New Year…New Changes

Happy New Year…Ground Hog Day….and Valentine's Day  from the sunny, WARM Dominican Republic!  We hope you have had a wonderful beginning to 2014.  We have been very busy and very blessed so far this year.  Here's a look at what has been going on in our lives so far this year.

We were blessed to be able to visit the frigid USA over the Christmas holiday.  We were so excited to see and visit with so many friends and family.  We were able to visit friends and family in 5 different states (sorry if we missed you). Thank you to all who served us in countless ways.  After being encouraged, blessed and loved on for almost three weeks we made our way back home to the DR (after a 2 day delay because of the "polar vortex"…thanks global warming:)  We went from one extreme in weather to another.  It was a 75 degree temperature change from Ohio to Puerto Plata!  Needless to say we were glad to be home so we could unthaw!  It's been great watching the winter weather in the Midwest from here in the DR:)

Less than a week after returning home, we had our first visitors of the 2014 year.  Becky's sister Heidi and her husband Chad and their three kids, Eric, Emme, and Ellen stayed with us, worked along side with us and played with us!  It was so much fun to share our daily lives with them as well as some of the "perks" of living in the DR.  We all spent several days working at the Mak house and the school, as well as Chad and Eric working very hard on our vehicles.  We also took time to enjoy the beach, the mountains, and many other fun adventures together as a family.  We were sad to see them go, but so very encouraged from their visit.

Audrey adores her big cousin Eric!!

Sister time!

Cousin time is the best!

Hello is so much easier than Goodbye!

A few days after the Kreiders left, we had our annual dental team visit to the Makarios School.  As the Director of Health for the school, Darren was responsible for the set up, organization, and scheduling of this team.  He worked along side of them, scheduling students and staff, and helping with the flow of patients.  They worked very hard and were able to see and treat so many of our students and staff.  It was great to hear Dr. Bud say that the Mak school kid's teeth look better than the kids he sees in the states!  We also enjoyed visiting with them at dinner several times during the week.  The entire team was so fun to be around and a huge blessing to our school and staff!!

After the dental team left, we thought things would start to settle down for us and we could get back into our "normal routine".  But God had other plans.  Just this past week Audrey started as a pre-K 3 student at the Makarios School.  She has been wanting to go to school like a big girl for quite some time now.  The first day she was very excited…unfortunately, that excitement did not last long.  Her desire to be with mommy and play at home has been a difficult thing to try and overcome.  The first week was a little rough, as to be expected, but each day has gotten easier for her.  It will be exciting to watch her grow, develop, and learn Spanish under our wonderful teaching staff at the school.

With Audrey in school, Becky now has time to work directly with the school.  She will be working as the Sponsorship Coordinator for the Makarios School.  All of our students are sponsored by someone in the US in order to provide food, education, uniforms, and medical care through the Godly, loving staff at the Makarios School. The transition into the is role will begin over the next few weeks.  God has blessed her with a job that allows her flexibility to work at home as well as at the school.  She will be able to continue to homeschool Jenna in the afternoons and keep up with the daily needs of running a home.  It is an exciting time for all of us!

We are looking forward to our annual staff retreat this weekend in Jarabacoa.  It is a beautiful town up in the mountains here in the DR.  Our co-workers are so much fun and we enjoy spending time away from school with them.  This will be a time of worship, bonding, and focusing on the vision of Makarios.

After we return home for Jarabacoa, Becky's parents are coming for their first visit to the DR! Hooray.

We are so very thankful for each and every one of you.  Your prayers, emotional and financial support and encouragement to us is what makes it possible for us to be serving our great God here in the Dominican Republic.  Please continue to pray that we will continue to serve Him to the best of our abilities. Pray that Audrey will continue to make a good transition during this difficult time of starting school (all in spanish).  And finally, pray that Becky will transition into this new position very well. May God continue to bless you as he has blessed us.