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! 

Change A Life

Take a moment to look back on your life. Think about those people who helped you along the way and the opportunities that were open to you. Now, take a moment to look at the pictures of all the preschool kids Freedom is going to teach next year. (Click here.) These little Dominicans need YOU to be that person & provide them that opportunity. Fabiola, Fernancia, Diadon, Estefan, and 15 other 3 & 4 year-olds still need sponsors. This is your chance to Change A Life!

We're Back

The last three weeks were amazing! We had such a great time being with friends & family. Kurt & I both felt we spent the right amount of time at each location. Although we always wish we had a little more :) Looking back, it seems like we'd be exhausted with all the places we went, but it was actually rejuvenating. We can't thank everyone enough for the kindness & generosity that was shown to us! There were so many people that helped us through the past 3 weeks. We enjoyed every minute of it & created a lot of new memories. We love you all & miss you already!!

The Mitcheners

They're Coming!! We have another family joining the ground team on May 21st. Scott & Angela Mitchener just purchased their one-way tickets to the Dominican Republic. We are looking forward to having them here. It's been a long time coming for them, but God has provided, & it's exciting to see the day has arrived. 

Also, please include this family in your prayers as they make the Big move. They're going to be doing a lot of packing, preparing, & even saying good-bye to loved ones. It's a transition that can be difficult (especially since they have 2 little ones). But, I know they're excited & so are we!

FIRST CHILD SPONSORED!!!

Nika Bonita

Read her story at Uprooted And Undone by Mariam Green

Just a Few Things...

VISITORS: Over the last couple of weeks, we've had visitors. It started with a visit from the Halderman family. They joined us for a week to learn about our ministry & share life with us. We had a great time getting to know them! Next, we had a visit from the Green's. Nathan & Mariam spent this past Wednesday to Saturday with Freedom. We had fun including them the ministry & bringing them into our homes. I can't say enough how great it is to have people here!

CHILD SPONSORS: We have officially begun the process of child sponsorship for the next school year. Currently, there are 20 children on Freedom's sponsorship page that need sponsors. Your sponsorship will go to providing a bilingual, Christian education for these kids. Their cute little faces are asking for your help!!

FURLOUGH: As many of you probably know, Kurt & I will be home for 3 weeks at the end of May. Our flight arrives in Atlanta, Georgia on Wednesday, May 16th. We'll be spending the first few days in SC with Kurt's family. Then, we'll travel to Indiana & Ohio for the rest of our trip. We are both so excited to see everyone. :) We want to spend as much time as we can with friends & family! So, if you want to hang out, email us: kurtcline@itisforfreedom.com or katiecline@itisforfreedom.com.

I think that's all for my updates... looking forward to catching up with everyone in May!!