Many people have asked how I feel about going into my second year of teaching. In one regard, compared to last year, I feel really ready and equipped! In the other, less relative regard, I feel excited and anxious, and still very confident that the Lord has some great things planned for our students this year. It is in his hands.
During our return to the DR after our visit to Kansas in July, I felt conflicted in all the callings God was pressing into my heart. Mostly I was nervous about departing from my family. But God squelched all worries as we were embraced back into our community and mission in Jarabacoa. There is a sweet aroma in reunions of friends that are family. Last year, like most people when then move to a new place and start new jobs, we struggled through not being known.
However in returning for our second year it is every evident that we are known in this community now. We have shared experiences, aligned hearts and minds, and our eyes cast on the same thing.
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| The Doulos Staff* |
The greetings and hugs from our students also are a great help in making us feel known here.
This year, we know our students and they already trust us. The DR is an extremely relational culture. This makes the patterns of international mission work (many people coming in and out) taxing for people that put a lot of emphasis on relational loyalty. In the long term, that reality scares me because I too dislike it when people come and go. Although in the short term, I love my students (all ~250 of them) and I love continuing the relationships I've started with them. From the giddy little first graders to the dramatic high schoolers, God has filled me with joy to be around them again and has blessed me to be able to love and serve them again.
*The picture of the staff was taken two weeks ago, in front of the mural that myself and a few talented others created at a public school. It was one of many projects we did during our staff service day.
