New School Year

Well, we have been back to school for just about a month now.

As you can see from these first two pictures, the first couple of weeks were a little bit difficult for some of our kids (especially the 2 year olds).  But I am happy to report that we have made it through that stage and now have preschool full of happy children.  Here are a few pictures.

4 year old class

3 year old class

2 year olds

Eddy at his new desk.

Our Summer

In case you are not friends with me (or my mom) on facebook, I thought I would update with a summary of what we did this summer.

MAY

 
On May 23, with a whole 2 weeks to prepare, Eddy and I got on an airplane (his first) and flew to Miami and then Chicago.  Even though Eddy had his visa and everything was legal, I don’t think either of us could relax until he got through immigration in Miami.  Actually, flying isn’t really Eddy’s thing, so I don’t think he relaxed until we landed in Chicago.  My mom and my sister came to pick us up with a welcome sign and then treated us to Eddy’s first Starbucks.  We arrived on Wednesday night and had family night, complete with Aurelio’s  pizza (my request).  On Thursday we had our first of many meetings and on Friday night I had my sister’s bachelorette party.   

On Saturday, we headed up to Michigan for my cousin’s wedding and then we stayed for the long weekend (Memorial Day) at my brother-in-law’s cottage.   The rest of that week was filled with preparations for my sister’s wedding.  I had a lot of fun going with her to her final dress fitting, helping with seating charts, making decorations, etc.
 

JUNE

We spent June 1 setting up and decorating and then had rehearsal and rehearsal dinner.  And June 2 was the big day.  My little sister got married.  It was a very long, fun day.  A couple days later, Eddy and I took a Megabus from Chicago to Kansas to visit our friend Katie.  We had a great 5 days in which we basically road tripped with her from her old home in Kansas to her new place in Oklahoma.  It was really great to see her and I was excited that Eddy got to see part of the country as well. 

The next couple weeks we focused on ministry.  We presented at three different churches, we met with some of the Illiana kids from the last team, and we spent a lot of time organizing our schedule and contacting all of the people who had mentioned wanting to see us while we were in town.  We also spent some time with the family (father’s day, girls’ night with my cousins, free concert at Millennium Park).

The last week of June, we flew to Buffalo, New York for a conference with our mission organization.  We had four great days full of worship services, informational seminars, getting to know other missionaries, etc.  It was definitely a great time where we could rest and focus on God and what He is calling us to do.  We left feeling re-energized and focused on our ministry and our life in the Dominican Republic.  The last day, they brought us to see the Niagara Falls and we even got to go on the boat “Maiden of the Mist” that takes you down and under the falls.  It was a great experience.

 
We got back from New York just in time to help with some last minute wedding preparations.   On June 28 we had my brother’s rehearsal and on June 29, we celebrated David and Christine’s wedding.  I still can’t believe that my little brother is married. 

So we started and ended June with weddings.  It meant so much to me that Eddy was able to be there for the weddings of both my brother and my sister.  I don’t think there are words to express how grateful I was that God granted us the visa in time for him to be there as part of the family for those two important days.

JULY

The first three weeks of July were completely full of ministry work and spending time with all of our new friends and supporters of the ministry.  Eddy and I were overwhelmed by the amount of people who were so excited about our trip to the US and wanted to see us and invited us into their homes.  During those three weeks we presented at two more churches and every single week night we had a commitment, most of which were dinners at peoples’ houses.  We also had lots of meetings and other work to do with our stateside committee and our mission organization.  We were very busy but we were so encouraged by the love that was showered on us. 

My mom also threw Eddy a birthday party in order to give everyone else a chance to see Eddy while he was in town as well.  We invited everyone in the area from the work teams that have come down as well as our family and friends.  So many people came out and we had so much fun.  Eddy said it was the best birthday party he has ever had. 

The last week of July we were able to go on my family’s camping trip.  My family has been taking this trip to the same campground every year since I was 3 years old.  Over all of those years, there have only been two years that we have not gone.  One was when my brother (who just got married) was a baby and the other was last year, because of our wedding.  Eddy and I had planned to go home the third week of July, but when we found out about the camping trip, we decided to extend our trip another week so that we could go.  Although we had had a lot of family time throughout our trip, it was mostly centered on weddings and other busyness.  For our camping trip it was a great opportunity for us to relax and for my family to really get to know Eddy and for us all to spend some quality together. 

