Family Reunion

I am so excited to have recently had a family reunion with my dad's side of the family. It was a blast, in great part due to all of the hard work that my mother did! She cooked for a month ahead of time and everything was so tasty! It was a perfect weekend. We got together to celebrate my grandmother's 80th birthday. I think she had an amazing time, I know I did. It was wonderful to see cousins that I haven't seen in 7 to 10 years and other family members that I haven't seen in 2 or 3. I hope that we don't wait that long to see everyone again!

My grandmother and me

Cute Progress

I figured if you read my two recent blogs you might be curious as to how the other areas of the clinic look, especially the rooms I was writing about. So, here are pictures I took of the areas after getting my new purchases of toys and things brought in. Enjoy!

Sign for Learning Disabilities' Classroom (it says: Ambulatory School Service)

Classroom for children with learning issues (6 - 16 years old)

Another view

Psychologist's office

Art area of Early Intervention classroom (0-6 years old)

Blocks, puzzles, dolls, etc. - Learning toys

Art supplies and posters to be put up

View of the classroom

This Is How We Roll

Most people think having "less space" is a bad thing, but when it means having "less empty space," it is something to celebrate.

With the introduction of our new Early Intervention Program, we've begun using 3 rooms in the clinic that were previously left empty. One is the new psychologist's office and another is a classroom for children with learning disabilities. The third space is the Early Intervention / Early Stimulation classroom (0-6 years old), which we are preparing now for the incoming teacher to begin giving classes soon.

Here's a sneak peak at the room, I look forward to posting pictures of the finished product next week!

Spanish sign for "Pre-school classroom"

tunnel, mirror, mattresses for nap time

teacher's desk, art easel

some toys and organizers

Tomorrow I get to go out and buy more fun, educational, therapy toys -- things like puzzles, books, musical instruments and paints!

We also need to get some shelves put up, the mirror put on a stand to use for speech therapy and to receive furniture made for us for children with special needs. Then, the only thing left is to fill it with children!

Ikea Adventure

I bought furniture from Ikea that has to be assembled for the first time today. The total of pieces needing assembly = 7. After 2.5 hours of work I finished 4 chairs, a bookshelf and a desk, leaving one lonely desk to be finished up tomorrow. So excited about furniture that will be used for my office, the Early Stimulation / Early Intervention classroom and the Ambulatory Education Program!

The most complicated one... lots of pieces...

Finished product = teacher's desk

Desk, 4 chairs and an already full bookshelf

One last, lonely box left for tomorrow

Focus

For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 1 Corinthians 2:2

What a challenge... to know God and to focus only on Him and what He has done for each of us. How different would our lives be if we lived this verse out? To know nothing except Jesus Christ and his crucifixion?

A Light in the Darkness

So, I have been getting progressively worse at blogging... perhaps because I have been getting progressively busier as well? Regardless, its no excuse to not let you know what is going on in my world.

I am writing this update while sitting in a tiny chair in one of our new classrooms for the clinic's Early Intervention Program. Its a public holiday in the Dominican Republic, so no children are being displaced from their seats so that I can write this post, just in case you were worried. This room and these little chairs are amazingly blessed. They have the privilege of being a haven for children with learning disabilities as they meet with Marie, a loving, caring teacher who patiently works with each child giving them the help that they desperately need and are not getting any place else. Its a labor of love and I am thankful that God is letting us be a little part of it.

One of the most touching stories (of many) of the new students of Marie, is that of a 14 year old girl named Marianny. Marianny lives in El Cielo, the community right behind the mission. Her father and mother both have mental health issues. Her father also drinks heavily and recently left the family. Her older brother Alex is 16 years old and has cerebral palsy. He cannot do anything for himself and does not really move or talk, but his smile is straight from heaven. Marianny and her little brother Angel are suffering from the environment they live in. The two of them walk around with looks of confusion all day long. Marianny has had to take on the role of mother to Angel and caretaker to both her older brother and her mother. Its a weighty responsibility no child should have to take on.

While we cannot fill the void of love and reassurance in her life (only Christ can do that), we can provide her a safe, quiet environment to take a break, do her homework and talk about the things she is going through. We can let her know that she is valued, loved and that God has a plan for her and her life. Most of all, I'd like to think that we can give her hope.

