Beach Bummin....once again :)

Why hello there oh wonderful beach! Yes, I get to spend two weekends in a row at the beach :) It's Independence day weekend here in the Dominican and everyone seemed to have wanted to come and soak up the sun. We stayed in Cabarrete with my host mom and sister (Nancy and Ana), Anna's two older siblings Felipe, and Nancy, Nancy's boyfriend and his sister and mom, and Ana's friend Jederi. Cabarrete is in Puerta Plata and this weekend there was an international surfing or parasailing competition, something like that. So when we were driving you could see all the parasails out in the water. It was really pretty. We rented a house for all of us to stay in. The house had a pool whcich was nice, and a jacuzzi that didn't have warm water but it was still fun with the jets.

We weren't directly on the beach but we just had to take a 7 min walk and we were there. The waves were really big, and it looked kind of dangereous so we didn't go in. Plus it was 5 in the evening so we didn't really want to swim. Anna and Jederi had cameras so we took pictures. Anna thought she saw a guy who is an actor on a T.V show here called Chevere Nights. But she wasn't sure. So we went and described him to Nancy (Ana's older sister). She confirmed that it was him and said that I should get my picture taken with him. So I was like okay lets go! I'll never see him again so whats the harm. Well saying it is a lot easier than actually doing it. Me and Anna walked back and forth for 5 minutes deciding if we should ask or not. At one point we were hiding behind a rock. Finally I worked up the nerve to ask. So we leisurly walk over and I ask, "Excuse me sir, are you Sergio Carlos?" his reply, "Yes, I am." "Ok, Iv'e seen you on the show Chevere Nights before." This was a complete lie, never before in my life have I ever watched this show or have heard of this guy until 10 min ago. It was also weird because I'm not Dominican, and here I am an American saying that I've seen this guy on T.V. So finally I ask him, "Could I get my picture taken with you?" and he says... "Yes of course!" SCORE! 20 seconds of bravery does you good sometimes. I normally don't do this kind of thing. But I am never going to see this guy again and why miss out on a chance of getting your picture taken with some famous guy whose not that bad looking? So yes, I have met Sergio Carlos :) After all that excitement me and Anna couldn't stop laughing, and we just ran down the beach. I don't know why we ran, probably becuase we were so giddy.

The next day we drove to another beach close by.....and there were a lot of people. The whole beach was crowded with people and umberella tops. The water was so pretty. It was clear but had a tourquoise tint to it. Oh, and it was warm. We walked on the beach, burried each other in the sand. And took a banana boat ride. We were flipped off and it took us about 10 min to try to get back on the stupid banana. Its harder than you would think. And of course I got a little burnt. We ate lunch on the beach too. Everyone had fish, but me and Jederi don't really care for fish so we had chicken and french fries. There was so much. We both had 4 pieces of chicken and half of our plates were full of french fries. I ate all of mine :) The sun really drains your energy so for the rest of the day I was dead. I got to try some sugar cane which was good. I thought you could eat it but you actually just chew it, suck all the sugar up, then spit out. Kinda gross, but good. After we came home and got all cleaned and de-sanded ourselves, we went out to eat on the beach. There were restaurants that light up all along the beach. We kept on saying that it reminded us of a night club becuase there were blue, green, and red lights everywhere. But don't worry it was a restaurant. We had some delicious pizza and soda.

By the time the third day arrived, the horrible feeling of homesickness began to kick in. Its just a wonderful feeling that makes you oh so happy and want to just jump around. Nope, I sat and listened to my Jesus music trying to cheer me up. No luck. I realized that I was at first trying to ignore the feeling and to go on as usual. But sometimes its okay just to feel sad and to miss my home and family. This is the first time I've felt homesick on this trip, which is pretty good considering I've been here for 5 weeks. I recognized the feeling and knew that I was going to get out of my slump, I just needed a little time. And sure enough I'm all better. Going back to school the next day and seeing all the bright and shining faces of my friends really helped. I had a wonderful time at the beach but it's good to be back in good o'l Jarabacoa.

