Sorry it has been a while since my last post! We have had a lot going on down here in the DR, including a teacher training, a baseball camp, and lots and lots of school supplies!
Maestras: A group of teachers from the St. Louis area came down to the DR on July 5th and led a 3-day training for several teachers from one of the local public schools where many of our Cercadillo children attend through out the year. Rebekah and I only attended the first day (after that we reallocated our time to accomplishing several work tasks around the house), however from that one day, I could tell they were doing great things. The ladies spent a lot of time teaching and leading small group sessions focused on classroom management strategies and quality reading and math instruction strategies and gave ample time for the teachers to practice their new learning with each other. This training has become a valuable annual opportunity for the teachers (their words :), and the hope is that during the upcoming school year, there will be some documentation (via taking photos) that the teachers are implementing the strategies they learned at the training into their classroom instruction. Thank you, ladies, for investing in the educational future of the children of Cercadillo and the surrounding area! This is important work!
Jugadores: The next week was baseball camp in Cercadillo, another annual event that brings out the kid in everybody! A team from First Baptist of Maryville (also near St. Louis) brought a few new faces and several returning ones and led a great week of camp for the boys and young men of Cercadillo and the surrounding area. They rotated through Bible and technical skill stations through the week, culminating on the final day with some scrimmages between teams. The older boys and Dominican translators took on the Americans on the final day of camp, and the Americans squeaked by with a win in a close battle! What a great week of fun and fellowship! Thank you, Maryville!
Útiles: During the last day of baseball camp and the following Saturday, we were able to give school supplies to the boys and girls who attended summer camps this year and demonstrated positive behaviors through out those camps. (Quick shout out to my school, Eason Elementary, for donating several of the school supples!) Thanks to a couple of churches on the East Coast, the boys and girls were able to purchase black school shoes for a small fee, and with great joy, we can say that we estimate that over 95% of those who wanted shoes were able to find just the perfect pair. Our God is so great and oversaw the whole process (store or donation station to packing box to post office to shipping truck to airplane to Ina’s house to Cercadillo) just to get the right shoes to the right children. We serve an amazing God who sees!!!
Oh, My!: Today was supposed to be Rebekah and my last day in Cercadillo for church, however due to a lot of rain this afternoon, the party (with cake) has been moved to tomorrow morning 🙂 There is absolutely nothing wrong with a slice of pure sugar before lunch, right? After that, we are off for a few days of rest and relaxation in the mountains (new experience – I’ve heard rumors of waterfalls) before Rebekah and I fly home next Saturday. Please be praying for this time to be full of sweet fellowship and worship as we reflect on a great summer and all that God did and is continually doing here.
Thank you for your continued prayers!
Jess
Summers in Cercadillo 