We got home from camping on a Sunday, spent two days doing laundry, packing, last minute shopping and on Wednesday, August 1 we heading back to the airport and flew home.  Our trip, as I think you can tell, was kind of a whirlwind of activity.  I don’t think that we could have fit anything more into our trip.  I think we were able to find a good balance of ministry and family.  Personally, this trip was so beneficial for our marriage and for my family.  Eddy understands me and knows me better after spending so much time with my family and friends and seeing me in a different environment.  My family had the opportunity to really get to know him and to see us together as a married couple.

As far as ministry, this trip was so necessary and beneficial as well.  We were able to spend time and build relationships with our mission organization.  We presented together at all of our supporting churches.  We were welcomed with open arms by our amazing group of supporters.  I also believe that my deepest hope for our trip came true in that, not only my family and friends, but also our mission organization, our committee, and all of our supporters were able to not only meet Eddy, but get to know him and hear him speak and get to see what an amazing heart he has and the gifts that God has given him and how important he is to God’s ministry here in the DR.  If that were the only thing accomplished by our trip, that would have been enough for me.  But as I have learned, God gives us more than we can even hope or desire and in our time in the US, He allowed us to accomplish more than I even thought possible.   

The Visa Story

A Little Background

Three years ago, God gave me a faith like I had never known before.  It was with this faith, that I made the decision to go to the Dominican Republic to serve in His ministry there.  I was absolutely certain that God wanted me there and that He had a purpose for me.  I had no idea what He had planned for me, but I was so sure of His will that I was completely filled with peace with the decision.

Since then, God has blessed me over and over again.  God continued to give me one blessing after the other without me even having to ask.  It was as if God was presenting me with these amazing opportunities and all I had to do was have the faith and the courage to accept.  Everything I wanted, every major life decision was made in the complete assurance that this is what God had planned for me.  It was as if He said “Here is a man that I have spent years preparing for you, He will love you and be a spiritual leader to you, will you take the step in faith and marry him?”  or “the school needs a preschool principal, you have the knowledge and ability to do this job and you will feel useful and fulfilled in your role, will you accept that position in this ministry?”  Each time, all I had to do was accept His blessings and follow His lead.

Each time I accepted, God blessed us more.  He provided for our needs and He gave us the courage, the faith, and the joy that we needed along the way.

You may remember from my post “Eddy’s Visa” that several months ago, Eddy and I started the process to get his visa.  We had tried last summer and been rejected and it was very difficult.  We talked to a few lawyers to see what we should do this time and were told that our chances were very, very slim.  In fact, I think the word “impossible” was used a few times.  We knew that even though getting a visa was “impossible” that God had the power to grant one if He chose to, so we went against legal advice and decided to at least try. 

A Personal Request

Eddy’s visa was something that I wanted so badly.  I wanted him to come to the states for so many reasons.  I wanted him to come to the churches to present with me so that everyone could meet him and get to know his heart.  I wanted my family to have a chance to really get to know him.  I wanted him to be at my sister’s wedding and my brother’s wedding (they were both in June).  I wanted him to see the house I grew up in, I wanted him to meet my grandma.  I felt so strongly that him coming the states would be so beneficial for the ministry, for my family, and for our marriage.

The visa was so important to me.  It was a major, life-altering thing.  Now major, life-altering moments were not new to me, having moved to a new country, started a new career and gotten married over the last 3 years.  However, this time was different.  All of those other things were offered to me along with an undoubted assurance that this was God’s will.  The visa was not just offered to me, in fact it was an impossible request.  And although I completely believed that God had the power to grant that request, I did not have the undoubted assurance that He would.  I knew that He knew better than me and just because I had my reasons for wanting this visa, did not mean that I was right, that it was actually what was best for me.  And there was nothing that I could do.  I just had to wait for His answer.  And that was hard. 

God's Hand

Even though it was a very personal desire of mine, I felt led to write about it in my blog and I was amazed by the response.  God really used the situation to show us what an amazing group of supporters we have.  I received emails from people saying that they added it to their church’s prayer list, I had people offering to write letters on Eddy’s behalf.  It was amazing.  We could see that God was already using the situation to bless us and teach us.

