Un Chin of Our Life in the DR

posin' bros

2010-07-17T15:11:00.000-07:00

check out this calvin klein model i found laying in the grass in chichigua. it's MEMSKIES (obviously said with Ambiorix's slurrish accent). who knew he was mag ad ready? may have to squeeze in a few runway lessons in the next few days...

not to mention his brother, sergio, who I found soaking up a little R&R in his bath tub. i swear i heard him say, "ain't no thang..." or "it's all good" or something to that effect. or maybe that's just what i'm reading in his face...

i do believe these brothers are ready for some lights, camera, action.

chichigua

2010-07-08T06:16:00.001-07:00

love me a good day in the chigs, or chichigua (for first timers, one of the villages where Makarios students come from)...

whether loving on memo (we never shower him with affection - can you tell?)...

or making ambiorix be tranquilo with me...

or laughing with sweet yaina...

or throwing wilne and manuel up in the air...

...it makes my heart happy.

we also paint church benches with groups, eat sugar cane, and simply harass the children. we take a few photos sometimes too...have a look see. you'll love it too.

bringing sassy back

2010-07-06T12:00:00.000-07:00

we're bringing sassy back. revised justin timberlake lyrics roll through my head (and sometimes out of my mouth) when these ladies are around.

the bikinis on nicol and nayelis - seriously? they are 3 years of age. sass-a-frass.

nelisa is playing all serious in my shades. in reality, she is a gigglin', playful munchkin and has been rumored to look like shrek when she dons a big smile. love her, love her, love her.

nicol and yunairi, my miniature divas. hands on their hips and their lips puckered up.

but en la realidad, nicol and yunairi are still a couple of miniature babes, strolling along the calle...with pacifiers in their mouths and cornrows atop their heads.

los interns

2010-07-05T14:24:00.000-07:00

So, we are already halfway into the summer and I haven't introduced the interns. Pardon me for my tardiness. Expected though, right?

Charlie and I have been living it up in the Mak house this summer with these folks, and they're okay. Oh wait, they're awesome. They are teaching ESL and coaching soccer teams in the villages and working at the summer camp at the school. Meet Lily, Annie, Angela and Daniel from Master's College. And Margaret, from our own alma mater, UT. Whether Lily's learning a new meaning to an English word or Margaret's performing an SNL skit or Daniel thinks we really did create a profile for him on E-Harmony, we all laugh a lot together, and that is good.

los interns with their fearless leader, Lauren

los interns beaching it with some of the Makarios estaff in Cabarete

el verano

2010-06-20T11:39:00.001-07:00

a mi me gusta el verano. we all do. check out these chilluns, relaxin' all cool.

it's not exactly COOL per se...it's actually HOT as blazes. and for this reason, we have hit the beach in the morning with the estudiantes...

and gone cliff jumpin' at the river in the afternoon...

in reality, we actually have to trabajar (or work). groups or teams from los Estados Unidos come every other week to work/serve/play in the villages and community. here's a little puppet show action (yunairi came to the show at the school to have a look see), some craft fun in chichigua, and standard grass cutting with machetes.

on "non-group" weeks, we hold a summer camp in the school. i am teaching science, and the theme of our first week was animals. thus, we discussed animal life cycles. lisela and miguel angel are learning how to make bird nests.

to add to our summer fun, we rented a car for our last semanas in country, and we have thoroughly enjoyed it. even when we encounter flat tires after our weekend getaway to santiago...

until next time...besos y abrazos.

1 Year

2010-05-31T04:34:00.000-07:00

1 year ago (May 30, 2009) we got married. WHAT? Time FLIES. But, at the same time, so much has happened between then and now. We have been celebrating our week off and anniversary at the beach this week. Since we are currently camera-less, I made Charlie take our computer outside next to the ocean to take a picture. He actually wasn't completely mortified at the idea and suprisingly acquiesced (I know that he, too, secretly wanted to capture the memory...). He EVEN allowed multiple takes because, of course, the first 5 we took didn't suffice.

