A New Journey

In the beginning of 2015 we began walking down a path with the Lord that would change our lives forever. We heard God when He asked us to give up a part of our lives and start over in The Dominican Republic as missionaries, and we obeyed. Our lives have been blessed here. This adventure has been a challenge but I believe God chooses trials and difficulty to grow us and to bring us closer to Him - that has surely happened here. And it is our strongest desire to always seek His will for our lives. When you are where God wants you, there is such magnificent peace and joy and promise. (Mark 8:35). So we continue to seek Him and battle with ourselves to surrender our own plans to Him. Because we have faith that His plans are so much better. (Jeremiah 29:11)

We do not know exactly what the future holds but we are confident that if we take the steps that God asks us to take, if we declare our desire to walk the path He has for us, He will take us where He wants us. Paul writes in Philippians 2:17-18 that even if he loses his life, it will be a faith offering to God and we should rejoice with him. So we are faithfully taking another big step in our lives. No differently than we heard God leading us here; we have heard God saying that this season is coming to a close. In August we will be returning to our home state of Texas. We continue to have desires to serve Latin America in some capacity and pray that God will one day give us another opportunity. In the meantime and in preparation Scott will be taking advantage of the Post-911 GI Bill to return to school and complete a degree in Spanish and Latin American Studies. Carli plans to continue enriching the lives of young people by getting her teacher’s certification and teaching high school math. We are excited to take this next step, but we are also mourning the loss of our life here in the DR. This place has become home and many of the people have become family.

Two years ago we began to wonder what it would look like to see Dominicans leading PPM’s ministry here into the future. We now know what that looks like. We are excited that we will hand the leadership of this ministry off to two incredibly talented and God fearing men, Manuel Jiminez and Jean Carlos Richiez. We are so blessed that God has allowed us to speak into their lives and that they are ready to take the next step. We ask that you would continue to pray for this ministry and pray for Manuel, Jean Carlos and their families.

Please continue to pray for us as we walk through this. We know that God is faithful to His promise to provide for us (Isaiah 41:13), we should not fear but sometimes the flesh gets in the way. Please pray for continued protection, financial provision and a smooth transition, especially for the kids. If you have any specific questions, please feel free to send us a message.  

In His service,

Scott and Carli Ethridge

The Visions That Brought Us Here # 2

Well this was a little later than I intended it to be. Life and ministry have been very busy this year. We have had some great groups with us already this year and are in the heart of our busy season, summer. The girls have finished their second school year in the Dominican Republic and after 2 awesome years in San Pedro our family made the move east about 30 minutes to La Romana where we have always felt called and drawn to.

This brings us to vision #2 that brought us here. When we first visited the Dominican Republic for the first time in February 2015 we met a Pastor by the name of Jean Mede. Pastor Mede was born in Haiti and came to the Dominican Republic in 1980 to minister to Haitian immigrants in the DR. After a few years of being a single man and working alone he pleaded with God that He would give him a partner to do life and ministry with. God so kindly obliged and sent Estella his way. So for more than 30 years now they have been ministering to “the least of these” as God commands us. Along the way God provided them with two children, Bry and Bryanna. Now together as a family the seek to serve others. Without many resources they look to give of themselves. They advocate on behalf of the people that have no medium to advocate for themselves. They advocate for the poor, for widows and for orphans.

People have people that they look up to. Growing up you might look up to a famous person, one of your parents or a teacher. As we grow in our faith we look up to people as mentors in “the faith.” I like to call them my heroes of “the faith.” Pastor Mede is one of my heroes in “the faith.”

For almost 38 years now he has looked for ways to serve God’s people. He has pulled together whatever he could to help the people. In 2014 God gave him a vision to build a church. A temple for his church to grow. A resource that would further their ministry for the Lord. Pastor Mede shared that vision with me in 2015. I was very compelled by his desire to leave the next generation a healthy church to continue serving the Lord. He is praying that he will preach in that church before he meets the Lord. By faith he walks every day depending on God’s provision. After I left the DR on that first visit I had a desire to help him but I wasn’t sure how I could help or if I was supposed to be involved at all. Well I got my answer on March 8, 2015. It was a Sunday morning and we were worshiping at Crossroads in Pittsburgh, PA. On that morning I was worshiping with my eyes closed and God gave me a vision. It was a building being built. One by one blocks were stacked upon each other and forming walls and He said, “Build my church.” Now I wasn’t sure exactly what to do with that. I was pretty sure that He meant Pastor Mede’s church but I wasn’t certain and I certainly didn’t have the money to build it. So over the next year I just prayed and I felt after talking with pastors and friends that the Lord’s desire was to build Pastor Mede’s church in La Romana. I felt that this was one of the reasons that God sent us here, to help facilitate the building of the church. To connect God’s people and accomplish his desire.