What a Mighty God we serve. I know that He loves Marianny and her family more than I ever could. I know that He holds this precious child in His hands and that He wants us to be a light in her darkness.

Peace

"The peace that passes all understanding," its a phrase I've often heard and even said, but never really felt until today.

As some of you may know, my maternal grandmother fell two weeks ago and broke her femur. She had to have an operation the following day to place two plates and 13 screws in her leg. For an 84 year old woman with Alzheimer's, emphysema, and heart problems, the anesthesia and operation were just too much. She did not recover her swallowing and soon after became less and less responsive. Last Monday the doctors referred her to Hospice care and on Wednesday she made the trip from Allentown, PA to Baltimore, MD by ambulance.

Being advised of her condition and understanding that Hospice is end of life care, I decided to fly to Baltimore on Saturday. I couldn't fully comprehend the gravity of her condition until I saw her lying there in the hospital bed at Gilchrest Hospice. She had lost more weight, had a fever of 103 and no longer opened her eyes or spoke. The thing that struck me most was the conspicuous absence of IV fluids, which for some reason in my mind I imagined that she would have connected to her arm.

In that moment it struck me that my grandmother, known to me as Nanny, was going to die. She would not be getting better. Though this had been more or less explained to me, being far away I had held on to the hope that she could still recover, enter rehab for her leg and be more or less okay. Seeing her there, sleeping peacefully, it struck me that she would never again awake and be herself. This was a difficult realization.

That night the doctors told us that she would most likely pass within 24 hours. We remained at Hospice that night and awaited the inevitable. But in the morning my grandmother, who has always been a strong woman, had normal blood pressure, a strong pulse and her fever had lowered to 101. Sunday became Monday, which became Tuesday, then Wednesday and finally Thursday and still Nanny continued to rest peacefully sleeping. In this time, myself, my mother, my sister, my aunt, my uncle and their respective families were able to spend time with her, speak to her and for my part become at peace with her dying.

On Thursday night, as my plane was lifting off from Miami to fly to Santo Domingo, my grandmother passed away. I would find out more than 2 hours later on my way from the airport to my home. This morning (Friday), I was still unable to process that which occurred. And the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I was very calm, and had an overwhelming peace. As I mused about this it donned on my that I was experiencing that peace that defies all explanation, that comes at times when we understandably might experience a feeling to the opposite, times like this.

I know that my grandmother is resting, that she is held in the arms of her Savior, and that she no longer feels any pain. Knowing this, I am able to rejoice for her and look at her dying not as a cause for overwhelming sorrow, but as an occasion to accept the overwhelming peace that the Lord offers to us. I am secure in the knowledge that though I do not understand all of His plans, He works for the good of those who love Him.

Nanny, thank you for being my grandmother. We love you very much!

Vaccines

An uncomfortable topic for someone who is afraid of needles, like myself, but as we all have been taught, vaccines save lives.

So, each April or May depending on the delays in transportation of vaccines and syringes, Latin America gears up for a huge vaccination campaign called "Semana de Las Americas." This past Wednesday we began in the afternoon vaccinating our afternoon classes in the Nazareth school and the Haitian education program against polio, tetanus, and diptheria.

On Thursday morning we vaccinated the Cielo school and finished vaccinating the Haitian education program children. This year, unlike last year, I remembered to take pictures!

Mary vaccinated Eliezer against Tetanus and Diptheria

Brave face!

Someone is happy to know she won't be getting sick!

On Friday we vaccinated over 100 children with 126 doses of vaccines. Children under the age of 4 (1, 2 or 3 years old) received only anti-polo drops, 2 per child. Children ages 4, 5 and 6 received DPT (diptheria, polio and tetanus) vaccines in their thigh as well as anti-polio drops to reinforce the doses they have had previously. Children ages 7, 8 and 9 and teachers and teacher's aides received DT (diptheria and tetanus) vaccines.

On Monday, we return to Nazareth's school to finish up there with the 1st graders who didn't have their shot records on Friday when we were there. We are also hoping to vaccinate all Mission Emanuel employees that morning.

