La Semana Santa

Hola Todos,

Como estan? Bien? Espero todo bien. Ok I'll stop with the spanish. One thing that is going to be very hard for me to do when i get back to the states is to only speak in english. i use spanglish constantly. Well, we had our spring break this past week, called Semana Santa (Holy week). I found out that the DR doesnt really celebrate Easter. People went to church and treated it like a normal day. But on the weekend everyone flocks to the beach--so we did the same. Me, Casey, and Robin spent the whole weekend together. In Cabarete we danced to reggaeton and hip hop. It was the COOLEST thing because they had a bubble machine. I definitely danced and got completely covered in soapy bubbles. Sorry I didn't have my camera with me or I would've taken a picture. It was amazing. In Sosua (another beach) I saw a little Haitian boy playing by himself and his mom was ignoring him. Well, I really felt like I was supposed to go play with him. But like satan usually is, all i could think about is the doubts i had "he prolly doesn't speak english or spanish, he's fine by himself." but i went anyways and he speaks spanish. His name is Antonio. He is 9 years old and the look on his face when i asked him if he wanted to build a sand castle with me was priceless. He light up SOOO much! Definintely a divine moment that I'll always remember. The highligh of my weekend , by far. We ended up making a sand turtle that he named "cookie" lol.

Since the kids at the orphanage didn't have any plans this weekend we decided to throw them a pool party on sunday. They were sooo estatic that we came. Claudia was out of town so it was only me, Robin, and another girl named Elsie that I haven't talked about before. We had a blast. The bad thing is a handful of them have pink eye now. I tried hard not to touch my eyes just in case but I think I'm good. GREAT NEWS: I showed up to teach english on monday and the kids were ALL ready to go and behaved SOOO well. It was a complete miracle. It got so bad that last wednesday we told them we weren't going to show up because they didn't deserve it. What a complete turn around! also, claudia and I made the hard decision to separate the class into those who couldn't continue and those who could. The ones who aren't, are going to work with claudia because many of them either have ADD or major psychological problems or are traumatized from past experiences--whether that was sexual abuse, neglect, etc.

Thank you for all your encouraging emails. That really helped me and continues to help me all the time.

Ciao, Natalie

Prayer Requests:

1. I might be tutoring/teaching a 15yr old dominican girl english. I haven't gotten ahold of her yet though. Guidance and patience with her specific learning style (Tal, I'm becoming a teacher like you now...lol)

2. the kids at the orphanage that seriously need psychological help and counseling

3. the kids at the orphanage get rid of their pink eye

4. Praise: i lost my 10 pg spanish paper that i had already written and PRAISE GOD i put my disk drive into another computer and it came up. i didn't have to write it again!!! what a miracle!

5. Praise: i'm doing a lot better with temptation with boys YAY FINALLY! but please still pray for self control and the desire for me to follow God instead of the world in this way.

Different Perspective

Hola Todas,
How are you guys? Things here have been interesting. I've received several encouraging emails from lots of you. I wasn't doing too hot earlier. I've been feeling really spiritually empty, and Praise God my mom called me in a perfect time right when I needed to talk to her.

The orphanage has been really frustrating. Claudia and I have been going and every time the kids aren't ready. You guys would be flabergasted by how unorganized the school system is down here. We came and the kids were moving around mattresses and then when we FINALLY started 30 min late, they wouldn't listen to me, pay attention, and were really disrespectful. So, as a result we've had enough and told the kids that this is NOT acceptable and we're not going to come on wednesday as a result so they can see what they're missing out on. Tomorrow we're talking to the mom (senora) of the house and telling her these problems. She's half the problem because she gives the kids chores to do when she knows we're coming then. They're not learning anything and not even learning how to respect people either.

I can't believe I only have 5 1/2 weeks left. How weird! I've realized that I really love this country and really hate it at the same time. I hate their systems of doing things (esp education) because they don't value it. But I absolutely adore the music, how much this country celebrates even the smallest of things, and the fact that the world moves a lot slower down here. It's relieving for once not to be soooo busy with too many committments. I still don't enjoy the glares and rude looks I get from Dominican girls though. I still don't really have any dominican girl friends. oh well. it sucks but I just have to deal with the fact.

The other day I was sitting reading my Bible and journaling and I noticed several Haitians walking around the corner. but to my knowledge, NOTHING existed around the corner, only a lot of plants and nature. Well...I was curious and went around the corner and there was a little nature trail. So I followed it and low and behold I saw something I couldn't believe. In the middle of nowhere, some haitians had constructed a house out of cardboard boxes, sheets, and sticks. It was the poorest house I'd ever seen. I can't believe it exists behind these beautiful apartment buildings. It was as if two worlds were existing in the same place. I wish you guys could've seen it. I just couldn't believe that they had to live there. I wonder what they do when it rains...

so, i'm guessing the haitians definitely ate our cat. sad day lol. he has been missing for 3 1/2 weeks. don't expect him back anytime soon. Last weekend we went to the beach--Sosua. It was beautiful as usual and me and my friend robin shared a virgin pina colada in a pineapple. there was actually chunks of pineapple in it. it was DELICIOSO! Qué rico la bebida! (the drink tasted amazing). well I don't have much to say this time.

