Too Much Christmas Candy?

"What did yer mama always tell ya 'bout eatin' too much Christmas Candy?

"Ta not 'ta....."

Enjoying Mark's Christmas gift. It was just years ago that we were both in braces...anyone want my orthodontist's number? He's great!

Nativity Play

Malachi stole the show at last Sunday's Nativity play during our church service. Madalyne was a shepherd and Malachi was her sheep. He wasn't in the mood to cooperate, however, and wandered all around the stage bleating (at least he remembered his lines) and staring at the other children's costumes. Notice his little tail in the picture.

Mary and Joseph by the manger

The Three Wisemen

Mark was the Star.

Uncle Malachi

Yes, you're seeing right, this is an uncle and his niece. (They are three months apart.) Camden and Malachi, despite their unusual family relation, enjoy sharing toys, speaking eachother's language and seeing who can nap the least. :)

Christmas Quilt

Hannah, Jenni, Miriam and I have been trying our hands at ministry projects, varying from watching people's children, cleaning their houses, and our latest, making a quilt from fabric donated to us by Pine Creek Bedding. We gave the quilt to a family whose father is in prison this Christmas. It has been a really fun experience for the four of us, learning about serving others and looking for ways to help. If you have any needs, let us know!

the boss!!

Malachi is learning to talk now. He runs around the house shouting, "Ada-lada-lada-lyne" which, being translated, means "Madalyne". He is her shadow. He also finds many adorable ways of getting his own way, whether it is grinning from ear to ear when we mention something he would like to have, or crying and saying, "uppa?".

We often remark on how boring our lives might be without Malachi. He's a very observant little guy, when the smoke alarm goes off in the kitchen (that has nothing to do with my cooking, let me assure you....) Malachi will drop what he is doing, grab a magazine and run into the kitchen fanning it in the direction of the smoke. What a helper!
He is wearing Mom's socks here...
But this is his favorite pasttime....anything "dayee" does, Malachi does. All of Dad's favorite foods are called "dayee" and are also Malachi's favorite. It doesn't matter that his legs don't reach the footrest, he MUST have it up if daddy does.

Road Rage

 
I guess maybe someone should take the time to teach Malachi, er....the Prince....a few road tips. This is a great example of our peaceful household.


There is always something happening, even if it is only a family cheer that Mark actually volunteered to take a shower. 
Here's our most recent family photo. This was taken in Newport, we took a family vacation there in August.

Malachi

And then there's Malachi...

...the most adorable thing in my life.

He is beyond cute, tottering around squeaking and getting his own way. He never fails to cheer me up after a long day.

Best Amigas?

This is Amy and I, with the matching spanish shirts our dominican mama sent us. They say the classic "Somebody loves me in the Dominican Republic..." Cute, huh?

Amy went to the DR as an intern two years ago and lived with the same woman I did. She worked in the clinic. This is an amazing bond for us, she is someone who never tires of hearing of my experiences, not to mention practicing spanish and reminiscing over our beloved dominican culture.

We have worked at staying in good contact with our family and friends there. Emails in spanish frequently fill our inboxes. We recently received a package filled with letters from our loved ones, it was so amazing. One of my sewing students had sent a note (she can't write, but she had a friend be her scribe) saying she misses me and is continuing to learn under Charo's teaching.

I'm so thankful that the relationships didn't have to end when I left. I am praying about when the Lord would have me go back. I don't have any clear direction except that I am going to school right now, and I also don't have any money:) so, I think I'm staying home for now.

Still Sewing....

So, I'm getting settled in, finding my old rut in the sewing room. I'm actually working for a dry-cleaners in Lake Oswego, doing alterations and delivering twice a week. It is a nice job situation, I'm still working at home, on my college student hours, and I can just drop off and pick up work on my way home from school. It actually pays decent, which is spiffy, too.

School is keeping me drumming my drum. I really do feel like the energizer bunny:) I'm at PCC (where tuition is free, thanks to Professor Kercher) taking general ed classes. I am tired of not learning anything all day at school, I'll be really glad to transfer to the Art Institute next fall.

I am still using my spanish, I have been tutoring spanish students 4 hours a week at the college, plus conversing with my Costa Rican friend at school. When I can I go to a local spanish church service and occasionally bring myself to turn on the spanish radio station....that's only for an emergency spanish high, though. :)

I'm Home!!!

