Finding Normal

READING. I continue to work at the school helping with reading and have recently started to help the first - third grade teachers with their library time by providing an organized lesson or time to read. I'm excited to see the third graders especially, learn how much fun chapter books can be!  Please continue to pray for the continued love for reading among the kids and maybe even that that love would extend to their families.  In this culture, which is a very aural one, which while not bad, people often forget to read for themselves -- especially the Word of God.  My roommate and I also try to have books with us whenever we're in the community and have found ourselves with kids in our laps reading to them more than a few times in the past month.

I work with kids 4 years old through 4th grade!  This was a great day... 
He wrote his name correctly for the first time without looking... first try!!

CREOLE. Over the past month, I have continued to visit communities and practice Creole.  Creole learning is not easy -- especially since it is not the necessary language for me to know in order to get around and I am working at the same time.  But, even so, I see God's hand and His desire for me to continue to pursue Creole as a language.  I had the opportunity to visit a community a few times called Los Algodones and a church there.  I was able to introduce myself in Creole and share that I worked with some members of their church!  Please pray for endurance, for wisdom in my creole schedule, and for a language helper who has time to work with me in the way that I best learn.  

COMMUNITY OUTREACH & BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS.   God is blessing me in that I can see Him helping me to develop relationships with people in two specific communities.  The first is Chichigua which is a small Haitian community of about 100 people whose families were originally brought there to pick sugar cane.  I am learning more about the complexity of their relationships, the spiritual needs that the church body and individuals have, and about the way that the kids are growing up there in general.  Please pray against spiritual warfare that is present there and pray for God to show His plan in how I can better work with the local church in Chichigua.

This is Chichigua.  I visit this community to practice Creole, play with kids and read!
Chichigua means "kite" in Spanish.

The second community is the one in which I live right now.  I am on a street called "El Silencio" where many people from my church reside.  It is in general a middle class neighborhood with a good mixture of people who believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior and people who are unbelievers.  In general, people are very friendly and slowly, because of just being present, the "newness of being a new American living on the street" is wearing off.  I am starting to meet more and more neighbors. In fact, my roommate and I have intentionally been shopping in Montellano in order to foster relationships.

This is a view of my street from my patio.

DR PRIDE, ELECTIONS & PROMISES.  February was the month where we celebrated and remembered the forefathers of the Dominican who helped to free this nation from Haiti in 1844.  We got to spend this day with our friends who spend Saturdays with us. 

Just as in the United States, the Dominican is having it's elections and campaigns.  So, one of the most fun moments in the last few weeks has been watching the "parades" go by of various candidates. Unlike in the States, where campaigning is often quiet or at least contained in a room with people who want to hear what the person has to say, here, campaigning is loud music often about the candidate, parades, waiving flags and wearing hats that were passed out just hours before.  There are posters on every poll with catchy slogans, nicknames and clear distinctions between parties by color. Calle Silencio, my street was the street that the president and the rest of the fanfare drove down in order to exit Montellano just two weeks ago.  I don't know if I have ever been in a president's presence before in my life, but as you can see... HE WAVED AT US!  As with any election, there are lots of promises... the biggest right now being 24 hour electricity.

During Semana Santa (Holy Week) in the Dominican there is no school and traditionally it's a time to be with family, travel, and go to the beach.  At a time when the church body has an opportunity to reflect on Christ's last week alive before dying on the cross, Satan enjoys tempting believers and non-believers alike with distractions.  This week, I have heard the music of gaga (a reminder that voodoo is a part of life here) and I've seen bits and pieces of carnaval (where the main protagonist is a woman dancing with the devil.)

BUT GOD!  He sent His son to die and Rise again!!!

Yesterday we celebrated Easter.  I had the privilege of taking time to remember Jesus' life, death and resurrection with some of my fellow Makarios missionaries and their families… Going to church, making lunch together, putting eggs out for an easter egg hunt for missionary kids, and enjoying hamburgers cooked on the grill, and chips and watermelon, all made for a traditional American Easter celebration.