At the end of 2016 one of our friends asked if we had a project that they could give to. Immediately I thought of the church and this vision. In early 2017 almost two years after I first stepped foot on the property where the future church would be built we began clearing and leveling the lot with that donation. After that without anymore money we hit a pause for a few months. We were praying that God would continue to send the resources to build His church. The next step being the foundation is a big one. It is the single most costly step of the entire process. Then in the Spring God sent resources in the form of two churches and an awesome family. All in his timing God provided. Today with one of those churches we will put our hands to work and begin to lay out the rebar for the foundation. I don’t know when God will provide the funds to finish the project or if I will be here to see it but I know that God is faithful and He will fulfill his promise to build the church.

We serve an awesome God and He doesn’t make false promises! I am prayerful that I will one day see the completion of this project and lift my hands to him in “His House.”

We operate off of the generous support of God's church and his people. If you would like to support our ministry, you can do so with the link below. Select our names from the staff list (near the bottom).Click here to donate.

The Visions That Brought Us Here- Part 1

Hello all, welcome to this multi-part series called The Visions That Brought Us Here.

Early one morning in early September 2014. God began to plant the idea of a crazy adventure in our hearts and minds. Many of you have heard the story of how we got here but have never heard the story about some of the specific visions that God gave me on the journey leading up to moving here. These visions are grand, require years of work and are only able to be accomplished by God. I think that is why I have failed to share them with very many people. I feel like I have lacked the faith to share them because I wanted to ‘hedge my bets’ per se. I didn’t want to be seen as a failure when things didn’t come to pass in a certain time frame. Over the last 8 or 9 months I have felt convicted by this and have shared them with people here and there. This series will focus on some of those key visions that brought us here and that after 18 months in the Dominican Republic I feel the Lord wants me to share with the world.

On the morning of October 26, 2014 I was kneeled in my living and God gave me a vision. He was standing a ways away from me and calling me to come to him. As I got within arms reach he embraced me. I was as close to him as I’ve ever been in my life at that point and God was showing pure love like only he can. I felt loved and accepted and in deep relationship with the Creator. As I basked in his warm embrace other people started to come and join in the embrace. We were in a large group hug when God said to me “Love my people.” As I sat in my living room meditating on what that vision might be about I was overwhelmed with emotion and tears began running down my face. I believe that emotion was 2 part. On one hand I had experienced the presence of God on my living room floor in the suburbs of Pittsburgh. He showed up to me that morning and I knew that I wanted more of this. I didn’t want the work day to start. I wanted only to focus on him. But on the other hand, I was overwhelmed with what this might mean and how I would be faithful to his desires. I was left with a burning question in my mind. How exactly does one go about the task of loving God’s people? Now sure some would say, “oh that’s easy,” be kind and just with others. While I encourage everyone to be kind and just with those you encounter I had a feeling deep inside of me that this was more personal than that. However, I had no clear understanding of the meaning at this time.

On February 20, 2015 we would step on DR soil for the first time. We were on a search for answers and clues to what was next in this journey. On this trip we would fall in love with the country and the people of the DR. We felt at home and accepted here. We knew we were on the right track. On February 23rd, almost 4 months after the original vision, God revealed to me the meaning of this vision. I had never realized in the original vision and subsequent times thereafter that the people’s faces around us were all blurry. But on that day he revealed that to me and then he said, “but can you see the faces now.” He showed me the faces of the people we were serving that week, the people nestled amongst the sugar cane in bateyes on the eastern side of the island. I knew then the people I was suppose to love but I still didn’t know how.

Stay tuned for part 2 of this series coming soon to a computer near you. May God bless you and yours abundantly. Scott

We operate off of the generous support of God's church and his people. If you would like to support our ministry, you can do so with the link below. Select our names from the staff list (near the bottom).Click here to donate.