Bargaining

We knew that if God denied the visa, it was for a reason and that there was probably something that we needed to learn.  So about a week before the appointment I started to try to learn everything that God might be trying to teach us before our appointment.  Shamefully, I admit to you that I was trying to earn it, I was trying to show God that we deserved it.  I was so powerless in the situation that I was trying to take some of the control back.

Admission

So there I was, trying to be the best Chrisitan I could be, trying to learn all of the lessons God might be trying to teach me and then something happened.  The night before we were supposed to go to consulate for our appointment, someone let us down.  We were promised that a letter that we needed for our appointment would be emailed to us that night, and it never arrived.  We tried to get a hold of that person every way possible because we needed that letter, and we never did get a hold of them. 

Here is something that you need to know about me:  I am a sinner.

I try my best to follow God but I sin just like everyone else.  There is not a time that my brokeneness is more evident than when I am hurt and angry.  And that night I was very hurt and angry.  I will tell you that my thoughts and words and actions were not filled with love or grace or mercy.  I was not acting Christ-like. 

Late that night, I  skyped with a friend and she told me that she had just heard a sermon in which her pastor said that whatever struggle you are going through, it is not about the struggle, it about Christ and the cross.  That it always goes back to the cross.  I told her that that sounds like a great truth, but I have no idea what it means.  I couldn’t wrap my mind around it.

I woke up the next morning full of shame.  And I thought to myself, there goes our chances.  If we had any hope of getting a visa, we just lost it, because after a week of trying to show God much I could learn and how great I was, I had completely failed.  I knew that I completely did not deserve to be granted my request for Eddy’s visa.  I didn’t deserve anything.  I was completely aware of what a sinner I was.

My Journey

Since we didn’t know how to get to the consulate, Eddy’s cousin drove us there in our truck.  Eddy was in front with him, so I had over three hours in the back seat to myself to think and pray and listen to my praise and worship cds. 

I spent most of that time talking to God.  I told him that I knew that we didn’t deserve this visa but that we had to at least go to the appointment so could He please just be with us and help us get through what promised to be very difficult day.  Soon after, a song came on my cd.  It’s a song that I grew up with so the words were very familiar to me, but for the first time I actually listened to the lyrics and heard the words.  These are those words:

God be merciful to me
on Thy grace, I rest my plea
Plenteous in compassion Thou
Blot out my transgressions now

Wash me, make me pure within
Cleanse, oh, cleanse me from my sin

My transgressions I confess
Grief and guilt my soul oppress
I have sinned against Thy grace
And provoked Thee to Thy face

I confess Thy judgment just
Speechless, I, Thy mercy trust

I am evil born in sin
Thou desirest truth within
Thou alone my Savior art
Teach Thy wisdom to my heart

Make me pure, Thy grace bestow
Wash me whiter than the snow

Gracious God, my heart renew
Make my spirit right and true
Thy salvation's joy impart
Steadfast make my willing heart
Steadfast make my willing heart

Broken, humbled to the dust
By Thy wrath and judgment just
Let my contrite heart rejoice
And in gladness hear Thy voice

From my sins, oh, hide Thy face
Blot them out in boundless grace

After hearing that song, I finally understood what my friend had said about everything going back to the cross.  There was no way that I could earn or deserve this request that I had made to God.  Just like there is no way that I can earn or deserve God’s love or His grace, nor do we need to.  It is freely given to us.  I fail, I fall down, I sin but I am God’s child and He saved me by His death on the cross and He loves me no matter what and He will always take care of me and work everything out for my good and His purposes.  Compared to that something like Eddy’s visa seemed very small.

The Appointment

We went to our appointment, we stood in several lines, we waited hours, and then it was finally our turn.  When it’s your turn they tell you which line to go in and it’s like you are at a teller.  They are behind glass and speak through a microphone.  After asking us a few questions, he turned his mic off to talk to the other guy sitting next to him and then confirmed what we already knew.  I could see them talking and I could see him say that he was sure we were telling the truth but he just can’t give us the visa.  So then we knew. 

He turned the mic back on and started basically explaining to us why we our situation is so difficult.  We can’t do the spousal visa because we live in the DR but there is so much fraud so we can’t get the visitor visa either.  We could tell he felt bad but that he just couldn’t do it, he didn’t want to see any of our letters or anything that we brought.  I was actually just happy to be talking to someone who knows the law and asked him what options we had.  His answer told us that we had no options, the visitor visa was the right visa, we just won’t ever get it because of all of the fraud that other people have committed. 

