Busy school days, birthday fun, Christmas program, spending time with family – all wrapped up in one month! Thankful for some time to relax and reflect on Jesus’ birth!
See you in 2023!
December ’22 in Pictures
Tag: batey life
May ’22 in Pictures
May flew by! Thirty-one pictures from the month.
See you at the end of June!
March ’22 in Pictures
Enjoy 30 pictures of our March in the Dominican!
Thank you for your prayers for our family and for Freedom!
June ’21 in Pictures
It’s heating up here in the DR! June 2021 in photos below!
Enjoying lunch with friends while mom and dad are at a meeting. 
If that ain’t the cutest little gal you ever did see… Smiles in church. 
MK class with Mr. Jacob 
School will be allowed to reopen this month! We are so excited! 
A group from the States who has been praying with us for the school to reopen rejoiced with us from afar! 
Celebration cake that Pettisville Missionary Church made! 
Our first team of summer! 
Our awesome summer interns! 
Check out that bus fleet! Our mechanic Daniel has been working hard to get these babies ready for their first day on the job. 
First flag raising in 15 months! 
Hand sanitizer for every kiddo 
Ms. Emma explaining the distancing rules 
MK’s attending VBS – learning about the armor of God! 
The library queen! Ms. Becky brought all these new reads down in her suitcase! 
Love these ladies! 
The inside of a kitchen in Lima. 
On a birthday mission. 
Our 4th graders made a quick trip to the library one day 
Our good friend Mark came down for a week and snapped some family photos for us! Noah-man. 
Leyton 
Cal 
Yuleisy has been meeting with various members of the District Office and Regional Office as we work through regulations for in-person classes and other necessary requirements for high school approval. 
Sunrise! 
We’re super excited about all the new walkways! This one will have a flagpole in the middle. 
Our current Board Chair came down to be involved in the ministry for a couple of weeks. 
Sister-in-laws painting like crazy! 
Noah really enjoys teaching. Jade sent me this sweet photo of him reading to the other MK’s. 
Another sidewalk going in!
May ’21 in Pictures
A months’ worth of photos from our May!
Our quick trip to the States allowed for some kitten cuddles! 
Loved seeing Gramps and Grandma Vi! 
Caleigh with “Noah’s kitty” 
The Feders made the big move to the DR! 
Gabe is headed to the States for work and college! Sad to say goodbye but proud of him! 
Anna and her sisters hung out with the sponsorship team for a day and got to meet Tervi and his goats. 
The next in the saga of the goat visits 
Meeting new people! 
Cutie pie enjoying some crackers 
She was certainly checking Anna out for awhile. 
Robert Daniel is quite the kid! 
“God is love” 
Gabe got some footage with the sponsorship team 
Savannah reading Klemily a note from her sponsor 
Thumbs up! 
Alondra checking out her sponsor letter 
Ava and her class pitched their t-shirt idea to the marketing team! 
Estaylin explaining the shirt specs. 
Gabe’s last time playing bass. 
Caleigh lost her first tooth! 
Some La Cubana cuties 
Love these gals from Cabeza 
I got a sweet encouraging note and drink to help me through the day! 
Morning sunrises at Freedom 
Final week of “Mystery of History” – these kids learned so much! 
Thank you, Jade, for your patience, your hard work, your flexibility, and your love for these MK’s! 
Noah presenting to the class 
They made up their own motions to this insanely long song with all the dates they learned 
Toni meeting with those from the District Office – we could be getting our students back very soon!
April ’21 in Pictures
Our April in 30 photos!
Happy Easter from the Mitcheners! 
The guys cooked up some delicious Easter breakfast for us. 
Noah trying to school his old man in a game of basketball. 
Making some scrapbook pages for the soon-to-be Mrs. Elle Bennett, one of our missionary kiddos. 
We’re going to be grandparents! 🙂 Yoan and Yuleisy are having a girl! 
Beautiful countryside 
Playing marbles is an obsession for our village kids. 
Ms. Becky hosted a Bunko party for the Freedom ladies one evening! 
Being silly in Cabeza de Toro 
This Bejucal cutie loved her first sponsor letter and sticker sheets! 
Ms. Leah is a favorite here at Freedom. Thankful she came to visit for a week! 
Completing sponsor letters and chomping on mangoes. 
Jade is my sweet friend from college. She has been a trooper during this COVID time when we haven’t been allowed to run camps at Freedom. 
Ruthanne spent last summer with us and returned for an extended internship this summer! 
PIT – a century-old game that is a favorite. 
We added the top left classroom this month. By constructing this 30×30 space, we opened up 3 more classrooms (to the right) for students/staff to use. We’re keeping a construction zone buffer for safety. 
Shy guy 
Keyller hanging out at grandma’s house. 
Solainy is a cheeser. 
Savannah reading a sponsor note to a Ramon Santana cutie. 
Cousin hugs. 
