Mural

This year has been a wonderful year of art at the school. Starting in the spring we had an intern at the art site who wanted to come a do art projects with the kids at the school. It was such a wonderful idea and it carried on into the summer. Every time we had a visiting team from the states they would come out to the school once during the week to do an art project with the kids. It was a great change of pace for the kids and a wonderful addition to their learning experience. Art and creative expression is such an important part in childrens' learning and development. I really hope this is a teamwork that can continue between the schools and the art ministry here in SI.

During one particular outreach, the art group painted a mural on a little building at the school that houses the water pump. It turned out so beautifully I just had to post some pictures of it.






The verse on it is Psalm 100:2-3
2 Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.

3 Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

What a wonderful way to share the gospel through art. Praise God that He is so creative and allows us to praise him and share his message through beautiful, creative ways.

Last day of school

On the last day of school I brought my dog, Feliz, to school to play with the kids. The kids and the dog has a wonderful, crazy time running laps around the school chasing each other. Everyone definitely got their fair share of exercise and it was a fun and special way for the kids to finish out the school year.



Melany and Feliz:


Yinelvy and Enmanuel:


Riselys, Nalleli, me and Adrian:


Enmanuel, me, and Kyarolin:


Yohanna, Alberto, and Yajaira:

Pool Day

Last friday we took all the kids from the school in Mata Gorda to the pool for a special end of the year trip. It was so much fun! We took them to a place called Rancho Dos Rios, which is actually a really nice hotel/restaurant here in Jarabacoa. The manager was so nice and gave us the admission price for half off. This was such a special treat for the kids. They had so much fun swimming and eating pizza. They especially loved floating around in the inner tubes.

This is the jacuzzi-turned-kiddie pool where my class spent their time.



I posted more photos to facebook, you can check them out here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=188718&id=697195043&l=7b0e403fcc

Class Picture 2010

I will be sad to say good-bye to 7 of my students as they move on to the older class next year!

back row: Isaias, Adrian, Fransys, Alexander, Jose Agustin, Smil, Emanuel
front row: Yocaira, Yinelvy, Kyarolin, Eliamar, Riselys

Women's Bible Study Update

The women's Bible study is going great!! Praise the Lord! We got rained out a few weeks in a row, but this last week we were back in action. One of the women commented to me that this has been the most successful Bible study group they have ever had. She said she has never seen the women so excited and talkative before. This is wonderful and such confirmation that God will take control. I was so worried about this study that I would not have enough so say to "lead" these women, but God has stirred their hearts and He is leading them and I just get to sit back and watch.

Child of the week - Eliamar

This week's featured child is Eliamar. This is her first year in our school and she is 4 years old. Eliamar is very smart and will be moving up into the other class next year as she has already learned all her letters and numbers. I can't take the credit for her fast learning because Eliamar has a wonderful devoted mother who helps her at home. Eliamar's mother, Mecho, started noticing a difference in her daughter after coming to our school. So she has started coming to the church here in Mata Gorda and is also a part of the Bible study that has started this week.

On Tuesday I had the first women's Bible study with the moms from the school. I had been really nervous about this since it is something that I had been wanting to do for a while, but was very unsure of myself. I have never felt like my gifts involve leading Bible studies or anything of that sort, but I really felt like God was calling me to do this. I decided on a book to read through together called "Lies Women Believe and the Truth that Sets THem Free". The first study we just laid a foundation for the book by looking at how we can counteract lies with God's truth. It went quite well. Six women showed up and I think that a few more will come next week.

Praise God for this opportunity to get to spend more time with the moms of my kids and share with them from God's word.