Getting Comfortable With the Uncomfortable

I've now been in the DR for a little over a month and I've come to realize that daily life here is filled with many new obstacles, but also a lot of moments which make it clear that this is where I am supposed to be. There are so many things I have taken for granted in the past and I am being reminded of that every day. Things like bleaching vegetables, brushing my teeth with filtered water and hang drying my clothes are a great daily reminder of the important things in life. The reality is, I am very fortunate to have the ability to buy enough food, use filtered water or wash my clothes in a machine. Walking the 20 minutes to school every morning is always exciting because of the hundreds of motorcycles that are constantly rushing by me and there's no chance they are going to stop for me while I cross the street. I have almost perfected the art of running across the street while dodging motorcycles and cars coming at me from every direction. On a daily basis, I need to distract the Rottweiler that likes to hang out outside of our gate while I try to escape on my way to school. Some days I'm even greeted by two lovely bulls (see below) in front of our house when I get home. Every minute is filled with new obstacles, but I'm constantly learning how to be grateful for those experiences instead of letting them be a source of discomfort. 

Frequent visitor.

I'm also finding that reality does not match my job description. In the past month I have worked in the English classes, tutored kids in 1st-3rd grade, worked in the first grade classrooms, created activities for centers in the preschool and kindergarten classes, helped with the vaccine clinics at ANIJA and the Ark, and translated Christmas letters from the sponsors of the kids. Every day is completely different, but that has really given me the chance to see all of the ministry, and it has given me some insight into how I can be most helpful after the New Year. It looks like I will be focusing on teaching English when I get back in January. Additionally, I'll be helping with the new curriculum the first grade teachers will be implementing, and helping with some of the sponsorship work at ANIJA. As usual, things could change and be completely different by the time I return.

Helping with the vaccine clinic at ANIJA.

English classroom at ANIJA.

One of the kids I hang out with during lunch.

The last month has also been filled with moments that remind me exactly why I am here. Kenia, a Dominican who is in charge of Special Ed at ANIJA, really wanted to learn how to cook American food, so Neilly and I went over to her house to cook and hang out with her family. This will be a lifelong memory for me. Everything in this country is so much more about relationships than anything else, and the relationships are what will last beyond the time that I am living here. When things get really busy and chaotic, I hope to remember the importance of forming relationships, because they make a much bigger impact on a person's life than finishing my "to do list" ever will.

Kenia, Neilly and me.

Even though my Spanish still isn't perfect by any means, it has been incredible to finally get to communicate on my own with all of the people I have gotten to know here over the past six years. My family and I sponsor a 9-year-old boy named Steven that I instantly fell in love with when I was here a few years ago (even though he was probably in the middle of a fist fight with his brothers). It has been so great to be able to spend a lot of time with him since I've been here. He and his brothers came from a very difficult home situation when they were brought to the Ark a few years ago. When I was here last in 2013 he was days away from being kicked out of the program because of his horrendous behavior. I can honestly say what has happened over the last year and a half is a complete miracle. He is the sweetest boy who loves to please everyone now, and I am very grateful for the opportunity to get to know him better now that we speak the same language. Hearing the kids' stories is heart-wrenching, but seeing real changes in their lives reaffirms that Kids Alive is having a significant impact in the Dominican Republic.

Brothers Randy and Steven.

Before dinner at Steven's house.

A team from MVPC, as well as the Breul family, came down for the week of Thanksgiving, and it was so nice to have a part of home here with me in the DR. The Breuls lived here for three years, and the moment that they returned, the impact of their many relationships became evident. It's not just about the vaccines that are administered or the math programs that are taught. Those are important, but crossing the cultural barrier and getting to know the hearts of the people here is what we all remember for years to come. An added bonus to having the Breuls in town was that they invited me to go to the beach with them for Thanksgiving weekend. We cooked a full Thanksgiving meal and took it to the beach the next day. It was a different experience to be eating Thanksgiving dinner outside in 85 degree weather, but it was nice to be with good friends since I wasn't able to be with my own family.

Less than two more weeks and I will be home for Christmas! Crazy to think that I have already been gone for four months!

Leslie, Sally and me cooking Thanksgiving dinner.

Cabaret, a beach on the North Coast

Cabarete

Home Away From Home

After months and months of planning and organizing, I finally made it to the Dominican Republic where I will be for the next year!  I arrived in the DR last Sunday afternoon after a long night and day of traveling.  I spent the rest of that day trying to get settled into my new house.  I am living with a girl named Kelsey that also works for Kids Alive, and another girl, Nikki, who works for a different organization.  The house that Kelsey found earlier this summer is beautiful and in a perfect location, making it very easy for me to get to the school in the morning.

