6 months...12 months...then what??
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| This is Gonaives. This is my city. |
January and February...
I came back to Gonaives on New Year's Eve and we hit the ground running with a team of 45 dental students! We were able to meet some pretty incredible people and a handful of them are looking to come back in August. They pulled A LOT of nasty, rotten teeth while they were here. I don't remember what the final count was, but it was anpil (that means a lot in Creole)! Fast forward two weeks and we hosted our January HOPE trip. We were able to do some fun activities with the kids in our school sponsorship program and they got a look at the people we partner with here on the ground and their work.
Meanwhile, through all of these teams, the kids and I got back on the school grind since we'd been on vacation for Christmas. We're back in a new groove with a few changes for the new semester. We've also done several fun experiments in science and a cool demonstration for our next writing unit. We're plugging along and the kids are growing in their knowledge everyday making me a proud teacher. (Pictures below are learning about surface tension.)
Several months ago, I started teaching English to a few boys who hang out with the Brouwer kids. Just a handful of boys -- maybe 5 on a regular basis. My English class is still growing strong and the other day I had 21 people crammed into my living room for English!! We are literally busting at the seams! We are working on a new location to meet to accommodate the size of students I have accumulated and polishing up the process so it's a little more formal! It's been really cool to see how the Lord is using this and how it has grown. I'm hopeful that this will open some doors for some good conversations and it is my prayer that they see Christ's love through me.
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| My English class! We've run out of seats! |
Next six months...
We are in a time of transition in our ministry which means changes for me and what I do. We are losing a team member and so I will have a few more responsibilities outside of just teaching. I will begin to care for Moses a few afternoons a week and will continue teaching English two days a week. There is also potential for me to start working with Volcy, our Haitian partner for the school sponsorship program, and some of those students in a Study Hall type setting once a week. I'm excited to have a few more things on my plate to fill my time.
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| Isn't Moses the cutest? These boys LOVE him and it's pretty much the sweetest thing ever. |
Beyond...
Many of you have asked me in conversation or might have been wondering what happens when my "year" is up? I met with Luke and Julie (our field directors) a few weeks ago to discuss how things are going and what's next. As of right now the plan is for me to more than likely stay an additional year! I'm really enjoying what I'm doing here and just starting to feel like I'm in the groove. I also don't feel like the Lord has led me anywhere else! This is not 100% official quite yet. With all of the transitions and the additional responsibilities that I will have, we're going to make sure this is still what we all want in May. So, be looking for the official update then. But at this point, the plan would be for me to stay another year!
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| Katie, Holden and I at the top of a local mountain. |
I can't even begin to describe all that the Lord has been teaching me over the last six months. I've mentioned some of it before, and it is a lot of the same that He is continuing to refine in me. The Lord is ALL that I need. In the hard times. In the good times. In the okay times. In all of the in-between times. HE. IS. IT. Now, I'm human, so sometimes my flesh doesn't allow me to remember that, thus the need for refinement, but I'm getting better. The Lord is my constant companion and confidant.
I've also been doing a study called "Finding I AM" by Lysa TerKeurst through Proverbs 31 ministries. It is good. Read it. In the book we are studying the book of John and the six "I Am" statements that Jesus makes here on Earth. It is teaching me so much about who Jesus is His goal for my life as a follower of Him. One of my biggest take-aways so far has been that sometimes God doesn't fill in all the blanks of the outline of our life. He leaves those blanks because that is where He redeems us in His plan for our life and our trust in Him. Not knowing everything is okay. (This is sometimes a hard concept for my Type-A self.) Also, United Pursuit. They're a band and you should definitely look them up! I don't know how I haven't heard about them before this week!
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| At the top of the mountain there was a tower. I was the picture taker... |
It's been a stressful six weeks to say the least, but we've done our best to try and do some fun things in the midst of it all. The biggest adventure being that Katie, Holden and I climbed a mountain. I literally climbed an entire mountain. It was no Everest, but that's still an accomplishment for me. Especially because I didn't die and I made it all the way to the top. It was a nice morning to just get away and check out our beautiful city from up high. A local ice cream shop has also reopened so I've been able to get my ice cream fix which is always a good thing!
Here's a few more pictures...Sorry they aren't better condensed. I couldn't make them go where I wanted!
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| We did a peanut butter sandwich how-to writing. These are the sandwiches that we ended up with. |
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| We used gummy bears to talk about ions! |
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| Jude has been working on multiplication facts. He passed his first three tests and earned 20 gourdes! |
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| Sorry Robin. I had nothing to do with this plan. Wait, yes I did. I helped make sure it was as safe as possible! |
ReplyDeleteWow, Caitlin. You are turning into a mature young woman. What a variety of things you can do. I love hearing from you.