I am writing this post sitting in my comfy american house, on an ENGLISH keyboard (I can find the apostrophe so easily now!), with not a hint of the noise of the Disco Mobile playing Merengue music in the background....and even though I'm very american right now, I'm thinking about the DR. I'm remembering all the amazing friends I made there, the times I saw God's hand doing the work when I couldn't, all the spanish words I cringe to think I'm forgetting, the sewing machines that I'm sure are still breaking, and Charo and the girls who are still continuing on the sewing work.

Thank you, so MUCH, each and every one of you who prayed for me, kept updated by reading my blog, sponsored sewing students, wrote me emails, commented about my pictures, encouraged me....and who have welcomed me home again, newly acquired dominican quirks and all!!!! What a blessing to have such a "support group", coming to the airport to meet me, wanting to see my pictures, hear my stories....THANK YOU!!!

My plans now are to pursue further education in Apparel Design. I will begin the end of Sept. and am very excited in this new season of my life. I also hope to get involved in a hispanic church, I would like to keep my spanish up, and get involved in some kind of ministry with the hispanic women. Part of my heart lies there.

Continue to keep the dominicans in prayer, especially Charo and the women of Algodon. Thanks for going on this journey with me! It's been an exciting 6 months!

Fabric

Sewing student's daughter wearing a skirt her mom sewed for her
Originally uploaded by carneblanca.

This little girl is modeling a skirt made by her mom, Lola, a sewing student in Algodon. The fabric was sent down with an intern. What a reward for the woman who cleaned out her sewing box to see a folded, forgotten scrap turned into a darling little "falda" on a cuter child here in the DR! All this to say, feel free to send fabric down to these students, they know how to use it! Things can be sent through COTN's office in Silverdale, Washington with the help of short term teams. Check out their website for more info.

Fashion Show in Algodon

Fashion Show in Algodon
Originally uploaded by carneblanca.

These skirts and blouses were all made, start-to-finish, by these beautiful women in Algodon. They've learned to take their measurements, construct a pattern, cut the fabric and then sew it. It was such a treat to see them lined up outside the classroom sporting their new outfits. Feel free to come to Algodon for your sewing needs!

Antony

Antony
Originally uploaded by carneblanca.

This is Antony, one of my favorite little boys in Los Robles. (I know, you´re probably not supposed to have favorites, but, I do) He is so precious, some of his favorite pasttimes are naked cartwheels and chasing our car as we drive away. If I could pick any souvenier from the DR, it would be Antony. He has a less-than-desireable homelife, no one really looks after him, no one knows how old he is....Sometimes I wonder what is God´s plan for this little treasure, growing up in dire poverty, being taught by the tigres (gangsters, basically) at the age of three to dance provocatively at the disco tech, getting parasites from the unclean water, falling off a motorcycle because no one was watching him, and having open sores for which there is no soap in the house.....Sometimes I am overflowed with love and joy when I see him, sometimes it just hurts my heart, but the only thing I can do is rest in knowing God sees him just as well as I do, better, in fact, and continue to pray for this sweet little child.

El Grupo

El Grupo
Originally uploaded by carneblanca.

This is Ellen, she was part of a group that came here to work in the bateys, making gardens, playing baseball, and working with the women. They brought canvas and taught 50 women in Algodon how to construct a bag, and then taught them how to make natural dyes and stamps to decorate the bags. It was incredible, the women were having so much fun and made the cutest bags. Michelle (the intern who works with short-term teams) and I both agreed that we wanted one. They were a huge blessing, not only to the women, but to me also. It was such an encouragement to see someone taking an interest in the women I love so much, and to be able to help them in that. I can´t believe that I get to do this every day.
Thank you, Grupo de Americanos!!!

Yohany the pro

Yohany the pro
Originally uploaded by carneblanca.

Here is Yohany sewing like the excited, wonderful student she is, helping the other women make their bags. She is so precious, a dear friend. It will be hard to leave her.

America

America
Originally uploaded by carneblanca.

This is America one of my superstar students helping with the bag project. It was incredible to see my student taking over, helping all the other women with their projects. They were so proud to know how to cut, to pin, to sew....they have skills!!!!!
If you´ll closely you´ll see that America doesn´t have a thumb on her left hand, there is a big scar there. You´d never know, she handles the sewing project like a pro! That is so typìcal of these people, they just make do. They are creative, inventive and resourceful, I love that!

Campamento

Campamento
Originally uploaded by carneblanca.

