August Newsletter

Dear Prayer Partners,

I want to start off by saying thank you for your interest in what God is doing here in the DR! I am very grateful to know I have many friends, family members, and others supporting me and praying for me in the States. A lot has happened in the last month, and God has proved faithful through it all.

Visa

After two months of waiting, many phone calls, and an unsuccessful last minute trip to Chicago, I finally received my visa (praise God!). Although I had to move back my flight a few days, I was able to use that extra time to relax, pack, and spend time with family. God worked everything out in His timing and I arrived safely in the DR last Thursday (August 25th).

Arrival in the DR

The night I arrived in the DR my roommate and the headmaster of the school picked me up from the airport and drove me to my apartment. That night and the following morning were exciting, but also difficult. I quickly learned that many things in the DR have "quirks" making things that are usually easy like unlocking a door, flushing a toilet, or turning a light on prove challenging. The heat, lack of air conditioning, cold showers, power outages, and the language barrier made moving in a bit of a difficult transition from the comfortable American lifestyle I was used to. To be completely honest, the first day had me thinking, "what did I get myself into?" I prayed that God would help me hold loosely to my own comfort and preferences and begin to feel at home where He had called me. In the last week, He has begun to answer this prayer.

Life in the DR

Although I have only lived in the DR for about a week, I have already gotten to know some wonderful people and made some crazy memories. My roommate and I have connected well and she has been a huge help and encouragement to me in the last week. I have also met many other teachers and missionaries who live in the area and they have been very generous and helpful in getting me set up and adjusted to life here. In the last week I rode a motorcycle for the first time, had many opportunities to practice my Spanish, visited a new church, and even ended up in the cab of a tow truck for 2 hours where we crammed 5 people into 3 seats. This week I also started training at Las Palmas and have been able to begin setting up my own classroom! I am quickly growing to love the people I'm surrounded with here and this new life I'm living. If you would like to see more pictures and day-to-day updates about my life and ministry here, please feel free to follow me on Facebook or Instagram (natasha_dobs).

Prayer Requests

• Pray that I continue to adjust to the heat and lifestyle here.

• Pray that I stay consistent in my personal devotions and seek God's guidance as to how I can best serve Him here.

• Pray for me as I prepare to welcome students into my classroom on Monday. I am starting to get overwhelmed with all that needs to be done before then!

Thank you for your continued prayers and encouragement!