Ciao, Natalia

Prayer Requests:
1. That our meeting goes well with Rosa (the mom at the orphanage) tomorrow at 9:30am (6:30am for you guys)

2. temptation with boys (but praise God it's been getting better)

3. the kids at the orphanage would learn something or there would be some progress

Lots to Say

Hola Todos,

I'm sorry it has taken so long for me to write. I've been extremely busy with writing papers, presentations, and traveling too. :) . Here's some pictures of my latest adventures. A while back I was able to go with a friend to 27 Charcos which means 27 Waterfalls. You pay for a guide, helmet, and life jacket. YOu hike thru rivers and literally swim and climb small waterfalls. it was AMAZING! our guide actually invited me back and he paid for me to go on all 27 Charcos with him. The first time I went with a friend of mine we only went on 7 out of the 27. I definitely took advantage of the chance to jump off on of them that was about 40 ft high. It was an amazing adrenaline rush.

So....my crazy cat is missing. We at first thought he found a girlfriend but he's been missing for 2 weeks now. Ok, this is sad but partly funny....but our mom said Haitians actually eat cats. There are a lot of haitians that live in my neighborhood. I'll let you put 2 and 2 together. pobrecito mimi fifi! it's not everyday your cat gets eaten by the neighbors...

I've gotten to go to a professional bball game. Yisette and I actually met one of the players outside of a dance club. I felt so privileged to be talking to a pro player. Guess how much tickets cost? $2 for general admission. $6 for the nice nice seats. that's freakin amazing! but the dominican republic is smart (i hope you can sense my sarcasm here...) by the fact they don't sell tickets by seat numbers. oh no....they just keep selling tickets, more tickets, until there is literally nowhere to stand and watch the game lol. good thinking, eh?! not....plus ashlie, i thought of you when watching them. you would've screamed at them so much they missed a lot of passes. our fox team could play these guys and prolly beat them if that tells you anything about the skill level. not exactly your typical NBA game but hey, at least i've been able to watch basketball in the DR since I'm missing it at fox. how are they doing, by the way?

Last weekend we went on an excursion to Samana. We stayed in a very very very nice hotel (it actually looked american and actually had a butt washer that me and yisette thought was a urinal). we hung out at the beach, went dancing that night, and then went whalewatching on a boat the next day. too bad half of our group got seasick on the boat. i don't know how i managed to miss out on the seasickness. almost all of our group even took dromamine (the med that helps with motion sickness). We also went on another horseback tour and swam at the waterfall in the picture. I actually got to swim under the waterfall and there was a cave under it too. I felt like I was in the movie Pirates of the Caribbean. Hey...I'm in a caribbean, aren't I?!

2 weeks ago Pedro, my host brother that actually lives in New York, came to visit. He's actually a really popular DJ here and spun at carnaval and at another dance club--tribeca. so he invited me and yisette to go and he played in a cueva/cave (that's what they're called the dance places in the street in carnaval). we got freakin VIP bracelets from him for free! everyone knows him. get this...his stage name is bling bling but is spelled blin blin lol. he's really nice, fun, friendly, and outgoing. i wished he lived here so we can all hang out but he doesn't. and just to clear things up before all the questions come, no he's not available. he's getting married next summer to a really cute dominican girl. He's the one in the picture above. The cueva is the picture above with all the people in it.

The orphanage has been very frustrating. None of the kids are doing their homework anymore, and half the time aren't even ready when I come. " i couldn't do my hw because i didn't have a pencil." they lose things all the time but this is the system that is VERY common down here. nobody cares about education. they kind of treat us like a joke. but Claudia are trying to keep hope and simply lower our expectations of what the kids absorb and learn with our time there. So far, I have seen a huge amount of progress with Yoanni whom I wrote the encouragement letter to. Praise God!!

I have officially rode on my first motorcycle and it happened to be in the dom republic!! it was amazing. my friend/guide anthony from the 27 charcos took me on his motorcycle.

That's all for now, ciao, Natalie

Prayer Requests:

1. hope for my orphanage and having them absorb something that Claudia and I are teaching them

2. still with self-control with dominican guys. it's my hardest battle down here.

3. christian fellowship--i have none

4. praise: i found a church awhile back that i go every wed and sun for. it's really awesome and the preacher speaks passionately from the Bible, not just "Christian topics" if you know what I mean.

5. a girl on our trip got Dengae fever and for her recooperation