Can't see the mountains...

I woke up today to a blanket of dense fog covering the mountains and the valley. I can only see about 100 feet out in either direction. It gives the feel of a mystery novel- not quite knowing what is out there. I love it.

Evenings in Jarabacoa

Evenings and early mornings can get a little chilly. The temperature got down to about 50ºF last night. Now I know what those of you in the heart of winter are thinking…. I WISH we had 50ºF right now. The thing with it getting to 50º is that if it is 50 outside, it is also 50º inside. There is actually one room of the house that an outside room- it has bars but no screens or windows. This room is connected directly to the house with no way of closing it off. So, whatever the temperature is like outside, it is like that inside as well. Who would have thought that my sweatshirt would become a necessity in the tropics???

First look at Doulos

I had my first look at Doulos Discovery School. It was amazing seeing the buildings and school grounds in person- the ones I had only seen in pictures before. I did not get to see the whole school yet- just a glimpse. However, I am looking forward to seeing the rest, meeting the staff, and seeing the kids.

Picture of the Week

For all of you who want to get an even better look as to what I am seeing while here in the DR, I will be starting a Picture of the Week emailing. Every week, I will email out a picture taken that week and an explanation or the story behind that picture, as well as an update about what is happening here in Jarabacoa. These pictures WILL NOT APPEAR ON THIS BLOG. They will be exclusively for those on the mailing list. If you would like to receive the Picture of the Week each week, please leave me a message with your email address or email me at jyll@schenault.com or jyllschenault@yahoo.com.

Travel and arrival

The long wait is finally over. I have arrived in the Dominican Republic. My travelling went very well. All flights were on time, except for the last one, which was delayed due to a broken headlight. During my time in the airport, God teamed me up with a new friend. Her name is Kathy.

Kathy is from Ohio. She was on the flight from Cleveland before my flight, traveling to Chicago just like me. I met her while boarding the plane in Chicago. She is a full time missionary in Bolivia. We spent the layover in Miami talking and getting to know each other.

She is from Ohio and is supported by Parkside Church. She knows several people from Hudson Community Chapel. She also knows a few people who are teaching at Doulos- the school I’m working with here in the DR. She has been in Bolivia for the past 8 years in the same location that some friends of mine in Oklahoma go to a few times each year.

What are the “chances” that this was just “coincidence”? Highly unlikely. God is great! He put us together for a reason. I plan on keeping in touch with her and we hope to get together again in Ohio this summer.

I arrived in the DR and was picked up by Krista- the director of Doulos Discovery School. I am staying with her and her family until my housing situation is arranged. She has a beautiful house. She lives away from town in a very secluded area. It is quiet and peaceful here. Mango trees and citrus trees are dotted around the property. Palm trees rustling in the breeze. What a place to live!

A funny thing happened on the way to the airport…

Well, it was time to go to the airport. The massive amounts of snow were not going to stop me. My sister and Dad drove me to the airport. God gave us a break from the snow overnight, so the roads were not too bad. However, a rain/sleet/snow mixture was falling in the morning. We scraped the ice off the car windows, went slow, and made it just fine. Almost.

On the way there, the driver’s side windshield wiper picked up some ice and was not cleaning the windshield. Not a good thing when driving 50mph on the freeway. My sister rolled down her window to try to knock the ice off the wiper. She grabbed the wiper in mid wipe and all of a sudden, the wiper flew off the car, out of her hand, and went bouncing down the highway! She just stared in shock. We couldn’t believe that just happened. What do we do now? Dirty window. No wiper. On the highway.

We got off the highway and pulled into a parking lot, where she took off the passenger wiper and tried to attach it to the driver’s side wiper. No luck. However, we were only a few exits from the airport. After cleaning off the windshield with a glove, we were back in the car and back on the highway. It started to get bad again just as we arrived at the airport.

We arrived at the airport on time. Actually, with time to spare- since there were no crowds there. There was no line to check in and only a few people in line for security. Where were all the people? I’m not sure. Checking in took 1 minute and security screening took 3 minutes. After more goodbyes to my family, I am off on another adventure with Christ!

Attempting to Escape

Well, the time has finally come. I leave tomorrow for the DR. Maybe.

We have had intense snowfall for the past several days. The roads are treacherous- highways are as bad as side streets. The snow just keeps coming- with no signs of stopping.

It will be really nice to escape the snow and head to the Caribbean. However, I have to be able to make it to the airport and fly out of Cleveland. I trust that God will keep me safe and that I will arrive in the DR in his perfect timing.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!! What a wonderful time to spend with my family before leaving again. As I am writing this, my whole family is asleep. If you see the time of this post... yes, it is only 5am. I am wide awake. I was working on a special Christmas gift for my parents in the middle of the night, and am now wide awake. But, that's ok. I love being with my family this Christmas.

I attended Christmas Eve services at church with my parents, sister, and her boyfriend. I love seeing them all in church. I pray that they will have the desire to continue going to church on a regular basis- not just Christmas and Easter. I ask that you also will pray with me for my family- that they will come back to God and experience a true relationship with him.

I wish you a very Merry Christmas, filled with joy and happiness, surrounded by loved ones, and in celebration of the birth of a baby born over 2000 years ago.

Getting Ready

Christmas is coming. Just a few short days away. I have been preparing for Christmas for the past few weeks. I am excited about Christmas this year. Last year, I was not home for Christmas; I was in Venezuela. While I loved experiencing a Venezuelan Christmas, I was really really homesick. I spent several hours of Christmas Day on the phone with my family, attempting to share Christmas with them even though I was 3000 miles away. What a blessing God has given me to allow me to spend Christmas with my family this year.

I am also preparing for the next big adventure that God has given me. I leave in just 2 weeks. It is so close away, and yet, it still feels so far. I think it will "sink in" more once Christmas is over, that I will be gone soon. There is so much to do over the next 2 weeks. It will pass so quickly. Before I know it, I will be heading to the Caribbean and jumping into the work that God has already prepared for me!

Here we go again...

Over the past 10 months, I have been patiently waiting for God to guide me on my next path. When I heard about Doulos Discovery School, I began praying and asking God if this was where He wanted me to go. He confirmed it to me in May, and I began the road of support raising and preparing to go serve Him in the Dominican Republic.

It has been a long, hard journey. Support raising has not been easy. I began to wonder about God's plan for me and if I really was on the right journey. I continued to pray and seek His Guidance, but things became more and more difficult. Trials and tribulations have come with increasing intensity over the past several months, not just for me, but for my family as well- culminating in the last couple of weeks. Several times, I asked God if He really wanted me to go or if He rather I stayed here, serving Him in my own home and church. While I wasn't always sure what He wanted me to do, I trusted Him to guide me and trusted that He would show me and give me direction on where He wanted me to be. And He did!

This week, I was finally given approval to proceed. Today, I purchased my flight tickets. I will be leaving on January 5- traveling to Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic. I am excited to finally be able to go serve Him in the DR.

I ask that you please continue to keep me in your prayers as I prepare to leave. Pray that God will continue to guide me as I work with the other missionaries and teachers of Doulos, working with the children of Jarabacoa, and reaching the people with the truth of Jesus Christ.