Una Noche Especial

Those of you who know me well know that I love a good party. Be it Birthday, Wedding, or "Just Because", I love getting together with friends and having a good time!!! I can't say that I necessarily have a favorite "party memory", but, if I did, last night would have made the top 5!

About once a year, the kids living at the orphanage have what they call Noche Especial (Special Night) where they get to have a "sleepover" with the same-gender volunteers currently serving here. They play games, eat junk food, watch movies, play tricks on early sleepers, etc. And, as I'm sure you've guessed, last night was our Noche Especial with the girls! It was everything I could've hoped for in a sleepover....

We frosted cupcakes on the roof, took pictures with the cupcakes, and ate the cupcakes (who knew cupcakes were so fun!)! We played games, watched movies (both Aladdin AND The Wizard of OZ), listened to music, had a pillow fight, jumped on the beds (mattresses on the floor), did each other's hair, and...surprisingly, the most exciting part....we ate apples!

As part of the Noche Especial each girl (and volunteer) got an apple. Apples are a big deal for the kids here because the only other time they get one is at Christmas. As you can imagine, because apples aren't readily available in the Dominican they are rather expensive and, therefore, a special treat. The girls were amazed when I told them my family has apple trees in their yard and that the apples rot on the ground because we can't use them fast enough. Being from Michigan, it's hard to imagine apples as a "special treat", but I guess we don't have a plethora of mangos in the Mitten, either. :) Here, the mangos are the ones rotting on the ground...


It's all about perspective, I guess. The grass is always greener, right?

Well, apples or mangos, we had a GREAT night - so much so that it was hard to get the girls up for breakfast this morning!! I'm so thankful that God knows me well enough to provide fun opportunities like this...even all the way down here. These girls are so precious and it was a blessing to make memories with them. I can't wait to go home and plan another sleepover!


Any takers?

Run freely with me for a while...

Wow. It's been a long time since my last post. Sorry about that.

I often reflect on situations after they happen and think to myself, "This would be something good to blog about." But, then, I never do. After a while I find myself so overwhelmed with all that I could write about, and I don't know where to start, so I don't write anything. It's a vicious cycle. Today, I'm breaking the cycle!

And you know what? As my summer has progressed, I've found myself learning more and more about freedom. In countless ways, God has touched my heart and whispered to me about the idea of being free. Even now, as I write, I realize just how much this has been a reoccurring theme throughout the summer. I've begun to learn what it means to live freely, and have been seeking this in many areas of my life; freedom from the past, freedom from "the future", freedom from those things I thought I could "escape" while in another country, freedom from disappointment, freedom from the expectations of others, freedom from the expectations of myself.


I'm not there yet. Thankfully, God gives grace daily. And I'm learning how to accept it. But, to answer the questions of many of you, "Yes. I'm still alive down here."

Maybe even more alive than I was a few months ago...

And while I've had great experiences this summer, I won't lie and tell you it's been easy. It has not. I've been very challenged - beyond anything I've experienced while being in another country. I've wanted to quit. I've wanted to come home. I've wanted to cross this experience off as a silly whim I had in May, and forget it happened. I have found myself tired of being here. I've been tired of eating rice, tired of mosquitoes, tired of dirty feet, tired of being in charge, tired of whiny volunteers, tired of VBS, tired of speaking Spanish, tired of being tired.

I thought seriously of coming home early - of calling it quits. I've wanted to leave.

But our God is a wise God. He knows how to speak to my heart in a way that no one else does (as I'm learning). He reminded me of lessons I've learned in the past about pushing through - about persevering, and He began to apply those to this situation. He encouraged me to "continue running"; to set my eyes on the path in front of me, and around me; to finish the race. And He's opened my eyes to the numerous people surrounding me, both down here and back home, who are running this race with me. It's a great feeling, to finish a race. And I'm committed to finishing this one.

But not because I "have" to. Not because I don't have a way to come home before then. Not simply because I've committed to be here until August 23rd, but because God will supply what I need to finish this task. He has what I need. He is what I need. That's freedom. Right there. The ability to choose to persevere when everything inside of you wants to quit. It only comes from God. What a JOY it is to know that God has our BEST in mind, and that He wants to free us from the things we "think" we need!

It doesn't make it easier. But it makes it sweeter. Freedom is a sweet, sweet thing.