6 - Better May than Never

So what’s new in the Dominican Republic?  Let me back up for a second and kind of review what we’ve been doing here.  I (Carli) am teaching 6^th grade English, Math, and Science at a bilingual Christian school here. It is called Colegio Las Palmas (look for it on Facebook!) and is a part of the Day Star Baptist Ministries.  The school has only been open for 7 years (though 30 years in the making) but it is growing and changing every year to find what works best. There is a community of teachers and staff that have made the transition here a much easier one. It’s been fantastic for me (and the girls) to get immersed in the culture. I’ve gotten a chance to see and experience some subtle cultural differences that I would have been unaware of otherwise.  

This is a "thank you" picture for my sister who sent a bag of Skittles for my class.




For example, the people of the DR are demonstrative. The loudest, most aggressive and pushy person gets their way. You see it when you drive, you see it when you try to order a pound of ham at the deli, and I see it in my classroom.  My 12-year old students have difficulty standing in a line and can hardly contain themselves if I ask them to raise

their hands.  They shout “Mrs. Carli!” and then slap their hand over their mouths when they see the look on my face. And they simply MUST wave their hands in the air and whimper as loudly as possible. It’s a struggle every day and I have to constantly remind myself not to reward the “unwanted” behavior. But, then, am I hurting them?  They need to survive in this country and the way they do things in this country requires them to be demanding. So am I doing them a disservice?  I doubt it.  I think I’m helping them learn some self-control and respect for others.  But take some other cultural difference, maybe something I’m not even aware of, and I ask myself

if I am being aware and careful to guard myself – to not project my cultural expectations onto them. Their culture is different than mine, not wrong. Sometimes it’s hard to distinguish the difference between things that are “wrong” in my mind because my cultural filter is different versus “wrong” because God doesn’t like them.

Working at the school has been one of the biggest challenges of my life!  And I don’t say that lightly. I love a challenge. Love. And I am so tired but so rewarded. I see God in my life, giving me resources, ideas, energy, compassion, forgiveness and empathy. I’ve never relied on Him like I do here and that requirement to rely on God is good for me. Living in the states, I didn’t really rely on God as much. I relied a lot on me. And I’ve learned that I’m not that strong.

 

And what is Scottie doing?  He is working with Praying Pelican Missions.  (Look them up, too!)

They partner with local pastors around the world to build and grow God’s kingdom through short-term mission trips. Scottie gets to lead about a dozen trips here each year.  Some of them are construction projects, where a group comes and builds something. Others are youth groups that do some kind of youth ministry, sports camp or VBS. The most recent was a health clinic group of nursing and medical students who teamed with local doctors to help treat those in need here. He also gets to host a group of people from Feed My Starving Children (which you know is close to my heart). Each group that comes gets connected to a pastor that is already ministering to people here and needs some extra help. And the model fosters long-term connections and help.  Teams often come back each year to the same host church all while having contact with them throughout the year.

 

 
 

 

He spends as much time as he can with Pastor Mede in La Romana and the bateys, too. He is teaching English classes, connecting resources and organizations, and becoming another voice for the hungry and hurting here. He is working to get a well drilled in a remote area and install home water filtration systems, too. He has been working on his language skills and spends a good amount of time managing our house, which I am ever thankful for.

 There are other full-time missionaries from PPM living in Belize, Costa Rica, Haiti, one family moving to Jamaica soon and another en route to Sicily to help the Syrian refugees. But there are also full-time trip leaders that live in the U.S. and travel to different countries and lead trips all year long. We had an opportunity to spend a week in Florida at the end of April at a mission conference with them. It was amazing!!  To get to know people that have loved us through their actions and prayers this year, even though they’d never met me. It’s awe-inspiring.  We got to worship in English every day, learn more about the vision and goals of PPM and how we fit into that, bond with some new life-long and long-distance friends, and get some rest. And of course, I went to Wal-Mart, Dollar Tree, Starbucks, and a few other places I’ve been missing.

 

 

[We also got to visit with some close friends of ours that now live in Florida and work with another mission organization that sponsors children around the world. Familiar friends with a new baby. I love them.]