Class Beach Trip

About three weekends ago (February 17th) my class took a trip the beach! It was such an awesome time with my class. I felt like I really got connected to them and really bonded with the girls. Although my friend Lissette wasn't with us, it really helped me to branch out and to get to know the other girls a lot better. I became more independent.

Our teachers Mr. and Mrs. McCalister and their family were so brave to take 8 teenagers for a weekend to the beach. Their nick names are mama and papa for a reason :) They have 3 little boys who also go to Doulos. We went to Puerta Plata which is in the northern part of the country and is absolutely gorgeous. It was a bumpy drive with lots of sharp turns up and over moutains. But that didn't really matter because we were all singing the whole entire car ride. Well, mostly the girls. I don't think I have ever seen so many donkeys on the side of the road before. Every time we past one, eveyone would go, "EEYY PEPE!" For all who don't know, when I lived in the DR we had a donkey named Pepe so everyone jokes about that. When we arrived in the town we were staying in we got some pizza. 6 pizzas to be exact :) I love being with people to love to pig out :) The guys had about 12 pieces each while the girls had at least 5. As my friend Mariana told me, "This is why Latino woman are curvy, and Americanos are sticks." After we finished off ALL 6 pizzas, we walked to our hotel. Our hotel was built out onto the water so there were 2 beaches, one on each side of the hotel. We had the whole top floor to outselves too :) When it was dark, we all went out onto the beach and chilled, played tag and drew in the sand. But the best part was sitting in an old abandoned row boat, Sarah and I playing the guitar and our whole class sang worship songs together. One of the most memorable moments so far. It was awesome just being together and praising God, even the guys. My class is very special, and I couldn't ask to be with better people.

Dominicans aren't afraid to be close so four girls sleeping in one bed wasn't a big deal. Like most teens we didn't go to bed until 1 am. Laughing, talking, being silly. Although I sort of ditched my roomate who was sleeping in another room. The next morning she reminded me and teased me, "You hate me! You let me sleep all alone in a room by myself!" Melissa is probably one of the most funniest girls I have ever met. She makes me laugh at everything she does. We spent the whole day at the beach swimming in the ocean, snorkiling, laying out in the sun, and of course we had to barry someone in the sand. We ate on the beach too; fried plantain, rice, chicken, fish, shrimp, and salad. I got a pina colada (no alcohol) that was in a carved out pineapple. It looked really cool, but it was moslty just crushed pineapple inside. It was still good though.

On our drive back home we stopped in Cabarette which is another town by the beach. Mr. Mac was going to be doing a triatholon the next day. We ended up driving in a neighborhood with a bunch of white people. It was very strange. So, Melissa and I decided to call it Gringo Town. There were lots of gringos in little Gringo Town. Daniel had asked me if I would like to liver there but I told him no, "My skin maybe white, but I'm Dominican at heart". Gringo Town really isn't for me. Driving back me and Melissa had some pretty cool dance offs. We were all exaughsted by the time we got back to Jarabacoa....and full of sand. This weekend was such a great time with my classmates. They are such a blessing in my life.

Service Week in the Batey

Little children tugging on your arms, running their fingers through your hair, grabbing your hand and never letting go, and asking for piggy back rides. There is nothing more that brings joy to me other than this. This week at my school is service week. My class along with the 5th grade class had the wonderful opportunity to go to a Batey for two days. For all who don't know what that is, it's a village where mostly Haitians live in the Dominican Republic working in sugar cane fields. The people who live in these villages are very poor and make only about 50 cents a day. Their lives are very hard.

When I first stepped off the bus onto the ground of the Batey it was like entering into another world. Yes, I was still in the D.R. but I felt like was in Africa. You could tell right from the start these people had very little. The smell of wood burning filled the air and dust and dirt from the road was everywhere. There was one road that went down the middle of the village and on both sides stood pale yellow houses. There was one colmado, one small wooden blue church, and one school. The children were running and playing everwhere. We all walked around for a little touring the Batey and meeting the people who live there. We sat and visited with one lady for a bit and was so kind and generous to get 5 of us chair so we wouldn't have to stand. These people are wanting to serve and make you happy even if they don't have a lot. This is what makes them so special. After visiting for a while we went and played with the kids. We played a hand slapping game where one person has both palms facing up and the other puts their hands on top. Then the person on bottom has to try to slap the other person's hands. These children aren't worried about hurting you. My hands were bright red after playing. They were pretty fascinated by the color too. One little boy held my hand looking very closely at the strange color and decided to kiss it to make it all better. The kids are very rough; hitting and kicking each other is the only way the seem to know how to solve anything. Their lives are so hard and tough that they haven't been taught or shown how to behave properly. It's basically every man for himself. But this was a chance for us to show them that isn't they way they have to choose. As servants of God we can SHOW them how to love each other and how to be kind towards one another.

