wow

So this past week in the DR, and at home, really, has been super, super awesome but I have some sad news to start. Bad news then good news is always my preference. Goldie, our dog/my sister/my mom's roommate passed away today. It's super sad and honestly really frustrating, but in true Straus fashion, we're dealing with it with some inappropriate humor. I was RSVPing via my mom on Skype for a friend's wedding and when she asked if I was RSVPing for just myself Cody asked, "Are you sure you don't wanna bring Goldie?" Oh, man. Anyways, I'm just honestly frustrated for my mom and ask that you would pray that God would help her to grieve well and to find comfort in Him and in friends and in the remaining blessings in our lives and in the hope and faith that our suffering is not in vain.

So, now for the super awesome news not related to the DR, Cody has started walking with assistance!!! Praise God!!! When I left, there was this far-off idea that maybe he'd be walking when I got back...not at all likely but definitely hopeful. Well in the two weeks I've been gone he's started walking with help!!! Super, super, super awesome and such a miracle. So, yay.

I guess it's no coincidence that I've been reading through Genesis lately and seeing this theme of redemption over and over and over. Whether with all of mankind through Noah and the flood and the covenant...or with the tower of Babel and then the Pentecost...even though there is so much poverty in front of me and so much pain at home, I know that our God redeems. And I know that it is for His sake that we have lost all things, and we consider them rubbish compared with the surpassing worth of knowing Christ...and that He keeps his promises, even if we do not see them in this life. In Hebrews 11 it's illustrated that all the patriarchs and prophets of the Old Testament died not having received what was promised (v. 13), but held fast to their faith. So, we will also wait patiently in all things--trouble at home, disgustingly sad poverty in the Dominican Republic, everything--knowing that this is not what we were made for, but that we long for a heavenly home (Heb 11:15-16)...

So, now for a brief synopsis (relative to its actual contents) of the last week:

It was our first week of literacy camp, wherein the children that attend pre-school throughout the year come from 9 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. to review the things they learn throughout the year. The 30 children rotate through different stations throughout the day, to different teachers and activities related to the theme letter of the hour (A, B, C, etc.). As I mentioned last Sunday, on Monday one of our teachers Robin couldn't be at camp so I taught her lessons over the letters A and B. We worked on recognizing sounds at the beginning of words, and thanks to all the prayers, communicating in Spanish wasn't a problem at all! Recognizing the beginning sounds, however, was very difficult for a lot of our kids, which was made clear later when I was helping to enter individual child assessment data, in which the teachers had indicated that nearly every child is able to recognize beginning sounds "rarely." But, the kids and Anne Boon (Host/Director) and I had a great time learning! I also got to take the kids on mini-adventuras afuera (outside adventures) where we collected leaves and balanced on logs. I'm not very authoritative, especially in Spanish, so a lot of our adventures involved us running around the yard. Oops.

The rest of the week at literacy camp I was a go-to girl, helping out at different stations, helping the kids and the teachers with different things. Below are a few photos from the week (forgive the incorrect spelling of the kids' names):

Reiley

Luis Fernando

Ambilouix (Am-bee-O-lee)

On Monday the Makarios men re-created the Alamo Drafthouse in our living room for the Makarios women and it was a blast--we had a four course meal, adult beverages, previews catered to our taste (Celine, So You Think You Can Dance, the last scene of Pride and Prejudice, and Friends) and then watched When Harry Met Sally. It was fun for me/one of the most creative and well-thought-out things I've ever experienced, but it was even more fun to see how the Makarios women who are here full time, sweating for these children daily, were able to take a night and enjoy themselves. Here are a couple of photos of the super clever menu (which included zero calorie cookies. How convenient! Those are my favorite!):

This past week Marissa and I also went to Santiago Thursday-Saturday to visit the Makarios director, Sharla, enjoy some Dominican culture, and have Bible study together. It was such a treat because Santiago is so cosmopolitan! We even experienced air conditioning and a sushi dinner during our time there. My favorite part, by far, however, was when we visited the Centro Leon Museum that had really impressive historical, photographic, and art exhibits. The museum is owned by a Santiago cigar company, so before touring the museum we got to watch Dominicans rolls cigars in the colonial building next door. It was really Ernest Hemingway. The cigar-rolling shop had beatuiful wooden floors and smelled of aged tobacco. There was a man on a stand in the front who was reading baseball stats from the newspaper in Spanish while 5 men stuffed and rolled cigars throughout the room. One was smoking a cigar. I'm sure the whole set up looked nice for tourists, but I ate it up. It was really poetic. We even got private lessons on the precise way to cut, light, smoke, and evaluate a cigar...without actually smoking one, of course. ...But if I ever do...!

Lastly, this weekend two groups, one from the Austin Stone Community Church (my church in Austin) and one from the Austin Ridge Bible Church came in to help with projects in the villages this week--Stone is putting on a VBS in Chichigua and Austin Ridge is directing a sports day camp in Pancho Mateo. We've had a great time with the 30 new guests in our house; today we went with them to church, Pancho Mateo, and (!!!) La Tienda. La Tienda is a fair trade co-op established and run by the Canadian missionary Rachel that I've mentioned. She trains women to make crafts that are then sold out of the building pictured (and I believe online, too) to groups that are brought through the village. It's such an amazing project and provides the primary source of income to nearly 25 women who would otherwise have no employment or resort to prostitution. What an amazing project and a cool thing to be a part of.


So, that's the SHORT of it. I've had such an incredible week here, am loving it so much (ha, I nearly started crying last night when I told Jody I couldn't believe I only had 4 weeks left...), and am learning so much spiritually. Right now please just pray for my mom now that she doesn't have Goldie at home. Guh. This all has a purpose. I know.

Alright, thank you all for your love and support.

OH, and praise: I have now reached full financial funding for my time here! Thank you, thank you, thank you everyone. Thank you. I can't say it enough.



...to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 3:20-21