I’ve got to admit I was a little worried about how the kids and I would respond to being back on U.S. soil. We hadn’t been back in 8 months and I’ve heard from other missionaries that the first time they returned they had some reverse cultural shock. (Like the one that said she had an anxiety attack in the cereal aisle at the grocery store from so many choices and had to leave the store.)  So I was fearful for two different things. (1) I wouldn’t feel comfortable or be able to relax and feel overwhelmed or (2) we wouldn’t want to leave once our time was up.  Growing up I moved quite a few times and I think that helped me learn to transition between cultures because we were all fine. And, thankfully, we were ready to return home once our week was up.  But when I got back here, it got me to thinking about that fear. And fear, in general. 

Sometimes it’s bad enough to deal with a hard situation but when we’re fearful, we become irrational and don’t help the situation. So let me tell a story.  Actually two stories. 

My friend, Julia, who lives 4 streets over from me, generously picked us up at the airport when we returned. On the way home from the airport, she told me that her truck had been in the shop while we were gone. Why, you ask? Because a tarantula had built a large nest in her engine and it shorted out the entire electrical system. <insert icky squirm and ssssshiver here>.  

Fast forward a week. Friday night and I’m going to take the girls out for chicken wings. There’s a new place here that just opened and is run by a nice man who spent 20 years in the U.S. Air Force. Ashley sits shotgun since Scottie’s not here. Bella and Lexie sit in the backseat.  I pull up next to the curb on the busy street and just as I park, Ashley lets out a horrific scream. I turn to see her with her hands pressed over her face…..like REALLY pressed. And she is kind of shaking. So I yell, “what’s wrong?!?” and start looking out the windows, like maybe she’s seen someone with a gun pointed at us or a dog got run over by a car or some other life-shattering thing has happened.  And after I say “what’s wrong?” 3 times, she kind of whispers, “my knee…….” I look down to see a 2-inch long bug crawling up her knee.  But really it looked more like a rhinoceros.  Seriously. A rhinoceros. Here's a pic.

Turns out it was a rhinoceros beetle. Whew. Just a rhinoceros beetle.  I reach over and open the passenger door and whack it with my wallet and it flew off like a pterodactyl. And we all laugh and cry a little and shake all over.  I asked her why she covered her face and she said, “I thought it was a tarantula like the one in Ms. Julia’s car, crawling up my leg because I just saw it out of the corner of my eye. And I didn’t know what to do.” And over the next week, that keeps coming back to me.  How many times have I seen something scary out of the corner of my eye and just covered my eyes because I didn’t know what to do.  Literally and figuratively in my life. Isn’t it instinct to shut our eyes and hope it goes away?  And does that work?  Sometimes.  But wouldn’t it be better to face the scary.

Parenting is a lot like this for me sometimes. Scary. If you’re a parent, you get it. It is so easy to see someone else’s situation and think you know the answers and solutions or the way to do something. But when my own kid is throwing herself and backpack down on the dirty sidewalk on the other side of the wall at school because her pop tart bag ripped (which, by the way, was the last pop tart we had brought back from the U.S.) and her pants are still wet even though they were hanging on the clothes line for 2 days, and she doesn’t want to go to this stupid school or walk this stupid far and doesn’t care if that stupid bus of kids is pointing at her!……and I feel lost. And it would be so much easier to put my hands over my eyes, carry her into school and drop her in her classroom and hope she’s better by the end of the day. And that’s what I did.  I gave her a hug, handed her my Coke (yes, 7:30am and I gave her my Coke) and said that she’d gotten all the bad stuff out of the way early and her day was gonna be better.  Hands over eyes. Problem will resolve itself. Crisis averted.

I went up to my classroom. And she came tearing through my classroom door 20 minutes later with tears streaming down her face and her shirt covered with water. Apparently, when she threw her backpack down on the curb outside, it busted her water bottle and all her papers got wet and she didn’t know it until she we to open it….over the homework basket so the whole class had wet homework papers now. She was embarrassed and upset and angry. I don’t blame her. Crisis not averted. In fact, crisis made worse by ignoring it. Bummer. I wrapped her in my arms and just held her. And racked my brain about what to say and do. We’ve just got to get through the next hour, ok kiddo. I’ll dry you off, we can use these clothes pins and yarn to hang up everyone’s papers, your teacher isn’t mad at you, I’ll go with you to apologize about the water, come on babe, we can do it together, let’s pray and ask God to help us through this bad day, okay?

