im just trying things out to see how to upload photos...these pictures are the beautiful feet of the girls at the orphanage. we painted their toenails. for many of them, this was their first time!

home!

hello there all my faithful blog readers. i am now back in the u s of a. we left constanza on tuesday and had a dinner with the rest of the interns and the missionaries in jarabacoa and then a time of debreifing. then on wednesday we went to the coast to a town named sosua. we stayed at a beautiful resort where we swam, visited the beach, went souveneir shopping, drank strawberry banana smoothies, and met with the head missionary for an evaluation time. it was such a relaxing day and it was fun to hear stories from the other sites. then we went to bed and got a few hours of sleep before the long travel day. we woke up at 3:45 and got on the bus headed for santiago. we just barely made our 7:30 flight! the flight was fine to miami and then we hung out there until our 2:00 flight to chicago. we got off a little late, but finally by 6 we were at o'hare and then a few hours later i was safe and sound in pontiac. the two things i really wanted when i got home were to do laundry and have a hot shower. i got both! all summer we did laundry in the bathtub, so i really appreciated having a washer and dryer. then i got a hot shower which is only my second hot shower in 7 weeks! haha...its the little things in life that bring so much joy! im so thankful to God for bringing me back safely from this amazing adventure. adventure is really the only word i can use to describe this summer. it was so exciting to follow God and learn from him in a different setting. I learned so much and I plan on blogging again soon to share with you all the lessons that I've learned from this experience and I will post some photos. I just wanted to let you know that im home and say thank you so much for reading this blog and praying faithfully for me. It was seriously such an encouragment to read your comments and know that you were thinking of me. What a great partnership!

last day in constanza

today we are wrapping things up here. weve done some gift shopping and we are going to clean our apartment, pack, and then go spend the afternoon with the kids. we made them cookies and have cards and gifts for each of them. they will be so surprised! then we say goodbye tonight because we leave early tomorrow morning for jarabacoa. yesterday, sarah and i decided to have our own church service and it was one of my favorite memories here. we went up to the roof of our apartment with our ipods and sang worship songs together and then we went through each kid at the ark and prayed for them individually. it was so wonderful to bring these kids before the Lord and really pray specifically for them. Its easy to say a big blanket prayer for all of them, but with as well as we know them, it was great to pray different things for each one because they are all so different. i have loved my time here in constanza teaching the kids and learning more about the dominican culture. The Lord has strengthened my faith and taught me how to trust him more. My worldview has expanded and my love for missions has grown. I want to thank all of you who have been reading this and praying so faithfully. It really makes all the difference and I feel so supported and encouraged. Im excited to tell stories and share pictures!

i really cant believe that we´re done teaching. friday was our last day. it was really special because thursday and friday the kids were on like the best behavior that they have been this whole time. it was a great way to end. then last night we had a pizza party at the site with all the kids. they loved pizza...oh my gosh, this one kid grabbed a stack of like six or seven pieces and just had the biggest smile on his face. then we played in the dark and took a ton of pictures. it was so fun to have a going away bash without having to say goodbye just yet. today we are having lunch with a missionary, then doing some souvenier shopping and working out. sunday is church and chill, and then monday is cleaning our apartment, packing, and saying our goodbyes. Gods timing is so perfect because last week i was definetly not ready to leave or be done, but now its just the right time. it will be very sad and hard to leave, but im ready to be home. the Lord has taught me so much about him on this trip, especially about his faithfulness in every situation and teaching me to trust him with the big things and the small things because he is in it all. if you could pray that the last few days would be filled with showing Gods love right up to the end and that the goodbyes wouldnt be too hard. i have a feeling that there will be a lot of tears...

hello

hey there. sorry its been awhile. today is our morning off and then we have the afternoon with the big group of kids. then we only have two more days of curriculum! crazy...we think that we leave on tuesday to go to jarabacoa and the beach and then i fly home on thursday. this has been such a rewarding experience. it has been amazing to see some changes in kids over this month. one girl who is really spunky and gave us a run for our money for the longest time, is starting to have a change of heart. the other day she started listening to us and obeying the first time, and she was being so kind to her brothers and sisters. i really affirmed her good behavior and we talked about the fruit of the spirit in her life. its so neat to see God work in a childs heart. ive also been reading whats so amazing about grace by phillip yancy. wow that is a great book and it has been really helpful for me to think more about grace, and being here it has really hit home. Gods grace is amazing. it costs everything for the giver and nothing for the reciever.

