Sprunger Christmas Surprise

The day after Christmas, we were able FaceTime my family for Christmas. I was so anxious to share the news, that it was hard to wait until after presents. Of course, Lara already knew I was pregnant, but she had no idea I was having twins. So, I was looking forward to her reaction when she found out.

I loved the way that Kurt causally said Katie's pregnant, so I decided to go with that approach. The gifting had ended, & I said, "By the way, I'm pregnant." Mom & dad were excited for us. I think they knew it was coming, so they weren't caught of guard, but as soon as things calmed down, I said, "And, they're twins." Lara said, "You're joking." (People must think I would joke about such things because she's not the first one to say that... KURT.) Of course, I said that it's for real & everyone started to laugh & giggle in shock. I can tell that everyone is as surprised as we were to hear the news. Their reactions were more like processing reactions. I could tell they were trying to figure out how it was possible & how different it is compared to having just one baby.

It was so much fun sharing the news yet again! I think that it being something people don't expect to hear makes it even more enjoyable to tell them :)

Cline Christmas Surprise

We decided the best time to tell our families that I'm pregnant, & we're having twins was over Christmas. We figured it would be a fun was to reveal such big news!

Our first Christmas was with the Clines. We enjoyed watching them open presents & got to do some opening of our own. Then, when we neared the end of gift time, Kurt casually drops the news. It was pretty funny to watch the reactions & the excitement. He started off by saying, "By the way, another present is Katie's pregnant." They were laughing & smiling, but had yet to hear what was to come :) Then he says, "And we'll be doubling the number of grandkids you have." Now that explanation was a little to vague, because I watched Connie's face go straight to confused. It took a while for them to be like - now wait a second... that doesn't sound right. Of course they figured it out & were like - NO WAY! (Exactly how we felt.) The shocked looks we got were priceless. I think they even asked us how that was possible :) Of course, we don't know.

The conversations finally ended with cheers & congratulations. I'm sure they'll be talking about it for the next several days. We sure were!

Parents To Be

We knew this day would come, eventually. There are still times when we're in shock over the fact that, come July, we'll be parents. It makes you nervous, yet excited to experience what God has created so perfectly.

I'm Having Twins!!

Now that I know there are two babies inside of me, how do I break the news to Kurt? I thought it would be fun to surprise him, so I ran to Jumbo to look for a gift of some sort or other. I found these small Christmas boxes that I thought would be fun to use in a picture.

I walked in the door & got the boxes out. Kurt was in the office working at the computer, so I came around the corner with the boxes in hand & said, "I'm having twins!" I'm not sure how I expected him to respond, but he definitely surprised me by saying, "That's not even funny. Don't lie to me." To this day, I still can't believe he thought I would joke about something like that, but I guess it could have been the silly smile plastered to my face to make him think that way. I was just so excited to share the news with him. I kept saying, "No, I'm serious. I'm not joking" as I was smiling. When he finally realized I was telling the truth, & he allowed the shock to sink in. He even asked me how it was possible. I was like, I have no idea. I showed him the ultrasound pictures & told him the story of my appointment. Now we were both trying to process the fact that we would have two babies in July!!

The Ultrasound Suprise

When my personal doctor scheduled a "sonographia" I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. I thought it could be an ultrasound, but there was no guarantee. As the technician took me back to the room, I figured I was going to be able to see something or at least know for sure that I'm pregnant, besides taking a test. We walked into the room & there was definitely an ultrasound machine. I was a little disappointed that Kurt couldn't be there, but I didn't figure it was a huge deal. The technician set everything up & started working the machine. I'm not 100% sure, but I think his first words were, "This is interesting." My thought was, great I'm not really pregnant. What do I do now? But no, that's not where he was going at all. He then said, "There's two." Now, I have no idea what was going through my mind at that time. I think I was in shock, trying to process what he just said. Part of me was making sure I heard him right & the other part was thinking this is crazy! He then proceeded to show me how he knew there were two. We were able to listen to both heart beats & see both sacks. It was actually very interesting & amazing!!