FINDING NORMAL.  The past month has been one of me finding normal rhythms, continuing to build relationships, and just finding my place.  I have had some great days and hard days.  Normal looks different than it did in Quisqueya and looks different than it did in Atlanta.  I am grateful, though, for a routine.  As a teacher, I think I missed some of the natural rhythms and breaks that a school year follows.

Right now, I am on the second leg of a two week break from working at the school!  It has provided a great chance to do some things around the house, visit friends in communities for long periods of time without something to do next,  spend time with co-workers, get to know some neighbors, and to do some fun things nearby.

HIS WILL BE DONE.  There are times when I wonder, "Lord, am I doing this right?"  or "Lord, what am I doing exactly."  And I am reminded of a missionary from Juan Dolio who told me when I had first moved to Quisqueya… "The fact that you are here is enough."  That is a hard truth to swallow, but I do believe it to be true.  I'm here and God has a plan.  I just need to allow Him to use me.  

Another former missionary and friend in Atlanta told me before moving here that the thing she remembers most about being a missionary was that God taught her how to live… how she lived while in China, she knew was a lesson in how we all should live as Christians -- no matter if in our home town, a foreign city or another country.  

I have been reminded over and over again that... it is God who is working in me 

to will and to act in order to fill His good purpose.  

God has a purpose so GREAT with the people that He has placed in my life.  Please come alongside me and pray that His light would shine through me, that I would become less and less and that He would become more and more!

PRAISES:

• Just last week, my roommate and I were invited into two of our neighbors homes to eat and chat.  This is a big deal and a small nudge of encouragement that our efforts to intentionally shop and spend time in Montellano is paying off.  Please continue to pray for patience as deep relationship building is often slow!
• The Emanuel House new building is complete.  There will be an inauguration soon for the new building.  I will do my best to attend!
• One of my Bible Study ladies from Quisqueya accepted Christ last week!  Please, please pray for her as the enemy does not like that decision.  God is SO good though, isn't He?  His timing is perfect!

The Emanuel House new building is finished!  

ENCOURAGEMENT.  People often ask me how they can support me and what I need.  As I am still in the midst of finding "normal" in my new home, I am also still discerning what God wants me to do to "help" here and what supplies and ministry could help best long-term and empower the church, Makarios, and the communities.  Please pray as God is showing me some needs and desires of the local church, Makarios pre-teens, and Chichigua.  Thank you for your patience!

My biggest personal need is encouragement and prayer.  I have appreciated the small gestures from supporters that remind me that God is in control, that people are praying, and that I am not alone.  I could not do anything that I do without the financial support and prayers of those back in the States.  God has been so good to work through you all to encourage me to keep going as God has me in a period of learning, waiting and seeking Him more intimately.

If you would ever like to send a letter of encouragement or a small care package, I would love that! Small gestures truly go a long way!  

Mail to:

Adrienne Christian BM - 112046

8400 NW 25th Street

Suite 100

Miami, FL 33198-1522

One of the most encouraging times in the last month was a quick visit from one of the pastors from my home church and some of his family... and a quick visit with them to Young Life, Dominican Republic!  I've always wanted to visit...
It was a great reminder of Wesleyan life in Atlanta!  Gotta love Young Life!

**A list of more specific prayer requests will be sent to a smaller group of prayer warriors soon.  If you would like to receive those prayer requests, and don't think you're on the list, please email me at: acorinnechristian@gmail.com.**

A new season

It's rainy season here… imagine Florida in the Summer mixed with Atlanta in mid April…?

Believe it or not, though I live on a tropical island, and though I own very few long-sleeved things, I have found myself wearing light sweaters or walking down the street on the way to school with chill bumps.  I recognize God's creativity every day… as this part of the island is still on the coast, but it also bumps up to mountains… and where mosquitos and a bit of "cold" can co-exist.  Of course, "cold" is subjective, but for this Florida / Georgia girl who has lived in the D.R. for over two years now, I often find myself feeling a bit chilly.