But then something changed, I don’t remember what I said but he changed and he actually looked at our letter from the mission organization.  We had been invited to their North American missionary conference.  He was reading it but then he should his head and stamped something and handed Eddy a paper and then said something in Spanish that I did not understand.  I thought he was finally sick of talking to us and was giving us the final “no” but Eddy looked happy so I said “what?” He said “go pay the cashier”  (I knew that the only reason to  go pay the cashier is to pay for them to ship you the passport with the visa inside.)  I said “so, yes?”  He said, “yes but don’t tell anyone I did this for you.”  So we took our papers and we ran.  We paid the cashier and she said that we would receive the visa in 4-6 business days. 

Then we realized that we had no idea how long it was for and when it started. 

Reality

Although we were so excited to know that the visa request had been accepted, the next couple days were difficult.  At that point I already had a plane ticket booked for two weeks later in order to be home for my sister’s wedding.  Talking to that guy confirmed that this could very well be a once in a lifetime opportunity and we may not get a visa again for a very long time.   The reality of the situation was hitting us.  We knew that this would be a burden that we would always have to carry.  That we would always be fighting this fight, trying to get visas and we knew that we had to find a way to accept that.  But we were  realizing how hard that was actually going to be. 

We knew the visa would either be 1 month or 3 months.  We were praying for 3 months because we knew that we had to fit everything into this one visit.  In my wildest dreams I thought maybe we would get 1 year, because then we could have one Christmas with my family but I knew that that was a long shot, so we focused on hoping and praying for 3 months. 

The Answer

A few days later, we got a call that the messenger was in the area so Eddy ran down to meet him.  He came back and told me that the visa was for 10 years.  I didn’t believe him.  I think I said “no” 15 times. 

Then he showed me the visa and I read: “expiration date May 6, 2022”. 

 In that moment, God took away our greatest burden and worry all at once.  Getting a ten year visa is unheard of, especially for your first visa.  It’s unbelievable, it’s impossible, but it’s what God did for us.

(FYI -What this means is that for the next 10 years, Eddy can travel to and visit the United States as much as he wants.  We can decide to make the trips based on personal reasons or ministry needs.  Our visits are no longer based on whether or not we will be able to get a visa.  It is the most amazing gift that God could have given us.)

So here I am, a sinner.  Someone who first tried to convince God of all of the reasons He should give us a visa, and then tried to earn and deserve it, and then proved how much she didn’t deserve it and how far she has to go in her walk with God.  And in the end, God not only gave that sinner the desire of her heart, but He gave her 10 times more than she even dared to hope for. 

Visa Update

Thank you all so much for your prayers. It is an amazingly humbling thing to become aware of how many people love us and support us and to know that so many people were praying for us these past weeks and especially this morning. I will update again with the whole story, but for now let me tell you that God made His presence known to us all morning. He was with us during the long drive and the hours of waiting, He was with us as the man giving us our interview explained all of the reasons why he couldn't give us the visa, and He was with us when at the last minute the man changed his mind and, against all odds, approved the visa application! Praise God! We were told that Eddy getting a visitor visa would be impossible. But with our God, nothing is impossible. 

Eddy's Visa

This is a blog post that I have been thinking about for a while and I have been putting off. I'm not sure why, probably because it is a topic that I don't even like thinking about. Eddy's visa. I have mentioned things in passing in other posts, but have not specifically explained what the situation is. I will start with explaining the basics, because most of you are probably like I was 2 years ago, in that you don't have any personal experience with immigration laws, or if you do, not immigration laws for someone from a 3rd world country.

(Side note: The purpose of this post is not to state any political opinion about immigration or immigration laws. The purpose is just to share the personal experience of my husband and to ask for prayers. I am also not an expert on immigration or immigration law. What I state in this post is the information that has been given to me by people who have been through it themselves or by lawyers that we have spoken to.  Also, in this post I am talking about our attempts to get Eddy a visitor visa, not a spousal visa or anything else of the sort.)