Appointments Continue

So, my dad brought a group of guys, & Courtney Ringger, down to the Dominican to work on the land. We were so excited to have him here, but it made it difficult for me to squeeze in my blood work & ultrasound. I had to find time after preschool & before group night. The first day I went to set up an appointment for the blood work, the ladies were extremely rude. They weren't very helpful, but I did catch that I had to go to Humano to figure out my insurance first. (Of course, nothing can be done quickly or the first time. There is always a lot of driving back & forth.) I headed to Humano & got everything taken care. The front desk gave me the numbers, & I headed back to pay & set up the appointment, again. After about 1 hour or so, I got everything taken care of for the blood work. I'd be back Saturday morning because I couldn't eat anything for 8 hours. Next, I headed to the office next door & tried to get the ultrasound. I figured I wouldn't have time to do it that day, but the lady at the front didn't understand me. She had me pay & gave me a number. I waited for another hour, then went up & said I'd have to come back the following day. Well, I came back the next day at the time they said the technician would be in. Of course, he had taken a late lunch & wouldn't be back for another 1 hour. So, I waited. (There's always a lot of waiting.) I probably sat in that office for over 2 hours. Finally, the doctor was able to see me.

Our First Appointment

Kurt & I tried to be secretive about our first appointment because I wasn't very far along. We set it up for the day after Thanksgiving, early in the morning. That evening, we had to be at a dinner with the team & all the Dominican employees. So, we hoped to make our appointment, get through quickly, & be back in time for the dinner. We arrived at 9:15 & put our names in. Of course, the doctor was late & he didn't start seeing people until 10. There were 6 people ahead of us; who knows how long it would take. We waited, and waited. Finally, at 11:30, we saw the doctor. He was nice & helpful. A little hard to understand, but the time spent in his office went quickly. I weighed 118 pounds & was scheduled to get blood work done & have an ultrasound. We left the hospital with the realization that it's happening - Baby Cline will be here in July :)

I'm Having A Baby!!

I finally took a test because I just couldn't wait any longer. I made sure not to peak at the results before plenty of time had passed. Once I finally looked, I was like - Oh my word, I'm pregnant! I got that silly grin on my face, & I looked at Kurt & told him. I'm not sure exactly what he was thinking, but he looked a little surprised. I knew we were both ready, but you still feel unsure about all the changes that come with having children. After I told him, I looked at the test again & said, "Wait a second. I might have read that wrong. I'm not sure if I'm actually pregnant." The stupid test was kind of confusing. It showed a solid dark line & a faded line. I read the test backwards the second time, so I thought I wasn't pregnant. But I was!! The test was positive; I'm having a baby!!

Am I Really Pregnant?

I was 4 days late for my period. Nothing too crazy to signal a red flag, but not all that normal either. I decided not to get my hopes up that I was pregnant, so I kept waiting. Another 3 days went by & no period. Here's where I finally mentioned something to Kurt. I didn't make it sound like a big deal, & I wasn't about to waste a pregnancy test. So... we continued to wait, one more week. I figured another week, & I could be sure of the results of the test.

There's no such thing as the Tooth Fairy

Just last week, one of our kindergartener's, Yafreydi, stood up & came over to me during mat time - which is when everyone should be sitting on the floor. She whispered my name & opened her hand. Laying in the middle of her palm was a tooth! Obviously, my first question was, "Is that your tooth?" She smiled & nodded her head yes. Not knowing what to say next, I said the only thing that came to me, "What do you want to do with it?" As you can probably guess, I hadn't processed the number of terrible responses she could have given. Fortunately, all she wanted to do was throw it up in the air. "The what?!" Yes, she made the motions for tossing her tooth into the air. I'm still not exactly sure what that was all about, but I gave her the go-ahead. She then proceeded to walk down the steps to go outside. I figured that would take too long, so I just told her to throw it out the window. And, she did. Bye-bye tooth. Out the window, and onto the ground.