And just like with the weather, this season of my life is still one of adjustment.  No two days are exactly the same… I am still figuring out my schedule and how to balance and be flexible.  It's a balancing act of eating and drinking right while going to school, having fun, building relationships in the communities, resting, having alone time, and studying God's Word.  I know that God is faithful and so appreciate what I have already learned from my past experiences and at Missionary Training.  Please continue to pray for me in this area.

In this season of my life, the day sometimes brings things unexpected.  I often have run ins with lizards, mosquitos, big spiders and cockroaches in our home (usually early in the mornings)… and yet, I am thankful that thus far I don't have run ins with rats or snakes or other critters that other people do deal with.  I now have screens on my windows which is helping a lot with mosquitos!

At the Mak School. I see between 4 and 10 kids a day, depending on the day and work with them to improve their reading.  Because of my support team, I am able to use an IPAD, internet, and a great reading program, for the kids to work on a program called RAZ Kids where native speakers read books to them.  Having this program and others helps me to work with two kids at a time and helps them to be read to in a different way and play while learning.  Most of the kids at Makarios don't have books at home or may not have parents who can read.  And, they get some very positive one on one time.

Use of the library is underway! The teachers are using it during their library time.  Below is Perla, the 1st grade teacher, reading You are Special by Max Lucado (in Spanish of course) to her class.

Mwen pale Kreol un tikal! Two days a week I spend time learning and practicing Creole.  I praise God for opening my mind to a new language.  In a country where there are so many whose home tongue is Creole, but where so few outside of that culture know the language, learning it has become very important to me.  Right now, I try to use the language with whomever I can around the school and on community visits twice a week.  One of my favorite things that I have learned is to say, "Mwen gen Jezi.  Ou mem?"  (I have Jesus and you?)  As you can imagine, having bits of Creole, along with English and Spanish in my brain, I often get tired and even confused or frustrated…  While at the same time, I really enjoy learning something new! Please pray for continued rest and energy in this new endeavor.

Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit a community after school to practice Creole.  I went with the cooks from school, Odilsia and Monica, and met some of her neighbors.  I found a great Creole helper there…Emanuel. He spoke to me all in Creole.  Truly, my brain was full after that!  Above is a picture of me helping one of Odilsia's neighbor peel beans a few weeks ago.

Wednesdays. After school we do community visits as a staff.  We go into the three communities  where Makarios kids live.  The purpose of those visits is to update parents on how kids are progressing and share with them encouragement from the Word of God.  Please pray for those families who don't know God and the time I get to spend with them each month.  Oh, and at the end of this day, we have family time with the american staff at Makarios.  Family night varies each week from missionary care, to worship to staff meetings.  It's a great time to spend together with people who maybe we don't see the rest of the week.

Patience. As I knew it would be, this season is definitely one of learning and growing and studying.  I've just started working with a missionary couple.  Next week, we will start to go through a discipleship book together.  I am so excited as I've never been discipled, and yet I know that Jesus called His followers to make disciples...

Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything.  I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age."  - Matthew 28:18-20

This will definitely be one of my "filling up times" during the week where we get together, study, and fellowship over a meal.  I praise Him for this special time of preparation.

 

On Fridays at school, we do a staff devotional and have a teacher     training.  (The trainings range from things like teaching fine motor skills, to Bible training, to transitions in the classroom.)  Usually during the teacher training, I help kids who need extra help either at Makarios or at their homes.

 

Most Saturday mornings start out slow and then my roommate, Jenna, and I have a date with some Makarios kids.  We sometimes eat breakfast together and walk around the community.  The kids have helped me meet other Makarios families, find the best way to buy locally, and try Haitian peanut butter (manba) for the first time.  This past Saturday, we celebrated a birthday and read with some kids in Pancho Mateo, the community where Makarios started.  I can see God starting to plant seeds for future ministry and He's definitely deepening relationships.  Saturday afternoons and Sunday mornings, I use for much needed Sabbath.

