A New Year- 2014 Is Off to A Great Start!

We spent Christmas and New Year’s in the Dominican Republic this year and had a great time with our friends and neighbors, while also taking a little time for some R&R!  We continued the tradition we began last year and delivered Christmas "goodies" to our new friends and neighbors who live nearby.  The Dominican culture is very warm and friendly, so while we were away from our family in the States, we were certainly not alone.  A friend from church invited us to spend Christmas Eve with their family, and we were delighted to be included in their family’s festivities.  It was a blessing to see first hand how people in other cultures celebrate Christ's birth.

The next day, we headed out to spend a few days in Santo Domingo, the country’s capital.  After 4 days, we headed back to Montellano and decided to take the long way home so we could enjoy the scenery and take pictures of this beautiful country.  During our break, we took advantage of having some time to ourselves and enjoyed visiting other parts of the DR.

It’s easy to say that the New Year is off to a great start!  On January 4, we welcomed a team of College Students and Young Adults from The Austin Stone who came to serve at Makarios.  It’s always fun to host team members who have never been to Makarios- such a joy to see how God reveals himself in such significant ways, and this trip was not any different. Every group member was here for the first time, but that didn't stop them.  The didn't even hesitate, but instead, they jumped right in and helped the teachers prepare their classrooms for the upcoming semester. 

They also painted the kitchen and cafeteria at the school which were in desperate for a face-lift!  I wish we had taken before and after pics because the transformation was amazing.  It is incredible how much a new coat a paint can make such a difference.

They also spent time playing with children around the Makarios House and in the villages.  Some of the girls took advantage of the “hair braiding skills” of the local women, while others blew bubbles, played soccer, and painted nails.  

During chapel, they helped Cakito (the chaplain) put on a puppet show explaining how God created each of us uniquely.  They had 2 performances- one for the little kids and one for the bigger kids.  The first chapel went off without a hitch.  The second group was too smart for their own good- they caught on to the "claps and whistles" which were the signals that Cakito was giving the team to let them know when to have their puppets appear and disappear on stage.  It resulted in some very confused puppets and entertainment for all.  Regardless, the students left chapel that day knowing that they were tremendously loved by the God who uniquely created them.

We were so blessed to start the year off with this FUN group of (mainly) college students and are looking forward to what the Lord has in store for 2014!

The dental team arrived on Saturday, so we are staying busy…God is at work and we are blessed to be along for the ride!

Thanks for joining us on the journey…We love where the Lord is taking us!

Love from the DR,

The Becks