We ate lunch in the church and afterwards played games! We started out playing duck duck goose....but in spanish. Even though most of them are Haitian they all know spanish. We all stood and a circle and laughed and cheered as we watched kids chase each other around the huge circle. A couple people tripped and a couple ran around the circle a few more times than they should because they didn't know when to stop. Hearing the laughter of the kids, my classmate, and my teachers was so satisfying. There was nothing to do but smile. We also played red light green light and simon says. Starting the game was interesting. I never knew trying to get kids all in one straight line would be so difficult. The children could be very uncooperative at times; pushing, shoving, starting little fights because they all wanted to be in the middle of the line. It took a lot of energy to try to get them to calm down and follow directions. But once we started the games everyone was okay. A little dance competition also took place. One thing these kids do know how to do is dance. And they're good. We made a circle and two kids at a time would go at and have a dance off. At the end whoever the other kids cheered the loudest for won. It was so much fun watching them show off their moves, trying to "show each to other up." Entertaining the children took a lot of work and energy. All of us were dead by the end of the day.

We slept in a church that night that was about 15-20 min away from the Batey. They had bunk beds that we all slept on. Girls on oneside the boys on the other side of the building. The 11th graders were in charge of food. Daniel, Carlos, Mariana, and Sugeiry all made delicious tacos :) We were so hungry we each had two....those tortilla shells aren't small either. After dinner we all played games together. We sat in a big circle and played Judge Judy and Killer. I know the last game fits right in with this trip. The way you kill people is winking at them, harmless :) It was fun to get to know the 5th graders and to play with them. After they went to bed the teens stayed up and played Uno and talked for a while. I only got about 2 hours of sleep that night. Not becuase I stayed up late but because it was FREEZING cold. I had a sheet and I wore shorts. I would have had sweat pants but water had spilt on my bag and got my pants all wet. There was also a dog barking for bit because of the boys literally "kicked" it out of their room, and one of the girls likes to sleep talk. Lets just say I was a tad bit tired the next morning. Me, Sarah, Josuel, and Lissette were in charge of making eggs for everyone. Never knew scrambled eggs took so long to cook. But it was good in the end.

Our second day at the Batey was probably my favorite. I was a little nervous becuase we were doing crafts and none of us were awake enough to be able to be energetic enough for the kids. So on our way to the Batey all the teens decided to pray together and to ask God to give us a servant heart for the day. The fact that we all held hands and prayed together with out an adult asking us was amazing. I can go to school with these people, but praying with them reaches a deeper level of our friendship. Sure enough, we were ready to serve. Making bracelets started off great. It was calm, cool, and collected. The little boys and girls looked so content putting the beads on their piece of string. I think this is mostly becuase half of the kids were in school. So what happens they they arrive? Chaos. Little hands being shoved into my face, children tugging on my shoulders and legs shouting ,"Amiga! Amiga! mira!" I'm trying to cut string and tying nots as fast as I can, beads spilling everywhere. The thing is, these kids don't understand how to say "can I have some string please?" or a simple "Thank you". I don't think they even know how to have patience. And it's becuase they haven't been taught how to do theses things. We tried the best we could to demonstrate these things for them. Whether they notice or not, we know we did our best. That's all we can do. In the end they kids were happy with their bracelets and neckalces. Most of them had a necklace, a bracelet for each hand, and an anklete for each foot. They cracked me up with this. But they looked adorable. After cleaning up all the little scattered beads, a little girl named Victoria grabbed my waist and asked me if I wanted to go see her school. As we were walking another little girl came up beside me and grabbed my hand. An then ANOTHER little girl grabbed what space was left on my arm. Before I knew it I had about 6 little girls gathered around me as we walked through the Batey. We sat down on a log and they started to play with my hair. At first it felt nice, but then they started really pulling on my hair, which lead to some slight pain. But if they were content with playing with strange blonde hair, thats okay with me. It made me so happy sitting there with a little girl on my lap another one playing with my hair, and another wanting me to take pictures of her. They are so beautiful and I thank God for creating each and every one of them.

