commandments: Easy enough right. Well the Israelites didn’t last very long. I know I don’t make it very far into most days with out slipping up.
Verse 4, 5
If you say you know God your life match’s your words...If not you’re a liar. This is the point when a lot of fingers start flying. But those who keep his word embody God’s mature love ( in him truly the love of God is perfected)
Read 1 John Intro from the message.
Jesus was about putting a new perspective on things. Like he said on the sermon on the mount he didn’t come to destroy the law but to fulfill it. He also didn’t say it wouldn’t look different
Jesus turned things are their heads a little bit with his famous tag line “You have heard it said”
Now looking can be lust and hatred can be the same be murder. And we don’t fight back with our fists, we give the other check. Well loving your neighbor you need to go ahead and love your enemies too.
Verse 6
If you are claiming Christ you best be living like Christ.
So what we’ve got here is a call to love. A call to set a higher standard than a check list of tangible do’s and don’ts. A call that puts the standard global and individuals response on its head.
Give up your cloak. Turn the other cheek. Embrace the marginalized.
Love when the world seems drawn to hate.
Serve when everyone else is clamoring to be the greatest.
MLK day was this past Monday celebrating civil rights. MLK inspires me. Dr. King is a true picture of God’s mature love. He embraced the restoring work of Christ. He existed in hope for change.
Most know him as a civil rights activist but his cause (which was noble in and of itself) ran much deeper than that. His cause (shaped no doubt by Christ’s call to love) encompassed all human equity, including the fight against poverty, social injustice, and war. Did I mention he did this all from a non violent stance? Let that sink in for a second….By means of peace this man changed the course of American history...Why again do we as Americans ( and worse as Christians) seem to think we can obtain peace and security through means of violence?
God calls us to so much more than that.
Loving God and loving people (all people) is intricately connected. This extends from our literal neighbor to our neighbors in every corner of the globe.
Let us close with some words from Dr. King…[the brackets are mine]
Based on the Writings of Dr. King

I refuse to believe that we are unable to influence the events which surround us.
[With this belief in hand I pray that each day I would seek out the path of Jesus.]

I refuse to believe that we are so bound to racism and war, that peace, brotherhood and sisterhood are not possible.
[With this belief in hand I pray that each day I would seek out the path of Jesus.]

I believe there is an urgent need for people to overcome oppression and violence, without resorting to violence and oppression.
[With this belief in hand I pray that each day I would seek out the path of Jesus.]

I believe that we need to discover a way to live together in peace, a way which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of this way is love.
[With this belief in hand I pray that each day I would seek out the path of Jesus.]

I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality.
[With this belief in hand I pray that each day I would seek out the path of Jesus.]

I believe that right temporarily defeated is stronger than evil triumphant.
[With this belief in hand I pray that each day I would seek out the path of Jesus.]

I believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits.
[With this belief in hand I pray that each day I would seek out the path of Jesus.]

I believe that what self-centered people have torn down, other-centered people can build up.
[With this belief in hand I pray that each day I would seek out the path of Jesus.]

By the goodness of God at work within people, I believe that brokenness can be healed.
[With this belief in hand I pray that each day I would seek out the path of Jesus.]

Amen.

WORK TEAM NUMERO UNO

2008-01-20T14:10:00.002-04:00

Grace Fellowship Church, Maryland, January 12-19, 2008

First timers, Grace Fellowship Church of Maryland brought 8 folks down to Doulos in support of one of their own, Kim Nichols our high school language arts teacher. They were also my first work team of the season. It also happened that they arrived 2 days before I actually got back into the country after Christmas break.
Less than 36 hours after running the Disney Marathon I was back on the clock. Thankfully Kim was a HUGE help and the group was a joy to work with. 8 is certainly on the smaller side of things and they were on a pretty low maintenance project of painting. The project required little guidance but was not a little project by any means. The group painted the entire exterior of our elementary/library building. Sometimes you don’t realize how badly something is needed until it happens. Looking at the before and after, it has made a huge difference to the building and as a firm believer that the environment you surround yourself with effects your mindset, the face-lift on the building is a step in the right direction.
Thanks so much to Grace Fellowship. I love that y’all are already talking about coming back. I hope it happens!

The Sunshine State

2008-01-16T12:05:00.000-04:00

Florida wasn’t just about running an insane distance. I was also able to reconnect with some old friends (meaning friends I have had for a while not friends that have many years).
My YL leader from high school, Keltner, picked me up from the airport and let me stay at her place. I hadn’t seen her since she moved to Orlando 3 years ago. She currently works for Children of the Nations and will be going to Africa this summer to do one of the things she does best: encourage and disciple young people as they serve and live and work to figure out this faith thing.
Keltner coaches a high school soccer team. I was able to watch one of her games and caught a glimpse of something beautiful...I saw a bit of what I used to be in those 16 year old girls and thought, “I would not want to spend extensive time hanging out with my 16 year old self”. How is that beautiful you might be thinking. The fact that Keltner did it faithfully. She is a gifted soul. It is people like her that help create change in [crazy] people like me. I am not one of those gifted souls. High school kids are small dose people for me. Keltner has that gift to see Christ and see potential where so many others see annoying and irrational adolescents. Thanks Keltner. I owe you more than I could ever repay with words.
The YL All Staff Conference was taking place just down the road at the wonderful world of Disney…meaning I was able to hit a lot of birds with one stone.
The most important bird to hit was my mentor from high school who is currently on YL staff in Paris. Kathy is another amazing person that can see Christ and potential in high school kids...I don't know who I spent more time bugging in high school, Kathy or Keltner?
I hadn’t seen Kathy in almost 4 years. I am grateful to her for the endless amounts of patience and love she extended to me and my neurotic teenage self. Her husband David, and daughter Tiffany were there as well. Last I saw Tiffany she was 17 and a pretty amazing 17. But over the past 4 years she has grown to be that much more amazing. She shines Christ with grace and a bit of European flare. I just wish I could have listened to her speak a bit of that French I hear she has gotten so good at.
They were a beautiful family before but now, watch out! They are picture of the joy that comes from being right in the center of what God has called us to. Thank you Kathy and David and Tiff. You all inspire me. I hope to see you on your turf some time soon (or you on mine).
And of course there are all those Frontier folks I always love to see.
Wingos, I wish I could have spent more time with both of you. Hopefully it won’t be too long until the next time.
God has blessed me beyond measure with friends all over the map and opportunities to reunite in the strangest of places.
My door is always open (here in the DR that is both literal and figurative). Y’all are always welcome to visit my tropical mountain paradise.

The Lonestar State

2008-01-12T12:01:00.000-04:00

Texas.
Texas is everywhere I go.
And as much as I give the State grief a lot of the people I hold most dear are from Texas.
I am continually drawn back to the state I claim to loath. So if you hear me say anything disparaging about Texas you can remind me of all those Texans I know that have blessed me deeply with their friendship.
My dear friend Grace, from the great town of Fort Worth, TX, had a baby in November so I figured I would widen my traveling loop and drop south before heading back east from Colorado. Grace and I met in Branson, MO at a YL summer discipleship program. Branson is another place I pretend to loath but really have an abounding love for because of the relationships God forged there.
Chaos and unpredictability tend to surround Grace (ironic I think). So it was nice that our 3 days together were low key. Her little boy Ellis is about as good as babies can be. He loves to smile and laugh. He is a happy baby for certain. It was a gift to see Grace and her husband Kent in their new roles as parents. Its no surprise Ellis is a happy guy; they are a great team and wonderful parents.
Where I don’t see myself moving to TX, any time, ever, Fort Worth is at the top of my list. Thanks Gracie. I love you and hope its not too long before I can pass through again.

Feliz Navidad

2007-12-25T00:07:00.002-04:00

Welcoming the Incarnate Deity

If you are reading this because my belated Christmas card prompted you, Thank you for taking the time to go a little further with me. If you didn't get a card from me sorry and welcome just the same. Either way leave a comment to help me gauge the traffic.

Much like my aversions to Thanksgiving it would be easy to rag on the commercialism of Christmas and how Jesus takes a back seat to Santa Claus. But like my thoughts on Thanksgiving I am choosing to focus on the hope and light the Incarnate Deity brings to the world.
I believe life has a circular nature and God tends to teach us the same things over and over again, just in a new light. Sometimes the things that are right in front of us all this time can strike us in a new way. This year the words to O' Holy Night struck me in a new way, particularly the third verse...

Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.

Myself and the world has a long way to go on this but hope has arrived in the incarnate deity. He walked the path of love and of peace despite the world acting as a torturous school yard bully egging him on, looking for a fight. That is what I celebrate, the hope and the light his path brought that started in Bethlehem and continued on from there...it continues on today.

I promised links to this years activities. Without further ado the year in review (or at least the latter half). Click on the links to read/see more.
1. I spent the month of June in Costa Rica improving my Spanish at language school. Yo tengo mas para aprendir pero estoy mejor que antes. Poco a poco, como mi amiga me dijo.
2. I tend to neglect giving school updates on my blog since I am not in the classroom but Doulos is the reason I am living this great adventure in the DR. I am immensely proud to be a part of this great vision and hope for change.

Experiential Learning is one of the things that makes Doulos unique. One week in the fall the kids participate in Outdoor Education Week. 1st-3rd grade studied What Lives in Water. The bigger kids studied ancient civilizations of the Americas on a 3 night camping trip.
Expeditions, semester long learning projects, are another part of experiential learning and the sixth grade class takes an AWESOME trip to Playa Fronton to work with International Reef Check.
There are more examples, unfortunately they are not all captured on blogs. The hope is I will do a better job of writing about school things and/or linking you to teachers that are blogging about school things.
I almost forgot. One of my big projects this semester has been updating and rewriting all the content for the Doulos Discovery website. It was a tedious yet rewarding project. Doulos is so much all at once, making it a challenge to be concise with the wording.

3. Its not all work as you can tell from my blog...but its not also always profound thinking as you cannot always tell from my blog. I have great community to pass my time with. Birthday parties, Halloween parties, Beach adventures, Tourist Days
4. I also got a dog this semester. Max. Check here and here to see pics and the sad resemblance Max and I have right now.

Thank you again for taking the time to catch up with me and my life. The adventure is meant to be shared. And that goes both ways so let me know how you are doing as well.
I hope you are experiencing the hope and light the Incarnate brings.
Come back after the new year I have more adventures just around the corner: Time with friends and my snowboard in Colorado and the Crazy pursuit of running 26.2 miles with Mickey Mouse in Orlando after that.

Deepest Love and Thanks.

Two Peas In A Pod

2007-12-20T23:08:00.002-04:00

You know people say owners and their pets look alike…
Before I took ownership of Max he had a run in with a barb wire fence leading to stitches on the bridge of his nose just missing his eye.
Months later I have a run with a bottle opener (ridiculous, I know) leading to stitches on the bridge of my nose just missing my eye.
... Coincidence or divine providence?
I hope our similarities end there.

2007-12-18T15:34:00.001-04:00

OR Three Stitches Saves You from an Ugly Scar on Your FACE

I had an unfortunate run in with a bottle opener on Monday night and the bottle opener won. So much for a relaxing night, enjoying a glass of wine with my dinner. It was my own fault (which makes it all the more frustrating). I did put the screw in deep enough and when I went to pull BAM! like an old Batman cartoon I had been knocked out (not really but you get the idea).
After some debate, my roommate, Tara and I headed to Santiago to get my head stitched up. Not exactly the way I wanted to spend my evening but for my first venture with stitches and for my first personal medical experience in the DR it wasn't so bad.
First I got cleaned up from the initial injury (do you know how much your face bleeds?...A LOT) and put a butterfly band aid on to hold it shut for the mean time.
Once we got to the hospital in Santiago Tara made sure I got a Doctor who was astute with puntadas. She assured us with emphatic words that she was in fact VERY good at stitches. If nothing else she knew who Dr. McSteamy was when I made a reference so she has at least watched a gorgeous TV Doctor stitch someone up.
The process began and hurt a lot less than I was bracing myself for. As a first timer I would say she delivered on her promise of puntadas astuteness. But the real proof will come weeks down the road I suppose.
Afterward Tara and I went for ice cream since I was such a brave patient.
I was promised that it will only be a small scratch after it heals. I'll live. Scars are character building right? And hey at least it wasn't my eye.
Did I mention this whole venture only cost me about $6? Meaning I spent just a little bit more on the gas to get us there than my actual stitches and only little bit more on the stitches than 2 servings of ice cream. SERIOUSLY!?!

