"Do your work for the Lord"

Every week my students have a bible verse they have to memorize for a test on Friday. We usually do different things to spice up our memorizing process...i.e.,make up motions, use our "big strong voices" our "little baby voices", or my personal favorite the "0 voice" (students only mouth the words and do the motions :D) Anyways, these paraphrased verses are so short that they usually have a little rhythm to them when we say them, so they usually get stuck in my head. Especially this week's verse: "Do your work for the Lord." Colossians 3:23 (Imagine it in 4/4 time, for you musicians out there).

"Do your work for the Lord" This was something God wanted me to remind me of this week. The sing-songy sound of it stuck in my head all week was kinda annoying, but it got my attention. I finally looked up the actual verse (the one in big kid language) and this is how it reads in the NIV: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."

"Do your work for the Lord" I am not always very good this. Especially lately. To be honest its been really tough. And hearing it so many times coming from the very mouths I want to tape shut sometimes( Wait, did I just really say that??)it has been humbling. Humbling, because I am telling them what that verse means, but don't know if I am really modeling it for them. So, I had to look back at the last few weeks and ask myself...

How do I "Do my work for the Lord?" when...

-there is no power...meaning no fan...no copier...and no running water
-my classroom gets flooded and I have to throw away supplies
-someone in authority over me makes a decision that I don't agree with...ouch.
-little "Bobby" steals little "Timmy"'s snack money...again.
-I'm tired.
-It is a full moon and the kids are completely different creatures from the little angels they were yesterday. (Yes, I do believe in all that full moon crazy)
-someone stop me, because I think this is starting to become just an excuse to complain.

My attitude can be kinda crappy sometimes. And I am pretty sure that's not "doing my work for the Lord." In the midst of all the above, and even more, I have to remember why I am here and that I am doing it not for myself, not for my resume, not for my boss, but for my kids, and ultimately"...for the Lord." That means I have to submit everything to him and he will give me the strength that I need.

With that, I will leave you with this little clip of my 6 year olds practicing their bible verse just before their test. Hopefully, it gets stuck in your head too!

Thankfully, God made weekends so that we don't have to be at work all week long. Happy Friday!!

Jarabacoa-Round 2!

(Maybe that should read "Jarabacoa-Round 3!")

Okay, its official. I am a horrible blogger. Ironically, I love to write, but as you might find out in the following paragraphs I am perhaps too busy for my own good, so blogging often goes on the back burner.

Well, this is going to be a quick update on my life. Nothing too fancy or too detailed, (or edited!), but I feel like I should write something!

After spending a very short, but very sweet summer back home in Illinois I'm back in Jarabacoa! I'm so glad I came back. Living here is so much easier the 2nd time around. Its fun being here and actually enjoying the life I made here. I think you know a place is home when you can walk into the vegetable market and the vendors immediately know you. I love it :)

As for teaching, I am really enjoying that the second time around too. This year is a big reality check though. I know it might not sound like it to you fellow American "edgies" and teachers, but 19 kids is alot for our school to have in one classroom.The rooms are small, there is no air conditioning, and children here are just raised to act very differently than most children in the States. Oh, and most of them don't speak or understand alot of english. Joy! Needless to say both the 1st grades at JCS are packed with kids and Kristin, the other teacher, and I are both exhausted. But I am learning alot and growing so much as a teacher.

Brian is also in my class again this year. He is a special needs boy who is from the barrio (the slums) right behind my house. It has been so so exciting to see the improvements he has made since last year. He knows so much English and his behavior is miles beyond what it was last year. God is so good :)

Brian and his friends will come over every once in a while and hang out. Its fun, but also dangerous. I hate to be so blunt, but some of the people who live in the barrio are hard to trust. There were actually some things stolen from the house below us this last week by some people from the barrio. They use kids to get into small places and that's what happened in this case. Anyways, its been rough knowing how to handle ministering to these boys. They need so much love and care, but we also never know if they are being sent by adults to steal. Its a really sad reality of living here. So, if you think of it, pray for wisdom. And pray that the stolen belongings be some how compensated for. Also, they think that the man who robbed the house is the same man who was connected to another robbery that same night. He stole a moto, kidnapped an underage girl, bought a bunch of drugs and took off for another city. In this country the sex slave industry is huge. Its actually #3 in the world. Pray that that girl is not sold as a prostitute and returned home. I don't know her personally, but she is from our neighborhood.