New house for the year.

This past week, there were a few different trainings going on, one at the Ark (orphanage) and one at ANIJA (the school I am working at).  Different groups of people from the US and Canada often come down to do teacher training or other programs with the people working here, so this week was a little chaotic because of that.  I spent Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday tutoring kids in the morning at ANIJA and in the afternoons I went out to the Ark to play with kids and practice my spanish a little more.  I thought I learned a lot of Spanish while in Guatemala but I am now learning that the Spanish here is so much different.  I'm sure it will take some time for me to catch on, but hopefully I'll get the hang of it.  On Thursday and Friday, we had teacher training at ANIJA with a group of women from Canada who came down to train all of the teachers, both Dominican and American.  It was nice to be involved in that so I could get to know the teachers a little more and become a part of their community.

ANIJA (the school I will be working at).

ANIJA

The best pine tree drawing I've ever seen.

Tutoring room at ANIJA.

Group of kids waiting to be taken to the Ark after school.

ANIJA is the school where the kids from the orphanage go, as well as other students from the community that need the help from Kids Alive.  Parents of students that aren't at the Ark have the opportunity to come help in different ways at school in exchange for being able to have their kids go to the school.  The students from the Ark (orphanage) are bused in to the school in the morning and ride back after school to spend the afternoon studying more and playing at the Ark.  The Ark is made up of 10 houses, each with house parents that have their own biological kids, as well as 8-10 kids that have been brought in from abusive situations, to live in the Ark until they are about 18 years old. It is incredible to see how the house parents continue to treat all of the kids as their own and they all emphasize the importance of forming family bonds and making sure every kid is surrounded by people that love them unconditionally.

As of now, the plan is for me to be working at ANIJA in the mornings, working on tutoring kids that may have undiagnosed learning disabilities or just need more help outside of the classroom. I'll also be helping in some of the preschool, kindergarten, and first grade classrooms, trying to get them set up with running stations in their classrooms so the students can have a variety of different activities going on at one time.  This is a concept that the teachers have heard of, but haven't been able to implement yet, so hopefully we can get it started soon! In the afternoons I will be going to the Ark to do some more tutoring with the kids there, as well as helping with sponsorship work.  Each child that lives at the Ark has 8 sponsors that donate every month to pay for their living needs.  I will be helping the kids with projects that will be sent to their sponsors a few times a year to update them on how they are doing. This will be the plan until I get back from my trip home over Christmas, then we will re-evaluate and see how I can be of the most help to the ministry.

I just want to say "Thank you" again to everyone who has donated and supported me in various ways in order to help me get here.  This dream truly would not be a reality if I didn't have such a great support system encouraging me through every step of this journey.  This is something I have dreamed about doing since I was 16 and it is still surreal that I am actually here!  I have no doubt that this is where I am meant to be at this point in time and I am so grateful that you have all helped me get here!

Houses at the Ark. Each one is named after a Fruit of the Spirit.

Another view of the Ark.

Jewel, the cutest kid in town.

Half Way There!

I am officially more than half way done with language school! I just finished my sixth week and only have four more to go. Life in Guatemala has been pretty busy recently. There was a new wave of students that came through my school about three weeks ago, so I was able to make a couple of new friends and go on some adventures with them. One of these included a hike up to "Cerro de la Cruz." The reward was an incredible view on a very rare day without rain. We were able to see one of the volcanoes very clearly and also had a perfect view of all of Antigua. Beautiful! We also played basketball, teachers against students, and the teachers crushed us. My teacher is about a foot shorter than me, but I didn't stand a chance.

"Cerro de la Cruz"

With my friend, Erika, at "Cerro de la Cruz"

After basketball.  My teacher is on the far right.

My view every morning walking to school.

Two weeks ago, I was told that three new students were coming from Atlanta to live in the same house as me, but I had no idea at that point what that was going to entail. Three women arrived that Sunday to take Spanish classes for two weeks, with the goal of communicating more effectively with the people they work with in their non-profit organization. Within hours of their arrival, they adopted me (they are now referred to as "the moms") and gave me a much bigger picture of Guatemala than I would have ever had, had they not been here. Their non-profit is called "For the Love" and they work to provide jobs for people who are living and working in the dump in Guatemala City. The working conditions of these people are absolutely horrendous and like nothing I have ever seen in my life. They spend their days searching for trash that has some value, so they can sell it, hoping to make about $2 a day. "For the Love" provides jobs making jewelry, sells the jewelry in stores and online, and gives these people the opportunity for a much better life - one that doesn't involve scavenging in the dump.