Here are my girls from camp! COTN has a 3 day summer camp every year for all the highschoolers from the bateyes that faithfully attend Bible class all year. It was incredible. What a humbling experience for the interns and I. Think about this: what American highschooler hasn´t been to some kind of camp? Probably not very many. And yet these haitian teenagers had NEVER been to something like this. As I watched them pile into the bus at Algodon, I noted immediately that each one had hoarded their best clothes for this event, all the girls had just gotten their hair braided, each one wanted to look their absolute best for the most exciting event of the year. I felt so honored to be there, to be a part of them, to be priviledged to share in their joy and excitement. I was also blessed to spend time making relationships with the girls in a nonworking environment. Those relationships have carried over and is making my time in the batey just that much sweeter.

Lola

Lola
Originally uploaded by carneblanca.

Lola, quiet, fiesty little Lola:) She is also in my sewing class. She made an adorable little blouse the other day and very indignantly reprimanded me for not bringing my camera to class. ¨Maggie,¨ she said, ¨how are you going to remember what your students make if you don´t have pictures of them!!¨ I always bring my camera to class now.

Chichia

Chichia
Originally uploaded by carneblanca.

This is Chichia, a sweet friend of mine, stitching away on her sash. She is so faithful, so cheerful and always has something to say during Bible study. My heart always lights up when I see her.

making sashes

making sashes
Originally uploaded by carneblanca.

Here´s a clip from class last week, these gals are embroidering flowers and whatnot onto sashes to wear in the hair, around the waist, etc...We studied the verse in Prov. 31 that says, ¨She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies sashes for the merchants.¨
My dream for these women is to indeed be able to make something to sell to the ´merchants´. I´ve been trying to target projects for them that will spark an interest in them to rise above thier current situation. It would be a huge job and a whole other mission trip (wink) to undertake setting up a program like that, but I¨m at least trying to plant the seeds. These women have potential, they are so precious.
Pray for opportunities for them to LEARN and that they would have the incentive to LEARN!!! I want that so badly for them.....

Can I go now?

IMG_5567.jpg
Originally uploaded by carneblanca.

This was our craft a few weeks ago, a painted glass cup. It was a big hit.

Budding artists in Algodon

IMG_5546.jpg
Originally uploaded by carneblanca.

This is a very unrealistically silent, calm, sweet glimpse for you all of what my women´s Bible study class in Algodon looks like. Normally it is the sound of thirty women and their children yelling/talking, paint being spilled, Maggie Sopita being called for help, extra supplied being asked for, and a heated discussion here or there. But the real thing that cannot be captured in any photo is the sweetness of the class. I have seen the seemingly bitterest, most contentious woman come back week after week and now give me a smile and a hug every time she sees me. The mix of students are hardly Bible scholars, most of them don´t read, and have all had several children by my age. But they are such beautiful creations of God, each and every one so precious, every one of their tightly braided hairs numbered in His book, each scar on their dark, worn bodies carefully noted by their Loving Father. How deep is the Father´s love for us, it reaches even to the small Hatian village here in the DR, watching over these women. What a priveledge to be allowed to glimpse that!

Oh, I shouldn´t have eaten so many plantains for lunch....!

IMG_5522.jpg
Originally uploaded by carneblanca.

Here we are learning to take measurements, an activity which produced quite a fair amount of giggling. I continue to learn more and more how many things I take for granted, like knowing how to use a tape measure....face it, if you have never used something or even seen it used before, there is no way you should know how to use it! It is a weird, rather humbling thought.
On the left is Yulisa, and the right is Yohany, both sweet gals from Algodon.

Cartera

This is Yoleiny from Algodon, and her little purse she made a few weeks ago. I know, snakeskin fabric bags are all the rage, but you know, fabric is not so easy to come by here. The women loved them!!! They are just excited to make things. They are working on blouses right now. It is such a blessing to me to see the delight on their faces whenever a new bolt of fabric shows up in the classroom, sometimes I think I am the one retrieving the blessing from this more than they. Funny how that works, isn´t it?IMG_5533.jpg
Originally uploaded by carneblanca.

Hey, intern, who are you?

interns
Originally uploaded by carneblanca.

Here we are, the summer ten (actually a few are missing in this picture, probably off passing out spanish bibles while the rest of us are being silly....hmmm, good intern, bad intern) Well, anyway, the interns are here doing sponsorship updates for all of the sponsored children, and also teaching english to highschoolers in the bateys, and math, reading and writing to children during this summer. They are here for two months. We have already had a great time working together, experiencing things together, learning with one another, bouncing ideas off of eachother.....It is so amazing how the body of Christ works out even with us silly twenty-year-olds here in the DR. We are excited for the rest of the summer, a time to be challenged and learn neat things together.