last week

hey frienders
i cant believe that we only have one more week of teaching. this week was a lot of fun with the kids and a team that was here. on friday they left and said all their goodbyes. it was really strange to be on the other end of that, to see the team and the kids crying, but to not be part of the leaving. i really cant imagine what next week is going to be like when we leave. im very sad already. on wednesday, the team did a program for the kids and i was able to do a lot of translating, and i´ve also had a few other translating opportunities for the team. that is something that i really enjoy doing. last night we had a girls night with libby, the missionary, and had dinner and watched chick flicks..it was a lot of fun. today the other interns might come but we´re not sure, and then tomorrow we have church and then i think relaxing or going out and exploring. im loving getting to know the kids and the missionaries better and learning more about the ministry. the Lord has been so near to me. please pray that for this last week, i will make the most of every minute to share Christ´s love with the kids, that i will be encouraging to the people i work with, and that i will be listening to the Lord for things that he wants me to do this week. See you all soon.

hello all...well i dont really have any earth shattering news or exciting updates today. we had a great morning with the kids though and things continue to go well with the summer school. tonight we are going to movie night at the ark. they are going to bring a projector and put a sheet on a wall outside and we will watch a movie with all the kids. im sure it will be a blast. the Lord continues to be faithful and is providing for my every need.

last night, a missionary from another organization came to hang out with the team. she shared her testimony and the story of how she got here. it was so encouraging. one really neat quote that she shared that i just cant get out of my mind is this. a missionary is just a nobody serving a somebody. and that doesnt just go for someone with the missionary title, shouldnt we as christians be living like that too...

we just got back from a great morning with the kids. the book for this week is called the little white duck and we are learning about pond animals. one activity was to play follow the leader and act out animals. so we were running around the houses acting like butterflies, frogs, fish, and ducks. it was really fun. this weekend was really fun. we were able to relax and get some things done on saturday and then go out for pizza and watch princess bride with the team that is here, and then on sunday we went to church and then went to the waterfall with the house of kids that didnt go last week. the water is freezing cold, but of course the kids jumped right in! yesterday i was able to call my family for the first time in four weeks! it was so great to hear their voices.

fin de semana

good morning. it looks like today will be a nice break and a chance to get some laundry, cleaning, and shopping done. tonight we are going out for pizza and watching a movie with the team that is here and the missionaries so that will be really fun. well also be doing planning for this next week and getting our apartment ready for a girl who will be staying with us these last two weeks. pray that i would treasure every moment here and make the most out of every opportunity to serve. peace out.

hello all. today was a good day. our morning went really well and the kids were much calmer than yesterday which was a blessing. we had some people from a work team over to our apartment for lunch so that was fun to be little hostesses! we also found out that some of the interns that are in jarabacoa might come to constanza next weekend to come hang out and go hiking. that would be so much fun! this weekend looks pretty busy as another team is coming and we are going to be doing some prep work for a sponsorship program. then on sunday i think we are going to the waterfalls again with the other house of kids which will be so fun. they have been counting down the days. ive been able to talk with the missionaries and other people and ask a lot of questions and learn about their ministry experience and ask for advice. im really trying to seek counsel on what to do from here and i got some great advice yesterday. a few people encouraged me to keep trying all different kinds of ministries, maybe even do something that doesnt involve kids, or go to europe or africa, just see whats out there and where my nitch is. so im just continuing to ask God to show me where i should go and what i should be thinking about for the future. i know that he will show me the way and i just need to be patient and trusting. its really exciting to dream and wonder about where God might take me!

