Thanksgiving!

It was a full house for Thanksgiving at the Simos'. We enjoyed a delicious meal with all the fixings! I'm not sure when the last time was that I ate so much. Oh wait, last Thanksgiving :) Not only did we stuff ourselves, but we played cards all day. It was definitely a day for giving thanks! We are so blessed to be here in the Dominican Republic with our "family" doing what we can to glorify God with our lives.

Trade & Barter Day

I teach History to the missionary kids every Tuesday & Thursday morning. As part of the curriculum, we had a Trade & Barter Day a couple of weeks ago. The kids got in groups of 2 & had to set up a "shop." We had a butcher, baker, & barber shop. Each group brought items that they would be selling at their shop & items they would be bartering with. Also, they enjoyed dressing up according to what shop they worked at. We had a blast learning! They all agreed that it was a lot more fun than reading the lessons & taking quizzes :)

Freedom Intern

At the beginning of November, Freedom hosted an intern for 2 weeks. Her name was Amanda Vore, & she was at the Cline household for the duration of her stay. Kurt & I had a great time getting to know her. It was definitely a change to our routine, but she quickly fit in. I know Kurt was excited to have her there because that meant I had to cook every night :) We enjoyed talking to Amanda about Freedom & having her participate in Preschool & a one-week VBS. She also helped prepare crafts & other activities for the preschool teachers. I think she had a great time & so did we. The two weeks passed quickly, but we were glad she was able to come! Thanks Amanda for visiting the DR & learning more about Freedom to share with others :) 

Land Ho!

Praise the Lord, Freedom has land! Freedom purchased a total of 15 acres right outside a small town called Ramon Santana. The land sits back away from the road & is relatively flat. Right now, there's not much to see but lots of trees & cows. However, we are ready to start building.

It's a step-by-step process, but to give you an idea of our goal, check out the Building Page on our website - "Brick by Brick, we will build." 

Join us as we continue to strive towards our ultimate goal of "equipping people to engage culture according to their design." Our plan is to use the tool of a school to "develop life-changing relationships" with the children we come into contact with so that they might become "catalysts for change in the Dominican Republic."

The Month of October

October flew by so stinking fast! I can hardly believe it's over :) Only a few days ago did I think to myself that November was just around the corner. Now, we're only a little over 1 week away from Thanksgiving.

The month started with the Hilgemans on furlough in the states. I heard they were crazy busy & met with tons of new groups to talk about the ministry, especially the land. Which, by the way, Freedom purchased before they left. It sits right outside of Ramon Santana, a small town half way between San Pedro & the bateyes. We now own a little over 15 acres & are ready to start the building process. Near the end of the Hilgemans furlough, Freedom enjoyed a much needed break from preschool. I'm pretty sure everyone (even the students) were ready for some down time. While on break, I took an amazing 6 day trip to Indiana to see my sister & baby Vienna. I had so much fun, even though it went by at lightening speed! Vienna was a doll & seeing my family brought me lots of joy. I even had a chance to hang out with some amazing friends! I wish Kurt could have gone too. I guess maybe next time :) As the month came to a close, things began to slow down. Just in time for another intern to join the team for 2 weeks.

It's fun to remember each month & all the amazing things that have happened. October was no exception to amazing things, maybe even a little more amazing since Freedom was able to purchase some land. God is moving our ministry forward, & we love being in the middle of it all. He has great things planned, & we're here watching Him move!