Sorry...Community Visits

First off, I am sorry for the lack of blog updates since I have been back in the DR the 2nd time around, I am going to try to do better and feel that it is likely I will now that I have better access to internet. After a great time being home for Christmas, the transition has been very smooth in 2010. I feel that I had a good base to build on with relationships when I returned home and they have definitely strengthened since coming back.

At Palmas in the afternoon. It started small but soon there

were people everywhere!

One thing I have really enjoyed this year has been going with the teachers or Alfredo into the community to visit families of children in the Care Center. I actually had no idea that they did this on fridays until about a month ago when I mentioned to Alfredo that I was interested in going into the community and building relationships with the families. I am usually pretty drained by thursday from the week, but these are always refreshing for my friday off.

One of the houses in Palmas

I don't like to take pictures while I'm on these visits so I don't really have any to post, although I do have some that were taken when a team was here from our visit to "carrera de las palmas." This was my first introduction to this community, Alfredo and I went in the morning to ask if it was ok if we brought a team to meet the people there and then we stayed and talked for a while and I really grew to like this community. The trip that afternoon was amazing. Even though I had only been there once before (that same day in the morning...) they treated me like we had been friends for years. I randomly asked the seemingly leader of the community if he wanted to get everyone together and pray and he jumped all over the idea and before I knew it the whole community was out with our team and we had a great time of prayer with these people. This was my first trip so I didn't really think it was a rare thing but Alfredo pulled me aside later and told me how amazing it was and that he had never seen that happen with such a large group. It was a very cool day, and Alfredo and I are going back there this afternoon to keep the relationship going.

A picture taken during the group prayer.

Most of the community right before we left.

Earthquakes, Spiders and Answered Prayers

Ark Constanza kids with the newest member "Nube" (spanish for cloud im pretty sure...)

It has been such a whirlwind around here since I got back Jan 5th that I don't even know where to start! Hopefully I can give a good recap of my 1st 10 days back on the island.

With travel logistics to Constanza tough it ended up working better for me to spend the first 5 days back in Jarabacoa. At first I was a little hesitant because I didn't want to constantly be in the way or a hassle to anyone, but it really ended up being a blessing. I got to visit with old ark friends from previous visits and through sponsorships, as well as develop great relationships with some of the newer kids at the Ark that I hadn't really gotten to know yet. I also got to spend time with Brian Veen who I studied with in Guatemala and it was good to reconnect and catch up a bit after the holidays. The missionaries were great and I really enjoyed spending time with the Jarabacoa crew.

One of my great Jarabacoa friends on my motor. Our family has

been sponsoring him and his brother for years and he rarely leaves

my side when I visit Jarabacoa.

One of the big blessings from spending the time there was I was able to spend a lot of time with the short term group from St. Mary's College in California. I spent the night at the team house for the 5 days and 3 of those nights were with this group. They were a blast and they just took me in as one of their team members. I am excited to meet up with them again this week as they will be in Constanza to serve from Saturday through Saturday.

I also celebrated my first "Dia de los Reyes" which was very fun. After mass producing pancakes in the morning for the big pancake breakfast, the kids opened presents and then we spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing and playing with the kids. My kind of holiday!

The Rowley's picked me up after dropping Carter off for school and we headed back up to Constanza. It was really great to see them again, it was weird being away for a few weeks after spending so much time together right before Christmas. Housing has been a big transition, as I have basically been living out of suitcases since September 20th now, but the Rowley's were great as I spent the first few nights at their house until my temporary apartment was ready again.

A very common question during my time at home was "what are the biggest challenges you face there?" and "how can I be praying for you?" I usually geared answers to both questions back to the uncertainty and constant transition of not having housing nailed down. There is no doubt that everyone really followed up on that and prayed for it to work out because less than 24 hours after I had arrived in Constanza the housing had worked out better than I could have imagined! I will be moving into a fully-furnished apartment for the rest of my time here and in the same Colmado I have come to love. Altagracia and Yuli have been so great for me and helping me get settled in their property, it has been fun to get to know them so far. They have also felt kinda bad about me not being able to move in so they have really been taking care of me!

The only downside to this is that the temporary apartment I am in now is taken from January 20th-30th...so I will move into the teamhouse here (again with the St. Mary's team for the first few days..) and then move in permanently on the 28th! Needless to say I am very excited to finally move in. There is some stuff I haven't even used yet that was packed all the way back in September that will finally get used.

Always a good time doing sponsorship letters

with the kids....this picture is a pretty accurate

depiction of a typical day trying to get letters done

with the kids.