cant believe how the time has flown by

hello all...
i just cant believe that its thursday. time seems to fly here. we have tomorrow and then only two more weeks of teaching the kids...ahhh so crazy...im trying to treasure every moment because they seem to be flying by so quickly. we had a little bit of a crazy morning with the kids. but overall they have been so good. we just had an off day today. hopefully in the afternoon they will be a little more calm. haha. i think this afternoon we are also going on a barrio tour, which is going to an extremely poor neighborhood and looking around and maybe visiting a family. it is such an eye opening experience and the poverty is unbelievable. hey i found out some great news yesterday. all the children at the ark (the orphanage) need 8 sponsors and as of yesterday, all the children are fully sponsored. praise God! now they will be looking for more sponsors in the fall when the care center opens for the kids that will be coming to school. im getting to know the kids really well and i feel like im past the stage of oh theyre so cute and this is just so fun to actually knowing them, knowing what makes them tick, seeing them in different situations, and really being heartbroken over them, i mean dont get me wrong i still think theyre cute and that it is fun, but being with them for a longer time has really given me a different perspective. hope everyone is doing well. thanks for all the comments...so encouraging!

waterfalls.

happy monday! i was so excited to go back to the summer school program today. its great to have weekends off to relax and get geared up again, but by monday im so ready to get back into it. we had a great weekend. we watched the missionarys kids all day on saturday and played rummy royal, a crazy game called heroscape and then watched starwars. on sunday we met the team and had a little worship service at the team house. its sarahs home church so its cool that she is close with all of them and it was great to meet them. then we packed up and headed to aguas blancas waterfall. so we all loaded in the back of the truck, and by all i mean like 15 americans and then the kids from the green house, it was so packed, kids sitting on laps, people squished, but so so fun. the drive was a little over an hour up the mountain with a beautiful view. then we got to the waterfall and it was just breathtaking. the kids got in the water and splashed around a little, we took a lot of pictures, and then had a picnic lunch. on the way back, many of the kids fell asleep in our laps. then we had dinner with the team and a time of worship. it was such a neat time and i have missed singing in english with other believers. then dave went through and gave us all the stories of the kids at the orphanage. for privacy protection reasons, i cant share any of the stories on here, but let me just tell you that it is unbelievable. these kids have been through some of the worst situations i have ever heard of. many of these stories i hadnt known yet, but ive been working with these kids for two weeks and ive noticed some things that after hearing the stories start to make more sense. i almost started crying when dave was telling us about some of these dear ones. its amazing to see them now, see how the Lord has rescued them from the pit and used people to show them love and bring them healing. knowing their past gives me more of a burden to show as much love, patience, and compassion as i possibly can. i have to give them all the love i can possibly squeeze out of my heart. its hard when you think about how easy we have things and how we grew up in a safe place with a loving family and then other kids just didnt. but praise God that they are in a loving home now.

funny fourth of july celebration story...last night two other interns and I went to a little cafe called cafeteria saray for the best chicken sandwiches and strawberry smoothies! then we had to go to the team house (house where american teams stay when they come) to pick up a matress for an intern that is spending the weekend with us. so, im sure we were quite a sight...three girls carrying a matress down the road! haha...and then we ran into our mormon friends who we met a couple weeks ago. we´ve had some really interesting discussions with them, but anyway, we saw them on the road last night, so its us five americans standing on the side of the road, with a matress, in constanza, wishing each other a happy fourth of july! its just a funny picture...today i think we will be doing childcare for the marriage conference that is coming up. i am loving every minute of my time here but it seems to be flying by. we only have three more weeks of teaching...i really dont want to think about leaving, so im trying to make the most of every moment that im here! peace out...

happy fourth of july

hey frienders...happy fourth! we are gearing up for a big weekend. tonight and tomorrow there is a marriage conference here in constanza and we might be helping with childcare and then tomorrow a team is coming from sarahs church. then on sunday, we have church and then were going to the waterfalls! im so excited. things in the summer school program are going really well. i cant believe that today marks the end of the second week of teaching. it is flying by. we are also getting to know the kids a lot better and its really exciting to see changes in some of them. one girl in particular was struggling at the beginning, but her whole spirit has changed. now, she is very affectionate, smiling, and has a peace about her that we didnt see two weeks ago. the Lord is changing all of us, isnt he? a few prayer requests. this weekend the name of the game will be flexibility. pray that the Lord would wipe away our selfishness and make us into servants willing to do whatever. no task is to big or too small. also pray that we would continue to be an encouragement to the people we work with and that we will reflect christ.

loving without conditions

its easy to love the lovely, well dressed, healthy, and kind. but are they the ones that desperately need to be shown love? please pray that i would show the same unconditional love that christ has shown me to those who need someone to just hug them or rub their back no matter how they look, how sick they are, or how they act. today was a battle...i kept reminding myself that jesus loves the least of these.

