It's been too long...

... since I last gave some sort of blog update. Life here in the D.R. has been great over the last few weeks. I went through a couple of really rough weeks where culture shock set in, largely due to the accident that I saw with the motorcycle and the dog, as wierd as that may sound (see past post if you don't know about "the accident..."). I didn't want to leave our house at night after school and I would literally run if we were going into town and I saw a street dog anywhere near the road. It was bad for a few weeks... Over the last few weeks I have truly felt at peace about being here, which I think Laura has been incredibly thankful for. She was a bit concerned with my lack of drive during the culture shock period. We continue to settle into our life here by decorating around our house and actually making it feel like a house instead of a temporary shelter. We have also been able to cultivate a number of new friendships over the past few months, which has made life adjustments far easier. Studying Spanish has also become a priority once again, since we have finally been able to find a replacement teacher, and we have had a greater drive to communicate with those around us who solely speak Spanish. Laura continues to be far better at Spanish than I do, but I consider myself having come far since we got here. It still feels like we have a long way to go (which we do!), but we have made amazing progress over the past few months.

We have also added another member to our family with the recent addition of a puppy. Laura found her at the school and within an hour she was in our home and adjusting to life in our house instead of the streets. Her name is Holly and she has been a joy to have around. She is quite the cuddler and loves to sit on our laps as we do school work or other things at the computer. It is amazing how much joy an animal can bring into your life. Her name is Holly because she came to us during the holiday season, so we figured it was a fitting name.

Work has been far more enjoyable lately. The constant frustrations with not having a printer, copier, or paper at times, is something that I have gotten use to. I have come to realize the limitations that the school has and I feel more comfortable with not having everything I "need" all the time. I have appreciated the relationships that I have developed with the kids over the last few months. I feel as though the kids see me as a person that they should respect as a teacher and person, but also as someone who they can talk to outside of class. I still do wish that I had more time to spend with students outside of a classroom setting, but I am content with what I am able to do at this point in the school year.

We have been blessed recently by the generosity of a few individuals and groups. Toth Sports, and specifically Rusty Knight (a friend from college), donated a dozen new soccer balls, coaching supplies, and two children's soccer goals. The teams that Laura and I coach have loved the new supplies, as we were done to only two soccer balls for as many as 20 kids. Our home church, Waite Park Wesleyan, has also shown great generosity in including us JCS in their annual Christmas offering. They will be donating money to several projects at the school, including replacing light fixtures and buying a new printer for the usage of the staff at the school. Thank you to all who have given to us financially and who continue to support us through your prayers...

We have a shortened school week this upcoming week, with two half days, and then we officially begin our Christmas break. Laura's family will be arriving on December 21st and we are excited to see people from home once again. We miss many of you and look forward to seeing you again. My dad will also be visiting next month for over a week, which we are really looking forward to.

Drop us a note or feel free to call...