St. Mary's will be our first group of the year and I am excited to get going with teams! I know it will be a lot of extra work, but it is something I am pumped for. The Rowley's and everyone here have been putting tons of work in to get the new team house ready for guests. There has also been someone just chillin at the team house for who knows how long and I don't know if he is ready to give up his kingdom he has started on the outside wall! I asked one of the dominicans working at the team house about the spider and he said it was very very very dangerous and that one bite or prick would be very bad...not what I like to hear already hating spiders...When a Dominican tells me to stay away from something like that I ALWAYS listen..(well except for taking the picture..)

My new friends! And what I think about before going

to bed every night...(don't let Kirk see this...)

One of the first days back in the temporary apartment, I was checking a problem in the toilet because mechanism to flush was broken...so I was taking a look inside when all of a sudden the water started slushing back and forth which seemed strange to me but I thought maybe i had leaned into the toilet or something. Then I realized that the whole bathroom was shaking! I started walking out of the bathroom but was very disoriented and could see the whole floor moving in waves...I didn't have the urgency to get out of the house that I should have had because I had never been through an earthquake before, and especially not one like this. I finally made my way outside and saw the ground still moving in waves and heard everyone yelling and that is when I realized it wasn't a fun thing it was a serious thing. Constanza is on the same fault line as the earthquake in Port au prince and that is why it was so strong here. Thankfully everyone in my area was fine and I didn't hear of any damage. Keep Haiti in your prayers, it is uncertain how we will be affected from this but I have heard rumors that there will be some Haitian orphans coming to Kids Alive for as long as 6 months.

To me this earthquake was a unique, interesting, and unsettling experience....but for millions in Haiti it was life-altering and tragic. Please pray for everyone in Haiti, and especially my good friend Grant who is serving as a missionary there and will certainly be front and center in the rescue mission and months ahead.

A lot has happened these first few days back but I am so blown away by God's answered prayers. The housing situation is looking great, the kids all remembered me and we picked up right where we left off, and it looks like internet is on the horizon in my apartment as well which would be awesome. Thank you so much for your continued prayers as my constant transition continues!

The two youngest kids who were very excited when I

came back! The boy on the right is the newest ark arrival

and older brother of the girl in pink!

Back in the DR

Sorry it has been so long between blog entries. I didn't really see much of a point to update while I was home, but hopefully I can do a better job now that I am back in the DR! Here is a copy of my email update from today.

Hey everyone,

I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Years! I am back in the DR, currently in Jarabacoa for a few days before I return up the mountain to Constanza on Sunday night. It feels great to be back, spending time with friends here and the kids in the DR has been great. I am anxious and excited to return to continue all the relationships in Constanza that I started to develop before Christmas.

My 3 and a half weeks back home were great, it was incredible to see family and friends. I enjoyed everything except the cold weather and snow! My time back was busy, filled with meals with friends, 4 family parties, trip to Kansas City to see family and watch my friend play for the Chiefs, mini-road trip to St. Louis for a concert, Bulls game, and countless hours spent hanging out with family and friends. Although my time back was amazing, towards the end I was definitely feeling ready to get back to the kids and the work in the DR, something I didn't think I would be saying when I first got home!

After my "trial" run of the first couple months in the DR now the main event begins. I will be serving in the DR for a much larger chunk of time without returning home and will be much busier with increased responsibilities with groups from churches coming throughout the spring and summer. This is a challenge that I have been looking forward to and the interactions with these teams should be encouraging and fulfilling. Now that I am gone for a bit longer feel free to send me letters/packages! It is really encouraging to get mail here and I would love to hear from my friends and family in the states.

Please keep me in your prayers and I continue to adjust to the culture and language and that God would give me great opportunities to be a Godly example to the kids and people here. Also, please keep my housing situation in your prayers as well as there is still a bit of uncertainty surrounding it and I am hoping to figure it all out these next few weeks. If you have any questions or are looking for ways to support me or the ministry here please send me an email I would love to talk to you. Thank you so much for your continued support through this stage in my life.

In Christ,

Kyle

Copy of Email Update (with pictures!)

Just in case you don't get my emails but want some more details! (and if you want to be added to the list let me know!

I feel like it has been forever since my last update and I apologize for the lack of communication lately. A lot has happened in the last month and I thank God for providing such a great situation for me. The people, kids, and other missionaries here are great and I could not be more excited about what God is doing here. There have definitely been some trying moments/adjustments/inconveniences, but I am loving my time here. Quick side note-if anyone has sent me an email and I haven't responded please resend it! I am trying my best to respond to every email, but unfortunately I have been finding out that I am not getting some emails! I don't know what the deal is but when people have resent them they have gotten through fine...thanks!