2007-12-15T13:04:00.001-04:00

WHO NEEDS MORE STUFF?
OR GREAT GIFT IDEAS
In a season where American excess is painfully front and center, there is a world struggling to survive. In effort to put my drop in the bucket of global change and turn the consumer standard on its head, here is my short list of "alternative" [life giving] gifts this season [and for all those other seasons of the year as well.]

Instead of buying your friend that DVD or that book save a life and buy a kid a mosiquito net from Nothing But Nets.
Instead of buying your brother a new sweater from the GAP change a families life and buy them a goat from Heifer International.
Instead of buying your kid a new XBOX donate to Kiva and change the life of a person in a developing nation with a small business loan.
You get the instead idea...so substitute whatever thing is on your list with a donation to blood:water mission and help give an entire African village clean drinking water.

Each of these sites gives great insight into the BIG changes these seemingly small gifts can make. These are not just band-aid solutions on fatal wound but healing medicine for what are fatal problems. I encourage you to check it out...And to answer your question, Yes I will be giving things along these lines for my gifts.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2007-12-14T12:27:00.000-04:00

The Answer We've All Been Looking For
Hugh Laurie from House wrote a little ditty that is, what I would call, the definitive answer to the world's problems.

2007-12-13T13:00:00.001-04:00

Tourismo or I love my Lonely Planet Book

Post 3 of promised 4 I am a self-professed history dork.

I also live on the island Columbus first set foot on, and the oldest colonized city in the western world. So despite my objections of world domination, its part of my history so it was about time I went and saw some that history for myself.
Amanda and I took the early bus from Jarabacoa down to Santo Domingo for the day to be full fledged Gringa tourists, cameras and all. I should mention that Amanda hates being identified as a gringa and had to overcome quite a few personal hurdles to take out the guide book and be seen taking pictures. That being said I thought it more than appropriate for this posts banner to be Amanda holding her prize possession for the day.

I'm also testing out a new picture display. With the slow uploading here, this certainly saves me time...but if the pictures are too small leave a comment so I can know to dream up something new. Below is the the explinations working left to right, top to bottom.

The "Dominican Man" museum and for only $50RD Amanda found herself a new boyfriend (and learned a little bit of the history of Carnival, which is what the scary devil thing is about).
This is the spot where the first Dominican flag was raised after they drove out the...Spanish I think...but maybe the Haitians...
"Tourist Central", the street that leads up to all the historical stuff, where you can purchase any number of landfill materials you can imagine...all with a Dominican Flag stamped somewhere on them (I bought all your xmas presents here)
From there the real fun began where we got to see all sorts of REALLY old stuff. For some reason or other I love experiencing stuff that was created in a different century, in another millennium. (And this is just some of the oldest stuff from the 'New World'...think how my head will spin when I hit European, Asian, and/or African soil, .) So this is the oldest church still standing in the new world. The architecture and art was amazing.
Amanda couldn't tear herself away from that book.
Another pic of the church...the ceiling just blew me away...all stone work, WOW.
Amanda checking out the view of the Caribbean from the first fort built.
The original wall built to keep all those nasty British and French 'intruders' out.
I thought this was funny. One 'cause I'm a pacifist and hate guns. Two b/c it was on display in the same area as the fort...not exactly same era. And Three b/c nobody cared that I was climbing on a 'historical artifact' if that is what you want to call it.

After stopping for some shaved ice we made our way back to the bus station. We didn't hit all the sites in that one day so perhaps there will be another history adventure to the capitol coming in the spring.

YEAH! for FREE CONCERTS

2007-12-11T14:51:00.003-04:00

So this is acting as filler as you wait for the 2 other content blogs I promised...they are coming...really, they are.
In an attempt to be less consumed by consumption I am on a self-imposed buying ban. The hardest aspect of this has been resisting the temptation to buy new music. I love "discovering" new music (those quotes are very emphatic since I am so far removed in the middle of the Caribbean that very little of what I hear is new to anyone else but me and by discovering I also mean following through on someone else's suggestion).
Although I mostly lean toward indie rock I like a lot of different stuff. This NPR podcast was a GREAT find for me. All Songs Considered airs daily with songs from a variety of artists. The host, Bob Boilen, bless his heart, is about as exciting as organizing your sock drawer but he picks some good music. The even better thing is they have recently added an All Songs Considered: Live Concerts Podcast. Since I favor albums over singles as it is, this has been WONDERFUL way to get album length material without pirating. I strongly suggest taking a look/listen in the iTunes store (the subscription is free). Although there are dozens of quality musicians to choose from I suggest starting with Spoon, Josh Ritter, and Jose Gonzalez...of course there is also Iron & Wine, Death Cab, Explosions in the Sky...

2007-12-07T16:29:00.000-04:00

Credit where credit is due

Or Life as a Research Paper...Post 2 of my promised 4
On most days I am a perjuring thief. On good days I am an honest researcher of life crediting those who I gained my information from. Most of what I think, most of what I believe, most of my motivation and conviction for change come from what somebody else has said.
I am not creative.
I do not have epiphanies.
What I do is leach.
I grab hold of someone else's thoughts and I run with them.
I am, however, selective.
I evaluate.
I cross reference for value.
If it rings true to what I know from the previous things I have come across then it is deemed credible and I go with it. If Christ is the center, if love and generosity are the fulcrum, I say this is good. This is so good I am inspired to be change. I want to make it a part of who I am. I want to write it down and pass it on so that others will want to make it a part of who they are and so on and so forth.
I remember writing my first research paper in high school and my American history teacher(1) explaining to the class about footnotes. He was emphatic about giving credit. In fact perjuring ideas, with holding your sources would result in a big fat zero. He said when doing research few of the thoughts you write down will be yours and that is okay. Its a research paper not an op-ed piece. You are writing what you have found. The information will have come from somewhere, from someone. For the ten pages you will write maybe ten sentences will be original thought. The rest of it will be tagged and marked with references to books, authors, page numbers, publishers, and dates. The MLA handbook will be your best friend through this process.
Life is like that. You might have thought is was like a box of chocolates and it is at times but today it is not. Today life is in fact like a research paper. It is collective of thoughts and ideas from what others have discovered before you peppered with a bit of what you have discovered. And that is okay, as long as you give credit where credit is due, as long as that research you accumulate amounts to something - insight, inspiration, motivation, change - for yourself and for others.
Now I don’t know that my first high school research paper on post American civil war reconstruction inspired much in my 16 year old self but it taught me how to write. It got me to my next paper which maybe had a little more depth of meaning, at least to me of not its readers. And more with the next and so on and so forth. At 26 I don’t write research papers any more. I journal, I blog, I write letters, but I have let my MLA handbook by the wayside.
Maybe right now you are thinking, “I thought life was more like an op-ed piece. In fact, how is it not? Isn’t what I think or feel or believe my opinion?” To that I say, “It is and it isn’t.”(2) I think of it this way. Even though a research paper is based on facts and/or previous findings the writer still has power to spin those facts. The writer has the power to emphasize certain things and to omit others. This happens all the time in the media. Plus there is the power of the lens in which you see things through. Like me, for example, I am a female, 20 something, raised in the south, influenced by the west (CO), Christian, white, American. All these things (even if I don't want them to) determine how I weigh and filter the information I put in a paper. So I am in fact writing research but through my lens. Now if I want to be true to my piece I need to have enough perspective and integrity to acknowledge shortcomings in my findings as well as views from other sides. So more than looking at it as op-ed verses research it comes down to the moral fiber of the writer. The two are woven together. But, in order to be true to [well] truth it should be more research than opinion. You cannot allow your lenses to become blinders to the outside world. So you are right to ask and I am answering it is a both/and situation leaning more toward the research side (This trails off into my thoughts on balance and how few things are either/or making life more of a both/and but that is for another day).
To bring things back full circle...Life is a research paper (with that bit of op-ed that every work has to it).
Even the driving force behind this little piece is research driven. Proving that my thoughts are no more original now then when I was writing papers in school. And since today I am feeling more like a researcher than I perjuring thief I feel obliged to share with you my life’s most recent footnotes(3).
podcasts:
nick and josh podcast- these are great in that they turn me on to new authors, bloggers and artists or give me a chance to hear interviews with folks I am already familiar with but never through dialog.
mars hill- Rob Bell, who I stumbled upon through his book velvet elvis, preaches how he writes by putting you in the context of the hebrew/greek scriptures. The bible is not this riddle to unlock (stolen from Donald Miller) but rather a series of stories. And every story has a context (it was written in a certain time, by a certain person, in a certain culture). Rob has a gift of adding depth to already meaningful story.
blogs:
iamjoshbrown.com - I have been blog stalking josh for the last few weeks. I can’t remember how I came across his page (or his podcast) but he happens to live north east of ATL and does a great job “re-imagining” the way of Jesus and Kingdom living.
monte asbury’s - i think i stumbled upon this doing some sort of google search on "Jesus response to the poor". He does a beautiful job of meshing life as a research paper with that just right dose of op-ed.
authors:
brian mclaren - is deemed dangerous by some. I say he is researching and revealing to help christian culture and americans in general wade through the fog we have put ourselves in. While I am still working through (and disagreeing) with some of his theology (which he gives the freedom for people to do), I am inspired by his perspecitve on Kingdom living and God’s plan to restore rather then destroy the creation he loves.
thomas merton - A Trappist monk and a great man of peace with Christ ever as his center. I am currently reading No Man is an Island.
movies:
mona lisa smile. This one actually didn’t do much for me the first time I saw it (I don’t remember what crazy pill I must have been taking) but upon second viewing and the umpteen million viewings since then I have fallen in love it. I could probably write a whole blog on this film. To put it in a nutshell just b/c its a culture norm doesn’t mean its right [or wrong], keep a posture of learning even when you are the teacher...and I’ll stop there b/c I am struggling to keep it in a nutshell. Perhaps I’ll revisit the topic in another blog.
dead poets society- Another amazing film about an amazing teacher. This has a little different spin and follows much more closely the influence Mr. Keating has on his students to "suck the marrow out of life". A post modern thinker teaching in the thick of modern times.
music:
spoon and jose gonzalez - I’m not much of a music critic. I don’t know much about tempo, meter, or production quality. I do know what I like and what I don’t. I know to me a good song writer is a story teller. I know that music I like inspires me to create art as well. These are two of the guys that do that for me. I have a blog coming up to share how I discovered each of them.

Footnotes
1. O my gosh I can’t remember his name. Coach…Something. He taught with a putting wedge in hand using it like a pointer, a cane, or a noise maker to rouse sleepy students (which was often me) from their naps by smacking it on their desk…He also made you sing the national anthem in front of the class if you were tardy.
2. Josh Zillner. I can still hear in my head how he says it. If its directed at someone else it can be hilarious. If it is directed at you it can make you want to punch Josh in the nose.
3. Even my footnotes have footnotes b/c I should credit rob bell for this clever little method of not just referencing his sources but commenting on those references as well. At times humorous and witty and times profound he manages to make his footnotes a continuation of insight.
and yes i do realize the bit of irony that the references are actually not done in MLA style...but you get the idea
i realize i could have linked a few more things...but you have google too...so now you can do a little research.

The Prodigal DOG

2007-12-07T15:28:00.001-04:00

Post 1 of my promised 4
So I got a dog about 2 months ago but I’ve actually only had it for about 3 weeks.
Max was given to me by some other Doulos teachers who adopted him off the street but as it turns out they are allergic. Bad for Mark and Ciara. Good for me. I had been wanting a dog for a while and the situation to take Max just kind of fell in my lap.
The exchange was made at the beginning of October. Max seemed to be adjusting well. We have a great yard for dogs and my roommate’s dog, Bruno, loved having a playmate. All was good and right in the world. Then what some would say is inevitable with a street dog...Max got out of the yard and took off. Sad day. I drove around the neighborhood and his old stopping grounds and had no success.
I used to call Jarabacoa a small town. It doesn’t feel so small after you lose your dog. There are a million side streets and back roads. And those are just the beaten paths. What is to keep a dog from cutting across feilds or wandering into the woods, NOTHING. Plus he is adorable so somebody could easily claim him as there own.
That is exactly what happened. Three weeks after the tragic escape Tara and I were on our way to Santiago to see a movie and what do you know, 2 minutes from our house Tara spots Max. He is in the street but has a new collar on. I had about 2 seconds of guilt in putting him in the car and taking him back to the house.
So I guess that really doesn’t make him prodigal. I’m not sure what it makes him. Maybe like that one lost sheep out of a 100. Either way, with or without spiritual analogy, HE IS BACK!
It took Max and Bruno one good barking match to remember that they do in fact like each other and now things are back to normal. Hopefully the street dog in him won’t win out and he will stick around this time. Vamos a ver. I think he is pretty great and would like to keep him around for a while. That is more up to Max I suppose. But I am doing my part to help that happen by keeping a closer eye on the gate and by walking him around the neighborhood so he can find his way back home if he does happen to get out again.
...Since I first wrote this he has escaped again...and Tara found him again. Tara: The Patron Saint of Runaway Dogs.