America and Twins

America and Twins
Originally uploaded by carneblanca.

This is one of my students, America, and her little twin boys who are some of the cutest I've ever seen albeit always naked...:)
I realize it has been a while since I've done an update about my Bible Study class here in Algodon. I guess that is because it has been such a learning experience and I keep thinking, "okay, as soon as I get that worked out, I can send a report..." What a silly mindset, as if I will ever get it worked out. So here I am, a less than perfect "profesora" telling you how I am learning right along with 25 women from batey Algodon.
This class is once a week, every Friday at 3 o'clock, and we have a little study (about as long as I can teach in Spanish, which isn't that long. It is way harder to teach than converse, I've learned) and then make a craft. I have to confess to you I think the craft is more of a draw to them than is the not-so-smooth-tongued teacher, but I thank the Lord that they are coming, and faithfully, too! Sometimes I visit the batey during the week and they always ask if I am coming on Friday!!! That is exciting to me, especially because I know how elementary the study is. But actually we're a great pair. In the 25 women that attend the class there are about 3 or 4 who are literate, the others are helpless to study the Bible, and therefore have very little or no understanding. This works great for me, because by the time I simmer my excited message and all the cross references and stories, etc. all down into the tenses of spanish that I know and the concepts I can express, we're not too far apart!!! :)
Aside from the language trouble, and the fact that all of them are older than I am, I have been so blessed to be able to build relationships with the women. Just yesterday I was out in Algodon and had the time to visit the houses of all of my gals, and visited with them, just some one-on-one time and I thought, "only God could have brought these two worlds together."
Anyway, all this to say, I am encouraged, blessed, excited and prayerful about the next 9 weeks. Pray for wisdom for me, for creative ways to share the gospel, for continued interest in the students, for boldness for me and my language venture!!! I love you all, you are a testimony of God's faithfulness.
Pray for my women.

What food group do rice and beans belong to?

What food group do rice and beans belong to?
Originally uploaded by carneblanca.

We just had a team here doing nutritional training for the mothers of the bateys. They also did checkups on the kids to make sure they were getting their nutrients. Michelle´s job is working with these teams. She organizes their transportation, food, jobs, translators, all the things that clueless Americans need an experienced intern like Michelle for. She´s great. We really enjoyed the team last week, it´s a neat opportunity to get to meet new people and hear their ideas on missions, how the work looks from the outside, and just talk some good old english!

What are you having for lunch, Michelle?

What are you having for lunch, Michelle?
Originally uploaded by carneblanca.

This is Michelle, my new pal. She´s a great addition to DR life, and knows a lot of Spanish grammar, which is great for me!! We are having a good time getting to know eachother in working together, doing classes, etc... Look closely on her plate, and you´ll see that I succeeded in making her eat a chicken foot. Yes....

My Moño

My Moño
Originally uploaded by carneblanca.

Here´s me with my newly acquired Rapunzel Locks....They reached to my waist, were so thick I couldn´t fit my hand around them, and weighed about five pounds. (Yes, I had extentions put in). This week I trimmed them about 6 inches in order to stop the headaches I was getting from lugging so much hair around. I can´t help thinking with chagrin about how long it will take to get them all out.

¨This is sure slippery!¨

¨This is sure slippery!¨
Originally uploaded by carneblanca.

Here´s me getting my hair braided by two of my good friends and students from Algodon, Yoanny and Yoleiny. It was a 7 hour task, but lots of fun.

Do You Want a KISS?

precious boys
Originally uploaded by carneblanca.

Do they get any cuter? Michelle and I spent an afternoon in Los Robles with our little friends. We both agreed that there was no place we'd rather be.

Getting their Sewing Kits

dominican fun
Originally uploaded by carneblanca.

This is Algodon, in our bathroom-sized classroom. On the left is Yoleiny, middle is Kenia, and on the right is Yulisa. They especially loved the ribbon in the sewing kits.

Sewing Kits!!!!

sewing kits
Originally uploaded by carneblanca.

I am so excited about the sewing kits we were able to put together for the girls. I don't know who was more excited, the giver or the recievers, but we both are enjoying them. This is an amazing gift for them. Thank you to everyone who gave!!!!

Los Robles

Los Robles
Originally uploaded by carneblanca.

This is a view from the road we trek after the public guagua drops us off. The big yellow buildings are the school. Beyond that begin the houses. Welcome to Los Robles!