View from "For the Love" building. Trash that has been brought outside of the dump to be sorted.

Front of the "For the Love" building.

One "For the Love" employee that used to be homeless, but can now afford to rent a place to live.

The entire experience of seeing the dump and surrounding areas, as well as seeing how "For the Love" is completely transforming lives was a very eye-opening and unique opportunity. The moms took me around to some nearby neighborhoods where I met friends that they have made over the years, while being involved in ministry in the area. One woman welcomed us into her home and showed me how to make tortillas. She then let me make one...let's just say that I might need a little more practice before I can keep up with her.

My new best friend...Can you tell by his face?

Last week I also had the privilege of going with the moms to a small village called "Chuchoy." They are thinking of bringing teams there, so we went to check it out. We visited each classroom at the school, where we were greeted by lots of happy children, talked to them for a little bit, and passed out candy. This village has their own language and they don't speak much Spanish, which made it a little overwhelming, but it was great to be able to see a more rural part of the country. This particular village is very poor and lacks basic necessities, but there is a lot of hope and potential for growth here.

One of the students at the school in Chuchoy.

Typical home in Chuchoy.

Last weekend we took a trip to the Pacific coast which was incredible. We spent the day hanging out on the black sand beach and by the pool. A very relaxing day away from Spanish school! On Saturday, we went to the wedding of a friend of the moms. I met a lot of the kids that they have watched grow up through the church that they work with in Guatemala City. It reminded me of the relationships I have made in the DR and all of the kids that I have watched grow up there. It was very refreshing to see that those types of relationships are being made all around the world.  Overall, the past few weeks have been incredible and I really couldn't ask for a better experience in Guatemala so far!

On our way to the wedding.

Sunset at the black sand beach on the Pacific Coast of Guatemala.

Two Weeks of Excitement...

The last two weeks since I updated you all have been full of adjustments and excitement.  Last week started with a 5.2 earthquake that I was sure was going to cause the house to fall down, but I was assured by the Guatemalans that it was completely normal and happens all the time...not sure how I feel about that.  It is also safe to say that I am being eaten alive by some sort of unknown bug that I still have yet to see.  I've lost count but I probably have over 100 bites at this point.  I just hope that means they are sick of me by the time I get to the DR, where I am known for being the bugs' favorite person.

On the positive side, last week I took my first trip to the local market, which was quite an experience. They sell everything you could possibly imagine there and it is open every day of the week.  This is where the locals go to get produce and meat frequently.  There is a student from Korea living in the same house as me and she wanted to go buy some pig feet to cook (wasn't brave enough to try those), so I went along to check it out. The meat section of the market is pretty overwhelming for someone that is used to going to Safeway to get nicely packaged meat.  They have every part of every animal that you could possibly imagine.  The smell is also pretty intense since that part of the market is indoors and there are about 20 different stands selling meat...

Prepared food that is sold at the market.

Last week I also got to go check out the McDonalds that is here.  I had heard that it is one of the nicest McDonalds in the world, so I couldn't pass up seeing it.  Apparently it's the place to go for local families to hang out and it's way different than anything I have seen in the U.S.  There were families there that seemed to be gathering for special occasions and it was a big treat for them.  On holidays when the mothers don't want to cook, the families will often go there to eat. There is a beautiful garden where they were all sitting and eating.  A little different than the drive-thru McDonalds we have in the States.

Garden at McDonald's

This week started out a little rough with someone slashing my purse/bag with a knife while I was at the market again last Saturday.  The bag is ruined, but I am extremely thankful that they weren't able to take anything and it was only the bag that was ruined.  This was a good wake up call for me to make sure to only walk around with what I need, and not bring extra things with me everywhere I go.  This week I also felt like my Spanish was making a little bit of progress.  It seemed like it was just getting worse before getting better, but it seems to be making a little more sense now.  Hopefully I make a lot more progress in the next 7 weeks though.

This Monday (Sept. 15th) is Independence Day in Guatemala, so there have been parades and festivities happening the whole weekend. On Friday, my school had a party to celebrate.  All of the teachers were divided into groups and those teachers and their students made a typical Guatemalan dish to share with everyone.  There were probably about 15 different types of food that we all got to try.  My group was in charge of fruit, so it wasn't very exotic but there were lots of new things that I hadn't seen before.  The teachers also put on performances that included dances and songs.  There are a ton of Spanish schools in Antigua and a lot of them only have a couple students attending right now, so I am very grateful to be at a school where there are probably 40 students and the school makes a big effort to help integrate the students into the culture and teach us as much as possible while we are here.