The Nettles, The Graduates y más

2010-05-27T15:20:00.000-07:00

My initial plan was to tell the story of the Nettles padres' visit and the last day of school/graduation in pictures. But, we had a bit of a hiccup on this island last Sunday night. Our apartment was robbed in the middle of the night while we were sleeping. The thief entered through our living room window on the 2nd floor (note: most ALL windows in the DR have bars - not ours) and took almost everything of value in our living room and our bedroom. We are thanking God that we did not wake up and are so blessed by the protection and provision we have been covered in. With that said, Charlie's computer is no more - and his computer carried ALL of our pictures from this past year. Needless to say, we are mourning the loss of these memories, but we are also thankful for the small amount of photos we had saved elsewhere (specifically photogs with each individual student and an end of year class picture that each student received at graduation - see below).

Charlie and Betsy's visit was REFRESHING. We made all the stops - Chichigua, Sosua, school, Cabarete, La Tienda - and laughed, ate good food, and relaxed at the hotel along the way. Makarios was especially thankful for the numerous clothes, toys, shoes, underwear, etc. that they brought down for the school! One of my students, Raidi, came to school without shoes the day the Nettles were at school, and we were able to properly and speedily provide him with a new pair of tennies. Here is where I would insert precious photos...

The last day of school/graduation was beautiful. I cried. Obviously. I mean, to think of HOW FAR they have come since the first day. To watch them sitting in their seats, facing their parents and siblings (every child had a family member present - AMAZING), reciting Bible verses, singing songs we learned in class...and then these MINIATURE people receiving MINIATURE diplomas. If you all remember correctly, the first day of school was filled with vomiting, biting, peeing, and running away. Sitting quietly in seats and sharing what they have learned with others peacefully? In light of day one of the 2009-2010 Makarios school year - REVOLUTIONARY.

Gracias a Chris and Erika Snapp, I have some photo memories to share from the last day of school/graduation!

Explaining the summer packet and work to students and parents

Andy and Elijio excitedly waiting to walk in for their diplomas!

Lisela, Ambiorix, Wili, Ana Wendy and Yunairi all dressed up for graduation. Lisela and Yunairi are in HEELS. Awesome.

School's OUT for summer!

What really got me on graduation day was the slideshow. Charlie and I made a slideshow for the students and families to watch, and I lost it. The kids were yelling out the names of every one they saw...including going nuts when they saw a picture of themselves with Paige. They really just LOVE her.

How do I say farewell to Profe Kim's class of 2010? With a slideshow of sorts, of course! How I will miss...

Ambiorix and the wide-eyed, shocked face he makes when I yell his name unexpectedly.

Wili and how he joyfully DELIGHTS in anything. And oh how MUCH he has learned this year!

Elijio and his sweet, pleading voice when he prays to God.

Yuneici and her moment by moment reports of what hurts - her tummy, her ear, her toe, her nose.

Wilsenci and his quiet yet strong demeanor that puts him years ahead of his classmates.

David and the smile he gets when he realizes he has answered a question or completed a puzzle or game successfully.

Lisela...where do I even begin? I will miss EVERYTHING about you - from the sly look on your face that tells me you're up to no good to our arguments about the fact that Shakira is from Colombia, not from the Dominican Republic. Like I told you, it says so in "Hips Don't Lie."

Memo and his laugh when I step on him or tickle him or simply just look in his direction. You are weird, and I love it.

Nicol and the sassy way in which she tells everyone how it is and how it's going to be.

Raidi and the way he curls up next to you or quickly wraps his arms around you when he needs some TLC (tender loving care).

Ana Wendy and her QUIET voice that KNOWS so much but speaks so softly.

Anidelis and the way she keeps tabs on what EVERYONE else in the class is doing and forgets about what she is supposed to be doing in the process.

Andy and how he manages to have conversations with anyone at any place in the classroom at any given time...at 10 times above a normal speaking volume.

Yunairi and her sweet smile, the way she calls out for "Papa Charlie", her knack for narrating what I am doing (however simple it is) at any given moment - "Mira a mi profe. Ella está caminando." There are no words. I just love you.

This crazy bunch has learned the alphabet, learned to count, can label body parts, can finish simple patterns, can recite Bible stories and Bible verses, and some can even read words! Thank you, God!

In true fashion, we sign off with this...some with our tongues hanging out, some with our hands in the air, and some not clueing into the fact that we are taking a photo. Congratulations Class of 2010! Te quiero siempre.

Visitors

2010-05-08T05:48:00.000-07:00

The last two months have been nothing short of busy and FUN! We have visited los estados unidos (twice) and been visited here in the DR.