When we see people that are impoverished, we want to give them so much of what they don't have. We automatically search for material things that they need. Or what we think they need. But the greatest gift we can give anyone is love. Showing these children affection, playing with them, and demonstrating love towards them is the only thing thats really a necessity. Yes it would be nice if we could provide other things for them. But when we can't , Love is just as good and even better. I don't know if the children were being loved by someone at home, if they were told "I love you" today. So, you just got to let them know that they are indeed loved. By demonstrating God's love through us, they are able to get a glimpse of Jesus Christ.

The Greatest Blessings Made Simple

In my home in Michigan, I have tiling and carpet that cover my floor. I have screens on my windows to keep all the creepy crawlers out at night, doors for all the rooms, a dishwasher to clean the dishes for me, paint to cover the walls, and a bathroom with a toilet that works. To most poeple those things are normal to have. But for a moment imagine what it would be like to live in a place where your floor is made out of dirt, your window is a just a square cut out of the wall. Your doors are made out of curtains and your dishwasher is a big metal pot with water on the ground. Look at your walls and imagine them being bare cement blocks, your roof made out of tin, and your toilet a plastic bucket. This weekend, I got to live out this kind of life; simple.

Our family friends, Joci, Miguel, and their three daugthers; Omira (15), Neomi (12), and Estefani (9), are a wonderful and loving family who have blessed my family by just being apart of our lives. Whenever we come to the DR, we always make seeing them our priority. Joci invited me to stay the night in her home on Saturday. And of course I said yes. I couldn't wait to spend more time with them. Don't get me wrong, I was tad bit nervous also. It was the first time I was going to be staying overnight in the community (Pierda Blanca) without my parents. It's not that it's a bad area, BUT I am a "gringa" a.k.a a fair skin, blonde hair, blue eyed, teenage American girl that guys (doesn't matter what age) would just love to ge to know. Luckily my dad's main homeboy (homeboys are a group of friends my dad has), Miguel, is a pretty big guy. He told me, and I quote, "Any man that comes to that window, is a dead man." I knew then that I was going to be perfectly taken care of and I didn't have to worry about anything. Spending the weekend in their home really gave me a new prespective. I knew they didn't have a lot of money, but actually living they way another person lives is different than just knowing or understanding. I hand washed dishes on the floor in a big metal pot with water inside, I helped the girls read a book in English by candle light since the electricity wasn't on. I watched Omira pick up an empty class beer bottle on the side of the street and put gasoline in it to use as fuel for the motorcycle. And, I used an outhouse for my bathroom. And no, it's not like an outhouse like at a baseball game or anything. It was a small wooden shack, and inside was a hole in the ground. There was a reason why I tried no to drink too much liquid, but hey you have to go at some point! It wasn't the fact that I didn't want to use it, it's the fact that I didn't want Joci to be embarrassed or feel bad.

I love this family so much and I don't see them any different than me. Yes, we have different skin colors. Yes, we live in two different countries. Yes, our lifestyles are completely different. But one thing we share in common, is the love we have for one another, and the love we have for Jesus. God created us to love, and to love each other. With love, nothing can be broken. When I sat in their house, I didn't look at them as strangers, or question why they live like they

do. None of that matters to me. What does matter though is our friendship. We are family and I definetley feel that I am apart of their family. In Pierda Blanca when their is no electricity or anything to do, they spend time with each other. People are constantly socializing, drinking coffee, laughing, and enjoying each others company. Whenever I go over to Joci's house, I'm not just at her home, we go and visit to at least five different houses, meeting, talking, and spending time together. The word that I feel fits perefectly with this community, culture, and country, is family. Everyone is apart of your family whether by blood or not. This is why so many people fall in love the people here. And I, am one of them.