2007-12-07T10:45:00.001-04:00

Let the SUNshine IN
I have been cursed by the blessing of living in beautiful places. It is about this time of year that I find myself deeply missing the mountains as friends send me snow reports and mention how they spent their weekend skiing.

But much of life is a choice and perspective is included in that. Recent perspective: Poor me, I can't be out in the snow...What this perspective is blinding me to: I live on a tropical island with vistas of green mountains and palm trees.

So today I am choosing to change my perspective, to let the sunshine in, and appreciate the [different kind of] beauty I have right here in front of me. I'm sure I'll have to do it again tomorrow and the next day. That of course does not negate my excitement for the time I will be spending in CO pretty soon here BUT rather an attempt to live by a philosophy that did not make it on last weeks list: Where ever you are be ALL THERE.

Also keep coming back b/c I am about to break my blog famine with a feast. The goal is to have 4 NEW posts up by Saturday (not counting this one).

Who needs Turkey

2007-11-22T10:56:00.001-04:00

I will fore go my typical cynicism of this holiday on this particular blog and keep it to simply being thankful.
There are many things to be thankful for.
I am of course thankful for those token things: friends, family, clothes on my back, roof over my head. I don't mean to sound aloof about them, b/c I am truly grateful, I just want to hit another point today.
I am thankful for change. In 2 respects in particular.
On a small personal scale and on a grand global scale.
A quote that has stuck with me over these past months is from Gandhi (gasp, i know)..."Be the change you want to see in the world". I've been working on that, for myself...what kind of person do I want to be?...and for the world around...what kind of world do I want to be a part of...to leave to those that come after?
On the small scale personal level, I am thankful for God's patience and mercy to stick with me as a attempt to be a kinder, gentler, more loving person...which pretty much adds up to wanting to be more like Jesus. A high mark I know, but I'd rather pursue it and only gain an inch my whole life than remain as I am (not terrible but much more selfish and stubborn than I would typically admit). Although I fall off the horse many days (who am I kidding, everyday), I think I have gained at least an inch or 2, and for that I am thankful.
Now lets move off me.
On a more profound global level, I am thankful for the change I see in the world. Some think we are in a downward spiral there is more violence, more destruction, more degrading moral fiber. From what I can see things are bad (really, really bad in regards to some things) BUT they are getting better. I am thankful for the movements I see. Movements to look outward, to care for the poor, to fight injustice...not with guns and bombs but with clean water, medicines, and education. Movements to be good stewards of creation. The buzz is small right now but its there and growing and for that I am thankful.
Life is hard and its easy to focus on what we don't have and all the bad that is in the world. But I hope you will carry a posture of thanks today for the good change that is happening, for the people that are being the change they want to see.

Happy Thanksgiving. Someone out there enjoy a piece of pecan pie for me.

I will be eating dinner with Amanda and her family tonight. Hopefully I'll get some pictures up some time next week.

There is a new blog below this as well so keep scrolling.

2007-11-22T10:38:00.001-04:00

This is a list of stuff I've picked up along the journey and have stuck with me. Some are flat out stolen from the famous and the infamous, others are my own (more or less), and the rest sit on the divide.
It's intended as a peek into my head just as much as an attempt to inspire anyone.
Enjoy.

Start moving in the direction of the person you want to be.
You can think yourself to be the nicest person in the world but if everyone thinks you’re an ass, guess what, you’re an ass.
Life isn’t about figuring out how to never screw up. Its about learning to say you’re sorry, quickly and sincerely, every time you do screw up.
Practiced moderation is much more holy than perfect abstinence.
Drop your sense of entitlement.
You only get one go round. Make sure whatever you invest your life in brings you life.
Idealists voice their convictions. Activists live by them.
Be an active participant in your life.
Lighten your load. Give your burdens to Jesus and give your stuff to those in need.
Learning from hard times doesn’t mean you won’t ever deal with it again. It means the next time it comes around you will have the resources to deal with it better.
Question anything easy; the best stuff is hardest to attain.
Passive living is not a synonym for sovereignty; its a poor excuse.
Do what is possible to make things happen. God will create a way or close the door and in the end you won’t ever have to question “what if”.
Have your opinion but don’t think you can know if you haven’t experienced it yourself.
Sharing the gospel with words is not the best method of sharing the gospel. Living it out accomplishes far more for this life and the next.
Share the gospel with words and you’ve got a person in need who now knows the story of Jesus. Share the gospel with action and you’ve got a person with food in their stomach, clothes on their back, a roof over their head, healing in their heart who now knows that is the story of Jesus.
No one has the same story, stop comparing, start living your own.
The best thing you can do for a friend is be honest, about the right things at the right time. The worst thing you can do for a friend is be honest, about the wrong things and the wrong time.
Learn to be forgiving of yourself. It is the only way to ever be forgiving of other people.
Time is no excuse to not do things; it is an opportunity to get those important things done.
“Its too hard” is a piss poor excuse.
Before you jump the fence take a look at the grass under your own feet.
Fill one hand with good intentions and the other with shit and see which one fills up first.
Don’t be a victim of your own circumstances. Work toward change and then maybe you can complain.
Sometimes discipline is doing the very thing you do not want to do because in the long run you know it is the best thing for you.
Love and discipline are synonyms...rarely the easy choice but the most rewarding in the end.
The solution to a problem is never really found in its extreme opposite.
Be a constructive nonconformist
Don’t just tell good news. BE good news.
The freedom we long for comes through forgiveness not revenge.
You are capable of far more than you give yourself credit for.
Your bad mood does not justify poor treatment toward others.

2007-11-16T15:27:00.000-04:00

Not quite snow but a whole lot of rain (whole, whole lot of rain) but it reminded me of snow days in Georgia as a kid...they cancel school just to be safe but probably really didn't have to. That is what happened with the rain and school here in Jarabacoa when Tropical Storm Noel rolled through.
We didn't have class for 3 days b/c of the non-stop rain. There was of course danger of the river flooding and making roads unpassible that combined with the fact that most everyone drives motorcycles and if you've never driven a motorcycle in the rain I will tell you its NO FUN so when its raining in the morning our attendance is cut in half at least. So it was 3 days to relax...although there is no ticker across the bottom of the TV during the morning news to tell you if there is school...so my roommate and I trekked it up to Doulos in the rain monday, tuesday, and wednesday to make sure we weren't skipping out on a work day.
I certainly would have traded my days off to be at work if it meant that other parts of the country would have been spared of flood damage and mud slides.

Its still raining most days but nothing compared to the 6 straight days that Noel brought. Jarabacoa came out pretty unscathed but other parts of the DR took a big hit (as well as Haiti) and even though the waters have receded the recovery process will take time. These tragedies tend to effect the poor the most, along with prayer consider donating to a disaster relief fund that helps those in the most need.

Why I raise support

2007-11-14T13:57:00.001-04:00

It is a humbling thing to ask for money from your friends and family to earn your living.

In most moments raising support is the least favorite part of my job.

So why do I do it when there are dozen other things I could be doing?
And just as much why does Doulos ask me to do it?

I raise support because I believe what Doulos is doing has so much depth and breadth and life that I struggle to know where to start in explaining it.

Starting with the mission statement is as good a place as any.

Equipping and educating Servant Leaders through Expeditionary Learning and Christian Discipleship to Impact the Dominican Republic.

Lets go green word by green work to catch the depth and breadth and life of each of them.

Equipping. Education is SO much more than an opportunity for a child to earn a better living than their parents might now. Education is not just 12 years of information logging. The depth of education is learning how to be the best kind of person you were created to be. The breadth of education is learning not how to acquire from what you have been taught but how to give from what you have learned. The life of education is change.

Servant. Positive, lasting change does not come through looking out for yourself. The kind of change Doulos is teaching comes through sacrifice and generosity. The mind of a servant is a skill that must be experienced and practiced. Students from preK4 up through high school experience and practice service so when the leave Doulos they will know how and desire to bring change through sacrifice and generosity.

Expeditionary Learning. A different kind of leader, a servant kind of leader, requires a different kind of education. Expeditionary learning transforms information logging into adventures in critical thinking. Students investigate. Students create. Students take on projects of adult proportions, projects that serve the community around them, projects that will remind them in adulthood that they can in fact do big things.

Christian Discipleship. Christ lived a life of love, a life of service. Its not just Heaven after you die, it is the Kingdom of God here and now. He calls his followers to "seek it first". He prayed for it to come "on Earth as it is in Heaven". What does that mean? That means loving your neighbor as your self, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, caring for the widow and the orphaned. That means redeeming creation to God's dream.

Impact. Every choice you make should be done with purpose. The way we educate and disciple students at Doulos is with the purpose of impact. The staff works to impact the students so that students will impact their family, community, country, and world. There is already fruit from this great adventure in education and discipleship. There is only more good fruit to come.

My work is a great opportunity to give to a project I deeply believe is doing profound good but it is more than that.
Students are not the only ones being equipped, educated, and discipled.
I am as well.
I have been given so much from my time here. God is doing a great work in the lives of these kids but he is boundless in his giving and I am receiving the blessings of that boundless generosity as well.

This is why I raise support. This is why I ask others to join me in this little project. It is full of breath, and depth, and life. It is a part of bringing the Kingdom on Earth as it is in Heaven.

2007-11-10T23:31:00.000-04:00

OR, LIFE IS IN THE JOURNEY

We had a holiday on Monday (Constitution Day, I believe) and decided to head to a new part of the island. Amanda got a suggestion from her Dominican "tio" to visit a beach on the north coast . It should take about 3 hours from Jarabacoa. Should being the operative word there. Little did we know the journey takes 3 hours in a jeepeta (SUV). In a 1970's VW bug it is going to take a bit longer. 6 hours long to be exact. Needless to say we hit a few bumps (literally) along the way.
Here is a picture journey through the day.
Working top to bottom left to right.
1. We were all smiles leaving the house at 10:30 that morning.
2. We saw some interesting things along the drive. Yes that is a cow penned in the back of a pickup truck.
3. Need a mattress?
4. Our first mishap. We ran out of gas/the battery wire came loose. Notice I took the opportunity to read a few pages from my book.
5. A snapshot of one of the smoother spots on the road. (The last 20KM took us about 3 hours to traverse)
6. Another recorded mishap from the dozen or more that happened...the battery came loose again (and again, and again)
7. Por fin! The ocean! It was another hour until we actually got to the beach. Nice view though.
8. Amanda gave me a kiss in sheer excitement of finally seeing water.
9. After 6 adventurous hours in the car we arrived. It was beautiful and where I would have enjoyed more time on the beach and less in the car it was still entirely worth it.

After a few hours of relaxing in the sand, some time playing in the water, and a dinner of fresh fish we made the journey back. We arrived back in Jarabacoa close to midnight. Quite the day but again well worth it because after all...Life is in the journey.

2007-11-08T15:44:00.000-04:00

The news is old but I just wanted to say...

The New York Yankees give me hope.
In a world that is driven by money and winning at any cost every year the Yankees go without a championship ring the truth WINS...Heart wins out over money.
You can have a payroll three times larger then the next team in baseball and a line up that looks like the American League all-star team but you can't buy HEART. I know its just baseball but it gives me hope that the little guy can come out on top, that determination and team work gets you farther than deep pockets. For me it transcends baseball and spills over into all other parts of life.

I promise you'll get a DR update soon...

2007-10-29T12:34:00.000-04:00

World Series Woes

Good effort Rockies.
Congrats to the Sox.
At the end of the day at least the Yankees didn't win anything.

2007-10-29T10:40:00.000-04:00

Victory Sweet Victory...Or, It's About Stinkin' Time!
O what joy to my heart, the bulldogs finally took down the gators. So, even though it is cloudy and rainy here in the DR their is sunshine in my heart.