She nodded her little head and we started downstairs, and God sent me a little angel. Lexie’s friend, who knows what it’s like to have stress in her life, just happened to be in the hallway that morning and stopped us to ask what was wrong. She wrapped her little arms around Lexie and gave her the biggest hug (which is something Lexie has been doing to her since we got here) and gave her the words of encouragement that could only come from a 9-year old. That’s when I broke. That’s when I cried. And I had to walk into the 2^nd grade classroom with my makeup all over my face and explain that Lexie was having a bad day and we needed some help getting through it.

We made it. It’s Sunday. Election Day in the DR. Which brings more fear. Even though the sitting president is pretty much a shoe-in for reelection, they expect some protests and rioting. So we are going to head to church this morning and then spend the rest of the day at home, safe and sound. I’m still learning to turn to God for the help I need. It’s not about squeezing my eyes shut and pretending that my problems are going away but rather, taking a full-long look at my problems and then handing them over, laying ‘em down at the foot of the cross.

Isaiah 41:9 “I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, ‘You are my servant’; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. ‘All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish. Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all.’”

Though you search for your enemies….not close your eyes to them. Not cover your face so you can’t see them. Even those rhinoceros beetles. Even those emotionally-wrecked children of yours.

Love to you all.  Carli

 
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5 - Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!  We have been trying extra-hard this year to have a traditional Christmas.  Well, until this afternoon, when we headed to the beach.  I spent the last three days in the kitchen, which is very normal for me.  I’ve made lasagna, 6 kinds of cookies, homemade rolls, pies, ham, homemade baked beans, casseroles, salad, caramel popcorn, and baked and assembled 2 gingerbread houses.  

We’ve had hot chocolate, watched the Polar Express, looked at Christmas lights and opened presents.  And it has been wonderful.  But not the same.  We don’t have our ornaments or decorations, definitely don’t need a fire in the fireplace, but most importantly, we don’t have our family here.  And “things” just don’t seem so important this year.  That’s probably a sign that our family is moving in the right direction.  And I’m going to expand on that thought for this blog. 

You see, we are still adjusting to being a missionary family.   Before leaving the U.S., my husband had a great job and we were living a spoiled life.  I had access to almost anything I could want.  Furniture, clothing, restaurants, jewelry, activities, entertainment, education, electronics, blah blah blah.  And my kids were getting spoiled, too.  So it is going to be a challenge to undo that spoiling – for myself and for them.

I don’t think it’s a bad thing to have nice things.  In the Old Testament, Job was blessed with riches when he refused to turn his back on God and I believe that God continues to bless us with earthly possessions.  But having those things makes it hard to remember that you don’t need them.  I don’t need to go to Sonic and have a Dr. Pepper; as much as I would really truly like to do that, I don’t NEED to. Every single day I see, with my own eyes, people that do without things that I consider needs.  Like an oven. Or a car.  Or a toothbrush.  We can live without those things. But we can’t live without God.  And I know that in my brain.  But getting it through to my flesh is a whole other struggle.  Because my flesh likes stuff.  Like spring-form pans, 800 thread count sheets, and Blue Bell Homemade Ice Cream. 

Living here means we don’t have easy access to most luxury items.  I can get them if I am willing to pay an arm and a leg or bring them here in a suitcase from the U.S., but that little bit of distance gives me a chance to stop and think: “is it worth it? do I really need it? can I have/do something else instead?” and that forces me to appreciate those things more.  Like the rolling pin and pie plate that my mom-in-law sent me. I am appreciating that pumpkin pie today.

Scottie and I prayed last week that God would give us a Christmas joy for this season.  That we would remember that the reason we celebrate is Christ’s birth but that our kids would also feel the magic of the Christmas season, too.  Because sometimes the emotions I want to feel aren’t always the ones that I’m feeling.  You ever felt that way? Or rather, didn’t feel the way you wanted to feel? If you’ve ever dealt with depression, I think you can relate. Emotions aren’t an easily managed part of life. 

Sometimes my walk with Christ is like that.  Following the path that God has for me isn’t always rainbows and Happy Meals.  Sometimes God asks me to do something that I don’t want to do.  And my silly human brain (or someone more sinister) says, “Carli, if God wanted you to do that, he would make you want to do it. He would give you a deep desire and happiness about doing it. He would make it easy and you would be happy doing it.”  Well, folks, that ain’t how it works.  Not all the time.  Peace and happiness are two very different things.  I feel peace when I do what God asks me to do.  But I’m not always happy about it. 