Loving their new bikes 
Breeze had a wonderful second internship with Freedom. She really came out of her shell this time around. We miss her! 
Old college pals taking a cardboard box to the mechanic shop. Laughter is good for the soul. 
I love these ladies! I’m biased, but we have the best teachers on the island! 
Domingo bagging up rice for our students and their families. 
Work continues on apartment #4 
A quick trip back to the States! Caleigh got to meet her sweet cousin for the first time in person! 
Doing a little work outside. So relaxing! 
Picking dandelions.
March ’21 in Pictures
March has come to an end. Sometimes I wonder what types of pictures merit a spot in these photo blogs. They often showcase some fairly mundane moments in my life. But, you know, I’m finding that there’s a certain beauty in the simple, “unimportant” parts of our days.
Today, I’m overwhelmed with gratefulness. For my precious family. For the work which the Lord has given me. For my Savior’s sacrifice. And for His sweet presence each day. Happy Easter!
An evening walk with my favorite gal. 
Shish-ka-bobs may be one of our favorite meals – if nothing else, for the colors. 
Beginning stages of apartment #4 
A weekend trip to Lima to hang with some of our 7th graders. 
A new board game with the kiddos! Ticket to Ride Amsterdam. I won. Teehee. 
Check out our new math curriculum – and new shelving! Sweet blessings. 
She still enjoys books with Dad 
A newer section of the octagon is being stuccoed! 
Fancy orange juice for Noah one weekend 
Strawberry juice for the Leyton-man 
This goober thought it was hilarious that she made me draw 8 billion cards in a row 
Vaccinations for our staff 
Rach is one of my walking buddies. 
Laboly checking out a sticker set from her sponsors 
Mom looking things over 
This little man may look serious, but he’s the most talkative 20-month-old I’ve ever met. 
A beautiful garden in Ramon Santana 
Feeding pet goats and visiting with families 
Tervi’s dad is a super kind guy who is always willing to help us find people around town. 
Goobers. Every last one of them. 
The sponsorship dream team! 🙂 
This photo is already outdated. Block begins to go up quickly after the initial set-up. 
Sydney interned with us last school year – we loved spending a week with her family! 
What a little ladies’ man! 
The Whites are headed back to the States. The team put together a farewell potluck and took some last pictures. 
Ana is a ham! 
So cool – a friend in the States collected 1500 masks for our students! 
Sweet friends know the way to my heart: new reading, handwritten cards, and Dr. Pepper. 
Receiving sponsor letters while you’re still in your pajamas? Absolutely! 
Four big dudes have entered quarter 4 of their “homeschool co-op” 
Ana Delia colored a letter for her sponsors this morning! She’ll hopefully get to see them this summer when they come on a trip.
February ’21 in Pictures
We hear our stateside friends and family experienced some chilly weather last month. For the record, I am not at all jealous. In fact, you can come our direction if you’d like – we’re willing to share the sun and surf with you anytime! 🙂 Until then, here are 28 February pictures for you!
As we wait for in-person classes to start up , we’ve been able to provide families with small, weekly food kits! 
The kiddos have been patiently waiting for their Christmas gifts from Grammy, Grandpa and Uncle Lyndell! 
Leyton’s new wheels 
This little gal loves her bike – and her grandpa! 
Zion joined the Freedom MK’s this month – after 5 boys, she’s the first little gal born here in the DR! 
What a bunch of birthday sillies! 
Happy, happy birthday, Leyton! Thanks, Rach, for making his cake! 
Finally got to the end of the Christmas puzzle – and guess what?! One missing piece at the base of the big tree. Grrr. 
Burns are a common occurrence here. Susan and I visited a young boy who had woken up in the middle of the night and stepped on a small pot of hot oil at the foot of his bed. 
The grandma said her doctor told her to use the seed of this nettle-like plant to boil a salve to heal the burn. 
The medicine concoction, complete with a feather! 
The Simoses planned a Valentine’s party for all the MK’s – they had help from several of our missionaries and interns! 
Sierra with her cute little valentine 
This one certainly has a piece of my heart! 
Our lone February team! Thankful for this crew. 
Ms. Alice shared her art supplies and knowledge with our MK’s! 
Our neighbors brought us these adorable Valentines. 
Domingo is loved by many! 
Who needs an actual bat to be able to enjoy a game of baseball? Doug with some buddies. 
A village dog taking a snooze in the shade of a Freedom bus. 
A surprise on my desk. I love our team!! 
Savannah enjoying a batey walk 
Javier is one of our teachers – he is excellent at what he does! 
The newest apartment building is getting rebar! 
Outfoxed is a fun kid’s game – even for us adults! 
Krista with Berwee. This big man has had a lot of people pour into his family over the years. 
Toni started leaving little treats and Bible verses for those in the school during COVID time. The treats are sweet, but the verses are life. 