A Little Bit of Background/Common Misconceptions

The first major misconception that I have come across in talking to Americans about Eddy's situation is that these are Dominican laws that are keeping Eddy from traveling to the US. That is incorrect. I, as an American residing here in the DR, have to abide by and work within Dominican immigration laws in order to live here. Eddy, as a Dominican, wanting to visit the US, has to abide by and work within American immigration laws in order to travel there.

The second misconception is that you only need a visa if you want to live or work in the United States. That is also not true. Even to just visit, Eddy needs a visitor visa. You may think that something like that would be easy to get. Also not true, not in the Dominican Republic. Why? because they believe that once you get to the United States, you will not leave again. That you will stay and live there illegally. When trying to get a visitor visa, the most important thing is to try to prove that you will come back to the DR that you will not stay in the US. Why do they think you will stay? Probably because so many people have done just that. Because of this, I understand why the laws are what they are, but it is still frustrating when you (or your husband) are being honest and don't have any intent on staying, and really do just want to visit.

Misconception number three: Now that Eddy and I are married, getting a visa for him to visit should be much easier. I wish. Having read the previous paragraph, you may have already connected the dots on this one. In case you haven't, let me tell you that being married to an American does not help when trying to convince the American officials that you will not stay in the US to live. In fact, in their minds, the risk of that is much greater. There is an assumption that any non-American who is married to an American has the goal of living in the United States. Now that we are married, it is actually more difficult to get a visitor visa.

We have been placed here in the DR permanently by our mission organization. We do not know how long God will continue to call us to serve him here or when He will lead us somewhere else. However, if Eddy receives a visitor visa, we will only be visiting. We will definitely be coming back to continue our work here in the DR.

Why do we want Eddy to visit the United States?

First and most importantly: ministry purposes. Our mission organization has invited us to the North American Conference in June. This would be a great opportunity for us to build relationships with other missionaries, for the leaders of the mission organization to meet and get to know Eddy, and for us to learn and grow as missionaries and leaders. Also, we have been invited by our supporting churches to present about our ministry as well. It is very important that these churches meet and get to know Eddy and for us to represent our ministry together. This summer we will also need to be working on raising our personal support. Having Eddy in the states with me would help tremendously with that as well.

As you can see from reading about our situation, the chances of Eddy getting a visa are slim to none. It is a very long shot. We learned this the hard way last summer when we tried and failed to get him a visitor visa. However, the reason that we are trying again is because our chances of getting a visa for him have improved because of these invitations from our mission organization and support churches. Also, our mission organization can attest to the fact that we are placed here in the DR and will be returning.

Secondly: family and personal reasons. It would mean so much to my family to have Eddy home with me this summer. He is a part of our family and he should be there for family celebrations and family camping trips and just to experience everyday life for a little while. Also, on a very personal level, I just really want my husband to come with me to the United States. I do not want to be separated from him for six weeks in the first year of our marriage. I do not want to go and present to all of these churches by myself. I want him to experience family night. I want him to be at Sunday dinner. I want him to meet my grandma and my aunts and uncles and cousins. I want him to see the house that I grew up in and hear all of the stories that go along with it. I want him to see me with my family in a relaxed setting. I want him to come with me to my home church. And most of all, I want him to know me in a way that he can only know me by seeing for himself and experiencing the place where I grew up and became the person that he fell in love with and married. I have learned so much about Eddy by watching him with his family and hearing all of his childhood stories, (seeing where he used to play baseball with his friends as a kid, where he used to go swimming in the creek and always got in trouble.) I want him to learn about me in the same way.

Our God is an Awesome God

I stated before that our chances have improved because of the letters of invitation, but the odds are still very slim. However, we know that when it comes to God, the odds don't matter. We could have the best odds, it could be that 99% chance that we will get the visa, and if it is not God's will, we won't get it. We could have a 1% chance of getting the visa (which is closer to reality) and if it's God's will that Eddy go to the states this summer, he will get it. God is bigger than immigration laws. He is in control and what He wills to happen is what will happen.

Revelations 3:7b-8 "These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. ⁸ I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name."

On May 7, we have our appointment at the American consulate. On that day God will reveal, in regards to this particular door, if he will open it, or close it. The desire of our hearts, for all the reasons listed above, is that Eddy receives this visa. Your prayers would be greatly appreciated.