There have been many days in the past 4 months that I have not felt happy.  And I am a happy person.  Seriously.  I’m almost always happy.  But there have only been a few moments when I haven’t felt peace about being here.  And when I don’t feel God’s peace, I stop and pray for it.  I beg for it. And I recently started praying for the happiness, too.  And I have an inkling that God has created us that way on purpose.

 

My flesh wants the steps to go like this:   

1)  I pray and God asks me to do something

2)  I feel happy about doing it and want to do it  

3)  I do it

4)  God is happy with me for doing it

But I’m starting to realize that the steps usually go like this instead:

1)  I pray and God asks me to do something

2)  I think about if I want to do it or not

3)  I ask God if he really wants me to do that because I don’t really want to

4)  Sometimes God says, “yes, I really want you to do that”

5)  I try to think of a way to do it without really doing it

6)  I finally do it

7)  I feel happy….that God helped me to be obedient to Him…but not necessarily about what I did

So the moral of my story is.  Stop waiting to want to do something.  Obedience doesn’t require happiness. I enjoy teaching here.  The students in my classes are a joy and blessing to me.  And I feel such privilege to be able to teach them, to pray with them, and to be a godly example for them.  That’s a big deal. 

Last week we had our Christmas parties at school.  These are 3-hour parties.  And there aren’t really any restrictions here.  Food allergies aren’t a concern here (mostly because few people have food allergies here).  So I planned a fun party and we had a great time.  Scottie helped me make snowballs with white pantyhose and flour.  They loved their snowball fight.  We had a ton of food and Shirley temples (which they call Mickey Mouses).  And we played kickball.  Of course I played.  Not that I’m any good.  “Run faster, Ms. Carli!!”  It was great to spend some time with them, just hanging out and having fun.  I’m looking forward to going back in a couple of weeks.  Christmas break has been a wonderful time to spend with my family and rejuvenate.  And I’m feeling the happiness.  God is filling me up every day.  

May your life be filled with blessings,
Carli

If you would like to support our ministry, you can do so with the link below.  Select our names from the staff list (near the bottom). Click here to donate.

4 - Two Months In

Although we have only been in the Dominican Republic for 2 months it seems like so much longer.  We got here and tried to hit the ground running. I told my pastor in PA that we wanted to rent a house, get our cell phones turned on and buy a car in the first three days. Well, I think by most people's reaction we did it pretty fast but we didn't quite reach that goal of three days. We did find a house and get our cell phones turned on in 3 days, go God! On day two Carli started teaching 6th grade in a Christian school with a 98% Dominican student enrollment.  On day 4, as many of you know, I had to return to Pittsburgh to host an FMSC MobilePack that many of you were a part of. Wow, did God show up there or what! After that I went on to MN for some training with Praying Pelican Missions. Meanwhile, Carli was "holding down the fort" in the DR. Not that anyone would expect anything less but in the middle of being a first week teacher, dodging a tropical storm and figuring out how to navigate a new culture she managed to sign up for electricity and buy all the furniture and household items we needed. Much of this would not have been possible without all the awesome people that God has put in our path. People have been so willing to help us by translating or navigating the massive amount of bureaucracy that exist in this country. It did take two weeks, several visits and a few phone calls to finally get the electricity on. Kudos to Carli and the girls for not killing each other in a 100 sq ft hotel room for 2 weeks.

   Shortly after I got back we moved into the house. We were without electricity for a couple days but God was very gracious and sent us some cloud cover both nights so it wasn't too hot. After a couple days we were able to get electricity and plug in our fans. Then it was on to the task of buying a vehicle. Our friend Liony was awesome in helping us navigate the process of buying a vehicle in a foreign country. Thanks to his help we now own a vehicle in the DR. The next challenge was "the attack of the killer mosquitos". After a few nights with the windows open without any screens we realized this was not going to work. So after a few trips to the hardware store (Yes I miss Lowe's and Home Depot) and a few days we figured out how to install some homemade screens. This task like all the others we have learned just takes so much longer here than back in the US. If you want to do anything here take the time it would take in the US and double it. Why you might ask, well it could be the lack of our language skills, the "we don't get in a hurry for anybody" attitude, the heat, the crazy way people drive or the fact that nothing is where you would think it would be in a store.