Noah and Ethan at team night
January ’21 in Pictures
January was a tough month in a lot of ways, but God sustained us through each day. Lots of happy moments with friends, family, coworkers, and Freedom students. Here are 30 pictures from month #1 of 2021!
Christmas break puzzle didn’t quite get finished on time. 
Our first wonderful team of the year! 
Matthew was able to grade this side of the octagon in preparation for new sidewalks. 
One of our sweet preschoolers completing a sponsor letter 
Happy birthday, Rachel! 
Patricia feeding her ducks some rice from her doorstep 
Here comes the sidewalk! 
Team #2! 
Found this little gal wandering around her village and took her home. No one was there, so we hung out for a bit. 
She was loving selfie mode on the phone 🙂 
Walking on hands is all the rage in Campiña 
Sweet Mia left me an encouraging note in my desk drawer that I didn’t find until much later. 
This girl has always had a piece of my heart. Elizabeth is Yefry’s lil sis. 
K-rae let Cal dress up in one of her costumes. 
Sweet Rosa working with some of our students in La Cubana 
Mairelys looking on as little sis Flor receives a sponsor gift. 
Two little Lima goobers 
Neat morning panorama 
Our third and final team of January! 
The Wheelers have been such good friends. They sense the needs of others. They brought us coffee every day for at least a week! 
Trying out the new sidewalk in the rain. It won’t be quite as muddy now for our students when they return! 
Kris is fantastic at organizing and creating systems – he’s got it worked out so that the least possible amount of wood is wasted as cabinets are made for the new apt. building. 
Debi planted these on her trip a year ago – and she weeded them this year! Definitely makes things feel more homey. 
Sam gave Cal his special dog “Moon Cheese” 
Sorry I didn’t get ya with your eyes open, Toni! Congrats on fnishing your degree!! 
Doug teaching science to our MK’s! 
Scott and I had to make a quick trip to La Romana – he surprised me with this deliciousness. 
Noah was so happy that Grammy came to visit – yummy cooking at his request! 
Leyton certainly wouldn’t have complained if they had stayed longer! 
Caleigh with a Grandpa creation
December ’20 in Pictures
Wow! That was some year, wasn’t it? No one would have expected all the events of the last twelve months. Many are saying “Good riddance” to this doozy of a year. Looking at it all from one side of the coin, I can understand those sentiments.
On the other hand, it’d be crazy to think that 2021 won’t bring its own challenges. January 1 isn’t some magical date that will make all our troubles disappear. COVID isn’t gone. For us personally, our students haven’t returned to Freedom. I’m sure there will be plenty of other unexpected trials.
For that reason, it’s important for me to take these momentary pauses each month to dwell on the blessings. Yes, there are difficulties. But God is so very good. Here are just 31 photo evidences of how He took care of our family and this ministry in December!
We’re all so excited for Baby McCall to make her debut in the coming weeks! 
Doodling and playing with Jade 
Still delivering sponsor letters even though in-person classes can’t happen. 
Jacob and Mia have made some good buddies in La Cubana. 
Baseball in La Cubana 
The back of a typical batey home. Cooking and washing dishes are done right outside. 
Our little tour guide. If we can’t find someone, Neytan is always willing to help take us where we need to go. 
I was asked to help with a Flat Stanley project for a third grader in the States! 
Happy birthday, Yuleisy! 
Leyton, Cal and I went to a birthday party in San Pedro. Mery was the entertainment for afternoon! 
A precious gift. 
This kiddo has more energy than quite possibly anyone I know. We all love Neytan! 
Noah and Leyton helped prep and serve a delicious dinner for the parents of all elementary MK’s. Chicken alfredo and more! 
My first attempt at wreath making! Pam put together a super fun craft night to wrap up our ladies’ Bible study time. 
Freedom hosted a mini Christmas party – in each of the villages, we brought music, games, and food to kick off Christmas vacation. 
This little man from Molino is wearing one of my boys’ old t-shirts. It makes me nostalgic to see their clothes again. 
My name twin and I! 
Mari manning the Nerf gun station 
Sofia and Caleigh 
All smiles in La Cubana! 
Ring toss! 
College pals masked up in a humid little sugarcane village in the DR. 
Hot dogs, popcorn and apples! Oh my! 
We lit up the sky at Freedom one night with a giant bonfire and S’mores! 
Christmas break was wonderful! Lots of baking on Christmas Eve! 
My little helpers liked making sweets (and stealing a few in the process) 
Our yummy cookie haul from some neighbors! 
The kids always enjoy wrapping up little gifts, pictures and coupons for their siblings. 
Christmas Eve musings 
Christmas dinner! 
Selfies with this cutie
The Bible doesn’t promise a life without pain, but I’m looking forward to a new year of trusting the Lord with whatever He’s got planned – and perhaps low-key praying that a global pandemic isn’t a huge part of it all again. 🙂
The Mitcheners 