Josiah's house has been full of blessings and I have learned that I love teaching ESL. Thinking outside the box to get someone to spell the word suppose. It's been a blessing and I can't wait to see what God does there.
God has been so awesome the past month. Today is my official 2 month mark and I swear I have been here for like 6 months. I have responsibilities at church every sunday morning and so it's like being back at First Baptist Atlanta doing camera work on sunday mornings.
Man God has stretched me to the fullest this past month. I've been going through Philippians this past week and it has stretched me. Philippians 4:11-12 says,"Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and ever circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need."
I'll tell you what that has what I have been learning for the last week. There are times where the wifi goes out or is super spotty, our power goes out and then our water goes out... several times it's been for days. Sometimes I wonder why I don't just jump on a plane to go back home. However, I have had people believe in me, cover me in prayers and financially help me towards this goal of being here. I am learning SO much. It's crazy. When I literally don't have the strength to get up sometimes, the Lord is there and helps me up and helps me to find joy. These verses in Phil have been my motivation for the past week or so. If Paul could be in jail and still be full of joy... why can't I go without power, water (in the gap house) or electricity for a few days. It puts things into perspective. Sometimes things get hard and so I just remember that joy in the Lord is not always a happy face. However, it's faith put to action of being happy that I am still alive in Him today. I am being challenge like no other time in my life
Anyways, things here have been going alright. We all have our bad days and having 11 girls in close proximity all the time has been a challenge, but it has been so worth it. I've learned what are hair wraps, Vera Bradley and some girl secrets i've never learned before. haha Down here people are crafty and me mixing music just adds to the originality. Oreo milkshakes, late night talks, pitch perfect jokes and inside jokes have filled our house instead of like in the states TV and radio always being in the background. It's been a good thing not really having wifi, but we all gobble it up when we do have it.
If I were to challenge you who are reading this...Unplug yourself from the world. Take advantage of opportunities presented and live your life. Get off the couch, get out of bed and rejoice that you are still alive. I know that you may be still in the daily grind of life, but appreciate that you have things like hot water, a car and a restaurant around every corner. Appreciate the car you have and appreciate the gift of freedom you have. If I have learned anything down here, it's that no matter what happens... the Lord will always bless those who believe. Wherever they are, who ever they are, He is always there. All you have to do is ask.
My sermon is over. :)
I will say that beach trips have become the norm here. I look how white I was and hope that I keep it up while I'm away. haha. yeah, I was ghost white and now I'm just pale with a pink :) smoothies and then beach are a must. Ordering pizza can sometimes be pricey, but it's worth it to have dinner cooked and not to have rice and beans. It's a good occasional thing to do sometime.
Well, after two months I am finally... settled. Yes, I have a routine, a shower schedule, and an idea of what each week is going to look like. We know what meals to cook for and what meals we love. :) It's been a blessing being here and learning new ways to do things and for my control issues...they get tested daily. haha Dominican time is kind of a relative thing. it's been very interesting eating out because meals take hours here. Very different than in the states where everything is on such a timeline.
Classes are going well. Bible classes are going well. Some classes aren't as interesting but it's all been good information. I will say that I do like Anthropology a lot more than I thought I would. It's crazy how much my brain gets it and thinks that deep.
Spanish is coming along... I may not be fluent over Christmas, but I will say that I am getting it. It's taking time, but I haven't been in school in forever. It has really taken me some time to get use to class and tests. Woah. I remember why I stopped going to school. lol
I have been super busy and this past week I have been sick. So, I've had this crazy week. I even went to bed wed night at 8:15pm. Yes... I went to bed and slept for about 12 hours. It was awesome. :)
Last weekend we went to the Capital and we got to go to the First Catholic Church here in the Dominican. It's amazing. We spent the day going to the Chocolate and Coffee Museum, The Church, and a few other places. It's been an awesome experience being in a place with SO much History. I could have stayed in the capital for hours. We even went to this delicious restaurant where I got a ton of meat. yummy.
Well, Just letting everyone know, I will be flying in on Dec. 16th and flying back on the 6th of january. Not too long of a stay but just enough to work a little bit and visit people for the Holidays. :)
I hope you have enjoyed reading this here a few pictures from the past month or so. :)
First Catholic Church... From the back of the sanctuary
The front of the church zoomed in. SO Gorgeous
A view of the river from the columbus house in the Capital.
This beautiful girl has the most beautiful soul. I am so glad to call her my sister in Christ. She's such a gem. This is on Sara and Robersy's rooftop while we had a GAP night over there.
Here's our taxi driver Pequeno. Yes, he's a small old man, but do you see what he's filling up his car with? Propane! Here most taxi's and motorcycles run off propane because it's cheaper. Only costs 1,000 american dollars to change from gas to propane. Crazy!
Well I hope you enjoyed seeing everything that's going on. Keep checking back for more updates. :)
Till next time,