its me again

good morning! i just wanted to say thanks to all of you who have been reading, praying, and leaving comments. i really feel so loved and supported. thank you for all your prayers. the Lord has been faithful to provide for my every need, seriously, its mind boggling the way that he takes care of every little detail. well, this morning im sitting at a new internet cafe that im pretty excited about. the one i had been going to kept kicking me off the internet and randomly didnt work, so i think this one will work better. we have wed. mornings off, so we have some free time and then a meeting and then this afternoon we are with the kids from the orphanage and other kids from the community for a big play time. my favorite part of being here is the morning time with the 16 kids from the orphanage. they love what they are learning and i love seeing them excited about the bible, reading books, and doing crafts. yesterday, we were reading a book about animals and then the craft was to make lion masks out of paper plates. making the craft was a little hectic, but they were so cute. we took a picture with all the kids holding up their masks. many of them have not done too many arts or crafts, so getting out even simple things like paint, paintbrushes, paper plates, colored pencils, and scissors is a pretty big deal! I have to tell you that the Lord has just been so faithful to us. he is increasing my faith and he has never left us alone, he has always provided for us. i just cant get past this lesson....the lord is my strong tower, in him i take refuge! blessings from constanza

saturday

hello everybody! i dont have any big news right now, just saying hi. we have the weekends off, so today we are just running some errands and relaxing. continue to pray for God´s wisdom in every situation.

a heavy heart

today i was with some kids who just break my heart. i cant really go into their names or stories, but you cant imagine what some of these kids have been through and how their past has affected them. today i was just holding a boy, wiping his tears and blowing his nose. That was the only need i could meet out of so many, but my heart was just breaking wanting to do more. pray for these kids, though you dont know their names or their faces, lift them before the Lord. they are your brothers and sisters. this world is full of so much pain and problems, and yet the Lord is our joy and our hope.

one week in constanza

today is our one week mark of being here in constanza...sometimes it feels like we just got here and other times it feels like its been much longer. the summer school continues to go well. we love our class. this week we are reading stellaluna and learning about bats and birds and also reading charlotte´s web. they love the stories. the crafts have been really fun too and it turns out that they never want to keep what they make, they always give it to us, so we leave with a big stack of projects that we hang up in our apartment! yesterday we had a free morning and a meeting and then in the afternoon, we had kids from the community that will be coming to the school on the campus that will open in the fall. so, it was a little crazy, but we did some relay races, played outside, and did crafts. there is also a work team here this week so we went to dinner with them last night. they are fun to hang out with and have been really encouraging. today we go back to the orphanage in the afternoon and are there tomorrow and then this weekend we might go to a basketball game with some new friends we made. please continue to pray that we will be an encouragement to the people we are working with and that the kids will see jesus love in us. the Lord is very near, an ever present help.

climb every mountain...search high and low...any sound of music fans?

yesterday we climbed a mountain. to the top. about halfway up i really didnt know if i was going to make it, but we did. and the view was amazing. we could see the whole town and the surrounding mountains, just breathtaking. God´s work is wonderful. we went to church in the morning with the missionaries and a work team that is here. it was a small service with some worship songs and then a great sermon on matt 24 and 25, it was great to be worshipping with believers from this culture. this morning sarah and i had our first day of summer school and i cant tell you how well it went. we spent time in prayer and were so excited to go, but we were both a little nervous, but God was our strength the whole way through. we have 16 kids from the orphanage in our class. we had Bible time, story time, snack and play time, craft time, and circle time. as much as we are trying to show love to these kids, we feel so flooded with love. every kid gave us the craft they made and put our names on it...what a gift....they were also so attentive and eager to learn. we are so excited to be working with these kids everyday, its just a huge blessing from the Lord that we get to spend time with them. we have a little break now and then in the afternoon we have stations of games and crafts, english lessons, and math lessons. the Lord has been so faithful. praise him praise him!