Speaking of all that, Kristin will be leaving JCS in January to start a safe house for girls that are rescued from sex trafficking. In fact, they have already started the house and I was just there helping them set up and hang out with the girls. I am so happy for her and her husband, Dave, to start this new ministry. Kristin is my best teacher friend here. She is so great at school and has taught me so much about teaching. Its going to be hard teaching without her.

God is incredible. Everyday I am learning more to trust in him to give me the strength, peace, love, patience..(the list goes on) to live here. He is teaching me what it really means to have a relationship with him, like he is my friend. Its so hard sometimes, but knowing him is so worth it.

Post comments, or write my on facebook. I want to hear about whats going on on the home front!

Visitors!

I have been so blessed to have two sets of visitors these past few weeks. My best friend, Melody, her boyfriend, Chris and my other college friend, Cory, were our first visitors this month. It was so nice to have Melody here with me, because she was my roommate during my semester abroad here in 2007. It was exciting to visit with our host families and friends again and remember our very fist experiences in the Dominican. The whole time I was simply blown away at God's faithfulness and provision. 3 1/2 years ago, I would never have imagined myself returning to a place that I was so scared to go to in the first place. I am only 23 years old, but God has challenged me so many times in my life plans . The fact that I am here is proof that he really does know best.
Our friends were excellent sports about going along with our crazy lives here. Besides visiting old friends and family, they helped us tutor kids at school and joined in on a birthday celebration for a boy at church. Yankaury,a new Christian, has spent alot of time with our group of friends at church. He had never had a birthday party before, and he told our friend, Jim, that all he wanted for his 17th birthday was to hang out with his friends. So...we surprised him!



After our week in Jarabacoa we of course hit the beach :) Here are some of the pictures from our beatiful weekend at Playa Durada.



This past week was Semana Santa, the equivalent of Spring Break in Latin Culture. I was so lucky to have my parents come visit me for most of the week. Amanda's parents were also visiting, so did a lot of traveling together.
I loved having my parents here in Jarabacoa. This place has been a big part of my life since I was 19 and it meant alot that they could be here. My parents met my students, rode motos, experienced a moto flat tire, ate real Dominican food, met my Dominican friends and host families, and drove with me through capital city traffic! I think they now understand some of the joys and frustrations that can come with living overseas!
After spending time in Jarabacoa we went to a north coast beach for two days and then down to the capital, Santo Domingo, on the south coast. Again, God's provision was apparent as we traveled across the country. We hit a few "bumps" along the way, one of which literally took out the power steering on our rental mini-van. Luckily, we had just come off the winding and narrow mountain road less than 5 minutes before and had entered onto the country's main (straight) highway when it broke ! The sight of our fathers (neither of whom speak Spanish) trying to communicate the concept of a power steering pulley to some helpful Dominicans is something I will never forget. Luckily, the rental company was able to switch the van out for a much nicer, but smaller, SUV. Our smallest passengers, my mom and friend, Rachel, had to take their seats with the luggage in order for us all to fit. Once we were on the road again we realized that this new vehicle's battery was not at it's best and we had a couple of close calls in the middle of heavy city traffic. Lets just say that Dominican vehicles are not the most reliable machines on the planet.
Despite the vehicle issues, we really did enjoy our vacation! Here are some pictures from their visit.

Motorcycles in Manaboa

Hello Friends! I know I have been bad at keeping up with my blog, but my friend, Jim, just showed me how to post a slide show! I thought I would try it out with these pictures from a recent motorcycle trip. Enjoy!

A White Christmas

JCS ended classes on the 21st of December and I was finally home for Christmas on the 22nd! This meant that I had one day to unpack, do laundry, and do some last minute shopping before our family celebrations started on the 24th!