Why Am I Sick?

I remember the first time I felt "Morning Sickness." We were with the second McGill group enjoying a nice evening at El Concon. I was about to partake in a very delicious chicken alfredo pizza when I knew there was no way that it would go down. I felt awful! I was also very disappointed because it's probably my favorite pizza here in the DR. Some of the ladies from the group jokingly said, "You must be pregnant." Of course, I replied very confidently, "No, I'm not." Obviously, I didn't get to eat my pizza that night, but I made sure to take it home & devour it the following day :)

Ministry Update

Once a week, Kurt does music with the kids. We're singing
"This Little Light of Mine" & "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands."

We welcomed Mery to our team this year. She is a certified
Dominican teacher who is now employed by Freedom.

School has been outside the last 3 Fridays because the church is being used.
We've all learned to do our best with what we have, but
Please, help us build that school! :)

Forever and a Day

Wow! That's about all I can say about my ability to blog once a month. I've been awful, to say the least! I could always blame it on the crazy school schedule: 

5:00am - Get up :)

6:10am - Leave the parking lot.

7:45am - Finish the bus route & arrive at the school.

8:00am - Start class.

12:00pm - Finish class.

1:15pm - Arrive at home.

** Of course the work doesn't stop at 1:15, but it's a different type of work. I would say it's a little less exhausting :) **

However, no matter how crazy that schedule is, I wouldn't give it up! Kurt & I are currently working in the Kindergarten class with Angie (another missionary). Our job is to help the teacher and manage discipline. It may seem like a simple job, but it requires a lot of patience, energy, and love. Each day is a new experience (and not always a great one, I might add). We've enjoyed watching the kids as they continue to grow. Their understanding of English, ability to listen to directions, and acceptance of discipline has gotten so much better, even over the last 4 weeks! It's been fun to be a part of the Kindergarten class. 

Next week, we start a rotation with the Preschoolers. All I can say is that it will definitely be a change! Good thing kids are cute because otherwise... 

 Pictured above: Estefani, Chiquito, Nika, & Achuchu are coloring their morning paper.

Theives in the Night

Who would have thought? Well, I suppose I should have guessed, but I just assumed nobody would try. I was wrong.

Less than a month ago, Kurt & I got a call at 12:00am. Half asleep, I walked to the phone to find out that it was Toni calling to say that Jason & Josh needed Kurt to meet them downstairs. They were headed to the land because someone was stealing our rebar. I woke up Kurt with the news, and he quickly dressed & ran down to the car. As I stood by the door, I prayed that everyone would stay safe. I'm not sure anyone knew exactly what to expect. Especially the guys as they drove out to the land.

When the arrived at the land, they were told that it was a group of 3 or 4 guys. They came onto the property and threw rocks at the house threatening harm if the family came out. Then, the proceeded to steal over $1,000 of barb wire. Nobody is exactly sure how they were able to do it so quickly & walk away. There was not a lot anyone could do that night, but it started a long process of trying to apprehend the criminals, & even more work for our team.

Freedom decided it was in the best interest of Pica Pica & his family to put up an 8ft fence around the house & our storage building. So, not only did those robbers cost us the $1,000 in stolen product, but the amount it cost to put up the new fence. Jason also had to make several trips to the police station to report the incident, to get them to talk to suspects, and to keep the process moving forward. We don't really expect to see anyone prosecuted, but we didn't want people to think it would be easy to steal from us. In all, it was a lot of extra work & time, but I'm glad everyone stayed safe through the whole ordeal. I realize that it's for the best that everything is more secure out there.

Trouble in Paradise

Last week ended with a bang.

On Friday, during preschool, some Americans in another area stole several children on their way home from school. Of course, we didn't know anything about it, but the parents in Campiña & Cabeza de Toro heard the news before their kids came home. Many of the parents were scared for their children. They were worried that somehow (although I'm not exactly sure why) it was their child that got kidnapped.