Alfredo (my boss..) in action at OANSA

I am learning more and more everyday...I was talking with Leandra (in charge of academics at the care center) and we were talking about differences between the different cities within the country. And one thing she said was that people get married when they are much older in Santo Domingo (capital). I thought that was interesting but what was even more interesting was when she said that they get married at 17 or 18 there as opposed to 12,13, or 14 in Constanza! I am still doing my research to find out if this is legitimate but I thought that was pretty crazy!

I am trying to keep my blog updated but it is tough with limited internet access, but there are still some good updates on there including one that explains the difference between the care center and ark! My first month has been amazing and I am so pumped to see what God has in store for the next few years here.

Here are some highlights.

-I have been working in the care center for about 4 weeks now and am really getting settled in. I wake up for the 8am devotional Mon-Thurs with the staff at the care center and really has been a cool time every day to worship God in Spanish (not to mention great practice...) My responsibilities right now include teaching sports/gym classes in the morning and english classes in the afternoon. I have tried to put some good details into my blog so if you're looking for more go there!

Helping some of the younger kids get ready

for an OANSA competition

-A couple days into my time here, Craig went with me to Jarabacoa and we were able to find a good bike and I have since made 2 trips down the mountain to Jarabacoa. I am actually writing this from the Trautweins after our big Thanksgiving celebration! Today was my first solo ride down the mountain and it went very smoothly. I love having the independence to be able to get around town so conveniently yet also being able to take the bike to Jarabacoa.

One of my favorite foods at the Care Center!

Needless to say I was a little surprised when

they showed me what it was....

-My apartment situation has been a bit sticky, but things are coming together. I was supposed to move into my apartment a few weeks ago, but things were slow with building the new house for the family currently in my apartment. I ended up staying with the Rowley's for a week or two longer than expected, and now I am in a temporary apartment in the same property that I will eventually move into in January. It isn't all bad though, the apartment is fully furnished and has ESPN in english complete with american commercials! (jokes on them as it would be very difficult to get to best buy or taco bell....)

-Today has been a HUGE blessing for me. Yesterday was probably my weirdest/toughest day in Constanza knowing that it was Thanksgiving and there was not one mention of it all day! I would bring it up and how important it is to my family and how much I always loved the day and all they knew is that you eat turkey...Thankfully the Trautwein's invited me to a big thanksgiving party with a group from their home church in California. It was such a contrast for me and it completely recharged me and it was nice to enjoy some good food other than rice and beans for once! I also got to visit with the Lanier's (family from missionary training school in Colorado) for the 2nd time! Now that I can make the trip on my own, Jarabacoa will be a nice change of pace from Constanza every once in a while.

-One of the coolest parts of my first month is how fast I was able to really connect and get to know the kids that I am with every day. There are only 22 kids at the Ark which was such a great number and I have a great relationship with all of them and it is never boring around there! The more challenging aspect has been getting to know the 100+ in the care center, but I have been attacking it and I am really starting to build some great relationships there as well. One of my highlights every day is eating lunch with the kids at the center and just talking and spending time with them.

Me with my group for OANSA bible verse memorization.

They are always trying to weasle their way to some

extra points but we have fun!

PRAYER REQUESTS

-Safe Travel throughout the country the next few weeks as I am visiting different sites and coming home to the states Dec 11. I am feeling very comfortable with my motorcycle and to all the moms out there I do wear a helmet when I am traveling to Jarabacoa!

-Comfort and peace as I continue to transition and get used to being so far away from friends and family permanently for 2 years.

-Please continue praying for the kids...every day I learn a little bit more about a child's situation or what they have gone through and they have been through more than we can ever imagine! The great news is that they are all hearing the gospel and really having life-changing experiences through Kids Alive.

Panuelo...hands down the most popular game here.

Kind of like steal the bacon...with a shirt?

-Health...it has been good so far and praying that it stays that way!

-Upcoming trip to Wheaton. Pray for safe travel (again) and some great quality time with friends and family. I also need to shore up a little bit of my support as I have had some unexpected expenses and also some things have been higher than I budgeted. Pray for wisdom for who (and how!) to ask for, and the peace to know that God will provide!

