Change is good

The great thing about life is the constant change, the continual motion, the refusal to stay the same. I used to get really frustrated with changes and had a hard time with it. My mom has sent me a lot of (amazing) Fall pictures lately (a few of my favorites on the left) which made me think more about changes. How each season, just like in our lives, brings about great things and fun stuff to look forward to.

I feel like my life is finishing a season now and getting ready for a new one. I'm not sure why, we aren't solid on any plans, but I just feel that stirring, that something is on the horizon. I have been feeling strong and healthy now and pain-free for 4.5 weeks now. That is a very, very good change. I almost forgot what healthy felt like! The school is changing so much, as I've been blogging about, and it's exciting to see and be a part of that. I've been reading some great books that help me grow in who I am too, more changes.

So I've committed to embracing whatever is ahead, whatever change is next. I'm going to stop resisiting them, because, well it doesn't matter anyhow...change still happens. But I feel excited and ready and am looking forward to all the ups and downs that changes will bring!

Baby bunnies

I've never seen a baby bunny before but they are pretty much one of the ugliest things I've seen! Mama bunny gave birth last night to 4 little blobs. I'm hopeful they'll be cute and fluffy someday, but it's hard at the moment.

Burn, baby, burn

We have been surrounded by burning sugar cane for a few days now, but thankfully it has seemed to stop, mostly because it's all been destroyed. I've heard various rumors as to why they're burning it, but the most common rumor is that it is a sort of strike because the bank doesn't want to sell the land to interested people who would then provide jobs for numerous people. Who knows? All I know is that we are now being rained on with black ash and it is endless.

The air now smells sweet, a very distinct burnt sugar cane smell. Kinda like when you burn sugar in a pot. As the cafeteria doesn't have windows that close, the ash is flowing in to no end. Today it got swept out a few times, but even still, as the kids were eating breakfast ash was falling into their food...not good.

On the flip side, I do kind of like it after the cane has been burned because it makes everything "clean" and the once sky high leaves and stalks are knocked down for greater vision. But don't worry, it'll be growing again soon, nothing seems to stop the sugar cane.

Fall

In honor of Fall, I've changed my blog background. It's about the only glimpse of Autumn that we're gonna' have on this island! It's still hitting the 90's in the daytime...hard to believe some of you have already seen snow!

Yubi's baby belly

Many of you know Yubi and Ruben. They have struggled with a lot of things...one of them being getting pregnant. Yubi had multiple miscarriages and thought the dream to have a baby was lost. But after lots of doctor visits and treatments, she is certainly pregnant and due in December. This is a little update that all is going well with the pregnancy, these are photos from 6 months and 7 months.

At last!!

We are actually, really, truly doing dental care at the Park Care Center, folks! It's so exciting and a much waited and hugely needed blessing. We saw about 6 kids yesterday afternoon and did just basic care...we're waiting for the dental materials to arrive. The dentist will continue coming once a week and I'm going to do cleanings during the week to check mouths and have the worst ones ready for the dentist. The idea is to get to a point of prevention...which seems like a far dream at the moment. To start by going through each student, give them a cleaning every 6 months and fill cavities and pull rotten teeth. Then we'll be at a point of maintenence where we only have to hopefully do the occasional filling. It's so great to take big steps forward sometimes!

New office things

My office space continues to change and grow with such exciting things. I am now the proud new owner of a sink...my very own sink! I wash my hands all the live-long day now which is so great! The water tank is held on the roof, and it's black, so the water actually comes out hot! Who could really ask for more?

We're installing a dentist chair that was donated and will be doing dental work every Friday with the kids. I'm apparently going to be trained to do cleanings so I can check the kids during the week, then the dentist will come on Fridays to do any work that's needed. It is such a blessing, these kids have such horrible teeth. Everyday I treat sick, black, rotten out teeth and so, as much as I hate to touch teeth and the whole mouth thing, I'm going to do it! I love the steps forward we're taking. It seems like real, physical things that we're moving towards and it will definitely make a difference in their lives.

New Space

We have a new classroom and storage open and running as of yesterday! One of the new classrooms was turned into a storage for classroom materials and sports equipment (very, very needed!) and then a space for two different classes.

We now have all kids present and accounted for after the public school made some difficult adjustments to their schedule. But opening this extra space has now made for a full school...just the way I like it. The cafeteria is bulging at the seams, which is great because in a few weeks we begin to tear down the walls for an expansion! The changes happen so fast it's nice to step back and remember when we were just a 4-classroom building!

Some measles, why not.

So the next sickness on my list: measles. Good grief! I has fever on Thursday and Friday and then Saturday woke up with rash all over my body. Fever continued and nothing I did could break it. This morning I woke up with the rash connecting itself and from my head to my toes...not good. Ariel called the hospital to see if this was a virus going around because some friends had something similar, but they said no and I should come in because it sounded like possibly dengue. So off we went. Diagnosis after all: measles. Glad it's not dengue, that's much worse! So now we just wait out, drink a lot, stay away from the heat (yah, right!) and pray for no more illnesses. On a side note, my stomach is doing well...over a week now with no pain or problems!!

Cafe

Last Thursday was a DR holiday, so we went on a little road trip. We decided to go with our friends Francis and Milka to a restaurant with an amazing view. It takes about an hour to get there, driving through amazing countryside. As I am a very seasoned road-tripper, everyone learned new roadtrip games!! It was well worth the trip once we got there, we had great coffee and go to just sit and talk and watch the view!

Cell phones

Got a used cell phone just sitting around? We want it! We can use them for staff at school, new missionaries, and of course, ourselves! If you can send it with all it's goodies (especially a charger) to our address listed on the right...we'd love it!! Thanks so much!! Can you drop me an email or note if you're sending one so we can watch out for it.