hey hey

it turns out that we had some free time today so we´re back at the internet cafe. let´s see what´s happened since i last updated. in the afternoon we met our neighbors, the people who live under us, they are renting us their upstairs apartment. we went over and they welcomed us right in. we sat and talked with the husband and wife and their two daughters who go to the university but were in town for the weekend. we were planning on just stopping by for a minute but we ended up having coffee and chatting for quite a while. our next adventure was going to work out. dave took us (by motorbike...so fun) to the gym where he goes and we got a one month membership. we can run outside right by the gym, and ride bikes and do the stairstepper inside. so, im riding the bike yesterday, listening to super loud techno music and out the window i can see the mountains...not quite like pontiac, ya know? then, it was time for dinner. since our fridge and stove are now working we were able to make mac and cheese and we cut up a pineapple and ate outside on our little balcony. then we worked on curriculum and laminating books and some good girl time. this morning we were planning on sleeping in, but you just cant when you hear the dogs barking, people outside talking, and of course the motorbikes! so, we had an early start and explored the town a little, made some copies at a bookstore for our lesson plan, and then decided that we really needed to do laundry. the only problem is that we dont have a washing machine, but that didnt stop us. we bought some laundry soap and washed our clothes in the bathtub and hung them all over our apartment to dry...haha...then we went to the project to play with the kids, and then back to the apartment to chill for awhile. after we´re done here at the internet cafe i think we´re going to go shopping with our neighbors that we met yesterday and then work out before dinner. thanks for all the comments and prayers. everything is wonderful and life here is always an adventure... sarah and i laugh all the time! sometimes it just hits us that we´re here and we burst out laughing....ttfn!

hello from the DR!

hey everybody. well, im finally here and everything is going so well. right now im sitting in an internet cafe that is pretty close to where im living and i just wanted to write an update about whats been happening in this corner of the world! thank you so much for all the comments and emails. i feel very loved and supported and i know that there are many faithful prayer warriors interceding for me too, so thank you.
well, the flights went really well. i flew with other interns from chicago and then met up with the rest in miami. we landed in santiago, went through customs and stuff and thankfully all our bags made it. then, some missionaries picked us up and took us to a missionary family´s home in jarabacoa for some dinner and then suprise...a birthday cake! then, we split up to a few different apartments for the night. the apartment we stayed in was beautiful. the next two days we went through training. the kids alive staff did a great job preparing us for the summer. the first thing we did was split up into groups and go on a scavenger hunt in jarabacoa. we had to exchange money, buy tylenol at a pharmacy, go to an internet cafe, buy a lightbulb, buy milk, go to a fruit market, and a few other things. it was so great to get out in the community, ask questions, and see how things work. so, the rest of the training was about culture, kids alive expectations, and then a time when other dominican teachers came and we were trained on how the curriculum works for the summer school program. then yesterday, we split up and headed off to the different locations where we will be serving. dave, a missionary, came and picked up me and sarah, another intern that i will be working with. so, we loaded up the van and then started the long trek up the mountain. it was about a 2 hour drive with a beautiful view as we got higher and higher into the mountains. my heart was pounding and i was so excited. this day had been a long time coming. dave asked us if we wanted to go see the kids first or move into our apartment. that wasn´t a tough choice for me. kids! we got out at the orphanage and headed to the house and as soon as i saw the kids i ran to them and i was flooded with love as they remembered my name and started hugging me and climbing all over us. i can´t really put into words how wonderful that feeling was. i have missed these kids so much and it was just wonderful to be back. then, we ate dinner with the rowleys and dave and had a great time of fellowship and catching up. we are staying in the upstairs apartment right next door to the missionaries. it is a really nice place. we each have our own bedroom and bathroom, a kitchen, a dining room, a living room, and a little balcony. we love it. we added some decorations this morning to make it a little homey. then this morning we went to the missionaries house and talked with libby about the summer school curriculum. it was all prepared for us and i think it will be really great for the kids. we will be working with the 16 kids from the orphanage in the morning with the curriculum that involves bible, reading, stories, crafts, and games, and then in the afternoon there will be stations of tutoring, computers, and outside games and crafts. then on wednesday afternoons we will be working with a bigger group of kids. the kids alive staff has done an amazing job having everything laid out for us in a very easy to understand way. before the trip i was wondering if we would be left to figure out a lot on our own, but they have helped us so much. im really excited to be working with the same kids everyday, helping them learn and get prepared for school, and building relationships with them.
im so happy right now i cant even really explain it. i havent been here long, but i love love it. we will be starting the summer school on monday, so we have this weekend to relax a little and prepare. a few prayer requests....that the program with the kids will be fruitful, that we (sarah and i ) will be an encouragement to those we are working with, and that we will fall more in love with Jesus this summer.
love you all...i should be able to post updates once a week, so until then, adios!

