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!

Learning the Language

I’m not exactly sure where I expected to be with the language after a year. I remember the first couple of months when communication was nonexistent. I knew basic greetings & words, but to make a simple run to the grocery store was difficult. I couldn’t explain anything. I would be thinking of what I wanted to say in English & realize that I knew maybe two words from that thought in Spanish. I guess I didn’t realize how much we rely on being able to communicate.

Now, a year later, you’d think I’d be able to communicate smoothly & understand everything, right? Wrong, but I’m trying to believe that’s okay.

I have reached the point where I can speak in simple terms. I’m over the hump of knowing only the greetings & basic words. I feel confident with past tense & am trying to use more future tense, forgoing the easy route ir [to go]. I’ve even hit the mark of being able to have decent conversations with friends. While all of that is exciting, I still mess up often & find myself frustrated over my lack of understanding.

I’m behind when it comes to knowing the Spanish verbs. I recognize the essential ones & ones relevant to our work, but there’re so many that I just don’t know. As a result, this makes it difficult to hear the language. I’m constantly asking people to slow down or repeat. It’s something I struggle with everyday. Also, I still feel like my brain is about to explode when I have to talk or listen in Spanish for several hours. If I can’t understand even one little word, I miss out on the meaning of the whole conversation.

Needless to say, my understanding of Spanish isn’t as far long as some others. However, as I looked back on the past year, I have definitely improved, & as Howard Jones sings, “Things can only get better.”

A Note From Kurt

(The other day, I was searching for a document on our computer & came across this letter from Kurt. He wrote it just after our 1 year anniversary here in the DR.   - Katie)

It’s been a little over one year since Katie and I first stepped into the Dominican Republic with a one-way ticket in our hands.  A lot of life and ministry has happened in that one year while we have felt the stretch and strain of growth and change.

I remember our first day walking into Batey Lima, the Batey that we have been in the most, and sitting in a circle with a group of adults talking about our plans and projections.  Well, talking is a relative word saying that only Jason Hilgeman, Freedom’s founder, was doing any talking and I was sitting there trying not to feel awkward or more importantly look awkward.

I remember slipping out of the circle and trying some universal language of “catch.” I brought out some gloves and a ball and found a young man standing on the side to join in.  I asked him “Como te llamas?” (What is your name?) and he asked me “What is your name” (in English) and that was about the extent of our conversation.

Little did I know, but the young man I played catch with that day would end up being one of my best friends.  Wander and I now comfortably switch back and forth between English and Spanish, sharing stories, laughing, and doing ministry together.

The roles of Katie and I have changed frequently throughout the past year from teaching home school to the missionary kids, organizing games in the Bateys, teaching English, making videos, teaching in the Freedom pre-school, assisting the young men’s ministry, and recently, even teaching some of the 50 lessons to creation to Christ IN SPANISH.  We’ve fought through battles of ants, lizards, cockroaches, heat, loud music, poor plumbing, a lemon for a car, being flipped off by kids that you pour out your love into every day, and yes…even learning how to work in the same household with each other! :)

All that being said, we wouldn’t trade this last year for anything and are looking forward to the year to come.  The relationships built, and the lives being changed make all the frustrations worth every penny.  Maybe even most importantly, we’re learning how to give up our precious comforts in order to be faithful to our calling in life to Glorify Christ.

Thank you to everyone for you support, prayers, and love over the last year.  Many of you have made extraordinary efforts to help us adjust and to help us be effective, and we appreciate those partnerships very much.

Sincerely,

Kurt

Harbor Shores

Wow! Our second group of the summer has come & gone. The week went quickly, but it was still awesome :) I got to know some cool, new people & spend a lot of time speaking English. I remember last year when the Harbor Shores group came to visit. It was a busy week, but not in the same way. We did a lot of driving because they stayed at a ministry hotel called Score. In addition, we didn't get to be with them every night or hang out for supper. However, this year, we lived life together. I was able to cook for them 2 nights, hang out after meetings playing games (charades), and ride with them in the truck for 2 hours a day. These differences allowed us to build relationships with them & actually get to know them. Thanks Harbor Shores for taking yet another summer to come & see us!

I'm an Aunt (again)!

Hurray! Lara & Mike had their firstborn on July 28th. Vienna Elise Collett weighed in at 2 lbs 14 ounce. Due to threats of preeclampsia, Lara was induced 9 weeks early. Both the baby & mother are doing well. Vienna is growing steady & strong. Lara was able to hold her for 2 hours last Thursday. We thank God for a quick delivery & healthy baby girl!

God is Working in Me

On June 11, we started teaching in a new batey, Campina. Our teaching covers a 10 week period & begins with Creation. Yesterday was the start of week 5 & the teaching of the 10 Commandments. Unfortunately, we were never able to teach that lesson. The kids entered the church & made such a ruckus. It was unbelievably loud in there with people yelling, whistling, and randomly playing the church's instruments. I walked in & was immediately taken aback. It kind of bristled my feathers to hear all the noise because I just knew they were going to be difficult.

It went exactly as I expected, the kids continued to be loud & disrespectful. They wouldn't stop talking, & they barely made it through the singing. When Jason went up to the front to start the teaching, less than half were actually listening. He only made it a few words into his lesson before he had to stop. Meanwhile, I'm trying hard to get kids to be quite without adding to the noise. I did several index-finger motions to my lips, almost too many to count. It took a lot not to show my frustration. Eventually, we had to make the decision to leave without giving the lesson.

It was as we were to picking up that church that I couldn't hold it in any longer. I let my frustration with the kids get to me. It had all been building up inside... the disrespect, the blatant disinterest, the inability to see that we care, and the list goes on. I snapped & told some kid that they weren't listening, & I didn't understand why. Why were they being so difficult?

Thankfully, I have people in my life that care enough about me to show me my weaknesses. They helped me to see that my response was wrong, that perfect love doesn't react that way. I know I'm not perfect, but I am striving to be like Christ. I look back at the day & realize that it's a start of growth for me. I have a compassion for these kids & desire for them to have the love of Christ in their lives. I want them to understand more than they have the capacity for, at this time.

So, I'm asking you to pray with me. If you have a moment now, please take it. Ask that the kids from Campina might see a glimpse of the big picture, that their hearts might be changed, & we, Freedom, can continue to teach them God's word. Also, pray for me as I deal with all the frustrations. I believe my heart is in the right place. I really do care about all of them, but it seems like, too often, I allow my aggravation to control my actions. Being so honest is hard for me, but your prayers are more important than my wanting to hide my imperfections!

Katie

Aletheia

Last week, we had a group from our home church, Aletheia, here. It was a great time being with friends & showing them our ministry. I spent as much time with them as possible (so did Kurt)! There were lots of laughs & good memories made :)  So many funny, crazy things happened... I have over a dozen stories I could tell. Caroline, unfortunately, got peed on by a little baby, Isabel. Cody gave a piggy back ride to several "not so clothed" little kids. Seth was called "Toro" by the kids in Pinones (which means bull). It turned out to be a fantastic week!! It reminded me that I miss our church family in Ohio, but I am also SO happy to be here in the DR. My heart is connected to the lives of these kids, & what the ministry is doing to disciple them & impact their future. Thanks Aletheia for coming to the Dominican Republic & taking home a perspective of Freedom that not many people have!