March 2018 in Pictures

On April 1, 2018April 1, 2018 By MitchenersIn Angela, Photos of the MonthLeave a comment

I could write a whole lot of words for each of these pictures. Thankful for all the people and all the blessings. Click on the photos below to get a quick glimpse into our month of March!

Freedom happenings

Rachel and Becca continue to do an amazing job working with their Accelerate! students

Getting ready to work on that tracing in PK4

PK3 in their element

Cute little watermelon slices

Neytan and Eyker eating some lunch before class begins

Miss Amanda stealing a hug and a tickle from Juan

Angel Grabiel

Kindergarten cuties

Beautiful Midelka

Cuddles from Becca in chapel

Alber says cheese!

Weighing sugarcane

Answering questions in chapel

Many of our missionaries use this cube as an evangelism tool in conversations with people here in the DR

Explaining the sugarcane cutting process

2nd graders Sebastian and Berwee at lunch

Alondra working hard

Mery with some of our littlest students

Cutting some sugarcane for a team to try

Gauri

Leyton and a new buddy

Our intern Nic working hard

Sharing the gospel again with our construction workers

Setting up a medical station in one of our villages

Praying for their new space

Dr. Alan sharing his testimony with the people of Bejucal.

We had our first medical team ever this month!

Playing and practicing English

Angela worked with Kristi several mornings to translate between villagers and doctors.

Third grade moved their classroom upstairs as construction continues on the school.

Lice treatment station!

This little one has struggled for a long time with severe lice infestation.

Yuleisy’s husband Johan joined the Freedom team this month! He’s working in the kitchen!

Little Angel got his ear irrigated. Many of our students get a lot of wax and buildup in their ears.

Family fun

We had a Memaw and Pepaw spend a week with us!

Batey visit!

Smiley girl

Leyton trying some sugarcane

Noah and his schoolmates being recognized for their good grades in Qtr. 3

A little friend in village Lima

A Dominican Easter tradition – habichuelas con dulce!

This boy could watch cattle all day

Thanks for your continued prayers for our family and for Freedom!

Estaylin

On February 19, 2018February 28, 2018 By MitchenersIn Angela2 Comments

We recently mailed out January sponsor letters! Whew! While it’s always a lot of work to print the papers, pull kids from class, double check student work, stamp and stuff envelopes, and send 240ish letters off, I love looking through the cute messages and drawings that our students create for their sponsors. Lots of “I love you’s” and “Thank you’s” and “Please come visit me’s”. Relationships are growing!

A couple weeks ago, I pulled out our 3rd grader Estaylin so that he could finish up his sponsor letter. We sat in the hallway together and chatted while he worked. After he wrote his little note, I told him to turn over his paper so he could add some details to the drawing of his house and family.

Last year, Estaylin’s dad passed away in a tractor accident in the villages. Estaylin now lives with his mom and his little brother. As I looked down at his picture, I saw that he had drawn 4 little people.

I asked Estaylin who those stick figures represented. He started with the second one. “There’s my mom. And that’s me. And Eliangel.” My heart hurt as I realized the significance of that first little figure. It had to be his father – his older siblings don’t live in the house with them.

“That’s cool, Estaylin. And what about that one? Is that your dad?”

He quickly gave me a gruff response. “My dad died.”

“I know, buddy. I’m sure you miss him a lot. But I think it’s cool that you drew him here. It’s always good to remember him and the good times you had with him.”

He gave a brief nod. And with that, the exchange was over. I gave him a hug and sent him back to class.

While I don’t get to be with Estaylin every day, our teachers and staff do. I’m thankful that people who love the Lord are able to pour into his little life all week long. And in the midst of the pain that he’s probably still experiencing even months after his dad’s death, I’m praying that he sees the love of Jesus in the faces and the hugs and the words of those he interacts with.

Angel’s Week

On August 21, 2017August 21, 2017 By MitchenersIn AngelaLeave a comment

The Lord is so good. He continues to provide individuals to keep things moving forward here.

Some people volunteer their time from the States.
Others have joined our ground team for the long haul.
Some sacrifice by giving financially.
And others spend a short time with us here – usually just a week.

We’ve been asked before, “What good could someone possibly do in a week?”

“No offense,” they say, “but isn’t it a ‘waste’ of money, time, and resources?”

In July, a group from Illinois came to stay with us for seven days. A lady named Angel joined her church for their first trek to the Dominican. Angel admitted that the whole time leading up to the trip, she questioned why she was coming and what she had to offer. Even as she sat on the airplane, she was unsure of why she was on her way. But the Lord had been impressing on her to just “show up”. So she did.

She didn’t have to wait long for God to reveal Himself to her.

Monday morning, Angel and the rest of her team stood in the breezeway and listened as our principal, Toni, called out the names of the 3-year-olds they’d be working with that day. Suddenly, Toni paused.

“Guys,” she said, “I’ve got one little man here who needs some extra love and one-on-one attention.”

Without skipping a beat, Angel said, “I’ll take him!” As she looked down at the slip of paper that Toni had handed to her, she read the name of the little guy she’d be interacting with for four hours.

Angel.

His name was hers. And she knew that he was her “why.”

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Later, Angel poignantly shared with us that each moment in the classroom with Angel was such a blessing for her. She was able to interact with him in a special way. And he seemed to respond to her as well. When she was willing to let go and just show up, God provided a unique opportunity for her to see Him in a bigger way.

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Angel plans on being involved in little Angel’s life in the years to come. I like to think that their relationship will deepen as time goes by. I pray that as Angel grows up, he’ll come to know the love of His Savior. He doesn’t yet understand the impact of that week on his life. He doesn’t recognize how the Lord miraculously orchestrated circumstances so that the two of them would meet. But what an incredible way for Angel to start his first year at Freedom!

