rainy season

Sometimes I can't tell if it is raining outside my window or if that is just the noise of the palm tree leaves rustling together.

All the americanos here say they are missing autumn in their home-states. While I can sometimes agree, for the most part I prefer my palm leaves that sound like rain over the mushy dead leaves that are now all over the sidewalks in Kansas.

my first Dominican manicure

Momma G-- I knew you'd be proud :)

One of our 11th grade ladies has become quite the nail artist as she earns money to pay for her reduced tuition fees at Doulos and help her family pay their house bills. Yesterday I got to enjoy visiting with her at her house and getting my nails did--en el estilo Dominicano.

God has been blessing Keith and I this semester by giving us opportunities to get to know our students more, especially the high schoolers. A lot of that probably has to do with the fact that the longer you know someone, the more you know about them-- duh. But we are also seeing the fruit of prayer, courage, and intentionality (just made that word up.).

Last year Keith and another guy teacher tried a few times to gather some boys that played basketball after school for a bible study. It never quite got off the ground because of schedule issues. This year though, Keith has been seeking relationships with the 10th grade boys. These hilarious young men are much like Keith when he was in high school-- and I think that is why he has been drawn to them. When they come over to our house I usually try to give them their space and even get out of the house. This last week was a good picture of why....
as I walked up to the house, I see these 6 boys and Keith standing on our roof (which is not unusual, there is a staircase on the back that allows access). They greet me with the usual yelling-- Mrs. Kerrie! I said my saludos in response and went inside. Then I hear, THUD THUD WACK SMACK THUD and various other noises as such. Apparently I had not noticed when I arrived that each of these fine young men held a stick of dried bamboo in their hand, and when I was out of sight they recommenced their bamboo sword fighting chaos that I had walked up on. Of course they eventually ganged up on Keith and he quickly said ya basta. All six of them piled into our station wagon and Keith taxied them all home. In the back patio I found the remnants of the homemade pizza they devoured, the card tricks they were showing off, and the coca-cola they were hyped up on, and shards of bamboo scattered in the most obscure places.

This is why I give them their space.

I don't mind it though-- if it means they don't have to worry about me overhearing their discussions of Proverbs, prayer requests, belching, or whimpering after they get whacked in the calf muscle by a swatch of bamboo.

Sure does sound like something the high school Keith and his buddies would have done though, right? ;)

This is one of many ways that Keith and I are growing deeper into loving these precious lives that we get to teach daily. While we might not always feel lucky to see them everyday (teaching still comes with its joys and frustrations), when we take the time to refocus we always end with praise to our God-- We are blessed to be here and to do this work.

sunrise from our roof. yes, it's true. we go to work everyday during the sunrise.

We're in the height of expeditions right now, and at least for me, the pressure of the end of the year is growing every day. Piles of projects and lessons tower in my mind and in my office. I'm looking forward to sharing pictures of all of it later.