Philippians 4:6-7 "do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

We know that above all, God's will will be done. If we receive the visa that day, we will know that it was only because of God and may He receive all of the glory. If we are denied the visa that day, we will be disappointed, but we will know that it was in God's hands and that everything that happens is for the good of those that love Him. Over the next couple of weeks I will memorize Philippians 4:6-7 and I will pray over and over again that He helps us not to be anxious and that He gives us the peace that surpasses all understanding.

I would like to invite all of you to join us in prayer for this situation. Please join us in "letting our requests be made known to God" and pray that God may grant Eddy this visa. But more than that, please also pray that God would provide peace and acceptance of the decision (no matter what it is)not just for me and Eddy but also for my family, his family, our church members, the school staff, friends, ministry supporters, and everyone else who will also be touched or effected by it.

Thank you all for your love and support and your prayers.

FYI

I  started this blog when I moved to the Dominican Republic in order to keep my family and friends informed on what was happening in my life.  Since then, it has grown to be more than that, and I am so happy that so many new people have started following it and enjoy reading it.   In it I write about my personal journey.   I do sometimes update with information and pictures of the school and church, but for the most part I write about how God is working in my life and how being a part of the ministry here has helped me grow and change. 

There are many things that happen in this ministry that I don't write about, including church and school activities and people and groups that come to visit and help.  I may not write about these things because I don't have a lot of extra time that week, or because I wasn't effected in a personal way, or sometimes because I was effected in a personal way but have chosen to keep some parts of my life private.  I write about the things that I feel led to write about.

Since this is my personal blog and not the offical blog of Pathway to Jesus School, my focus is not to make sure to include everything that happens in the ministry and there are some things that get left out.  If you are a supporter of Pathway to Jesus School and want to make sure that you do not miss hearing about everything that is happening, we do have an offical email newsletter that goes out monthly.  If you would like your email address to be added to receive these newletters each month you can email me at Carrie.bea1982@yahoo.com and I will add you to the list.

Thank you all for your support and your prayers and for taking the time to read all about what God is doing in His ministry here in the DR as well as in the life of one of His children.

Before and After



Before: front of school



before: office and bathroom



before: back of building



after: front of building



after: office and bathrooms



after: back of building



school seal



mural on the outside of the security wall



inside the kindergarten classroom



inside the 1st grade classroom



inside the 2nd grade classroom



preschool hallway



preschool hallway



kindergarten alphabet

The team also built the other side of the security wall and poured the columns.  They painted alphabets in the 1st and 2nd grade classrooms.  They painted the upstairs classrooms white, and they cleaned and painted the walls in the walkway at the church.  They also drew a mural on the inside of the security wall to be painted at a later date. 

high school

A few weeks ago, our fourth work team for the year came down to visit.  A team of students and teachers from Illiana Christian High School.  This is the third year that they have come down on their spring break.  I enjoy every team that comes down here to work, each one is special in its own way and all of them help me feel like I have a piece of home here in the DR for a short time, but the Illiana teams have a unique effect on me.  I graduated from Illiana, and when the teams come from Illiana each year, it is more than having a piece of home here, it is like having a piece of my youth brought down as well.  Most of the other teams that have come down have people on them that I either know personally, or who know people that I know.  Friends of friend, friends of cousins etc.  But all of these people are connections to my adult life.  When Illiana comes down it's different because the people that I know personally, and the people that we know mutually, are almost all teachers that were at Illiana when I was there as well.  The connections that are made are to my youth.

Also, the students that come down bring me back even more.  It turns out that kids at Illiana haven't changed all that much in the last 12 years since I graduated.   As I get to know the kids and see their friendships and the way that they joke around and relate to each other, they are just like the kids that I knew all those years ago.  I find myself thinking about how I would have fit into a group like this, which of them I would have been friends with.  I also think about who I was when I was a teenager, how much I have changed, and how much I haven't changed.  I think about the fact that had you told me 12 years ago, when I was finishing my senior year at Illiana that down the road I would be a missionary in the Dominican Republic, married to a Dominican, speaking Spanish and receiving work teams from Illiana, I never would have believed it.  I had no idea what God had planned for me.  It's also exciting for me to know that these kids also have no idea what God has planned for them, and I am so excited for them to discover what that is.

