LIFE IN THE D.R. GOES ON

I HAVE BEEN BACK HERE IN THE D.R. SINCE THE END OF AUGUST. SCHOOL OPENED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND THE KIDS WERE SO HAPPY TO BE BACK IN SCHOOL. ONE OF OUR BOYS, BLADIMIR WHOM I HAVE MENTIONED MANY TIMES, THOUGHT THAT LAST YEAR WAS THE END OF IT ALL AND USED HIS SCHOOL SHIRT TO MAKE KITE TAILS! WOW! WAS HE EMBARRASED WHEN I ASKED HIM WHERE HIS SHIRT WAS!

THE KIDS ARE LEARNING SO FAST THAT I CANNOT HARDLY KEEP UP WITH THEM! LAST YEAR WAS MOSTLY LEARNING SIGNS AND GETTING USED TO "SCHOOL LIFE". THIS YEAR THEY ARE JUST CONSUMING INFORMATION. IT THRILLS ME EACH TIME THEY LEARN THE SMALLEST CONCEPT. WE STILL HAVE OUR DISCIPLINE PROBLEMS BUT NOTHING LIKE LAST YEAR. I HAVE ONLY GIVEN TWO SPANKING AND THAT WAS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR. OUR FOUR YEAR OLD, ONDARY, IS ABOUT TO PASS UP EVERYONE ELSE IN HIS CLASS! HE IS AT THE PERFECT AGE FOR LEARNING. WE GOT HIM LAST YEAR AT THREE YEARS OLD. HE KNOWS ALL OF HIS LETTER AND NUMBERS TO TEN, AND MANY MANY SIGNS. I TOLD VIVIAN ONE DAY TO START ALBER, FIVE YEARS OLD, WRITING. SHE INSTRUCTED HIM TO COPY A VOCABULARY WORD UNDER A PICTURE AND BEFORE SHE GOT BACK TO HIM HE HAD DONE HALF THE BOOK! I NOW HAVE TWO ADULTS IN THE SCHOOL, ONE 24 AND THE OTHER 25. I TOOK THEM TO KEEP THE JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES FROM GETTING THEM. ANOTHER FAMILY RECENTLY MOVED THEIR DAUGHTER, 13, HERE AND TOOK HER OUT OF THE JW'S. TO SAY THE LEAST, THE JW'S ARE MAD AT ME! I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING BUT PRAY!!! HALLELUJAH!

EACH DAY GOD SUPPLIES OUR NEEDS IN SUCH A WONDERFUL WAY. OUR COOK MAKES SUCH DELICIOUS MEALS AND SO MUCH OF IT THAT ONE DAY I JUST KEPT THINKING ABOUT TWO OF OUR STREET BOYS WHO SOMETIMES DON'T GET MUCH FOOD AND DECIDED TO HAVE THEM STAY AND EAT WITH US EVERY DAY. THEY LOVE IT! THEY ARE SO EXCITED TO BE WITH US AND HAVE ALL THEY WANT TO EAT. I LET THEM SHOWER AND WASH SOME OF THEIR CLOTHES. HOPEFULLY THEY WILL GAIN WEIGHT AS THEY ARE BOTH IN SIZE 6 PANTS AND THEY ARE NINE YEARS OLD. EDUARDO WHO IS MY "HYPER" KID IS MY TEST AND TRIAL EACH DAY BUT I LOVE HIM SO MUCH WITH GOD'S BEAUTIFUL LOVE AND GRACE. ONLY THROUGH GOD IS THIS POSSIBLE AS EDUARDO CAN STRAIN ONE'S PATIENCE TO THE LIMIT. I HUG AND KISS HIM OFTEN AS HE HAS HAD LITTLE LOVE IN HIS SHORT LIFE. BLADIMIR ALSO HAS BEEN SO REJECTED AND LEFT TO HIMSELF. HE IS LAUGHING ALL THE TIME AND A DIFFERENT BOY THAN THE SAD LITTLE WAIFE THAT CATI BROUGHT TO ME LAST YEAR. THEY BOTH HAVE LITTLE WATER AT THEIR HOMES, SHACKS. WHEN THEY SHOWER THEY JUST LOVE IT AND PLAY AND SHOUT AND JUST HAVE SO MUCH FUN THAT I DON'T HAVE THE HEART TO STOP IT AND LET THEM PLAY LONGER THAN I SHOULD.
FOR ME, MY HEALTH IS HOLDING STRONG. THERE ARE THOSE PRAYING FOR ME AND I CAN FEEL IT. EACH TIME SOMETHING TRIES TO TAKE HOLD OF ME, I CAN FEEL THE STRENGTH INSIDE OF ME TAKING CONTROL AND PUSHING IT AWAY. IT IS AWESOME! I DO HAVE TO REST ALOT THOUGH DURING THOSE TIMES AND TAKE CARE OF MYSELF.
NOW HAVING EIGHTEEN KIDS IS A DAILY CHALLENGE BUT ONE THAT GOD THROUGH ME MEETS EACH DAY! HE IS SUCH A GOOD GOD AND BECAUSE HE HAS CALLED ME TO THIS WORK......IT IS HIS! YESHUA, JESUS, IS MY CONSTANT COMPANION AND SHEPHERD.
IN OCTOBER, WE HAD VISITORS. DORENE CARDOZO AND KELLY MILLER FROM ILLINOIS AND OHIO. WHAT A BLESSING! DORENE TAUGHT BIBLE CLASS EACH DAY AND KELLY ASSISTED HER WHEN NEEDED. THEY ALSO HELPED WITH THE EDUCATIONAL PART. WE GOT TO GO TO SAN PEDRO FOR A SERVICE WITH THE DEAF CHURCH THERE. WE TOOK FIVE OF OUR OLDER KIDS AND THEY LOVED IT! THEN WE WENT TO THE BEACH! I WANTED TO TAKE OUR EDUARDO, BLADIMIR AND LUIS. I WANTED TO ENJOY THEIR REACTION AND JOY AT SEEING THE OCEAN FOR THE FIRST TIME. THEY WERE SO EXCITED THAT THEY ALMOST JUMPED OUT OF THEIR SKIN! THEY JUST RAN AND DOVE IN! WHEN THEY CAME UP THEY WERE SHOCKED THAT THE WATER WAS SALTY! WE LAUGHED SO MUCH! VIVIAN BROUGHT FIVE BEAUTIFUL CLOTH KITES AND THE KIDS GOT THEM ALL UP. WHAT A BEAUTIFUL SIGHT IT WAS! THE DAY ENDED WITH US EATING PASTELES AND DRINKING NATURAL JUICE. THIS WAS AN EXPERIENCE THAT THESE POOR CHILDREN WOULD NEVER HAVE HAD IN THEIR LIVES. IT BLESSED MY SOCKS OFF!
HOW MANY MORE DEAF KIDS ARE THERE HERE IN THE D.R. WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO COME? HOW MUCH MORE TIME WILL THE LORD GIVE ME TO PERHAPS DO THIS AGAIN IN ANOTHER TOWN ONE DAY? HOW MANY POTENTIAL MISSIONARIES TO THE DEAF ARE OUT THERE AND HAVE NOT OBEYED GOD? THESE ARE QUESTIONS ONLY THE LORD CAN ANSWER.
THOSE WHO READ THIS BLOG......PLEASE PRAY FOR THE DEAF OF THE D.R. AND US.