Our visitors came one after the other in March and the itinerary was supposed to be as follows - Harris and Kristin, Paige, and the Heine padres. Well, as many of you know, coming to the Dominican Republic was not in God's cards for Kristin and Harris. After a two day battle to get on a plane in New York to fly to Puerto Plata that began with a passport mishap, Continental canceled their flight and were nothing short of NOT HELPFUL in putting them on another plane, extending their trip, etc. (enter my pledge to never travel on Continental ever again). Needless to say, we were more than bummed but are so thankful for their extensive efforts to come see us!

My class is STILL talking about Paige's visit and forever asks when she is coming back! So much that when we learned the letter P and I asked what words begin with P, they shouted, "Paige!!" Obviously, she was a hit. She spent two days in the classroom, and they fell in love with her within the first second. She was SUCH a help, and it was such a blessing to have her there amongst the chaos of Profe Kim's class.

We spent time in the villages where Paige first met the Makarios student she sponsors, Wilson, and his family.

By Friday, we were exhausted and ready to go to the beach...

We stayed in Cabarete, and on Saturday, picked up Yunairi (who lives next door to the Makarios school in Montellano) and took her for BBQ and beach time in Sosua. I have never seen her happier!

Of course, I am Profe, whether in the classroom or on the beach, so she naturally asked me to put Charlie in time out for throwing sand on her...

We ate lunch, did a little shopping with Yunairi, and Paige and I took public transportation back to our hotel in Cabarete while Charlie took Yunairi home...when she proceeded to pee all over the backseat of the rental car. My first question to Charlie: "Did she pee on the new dress?" No worries, she lifted it up before she did her business. That's my girl.

The rest of the weekend was spent relaxing and eating...which we do very well.

Next up, Juan y Suzy. I wish I had a recording of the way the kids say their names - it gets me every time...Suzy is more like Sooooozy.

Nicol found a friend in Dad (or Juan) and she got a tad jealous whenever he even spoke to another child...

Suz was quite popular with Lisela and Marileidi - especially when they circled up at the park and started dancing.

We visited Chichigua, played at school, hung out at our apartment, shopped at La Tienda and everything in between - Juan and Suzy got the full experience.

And on Friday, it was Semana Santa in the DR, so we headed to the other side of the island with the padres to enjoy some rest and relaxation at Casa de Campo. Ahhhh...

The boys played golf...

The girls shopped and layed by the pool...

All in all, we ate good food, vegged by the beach and found it hard to head back to reality...

Oh, the Places We've Been

2010-03-23T15:08:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. We have been terrible bloggers. But I am hoping this novel of a post will make up for it...

In an edited version of the words of Dr. Seuss, oh the places we've been.

We have played in Chichigua, given the hand there, and even hooked our horns.

We visited Sharla's twins and Holly in Santiago before Sharla finalized the adoption and was able to move them to the States - Gracias a Dios!

We have dined with friends in Cabarete...

...and been silly at the park with the kiddos.

The estudiantes have been all smiles, all serious and laughed everywhere in between.

We have celebrated all of the classroom goodies that Charlie's mom sent us...

...the Valentines' Day surprises from Katie and Suzy Mom...

...and the homework notebooks and crayons that Suz and her Bible Study sent for each individual student (gracias a todos)!

We have showered baby blessings on our friend, Milka!

And spent staff bonding day competing in the Makarios Winter Olympics.

We have welcomed the tremendous help of groups from the States...

...and finalmente moved into the new Makarios staff house!

This busy busy calls for a much needed Semana Santa this week...AMEN.

Adios, Cristina

2010-02-26T16:27:00.001-08:00

Words will not do her justice. Cristina, our fellow teacher and friend.

After much prayer and consideration, Cristina recently moved to the capital, Santo Domingo, with her husband and family. Gracias a Johan and Kendall who are co-teaching her class like rock stars. It was not easy for her to say goodbye to Makarios or her students or her life here in Puerto Plata, but she knew she was being called elsewhere.

If I was to describe her in three words...passionate, strong and beautiful. Her passion is undeniable in the way she prays, encourages and supports others with the word of God. Her strength is noted by all she has carried and continues to carry on her life's journey. Her beauty exudes inside and out as her kind, soft heart radiates through her smile.

We love you, Cristina. Vaya con Dios.

What Happens When Self-Haircuts and Guardless Razors Meet...