Luckily my family "took off" the 25th from Christmas craziness and we had a day to work around the house. It was actually very nice to not have to do something that day. That evening we ordered in Chinese and went to see a movie. How American are we :) It was actually one of my favorite days of break. We relaxed and enjoyed each other and that is just fine with me.

I got a new camera for Christmas..yeah!! (All my blog pictures since November have been stolen from various friends' computers).

My two and a half weeks home were so so great. It was just what I needed after a crazy first semester of teaching overseas. I don't think I realized how much I missed my family, friends and life in the States until I was actually there after a 5 month absence.

Here are just a few highlights of my trip...

(Melody, I totally stole some of these from your facebook. I guess I am still in the habit even with my new camera.)

Christmas with the family

(I have decided that my family needs to take more pictures...)

Christmas cooking with Melody

Friends in Chicago

Brothers! Way to go Andrew.

Gingerbread house with my two best friends! :)

Thank you for all your prayers for safety and transitions as I have been traveling back and forth!

Peace and Blessings,

Jo ♥

Christmas Crazy

Well, I am very overdue for an update so I am going to chunk everything into a few posts.

Before I begin to tell you all of our 1st grade Christmas activities, I should remind you of the way most kids are right before the holidays-hyper! So our normal energy level was heightened...just a little.

Christmas Program

Every year JCS has a Christmas program in which each class presents a Christmas song, dance or skit. Of course, as over achieving 1st graders, we decided to perform two songs: Donde esta Santa Clause? and Rudolph. Kristin and I combined forces and worked hard to coordinate music, costumes, and of course, the children for the performance. Our first song went as planned... for the first 30 seconds, after which our music went out. But the kids didn't miss a beat. I was so proud of them. They kept singing as loud as they could. And so did I :)

Snap shots from the girls' dressing room while we were waiting to go on stage...

Here is a little of our version of Rudolph. If you listen to the end you might notice the "Dominican-ized" ending. Usually where we would add "like George Washington", we said "like Pablo Duarte", one of the Dominican founding fathers.

That night Kristin and I also performed a dance to Joyful Joyful ( Sister Act style of course) with our dance class. 3 songs back to back made for a crazy night but it was so much to fun to enjoy it with all the kids.

After the program with my roomies :)

Christmas Party

Kristin and I also joined forces once more for a Christmas party at my house. We had lots of crafts, cookie decorating and a short Christmas-themed gospel presentation. A very fun day, but I am still finding glitter in my house!

Christmas cookies!

Christmas Banquet

That night JCS held its annual Christmas banquet fundraiser at one of the local hotels. It was a very fun evening with lots of food, merengue dancing, and visiting with my students- three things that make for a very happy Johanna :)

A few of my boys all dressed up. It doesn't look it, but I promise they were very happy to see me! C'mon boys, smile!

Amanda, Allison, Me and Anna

Dominican-style Christmas is a lot of fun! Crazy, but fun. However, it never really felt like Christmas in 70 degree weather. I actually started missing the cold and of course, snow! Who would have thought. Needless to say I was ready to be home, cold and all, with my family for Christmas.

Feliz Navidad!

Peace and Blessings,

Jo ♥

Thankful

For my November update I have decided to go with the Thankfulness theme. Original, I know.

A little over a week ago my mom called me asking if I had seen any specific ways God had answered prayer since being in Jarabacoa. There were a few things that came to mind right away, specifically in the area of provision. God had provided me with the position at JCS, the finances to get here, and friendships to encourage me along the way. Everything has been so exciting and amazing. But to be honest, once I got here I think I lost my drive to pray. While I still pray, it has not fulfilling. I have not been relying on prayer anymore.

When my mom called me I felt convicted right away, because I knew I hadn't been relying on God through prayer like I should. The verse Phillipians 4:16 came to mind after I talked to her. It says:

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, in prayer and thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

When Paul wrote about prayer, he wrote about thanksgiving. Do I pray with thanksgiving? Do I live with thanksgiving? Do I live everyday thankful to God through prayer?

Honestly I had never really thought of prayer like this before, but it is very striking.