Having not had the chance yet to bring Eddy back to the United States, the Illiana group is also one of the few ways that I have of sharing a little bit of my past with my husband.  He hasn't seen the house that I grew up in, he hasn't gone to my home church with me, he hasn't had Sunday dinner with my family, he hasn't even met most of my aunts and uncles and cousins.  But when Illiana comes down, I get to have a week of remembering and sharing stories with him about my past and what I was like as a teenager.

This year, the team came down when we were also on Spring Break, therefore, we had a lot of time to spend with them.  I had so much fun with them and they got so much work done.  The school went through a complete transformation in the week that they were here.  I also have not laughed as much as I did that week in a long time.  They were an exceptional group and I hope to see all of them again soon, either here or back in the states.

If you are new to my blog

Over the last couple of months, I have noticed that several new people have started to follow and read my blog.  I thought that it might be a good idea to give those of you, who are new to my blog, some ideas of which of my old posts you may want to read, based on theme.

If you are interested in knowing more about the ministry that Eddy and I are a part of and the progress the school has made and seeing pictures of the school and kids, check out the posts :
"Just in Case" from July 2011
"Preschool" from October 2011
"School Pictures" and "A few pictures of the kids" from December 2011
"February" from March 2012

If you are interested in getting to know who Eddy and I are personally, about our relationship with each other and our relationship with our God, I recommend reading the posts:
"A time of Change" from March 2011
"Cafe con Leche" from April 2011
"Ten Years" from June 2011

If you want to hear about our Wedding and see pictures,
"Our Wedding" from August 2011 was written before the wedding and
 "The Wedding" from September 2011 was written after the wedding.
 I also posted several pictures in August and September 2011 as well.

If you want to hear about my first Christmas in the DR, check out from December 2011
"A Very Dominican Christmas Part 1"
"A Very Dominican Christmas Part 2"
"Christmas Joy"

I also added labels to most of my posts and put the tabs at the top of the page, so feel free to explore the blog and learn more about me and the work that God is doing in my life!

February

During the month of February our ministry was greatly blessed with two groups.  The first group was a work team from First Christian Reformed Church of Crown Point.  This was the church’s second work team.  Of the sixteen volunteers, four of them were returning for the second time.  We had an amazing week with this team.  They worked very hard and worked very well as a team and accomplished even more than we hoped they would in their week here.  They built us a security wall along the southwest side of our property, they poured all the columns, and they built us a new large cabinet in Shelley’s office.  When there was some downtime, they moved the dirt off the road and played with the kids.  By the end of the week, we also had six new students sponsored by members of the group.  We also were very encouraged by the interaction that they were able to have with our staff members and members of our church.  On Monday, some of our staff members had fun helping fill holes with cement and laying block and on Tuesday night our church hosted a Valentine’s Day dinner with all of the church members and the group.  Our ministry was blessed by the work that they did and by the relationships that were formed. 

the work team in front of the wall

The other group that came down was a little bit different.  It consisted of only two woman; Ruth Boss (a member of the PTJ support committee) and Karen Hoekstra (my mom).  Otherwise known as Grannies on a Mission.  They came down for a little over a week to help us organize.  They organized Shelley’s office (the new cabinet was a great help) my office, all of our files and supplies, the preschool closets, etc.  They even went as far as to clean the toys.  They stayed at our houses and were able to see what life down here in the Dominican Republic is like day to day.  They also were able to form some new relationships with a few of our church members, school staff, and our families.  We loved having them down here and they were both a huge blessing to us.  It’s always good to have a couple moms around.  If you want to read more about their adventures, you can read their blog at granniesonamission.blogspot.com.  

the grannies with the preschool staff

Update

The last two weeks have been very busy and very eventful.   We had an amazing work team come down from Crown Point Christian Reformed Church to build a security wall around the school property and now my mom and family friend, Ruth, are here to visit for a week and help us organize.  I promise to post all about what's happening here when things calm down a little. In the mean time, my mom and Ruth have started a blog in order to keep people updated on what they are doing, so this week I will be helping them update their blog.  It's called Grannies on a Mission, you may enjoy reading about their granny adventures here in the DR.  Here is the link:  granniesonamission.blogspot.com