My group was in charge of providing the fruit.

My teacher is on the right in the front, performing a traditional dance.

     On Friday afternoon, I went on a small tour of the city with a couple other students at the school.  I got to see a lot of the ruins from old churches that are all around the city, and we also spent some time in the main park, learning about different things to do and good restaurants to go to. Along the way, we discovered a chocolate museum.  I truly thought it was heaven on earth, so on Saturday I decided to go with the girl I live with to the truffle making class.  It was a lot of fun and we learned a lot, but I doubt I will ever be able to replicate the process. The outcome was well worth it though!  Another student and I also found a place that sells tacos, just a couple doors down from where I live.  It is a little hole in the wall, but the tacos are incredible.  This might be dangerous to have so close, in the future...

It's hard to believe I have already been gone for 5 weeks.  In just 7 more weeks, I will be on my way to the Dominican Republic!

Ruins from an old Catholic Church.

Fountain in the main park in Antigua.

Learning how to "Temper" chocolate to dip truffles in.

The final product!

Tacos down the street that might turn into a bad habit...

First Week in Antigua

After a busy two weeks in Calgary, I flew straight to Guatemala on Saturday, August 23rd. The traveling experience included a delayed flight, which then led to me having to run from gate to gate in order to catch my connecting flight in Houston. This did not go over well considering I'm usually the person to get to the airport a full two hours in advance and disapprove of the people that are rushing to the gate at the last minute.  It was a humbling experience, to say the least.

Once I arrived in Guatemala City, I was greeted at the airport by a driver from Christian Spanish Academy who took me to my host family's house in Antigua, about an hour away from the airport.  The family I am living with consists of the mom (Elizabeth) and her 22 year old daughter, Astrid. There is also a French Poodle named Pinky who hasn't decided to be my friend yet...we're still working on that. The family has a three story house with four extra bedrooms to house students that are here temporarily. They have been having students stay with them for 19 years. There is another student from Korea that has been here for four months and she was nice enough to show me around Antigua on the first day I was here.  

Church two blocks away from my house.

The salmon house at the end is my new temporary home.

On Monday, I started spanish class at Christian Spanish Academy.  It is about a ten minute walk from where I am staying and very easy to get to.  I have spanish class from 8am to 1pm Monday through Friday. All of the teaching is done one-on-one, which has been extremely helpful so far. Most of the students are from the United States, learning spanish for work or to go overseas.  The lady that works with her teacher next to me is from San Francisco and works at UCSF...small world! In Antigua, most of the houses and schools look pretty plain from the street, but once you go through the door they are gorgeous.  CSA has a big courtyard where we all sit with our teachers, instead of being in a classroom. It's a lot easier to learn when you're in a beautiful place!

My classroom for the next 10 weeks.

One of the main streets in Antigua.

All of the streets in Antigua are made out of cobblestone.

Cross-Cultural Training in Calgary

After months of planning, the adventure has finally begun! I arrived in Calgary, Canada on August 9th and spent the night there before heading to the training camp about an hour away. The organization that runs the training program leases a camp in the middle of nowhere, where I spent two weeks. The program consisted of courses on how to adapt to cultural norms in other countries, as well as other practical things, such as how to stay healthy and deal with stress in a foreign country. We took a field trip to Chinatown in Calgary for a cross-cultural experience and attended an Arabic church, which was just a little hard to understand! Overall, the past two weeks have been very informative and helpful and I loved getting to spend the time with 10 other people who will be dispersing to serve all over the world within the next year.  

Learning about stereotypes...Canadians' view of Americans.

The organization that hosts this program isn't related to Kids Alive, but there was one other girl in the training course, Neilly, who is also going to the Dominican Republic with Kids Alive. It was awesome getting to know her while we were in Canada, before we work together in the DR for a year! After we finished four classes last Monday, Neilly and I decided to explore the surrounding area a little bit. We came across this river that was beautiful. I tried out my chacos for the first time (thanks, Stef!), which was pretty embarrassing to begin with, but Neilly assured me that they are cool in the South where she's from, so I decided to embrace them...

The river that was just a short walk away from the camp.

Next step is language school in Antigua, Guatemala. I will arrive in Guatemala on August 23rd, and stay with a local family for 10 weeks. Then on to the Dominican Republic on November 1st!