Back in the DR!

I have safely returned to Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic! I arrived late Monday evening and was warmly greeted by my downstairs neighbors at the airport and started work at Doulos at 8AM Tuesday morning. It was hard to leave my wonderful friends and family, but I was delighted to have the chance to come home and visit people. My apartment was dusty, but with no major mishaps after being empty for most of the summer. My other two roommates (the kindergarten teacher and the high school English teacher) have also safely returned and we are all glad to be settled into an apartment for the year. I am delighted to have a more manageable teaching load and hopefully have time to develop the high school science curriculum and spend more time getting to know my students outside of class. I will be teaching ninth grade Physical Science, tenth grade bible and biology (I taught this last year), eleventh grade chemistry, and a health class (for one semester). I am delighted to have been able to bring back a variety of donated science supplies. I will be sending out a supply list later this semester once I build the new curricula and determine what else I will need. I have been healthy all week and even had enough energy after a long week to hike up a river! Praise the Lord for good health—please pray that it continues. My other major prayer requests are for funding, wisdom and patience with my students and myself as I teach three new classes this year. I will also still be assisting our new middle school science teacher with the middle school expeditions that I developed and taught last year. My prayer requests are listed in the margin (scroll down) of this blog and will be updated throughout the year. I know that God is going to teach me many new things this year and I am thankful to be part of the ministry at Doulos for another year and be able to see how the students and staff grow in Him.