Week 2

"Time flies when you're having fun". This saying truely reflects this past week. I can't believe I've been here two weeks arleady. But that's a good thing becuase it means I've been having a great time.

Last Saturday, Nancy, Anna, Philipe (Nancy's son), and I took a trip to Santiago. Santiago is about a 45 min drive from Jarabacoa....and it was raining. Not only was it raining, but the windshield wipers didn't quite work well. Once we got to Santiago, it was bright and sunny, and hot. Me and Anna spent some time at the mall; window shopping. Then we went to the big supermercado to do some grocery shopping. Nancy also took me to the Monument. It was built for when the Dominican Republic got their independence from Haiti. At the top of the monument you could look over the city. It was so pretty. It was also a tad bit windy outside. On our way back from Santiago we got some fresh coconut juice and HUGE grapes off the side of the street. I don't think I have ever seen grapes that big before in my life. Best treat ever :) That night
I went to one of my classmates house for a party. We did kareoke, dancing, and of course some food. Me and Melissa (one of my classmates) started off the kareoke with some good ol' Justin Beiber, that made people laugh. The music was so loud that the next day I could barley hear and my voice was almost gone from singing too much. And of course what's a party without some dancing. I didn't want to dance but my friends insisted. I kept on telling them I didn't know how (which is a lie). So they taught me how to merengue. I'm a shy person, but at this party I didn't feel the need to be shy. Never would I have thought of singing kareoke in front of people I barley even know. But I'm only here for a short while so I better make the best of it :) And I'm glad I reached out of my comfort zone, or else I would have never had such a great time.

Sunday I went up to Pierda Blanca where our good friends Joci and Miguel live with their three wonderful daughters. Joci picked me up on her motorcycle :) I spent practically the whole day with them visiting friends, walking around the community, playing monopoly, and being in their beautiful new home. Joci and Miguel recently have built a new house. In June, we took a missions trip down to the DR and helped build part of the house. It has defenitely improved since then. I was so happy to be sitting in their new home. I took lots of photos becuase I know people are going to want to see it. I love their family, and I'm so happy I have friends like them that are in my life. According to Joci, I am her "daughter". I am so glad that I can be apart of their family as well.

Tuesday was proabably one of the most fun and exciting days yet. I went to Young Life which is sort of like a youth group. I have never had so much fun before. It was an event night so we played the game clue. But it was life like. Adults had dressed up as celeberties and changed their names. Some of which included Brad Smitt, Rebecca White, Bustin Jeiber, and Beyonthay. They were placed all over Jarabacoa and we had to go and solve clues to find out who murdered Taylor Swift. So we ran all over the city. I guess this is what I get for not exercising in a while. We had to do silly tasks like sing "All The Single Ladies" for 30 seconds all together, flag down Justin Beiber on his moto and shout "I have Jeiber Fever!", and best of all, Lissette got to wear a diaper on head in the park. Don't worry it was bran new. We came in last but it was the best night yet. The teens are so energetic and lively. I have so much fun with them. I'm so ready for the next Young Life!

School is going great here. I feel really comfortable and my classmates are awesome. Surprisingly the class I find most difficult is English. Yes, I know English is my first language but it's still hard. For one question our answer had to be 300 words long. I about freaked out but I got it done. Another thing is my school day is 7am-3pm. Each class is an hour long. So I'm not quite use to sitting in each class for an hour, but alteast the students make it interesting. It's been a pretty good two weeks so far and can't wait for more weeks to come :)

- Katie

El Primero Dias de la Escuela

When you go on trips, you have to be open to new things right? So does that mean I have to be open to going to school at 7:00am? I guess so. Doulos (my school) starts their day from 7:00am and goes til 3:00pm. A whole hour longer than what I’m use to. But at least the classes are fun. There are only 10 students in my Junior class. Not just my math class, my GRADE. So going from 230 students at Western to only 10 is a bit of a difference. But I love the people in my class
and everyone is like family. I ‘m really excited to get to know everyonebetter. Since I can't speak Spanish fluently, I have a Spanish tutor. Nelly is from Colombia, and ONLY speaks Spanish. There are two other students in my class though, Kaden and Adam who are 10 and 11 years old. They know more spanish than me so they help translate a lot. They are two very hyper little boys. It can be frustrating at times when I don't understand what Nelly is saying or I can't find the words to speak. Sometimes I wish that the language could just roll off my tounge. But it's only my first week and I know it'll get easier with time.