    Carli has started to get in the swing of things as a teacher and is really blessed by the love her students show her everyday. She comes home many days with a smile on her face telling me about all the hugs she got from her students that day. She sends many nights writing lesson plans, test and curriculum from scratch because she wants the best for her students. She gives her students 100% every day and doesn't settle for being good enough. These kids will all have a greater chance of success down the road because of the English, Math and Science she is teaching them daily.

 The girls are starting to adjust more and more every day. I won't lie and say that everything has gone perfect and they no longer wish they were growing up in Pittsburgh with their friends and living the life they had grown accustomed to but it gets better for them everyday. They have Bible, Spanish and Social Studies every day in Spanish. Being that they don't speak very much Spanish all that work comes home as homework. They are all studying hard, going to tutoring twice a week and wearing Google Translate out. It seems everywhere we have lived our house is the epicenter of adolescent activity. After only 2 months in our house that is true here as well. There was a game of hide and go seek happening before dinner this evening. We had a sleep over the first weekend we were in the house and we all caught a movie with some friends last Friday. There are good days and there are still some bad days where they long for some of the comforts of our previous home but they get fewer and farther between the longer we are here. One awesome thing about the move is that they are reading their Bible more, asking what certain verses mean and singing God's praises daily. Its awesome to see them grow in their relationship with God.

  As for me well I have been busy as well. The first couple weeks back I spent my days trying to take care of as many of the mundane things as possible so Carli and the girls could focus more on school. Meanwhile, I was really wanting to dive head first into ministry back in the bateys. I have been able to get out to the bateys a couple days with Pastor Mede, a local pastor in La Romana. We were able to distribute some FMSC MannaPacks, share the good news of Christ and encourage the people there a little bit. Pastor Mede was giving a word on the first day we were in the bateys from Galatians and he just pitched it over to me. So here I was in front of about 100 people and didn't know the language. Well God was able to summon the words I did know and I was able to share with them that my family loved them, that we were here to help them in any way we can and that they are not alone. I told them that I knew the world was not ok. That they needed more food, work and to hear more about God's word. They were very gracious and welcoming. They said Amen so they either understood some of what I said and liked it or were happy that I was about to shutup and sit down. Either way it seemed to encourage Pastor Mede so much that I got to read Galatians 4 out loud in Spanish at the next batey. After talking with Pastor Mede about how to make a sustainable difference in the bateys he said clearly that we needed to bring some English classes to the bateys so the people there can get jobs in the tourism industry. Well I'm really bad at Spanish and I speak Texan not proper English but we are working on plans to make it happen. For the past few weeks I have been helping  another missionary with an English class in the community that he works in and Lord willing start classes in the bateys in the future. I took part in my helping host my first mission team last week as an official PPM staff member. That was awesome. More on that in another post soon.

   There are a lot of challenges and sometimes they seem insurmountable but we stand firm in our calling to help the people here and are excited that the getting settled period is coming to an end and the ministry chapter is beginning. Please keep us in your prayers.

Scott

If you would like to support our ministry, you can do so at the link below.  Just select our names from the staff list (near the bottom).      Click to Donate

3 - Intricate Provision

Well, a lot has happened in the last week.  So much has happened that I've been too busy to do much blogging.  But I know you're all curious about how things are going so I am sitting in the hotel hallway (above the office where there is sometimes Wi-Fi) and giving you a much-deserved update.

Last Friday we received our passports back with another denial letter for our Visas.  So we decided to get on a plane anyway and figure it out once we got there.  We left EARLY Saturday morning.  The flights were great and we arrived at the Punta Cana airport just after lunchtime.  Unfortunately, the van we had reserved wasn't available and we had to squeeze into a Ford Explorer.  11 gigantic suitcases, 5 roller carry-on suitcases, 5 backpacks, 1 guitar, 1 car seat and 5 Ethridges squeezed in - like we've lived here forever. (Bella said today, "In the US if you have 2 people on a motorcycle it is dangerous.  But here, if you have 3 people on a motorcycle there is still room for a couple more.")

The drive to San Pedro was an eye-opener for the girls.  They had a million questions and they didn't wait for answers before peppering us with more.   We had rented a GPS but she really knows nothing about San Pedro.  One of the main one-way streets in San Pedro is where our hotel was and she thought it ran one-way the other way.  Which, by the way, is okay to do if you're a motorcycle.  But not a car.  The people on the street kindly waved their fingers at us and told us where to turn.  We eventually found the hotel and the owner just happened to be there that day.  He lived in New Jersey for a few years and spoke English - extremely hospitable, even told us a few places where we could eat in the city. After unloading all of our luggage, we found our way over to the big store in town (similar to super Wal-Mart but with less selection and higher prices) and explored. We somehow found our way over to our new friends' house and they fed us.  They had also lined up a few houses for us to look at the next day!