2010-02-15T16:15:00.000-08:00

Oops! I know many will be quick to think I am at fault for this one...which is kind of true. I wasn't actually holding the razor when it happened, but I naturally got distracted from my duty so Charlie attempted to finish on his own.

I was so close to convincing him to go bald...but he opted for the classy missing piece instead.

Lisela

2010-01-25T13:29:00.000-08:00

One word - firecracker. Two words - VERY smart. Three words - I love her.

Lisela and I have had quite the journey since the first day of school in September. Her many behavioral problems were disruptive and in all honesty drove me crazy. I found myself having to discipline her again and again - but much to my dismay, there was no change. One day, after witnessing the environment in which she lives, I realized the behavioral problems were occurring because I didn't truly KNOW where she came from. She acts out for attention but what she needs is love. Since that realization in October, I understand how important it is to hold her, to tell her how much I love her, how much God loves her and how beautiful she is. And because she is showered with positive attention, she doesn't need to act out negatively.

Needless to say, today she is an entirely different student in the classroom. Some would say we are BFFs. Now, I wouldn't say she is an angel...I mean, look at her face...

She is always up to something. But that's why I love her. She's mischievous, she never stops talking and that intelligent little brain of hers has picked up on my apparently over-used English phrase, "Oh my gosh"...and yes, she says it with a valley girl accent. Her impression was so hysterical that I taught her to say "Profe Kim is my homegirl" for my own amusement. But in reality, Lisela is my homegirl.

Mak in Jimani and Haiti

2010-01-25T13:14:00.000-08:00

We continue to send supplies into Jimani. Just this past week, a small medical group from the States traveled with Mak staff to Jimani to work in the hospitals there - click here (gracias a los Uptons for sharing!) for photos from this trip.

We sent a truck of supplies headed to Port au Prince this morning - the destinations are two Haitian-run orphanages that haven't received any help since the earthquake. Please pray for direction as the truck navigates the roads that lead to the orphanages!

We can't thank you all enough for your prayers and support!

Jimani, Dominican Republic

2010-01-16T05:21:00.000-08:00

A Makarios and friends team of five just left Santiago to drive to Jimani, Dominican Republic, a town on the Haitian border with a hospital receiving patients from the earthquake. Charlie and I are in Santiago for the weekend and helped load the two trucks headed to the border with medical supplies, water, granola bars, peanut butter, milk and other items that the hospital's director requested. Please pray for the hospital in Jimani as they receive more patients to treat; pray that the supplies would abundantly meet the hospital's needs; and for the safety and security of the two trucks as they travel to and from the border.

Thank you for all the donations and prayers that helped buy the supplies heading to Jimani! We are so encouraged by the support of our family and friends. Love to all!

Haiti Relief

2010-01-13T13:29:00.000-08:00

Makarios has been raising money today to send supplies to Haiti - thank you to everyone for your e-mails, prayers and donations! A small team will be traveling to Port au Prince tomorrow to deliver medical supplies, food, water, blankets and clothing. Please pray for safety and that the supplies would meet those in need.

For more information on giving to Haiti, see Makarios International.

A meeting of missionaries is taking place in Santiago this afternoon to discuss how we can most efficiently and effectively serve the needs of those in Haiti. Please pray for guidance as we determine how best to help!

Praying for Haiti

2010-01-12T16:40:00.000-08:00

I apologize that this is the first post of the new year but wanted to let everyone know that we are okay after the earthquake that hit Haiti today. We felt the aftershocks in our apartment here in the DR, but we are safe! We, of course, are praying for Haiti, specifically Port-au-Prince, and for all of the Haitian families that Makarios works with here in the Dominican Republic. And ask you all to join us in doing the same!

We will post updates on relief efforts and needs as we get more information.

"The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." - Psalm 34: 17-18

Meet La Clase de Profe Kim

2009-12-06T16:19:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I haven't posted a class picture sooner! Where do I even begin? Friends and family, meet craziness. Craziness, meet our friends and family. In all seriousness, these children are my loves. Every morning we are greeted with unconditional love when they jump into our arms to smother us with hugs and hellos. Who wouldn't want to start their day like that?