hours away...

to all my dear readers, (haha.... Kara!)
well, 12 hours from right now, i'll be on the plane to miami. then, later in the afternoon our flight takes off to santiago. i'll be in jarabacoa for training for the first few days and then on to constanza where i will be for the rest of the time. as soon as i find an internet cafe, i'll try to update everyone on what's happening. thank you so much for your encouragement and prayer. today, as i was commissioned in church and talked to many people afterwards, i felt so supported by my church family- thank you so much! oh p.s. if you want to leave me comments on here, i'd love to read them. i changed the settings so that now you can leave a comment even if you don't have a google account; just click anonymous and then sign your name so i'll know who you are. or you can email me at emily.r.bill@moody.edu. Happy Summer :)

two days until takeoff :) i found out that i will be flying from o'hare with two other interns to miami where we will meet the rest of the group and then fly together to the DR. it's always nice to not travel alone. i don't really have any other updates right now, except that i really can't believe it's finally here!

.preparations.

well, the flights are being confirmed, the passport is out, and the suitcase is getting full. it's almost time to go! last night my mom and i went to walmart and i got all sorts of fun crafts and projects for the kids that i will be working with at the summer school program at the orphanage. i have one suitcase completely full of kid stuff. last year, we did a project with googly eyes and the kids loved them, so i made sure i got a bunch! a lot of things that we take for granted like being able to buy googly eyes, pipe cleaners, or pom pom balls are such a big treat for these kids. i'm so excited to help these kids learn through the summer school program and build relationships with them.
i can't believe that i'm leaving in a few days. all semester at school i just kept thinking, "oh yeah, in the summer when i go to the DR" thinking it was so far away, but all of a sudden its here. i'm so excited, but i have to admit that i'm a little aprehensive too. i'm not really afraid of anything, its just a lot of wondering about the unknown. the life of a missionary is a life of flexibility and not always knowing exactly what is ahead, but knowing who you are following.

So....what are you doing?

Here's what the trip is looking like:
On June 16th, I fly to Miami and then Santiago, Dominican Republic with several other college interns. We will be picked up by missionaries at the airport and we will then go to a town called Jarabacoa. There is a Kids Alive school and orphanage there and that is where we will be trained for a few days. Then we will all head in different directions to several other towns in the country to partner with other Kids Alive missionaries. I will be with one other girl in Constanza working with missionaries there. Last summer I went to Constanza with my grandparents and a group from their church, so it is exciting to go back to a place where I know people and know a little about the ministry. We will be living in an apartment next door to the missionaries. Our main task is to help teach a summer school program at the Kids Alive school. I don't know a lot of details about this, but there is a curriculum we will be following and other things that we are preparing on our own. There also will be opportunities to work with the kids in the orphanage that I met last year. There may be some translation work, or helping the kids with projects to send back to their sponsors. We will also be shadowing the missionaries and helping out with the ministry in whatever way we can. I am so excited for this internship because I feel called to serve the Lord overseas and I have a passion for children at risk. I think this will be great to see what life is like on the field, missionary responsibilities, partnering with the national church, and just seeing what God is doing in the Dominican Republic, specifically in the lives of children!

Casi llegamos (we're almost there). I'm getting so excited to go to the DR. I've been having a great time chillin with my family, but I can't wait for this internship. I've been getting the last few details taken care of before I can leave. The other day, I went to the Health Dept. to get a shot. When I went in and told the nurse I needed a typhoid shot, she was curious about where I was going. Not too many people around here getting typhoid shots I guess?? :) Anyway, it was a good opportunity to share with her about what I will be doing for the summer. I have been getting a lot of chances to talk with people about what I will be doing, and each time I do, it just gets me more pumped to go! Well, I think that's it for now, but I will be adding more info as the departure date gets closer :)

First Post Ever

Hello all (and by all I mean dad because he is probably the only person reading this right now),
Well today marks my first day as a blogger- following in dad's footsteps I guess :). I started this to keep in touch with everyone while I'm in the Dominican Republic this summer...hope it works!