Sunday morning, we got up and found our way to church.  Worship in Spanish, sermon in Spanish (though they provided us each a headset with a translator!), and some much-needed rain.  Then we had a delicious meal of fried chicken with another missionary family.  That afternoon, we looked at a few houses and contacted Liony (our bestest Santo Domingo friend!).  He had arranged for us to have a much cheaper rental car for the first two weeks. And he even delivered it to us!

Monday, I went to my first day of school.  And boy did I feel unprepared!  I had to register my 3 girls, too, which actually took a few hours.  And get all the school info.  There's a lot!  And look at the curriculum for the 3 classes I'll be teaching.  And I had no clue what my students' English skills and capabilities will be.  So writing my very first lesson plan feels a lot like jumping blind into a swimming pool and not knowing if it is full of water, jello, mud, lava, rocks, or scorpions. That might be an exaggeration.  But I'm usually a decently prepared person.  Not that I don't fly by the seat of my pants fairly often.  Any procrastinator will tell you that their best work comes at the last minute.  I also got to see my classroom and meet a few of the teachers. Oh, and Open House would be at 4:30 the next day.  While I was at school, Scottie had the girls and looked at another house - which he tells me is awesome and I'm going to love.  He also went with another friend and got our cell phones hooked up.  Big bonus!  That night, we drove to La Romana to see another friend and eat dinner at La Crema.  They had some muy delicioso desserts! 

So Tuesday had arrived and we were making great progress toward settling in. We had signed a lease and put a deposit down on a house! I went into school again while Scottie took the girls shopping for uniforms (2 kinds of pants, socks, black shoes, belts). There's another new teacher there and she happened to mention that she was excited for the first day of school tomorrow. WHAT?! I thought school didn't start until the 24th!  Nope.  They'll be in your classroom tomorrow at 7:45am. 

At this point, I started to feel fear.  Real fear.  There was no way I'd be ready in time!  So I did what I do when I'm afraid and I prayed.  I sat in that empty classroom and prayed for peace and provision.  And that's when God said, "I have been providing for you, Carli. Look back at the last few days.  The flights were good, no problems with the luggage or customs. The car was cheaper and easier than you expected.  The hotel owner spoke English.  You haven't gotten lost a single time in San Pedro.  I've directed your steps and surrounded you with people that are willing and able to help. I've been with you every step of the way. So calm down. You have what you need and you'll be fine."

Now I'm not gonna lie and say that the next 3 days were easy.  But I really am fine.  I've had the privilege of getting to know the 35 6th graders that I'll teach this year.  And I've had time to eat dinner with my family and braid my daughter's hair.  Lexie will tell you that we've been too busy.  On Friday, I finally had enough energy to fight her into the shower and afterward, she proudly exclaimed, "that's my first shower in the Dominican Republic!"  7 days.  It had been 7 days since she had showered.  And we all survived.  I even have my lesson plans written for next week and some copies ready to hand out. 

And I am starting to see how God has provided for us in such intricate ways.  So many little things and in so many little ways.  Things have just worked out.  And there are so many people that are generous with their time, information, translation skills, you name it.  So I'm confident that as we continue on this journey, God will lead us the way that we should go. 

So here are a few things that I have noticed. 
1) When all the TV stations are in Spanish and your kids have nothing to do, you can put Tom and Jerry on.
2) I don't think Dominicans like personal space.  They need to be close to each other and you.  Even if there is a whole ocean to swim in, that 12 year old will splash and kick right next to you, no matter how many times you move. 
3) Staring is socially acceptable, no matter how uncomfortable you might appear. 
4) Americans do not know how to wait patiently.  Dominicans are expert waiters.
5) The electric company here is just like the DMV, only less friendly.
6) If your car (or motorcycle) fits you can go there. Or park there.
7) Traffic laws seem to be nonexistent but there are plenty of law enforcement officers all over. I'm hopeful that they're there to enforce the really important laws.
8) There is no DP in the DR. <sad face>