On Tuesday, we will be going to the Nazareth Public Elementary School (La Escuela Basica de Nazareth) to vaccinate in the morning and afternoon classes. Lots of work that day, but it will be the end of the school vaccinations. Then on Thursday, Friday and the following Monday and Tuesday health workers will go from house to house checking shot records and giving anti-polio vaccinations to children under the age of 3.

The final stage of the vaccinations campaign includes vaccinating all agricultural and construction workers against tetanus.

Week End

As I haven't written in a few weeks, I thought I'd up date you on how I've been spending my free time on the week ends.

Last weekend, I went with a group of 12 people to Castillo, a "campo" or countryside in the northern part of the country. It was a "viaje misionero" or a missions trip in which the group took Friday and Saturday nights to hold special services. As a group, we did two different dramas, a dance, showed a portion of the Passion of the Christ and sang. At the end of each service an alter call was held.

In Castillo, Joel and his family have been missionaries for the past 7 years. They work in a barrio called "Barrio Puerto Rico" that used to be a stronghold for drug dealers, prostitution and violence. People were afraid to enter the barrio and police had a hard time keeping all of the problems at bay. The church that Joel is pastoring holds its services in what used to be a bar/brothel that the church has cleaned up and is in the process of purchasing. Instead of being a place of vice, the congregation has redeemed it and made it a place where the entire community can come to receive from God.

Joel has been working with government representatives to pave roads, lay better electric lines and water piping and to provide general community services. The success that he has had so far in the barrio comes from loving people at the most basic level, by meeting their immediate physical needs. It was an honor to be able to spend time with him, his wife and his three young children. Please be praying for them and the work they are doing.

Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to take a picture of Joel and his family or the church. The only pictures I took were quick snapshots on my cell phone when we went further into the countryside and I rode a horse! So, here is a photo of me with the horse:

This weekend I went to Pico Escondido, a Young Life (Vida Joven) camp in Jarabacoa to be a part of the work team for a camp they were holding. Jarabacoa is about 2 hours from Santo domingo and is located in the center of the country in the mountains. The scenery and the weather are gorgeous. It was nice and cool in the morning and at night, a much needed and welcome break from the blistering heat of Santo Domingo.

Vida Joven meets weekly around the country and three times a year for different camps. The first camp in a sequence of three is held in June and is for people who are new to Vida Joven. The second camp is held in November and is a "growth" camp, lots of fun and games like June's camp, but more deep in the word and worship. In April, the "training" camp is held and volunteers, leaders and staff come together for training on how to work with the youth in their respective "clubs." We had the pleasure of serving on the "equipo de trabajo" so that staff could concentrate on giving and receiving training.

We started our day early at 6 a.m. with devotions and then preparing and serving breakfast. We then cleaned the rooms and bathrooms where the students were staying, moved right into preparing and serving lunch and then cleaned up after lunch and began preparing for dinner. Around 3:30 or 4:00 p.m. I was able to take a nap and then get back into it at 5:30 or 6:00 to setup and serve dinner. In the evenings we assisted with activities for youth and got to bed around 12 or 1 a.m.

I really enjoyed my time there, oddly enough considering cleaning bathrooms and pealing plantains might not sound like fun. But the difference is that the 10 people on our work team were amazing. They were all attentive and caring and pitched in to help out everyone even though we had division of labor. I really felt like the Acts church and the love of Christ through an attitude of service was demonstrated through the works of the team. It was a pleasure serving with all of them and it was encouraging to see a team work together so well. When God is the focus, everything falls into place.

Just some of the 150 teens and young adults at the camp

Adani, Auri and Elisa -- 3 awesome members of the work team

myself, Karen and Emmanuel, another part of the work team

2011 March Groups 3 & 4

Colorado Springs and Ohio State

March went by like a whirlwind! We had 4 amazing groups from all over the U.S. The 3rd week, The Ohio State University came as well as First Presbyterian Colorado Springs. I had a blast hanging out with this group and spending some time with them at dinners and their nightly devotions. What a love for others and dedication to the service of God, each and every member of the group has!

