It was weird giving the finals this year and not taking them. It was kind of funny to see the look on the kids faces when upon passing out the normal weekly Bible quiz I pulled a fast one on them and told them it was over the entire Bible. The air was sucked out of the room, it was funny.
This week has been pretty good, it’s weird to write that because as I look back on some of the moments in the classroom I wouldn’t use the word “good” to describe it. As we get closer to the holidays, I have many students who have never been away from home so some chose to act out. It was weird though at the end of the day I had out of control joy, it felt like being a little kid and anticipating going to Bush Gardens tomorrow. It was 4 in the afternoon and I got a burst of energy and a smile that wouldn’t leave my face. It was weird…and awesome. This happened on Saturday, which is even more of a miracle because honestly I make it few Saturday nights without sitting on my bed and crying. Saturday is a very stressful I have been working for over 12 hours kind of day. I like them, and they are enjoyable but just super stressful. Anyways so this Saturday again at 4 I was hit with a wave of joy that took me all the way until 9 that night. It was beautiful! I have been pondering as to why this is and let me tell you my hunch. Almost two weeks ago we got a couple who is volunteering out here; the husband is going to be our Chaplin. I am guessing that when the current sermon series is over he will begin to step in and do some preaching…so what do they do in the meantime? They pray. Weird I know but they pray all the time…first couple I have met that take “pray without ceasing” literally. They pray hard and specifically for the students to have a real relationship with Jesus, for the staff to feel joy and rejuvenation, for the program. It’s awesome. The other night they went up to the house I work for just to be around the kids more so they can better pray for them. I was talking with the pastor’s wife about stress and she said that one night she woke up feeling this heaviness of stress on her and she felt as though she needed to pray for that spirit of stress to be lifted from the campus. It has been really encouraging to talk with them and to know that we are constantly being coated in prayer. I believe that every ministry and Christian organization should have someone who’s job is to simply cover everything in prayer.
On the flip side of joy homesickness hit me really hard on Sunday, for Christmas for the last four years I have been going to my sister’s house for Christmas and not doing that is hard. I still love it here and know that I am supposed to be here but I deeply miss my parents, family, and friends. What I do like about Escuela Caribe is we have traditions for everything, for the holidays I have already been caroling! We got to go into some of the Dominican homes and attempt to sing Christmas carols in Spanish. It was a lot of fun and the first time I have been in a Dominicans home. Yesterday we distributed big bags full of food to families who live in houses that you would probably call a neat fort from your childhood, just whatever you can find nailed together. I have to tell you a funny story, one of the houses was up a crazy steep mountain. I wish I had a picture because it was Grand Canyon crazy switch back comparable but I know I know without pictures I am just a big fish kinda gal. Anyway I had taken time away from work to do this so I am in nice work clothes hiking this insanely steep dirt path. When we got up there it started to rain, which was awesome but when it was dry I was worried about how I was going to safely without staining my clothes get down and now I have to factor mud in….impossible. As we start heading down one of my students says from behind “Ms. Donohue, I am really worried about going down this mountain” to which I reply “don’t worry I am too” she said “yeah I am so terrified of heights” then I replied “…oh…um heights don’t do anything to me I am just worried about getting my clothes dirty” it was really funny. It was so awesome to see the look of hope on someone’s face, that joy that says its all going to be alright…I am going to make it. I got to see that 13 times yesterday; I got to hug these tiny frail, beautiful widows, widowers, and families. I think I am going to pocket that as one of the best moments here so far.
Today I was talking to Sandy (guest star in the adventures of last blog) and she said she was in town today and saw the Finish guys (guys from Finland) from our vacation. I hope you remember them they were the guys who would just randomly show up around the town and also told us about the hike. How random is it that Sandy saw them 6 hours away in our little town! I thought that was so crazy and I told her it was blog worthy.
I hope you guys can experience true joy this Christmas season! I love you and miss you guys!
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