2007-10-25T15:17:00.000-04:00

NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS...OR A MILLION MILES
You could run every main road, side road, and back road of your home town, every day from this day until the end of time and in all those days and miles you would never encounter what I might see in one morning run.
In the course of 8 miles I witnessed not only the everyday beauty of green mountains and lush fields but also…
The more common…
Dozens upon dozens of motorcycles on their way to work carrying a variety of cargo, everything from 3 passengers to farm animals to shovels and pickaxes. Who needs an SUV when you are abounding in resourcefulness?
Street dog after street dog. Hiding in shade, rummaging through trash, chasing down chickens...and me sometimes.
Potholes that equal the size and frequency of a black bump run on any ski hill.
The less common...
Two boys sharing a pair of roller-blades. Mind you they weren’t taking turns but each were using one at the same time. I don’t know which is a bigger feat (knowing what the sidewalks and roads are like here) attempting to skate with one roller blade and a flat foot or two at once? I believe I will stick to running with two sure feet, between potholes and street dogs, that is enough of a challenge for me.
A roadside cock fight. I’m making my way down the sidewalk, what I figure as just a group of men talking is a actually a group of men taking bets before they let loosed 2 birds to fight it out right as I am passing by.

2007-10-16T15:16:00.000-04:00

What are best Friends for..

They are EXCELLENT for spur of the moment visits.
My dear friend Lauren took a small window of opportunity and spent 5 days here sharing life with me.
My friendship with Lauren exists on the basis of traveling. Since we first met 5 years ago we have never lived in the same town. Instead we chase each other around the country (or world). We have lived in the same places but never at the same time. So where others think it strange, Lauren and I think it is perfectly normal that she lived in the DR for a year while I was working at Frontier and now that I live here she lives in CO just 20 miles south of where I was. We either have some serious logistic deficiencies or God gets a kick out of shuffling us around.
So until we land on the same part of the map (which I am convinced will happen at some point) we settle for a couple visits a year.
We didn't pull off any major adventures during her whirlwind trip...just lots of catching up, some good meals, a few wheat beers she managed to bring along in her luggage, a long run, and some andar-ing on the motorcycle.
And in our grand tradition of no picture taking I have nothing to post as evidence of her visit. We did manage to take one photo of the 2 of us at 6:30 in the morning just before she left for the airport on Sunday...but she's got it on her camera. Life doesn't always stop for pictures...or we're just forgetful dopes, which ever you prefer.

Whatever the case, her visit was the perfect medicine.
Thanks LSAT.
I love you and am already excited for December.

2007-10-16T15:12:00.000-04:00

So I've been avoiding writing a little bit. Mostly b/c I have known what I wanted to say but haven't really wanted to say it. Because saying it makes it real and sometimes you just don't want those hard things to be true...
The second year is a lot harder than I thought it would be. Life is more familiar but then again it isn't.
I came in the first year and had very little idea of what it was going to be like so I just rolled with the punches (not that is has all been punches...there is a lot of good and beautiful things in there too).
BUT the second year you [think you] have the hang of things, the spanish it better, you have the hang of your job, and without meaning to you have formed these expectations of how it all should look.
But its life, which is never static, so things aren't the same. So I'm having to change my perspective some, get back to rolling with the punches, and relearning to let go of my expectations and let God do what he is gonna do. Even knowing that its still hard.
I hate to make it sound as though everything is hard and terrible. Its not. Its just different which IS hard for me but NOT terrible.

2007-10-02T15:06:00.000-04:00

As is with life, its much more about the journey rather than the destination. Peter Jenkins recounts his walk from NY to the gulf coast of Louisiana. He finds the unexpected in himself and in the people he encounters. It will inspire you to explore and evaluate people, places, life a little more before you slap a label on it. I couldn't put it down.
Thanks for the loaner L SAT.

2007-09-08T15:39:00.000-04:00

FUI A LOS ESTADOS

After working this summer I was able to take 2 wonderful weeks off in the States (centered around my friend Kyle's wedding as the reason...Thanks for getting married Kyle!)
I of course spent time in Marietta with my family and catching up with friends. My nieces and nephews are double the size each time I come back. I think they will be ready to drive by the time I go back for Christmas.
It is a must to make it out to CO each trip to the states but this time CO came to the South. Kyle, who I interned with at Frontier was getting married in Charlotte. I whopping 10 out of the 12 interns made for the wedding (Shannon and Smae had viable excuses seeing as how they live on the other side of the planet, literally). Some of us met up a few days before hand in Asheville, NC to relax and catch up. We stayed at Kate' aunts "farm" and her dad and his friend were nice enough to be our personal chefs/butlers during our stay, "Thanks Craig and Bruce!".

The wedding was fun and we met up with a few more CO folk before it was all said and done...Al you keeping an eye on that kid and anything climbable?
The time has flown at this point and I only have five days left and still more people to see. Back in the ATL I met up with my friends the Sharp's who share my love or Georgia football (what happened with SC?) and all the other things that make southern culture so wonderful.
It is apparently a rule that I must hit at least 3 states with each visit to the US so I went down to Montgomery for a night to catch with my friend Robbie who mentored me back at Samford. Her and her husband have adopted 2 kids since I last visited so it was quite a different scene this time around...I loved it...Robbie you're great.
So 2 weeks 3 states (GA, NC, AL...and 4 is you count the layover in FL). Exclude the ideal world scenario where everyone I love the most is in the same place and snowboarding and laying out on the beach can happen in the same weekend...excluding that it was a perfect trip. I got to see a lot of people and i got to do a lot of relaxing.

2007-08-21T15:05:00.000-04:00

MEET THE NEW STAFF

STAFF
front(L-R): Juan David, Micki, Asbeth, Jaqueline, Emily, Ciara
back(L-R): Damaris, Kim, Patrick, Mark

We have started our fifth year with the strongest staff yet. Along with the largest returning number of returning teachers to date, we have 7 fabulous new American staff, 3 new local hires, and an inside hire as our new principal.
Ciara O'Neal, a recent graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University, is our new fifth grade teacher. Her husband, Mark O'Neal, is providing an extra set of hands in 1st and 2nd grade as a teaching assistant.
Micki Cain, originally from Colorado, spent last year teaching in Santo Domingo and is filling our fourth grade teaching position.
Patrick Pace is our Jr. High/High School Social Studies teacher and comes to us from North Carolina with 3 years of teaching experience.
Emily Wisseman just recently received her masters in geobiology and is doing a great job as the Jr. High/High School Science teacher.
Kim Nichols is from Maryland and with 10+ years of teaching experience, is taking over Jr. High/High School English Language Arts.
Damaris Robertts has been teaching private Spanish lessons to our Doulos staff for the past several years. She is now teaching Spanish Language Arts to our K-2nd students.
Jacqueline Henriquez is from Jarabacoa and is our new Office Administrator.
Juan David Gutierrez is stepping in as the librarian and Spanish as a Second Language Teacher for our native English speaking students.
Asbeth Ramos has been with Doulos for the past four years as a Spanish teacher and the Bible Director. She is now taking on the big responsibility of Principal. Her leadership skills are keeping Doulos on the path of equipping future leaders...for Christ.

2007-08-16T14:07:00.000-04:00

A GLOBAL FAMILY PORTRAIT

What comes across as a coffee table book is MUCH MUCH more. I found this book through Amazon's wonderful sales tactic of "if you like this you might like this".
Material World looks at the "average" family from 30 of the 183 UN members. Each family has their photo taken in front of their house with all their possessions. There are also photos of their daily lives. With the pictures are country statistics, a day in the life of stories, and background on each family. The statistics can be staggering and heartbreaking (on both ends of the spectrum) but awareness is where change starts. The book was published in the 90's so some of the numbers are dated but the concept is still in tact. One, we are vastly different and we are very much the same as our global neighbors. And two, just as much as we have a lot to share with the world we have a lot to learn.

2007-08-07T15:30:00.000-04:00

BACK IN THE DR SADDLE AGAIN
In part it feels like I never left here for those 6 weeks at all. Costa Rica is a blur at this point...if it weren't for my vastly improved Spanish and some photos, I would question if I ever went any where at all.
I hit the ground running when I returned to the DR on July 12. There were 3 events to return early for...and with the start of each one my stress level dropped significantly.
First, summer tutorial. I had been making plans through the spring for 3 weeks of tutoring in July to provide extra help for some of our students. We had planned for 4 volunteers...we got one BUT a FABULOUS one. I arrived in the country on Thursday and Sarah, our FABULOUS volunteer arrived that Saturday. She had one short day on Sunday to get oriented to DR life and culture, and then Monday to coordinate a plan for the next 3 weeks. In the blink of an eye it was Tuesday and our dozen kids that needed that extra attention in math, English, and Spanish were at school to be helped. Sarah was a super star, she jumped right in and took on a great amount of responsibility. I can't imagine what we would have done without her. I had helped to make the pre-game arrangements but it was all Sarah when it came to carrying things out. THANKS SO MUCH SARAH...You are welcome back any time.
Second, Grace Bible work team. My second week back 14 high school students and their fearless youth leaders came to help finish our classroom expansion project, help Sarah with tutoring, and join in on Doulos soccer camp. Things were going well until my body decided to mutiny against me...for the first time (of course during the height of my work schedule) I got sick here in the DR. For 2 days I laid on my couch in the fetal position and clicked my heels hoping to open my eyes and find myself in the States...in the end I got better and the team had a great week. We so appreciate the help they provided...the finished classrooms look AMAZING!
Third, new staff arrived. My final summer project was getting our 5 new staff members situated. Since each of their hirings I have been their go-to person: answering questions and attempting to prepare them for this crazy, scary, awesome thing they have committed to. Within the course of 4 days they each arrived and are each slowly but surely settling into their new lives.
Now I can take a pause to breathe...the school year starts in 2 weeks and my schedule is oddly enough just slowing down.

2007-07-12T14:53:00.000-04:00

THE KEYSTONE STATE
Another state, another event, another opportunity to catch up with people. This time the people were family and the occasion was my cousin Meagan's wedding.
I hadn't been to Pennsylvania in about 8 years and decided it was time to take the time to catch up with folks.
My parents both grew up in small town western PA, Oil City to be specific. I have yet to encounter anyone from PA that has actually ever heard of it. However, me and my small town nostalgia actually love it. Western PA is beautiful in the summer with green rolling hills, warm days and cool nights...or at least cool for my now thin tropically oriented blood. I also love that its where both my parents grew up. I like passing by things are hearing this is where we used to go for this or this used to be here. And unlike the suburbs a lot of things are still the same and have that wonderful personality that comes with age. Meagan and her now husband Jim were married on July 7, 2007 (they had a long engagement specifically waiting for that date 777). A side note on the day...Meagan and Jim were married in the same church as my parents AND used the same reception hall as my parents...kind of fun don't you think? Isn't the church beautiful...again, I love things with age to them.

In step with the rest of my summer the trip was quick but I so enjoyed seeing cousins and aunts and uncles. Hopefully next time won't be too far off...although weddings seem to be why we get together and the next wedding is down to me and my cousin Steve...and I'm no where close...Vamos a ver...

2007-07-10T15:31:00.000-04:00

COLORADO
My heart comes alive when I am in Colorado. It is a combination of the people I love and a place so beautiful it constantly takes my breath away. I experience that in the DR as well but its different and neither one can replace the other.
I wish I had taken more pics but life doesn't stop for photos all the time.
Sarahmae picked me up in Denver (Thanks Smae!) and we headed to YL's Crooked Creek to visit my old boss from Frontier, Brett (who is now running the show at Crooked Creek), his wife Janel(my mentor from my time at Frontier), and the 2 newest additions to the family, twins Hannah and Hudson (that makes 5 kids total!). They are an AMAZING family and I always cherish any time I get to spend with them.
The next day it was off to BV/Salida to spend 3 days with Frontier folks in BV and my best friend Lauren in Salida (who so graciously planned her one week of summer vacation during my visit).
The 4th of July was the highlight day of my trip. I went rafting down the Arkansas River with Lauren and some of her friends, grilled out, drank some much missed micro brews, and watched fireworks from the park in Salida.

As is always the case the few days I had was not enough. I already have plans brewing for my next trip in December. Thanks so everyone who hosted me and took time out of their crazy summer camp schedules to catch up. For those of you I didn't get to see (Josh, Steve L., Bob B., Kimmy) I am so sad BUT no worries, I'll be back after Christmas.

