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!