This month has brought for me a lot of reflection. No only did I
turn 42, but a lot has happened in the past year. It was a year ago
this month that Joe and I started taking steps to make the move to
the DR. (Who am I kidding, I am been working on getting back here
and bringing Joe since we were married—almost 13 years ago!) I
will strive to make all this coolness brief, but there are a lot of
neat details. :)
Let me take you to the DR trip with Hill Country Christian School
of Austin that I have lead every March for 9 years. In 2012, we were
on the Mak House roof doing highs and lows when I was lamenting the
fact that I just never saw myself back in the DR long term. I know
that God could move mountains, but my mountain was Joe and I was very
doubtful that God would change Joe's heart to have him want to move
to the DR. Toby Thurman said with all confidence that he DID see us
moving and he wanted to be involved in helping us get there. I
pretty much dismissed Toby as a crazy man! (Sorry, Toby, you were
right and that's what's important here!) Oh, my unbelief!
I was, however, inspired to have Joe plan to come with me on the
next trip with the high school students. He hadn't been in 10 years
and Mak has come so far since then. I thought it so important for
him to see first hand what I keep going back to. He agreed and we
had a sponsor for both of our trips with the school. Unbelievable.
Then....we found out we were going to have Sarah. Due date was March
12. Trip date was March 11. Man, I was so disappointed (not about
Sarah!!)
Meanwhile, God was working on some interesting stuff. Joe was
growing restless in his work and had actually approached me about
making a change. Shortly after, I had a meeting the my school.
Their news was that there was no place for me the following year. No
place for me? I'd been there 9 years! But, I had a strange peace
(maybe it was because who doesn't love being 9 months pregnant,
having just lost their job, and have a husband growing restless in
his.) I looked online, first around Austin. Nothing. Then,
internationally. There was one opening for a Spanish teacher for
some place in Aruba, but that was it. Then, OF COURSE, Makarios!
I'd known for a long time from being on the Board of Directors that
there had been a long-term need for a principal. While I would not
typify myself as principal material I do know Mak, speak some
Spanish, have 19 years of teaching experience and have lived in the
DR before. It was perfect. There was just one obstacle—a
mountain, if you will.
I started mentioning the idea to Joe and within a few short weeks,
Joe and I started talking about how this could work. Joe asked great
questions—the kind that say, I am really considering this. We had
meetings with the Makarios higher ups and started making plans toward
moving the the DR. February 27th is the Day of the Flag
in the DR—the end of a month-long celebration honoring the country,
independence and loyalty to the flag. I also went to the hospital
that day in 2013 to give birth to Sarah...only to be sent home. I
asked Joe if he thought it was a sign that we weren't to go to the
DR. He assured me with his facial response that he did not believe
anything like that. The next day, February 28, Sarah was born.
So, with a newborn in our arms, we started to plan to move
internationally. This included finding a renter, fundraising,
packing, getting passports, closing up shop at both our jobs and
coming to terms with leaving the grandparents who moved from Indiana
to Texas—despite their deep love for snow--be with us.
Now, as I sit on our porch in the DR with the ocean breeze blowing
the coconut trees in our yard and have a shirtless and shoeless Levi
and Sam play together, I MARVEL that God DID move mountains to get us
here. He moved in Joe's heart and here were are. The boys are doing
well in Colegio Makarios and they have wonderful teachers who love
them very much. We are surrounded by an outstanding community of
sisters and brothers in Christ where we, hopefully, are a blessing to
them as well.
We also need to give a shout out to our wonderful supporters.
People have given very generously for us to be here. We still came
to the field underfunded—a fact we will be feeling more
significantly in the next few months—but God has proven to me,
personally, that He is in the mountain-moving business.
Thanks for reading this far. Thanks for your interest in our
journey. For those who have given financially and prayerfully, we
are so humbled and grateful. Please continue to remind God of our
need for financial support for this year and for next year as we hope
to continue our work through the follow year. If you would like to
give, please go to
https://secure.etransfer.com/ecomm/donation/donation1.cfm?d2org=Makarios&d2tool=donate.
You will see that you can give through Makarios to our family from
there.
Oh, and happy 1st birthday,Sarah. Whatta year it has
been. We love you and so glad you are a part of our family! :)
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