Thanks for sticking with me this far into the summer. Thanks for running with me and encouraging me. Thanks for allowing me to share my heart with you - even if it is over a computer and not over a cold glass of lemonade.

In the meantime, take a few minutes to listen to this song by Bethany Dillon. I've recently discovered her this summer and have been blessed by her music. The words are below if you want to sing along... :)

"Hallelujah" by Bethany Dillon : http://free.napster.com/player/tracks/15443945

Who can hold the stars?/And my weary heart?/Who can see everything?

I've fallen so hard /Sometimes I feel so far /But not beyond your reach

I could climb a mountain / Swim the ocean / Or do anything

But it's when you hold me / That I start unfolding / And all I can say is

Hallelujah, hallelujah / Whatever's in front of me / Help me to sing hallelujah

Hallelujah, hallelujah / Whatever's in front of me / I'll choose to sing hallelujah

The same sun that / Rises over castles / And welcomes the day

Spills over buildings / Into the streets / Where orphans play

And only you / Can see the good / In broken things

You took my heart of stone / And you made it home / And set this prisoner free

Hallelujah, hallelujah / Whatever's in front of me / Help me to sing hallelujah

Hallelujah, hallelujah / Whatever's in front of me / I'll choose to sing hallelujah

A trip, a loss, and a game of kickball.

Well, it's official. Kind of sad, but official.

As of Saturday, I've been to the capitol city of 6 countries in the world...but never the capitol of my own country!! But - shhhh. Don't tell anyone. I mean, I'm a teacher for crying out loud!

On our "day off" we (the interns, the Woods' family, and myself) took a day trip to Santo Domingo. Having only been in Monte Cristi while being here, it was a fun change of pace. The first thing we did - oh, how exciting it was - was eat lunch at a Pizza Hut!! Who knew that it just takes a little cheesy goodness and a few bread sticks to make a girl happy? I might go as far as saying that it was the best pizza I've ever had. But that's probably just my growing weariness for rice talking...



I wasn't the only one who was excited, though. I think it might have been the highlight for everyone - besides the McDonald's we ate on the way home. I don't even like McDonald's and I still enjoyed my double cheese burger!!


Of course, I want to be very careful to not misguide you. I eat very well at the orphanage. The women that cook for us do a great job! I have not gone hungry, by any means. But, it was fun to have a little taste of home, if just for a day!


Besides eating, we also had a chance to walk around town. I bought a few small things, took a lot of fun pictures, got caught in the rain, ate REALLY GOOD ice cream (I guess that counts as eating...), and overall had a good day.



Then, yesterday, I did something really dumb. I left my purse in the park on the way home from VBS. I didn't have anything of much worth in there - except the cell phone I was given to use while I'm down here! Yikes! They actually gave me something to be responsible for, and I totally left it in a park. As a general cultural "rule", Domincans tend to see unattended things as fair game. I mean, if you're dumb enough set something down, it must not be very important, right? They're not crooks, they just take care of their stuff - and expect others to do the same. Needless to say, when we returned to the park an hour later, my purse was gone. :(

But then....we got a phone call! Someone found the purse, recognized the name of our country director in my phone, and decided to return it - purse and all!! As another general cultural "rule", it pays to know people. Dominicans are very social and rely heavily on personal connections. Good thing I know the right people! :) So, all is well. Purse is back. I'm all the wiser, and all the more thankful for it.


And finally, today, I played a game of kickball. Yep. Kickball. During the recreation block of VBS, I decided to join a game that some of our interns had coordinated. And, you know what? I had a lot of fun. Seems simple enough, right? It was just kickball. Some people might not have even called it that. We didn't have any bases, so we used pieces of cardboard we found in a trash pile. We didn't have a "kick ball" so we used an old, foam soccer ball. Most of the kids weren't wearing shoes. Most of the interns don't speak Spanish. It was quite a sight, I'm sure. But we had fun. I haven't laughed like that in a long time.

It occurred to me, as I was waving Maria to home base for our game-winning run, that this is what life is suppose to be. Impromptu kickball games with neighborhood kids in the middle of the summer. Boys versus girls. Makeshift equipment. No words, no worries.

This is it. Nothing more, nothing less.

Even Pizza Hut can't trump this experience. I'm so thankful. For life. For this experience. For God's goodness. For simplicity. And although I don't know what tomorrow brings, I'm here. Today. And if that's all I know, I know enough.