Thank you all so much for you support, I wouldn't be able to do ANY of this without you. I love hearing from everyone so keep the emails coming-

In Christ,

Kyle

The main room in the care center, where lunch is served

also used for parts of OANSA

Dominican Softball

One of the highlights and unexpected treats of living here has been playing on a fast-pitch softball team in Constanza. When I first heard about the possibility of joining this team I didn't know what to expect at all...I thought it would be very similar to slow-pitch chicago style softball with old men. I was very pleasantly surprised at how similar it is to baseball and at the level of competition. Alfredo connected me with the team as he also plays on it and it is made up of players from several churches in the area. The coach has really taken me under his wing and helped me out a ton and I have really really enjoyed getting to know the guys on the team.

It is a very very strange and new feeling for me to be heckled after EVERY play. I am one of maybe 6 total North Americans in the city and they definitely remind me. I hear "Americano" yelled out during the whole game no matter what is happening! It is fun though because I will have a few fans and people who try to talk to me in English as I'm walking up to the plate with phrases like "howdy my friend." Luckily it hasn't been too bad since I have played pretty well, but as soon as I start playing bad it could get ugly real fast! The environment is amazing...the town loves to come and watch the game and there are always people lining the fences at the street and out past the fences in the outfield. There is usually a decent crowd in the stands as well, and almost every game has an announcer who does more of a play-by-play than in the US, it is fun to listen to.

Now on to the important stuff...I am playing right field which I have come to love. Now, I can't really ever remember a time in my baseball career where I was an outfielder but it has been an interesting transition. It is much easier for me to hit in this type of league where the pitching is more similar to a baseball trajectory than the huge arching lob of chicago style softball. First double-header I was 3-6, next game 3-4, and then last night 4-6 including a 2 RBI single that put us up by 1 in the last inning after trailing by 9 heading into the inning! It was an adventure though as an error by me in the bottom of the inning tied the game back up...I am still getting used to the very unlevel outfields! Hope you wanted to hear the details....

I haven't been able to get any pictures or video of me yet, but I took a video of the surroundings of the game before ours last night to give a feel of the league. I am hoping to get some video/pictures in action at this Sunday's game. This has been so huge for me to be able to keep my competitive side entertained while I am here!

Care Center vs Ark

I have spent a lot of time trying to clarify what I am doing in the DR and for people that are familiar with Kids Alive and the Ark just what exactly the difference is. I figured I would just do a quick clarification post to help out.

The gate to the complex, it is in front of the care center

and during the day there is a guard to control

who has access to the complex

The Care Center an Ark share a large plot of land where the Ark is essentially 2/3 of the land and the Care Center takes up the other 1/3.

CARE CENTER

This is where I am primarily working. Basically it is a 3 room school where Kids Alive identifies children in the community who need extra schooling/care/meals and they come for half a day. This works well because the public/private schools are all only half days, so if the child has school in the afternoon then they are able to come in the mornings and vice versa. The children are also able to eat lunch there.

Here is a good picture of the Care Center. Right now there are

3 classrooms that are used and once the roof is put

on the 2nd floor will be huge for growth.

The Care Center is run by a man named Alfredo who has been a real blessing for me as we get along great and work well together. It is always fun to come to work. The academic side is run by a woman Leandra who is incredible with the teachers and children and has developed much of the academic curriculums and plans for the Care Center.

A small playground behind the Care Center.

My role is basically to serve as a gym teacher in the morning Monday-Friday and then teach an english class in the afternoon. On thursday they have OANSA (awanas) with the younger kids in the morning and older kids in the afternoon which I am also involved in. It is a great set-up and I really enjoy eating the meal with the kids every day after their classes in the morning.

OANSA out in front of the Care Center. Alfredo is the on

the right with the camera. The other man in the red shirt

is Giovanny, a house parent at the Ark who is very

involved in OANSA.

OANSA inside for a bible verse competition. This is one of

the classrooms at the Care Center.

ARK

This is the 2nd ark in the DR from Kids Alive. The ark in Jarabacoa was very successful so this is the same thing only in a different location. Right now there are 3 houses each one with 2 Dominican house parents and about 7-8 kids. Each family usually has 2-3 biological children and then the rest are children that have been rescued from really tough situations.

One of the Ark houses, one in construction in the distance

Here is the other side of the Ark. Big soccer field in the middle and

Basketball court in the distance. The other 2 houses to the right.

The children usually remain on the complex with a few exceptions such as school, church, "ark activities," and other special occasions. I am also in charge of sponsorship for the Ark, which involves a few projects a year and helping keep the sponsors from the US connected to the kids and the other way around. It is fun to work with the kids, but also can be a little difficult to get them fully motivated when they are trying to do projects for 9-10 sponsors!