Baby steps!

Just wanted to add that as of today, we've got 200 kids who are de-wormed, weighed and measured, brushing their teeth daily, hand sanitizing before all their meals, and taking vitamins everyday. I think that's pretty cool.

Happy 1st Birthday

On Saturday we celebrated our neice's first birthday...the daughter of Alex and Marianne (Ariel's brother). We ate lots of pizza and watched the kids play in the sand. There was a pinata, also on the beach, and when it was opened lots of the candy got buried in sand! I can't believe she's already a year old...how fast time has gone!! Happy Birthday!

Pure love

Something special about kids is their ability to love from the first moment. I've known most of the new little guys for about 72 minutes but already they bombard me with hugs (mostly a massive group hug) and chanting "Jessi" together. I kind of like it.

As I watch these new faces, I understand more why Jesus taught us to be like the children, and see that more each day as I watch the kids interacting. They don't care about the fact that they're wearing pajamas as clothes, that the lunch they're eating is probably all they'll have all day, or that they're all sharing one cup to drink out of. I want to be like them. When the biggest worry of the day is if you're going to get to play soccer or what kind of hair baubles to put in. And these kids could worry...they've been dealt a hard hand of life. They often have 5 people sleeping in the same bed with no fan or mosquito net, no father figure, mom can't make enough to support the family of 9 so food is short if it exists at all.

It kind of puts things into perspectvie-again and again. So I'm not going to complain today. I won't talk about how hot it is, cause I get to sleep with a fan. I won't complain about my limited sick person diet, because my fridge is full of lots of things to keep me full. I'm going to worry less; think more about hair baubles and singing. I'm going to hug a lot and chant peoples names when I see them. At least I'm going to work on that.

Back to school

We started back to school last week and I spent the whole day smiling. The kids are amazing to put it simply. I wish I could do justice to what it means to have constant hugs from sweaty little faces, to meet 30 new preschoolers, to see each little face so happy to be back at school.

As I said, we welcomed in a new class of preschoolers and they are...precious. They're so tiny compared to the "big kids" who just yesterday were these little guys. It's fun seeing the older kids show the new ones the ropes. Sometimes it's easy to feel like we haven't really changed much in their lives, but when we bring in new kids, it's clear to see the huge differences. The "old" kids come in so orderly and wait to eat until we have prayed. The new kids come in and talk and start eating immediately. I love to see the faces and reactions of the older kids when they see the new ones do these things. It makes me proud like a mother to watch these guys.

On my end of things, I've been back for 2.5 weeks and seem to be doing mostly well. There are a lot of adjustments with food and temperature (it is HOT!), but so far it's going smoothly. I've had a few bouts of hurty stuff, but at least now I know better how to manage it and can usually pinpoint what it was that caused it. I'm trying to stick to foods I've already tried and tested and that seems to work well. I'm easing slowly back into work and will be going on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday as to make sure I can smoothly handle this transition.

Adjustments

I woke up to the sounds of motorcycles going by. The lady outside is selling avocado and bananas. I sweat while sitting still. The electricity is out. There isn't water in the kitchen tap. The tile floor seems to be the only respite from the heat. A truck just drove by wanting to buy scrap metal. The horns honking on the road in front of our apt. are endless.

I am back.

Once again, in a matter of hours, I feel like I was beamed from one world to the next! It is still a strange thing travelling between the States and the DR. I get so used to life in each country that being in the other one still comes as a shock at first. Despite all the "quirks" of this country, it is nice to be here again. Nice for everyone to see that I am truly alive, that Ariel does indeed have a wife, and so nice to be back to whatever the "normal" of my life is!

School is set to start on Monday (I think) and I still am trying to figure out what that means for me. I want to be careful in how I adjust back to work and daily routines. I want to go slowly after 3 months of illness and make sure that I take care of myself...after all, I want to be able to take care of others and can't do that well if this happens again! I am looking forward to seeing all the kids bright, shiny eyes and new hair braids and catching up with the staff again.

I ask for your continued prayers in the transitions that I'm going through , in the adjustments and plans that are taking place, in the homesickness that will surely hit soon! I want to live in this time and place for now and not look too far ahead, for this is where I am today...and it is good. Thanks!

At last

I'm back!!! I made it into the DR yesterday to a very excited Ariel. It is so nice to be together again, 2 months is a long, long time to be apart. We are spending every second together now and got to play in the pool this afternoon which was great. So far, so good with my stomach. I'm going to go slowly with everything and not be so adventerous with my food. It is hot and humid like crazy...a bit of a change from Oregon, that's for sure!

From one home to another

So the long-awaited day finally will be here tomorrow...I'm heading back to the Dominican Republic! I have such crazy, mixed emotions as I leave one home to be back in my other home. I am excited like crazy and a little nervous all at the same time to see Ariel (it's been two months!). I've been feeling mostly good with my stomach stuff. I think the preparations and anticipation of it all has made it a little hard to sleep, but hopefully that will pass as I get back! Please keep this next transition in your prayers as I want to be as careful as possible with my stomach and body and adjusting to all the new changes. Thank you again for being so supportive during all these ups and downs.

A quick trip to Phoenix

I got to go to Phoenix this weekend to spend time with my college roommate and best friend Julie! She was trying to make it to Oregon before I left, but couldn't make it work with her schedule, so her mom Eileen offered my her free ticket with Southwest!! It was so amazing to spend time with Julie again...she is so special. We did a lot of talking, visited Grand Canyon University again (which has changed a lot!), saw some movies, played with Lucas, visited her parents, and ate at Ajo Al's twice!! Even if it was a fast trip, I am so thankful to have gone!

Happy Birthday

We celebrated my Grandpa Dixon's 83rd birthday the other night. We went to Mexican food and then back to their place for a bit to continue the party!