God has been very faithful in helping me find a church that has a solid biblical foundation.   The church that I decided to attend is called Templo Bíblico.  The pastor and majority of the congregation is dominican (minus some missionaries from Makarios).  I love it.  The school that is attached to the church is where the 5th - 8th grade Makarios kids and some Compassion International kids attend.  Please pray for our Mak kids who are attending the school.  Being their first year there, this is a season of adjustment for them as well.  Right now, the church is under construction.  I am looking forward to seeing how the ministry that God has sent me to do connects to ministry at the church!

Praises!

Living in walking distance from the school, yet outside of the community where I work,  allows for space and and at the same time ease for people to come over and spend time.  I am becoming more comfortable buying food locally and building relationships with my neighbors that way.

More and more, I am feeling at home here.  While of course, I am still adjusting and there is a lot that goes on in the background, God has allowed me to have good quality time with a variety of people here and giving me people and space to be poured into as well.  And, God has been gracious in allowing me to pray for and with those whom I'm away from both in the U.S. and in the south of the island!

In the spirit of John 17:4-7, 

I pray… that my relationships with people in this community, on the staff, with other missionaries, and with family and friends from whom I've moved away, will continue to grow and deepen.   May those who meet me and know me see a reflection of You and have no question that You have sent me!  May my life and ministry be for you, about you, and completely yours!

Amen

Soul Keeping Part Two & Getting Settled

It's kind of crazy to think that almost a month has passed since I officially started ministry with Makarios.  And, I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to rest and reflect on the past few years before delving in again.

Since I've been back, I have been slowly reading through a book by Mark Buchanan that is called The Rest of God.  (I highly recommend it for anyone who has a hard time with Sabbath.)  It has taught me about working and resting, about "wasting time" with God, and about the Biblical foundations behind sabbath rest.

What did Sabbath look like for me?

• Spending hours in the Word
• Sleeping abundantly
• Re-discovering some things that I love doing
• Visiting and being visited by friends and missionaries from the other side of the island
• Writing thank you's to supporters
• Figuring out finances
• Preparing mentally for ministry at Makarios
• Praying for supporters, Emanuel House, friendships and future relationships
• Lots of remembering of the last few years and journaling about the future
• Getting settled into my new apartment and getting to know my roommate

This is the view of one of the places I went to rest.  Isn't it beautiful!
A whole week enjoying this view.  God is so creative!

This is my prayer wall that I made for my room.

What has getting settled looked like?

I have been learning how to get around in Montellano and the nearby towns.  Montellano is between two towns (Puerto Plata and Sosua) in the northern part of the island about 5 hours from where I used to live.  I now know where and how to buy fruit and vegetables, I have discovered the town "super market," am meeting some of my new neighbors and children, am learning who the motorcycle taxis are that are good, have been taught how to get around on public transportation, and I'm starting to understand the similar and different cultural aspects of this town versus where I used to live. I have also had my first encounters with flying cockroaches, big spiders and fast lizards inside my apartment.  I've been drying clothes on the line and have gone back to warm bucket baths.

Additionally, I've gotten toured around by some of the Makarios kids who showed me their communities and I have spent a few Saturdays just enjoying their company.  And, I've gotten to spend time in some communities practicing a little bit of conversational Haitian Creole, learning their back stories, and even sharing some meals.

These two lovely ladies (3 years old) are both named Adriana!  So, we are "tocayas" which means we have the same name!  There is a mom in one of the Haitian villages named Adriana too.

What are some cultural differences here from where I was before?

• Surprise! Baseball doesn't seem to be the main sport!  Soccer and basketball are big here.
• To get on public transportation to go to a big supermarket about 20 minutes away, I get on a "guaguita" or large van instead of a big bus like in Quisqueya…  
• …And bigger supermarkets are a bit closer to me now than they were before.
• There seems to be a mix of those who have and those who don't have… and many are living in the same town just in different neighborhoods.  So you see kids dressed for public and private school, people with cars and those who could never afford one.  People who've been to the States and others who will never get to go.
• It seems that some people know English more on this side of the island.
• The closest airport is 10 minutes away, but it's private.  The more popular airport is about 2 hours away in a city called Santiago.
• When I look outside, I see mountains… even though the beach is just 15 minutes away.
• Creole is spoken in each of the three communities with which we work.  Many more kids are of haitian descent than where I was before and some parents even struggle to communicate in Spanish.