OSU Group working on the playground walls

I especially enjoyed my time with the young women from Ohio State. Its nice being able to give input and a little advice from the experiences that I have had with work, college, life and my relationship with God. Seeing young women experience the same things that I have and struggle with the same insecurities and problems is oddly encouraging. It reminds me that none of us are going through life alone and that though our experiences are different, they are really very similar.

Jack, Emmanuel and I with the OSU Group

After OSU and Colorado Springs left, we received a group from First Academy in Orlando, FL. First Academy is closely associated with the First Presbyterian Church in Orlando. They were an awesome group of young guys and gals and enjoyed working on several houses in the community.

We are so thankful for all that our short-term missionaries do in their time here in Bayona!

Blessings,

Anna

March 2011 Groups 1 and 2

Its that time again! March groups here in Cielo and Nazareth, young people choosing to spend their Spring Break trips making a difference!

The first week, we had groups from UNC, NC State and Wake Forest. They worked on four houses and a playground for the Nazareth school. They also helped out with some painting in the clinic. They painted accent walls for the pediatric consult room, a classroom for the new Early Intervention Program and murals in the dental office and vaccination area.

Kelly, Anna and Bob Heimall with the mural they painted

Bob's handiwork in the Vaccination Area

This past week we had groups from Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee (2 high school groups and a university group). Again, these students gave up their Spring Breaks, typically spent soaking up the sun or hanging out with friends, to come serve an impoverished community. They also worked on four houses -- the house of Ana and her family, the house of Grecia and Ventura, Marco's house, and Luis' house. One group spent time as well on building up the walls of the playground that will be put in later this year.

Jim and Javier praying over Ana's family's house site

Jim and Javier praying over Grecia and Ventura's house site

What an awesome month of groups so far! Today OSU and Colorado State come into town! :)

Looking forward to the next two weeks of groups to round out a productive and blessing filled March.

Promises

Everything in God's time is a concept not easy for me to wrap my head around. In a world where microwaves, drive thrus and express lanes are the norm, I have a hard time getting my stubborn self to get that just because something does not happen now or soon, does not mean that it will not happen at all.

Oh, how I want everything to go my way in my time! I think that in my "infinite wisdom" my timing and my desires are what I need. And yet, God is patient with me in my rebellion. He lovingly guides me and keeps my foot from striking rock when I stubbornly try to make things that I want work out.

He says to me again and again, "Patience, my child, patience, I have a plan that is better than yours. Patience and I will give you the desires of your heart in ways that you could never have imagined..."

Probably my favorite reminder of this is the verse in Romans 8:28, " And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

God sends us visual reminders too of His promises. Here He is showing off His great majesty in front of the clinic! :)

Doña Antonia

While conducting a survey in the community, we learned that the majority of the population of persons living in the 190+ houses in El Cielo are males under the age of 40, mostly adolescents.

Which makes the case of Doña Antonia so special. No one is sure how old she is really. Some people say she is in her 80's, some in her 90's and some family members have even said she's a 100 years old. No matter the age, she is easily one of the oldest people living in El Cielo and certainly one of the oldest people I've come into contact with in the DR period.

She is incontinent, so we have been providing her with Depends when we have them donated to the clinic. We were also able to get her a walker through our contacts with the Dominican Rehabilitation Association. Before receiving the walker she fell often, injuring her lower limbs frequently. Since receiving the walker, she hasn't fallen once!

Doña Antonia's husband died a few years ago and she has expressed her wish to be at peace and join him. Its sad for me to hear an older person say something like that, although in some sense I can understand her. Its my belief that the Lord leaves us here on earth for a reason. She has several adult children, of which the two or three I've met are very troubled persons. Doña Antonia has great faith and I believe that her purpose in still being with us is to minister to her children and others.

I'm thankful if we can even just make her a little more comfortable while she is living. Life is hard here. The heat, all of the work, the lack of transportation, and the broken, concrete streets and houses where she walks. I have so much respect for a woman like Doña Antonia who has overcome so much and still remains positive.

I hope that I can learn from her example!

Blessings,

Anna

Iglesia Evangelica del Cielo

Every Wednesday, my church, La Iglesia Evangelica del Cielo, has a church service with amazing worship. This Wednesday while sitting in the service I had two realizations.