2007-07-02T14:52:00.000-04:00

FLAMINGO, COSTA RICA
Changing campuses was a stranger experience than I thought it would be. I felt like the new kid starting at a new school where everyone else already knows each other and has their friends set already. Something I never actually experienced in all my years in school but similar I imagine.
The family I lived with was certainly the high light of my second 2 weeks. The place was amazing. I'm big on homes having a personality and this one was busting with it. A simple cabin with an open kitchen/living area downstairs, 2 modest sized bedrooms, and a big loft area upstairs. Pictures do a better job of describing it than I can...
Outside view of the house

Hand carved front door...pretty cool a?

Inside view...I liked the log stump stools
Even better than the house was my host mom, Lily. It was just her and her 8 year old son, Adrean, in the house.

But her business was renting out some other casitas on the property as well as feeding a dozen of the local construction workers. So she had a few people on staff that were always there and of course all the guys coming around to eat. There was always someone near by to practicar my Spanish with.
Carla helped out with cleaning and cooking...that is her 6 month old son...I never caught his name, everyone just called him gordito.
Alberto was always around to help with yard work, construction projects, and a dozen other things.

Lily also made a point to take me out with her. Dinner and drinks with her friends happened a couple times a week...a rarity that no one else in a home stay could say had happened to them. I loved it.
I spent my mornings in class, my afternoons on the beach or near the pool, and my evenings with my host family.

Again the 2 weeks flew by.
The end was bitter sweet, but with the excitement of knowing I would see my friends in Colorado immediately after CR I was ready to go when the time came.
I don't know when I will be back but I know I have 2 new places I can call home.

2007-06-16T14:20:00.000-04:00

MONTEVERDE, COSTA RICA

I found myself feeling very comfortable in Moneteverde very quickly. Small, tropical, mountain town in Latin America...sound familiar? In a lot of ways it felt very familiar to my life in Jarabacoa. Although I was away from my desk and more or less away from my responsibilities of my job, 4 hours of language class a day proved to be very hard work. To add to the blessing and difficulties of my time I lived with a family. The Morales family was amazing to me. Days when I was done with Spanish and my brain was mush the managed to make me laugh and feel at home. We played a lot of cards together, watched some futbol and Lizzie McGuire in espanol, and of course ate a lot of good meals together.

It wasn't all class. My first weekend in CR I went with a group of students to Arenol...an active volcano in the center of the country. During that adventure we went rafting down the Rio Toro and visited a natural hot spring. It was all wonderful but strange to be sharing in such a big adventure with strangers more or less. The company I kept was lots of fun but I found myself missing my DR friends so much.

Back in Monteverde I also found some time to do a canopy tour of the cloud forest. Over 14 zip lines through the forest some as long at 500 feet and as high as 200 feet. SO FUN!

Those 2 weeks went so quickly. Just when I was getting really attached to my family and getting into a routine it was time to make the switch to the beach.

Also...I can't forget that I saw the BIGGEST bug EVER in Monteverde...its a beetle of some sort...notice the Gatorade bottle as a size reference.

2007-05-26T17:00:00.000-04:00

TOO MUCH SMELL, TOO MUCH NOISE
So I haven't blogged in a a while. My excuse: the daily afternoon events that take place outside my office.
Event #1--Our wonderful cleaning staff that works so diligently day after day, cleaning up the messes we make use a not so wonderfully scented cleaning agent, Mystolin. I wish I could put my finger on exactly what it smells like to describe it to you. The bottle says "spring flowers" but I would argue that. Even with my 4x4 foot windows wide open in my office it still manages to overtake.
Event #2--To generate additional income for his family our music teacher gives private drum lessons each afternoon. Where does this fabulous musical education take place?...only about 10 feet outside my office door. If it weren't for the extra mouth he now has to feed those drums might just mysteriously disappear.
Since I tend to blog after school gets out and that is the time when these 2 blessed events take place I have been forgoing blogging in exchange for my sanity.
My friends say I am hyper sensory perceptive. And I agree, I am, that is why I high tail it out of the office each day without letting all of you wonderful people know what is going on in my world.
I have taken some time on my Saturday, when there is no Mystolin and no drumming, to pump out a handful of posts for you. A few a kind of long but my biased opinion would say they are worth the time.
Enjoy!
I leave for the States in 4 short days and then 3 days later I'm back at the airport headed for Costa Rica.
The next time I write I will most likely be in the cloud forest learning lots of espanol and hanging out with monkeys...I love my life.

2007-05-26T16:31:00.000-04:00

NKOTB!
Wilson is a 2nd grader at Doulos and has no idea that 15 years ago tens of thousands of young girls begged their moms for that very sweater he wears to combat the cold on his moto ride to school.
I love the DR!

2007-05-25T17:27:00.000-04:00

STORIES LIKE THIS ARE WHY I AM HERE...

This is just one story of why I love my job...I get to be around people like this and big God stuff like this everyday.
Our middle school math and science teacher, Sarah Espinoza, shared this with the staff last week our 9th graders...

I love teaching. It has purpose. It's based on relationships. It's powerful in affecting the future. I also know that it uses the gifts God has given me. But throughout much of this school year, to be completely honest, I have felt a failure. I am often exhausted, frantically trying to pull together resources, short on creativity, and even shorter on time to build those relationships that I desire with the kids. I have,at times,wondered if my being here has done them more harm than good.
God is proving to be greater than all of that.
My ninth grade class, 10 students, has been studying electricity and physics for most of the year. As a culminating project, they have researched and selected a mini hydroelectric plant that they will install on the Doulos coffee farm. Yesterday, we spent the day at the farm taking last minute measurements and discussing the supplies we will need to make it happen. Each student is responsible for a part of the project: pipeline repairs, filters, pressure calculations, safety, housing for the plant, wiring, etc. It is a massive undertaking, but they have done so much research and developed such an amazing sense of ownership, that the town's best electrician and plumber wants to join us next week, not just to help, but to learn from them! The pride in their work is radiating from them as they discuss their opinions and problem solve. They are learning skills that will help their community and provide them with countless future opportunities. I wish you could see it in action!
But that is small potatoes. . .
Each morning I spend 40 min. in devotion time with this group. At the beginning of the year, there were basically two who could converse with their hearts about their faith, and the rest, if they conversed or cared at all, did it as a mental exercise.
This morning, after a year of increasingly deep discussion, I asked the question, "If there is a good and benevolent God, why is there so much suffering in the world?" Here is how the conversation continued. (Bear in mind, it took place in both English and Spanish, with all intensely engaged whether they spoke or not, and most of these kids are 13-15 yrs. old.)
CAROL: Well, I used to wonder that too, but now I think that if we didn't suffer, we wouldn't need God, and we wouldn't get to be in relationship with Him. We wouldn't get to experience His help in our lives.
ME, (playing devil's advocate): Okay, how do you explain, for example, a child born in Rwanda, Africa, into an abusive family that cannot provide him food. He spends most of his life in starvation, never knowing love, and is killed before his eighth birthday, along with thousands of others, in the genocide that occurred in his country? Did he experience God's help?
ALEX: Yeah, how do you explain that? Like, he didn't deserve to die, and he didn't know God. All he did was be born into the wrong family!
CAROL: But that isn't something that God did. That is because of our sin. We are all sinful people, and we do bad things.
NELSON: Yeah, but God controls all things. If He's God, then He could stop it.
YELIDA: Yeah, but God gives us free will, so we can choose. If He didn't do that, the world would be, like, perfect.
ALEX: I wouldn't mind that. Isn't that what heaven is going to be like? Isn't that what we're all looking forward to?
CAROL: Yeah, but I think we would never appreciate it if we didn't experience the suffering first.
MICHELLE: Yeah, and if life here were perfect, it would be so boring!
NELSON: Yeah, I wouldn't want to live in a perfect world.
ME, (trying to draw out a few of our language strugglers): Okay, Owaldy and Sharlin, which would you prefer? A perfect world, where anytime someone starts to do something wrong, God fixes it. . .where there is no pain and only good things. . .or, a world where there is the possibility of horrible, evil things happening?
OWALDY: Bad things.
ME: WHY?
OWALDY: Because I think that we learn from the bad things.
SHARLIN, (after a pensive pause, quietly, and with mixed English and Spanish): I think if there wasn't suffering and evil, then there would be no chance for redemption. And that is the best part of living.

At this point, there is heavy silence, and most of the kids are visibly, personally moved, nodding heads, teary eyed, smiling. It was a truly God-orchestrated moment. I was, (and still am), choking back tears. We spent the last minutes sharing favorite movies and stories that have touched us because of the power and beauty of redemption, and how without great ugliness, there is also no great beauty. We talked about people we know whose lives have been completely changed and how even murderers have the potential to be redeemed and bring this great beauty into our lives.
I closed by letting the kids know how much they moved me, and how amazed I am at God's work in their lives. . .how excited I am that they speak honestly from their hearts, and how thrilling it is going to be to watch them as they share with their families, community, and colleagues, and country, not only their intelligence and hard work, but also their true wisdom.
We closed with prayer and hugs.
And that is just what's going on with my ninth grade class. . .

2007-05-05T15:13:00.000-04:00

Mogote (Mo-go-tay)...the DR "Brian Slide"
I took a little hike last week. Mogote is just on the edge of town and boasts a beautiful 360* view at the top. Its no Colorado fourteener but it was great to get out in the woods and up above the rest of my little world here. I forgot to bring a camera with me so the best I can give you is a picture of the bruise I got on the way down. OUCH! They’re not big on switch backs in the DR. It was a straight shot up and straight shot down.

2007-04-30T15:06:00.000-04:00

Sun, Sand, and Sushi
My final trip to the beach for the year was full of the norm which is a wonderful thing, lots of sun, relaxing on the sand, good food. The highlight was our splurge on sushi.
It will be the last time I see the Caribbean for a few months. But don’t feel too bad for me, I’ll be standing on the edge of the Pacific in Costa Rica in just a few weeks.

Sand under my feet, great friends around me, and sushi in my belly, it doesn't get a whole lot better.

