11 DAYS!!

Lots to report on!!! First, I never mentioned the mouse that I found the Sunday after Thanksgiving. I was sitting on my bed when I noticed something crawl across my floor. I immediately shrieked and summoned Holly and Natalia, and the three of us proceeded to use brooms to get him into a laundry bin and throw him outside. Natalie said she found another the other day.

Next, Holly, Brooke, and Alicia’s apartment upstairs was broken into over the weekend. It was very strange; the thief only took Alicia’s money and phone, and only went into her room. He came through the window. Our windows downstairs all have bars, but theirs currently do not. Fortunately, the landlord came the next day and put bolts on the windows. It was still a very startling and scary situation, and it reminds me that I am NOT at home. It’s also

just another sign of the frustrating reality that the Dominicans see Americans and assume they have money. We are approached randomly just for money or clothes and it bothers me greatly. Alicia overhears Dominicans talking in Spanish sometimes about how she is American and must have money, and she will turn around quickly and tell them she has nothing. A few weeks ago when I got a package, the power was out so I took it outside to use the dying daylight to help me see. An old woman just walked on through the gate, took the book out of my hand, and then asked for anything, money, clothes, etc. I was very annoyed and Cecelia had to speak firmly to send the woman away.

We had another Young Life gathering Tuesday and it was fun! It does wear me out though. We meet at 5, Club starts at 7 and goes until 9 or 9:30, and then we clean up and discuss, so it is a very full evening. I am still recovering.

The Christmas program is Friday and we have a half day, which I’m very excited for. We are all really looking forward to heading home in 11 days!!

Some pictures from our trip to Boca Chica:

18 days til ETD!!!

It´s been another week, but in fairness I was at the beach for awhile. I have a nice tan :)

We had our first Young Life Club last night, which burned me out big time but was alot of fun. I really like the high schoolers here.

Thanks to everyone who was praying for our visit by the DR Secretary of Education today...we think it went well!! We´ll find out in a few days, which in DR time means a week or so.

We are all so looking forward to going home for Christmas. I personally am especially excited for cold weather (this is a first), Chrismas decorations, and hot tea. I brought my tea here, but it's always too warm to drink it.

The mornings have cooled down alot to the point where I need a sweatshirt, but I´m still wearing shorts. The afternoons get up to the low 80s or so. I think I´m in for a rude awakening when I get back to MD.

My kids go through spurts of drawing me pictures and notes. There are too many, but I've started taking pictures of the good ones. Here are some of my favorites. The first one was after I got back from the beach. I think Jesus Daniel (yes, that's his name) meant to say, I like you at the beach, but this is how it came out: