Category: Family

May/June ’26 in Pictures

On By MitchenersIn Dominican Republic, Family, Indiana, Photos of the MonthLeave a comment

At the end of May, we flew to the Dominican to celebrate with the first graduating class of Freedom Christian School! Check out some of the experiences we were privileged to be a part of that week.

Sponsorship Luncheon

The morning after we arrived on campus, we walked over to the multi-use for breakfast. As I looked around, my heart was overwhelmed with gratitude; I saw sponsors and others who have invested in Freedom for many years. I’m convinced that I got a small glimpse of heaven. It’s going to be an amazing thing sit in Jesus’ presence someday with other saints who have given much to see the gospel go out!

The Freedom sponsorship crew put on an amazing luncheon; missionaries, students, and sponsors shared about the impact that this program has made in each of our lives.

Rosa addressed the sponsors
Kevin is a long-time friend and supporter of Freedom
Getting some last English practice in before graduating 🙂
Heather and her husband have been an integral part of this place
Yeanny getting some baby snuggles
A sponsor’s impact is immeasurable!
Cristofer
Sonia
Jhoan and Virginia

Batey Tour

Throughout the years, we’ve always given our visitors a tour as we travel out to the villages to do ministry. As part of our programmed time in the afternoon, we visited Lima. It was an incredible thing for me to witness our seniors as the tour guides! Instead of missionaries sharing stories, the young people who actually live in these places spoke to us about their experiences and how Freedom has made an impact in their hearts and lives.

In Lima, we visited the Nazarene church building “where it all began.” Several people prayed and thanked God for the many ways He has worked over the last decade and a half.

Israilin speaks amazing English!
Yuleisy and her family are a huge reason we were able to begin ministry in Lima
Bergica translated for Yuleisy’s mom, Memena
It’s cane-cutting season
Gathering in the yard of the Nazarene church
A packed house
William closed us in prayer
I took one last walk from the Catholic church (where I taught) to the Nazarene church
I stopped for a hug from Francia

Graduation

The graduation ceremony was incredible! What a full-circle moment! The entire ceremony, I had flashbacks to bygone memories- some difficult, and some beautiful. God carried us through each day and allowed us to see the result of His work in kids’ lives.

Freedom rented an event room at a nearby resort in order to house all the visitors and parents.
Kinsey and her husband Carter joined us! (Kinsey and her siblings used to watch my 3 kiddos when we had to be away.)
Wilfredo volunteered with us 14 years ago when Freedom first began
Ryan helping Rony prep for the ceremony
Singing the National Anthem
Marcia addressed the parents and visitors
The Table of Honor
Singing together
Yuleisy
Jhoan receiving his Bible from Austin
The ladies who keep Freedom running
School coordinators and directors did a great job decorating

Catching Up with Friends

We stayed a couple extra days to catch up on some hugs and laughs with the team! Thankful for the relationships that have held strong over the years!

Leyton and Noah with Aylin, Yuleisy’s oldest
A trip to Bon with Rach
A bright and full evening moon
Leyton had a special connection with his teacher Miss Randa
I love Miss Genesis!
I had Gabriela (a junior at Freedom) in my mentorship group before we moved
Taylor is a sweet and joyful addition to the ground team
My kids were happy to get in a few rounds of Secret Hitler with friends
Katie and I have done a lot of life together!

I serve a good God! Thanks for following along with me!

February/March ’26 in Pictures

On By MitchenersIn Dominican Republic, Family, Indiana, Photos of the MonthLeave a comment

I do not understand how time continues to pass in a blink! Enjoy 30 more photos from these last two months of 2026.

Ministry

Crazy Hair Day!
Teams visited to help tutor our kiddos
Celebrating Dominican Independence Day
Presentations took place during morning assembly
I visited a career fair at IWU to recruit interns
Field Trip to the baseball stadium in San Pedro
Elementary students visited a local park on their field trip around lunchtime
Fire Station!
Older kiddos hit the zoo in Santo Domingo!
Multi-use expansion
Wet concrete
Movie Night in village Lima as a senior fundraiser
Lining up for the main event – kiddos had to give their tickets in order to watch the movie and get their snacks
Playground expansion!
Easter presentations in morning assembly

Family

Leyton had a birthday!
So proud of this growing young man
Morning coffee in my DR mug ❤
Our church does a kids Carnivale evening – Noah helped man the bounce house!
Cal and Leyton used their Carnivale tickets to “buy” mustaches
Cal made homemade Valentine’s cards for her classmates
At IWU, I saw one of our church interns
The algebra fun continues with Noah and Leyton 🙂
It’s been so busy, but I’ve been squeezing every spare second I can to play quick little games with the fam
Scott and I chaperoned a Serve Day to a ministry for the homeless in Anderson
Moving and organizing items for the Christian Center
It got warm enough for a little run around the neighborhood!
Making little sis happy by playing Barbies in the backyard
Road Trip!
Walked through a mall, and I had to document the 3 boys salivating over the Jerry Rice jersey 🙂

See you on the other side of April!

January ’26 in Pictures

On By MitchenersIn Dominican Republic, Family, Indiana, Photos of the MonthLeave a comment

It’s the start of a brand new year. In 2026, there will be some milestone events that we’re very much looking forward to – namely, Freedom’s first high school graduation! But until then, we’re doing our best to take advantage of the days we’re given. Check out these 31 photos from January.

Ministry

In the Dominican, it’s tradition for senior classes to go through what is called “Senior Promotion” where they “introduce” themselves to the student body as they get ready to graduate.
The Class of 2026 chose to focus on the word “LEGACY” as they follow the Lord out into what it is He has for them.
The seniors performed in a morning assembly at school
My birthday month buddy (Rachel) turned 40! Since I wasn’t there to celebrate, Aylin was very happy to help blow out candles. 🙂
Katie (right) and others discussing some math during a free period at school
Some wonderful groups joined us in January to help around campus – both in tutoring and on the construction site
Kristine is such a special person! She may not live in the DR, but she is truly part of the Freedom family!
We recently met a matching gift that will primarily be used to do some expansion on our outdoor multi-use building
Gravel all smoothed out and ready for the next step
Some goobers for kitchen staff 🙂
High school Honor Roll
The littles remembered Dominican founding father Juan Pable Duarte in January. (Fun fact: I share his birthday!)

Family

Some snowy days this month!
What better pairing than snow and hot chocolate? (Cal definitely has an obsession.)
This picture of Pepaw and his grandkids sits in our room – sometimes it’s sweet to think about the good times of days gone by ❤
I still haven’t gotten to hold the newest member of Jhoan and Yuleisy’s family, but I love the pictures I receive!
Cal loves to try new recipes – she made some fun little cookie cupcakes using her Barbie cookbook
Yes to all the soups! Pasta fagioli is one of our faves.
I got some good reading in! This is from an Elisabeth Eliot book I devoured this month.
I definitely don’t get to see this lady as often as when she lived right above me in the DR, but we enjoyed catching up one evening!
Roo thinks that MY blanket is hers. I got it for Christmas, but Caleigh has essentially claimed for herself, too. Perhaps that will justify my buying myself a second one? 😉
Leyton has enjoyed MS basketball again this season
I have a couple of new buddies! The coach’s kiddos enjoyed hanging with the fam during a lot of evening games.
This one has the MOST energy – and maybe a special little place in my heart! ❤
Scott and I have been helping out with the junior high youth group at church. It’s been good to get to know some of these gals!
The moment church is out, the boys beeline it to the gym for some basketball. 🙂
Rachel stopped by for a quick little visit! Of course, we had to squeeze a game or two of Secret Hitler in with the kiddos.
An early morning airport drop-off. Until next time, friend!
Both boys are in the same algebra class. I may not be teaching right now as a profession, but I still seem to get my fill in other ways! 😉
My sis-in-law made me a homemade cookie cake!
Scott and I broke out a new game this month – you have to use your phone along with cards from the game to solve crimes. Definitely unique, and it gives me escape room vibes.

Thanks for coming along with me! On to February!

September ’25 in Pictures

On By MitchenersIn Dominican Republic, Family, Indiana, Photos of the MonthLeave a comment

September was pretty special! Krista and I made it back to the DR for another week-long work trip. It was awesome to be able to connect again with the ground team and with our student body. Enjoy these fall photos – both from Freedom and from our family!

Ministry

A new schoolwide photo was taken for the ’25-’26 year
There they are – FCS students from PK3 to 12th grade!
Teacher Training is an integral part of Toni’s weekly responsibilities. She works hard on Biblical integration sessions.
Teachers and students praying together at lunchtime
The view I was greeted with my first morning back in the DR ❤
Taylor is the most recent person to join the ground team, and she’s doing amazing things in the English department!
This swingset has gotten a lot of use over the years
Of course I had to be greeted by at least 1 “cacata” during the week
Crazy that I worked in this heat for 12 years
One of Krista’s big projects for this trip was to work through each class to get their next sponsor letter finished up
I love Milagros! She was in some of my training classes back in the day, and she was always so willing to learn.
These girls were some of Caleigh’s friends and classmates at Freedom
Krista encouraging one of our inicial students one afternoon
Hard to imagine that this little guy will one day be a senior. He’ll probably be taller than me, with more muscles than I’ll ever have – and have a solid English base to boot.
Teaching these cuties now that prayer truly makes a difference
Seniors Jhoan and Yefrey – bittersweet that they’ll be leaving us in June!
Ms. Rosa has been a long-time fixture at Freedom. Her kiddos attend school with us, and she lives in the nearby town. Love her!
I had the privilege of hanging with Betsaida a fair amount her first year at Freedom. She’s now a coordinator and manages several teachers.
Eunice is a dear friend and kindred spirit.
Yunior!
These little babes tower over me now. Definitely proud of all they’ve accomplished.

Family

Noah had a birthday at the end of August, but we celebrated on Labor Day with some cookie cake! So proud of this guy.
Cal is 10 now! Hard to believe we’ve got 3 kids in double digits.
Morning or afternoon, it doesn’t matter. I’ll take a good jog around the neighborhood next door.
Memaw loves her cats, and the cats love Memaw’s bookshelf!
Airplane trips without the family are so odd – and usually very peaceful! 🙂
Blurry selfies with my favorite 4-year-old!
I was nervous that this guy would be apprehensive, but he warmed up to me in 2 seconds flat!
My kids were so upset when I came home with pictures of another Dominican meal without them.
Umm… hello, cutie pie! Life is full circle for sure. Yuleisy used to give Leyton baths in our kitchen sink on occasion.
The time is never long enough, but I got to hang just a bit with this gal!
Well, I guess Dad can still handle a kid on the ol’ shoulders. This is what happens when you lose your basketball in the hedge. 🙂
Our kiddos had bikes in the DR, but there wasn’t a real great place to practice. Caleigh has improved her bike-riding skills a bit this month.
I’ve been enjoying this view some – for work, for Sunday afternoon reading, and more!
Happy about a win!
Richard grabbed a picture of the fam at church while I was in the DR
We’ve had a big adjustment heading back to school – trying to get back into the swing of reading before bed
While the brothers are doing the soccer thing, this girl will sometimes use her new birthday markers to make some fun designs!
Monday Night Lights

October is up next! Thanks for following along with us!

July/August ’25 in Pictures

On By MitchenersIn Dominican Republic, Family, Indiana, Photos of the MonthLeave a comment

Whew! What a full summer. Here’s a combination of July and August 2025 from the Mitchener point of view.

Ministry

We had several teams join us this summer. They helped immensely in VBS. Here, one of our seniors, Alfredo, is translating a testimony from English to Spanish.
The senior class started a new tradition! The new upcoming seniors will get to paint a hallway at Freedom.
The finished product
Bittersweet moment – Basilio and Memena moved out of Lima. Memena is the lady who helped us get established there in the village at the beginning of our ministry.
Jhoan will graduate from Freedom this May! He’s so very shy, but he’s an amazing young man!
Leslie and Angela prepping some preschool bags
Two of the ladies that keep Freedom on its feet!
Proud ‘lita over here! Look at how this girl can write her name! So very big.
Little bro is growing up too fast.
A few of our new teachers who just joined the Freedom team
Krista and I joined the team for a couple of virtual mtgs to start off the school year. Yuleisy is sharing some info with us from her department.
School staff praying over the new year
There they are: the Freedom team members for the 2025-2026 school year
I miss my friend, but she is doing awesome things up there on the third floor of Freedom’s school building. ❤
Our beautiful front office ladies!
The Bible Department!
Claire is our sole intern this year (so far)! (Anyone want to join her?)
A good portion of our MK’s – everyone is growing up so fast!

Family

This is not a sight that I see too terribly often, so when I do, I’m documenting it!
The kids and I broke out an old favorite: Sleeping Queens!
We visited a small, local zoo
The kids’ very first 4th of July experience!
Oops. I may have run out of gas for the first time in my life. Scott came to rescue me!
It’s weird being on “this side” of furlough – all of our Freedom friends come to us now!
We decided to jump on the bandwagon and try the viral Joyride
This cat may be one of our favorites. He has the best personality EVER!
I’ve exchanged sugar cane fields for cornfields!
Happy birthday to Memaw!
I’m still enjoying jogging around our neighborhood
One of my favorite spots is on the porch swing on the back patio!
Scott and I are volunteering with our church’s youth group. The middle school girls took a putt-putt and ice cream trip!
Cal and a friend at a recent school picnic
Silly kitty shenanigans
Parent meeting before the start of school
First day of school!
Waiting for the brothers to get done with soccer practice
Cal made some homemade slime – this girl is obsessed with this stuff
Speaking of obsessions, Caleigh’s favorite food in the whole wide world is potato soup. She begs for it often and never cares what season it is – she loves to help make it!
This may have been my favorite grill session yet: steak bites, shrimp, and zucchini!

Ready or not, here comes September!

June ’25 in Pictures

On By MitchenersIn Dominican Republic, Family, Indiana, Photos of the MonthLeave a comment

I forgot how much I loved summer in the States.
Enjoy 30 June pictures from our perspective!

Ministry

How many of these visiting teams photos have I posted over the years? It may just seem like random faces, but each person is an answered prayer.
Our Dominican staff decorated for summer camp!
Getting a head start on learning how to line up for the upcoming school year 🙂
We have returning visitors who connect so well with many of our students – that means the world to us!
This young lady has attended Freedom her entire life (along with her two sisters). She’s had so many life experiences already. We’re praying that she always chooses to put the Lord first in her life.
If you’re wanting to hire some professional organizers/cleaners, look no further!
Cuties!
Where will this little lady be in 5 years? 10 years? Hopefully growing up and learning lots about Jesus at Freedom!
At the end of each week, one of our interns got a pie to the face. Our high schoolers were not unhappy about this. 🙂
VBS!
Parents signing important docs before school begins. Betsaida (in the black shirt) has been a huge godsend to this ministry
The school my kids attend in Indiana had the opportunity to visit my old stomping grounds! I hope they were able to fall in love a bit with this little slice of the Caribbean.

Family

We went camping with the fam one weekend! Check out that pile o’ chicken.
We took a beautiful hike through the woods
Leyton and his siblings enjoyed the hike, but they were all glad to make it back to the car at the end. 🙂
My parents have been experiencing visits from some unwanted visitors. We watched these guys steal the cat food from the front porch on multiple occasions.
Baking some brownies from scratch – this girl is obsessed with all things kitchen.
Our sweet friends’ daughter (who has been a Freedom intern) got married. I was seated by my high school science teacher at the reception! It was awesome to catch up with him.
We took a mini-vacay with some friends to the mountains. They treated us to these amazing made-from-scratch donuts!!
Better than Starbucks!
Another wedding (this time in IN)!
Summer calls for the making of many fruit smoothies
Happy 39 to Scott!
Someone started piano lessons this summer!
I had a lot of fun helping out with our church’s VBS this year! I’m still getting to know kids and their families, but they were all so precious!
We have some Chipotle haters in our family, so Leyton and I took a special lunch trip to one of our favorite places
Noah after we finished a card game one afternoon: “Mom, don’t you need to take a picture of it? You always do that when we’re playing something…” Heh.
We enjoyed several weekend trips to a local park to go wade in the creek.
This pup has had some recent health issues
Folding laundry and getting some Roo cuddles

Thanks for following along on our picture journey!

May ’25 in Pictures

On By MitchenersIn Dominican Republic, Family, Indiana, Photos of the MonthLeave a comment

May happenings – both in the DR and in Indiana!

Ministry

Our Juniors are already beginning to think about life after graduation
They recently took their first college visit – a monumental moment!
Our annual Freedom Talent Show hosted by Rony and Alfredo
Three of our sophomores getting ready for their performance
Ryan and others are getting help preparing the ground for some new crops. We’re doing what we can to add some variety to the students’ meals by planting fruits and veggies.
Mr. Keven helped with our Math Olympics this year
The fresh coats of paint look SO good on our old apartment building!
SURPRISE! Santeli, party of FIVE! Jhoan and Yuleisy are adding another little girl to their family.
YAHOO! Taylor finally made it to the DR! We’re so excited to get her all to ourselves now.
Mother’s Day is a HUGE deal in the Dominican, and we always invite our moms to join us for special programming. The preschool team even coordinated their outfits!
One of our students with her mom
The ladies in this row all have students in our school, and they are all so special.
A cutie in village Lima
Groupwork with phonics
As the school year winds down, we recognized each of the departments that help keep the school running – this is the grounds/transportation crew!

Family

Caleigh had one final choir concert to end the school year here in IN!
We made a weekend trip to visit some friends who lived in the DR with us
My absolute favorite Sunday afternoon activity
Awards Day – we are proud of Cal finishing year 1 of school in the US
Until next year!
Enjoying a walk at the park with Gracie the goober
Caleigh got to spend a fun afternoon with a couple of friends
Caleigh has claimed this fuzzy little kitten as her own when we make the trek to Ohio
Walking in the woods is the perfect balm for my heart
Baseball Noah!
Bored Cal at a baseball game
Some sweet friends gifted us tickets to a comedy show – I laughed SO much!
We may have been treated to Culver’s and gotten some free ice cream!
I am STILL working on this fall cross stitch sampler. Will it ever end? Doesn’t matter. It’s one of my favorite forms of stress relief.
We loved seeing the McCalls while they were back in the States!

Up next? SUMMER!

April ’25 in Pictures

On By MitchenersIn Dominican Republic, Family, Indiana, Photos of the MonthLeave a comment

Wow! April flew by! So thankful for the arrival of spring and for God’s continued provision. Thirty pictures from the thirty wonderful days God gave us this month.

Ministry

Preschool did a presentation during Passion Week. So precious that even the youngest Freedom students are learning the significance of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Freedom’s First Spirit Week! Twin Day for these two.
Softball twins
On “Bible Character” day, Rachel (aka, “Jael”) found “Deborah” to pose for a picture!
Our amazing interns on “Cowboy Day”
On Friday, students and staff dressed up fancy for “Formal Day”
Josh taught some of the high schoolers how to tie a tie.
Meanwhile, back in IN, I was able to attend a missions conference at Taylor University!
We got some new promotional material – Roo the cat approves!
We invited some possible future 3’s to campus for a day of evaluation. Some of these kiddos will be joining us in August!
The ground team started their recent inservice day with a walk/workout session!
It’s field trip season at Freedom! The younger students visited the fire station.
High schoolers headed to the capital to visit a “lighthouse” and a national park.
Elementary kiddos
Two of our 11th graders are serving as student librarians now! So cool to see them use their organizational skills to help the student body.

Family

We got the kids some cheap-o watches to track their walks they take with us.
Sleepover in the basement due to crazy winds/tornado possibilities
We had a church mtg, so Noah handled dinner for the fam!
Cal was in a school play. Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum!
Saturday choir competition!
After-church smiles
We had an “all-hands-on-deck” yardwork day!
A good game of hangman with Memaw!
Cal and Leyton made some Easter bunny pretzel treats
Wedding day at my parents’ house! A church couple wanted to get hitched on the old homestead, and we went to help them prep for the weekend.
Desserts!
The kids love these baby kittens.
The boys have been trying their hand at baseball!
Annabelle turned 95!
Abby came to see us while she was back in the States!

May will be a busy one – see you on the other side!

March ’25 in Pictures

On By MitchenersIn Dominican Republic, Family, Indiana, Photos of the Month1 Comment

A look into our March. Enjoy these 15 ministry pictures and 15 family photos!

