Trash Pickup Day

This past week we took the kids on a walk around the community to pick up trash. Here in the DR it is quite customary to just throw your trash on the ground. Kids see this modeled at home so would naturally grow up thinking that this is OK. It is actually quite a challenge at the school to teach the kids about throwing their trash in the trash can and about how it is all of our responsibilities to keep the Earth clean. Before we went out to pick up trash, we talked to the kids about how God created the Earth beautiful for us to enjoy and that He gave it to us to take care of. We told them that when people leave trash on the ground it makes God sad that we are destroying His creation. The kids were excited to help, especially after we gave each of them a pair of plastic gloves to wear. :-) I also overheard some of the older kids talking about how in their homes they always throw away their trash and that they tell their parents to do the same.

Shoe Crew

This past week we had a group from Taylor University come down with a huge blessing to share. They brought brand new tennis shoes for all the kids in Mata Gorda! We had measured the kids feet before to make sure everyone got the right size shoes. They started off the day doing running games and then each child has their feet washed and and their new shoes put on their feet. As each child was getting their feet washed we prayed for them. Eliamar was especially excited because her shoes had Dora on them. :-) This boy, Jordani, doesn't go to our school but he comes from one of the poorest families in Mata Gorda. I have never once seen him with shoes on his feet, he is always barefoot. He was so excited when he got his new shoes, I have never seen someone smile so big! And it was so cute to see him prancing around all day so proud of his new shoes.

a crazy weekend

This past weekend I made a quick trip home. Now when I was in college a weekend trip home was made quite often, but now that I live more than 3,000 miles away, a weekend trip seems anything but rational. However, I did it. I think I actually spent more time traveling than I did in California. But I was worth the sleepless lay overs: I was headed home to go to my Grandpa Lombard's memorial service. Back in February Grandpa passed away from a stroke after living a long and happy 86 years. The service was a wonderful tribute to his life. He was a wonderful man who loved the Lord and served Him with his life. Although it is always sad when someone passes, I am so thankful that we can rejoice knowing that Grandpa fought the fight and finished the race and is enjoying eternity with his Savior.

Child of the week - Kyarolin

Meet Kyarolin:Now, I know that teachers are not supposed to have favorites. Don't get me wrong, I love each one of my kids just as much as the next, but their are a few kids who just pull my heart strings a little more. Kyarolin is one of those. Maybe it is the fact that she looks like a Cabbage Patch Doll.Or the fact that she sounds like a cartoon character when she talks.
Or the fact that she says that she is my daughter. In any case, I love Kyarolin and she is a joy and a laugh to be around. This is her first year at our school and she is 3 years old. Her main accomplishment that she has made this year is in the area of social development. At the beginning of the year she would be content to spend all of recess in my lap and never interact with the other kids. Now, the fact of the matter is that I would be happy to have her in my lap all day long, but I knew it was important for her to play with the other kids. So I started encouraging her to play with the other kids. I would take her over to the sand box and sit with her for a few minutes and then leave her contently playing alongside the other children. She has developed greatly in this area. She is still shy, which is fine, but at least she talks and interacts with the other kids more.
Kyarolin comes from a loving, stable household but her parents are not Christians. There is also a bit of turmoil in her household as her oldest sister, Diosmeri, who was the only real Christian of the family, just turned up pregnant by her boyfriend and got thrown out of the house. Pray for her family that they would come to a saving knowledge of Christ.

Happy Valentines Day

For Valentines day we did a special art project with the kids at school. They turned out so cute and the kids were very excited to have something to take home to give to someone who they loved for Valentines Day. And of course it was another great opportunity to teach the kids about the greatest love of all: that God has for His people. It is so precious to me to teach my kids that no matter who else loves or doesn't love them, God always has and always will love them.

Student of the week

Meet Adrian.

Adrian is 4 and this is his first year at the school. He was a late enrollment as one of the students dropped out. When his mother first brought him to the school she ensured me that he was a diablito (a little devil). This was very sad that she said this because she said it right in front of him, not in jest. She then told him that he had better behave himself because his teacher (me) was very mean and would spank him if he was bad. I quickly assured her that I was sure he was a good kid and would do just fine. Needless to say, this was not really the way I wanted to start out with him. I much prefer positive reinforcement instead of threatening punishment. But many parents do not give any form of positive reinforcement at home and think that the only way of discipline involves threats and spanking. Then kids grow up learning to not respect authority but only to fear punishment, which for many kids is not enough incentive to obey. Many parents and other people refer to kids as malcriados or poorly-raised. It makes me sad to hear people say this about kids because it makes me think that not even the parents care enough to try to raise their kids properly.
As it turns out, Adrian is anything but malcriado. He is a very sweet kid and always has a smile on his face. More recently he has starting tell me that he loves me about 50 times a day. He is extremely intelligent and has already learned to write his name all on his own. His mom tells me that he always insists on doing his homework by himself, with no one helping him.

Since he has started at the school I have also seen a change in his mom. She is a very nice lady and often comes to pick up Adrian early from school just to sit in the classroom and watch him. Sometimes she still makes comments to him that I would not necessarily approve of, but as she observes the way that I speak to the kids I see her attitude changing. Please pray for Adrian and his mom (Yesenia) that she would see her child the way that God sees him: as a blessing and a wonderful creation. Pray that she would understand that raising her child is a responsibility that God has given to her and that the way she treats her child now will affect him for the rest of his life.

Child of the week - Alexander

I have decided to do something that I promised a long time ago: present a child from the school each week.

Meet Alexander.
Alexander is 4 years old and is in his second year at the school in my level 1 class. He is very smart and will be moving on to the next level class at the end of this year. He knows his whole alphabet, all the colors and can count very proficiently. He is still working on his handwriting skills and is getting better at writing his name without help. He is a very energetic child and especially enjoys playing with toy cars. His parents are not Christians so please pray for Alexander and his family that through him his family may come to know and worship Jesus.

Here he is receiving a Christmas gift from his sponsors (who happen to be my parents.):
If you are interested in sponsoring a child please contact me by email. lombard.katie@gmail.com