And what is the same?
God has reminded me over and over again of His goodness that He allows us to see.  He reminds me that although His kingdom is not completely here, He does show us glimpses of His glory.  He reminds me that just like in the United States and in Quisqueya and in every other part of this world, Montellano, the place where I currently am, is broken.  I still see the struggles of families (physical, spiritual, emotional and academic) and the result that closeness of tourist beaches to poverty has on the community.  I observe those who do not know Jesus, broken families and relationships, and the deep desire of people to be useful and work.

Mostly, I see the deep need that people have for Jesus.  I am reminded that their deepest need is not money, nor good education, nor food, or even a job… but Jesus -- just like in the United States and on the other side of the island.

And, while often we cry out and wait and wonder "why,?" God gives us glimpses… glimpses of people building relationships and sharing Christ.  He gives us glimpses of people using their talents to build relationships.  God continues to draw people near to Him.  We see baptisms and hugs and we hear about people coming to know Christ through their observations of and conversations with believers.  We see people forgive even though the other person doesn't deserve it.  And, we get to laugh and sing and pray.

What does my life look like right now?
In my first month at at the school, I am starting to get to know the kids, get a schedule of who I will be working with with reading, and just learning how things "run".  I've gotten to know some of the kids' backstories... the whys behind them being behind, their struggles, and I've met their parents. I'm getting to know the Makarios staff (both Dominican and American) and been visiting a church here in Montellano.  I have also set up the library so that it is ready for next semester.

SNAPSHOT:

• I walk about 10 minutes to Makarios every morning around 7:20 and leave around 3:30 in the afternoon.
• Each week, I work with about 20 kids.
• Last week and this week are tests and Christmas celebrations and presentations at Makarios.
• I spend time in the communities right now about once to twice a week to build relationships and practice creole.
• I am meeting and getting to know some neighbors and neighborhood kids.

Why is reading so important to me?
God has given me the passion to help people read.  Reading in Spanish is phonetic unlike in English.  And, I recognize that my growth in Christ happened so much when I really started reading.  I want others to be able read the Bible for themselves and enjoy the truth of God's Word.

This is the Mak library that I just finished organizing.  

What is God teaching me?

Patience… the perfect lesson during Advent!

At school, I have to be patient in getting to know the kids and the staff and them knowing me.  In the communities I have to be patient as I try to build relationships.  I have to exercise patience each time that I hear a new Creole word and lose it just seconds later.  I am patiently awaiting January when I have a language helper and start making language routes to practice more.

PRAISES!

• Makarios had a GALA to raise money for the future building when we eventually have more kids.  And, it was a huge success...
• Emanuel House has received the last portion of money needed for the building and is closer to being finished.
• The twins (Josefa and Josefina) whose mom died and who used to live with Mirqueya and me at Emanuel House have been moved to a strong Christian ministry who will love them and where they will be raised in a house with house parents.  Praising God because I will get to visit them!  It is a true miracle that they, along with their brothers, are together!
• I reached over 100% of the support needed to be able to serve with Makarios.  Thank you for all of those who are praying and supporting God's work here!

These are the twins on the day they left Emanuel House for their new home.  

PRAYER REQUESTS!
I will be headed to the States in a few days and then back to Quisqueya to spend time with friends and my dominican family there.  Pray that the time would be uplifting to all and that all of my family and friends would feel my love for them even though I don't live in the U.S. nor in Quisqueya anymore.  (Please pray especially for one of my old bible study ladies who is struggling in her faith right now.)

Pray for the kids I am working with on reading.  Pray that through working with them, they will feel Christ's love, and that God will open their brains to read.

Pray for those around me and for those who God has put in my path who are not believers.

Pray for people in the communities to know their identity in Christ.