As Christmas break approaches and we return to the States, I am realizing just how much I am going to miss each little booger! Come January, I'll be dying for Anidelis screaming "Profe Kim!!" in what we call an "outside voice" and will feel like something is wrong with my day if I'm not changing Elijio's clothes because he couldn't wait for the bathroom break...Well, I'll almost miss that...

Settled and Celebrating

2009-12-05T07:09:00.000-08:00

As the weeks go by, we have been slowly acquiring furniture and knick knacks for our apartment. As you can see, we are still without a couch, but cushions on the ground have done the job just fine!

First stop for furniture - Dominican estate sale. I have never been to one in the States but obviously we randomly found one here in the Dominican classified ads. We were a tad nervous to start our journey into the mountains of Puerto Plata to retrieve our furniture – especially when the guy e-mailed us again to make sure we didn’t want to consider purchasing the pistol he had for sale. Ummm…but no worries, we made it up the mountain and back down again with a wooden breakfast table with four chairs as well as a bamboo coffee table and two matching side tables for what we Americans would call a DEAL.

Charlie has also become quite the craftsman here. He made us a wooden table to increase our kitchen space as well as two wooden side tables that we affectionately painted orange. The paint appeared to be light orange but settled into a burnt orange. That color follows us everywhere we go – but we’re not complaining.

In addition to celebrating our home, we celebrated Charlie’s birthday in the apartment…

And at our new favorite getaway spot a few weeks later…it’s the Velero Hotel in Cabarete (a beach town 45 minutes or so from where we live). We celebrated both of our birthdays there and basked in the air conditioning, television, pool and delicious food...ahhh.

Oh, Rats!

2009-11-21T16:15:00.000-08:00

It was a normal night. The girls had just returned from dinner, the boys were having Bible Study. Anne went home to her apartment to enjoy a book and an early bedtime; Erika and I were at the Mak Staff House, checking e-mail and chatting on the phone. Anne called – she had unexpected visitorS at home...the three of us soon found ourselves here.

Chasing rats. Anne found the first one in the bedroom when she got home and locked it in there. She then called us for reinforcements. We sadly don’t have this kill on video (the movie above documents our second friend), but it went a little something like this. Anne had 2 crutches to use as weapons – one for her and one for…Erika thankfully volunteered promptly. I was, can you guess, terrified. I couldn’t even go into the bedroom to watch them stomp it with the crutches. I instead opted to stay outside and scream in unison with them and hold a bottle of 409 (not joking) because for some reason, I thought it would be the appropriate weapon to use…when the rat opened the bedroom door itself to come into the kitchen/living room to attack me??? Still not sure…But in all honesty, it’s probably due to the fact that since coming to this country, I have used 409 to kill all ant trails I find in our apartment (which were many in the beginning but few to none now that we have set up trusty ant hotels from the States).

Erika stomped it with her crutch in the corner of the bedroom (sidenote: rat blood splatter was later found on Garrett and Anne’s mattress…sick).

Girls: 1

Rats: 0

Erika and I returned home to tell the medical group visiting for the week of our rat TAIL. Get it? Ha. Phone rings again. Anne on the line. “I found another one…in the oven.” Erika and I thought it was a joke. Erika actually thought Anne had baked us cookies for our help, and we would open the oven to find perfectly golden brown chocolate chip cookies. Again, ha. Just in case though, we brought a group member to witness and film.

As you know, and saw above in the film, ANOTHER fuzzy friend was living in Anne and Garrett’s OVEN. This one was FEISTY. It jumped, not even kidding, 2 feet in the air to escape the death trap of the crutch at every attempt. I had no choice but to be in the same room as the rat this time, so I chose to sit on a tiny ledge and film (thus, I am BEHIND the camera, filming poorly – many apologies – and commenting obnoxiously).

I was soon enlisted to share in taking the rat’s life. Assignment: throw a notebook at the corner of the water heater to scare the rat into harm’s way. My feet obviously needed sufficient protection for this hefty task (sarcasm), so I decided to put on Garrett’s size 12+ work boots. Outcome: failed miserably.

My throw was weak because I was too concerned in jumping up to the pull-up bar above me to keep my feet off the ground when the rat came pouncing out...

Long story short, our husbands came home and saved the day.

People: 2

Rats: 0

Codetel Blues

2009-11-13T03:12:00.000-08:00

Long time no talk. I blame it on this country. We have been in our apartment for over a month, had Internet installed soon after, but don’t be fooled, we don’t actually have a connection. Just an ugly modem and telephone sitting in our living room that daily reminds us that Codetel (the beloved Internet company) is sucking us dry financially and not providing any sort of service at the same time. Loveliness.