The Simos family took the brunt of the frustration when they dropped the kids off at the end of the day. At both Campiña & Cabeza, there was a large group of parents waiting to make sure that their child got off the bus. It was quite the scene! The parents started talking about how they wouldn't be sending their children to school on Monday. "It's too dangerous," said one.

You could tell by the way they were talking that their minds were being filled with "what ifs." However, this fear lead to great conversations. We were able to share with all the parents about the importance of putting your confidence in God. We stressed that you can't stop living or doing good things because you're afraid of what might happen. Kennedy, our bus driver, also reminded the group of parents that dangerous things can happen while their children are at home, as well.

It was an interesting time of sharing & hearing the concerns of the parents. I was reminded that they do care, even if many times it doesn't appear so. God was in control of the entire situation, from beginning to end.

Frustrated & Fired Up

The question I asked myself this morning was, "Has my personality changed recently?" My initial response was, "No, of course not." However, after more thought, I had to acknowledge the following: Lately, my first reaction to pretty much any semi-difficult situation is to get frustrated and upset.

When did my norm go from being a happy, ecstatic, carefree person, to someone who is on defense? Now, if you're reading this correctly, you would notice that I'm not saying I've become a generally mean person. I'm simply saying that my main response has changed.

To those of you who know me well, I obviously don't want to be this way. I have spent a lot of time in prayer lately, seeking God's help to change me. The desire of my heart is to glorify Him, and I know that by becoming an easily irritated person, I am doing exactly what I don't want to do. It is like what Paul wrote in Romans 7:15-25. He doesn't know what he is doing because he does what he doesn't want to do, and he doesn't do what he wants to do. There is a war waging inside of him, his evil, sin nature is making it difficult for him to do the good that he desires to do. This whole passage relates well to what I am experiencing, especially the final 2 verses, 24 & 25. For Paul writes, "24What a wretched man I am! who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God -- through Jesus Christ our Lord!"

Even though I fail, God will lift me up & use my broken, sinful self to bring glory to Himself. This was exactly the case in preschool this past week. God showed Himself through me, even when I was not "feeling" it. I saw myself make mistake after mistake. By the middle of the week, I was begging God to remind me of this question when I came against a tough situation, "What would bring the most glory to Him?" It really stood out to me that day. I took a moment to assess each situation that arose before making my move. It was a great feeling, & I knew that God was there helping me. Then, today, I failed again, in somewhat of a big way.

As I sit here writing, I'm shaking my head at the fact that I can't stop falling down, and falling hard. It's almost as if I can here my parents saying, "When are you going to learn?" I realize I am a sinner, and that I will never be without sin. It took Christ's death on the cross to grant me forgiveness of my sins. I can & will become more like Christ. As I seek Him, He will fill me up, & my attitude will go from frustrated & fired up to overflowing with the love of Christ. Now this makes me smile & renews my soul with a hope for the future :)

Building a Foundation

When Freedom bought land back in November, we were prepared to start building. However, we didn't realize all that would happen over the next 5 months.  

December came & went quickly, with little progress. The men (Jason, Josh, Kurt, & Scott) all worked on small repairs on the guardhouse, and put in a cistern. 

Then came January, and the big move. Our watchman, Pica Pica, and his family moved into the house on the land. They have running water, an actual toilet, and lots of space to roam. It was quite the change for their family, but you could tell they were all excited! 

February arrived with a letter of approval & a groundbreaking ceremony. Freedom received the "go ahead" to use the land for a school building right before our big groundbreaking ceremony. On that day, we had several officials & important people show up to support Freedom. It was there that so many parents of our students realized Freedom is going to be here for a long time :)

March came in a hurry bringing with it a huge group of construction workers from North Carolina.  There were a total of 20 men from all ages who worked hard at building a storage unit. They accomplished so much in only 1 week!

Now we're into April, & we have gotten so far. The school building has been excavated, the storage building is almost done, the guardhouse has received a much needed facelift, and we're starting to put up an 8 foot high fence.