Ministry

We had many wonderful visitors! Our kiddos love spending recess time playing with new friends.
Captured from the second floor of our multi-use: team members praying over Freedom in the early morning hours
Teams bless us in all kinds of ways – sometimes it’s by organizing our closets for us!
3rd Qtr Parent-Teacher Conferences
Parents waiting patiently to talk with members of the Freedom team
Betsaida came to us a few years ago – she is now one of our elementary coordinators!
Esther, one of our kindergarten students
Even though the sugarcane company has been talking of mechanizing for quite awhile, you will still see ox-drawn carts and teams of men working to harvest.
Pure joy
My old apartment building got a much-needed facelift!
Honoring firefighters in morning assembly
The student body participated in a day of prayer!
Praying over our buses – they often run into issues due to the rough terrain they traverse.
One of our new 9th grade students, Angelica Maria
Love that Marcia is still getting to meet new friends and practice English!

Family

Saturday morning breakfast by Caleigh
We’re trying to make a weekly game night a priority
God paints some beautiful sunsets
This beef stew was *chef’s kiss*
A little baseball since the weather is trying to warm up
A couple days later, Leyton got hit in the nose by a high fly ball and had a bum eye for awhile
Feels so good to get some jogging in!
It’s baseball season, but these boys still love their basketball
Spring has sprung!
Whenever we visit my parents, Cal is so happy to see “her” kitty
An early egg hunt!
Leyton with his stash
Noah’s goodies
This fall sampler is still not done, and it’s March. But slow and steady wins the race, so they say. Heh.
My new friend! Since Annabelle hasn’t been able to get out to church much, it’s been a blessing to visit with her at home. She just fills up my heart with happiness!

See you in April!

February ’25 in Pictures

On By MitchenersIn Dominican Republic, Family, Indiana, Photos of the MonthLeave a comment

February definitely gave us continued “sweather weather” here. Dominican temps are much more agreeable to my thinned-out blood, but I have to admit – it’s been pretty cozy starting my work days curled up in a warm blanket with a hot cup o’ joe close by. Check out these 28 pictures from the Freedom team – and from our chilly month in Indiana!

We had a student-led chapel this month! Nika, now in 11th grade, was one of my sweet kindergarteners. Neat to see her faith come alive!
Many of our students and staff took part in a 5K in town!
Day laborers, Josh, and Ryan are trying their hand at planting some produce. Check out the pumpkin harvest! They were able to provide 2 days of breakfast as a result.
Thompson Concrete (from my OH stomping grounds) poured another concrete pad for continued playground expansion.
Sweet Lucy has been visiting with her family for several years. You’re never too young to serve!
For Student Day, all of the teachers dressed up as students and recognized them for their hard work and dedication.
For Christmas, we bought Aylin a Pete the Cat book. She was a bit terrified of his big eyes in the book. I think the sunglasses help here! 😉
Two beauties! Yuleisy and 10th grader Esterlina during the Independence Day celebration.
The fantastic mayor of the town of Ramon Santana, Santa. She is a Freedom mom and supporter!
Reenacting significant moments in Dominican history
This was our first year participating in the Ramon Santana march with other schools
Marcia and Mairelys leading the group with flags. I had both of these gals in my mentorship groups for a semester.
This little man is almost 5 months old. Hard to watch him grow up from afar, but I’m thankful for pictures.
Back in the cold, the occasional painting session still breaks out for Caleigh gal.
My trio at church, waiting for mom and dad to quit yakking
Before we moved to the DR, Scott loved to surprise me with flowers. Perhaps the tradition is back? 😉
This ones still loves the snow days! Cal and her “emotional support volcano.” (I have no idea.)
Cal accidentally swallowed her loose tooth! It got stuck in a piece of bread and went straight down the hatch. No tooth fairy for her! Hah.
Some new church friends had a foster shower this month!
Date night at home: 2-player card game and ice cream for the win!
Noah let Caleigh fix his hair for church one morning. So cute!
Leyton got in on the hair-fixing action
The boys recently asked Dad to start reading through the Bible with them. Love seeing their hearts soft towards learning about the Lord.
The 3 resident cats always bring some lively moments to our days. Fletcher decided to help me photograph one of my board game blog posts.
It got warm enough one day to throw some baseball!
So… I started this fall sampler, well, in the fall. I’m not even halfway finished. Perhaps I need to narrow down the number of hobbies I enjoy.
The weather is playing tricks on me! Sometimes it’s spring, sometimes it’s winter. Either way, a little sunshine while I work is good for my heart.
Online gaming, anyone? This takes us to a whole new level of nerd, I know. But what else are we supposed to do when our game-playing friends live across an ocean?!

See you at the end of March!