On a lighter note, I will catch you up! Time is literally flying by here. Halloween has passed, Thanksgiving is quickly approaching and Christmas is already all over this country. Dominicans love them some Christmas décor – starting in October. I was still recovering from last Christmas when I walked into the grocery store here and Christmas trees and garland had thrown up everywhere. Feliz Navidad!

Speaking of holidays, we did indeed celebrate Halloween here – a weekend early. We had a medical team in town for doctors’ visits for the students and their families over the real Halloween, so our team threw down a Murder Mystery Dinner the weekend before. It was hilarious. The theme was 80’s island, so obviously I was in heaven. Anne, Robin, Holly and I visited what is a REAL clothing store here to find our costumes. Our finds should give you a glimpse of Dominican attire.

The premise of the game – everyone is e-mailed a character and information about the storyline through the murder mystery dinner website. For example, Charlie was Jamie Buffett (our specific game was Margaritaville - clever). Notice his costume was manmade – clearly, he kept it for less than 12 hours. So, you enter into the game knowing little and you are handed cue cards and scripts to lead you in what to talk about with whom to hopefully discover who the murderer is. The whole night was right up my alley, and I secretly loved how everyone was forced to stay in character. Made for many a laughs. Which are good for my weary Codetel soul.

RIP Olympus Stylus 850 SW

2009-10-18T15:19:00.001-07:00

Last weekend, we took a team adventure to 27 Charcos (or 27 Waterfalls). Essentially, 27 waterfalls have naturally formed in the limestone foundation of these spring-fed pools. We paired with two guides and climbed and swam our way up the falls and then jumped and slid down to get back to the bottom. The water is the perfect temperature to cool off in (especially when you are sweating bullets 99% of the time here) - and it's just good ole fashioned FUN!

Gals

Guys

As you can see, we sported some rockin' gear - especially Garrett and Ashley. Their life vests were made for babes. We informed the outfitter that Garrett, at 6'5", was much too large for the wee jacket - he either disagreed with our assessment or we were experiencing yet another language barrier. Typical. We're not complaining though - it was entertaining - and provided for a singing round (or two or three) of "Fat guy in a little coat..."

Garrett and Ashley

We were posing for pre-waterfall pictures, but what we were really excited about was getting some shots out on the water. Jumping shots, sliding shots, "fat guy in a little coat" shots. Charlie brought the drop-proof, waterproof camera he bought me for graduation to do this very thing. Imagine the following scene:

Staff: "We are so excited to get some photos at the waterfalls."

Me: "I know, not only is this camera waterproof, it's drop-proof!"

Can you guess what happened next? I dropped it. Yes, on purpose. For dramatic demonstration purposes. (I know there are many out there who have witnessed this demonstration of mine before...) Typical.

But it's drop-proof, so it shouldn't matter. FALSE.

You will notice that we have no pictures of the 27 waterfalls we actually climbed and jumped off of. Upon submersion into the water, the camera took ON water...at a rapid rate. How you ask? Faulty advertising by Olympus...and perhaps my slight mistreatment of the camera over the last year and a half. Although in true Charlie fashion, he assured me and the rest of the team that the camera had been having problems for quite some time and this was bound to happen...Typical, but we love him for the eternal optimism.

So, these last two photos are the final works of the Olympus Stylus 850 SW. RIP.

Walking (and laughing) to the Falls

Entrance to the Climb up the Falls

VIDEO: School September 28-October 6

2009-10-13T16:58:00.000-07:00

There's No Place Like HOME...

2009-10-13T15:00:00.000-07:00

4 plus months into marriage, and we have officially moved into our FIRST place of our own! And we couldn't be happier!

Move-In Day

We moved in just over a week ago, so our apartment is slowly filling itself up. We have made trips to the 10 Peso Store, to La Sirena (a glorified version of Wal-Mart) and other appliance/furniture stores. Apartments in the DR do not come with a refrigerator and stove (NOTHING is free), so we invested in each of these, as well as a bed, hoping to be able to sell them when we return to the States.