Pieces of Home #2

In November, I discovered that one of the grocery stores here carried a generic brand of the pillsbury line of ready-made bake-only rolls.  I was very excited.  As I mentioned in the last post, it was fun to share my family tradition of Sunday morning cinnamon rolls with Eddy.  I also found several awesome crescent roll recipes in pintrest.  It was great! Then they sold out.  Thanksgiving marked our last batch of crescent rolls.  I had all but given up when last wednesday, we went to the grocery store and there they were!  Cinnamon rolls, crescent rolls (big and small), biscuits, and breadsticks.  This time I know, that when they sell out, that's it for the next several months, and they only have about 10-15 of each thing.  Well, I had to drastically change my grocery shopping plan so that half of my grocery money now goes to stocking up on these wonderful rolls before they are all gone.  Hopefully they will last me a while, but my husband requests them in one form or the other every day now.  I have made pizza puffs with the crescent rolls 3 times, I have made cinnamon breadsticks, and yesterday was our first cinnamon roll Sunday since November.

How Great is Our God

Last week I wrote a short post asking for prayers because of a difficulty at our school.  Many of my readers are also my facebook friends and a couple days after that post, my status was the words to the song "How Great is our God."   A few people asked me after that, if the difficulty had gone away and if that is why I put those song lyrics on my facebook.  The answer to that question is "no".  However, I can understand the confusion because had the issue been resolved, I probably would have updated my status with something similar to that.  However, the question got me to thinking, and there is a story behind why I posted those lyrics. 

On January 5 I celebrated two years living in the Dominican Republic.  That day, I spent a lot of time reflecting.  I remembered how I felt the day that I arrived, so nervous and excited and full of faith.  I remembered all of the things that have happened since that day, both good times and bad.  But most of all, I thought about how much I have been blessed in my time here.  The lyrics to the song "How Great is Our God" came into my head.  I didn't even have that song on my Itunes, but that day I went and downloaded it, and for the last month I have listened to it repeatedly and even when I am not listening to it, I am singing it in my head all the time. 

A few days after that was when this new difficulty began.  That song has helped me in these weeks.  Because it's true, even when "things are bad", God is good.  When we are worried and feel powerless, God is in control.  God is great, and He is in control, and He WILL work everything out for His glory, and one day ALL WILL see how great our God is!  The days that are the most difficult are the days that I need to listen to that song the most.  That was probably the case the day that I posted the lyrics on facebook. When I listen to it, I can't help but close my eyes, sing along with all I have and I am filled with peace.

It is easy to praise and glorify God when times are good, but even in the middle of a difficult time, God still deserves our praise.  In fact, He uses times of difficulty to bring us closer to Him.  That has definitely been my experience over the last two years.  When everything is going well, sometimes we can fool ourselves into thinking we don't really need God, we've got it all under control.  But in the midst of home sickness, cultural frustrations, and other struggles there is no denying that we need God and that He is the one who brings us through.

Last Saturday, we had a concert fundraiser for the school.  We knew that what we needed the most was to praise God together in unity.  That day was a stressful day, it seemed like everything was going wrong as we prepared.  The praise team didn't even have time to practice.  But we powered our way through and in the end it was an amazing night.  We had such a great turn out of our students, their parents and families, and other members of the community.  Our dance ministry performed, the combined praise team performed and a woman from sister church, Diana, sang a few songs as well.  At the last minute we did a little bit of switching around of the schedule and the last song ended up being sung by Diana.  I was busy figuring out the changes when she began singing, but then I realized, she was singing "How Great is our God" in Spanish.  I was so excited, I didn't even know that there was a Spanish version.  It was such a blessing to Eddy and me.  Although Eddy had heard it several times in English and can basically understand the words, I think it really touched him to hear it in his native language. Also, it was so amazing to me that the song that had been "my song" for the last month was now being sung by this large group of people including children and parents from our school.  And I took it as a personal reminder just how great our God is.  Here are the lyrics, in case you are not familiar with the song:

The splendor of a King, clothed in majesty
Let all the earth rejoice
All the earth rejoice

He wraps himself in Light, and darkness tries to hide
And trembles at His voice
Trembles at His voice

How great is our God, sing with me
How great is our God, and all will see
How great, how great is our God

Age to age He stands
And time is in His hands
Beginning and the end
Beginning and the end

The Godhead Three in One
Father Spirit Son
The Lion and the Lamb
The Lion and the Lamb

Name above all names
Worthy of our praise
My heart will sing
How great is our God

How great is our God, sing with me
How great is our God, and all will see
How great, how great is our God