Although so much has been accomplished over the last 5 months, there is still much to do. Right now, we're at a standstill with the construction of our school because we're at the end of our available funds. At the beginning of April, Freedom was offered a Matching Gift for $10,000. This opportunity ends April 30th, and we NEED your help!! If you're interested in investing, please visit our website at www.itisforfreedom.com. Click on Our Team/Donate to begin the process. Make sure you designate your gift to the Building Fund & write "Match It!" in the comments box. 

Thanks to everyone who has helped this project succeed! Let's keep on building that foundation :)

 

Missed March

I thought for sure I'd be better at writing each month, but no such luck :) I missed the month of March, and it was exciting too! 

My parents came to visit for the first time! We had a blast just being together. The first several days were filled with ministry work. We went to preschool, helped with a VBS, and worked on the land (well, at least Kurt & my dad did). Later in the week, we went to the capital & visited some caves. We also went to church on Sunday & spent some relaxing time at the beach. Overall, it was an awesome week. I feel like they left with a personal understanding of the ministry & a better feel for our work here. I enjoyed watching them take ownership in the vision of Freedom :) It's amazing what a trip here can do! *hint, hint* 

Trying to Catch Up

Recently, I received a request for updates, and it made me realize how much time has passed since I last posted on our blog. Boy am I behind! :)

I'll try to give the short version of the last couple months from both the ministry view & ours.

The Ministry

• Since the 1st of January, we have a Dominican family living out on the land. The father works for us as a guard. He's an extremely hard worker & does such a great job. His oldest daughter is in our 4-year-old class. Her name is Beba.
• We've started to break ground! Freedom is in the process of building a large garage to store the bus. In addition, we have mapped out the first building & sizes of the 4 classrooms we hope to build by the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year.
• Tomorrow, February 12th, is our official ground breaking ceremony. There are several government officials, educational leaders, and more coming to celebrate the beginning of Freedom here in the Dominican Republic. Only by God's grace were we able to set this up.
• Tax free! Within the last week, Freedom was given a letter stating that we do not need to pay city taxes to build. It's obvious that God is in control!

Our Lives

•  We made the much awaited decision on what the coming years hold for us. As of January 1st, Kurt & I became full-time missionaries with Freedom International Ministries, Inc. 
• Now, we are trying to raise the support needed to live here in the Dominican Republic. Although the decision to stay was tough, we realized that we are most fulfilled when we glorify God with our lives. Living here & working with Freedom gives us that fulfillment :) 
• Visitors in January. Kurt's parents came to see us again the beginning of January. We had a blast spending time together! They encouraged us throughout the week & were able to share our vision here with Freedom.

Overall, the last couple of months have brought many new things. I'm continually amazed at the way God works in our lives in the lives of the people we work with. For us, there is so much that needs to be done if we want to continue impacting lives here. You'd think that after making that one tough decision, that the rest would be easy. However, there are still a lot of small things to figure out, so we appreciate your prayers & support for the coming months. Thanks so much for investing in us!

Love, Katie

Happy New Year!

We rang in another New Year here in the Dominican Republic. It wasn't quite as crazy as last year out in the bateyes, but it was still spent with amazing friends. We enjoyed the evening at the Mitchener's with the Freedom team playing Nertz, Euchre, Quelf, Hearts, & much more. The night was filled with lots of laughs & great memories. We definitely brought in the New Year with our very own style :)

Celebration

Merry Christmas to all of our friends & family. As always, it is hard to spend Christmas so far away from those we love. However, we did enjoy the holiday with lots of great people. We celebrated with the Freedom team on Christmas Eve Day by having a huge carry-in, playing games, & spending time together. On Christmas Day, Kurt & I went out to the bateyes with the Mitchener's. One of our Dominican families made rice, beans, & chicken for us. We spent time hanging out with them, playing dominoes & walking around the batey. It turned out to be a fantastic day filled with lots of laughs & smiles.