A few of the kids hard at work on my first sponsorship project,

a little christmas card. Arts and Crafts have never been my

strength, but I'm giving it a shot!

The directors are Arsenio and Belkys who are very very good for the ark and have helped tremendously. They also serve as house-parents at the Ark and have 2 sons who live with them. I have really been able to get to know the kids at the Ark very well as I spend a few hours there every day whether it is to help with homework, read, or just play with the kids. It is a great experience and I am really enjoying everything about it!

Hope this clears it up a bit, if you have any more questions don't hesitate to contact me.

Constanza!

Ok, first of all it will be very difficult to recap my 5 days since I have gotten here because it feels like I have been here a month already! But here is my best attempt. I have been so blessed to have the Rowley's here to help me with the transition. Craig and Libby have been here for about 2.5 years with their 3 kids Carter (16), Gabe (13), and Isaiah (8). I will have pictures up of them all eventually once I start actually using my camera!

Picture of Isaiah, as you can see we get along well

with the video games! I took this right before

updating so I could have at least 1 Rowley

picture on here for this update!

Craig came down to pick me up from Jarabacoa monday afternoon. Their oldest son Carter is attending school in Jarabacoa during the week and comes home on the weekends, this means tons of travel time for Craig in order to help him get there and back. Travel is a little difficult with Constanza because of its location in the mountains, but it is very worth it.

Monday night I enjoyed meeting Libby, Gabe, and Isaiah and having my first meal with them. I have been placed in such a great position with them already established here to help me. I have really enjoyed my time and conversations so far with them. Craig has been especially helpful with finding my apartment and my moto, I am very appreciative of all the time and effort they have invested into my transition so far (especially while I live with them for the first couple weeks!)

Tuesday I spent pretty much the entire day with Craig, which included running some errands he needed to do for Kids Alive, going to the 2 available options for my future apartment, looking at prices for motorcycles in Constanza, and going to the care center.

Tuesday I also got to meet both Alfredo and Arsenio who I will be working extensively with. Arsenio is the director of the Ark and is a strong Christian man who I have loved getting to know this week and definitely look forward to getting to know better over these next few years.

The majority of my work here is going to be at the Care Center, and Alfredo is the director of the care center so he will be my boss. I couldn't have asked for a better person to work under, he loves God, loves kids and loves sports! He invited me to play on their fun and competitive fast-pitch softball team, and our first game is Sunday so I am very excited about that.

I was able to come to an agreement on an apartment also which is a huge answer to prayer! It is within a couple hundred feet of the Rowleys, and a very short moto ride from the Ark/Care Center. Couldn't ask for a better location, also it is on the 2nd story of a "colmado" where I will be able to get water and other food/drink items very conveniently. The owner/land lord of this apartment is the same person who owns the Rowley's house and he gave me a great deal and situation due to his great relationship with the Rowley's.

On Wednesday, Craig and me ventured down to Jarabacoa to look at prices for Moto's. He also had some work to do with overseeing a construction project at Jarabacoa so it worked out well. We met up with the Kids Alive bus driver and good friend from past visits Eladio. He was great to spend time with and a big help in finding a moto. I have very fond memories of getting to know him on past trips and I was glad to have this time. We bought a great bike and got a pretty good ( i think?) deal on it, so it was a successful trip in that regard. After a long, construction filled trip back up the mountain I was back.

Me and Eladio loading up the Moto (his idea for

the picture not mine!)

Thursday was my first glimpse into how they run "OANSAS" (awanas in the us) at the Kids Alive project. It was a blast, the younger kids are there in the morning and the older kids in the afternoon. The first 30-40 minutes are spent with the kids in 4 teams and playing various games and competitions with the winners getting points added to their team. After this the groups split up into small groups of about 8-10 where they show the leaders what scriptures they have memorized from the OANSA book. This was interesting for me because I was thrown right into being a leader for this section so my spanish was put to the test! This is a big part of what I will be doing and it was really fun to get to know some of the kids a little better.

Friday's are generally a day where I don't have too much responsibility at the care center. There are no classes and all there is is just a few hours of planning for the teachers. I don't know exactly what I will be doing on fridays, but I am assuming it will involve some work over at the Ark and spending time with the kids.

It has been a crazy, but amazing week and I can't express how excited I am to finally be here, and to be able to finally call Constanza home! Hopefully I can get better at taking pictures and put more on here...Please keep me in your prayers that the transition will continue to go as smooth as it has this first week! Thank you all for your support.