Finally have a couple pictures of my class!! We have been studying mysteries, so for Friday I had them create treasure maps and make riddles for a treasure hunt with a partner and the rest of the class had to find them! It was really fun, and at the end we had a party! Great way to end the week!




Friday we had no power since 10:30 AM, and our inverter at our house is officially unfixable, and would cost about $700 to fix, SO no more power here! We realized at 6:00 that we should probabily go to the store and buy some candles, so we did that, ordered dinner, and played cards! Sometimes not having power can be pretty fun:)

This morning, Julie-Anne and I went for a long run, found this sweet new street at the foot of the mountain to run down, and on our way back ran past a cow being slaughtered on the side of the road! What a way to begin my Saturday:) I am getting more and more used to it though! It is pretty funny to see a group of Dominican men all crowded around an animal watching a couple guys cut it up...never thought I'd say that!

So after my little sad-fest on Tuesday, I felt like I needed to explain/share a little more about the way life is here! I LOVE living here in the DR, it is awesome, I am learning so much, I have great students, friends, and God has really blessed me here! At the same time, living here is not even close to being easy! Julie-Anne worded it the best way this morning by quoting Charles Dickens "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" and that is seriously how life is here! I hope maybe that can explain a little better how I feel. I would not change being here for the world, I LOVE it, it just is not easy! BUT no one ever told me it would be easy:) I know everything I am learning is so good for me.

This is definitely teaching me a LOT in my relationship with God/learning complete dependence on Him! 1 Thess 5:23 "May the God of peace sanctify you completely" and John 24:15 "Choose for yourselves today the one you will worship" have both been huge verses for me this week just in asking myself if I am depending on God, or if I am trying to take on life by myself! I have for sure learned that I can not even BEGIN to do it myself! God has called me to take up my cross DAILY and follow Him! Every day is a new day, a new chance to follow Christ better than the day before, and it is my choice whether I lean on Him through this or not. "I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord! Wait for the Lord! Be strong and take heart, God is with you! You will not fail! Taste and see that the Lord is good! Happy are those who take refuge in Him!" Psalm 27

YES life is hard, but is life following God meant to be easy? NO, that was never a promise, but I DO have an amazing God who loves me on my side, so I have no fear:)

LOVE from the DR:)

oh and here is a pic of me with my heart Michigan sticker...THANKS LAUREN!! haha! I love it:)