2007-04-27T13:41:00.000-04:00

Friday Morning Devotions
April 27, 2007
This is what I shared at staff devotionals this morning.
Trust
I am a writer. If you had asked me to write 45 minutes worth of reading I would have much more gladly taken that assignment than talking for the next 45 minutes.
I also love to read. I love to tell stories in my writing and I love to read stories from other people.
So when coming up with what to talk about this morning I thought, I have nothing revolutionary to bring to the table but I can bring what I love and what I have learned the most from.
Stories.
My favorite kind of story is when someone can take something ordinary and make a spiritual connection to it. Jesus did it all the time.
Sheep, pearls, coins, fathers and wandering sons, brides, grooms, salt, light
Today I have 3 stories about turtles, a bowl of goo, and water
Sometimes I think I’m unique. I think I have this unique life of hard choices.
Then I realize that my circumstances MIGHT be unique but everyone of us is faced with choices in life, hard choices.
My biggest choice and what I have come to believe is everyone’s biggest choice is TRUST.
Will God actually take care of me like he says he will?
What I have learned is YES...but not as we would expect it.
This is the story about the turtle its from a book called Dangerous Wonder...
Several years ago a woman was spending her holidays on one of the barrier islands in South Carolina. It happened to be the same time of year when the loggerhead turtles (huge 300 lbs turtles) were laying their eggs. One night a very large female dragged herself onto the beach and laid her eggs. the woman did not want to disturb the turtle, so she left and came back the next morning anxious to find where the turtle laid her eggs. Alarmingly what she found were some tracks heading the wrong direction. The turtle apparently lost her bearings and wandered into the hot sand dunes where death was certain. The woman followed the tracks and soon fund the turtle covered with hot dry sand. Thinking quickly she covered the turtle with seaweed, poured water over her, and ran to notify a park ranger. He arrived in a few minutes in a jeep. The ranger flipped the turtle over, wrapped tire chains around her front legs, and hooked the chains to the trailer hitch on the jeep. Then he drove off, dragging her through the sand so fast her mouth filled with sand and her head bent back as if it would break. At the edge of the ocean he unhooked her and flipped her right side up. She didn’t move. the water began to lap against her body cleaning off the sand. when the waves were much larger, suddenly she began to move, slowly at first, and then when the water was deep enough, she pushed off into the ocean and disappeared.
The woman makes this observation: Watching her swim slowly away and remembering her nightmare ride though the dunes, I noticed that sometimes it is hard to tell whether you are being killed or saved by the hands that turn your life upside down. All the turtle could do was hang on and hanging on was pretty miserable. She could easily have died but she lived. If turtles can experience fear, this turtle must have done so, but it was life giving fear, it was life saving fear, it was the upside down fear that always comes when we put ourselves in the hands of Jesus.
I read that book years ago and that particular story has always stuck with me because it continues to play out in my life. The means doesn’t always make much sense (like almost killing the turtle to save it) But the park ranger knew that it wouldn’t kill her. He knew it was the only thing that could save her.
That brings me to my next story…b/c at the time it didn’t make much sense but it is full of TRUTH and TRUST that he knows best
John 6
Jesus feeds the 5000.
Jesus walks on water.
The crowds come back and want more food
Then Jesus stops making sense to them and starts talking about eating his flesh and drinking his blood. Crazy talk right? A lot of people thought so and walked away at that point.
Then he asks a poignant question…” Do you want to go away as well?”
Peter responds beautifully…”To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
John 6:60-69
To whom shall we go? The disciples knew that this crazy guy talking about eating his flesh and drinking his blood could be TRUSTED
Changing gears a little bit...
This is a story about a bowl of goo. I came across it a couple of weeks ago in Rob Bell’s newest book and I just liked it too much to not share it
“Recently I saw my friend Josh, who teaches fifth and sixth graders. He was preparing the lesson for that day nd had his supplies with him: a large glass bowl, a can of beef, fatty tissue, sauerkraut, a jar of olives, some anchovies, and a hundred-dollar bill. I know-I was curious too. So I did exactly what you would have done. I asked him what his lesson was about. He replied, “I put all of the ingredients in a bowl, including the money, and then I mix it together. Then when it doesn’t taste good, I pretend I’m going to throw it away. At this point the kids go crazy, telling me not to. I ask them hwy I shouldn’t, and they say, ‘Because it’s valuable.’ And then I counter with, ‘But it smells and it’s disgusting.’ At which point they rush to the front, olunteering to reach into the bowl and pull out the hundred-dollar bill. Actually, I may start using a twenty for this lesson, because the last tim I used a hundred, they trampled each other to get to the front. I then read to them from Genesis chapter one about how every single human being bears the image of God and how no matter what else is mixed in there, a person still has limitless worth in God’s eyes.”
I seem to have a weakness of quickly losing hope in people. I think, if only to myself, they are too far gone.
Thank goodness Jesus doesn’t think that. Thankfully “while we were still sinners Christ died for us”. He manages to see through the muck and goo.
Lastly, a story about water. I thought this one was appropriate for the DR…
This is from a favorite book that I re read every year or so, Traveling Mercies
Christianity is about water: “Everyone that thirsts, come to the waters.” It is about baptism. Its about full immersion. It is about falling into something entirely wet. Most of what we do in worldly life is about staying dry, looking good, not going under. But baptism, whether in lakes or rain or tanks or rivers, is about agreeing to do something that is a little bit sloppy b/c at the same time it is also holy and absurd. Its about surrender, giving in to all those things we can’t control; its a willingness to let go of balance and decorum and get drenched.
This story makes me think of this story…
John 9: 1-7
It doesn’t make much sense. Spit and dirt to help someone to see?
But God is not in the business of making sense.
Choosing a bunch of fisherman and tax collectors to carry on his message
Hanging out with Samaritans, Prostitutes, Tax collectors, and other big time Sinners.
Loving your enemies
Turning the other cheek
Losing your life to gain it.
He is in the business of TRUST. Can I TRUST that all these things that don’t make sense are the best thing for me?
Along with stories I also like quotes. This one is from Mother Theresa. She is answering a prayer request from a young man who wants clarity for what to do with his life.
She has this to say to him…
"Clarity is the last thing you are clinging to and must let go of. I have never had clarity; what I have always had is trust. So I will pray that you trust God."
For me it always comes back to TRUST
I have one more quote. I suppose technically its a quote but really its actually a prayer from St. Patrick. I heard it in college on a weekend retreat and since then I have kept it with me in my Bible and read almost every morning
Christ as a light, illumine and guide me
Christ as a shield overshadow me
Christ under me, Christ over me
Christ beside me on my left and on my right
This day be within and without me
Lowly and meek, yet all powerful
Be in the heart of each to whom I speak
In the mouth of each who speaks to me,
Lowly and meek, yet all powerful
Christ as a light
Christ as a shield
Christ beside me on my left and my right.
Amen

2007-04-18T09:40:00.000-04:00

SEX GOD
Exploring the endless connections between sexuality and spirituality

A somewhat scandalous title and a fabulous book. Bell has a gift for putting scripture into its past cultural context thus bringing to light the depth of meaning it holds because of its original context.

2007-04-13T10:29:00.000-04:00

A BELATED HAPPY EASTER! AND A PRESENTLY HAPPY SEASON OF HOPE!
I Hope everyone had a great time with family and friends, celebrating the resurrection.
To my family, I'm sad I couldn't spend the holiday with you this year.
To my Frontier family, I'm sad I missed out on the festivities this past weekend...I'm beyond excited to see you this summer.

The beach was SO good. Beautiful of course and a great time to think, process, and relax. One of the other guys on staff set the week up with a challenge; "We dedicate our work to God. How are we going to dedicate our vacation time to God?" He didn't mean it in the walk down the beach with your bible and share JEEESUS with all the sinners on their vacations. But rather what kind of posture are you going to hold?
During this Holy Week leading up to Easter are you going to treat it as that, holy? I didn't keep my nose in my bible for 7 days but I did take it to heart and really thinking about the kind of life I am called to. It struck me at some point that Easter, not New Years, is the true time for resolutions. For a laying down of the old and a rising of the new. So what do I need to put down? What do I need to cast aside as old and damaging? What do I need to take up that is life giving and life changing? I have my list in mind but its dynamic and will change as I change, with screw ups and successes all along the way.
What I've learned is NOW is the time to start moving toward that person I want to be. NOW is the time to practice discipline and say NO in order to see the change I want. NOW is the time to love people like I want to be loved, to forgive the way I want to be forgiven, to encourage in the way I want to be encouraged.
Here's to living in the hope for change that we have in Christ b/c of his resurrection.

2007-04-12T15:02:00.000-04:00

NOTHING LIKE WORD OF MOUTH ADVERTISING...
We are in the full swing of recruiting season here at Doulos. The snag is we are looking for North American/English speaking teachers from an island in the middle of the Caribbean. Then I thought of all of you that come in contact with a heck of a lot more English speaking, potentially want to be teacher kind of people than I ever do on a day to day basis. Sieze your opportunity to be a mouth piece for a good cause...If you know any teachers (or soon to be graduating education majors) looking for a change of pace and a garunteed adventure send them to www.doulosdiscovery.org or give them my e mail. Remember Doulos is an English immersion school so it is not a requirement to speak Spanish, you just have to be teacher certified. For the 2007-2008 school year Doulos is in need of teachers for 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grades as well as Junior High English.
Let me not forget to be thankful...God has already been so good to us with the highest retention rate ever for current teachers. We have also hired two new teachers for Junior High History and Science.
You can also feel free to plug our summer tutorial program for anyone 2 years into college or older, currently seeking an education degree or already working in the field. We're hoping for a half dozen volunteers to come here for 3 weeks (July 14-Aug 4) to help tutor some of our students that are behind in math and English.
Look at these faces...Who wouldn't want to come here and teach these adorable kids? Did I mention its also a beautiful tropical island in the Caribbean?

2007-03-29T16:56:00.000-04:00

PASS IT ON

When ever I am reading or listening to anything particularly good I am excited to pass it on for more people to enjoy.
I finally recieved Anne Lamott's newest book, Grace Eventually, in the mail this week. I devoured it in one day. In this wonderful world of missions you get this feeling that you have to have it all together or that you at least have to have God figured out. The impossability of this is pretty obvious but some how, some times I still get sucked into it. Lamott writes in such a genuine, honest way that reminds me, life is messy, everyone is a little crazy, and NO ONE has it figured out. This is her 3rd installment of essays on faith, I suggest strarting with her first one, Traveling Mercies. Warning: Lamott is not for the faint of heart and a little rough around the edges but entirely worth while.

2007-03-28T14:00:00.000-04:00

YO VOY A COSTA RICA!
In the spirit of adventure and my great need to improve my Spanish I am going to Costa Rica for the month of June. I will spend two weeks in the cloud forrest at Monteverde and 2 weeks on the beach at Flamingo. The program involves 4 hours of class a day and living with a Costa Rican family. One month won't make me fluent but the intensity of the program should push me out of survival Spanish and into the wonderful land of conversational Spanish. I'm more than excited for the chance to see a new Latin American country and be able to form deeper relationships through better Spanish.
Take a look at where I'll be at www.cpi-edu.com/
The campus at Monteverde
The beach at Flamingo

2007-03-26T09:02:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure why its backwards but you get the idea...
love, sheller

2007-03-23T15:49:00.000-04:00

THIS IS A TEST OF THE EMERGENCY BROADCAST SYSTEM...beeeeeeeeeeeeep!

You do not get what you do not ask for...I love mail and I haven't gotten much lately so MAIL ME SOMETHING...I will be sure to give props to the most creative, outragous choice (just remember it has to get through customs). I will be happy with a simple letter but will go ahead and be pathetic and say that I like Hot Tamales, Snickers, Beef Jerkey, and Little Debbie Nutty Bars.

SHELLY CROWTHER
UNIT 3017-DDSDR
3170 AIRMANS DR.
FT. PIERCE, FL 34946

AND BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN THE PAGE...I have been blog crazy this week.

2007-03-22T15:08:00.000-04:00

ITS NOT CHIPOTLE BUT IT WILL DO
Cultaral Experience # 374: Burritos on the street corner
Last night I finally went with Lindsay to the burrito guy she has raved about for the last few months. Its fun to find little gems in life and Sachi, the burrito guy, is certainly a gem here in Jarabacoa. He grills 'em up right there from his little push cart grill, with all the fixin's (which includes ketchup and mayo). And for presentations sake they are wrapped up nicely and dropped into a little plastic bag (as opposed to your standard foil). Add in the street corner atmosphere and the fact that we ran into 3 different people that we know during the course of the "meal" it was an experience worth repeating.
PICTURE TO COME SOON!

2007-03-22T15:07:00.000-04:00

PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE TEAM BEHIND THE CURTAIN
This group from Tyler, TX was very different from my group of college guys from NC. Each group offers a uniqueness and a different blessing to the school, it just takes a little perspective. The 10 folks from First Baptist Tyler, ranging from ages 21 all the way to 79, were much more concrete in their purpose/goals for the week. They came to invest in the lives of our students but in a much more tangible way: through their construction project, hearing and vision tests for all of our students, and shhhh...sex education.
It was great to see the NC boys play and interact with our students in a direct way and at first I thought, these Texas folks are missing out. As someone from a YL background and having "relational ministry" deeply ingrained in me I thought, what a loss. Then I thought a little more about it and the light bulb went off...I am the Tyler team, I was before I came here and I am now. My job is for the most part behind the scenes. Thorugh work teams, recruiting, and coordinating programs, I work to hopefully set others up for success in their direct, relational ministry. I don't have the relationships with the kids that the teachers have but I do love and support them through the work I do. Thankfully this light bulb went off at the beginning of the week and I was able to enjoy and appreciate the work the Tyler team came to do. It has also helped me to appreciate my own work more and be thankful for what it is I get to do.
So to all of you out there behind the scenes in ministry (crunching numbers, cooking meals, making group reservations, answering phones, changing light bulbs) I pray God is revealing to you the great importance of your work and the impact you are making in the kingdom.
Thank you Tyler, TX for bringing a valueble lesson to me along with the blessings you brought to Doulos.
PICTURES TO COME SOON!

2007-03-17T15:32:00.000-04:00

More than pinches and green beer...ST. PATRICK'S PRAYER

Christ, as a light illumine and guide me.
Christ, as a shield overshadow me.
Christ under me; Christ over me;
Christ beside me on my left and my right.

This day be within and without me,
lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.

Be in the heart of each to whom I speak;
in the mouth of each who speaks unto me.

This day be within and without me,
lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.

Christ as a light; Christ as a shield;
Christ beside me on my left and my right.

Amen.