The first is that the church has really grown. And it isn't just people that come once and then leave. The church is growing by leaps and bounds with new believers -- children, adolescents, young college students and adults are all part of the new influx of church attendees in El Cielo. The church has grown so much that regular Sunday and Wednesday night services all the seats are taken and many more are left standing on the sides, in the back and in the stairwell.

The church has plans to build across the street from its current location. It will be a wider, longer church with 2 or 3 floors to hold classrooms, meeting rooms, a library and offices. I am so excited for the new developments! When the church community started working in El Cielo 5 years ago, I'm not sure they even imagined that the church would grow so fast, so soon!

My second realization was that we really have only two choices in life -- to live for God or to live for ourselves. I realized that we can be doing work for God, but still be living for ourselves. Because living for God has to do with whole hearted complete submission to Him in everything that we do. Absolutely every area of our lives must be turned over to Him and allow Him to do what He wants to do with us. Not just the convenient parts, the more visible parts or the easy parts of our lives - the parts of our lives that we are ambivalent about. No, the parts of our lives that are so important and deep rooted in all that we are, those are the areas of our lives that God wants for Himself. And if we give these areas over to God, then He can bless them and use us in new and amazing ways.

Have a wonderful weekend filled with blessings and new revelations of God's goodness and provision!

Jeepeta

Say it with me, "Estoy monta'o!"

This Dominican slang translated into English means... I have a car! I was able to buy a 2002 Suzuki SUV with the assistance of so many wonderful people! Thanks for helping me to get a car so that I can get around easier, safer and without sweating so much. :)

I feel so very blessed for all the things that God is doing in my life. I know that He cares for us in the small and big things and that He is always with us.

Also, a very big accomplishment is that yesterday I got the "matricula" and the insurance for the car so now I can drive it around. Its all very exciting! :)

New Life

Recently, I have had the pleasure of being present just hours after the birth of an adorable little baby boy named Ivan Javier Perdono.

Born on Sunday, January 9, 2011 at 8.5 lbs., this precious child of God has become one of my newest little friends.

Ivan Javier

And in the clinic we met a little tiny baby that was born 3 months early. He only weighed 2 lbs. Now at a month and a half he is 4 lbs. They hadn't yet named him, so we gave him the name of Jose Benjamin. He is a fighter, but has been sick and we are in the process of helping the family with medicines and food.

Please pray for him and his mother Mache that God supplies for all their needs and that this little boy can live to grow up to be a man of God.

Blessings,

Anna

JanTerm 2011

Each January we have the privilege of welcoming the Rockford Christian School for a week. They are an awesome group led by Keith and Karen Christianson who have an amazing love for not only the students that come on the trip, but also an outpouring of love and compassion for the community of Bayona.

Aquilino, Belkis and their two children

Their group finished up two houses, a duplex and a bathroom for a family. One of the houses is for Aquilino, the therapist in our clinic. Previously, he, his wife and his two children shared one bedroom. Needless to say he is ecstatic about his new three bedroom house.

The house before...

The other family to receive a house is a family that had 12 people living in 2 bedrooms -- the parents, the mother's parents and their 7 children as well as a niece. The house was originally constructed with wood and tin. It is now concrete block with a tin roof and has 3 bedrooms and a bathroom inside (the used to have an outhouse). This family is very special as their twin daughters (Nely and Yanely) are incredible 18 year old girls with overflowing joy. They are very involved in the church and teach a children's discipleship class on Saturdays. They dance in the praise dance group and participate in all the youth activities.

Nely, Karen, Nely's mom and grandmother

The duplex was created for two single mothers. Amarilis, whom I have talked about a lot and her four children and Maritza and her three children.

And the bathroom was given to a family who has a daughter, Estefenia, who is deaf and mute.

Keith and the group in front of the new bathroom

The week was great, but Friday when the houses were dedicated and given to the families was a touching day. I so very much enjoy seeing people who love and trust in the Lord receive His blessings. These families have been praying for years for God to provide a better situation for them. And I got to be there to see when it happened! God's timing is so cool :)

Blessings,

Anna