Our Bedroom

Our Bathroom

For all of you avid readers of Charlie's maps out there, do not be confused...We are actually not living in the vicinity of the designated star on the map. We ultimately decided we found our HOME in the same neighborhood as the current Mak staff house. This merely means that we have a short, easy walk to the staff house and commute a little more in the mornings to get to school.

Kitchen

Living Room (from kitchen)

You ask how and why we chose this abode? Not only do we have views of the ocean and the mountains from our apartment and the building's rooftop (no lie) and a sun that rises perfectly in our bedroom window (it's beautiful), but I think the burnt orange tile speaks for itself...We obviously didn't seek this out, but we knew we'd found a match the moment we stepped into this place. We Hook 'Em everyday in the DR. (Sorry, had to).

"He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me." -Psalm 18:19

VIDEO: First Day of School

2009-09-22T03:51:00.000-07:00

Today I was a teacher...I think.

2009-09-21T16:20:00.000-07:00

As I sit here smelling somewhat like a sewer, I feel the need to try and recreate for you what was our first day of school. All of us teachers have been preparing lesson plans like crazy this week – lessons on class rules, lessons on sharing about our families, lessons on the bathroom procedure at school. No one ever told us that we wouldn’t actually get a chance to execute the lesson plans. That’s probably because the first day went a little something like this…

First Day of School Pictures

I woke up EARLY this morning because I was so nervous for the first day of school. I haven’t had that feeling since I was a little tot. I arrived at school, and with the help of Charlie, had my room perfectly set up for the little angels that were soon to arrive. Our team had a time of devotion and prayer and classic first day of school pictures, and then one by one our new students flooded the little yellow schoolhouse.

My classroom

I met my students and immediately wanted to adopt at least half of them. I gave them their name tags which each had a different jungle animal on them as my classroom theme is the jungle. I was so proud that each of my 3 and 4 year olds could correctly tell me the animal on their nametag. And that they could “formar en una fila” or “form a line” upon first instruction. I knew the first day was going to be a breeze.

FALSE.

Before school...

After school...

As we enter the classroom, Elijio begins to sob because his mother left. Pretty much your pre-school norm. Is vomiting all over the floor where we need to sit for Morning Meeting a norm? It is in my classroom. Yes, Elijio vomited, not once but twice on the floor of our room and on me (hence my sewer smell). I also came out of this day with someone having peed on my clothes unbeknownst to me...

So, then Yaiqui (which is pronounced Jackie), begins to cry too. I later find out that we have misinterpreted her name (due to thick Dominican accents) and her name is NOT Yaiqui. I will have to change that nametag…as soon as I figure out exactly WHAT her name is.

We actually begin to proceed with our morning. There are crying children at all times, but we must press on. Thankfully, all Makarios staff (outside of the teaching staff) was at school today as well and provided many extra hands for the diaper changing, vomiting, bottle feeding and biting…

Biting…that reminds me. Another one of my angels, David, escaped my class during the morning. Robin and Charlie ran, rather sprinted, after the child who was running towards the river that separates his village from the school. Charlie jumped in the river and grabbed him, only to receive a deep bite on his left shoulder. Robin felt bad for the pain Charlie had to endure, but no worries, she was bitten on her wrist by another child later in the day. Did I say child? I meant angel.

All sarcasm aside, today was nothing I expected but everything I needed. These hilarious and sometimes painful moments were interspersed with adorable smiles and little voices yelling, “Profe! Profe! Yo sé!” or “Teacher, teacher, I know!” Ultimately, I am not in control, and I will be learning that anew as each school day passes. I am more than excited to spend the next school year with these children. They may bite and vomit at times, but they genuinely want to love and hold your hand and give an infinite amount of hugs that can make anyone and everyone’s day better.

Life as of Late

2009-09-13T14:16:00.000-07:00

It's been rumored that people liked Kim’s pictures better than Charlie's boring maps, so here we go...

Santiago:

During our trip to Santiago the first week we were here, we visited the Aurora Cigar factory, a company that is over 100 years old. We learned how to hand roll cigars and that the cigar rollers are allowed to smoke as many cigars as they want while they’re working... We live in a healthy country.

Puerto Plata:

Here you will see the view from the "autopista" or highway that runs through and outside of Puerto Plata along the coast line. It is actually a sugar cane field and on the other side of the trees at the very back of the picture is the ocean.

A view from the Malecon - the street in Puerto Plata that acts as a boardwalk running alongside the ocean.