Check out this link for a little history and St. Patty's Day Perspective.
http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god_article.php?id=6367

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

2007-03-15T09:58:00.000-04:00

I HEART SOUTHERN BOYS

More specifically North Carolina boys. Last week 8 guys from NC State spent their spring break at Doulos helping to expand the classrooms in our middle school building. In a more metaphorical sense they really helped expand the perspectives of our students and the community.
Quality young men are an unfortunate rareity here. Dominican men as a lump sum are typically very juvenile in their behavior and disconnected from family life. Kids often aren't played with or payed attention to by their dads, leaving a void for quality male role models. In a week the guys did what the could to fill that space. They did a great job of doing more than just their construction project but took the time to invest in some of our boys on campus. They pushed kids on the swings at recess, joined in on soccer practice, shot baskets at lunch time, traveled to Santiago for a soccer game, went to some of our 8 grade boys houses for dinner. From our PreK kids to the middle school boys they established a new perspective on what it means to be a guy and to love Jesus.
On top of their work and time with the kids two other things impressed me in my time with them. One, their want to learn and be changed by their time here. So often people come here to change Dominicans, to set them right, this group of guys really put themselves in the position of an observer and held a posture of receptiveness to learn. Two, these guys really know how to love each other. They are a picture of community lifting each other up, having fun together, being real and honest all along the way. Our older students (and teenagers in general) tend to interact with a lot of sarcasim and insults. It was a gift for myself and for our students to see a group guys (that they would identify as cool) taking care of each other.
Y'all are welcome back any time.

2007-02-26T14:04:00.000-04:00

MORE OF THE SAME...PERSPECTIVE. PATIENCE. GRACE. HONESTY. GRATITUDE. PROCESS...
I haven't been so faithful lately about writing or calling or communicating in general to my stateside family and friends.
I managed to get this idea in my head that my life has to fabulous and good at all times. Its hard to call home when things are hard all the time or the same as always.
I had a small epiphany this morning while I was lying on the sandy beach looking out at the Caribbean. My life is fabulous and good at all times and so is yours with a little perspective, some patience, lots of grace, a bit of honesty, loads of gratitude, and appreciation for the process.
Since returning from Christmas break I have been in this bind of having two loves but only being able to cater to one. Knowing good and well that if I abondoned my current love for my old one I would be in the same bind...Ioving the place I'm in as well as the place I left. What to do?
I have also been putting my head through the wall with my Spanish. Last semester involved a lot of grace and patience toward myself. Apparently I decided, without consulting myself to cut off the grace these last few months. I have demanded it upon myself that I know and understand now. Apparently the stupid part of my brain decided the quickest way to do that was to not offer myself any forgiveness.
Unfortunately I can't figure out how to do the beam me up Scotty thing whenever I want to be in Colorado and I can't aquire a second language by cussing myself into it (and that is what Spanish drives me to most days lately).
Then comes the epiphany. These things that are no different, that are MORE OF THE SAME, that I don't want to bother anyone with THEY ARE LIFE. If I stop communicating because life is too much of the same or because I don't want to bore anyone with the same old problems I am missing life.
One because its not really the same. I have come so far. These struggles that feel the same are different from what they were on day one. Its such gradual change I don't always see it but it happens. Kind of like growing up. You know you did it but day to day you don't notice. Its when you look at the pictures with your high bands and tapered jeans, or your high school diploma, or that art project from 3rd grade that you realize how different things are now. I have so far to go but I really have come so far.
Two because we were created for interdependence. God intended for us to need one another because we are Christ to each other and we need Christ in such a desperate way. God intended for me to need people in order to do this thing. So as much as I want to seem like I have it all together, I can't and I shouldn't. However much I want to come across like I can fully appreciate hard times and don't need to cry or scream or get quiet, I can't and I shouldn't.
So all this considered the epiphany comes into play. Thank God for more of the same. Hard stuff sucks and I seem to be dealing with the same sucky hard stuff I was last month and the month before. But there is this other stuff that is more of the same and it is SO GOOD: this beautiful place that I live, the blessed place that I work, the kindred spirits that I have been given here. Thank God for more of the same as last month and the month before and the months to come.
MORE OF THE SAME...the view while eating breakfast on the beach...thank God for more of the same.

2007-02-23T14:40:00.000-04:00

I MISS Y'ALL TOO...
I WISH I COULD HAVE BEEN THERE WITH YOU. NEXT TIME FOR SURE.

2007-02-19T15:39:00.000-04:00

HAPPY PRESIDENTS' DAY...Here's to remembering the great ones

"How soon we forget history... Government is not reason. Government is not eloquence. It is force. And, like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." Washington

"Experience demands that man is the only animal which devours his own kind, for I can apply no milder term to the general prey of the rich on the poor." Jefferson

"Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing." Lincoln

"The things that will destroy America are prosperity-at-any-price, peace-at-any-price, safety-first instead of duty-first, the love of soft living, and the get-rich-quick theory of life." Roosevelt

2007-02-12T15:47:00.000-04:00

FRESH ________________ a) eyes b) legs c) breathe d) all of the above
Well I have official survived/succeeded through my first work team as special projects coordinator. Last week 10 men from Prince of Peace church in Minnesota came down to Doulos to help on an extension to our dining area. All but 2 of them had been here before and most of them sponsor a student at Doulos and therefore have a strong attachment to the school.
I was running blind to varying degrees through out the week but had plenty of help from other folks at school and from the men themselves. As work team host, I was their 24 hour liaison. It was simultaneously tiring and energizing.

Like many circumstances have done for me recently, this past week was another awakening to how far my Spanish has to go. The good thing is, as remedial as my Spanish is, I was the most proficient in the group and forced to use what I know. I was forced out of my comfort zone and in to the great discomfort of fumbling and bumbling over words in order to get whatever done. It pushed me from my regular state of passive listening into active speaking. I impressed myself a little bit with how much I was able to string together, all though I'm sure I sounded like an over sized toddler the better part of the time. As a friend of mine has told me, bit by bit, poco y poco.
Not only was it great to finally be doing one of the tasks actually in my job description (work team host) it was great to spend a week with 10 people that can see this place through a different lens. Even with the language barrier, I still manage to forget that I live in the Dominican Republic. I get side tracked by the day to day things that have to get done and forget a little bit about the bigger picture. I forget how far the school has come and how far it still has to go and how I am here to help with that. Along with some great classroom supplies, those 10 men from Minnesota brought fresh eyes, fresh legs, and some fresh breathe to so many of us here that are seeing blurry, walking slowly, and breathing heavy from the weight of the tasks at hand. The blurriness, the slowness, it all happens so slowly that you don't even notice it until some one sticks a contrasting perspective in front of you. I had the joy of sitting on several of their night meetings/ worship time. I was blessed by the stories they shared about the kids, about the work, about their dinners with students' families. As much as I thought I hadn't lost it (the vision, my calling) I had a lot of "O' ya" moments in those meetings..."O' ya, that is why I am here". "O' ya, this really is such a unique project". "O' ya, kids really are being shaped to impact their community and this country".
Thank you my dear, sweet men from Minnesota. I appreciate what you did for Doulos this past week. I appreciate what your personal as well as financial investments continue to do for this community. And I appreciate the freshness you brought with you and left behind for me. It was a joy to spend the week with you.

2007-02-06T11:11:00.000-04:00

BASEBALL AS A WAY OF LIFE
I hade a great cultural experience this past week.
Friday night a group of us from school went up to Santiago for game 6 of the DR world series, The Aguilas vs. Licey.

There is no such thing as a full lot. We parked a stones throw from the stadium for FREE
There is no such thing as a sold out game. Our bleacher seat tickets, which we purchased right before the game cost us each 70 pesos (about $2)
There is not such thing as fire codes or over capacity...We were shoulder to shoulder with every walk way and stair way packed.
There is not such thing as a unexciting play...every strike, every hit, every out was celebrated as if it were a bottom of the 9th, 2 out, full count, grand slam
There is no such thing as a passive fan. Everyone had on their team colors (mostly yellow and black b/c the aguilas are from Santiago) and if you didn't have a flag you had a horn that sounded like a mac truck and if you didn't have a horn you had a whistle and so on and so forth. Every play everyone was on their feet cheering or booing or noise making of some sort.
There is no such thing as turning down a vendor. Why would you pass up a cold coke, a bag of popcorn, 3 pastilitos, and an icecream all for 100 pesos (about $3)
And of course there is no such thing as a small victory celebration...The Aguilas won and took the series. It was insane and not just in the stadium, from Santiago and all along the hour drive back to Jarabacoa people were celebrating in the street with fireworks and horns and Presidente of course and tin cans tied to motorcyles and so on and so forth...

2007-02-06T11:00:00.000-04:00

MY NEW SNOWBOARD
I have made a recent purchase that might awaken concern in a few people but I promise to be safe...
After five months of trusting my feet to get me around, I have bought a motorcycle!
I spent last weekend learning how to drive and work the clutch.
It didn't take long to fall in love. Since leaving the snow white mountains of CO I have been missing that freedom factor that my snowboard gave me. I have found it on my moto. The even better thing about the bike is it gets me from point A to point B, where as my snowboard just took me from the top of the mountain to the bottom.
Again, for those concerned (like my mum) I promise to be safe...I bought a helmet just the other day.
LOOK ISN"T SHE BEAUTIFUL...

2007-01-26T14:31:00.000-04:00

THIS TOO SHALL PASS...a light at the end of the funk.
I spent last week with 30 middle school students camping in the mountains of this beautiful country. Camping is typically something that I'm all in for. Fun, relaxing, quiet these are all typical words I would use to describe camping. This time around I think EDUCATIONAL might be the best word. Time and time again God has proven even the simplest things happen for a reason and there is a lesson to be learned from every situation. So what did I learn from spending 4 days and 3 nights in the wilderness with 30 adolescents?
Well to continue on my path of parables I'll tell you what else has been going on.
Since being back in the DR I have been in a funk. You know, that gross feeling where you just can't quite get your feet underneath you. Nothing is wrong per say. Nothing identifable has happened that would create this funk feeling. It just is and as a problem solver extrodinare this created intense amounts of frustration.
Back to the camping trip...Outdoor Education Week came late for the middle school. This was actually the third attempt since the fall to make this trip happen. So hell or high water we were going. And high water it was. For those of you that follow the weather patterns of the caribbean you know its rainy season. The first night out was beautiful, blue skies all day and clear skies through the night. The second and third night was a different tune. We weren't making plans for an ark but it was VERY, VERY wet. And with wet comes mud and cold. I know you're thinking its the DR its not cold, but I promise you it was cold. I know it sounds like I'm complaining but I'm really just trying to paint a picture for you.
So, thus far we've got wet, cold, and muddy. Let me add food anxiety and noise into the mix. I have this terrible character trait of getting grumpy when I get hungry as well as a great need for quiet. Grumpy happened, quiet didn't (not with 30 Dominican teenagers).
Even with my hard headed-ness and my thoughts continually wandering toward my warm, dry bed God managed to break his way in a teach me a little something. THIS TOO SHALL PASS. Its something I've heard on several occasions in life but it came to life for me on this camping trip. This not ideal situation would infact have an end. Not since the beginning of time has God ever stopped the clock, Friday would eventually come. In the mean time God said, "Look where you are it might be a little messy and a bit noisy but isn't it beautiful?"
So, I survived and came back with hope knowing that this funk I'm in of feeling totally out of control will pass and in the mean time have patience and appreciate the beauty in the mess and noise of life.

2007-01-23T09:50:00.000-04:00

LIFE IS SO GOOD...and I do believe its getting better.
George Dawson grew up in Texas in the wake of the civil war and racial segregation. His life spans the entire 20th century. He overcame obstacle after obstacle, loved people all along the way, and never stopped living--learning to read at age 98.
Sometimes its the simplest things that have the most depth.
"Be happy for what you have. Help somebody else instead of worrying. It will make a person feel better. It's good to be generous. It doesn't take much to make a difference. Even the poorest man can just take the time to say hello; that can be a help. Have some sympathy for someone's hard-luck story. It's not about money. Give what you can. And if you have nothing, at least pray for somebody. Have good thoughts."
What is it that you are wanting to do in life? Read this book and you'll be inspired to get moving on it. I know my Spanish is coming along because of it.
Thanks Brandee.

2007-01-15T13:54:00.000-04:00

HAPPY MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR DAY!

To dreams and social justice.