If I am thankful for the blessings and even difficulties in my life, I would let God know that on a daily basis. I would give thanks. Its not simply saying the words "thank you", but submitting my everyday thoughts and actions to him, because I am thankful. I am thankful to my Father that he has given me a life to live: both physically and spirtually. And the best way to to say "thank you" is to give it back to him.

Here are some ways that God has truely blessed me -in both good times and bad.

-Health: I surprisngly almost made it through November without getting sick! Those of you who were tracking my life here three years ago may remember an infamous spider bite that started out my semester. Well, the same type of spider...or whatever it was...decided to leave its mark on me once more, only on my leg. Long story short I was out of school for the three days before Thanksgiving break. Only a bite, you say? Well the bite turned into an infection and walking was very painful. Not to mention the fever and vomitting that came along with it! Fun!

Thank you God that my infection is gone, that I am walking again and keeping everything in my stomach! :D

Friends: This brings me to my 2nd item on my list. I have never felt so popular than when I have been sick! I was so thankful for all my friends who took such good care of me and came to visit me. Melisa and Mandy: you are such good roomates. Thank you for keeping track of all my pills and keeping me hydrated! Jim: thank you for driving me all around town to find a doctor and an open pharmacy. Joan: thank you for walking back to the pharmacy in the rain after I left my perscription sheet at the pharmacy...I would! Mellissa: Thank you for being my "mom" :) Kristin: thank you for making our 1st grade Thanksgiving play happen in my absence! You are an awesome teacher and friend and I am so lucky to know you!

Thanksgiving Break: I was a little worried that I wasn't going to be able to enjoy my Thansgiving break to the fullest after getting sick. But no worries, I was able to eat all the yummy food that we had at the JCS fauculty dinner on Thursday. Dominicans don't celebrate Thanksgiving so I was very grateful for the fact that we actually had a turkey for the dinner!

Mandy and I also had our own Thanksgiving dinner with some Dominican friends from church. We wanted to expose them to the wonders of Thanksgiving food! So we spent all day cooking Friday with our friend, Jim. It was our first Thanksgiving meal on our own so we were pretty proud of ourselves. Even though we had to roast a chicken instead of a turkey, I think they were thourougly impressed.

10 hours of cooking and baking!

Amanda's new found calling: roasting chickens My new found calling: baking pies

The power would go out!

On Saturday some friends and I took a day trip out to Santiago, a larger city about 45 minutes away. It was my first time driving in this country. SO crazy, but so fun . Kinda reminded me of Chicago actually. Just even more intense! We took full advantage of our time there and packed our day. We spent the day site seeing, shopping at La Sirena (a large department store) and the mall, seeing a real life movie in the movie theatre, bowling, and eating at a resturant. Essentially we spent the day in the United States. Ha! Those things might not sound special to you all back home, but it definetley felt like I was living large!

Photo shoot at the statue Friends

So fancy... and so classy!

A visit home: While I have only been out of the States for 4 months, I am so grateful for my upcoming visit home at Christmas. It really gives me a sense of comfort as I finish the semester. Christmas just does not seem the same with 70 degree weather and palm trees. (Not that I am complaining-at all!) Thank you so much to everyone who have given financially to make my visit possible!

Answered Prayers: Help with Brian

In my last blog I wrote about one of my students, Brian, who just started at JCS this year. Since I last wrote the 2nd grade student teacher from Taylor Universtiy started working with Brian for an hour everyday on phonics. She is a huge blessing! I wish she could stay forever! I have also seen improvements in our tutoring sessions. I actually look forward to these days alot. I am able to give him the attention he needs and make activities a more exciting than his everyday school routines. Please continue to pray for Brian's transition into school. While I am very grateful for his improvments, he is still light-years behind the other students in many areas. He is not at the maturaty or academic level as the rest of the students and this acounts for some pretty difficult days.

Well. That sums it up for now. I can garauntee that December's update will be even longer due to all that is coming up!

Thank you all for your prayers. They are so appreciated.

Peace and Blessings,

Jo ♥