Like I said, there are only about 10 students, including myself, in the entire 11th grade. We are basically a family. Everyone is comfortable with each other and no one is afraid to embarass themselves. I love it. I would describe the students in classroom as: loud, crazy, personal, funny, energetic, brotherly sisterly love, and passionate. The students have really made me feel welcomed and made it easy to be myself. I actually like participating in class discussions, asking questions, and being in school. Wow, you'll never here that from me again. It's a totally different environment, it's fresh and new. If I could, I would bring Doulos to the states. Either that or my parents and I can just move down here :) ehhem...mom? dad? Well, that might not be very possible but I plan on soaking up every moment I have here. I can't wait for me next eight weeks of school!

Week 1

I arrived here in the Dominican Republic at the Santiago airport last thursday night. I finally made it! From Miami to Santiago was my frist solo flight. The whole way there a verse kept on popping up in my head, "For I know the plans I have for you delcares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future."- Jeremiah 29:11. I wasn't nervous or worried. God had put a sense of peace in my heart telling me that everything was going to be just fine. And it was. The man next to me on the flight spoke only French and very, very little English. He was trying to tell me to have a good flight but said most of it in French so I didn't quite understand. But with lots of hand motions and guessing I figured it out. When I arrived at the airport I was expecting Christa, the director from Doulous, to pick me up. To my surprise all my classmates were there standing outside of the airport waiting for me. By far, the best welcome I have had. I was so excited to see my "sister" Lissette :) I couldn't believe that I was finally with her again after waiting for 2 1/2 months. I could tell from that point on this trip was going to be amazing.

The family I am staying with is wonderful. Nancy who is my host mother is so wonderful and generous. She doesn't speak any english but that has really challenged me in my spanish. Everyone morning I have Papaya milkshakes and eat platanos at least once a day. She is a pretty awesome cook. Anna is 16 years old and goes to Jarabacoa Christian. Anna is great and I love talking with her. She does speak English so thats helpful when I can't explain something to Nancy, and so I don't have to speak in spanish constantly. She has some really cute clothes and loves photography. Their house is beautiful and is right on the Avenida (the main street). Every night I get to listen to all the motorcylces passing by beeping their horns, and the dogs barking. But hey, it's all about the experience!

My house is located right, and I mean right, across the street from Doulos. So it takes me less than a minute to walk to school. My first day here last Friday I didn't have to go to school but I went to get a tour and to see my classmates. Lissette was so kind to have asked me to get up on stage with them to perform a drama. I thought it would be fun so I did. Now everyone knows who the new "gringa" in school is.

My first weekend here I attended a Womans Retreat in Jarabacoa with Lissette and our friend Mariana. A lot of the teachers from Doulos went so it was neat to get to know them before my first day. It's so different how the students and the teachers interact with each other here. They way I see it, the teachers treat the students and talk to the students like teenagers. It's hard to explain, but it like it. The weekend consisted of Individual time with God, getting to know people, Worshiping and Praising Jesus in both english and spanish, and just being girls. I enjoyed getting to know Mariana and my new friends, Zahra, Claudia, and Rosa. We were the youth of the camp. It was a good time to reflect and be at rest. On Sunday I attended church at 3:00 pm, which is different because in the States church is usually in the morning. Then Monday there was no school becuase it was a national holiday. So I had a 4 day weekend while all my Ameican amigos had to go to school :) On Monday I went horseback riding.....for people who know me, I don't really like horses. But it was a chance for me to get to know some of Anna's friends and to have a new experience. It started to rain, so I was wet, and on a horse...not very comfortable. Least to say I am very sore and won't be going again for a while.

So this is just a taste of my experience :) I'll be writing another post about my first day of school since this is pretty long. Sorry if anyone got bored while reading this, I didn't really realize how much I got into writing about my trip so far. But don't you worry, there's lots more to come!

- Katie