2007-01-15T12:58:00.000-04:00

THE WOES OF A LONG DISTANCE RELATIONSHIP
I spent 5 glorious days in my former home of Colorado. The time went much too quickly. Since being in the DR I have never questioned my call or my decision to pick up my life and move to a different region, culture, climate, language…That was until I returned to BV for the first time. It wasn’t just the beauty of the mountains (which are so stinkin’ gorgeous I’m at a loss for any eloquent language). It wasn’t just the fact that I got to spend some time doing one of my most favorite things in the world, snowboarding (which I have yet to find a comparable substitute). It wasn’t just spending time with so many of the people that are so dear to me.
Each of those things on their own, I probably would have been okay. All three together about did me in. I thought, my heart is so alive here, how do I not live here anymore? Then you visit and the reality hits you and you are filled with these juxtaposed emotions. There is this intense excitement to be back in the beautiful place with such beautiful people and in the same breath there is this heavy sadness of knowing that your stay is only temporary. I toy with the idea of staying…
Then somewhere in the back corner of my mind a little voice says, “There is a beautiful place with beautiful people that you love waiting for you in the Caribbean.” But the voice is not enough; its small and I can barely understand it (I think it might be speaking in Spanish). I needed some legitimate verbal affirmation.
It was late, so instead of calling, I sat down and wrote Lindsay an e-mail with a pathetic plea, “I don’t want to get on any plane that takes me away from this place [Colorado]. Walk away from this e-mail right now and call me. I need to be reminded of where my home is and my heart for that matter.”
Bless her heart she did it. She took me literally (as she should have) and even though there was a time difference she was not afraid to call me at 7:00 am.
We talked, she sympathized, it helped.
Jesus always taught in parables. The Kingdom of Heaven is like…this, that, and the other. He found common everyday things and brought God into the thick of it. I love it, its how I learn best. It’s how I see things and process them.
For me Colorado is like a long distance relationship. We had an amazing time those 3 years we were together. “He” took care of me, taught me about life, about loving Jesus. I never thought I would leave “him”, but a need came up that couldn’t be ignored. A desire, that if quenched would only leave me saying “what if” years down the road. It just wasn't an option for "him" to come with me.
There are phone calls and pictures and memories but it’s not the same. It is a struggle to stay connected, especially when my heart is being pulled in another direction. There is a chance that we could be back together some day but it’s still too soon to tell. In the mean time, I do what I can to stay connected without neglecting my current life. It’s a tricky balance.
Distance also has this great way of bringing things to light. Being away has shown me parts of life, of love, of Jesus, that I never would have seen otherwise. Perhaps I will take that back with me one day to enrich my relationship with Colorado or perhaps it will affirm the separation. I could pull out a lot more parallels but I think you get the idea. Either way, regardless of the outcome, “he” will always hold a dear place in my heart. I’m changed for the better because of my time with “him”.

2007-01-11T15:45:00.000-04:00

URBANA FOLLOW UP

Well, 22,000 college and career age folks flooded in to St. Louis on Dec. 27 and in the blink of an eye they flooded out again. I was fortunate enough to find myself in that mix. I mentioned before I wasn't sure what to expect and in hindsight I can say I'm not sure how to express what I did expereince. As far as cultural differences go, after 5 days of lines and herding and really supurb organization on Urbana's part, I can say that I prefer the Dominican way: Make your way to the front, fill the space, find the whole and move in. Its funny how in some ways my patience has increased exponentially from living in Latin America and in other regards (like waiting in line or driving) my patience has diminished. On a more profound level Urbana was a reawaken to God's sheer biggness. 22,000 people! Everyone of them currently working in missions or interested in making a future in missions. Intervarsity, who puts on Urbana, has a beautiful global vision that is centered around a holistic mission to serve and reach the world for Christ. There is a lot of need out there and it is inspiring to see how many young people are ready to get their hands dirty and take part in making change.

As far as Doulos goes, Tara and had some good conversations with a handful of interested folks. As often is the case, I went out to do something with these objective goals in mind, i.e. recruiting, and came out of it impacted by what God is doing, learning how big he is, and rediscovering how his love for me draws me into what he is doing. So, I would call it a successful time and icing on the cake that there are now a few more teachers interested in Doulos.
If you want to get a little taste of what Tara and I experienced check out www.ubrana.org.

2006-12-31T15:40:00.000-04:00

A BLESSED REMINDER
(more pictures to come. i promise)
Well for the first time in over a year I found myself under the same roof with my parents, both sisters, two brothers-in-law, and 4 adorable (in most moments) nieces and nephews. It was a sweet time with a bit of Christmas family craziness thrown in there to make the night more eventful. We even managed to take a family photo, quite a feat with 4 kids under the age of 5.
The kids have grown so much since I saw them in the fall. The two girls have grown up so much I think they’ll be drinking coffee and picking out colleges before I know it. But for know they are happy pretending to be princesses and coloring pictures of my little pony. Evan loves to laugh and if she had her way her entire 48 hours in Marietta would have been spent with Aunt Shelly flipping her on the couch, “Flip me, Aunt Shelly, flip me”. Brayden is sharp as a tack and likes to make up words to her storybooks. The boys look like tiny little frat boys with their polo shirts, antique wash jeans, and shaggy haircuts. At 21 months Bennett is about the same size as his 4 year old sister and every bit as strong. Along with tormenting Evan he enjoys eating raisins and picking up sticks in the front yard. Thompson is all smiles, with precious dimples, and does the best impression of a chicken.

( Evan and Bennett, aren't they so stinkin' adorable!?!)
I was deemed the unofficial assembly elf, helping to put together a Barbie vanity and a Disney Princess bike. Did you know assembling the seat alone on a kids bike involves 7 separate pieces requires one wrench and 4 hands.
During the fervent opening of presents I was given a picture of my own 4 year-old-self, and it wasn’t pretty. I love those kids but that night was full evidence of our need for Christ and how we are not born good but we, all of us, have to be taught to be good. In the thick of abundance I heard the girls ask for more gifts to open and the boys fight over their new toys. There were tears and pouting involved and I all of a sudden vividly remembered that that was me. My parents would attest to my rotten behavior every Christmas morning. Even scarier, as an adult, having similar thoughts they’re just internalized. So in a strange and backward way Christ was very much a part of my Christmas experience. I really was able to see my need and to celebrate his coming into this world to save and redeem and to give us a picture of how we are to live. Then, in the same breath I am able to say I was shown the love of God in that same scenario through my sisters and their husbands. No gifts were retracted because of bad attitudes; no yelling happened in response to the kids pouting; just lots of reminding to say thank you, to remember to give gifts to other people, and to share what you’ve been given. Is God not the same in those regards? His correction for our selfishness is not by withholding or punishment but by encouragement and loving reminders.
I pray your holiday was just as full of reminders of God’s extravagant love and abounding joy, his peace beyond understanding and unceasing patience, his depth of kindness and incomparable goodness, unending faithfulness, and his strength in gentleness.
Blessings and Peace.

2006-12-27T19:38:00.000-04:00

URBANA 06
After much uneccessary stress I have arrived in St. Louis at Urbana 06. It feels like college again where you're in this strange world where 7 out of every 10 people is a young 20 somethings. Did I mention there are going to be 20,000+ people here. That is quite a convergence on one city. That is another thing that reminds me of college, a large influx of people invading for a long weekend. I have a feeling that the large number of people is the only commonality a missions conference has with a college football game. Coming in to this I never thought a whole lot about how huge this thing is. It started to sink in a little when at least 1/3 of my flight from Dallas/Fort Worth was headed to Urbana.
Thanks to a yellow-vested Urbana helper around every corner, I managed to find my way from the airport to my hotel and downtown to the Rams stadium where the conference is happening.
There is lots of talk of this being a life changing event. I'm not quite sure how or why but I'm open to it. At least my parents don't have to worry about me finding a mission organization overseas and moving out of the country...wait I already did that. Feel free to pray for all that will unfold here in the next 5 days; for me, for Tara (the Doulos 2nd grade teacher here with me) for the 10's of 1,000s of students getting a big taste of missions, and for the wonderful opportunity Doulos has been given to recruite outside its typical box.

2006-12-20T22:41:00.000-04:00

NOTES ON CROSS CULTURAL TRAVEL

When in the States you CAN...

get a ticket for crazy things called traffic violations,
throw your TP in the toilet,
speak in English to anyone at anytime and be understood,
take a hot shower at any given time of the day,
get your beverage before your meal comes,
buy your fruits, vegetables, meats, and everything else in one store,
straighten your hair w/out it immediately turning into a big frizz ball,
drink the water out of the tap.
When in the States you CANNOT...

ignore those pesky red octagon signs that say stop,
force your way to the front of the line just b/c there is space,
speak in Spanish and expect to be understood by anyone at anytime,
pass on a double yellow line,
hiss at your waitress to get her attention,
point with your lips,
get a tan in December.
Being back has generated a whole spectrum of emotions. Excitement. Confusion. Sadness. Joy. Relief. Anxiety. Hope. Despair. Smiles. Tears (well not actual tears). Energy. Exhaustion.
Mostly I'm appreciating all that God is teaching me and the time I'm getting with the people i love.

2006-12-20T22:09:00.000-04:00

WRAPPING UP FOR CHRISTMAS
I have felt like a student again these past few weeks; projects due, parties and school events, and the excitement of vacation time that makes school days feel eternal.
The first Xmas event on the Doulos docket was the sponsorship dinner. With 80+ kids on scholarship we had 60 or so families come together to celebrate Xmas and the integral part they play in the Doulos family. I was taken back to my YL guest services days as I helped Amanda (our Sponsorship Coordinator) by frosting cookies, arranging table settings, stringing up lights, picking up giant inflatable snow globes from total strangers...more or less moving stuff.

All the running around was well worth it. The kids and their families had a great time with good food (prepared by a Doulos dad), good conversations, and plenty of dancing headed up by our principal, Cody. The night rounded out with the gift (all the students will be spending the day at the water park in Santiago) and roasting marshmallows around the bonfire. Before we knew we were doing everything in reverse; cleaning up and putting things away.
Just this past week was the staff Xmas party. All crucial elements included to make for a good time: stupid games that embarrass your colleagues, some dancing, and plenty of good food. Even the cow eyes i got from my angelito (secret Santa) were not enough to dampen the fun...he did redeem himself by giving me my real gift, 2 very nice candles (decorative and useful).
I don't think I had ever been to a school Xmas program until this past week. I've been missing out my whole life apparently. Put kids in costumes, give them some instruments, and have them sing a few songs out of key, and you have created circumstances guaranteed to have camera flashes galore and the spouting of words like precious, cute, and adorable. The kids did a great job (especially the preK and Kindergarten class who did a "its a small world after all"/nativity scene thing) and the parents loved it.

The end of the week finally came and the excitement of being done quickly coupled with the thought of "O'crap, I should start packing for my 3 week trip out of the country." As is always the case, it all got done. I said my goodbyes and am now relaxing stateside.

2006-12-04T15:50:00.000-04:00

Let me Explain…
I find myself doing a lot of explaining these days.
As I do my best to remain close and interlinked with those of you in the states, I explain my daily life and the lessons I am learning. I’ve never allowed myself to process my day to day happenings this much before. Every week while I sit and think about what to submit, I am given the opportunity to reflect, to take routine events and some not so routine, look past the surface, and to see Gods hand in it.
On the other side of the coin, I don’t have to explain my day to day life to my new friends here because they are a part of it. However, as is the case with getting to know anyone, I have to do a lot of explaining about me. With fumbled words, I attempt to explain how this crazy head of mine works, what I love, what rubs me, what makes for a hard day, what makes for a great day, how I handle stress, what makes me sad, the things that make my heart smile, all that stuff that make me, me, and that aren’t really written on my sleeve.
My life has been in geographic flux every few years since high school, with new friends and faces coming and going, but this time seems different. Perhaps I am paying attention more or maybe I know myself a little better than my twenty-year-old self did (lets hope so). So, to those of you who aren’t here with me, thank you. I love what God is doing through all this processing. I love telling stories and sharing my life with you. I hope you feel apart of it, because you are certainly on my heart. And to those folks who are here, sharing in this amazing experience with me, thank you. I love what God is doing through all this processing. I love thinking about why I react to this, that or the other in this or that particular way. More over, I love learning those things about you.
I don’t think God is doing more in my life now than in previous years. I don’t think there is more to explain. What I do think is God is making me more acutely aware. Explaining my life to those who know my heart and my heart to those who know my life has been a challenge at times but always a joy.
Thank you and please feel free to explain some things to me.

Two girls I love explaining myself to, in our hotel room at the beach. Thats right, we're standing in front of a 4x6 painting of drunk santa...another thing on the list of reasons why I love the DR!