Feelings on Coming Home?

Well when I first got here all I would talk about was I can't wait for anthem to come down, and how excited I was that they were coming. Rich and Kirsten were like oh no he doesn't like here he just wants to go home. Well now I really don't want to go home I love it here so much. And I don't say that in meaning that I don't miss you all back home, but when you have experienced what I have in the last two months you really wouldn't want to go home either. I know when anthem comes I have to go home but for sure I am coming back. I don't think I could happy any where else and again its not because I love the people here more than you back home it's just I have a feeling that this is where God wants me and I am very happy with that because the people I have become very good friends with have really excepted me for me and have become like family just like it was back home. But I am going to have to find a happy medium on living because what I would like to do is have a house in both places so I can go to either one when ever I want to so who knows but I just felt like I should tell you what I am feeling while I'm down here. So I hope you like reading about whats going down here in the beautiful Republica Dominicana. And by the HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!


Peace Much Love

Christmas

Well this Christmas was a little different, it was pretty warm instead of snowing like it was back home for you guys. Why does it snow when im gone and i have always wanted a white Christmas, not really seeing why that happens. But while you were huddled in side your houses I was here. Outside at a very nice warm tropical beach which felt amazing and we went snorkeling and found some really cool fish that would hide in the rocks and come out and then go back in which was awesome. I don't think any of you are jealous right now because you had snow. But during this Holiday season I got a little discouraged and homesick because I saw everyone here with there families and I wasn't, but this last Sunday some friends and I went to this concert and it was so much fun and it really made me realize that yeah I'm not with my family but I am with the people that I have come to care a lot about and are my really good friends here and that made me feel so much better. And actually we are going to another concert for New Years Eve so I am really excited about that and all the fun that night is going to entail. In the Dominican Republic they have another Holiday called Kings Day, and its about when the three Kings gave presents to everyone and so thats when most of the kids here get there presents from there family. So as a church outreach we are going to a children's hospital and going to give out presents to kids and minister to there families that are there so we are very excited about that, and the cool thing is I get to dress up as Santa Clause. So I hope the next time you read my blog, which I hope you do, that you bring a kleenex with you because i think you might need it at least I know my dad will when he reads it. So I hope you all had a very good Christmas and have a wonderful New Year Dios de Bendiga, which means God Bless in Spanish.

First Production

Well this Saturday we performed our first of two performances for our Christmas play. It was awesome we had a packed out building. It was really cool because most of the kids in the youth group parents are not Christians and don't go to church at all, and most of the family members you don't come to church were there and it was really good. I'm pretty sure your wondering if I had any lines in the play, I did, I had the most lines in my scene it was really cool. I was the lead shepherd in the play and when angel Gabriel comes and surprises the shepherds I have to scream like a girl and hide behind the other two and everyone thought that was hilarious. But after Gabriel says something my line is "Hay mi madre" in english it means like oh my gosh, and I had to say it like I was very scared, it was great me and another kid in the play stole the show is what I was told by the amount of laughter by the crowd which makes me feel good because it makes me feel like I'm apart of something rather than the new kid or the big gringo kid in the church. When we had to get ready for the play we all had to wear make up and everyone thought it was so funny when I had to put it on because the blush I had on stood out more than everyone else's cause I'm the white kid so that was weird but funny at the same time. Rich was also in the play, he played Joseph, he did great. Everyone thought he was hilarious because they recorded our voices and we had to mouth our lines and when he mouthed his he expressed very well and opened his mouth very wide when he would say his lines and everyone thought it was so funny. Well after the play Charlie who is the Pastor at the church gave a little message and then gave an alter call and we had about 15 salvations which was awesome and we still have one more performance and still more souls to be won for His Kingdom so I am very excited about that. Its really cool to see how God uses our talents to win people for him and its cool because He is using me through dancing and being able to move with some style which is really fun for me, which if you don't know I really like dancing and I have just learned a Latino way to dance which also really fun so thats cool. But please be praying that this next performance we would have the even more people come to Christ and that they would start coming to church and not just come on Holidays. Thanks.

Peace Much Love

Making Friends

Well since I have been down here I have made a lot of friends.  It was a little rough at first because only like four out of the twenty kids in the youth group speak english and my spanish is a little rough, but it is coming a long very nicely.  I have really made a lot of friends especially because of the Christmas play we are doing, and me choreographing dances and teaching then dances and them teaching me spanish, one of the girls that has helped me choreograph the dances speaks a little english but always makes me practice my spanish all the time.  Which gets a little frustrating because its hard to explain things for me but it has helped me a lot.  But it feels really good to make friends it makes me not miss home so much and all that.  Its crazy because the friends I have made here are exactly like the friends at home so its like nothing really changed which makes me feel really good.  Well stay in touch and keep checking out my blog so you can see how our Christmas play went.

What's been Happening

Well the last four weeks the youth group has been practicing for our Christmas production, La Historia de Navidad, which The History of Christmas.  Well it has been going really well since we started, the director Diana has done really well.  When we started planning she herd that I had been in hip hop dances before and asked me to choreograph three dances for our production.  Let just tell it has been hard for me because, people here really don't dance like I do so that has been hard but it has gone really well.  I am so thankful for Mabel who is in the youth group and thank God she can dance and has really helped me with choreographing the last two dances.  Along with doing all the dances I am also the lead shepherd in play so I have the most lines in my scene, and they did that because they thought it would be funny to have a shepherd who speaks spanish with an american accent.  But it has been really good I learned my lines.  These last couple week we have danced for about four to five hours a day learning these dances, we have been very tired but have pushed through and have finally finished.  Are first performance is this coming Saturday, we are very excited and know God is going to great things through this play so we are really excited.  Well you all are surly missed by me, and I hope your doing good and all is well.