Escuela Makarios:

Last year our school consisted of one building (which you can see along the left side of the picture) with two classrooms and approximately 30 students. This year we have a new building (which you can see in the back of the picture), four classrooms, kitchen space, a nurse’s facility, a teachers' lounge, 60 registered students, and 20 plus students on a waiting list. Needless to say, God has blessed this organization with incredible growth over the last year. This picture was taken at the beginning of our first PTF (Parent Teacher Fellowship) where more than 40 parents came to hear about the organization and register their children for the upcoming school year.

Our First Weekend: Cabarete

There are a handful of beaches within a 30 minute drive of Puerto Plata, including Cabarete and Sosua. While most of you were cheering on the Longhorns over Labor Day weekend, we were hanging out here.

Non-Pasteurized Eggs/Milk:

One benefit of not having pasteurized produce is not having to put it in the refrigerator…one of the downsides is the potential for unhatched chickens inside your eggs...

Our Second Weekend: Sosua

Dominicans assume that any American (or "Gringo" as they affectionately call us) in Puerto Plata is headed for Sosua. It is one of the more Americanized places around and has an incredibly beautiful beach.

Our new friend Derrick is from Atlanta and moved down to the DR in January to open a BBQ restaurant on the beach. He grills chicken and pork ribs served with homemade sauce and cucumber/tomato salad.

This little boy’s bathing suit is riding a little heavy. He would stop, fill up his bathing suit with sand, walk until it all fell out, and do it all over again.

The Makarios Team:

We love these people. That's all there is to it.

much love,

Kim and Charlie

Where We Live/Serve/Play

2009-09-07T18:05:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

I have put together a couple of maps so that people can understand exactly where we are. The first map is of the DR - a general idea of where we are on the island. We are currently living in Puerto Plata, work in Montellano and have traveled to Santiago as Kim mentioned in the previous post.

This next map is a close up of the areas in which we live/serve/play. The "Current Makarios House" is located on the East side of the city of Puerto Plata. Montellano (where Kim and I will soon be moving as well as spending a large amount of time working at the Makarios school) would be considered the American equivalent of a suburb of Puerto Plata. On the bottom half of the map you will see Kim and my future apartment, the Makarios School, the future Makarios house, and the three villages that we serve (Chichigua, Tamarindo, and Pancho Mateo). Just to give you an idea of travel time, it takes us about 15 minutes to drive from the "Current Makarios House" to the "Makarios School" and from "Our Future Apartment" to the "Makarios School" is about a 10 minute walk.

Enjoy.

-Charlie

We're Here!

2009-09-03T17:47:00.000-07:00

Un chin. Dominicans use this word for “a little bit”, but in reality we hope to share more than un chin of our life with you! Just really love that word. Sooo…we are here! We cannot believe it. It already feels like the time is flying by! We arrived on the afternoon of August 30^th and have been in orientation ever since. We went with our team to Santiago (affectionately known as the Big Metropolis to Makarios staff) for a couple of days to visit the Makarios director, where we ate some surprisingly delicious Chinese food our first night and felt like we hadn’t even left the States. And then we came back to our home, Puerto Plata, to continue preparing for the school year that starts September 21^st.

In the last two days, between the two of us we have visited the three villages that the Makarios school serves. When we walked into these villages, the children were estatic to see our Makarios team members they knew, and they even ran and jumped and gave US hugs, whom they’ve never seen before. I could spend hours in these villages playing with the children. They love on you like nothing I’ve ever seen before, and it is so joyful to spend time with them.

Chichigua

Pancho Mateo

In the village of Chichigua yesterday, Raquel (see picture) began to do my hair and I ended up with a lovely pig tail ‘do to which one of the boys told me, “Muy feo!” or “Very ugly!” Like I said, it’s all about the love. You’ll also see our friend, Holly, loving on a Chichiguan babe below too. And Jody comparing muscles with all of the boys there. And, of course, the little ninos have taken to Charlie – a child in Pancho Mateo held Charlie’s hand and walked with him the entire time he was in that village. Precious.

Tonight the girls are ordering pizza and watching Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. It’s like I am back in college, and I love it.

-Kim

Kim and Raquel in Chichigua

Holly in Chichigua

Jody and the Chichigua boys showing off their muscles

Charlie and Pancho Mateo boys