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So when people ask me if I think it’s worth it to come for a week, I say, “Absolutely.”

In our context, at least, a week can be worth eternity.

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Echoes of mercy, whispers of love

On July 23, 2017July 24, 2017 By MitchenersIn Angela2 Comments

This past week was difficult, but good. Lots of struggles – computer issues, physical exhaustion, daily interruptions, limited time with my family, feelings of stress from my messy house, and, well, I needn’t go on. You get the idea.

One morning, I “set up shop” in the upstairs portion of the multi-use. As I sat there waiting for my computer to boot up, I looked out the window. Jimena was standing there, broom in hand, whisking the dust off the sidewalk. Across the way, students were rhythmically repeating some chant after their teacher. Toni was in the breezeway, preparing team members to meet their pre-schoolers. The safari truck pulled up, and Martires began collecting empty water jugs to fill up. Becky’s happy voice echoed through the air as she reminded the 3-year-olds that it was time to put their “Heads down!” Hammers clanged in the distance as the construction crew started their day.

All of the sudden, I felt so very small. I forgot about my troubles for a moment and breathed up a prayer of thankfulness to the Lord for allowing me to be a small part of all that He’s doing here. Maybe those sights and sounds of our wonderful ground team working together were my “echoes of mercy and whispers of love” for the day.

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We’d love for you to pray that our family continues to learn what it means to submit perfectly to Jesus – even when our days don’t go the way we expect. Fanny Crosby wrote about the delight, happiness, and rest that are available when we allow the Lord to fill us with His goodness. And I want that.

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Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine;
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.

Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending, bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Savior am happy and blest;
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

March and April 2017 in Pictures

On April 30, 2017May 19, 2024 By MitchenersIn Dominican Republic, Photos of the Month2 Comments

Click the images below to check out some of the happenings of the last two months!

November and December 2016 in Pictures

On December 31, 2016May 19, 2024 By MitchenersIn Dominican Republic, Photos of the MonthLeave a comment

Another end to another year! How I pray that the Lord was glorified. I hope that our family looks to Him for strength and joy as 2017 begins.

14958977_10100942657653872_1849830470_ocrop — Our students visited the zoo this year for their field trip!

14975682_10100942658297582_158219258_ocrop — Checking out the flamingos

Our team enjoyed another Thanksgiving together as a group

Thanksgiving getaway! A great time of fellowship for the weekend.

We’ve been trying to battle a serious mold problem! Gross!

We finally took our new desks and cabinets apart and painted all the areas where the pressed wood was exposed. Yeah, it’s humid here.

dsc_0642crop — Miss Rachel and Miss Emma planned a 100th Day of School party for their kindergarten cuties

dsc_0673crop — Silly Jesús with his 100 Days crown

dsc_0767crop — We had fun putting our tree up a little earlier than usual this year!

dsc_0605crop — Caleigh tested out our new LED lights for us

Scott confirmed that he was NOT pregnant. He battled some scary abdominal pain for a few days!

We thought for a moment that we may have had a case of appendicitis! Caleigh helped take care of Dad while he was on the mend.

God is so good. Katie brought us dinner one evening while Scott was sick!

Parent-teacher conferences in the villages!

One of our families in Cabeza de Toro made a Christmas tree out of green pop bottles!

img_7977crop — Our two-night Christmas program was a success!

dsc_1224crop — Noah helped his teacher Miss Mery pass out papers to the parents one evening at the program

dsc_1505crop — Our Freedom team! So thankful for these people!

dsc_1526crop — Staff Christmas party fun!

A church back home sweetly sent our family an entire suitcase of goodies for Christmas!

dsc_1827crop — We loved spending some time with Memaw and Pepaw over Christmas!

October 2016 in Pictures

On November 13, 2016May 19, 2024 By MitchenersIn Dominican Republic, Photos of the Month6 Comments

Another full month in the DR! Highlights: Day camp for 2nd/3rd grade and more construction progress!

dsc_9213crop — Third grade circling up for an afternoon of fun at their first-ever day camp!

dsc_9215crop — The kids enjoyed a group game where they introduced themselves with animal noises/silly actions.

dsc_9291crop — Guys and girls competed to see who could carry their volunteers the fastest across the human bridge!

dsc_9054crop — Enmanuel playing a game with his small group

dsc_9070crop — Marcia posing for the camera

dsc_9585crop — Fabiola coloring a picture after listening to the lesson

dsc_9620crop — We love these two! Thankful Rachel is back in the DR as a full-time missionary, and thankful that Katherine has been doing much better behaviorally in school recently!

dsc_0043cropcrop — Caleigh continues to keep us on our toes! We had a little milk mishap one afternoon.

We got in the Christmas spirit a little early when Dad found a couple of Christmas cookie box sets on super sale at the store!

The Pyle girls joined us for the making of some melty snowmen!

Rachel has been settling back in to Kindergarten! The kiddos have been learning lots!

Patricia showing off her writing notebook

dsc_0069crop — Just answering some emails with Dad

September 2016 in Pictures

On September 30, 2016May 19, 2024 By MitchenersIn Dominican Republic, Photos of the Month2 Comments

Three more months, and 2016 will be history. It’s funny how days seem long, yet the months and years just fly. At the close of each day, I fall into bed so very exhausted. But, the Lord! He’s so faithful and constant and near. As difficult and full as each day is, I’m thankful for His presence and strength. You can pray that our family would keep our eyes solely on our Jesus as we make our way through each day.

Enjoy some pictures of this past month in the DR!