Saturday, May 7, 2016

day in the life (newsletter below)

Here's a glimpse into my life in the DR!



One of the things I (usually) love about my life is the unpredictability of my daily routine. Yes, I do teach in a school and have a fairly regular schedule, but I still find myself here and there working on school projects, helping families in situations that arise, and visiting my students.

               There’s rarely a typical morning, so I hope it suffices to explain one day this week. It started with a rooster crowing. When I left for work I smelled this awful odor from outside my gate. I look around the corner to see someone decided to tie up their bull to our wall. Since it was not in my way, I continued on to school. Our dirt road was full of huge machinery, thanks to the presidential elections. Every four years the town receives new roads and free water as bribery, a small taste of the political corruption. Yet, there are no complaints here as my small sedan drove smoothly into town. I reached school and ran inside to make it to the morning meeting. I then taught my 8th grade math class, followed by two elementary music classes. The kids were antsy to go to recess so we tried to move around the classroom the best we could. Lunch came and I ate with the preschoolers, a pile of rice and a few beans. Some kids filled their plate two or three times as they likely won’t have dinner. Then I headed back to my 8th grade classroom in time to give some homework help. I’m thrilled that one student finally showed up after much encouragement! After two more rambunctious classes, my school day ended. I filled my car with teachers and students and drove towards the Ark (our children’s home), dropping them off along the way, and gathered the middle school girls and a house mom to go running. The Ark is beginning to be more active, which is excellent! We spent an hour walking/running in the Dominican mountains as we chatted about life. The streets were crowded with people and loud music as normal. We returned in time for coffee which lasted so long, that I ended up helping set for dinner and eating with the kids. Around 7:30 I made it home to prepare for another day. My days are full here, but I wouldn’t change much! I love getting to be a part of the transformations of the kids in our program!

Warmly,  Anna


If you wish to join in my ministry, please visit:     www.Kidsalive.org/AnnaLarson



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