End of School Newsletter

Dear Prayer Partners,

This week we finished out our school year, and we are now officially on summer break! This was my fourth year of teaching, and it definitely had some ups and downs, but the hand of the Lord was so evident in all that happened in and out of school this year. Looking back on this year and looking forward to the summer I want to share a few updates and a few ways you can lift me up in prayer as I start this summer break.

Updates

The Move

The last time I wrote a newsletter I shared that my roommate and I were in the process of moving to a new apartment. We had a goal of raising $5,000 to help cover moving expenses and I am happy to share that we raised 100% of this goal and we finally moved in on March 21st!

The move felt complicated and exhausting but all along the way there were little moments that God gave us clear direction and peace that reminded us that He saw us and knew our needs even before we could ask. I'll share a few examples because I was so encouraged by God's hand in it all. When we were looking for apartments, we got to the point where we had been searching for months and had visited five or six different apartments but had still not found anything we were interested in. We were getting a little discouraged and started to wonder if we should move at all. Then one morning we were driving around looking for "for rent" signs and I prayed aloud that God would drop the right apartment in our lap. It was only about half an hour later that we were touring what would become our new apartment.

After touring the apartment, we spent about a week we were going back and forth on the decision, a little nervous to commit. We wanted to seek the Lord for His direction in the decision but didn't know exactly what that would look like. One night I was lying awake thinking it all over and considering the amount we would need to make a deposit on the new apartment. When I converted the amount into dollars, I realized that someone had given me a one-time gift the month before that almost exactly covered the amount needed for the deposit. It felt like the Lord gently reminding me that He knows my needs and He will provide. And there were so many other little moments like this: one-time gifts from churches and individuals that came at just the right time to cover a need, a man from our church offering to repaint our old apartment (as our contract required) for free, finding just the right furniture for our space at a local furniture store, our new landlord being familiar with Las Palmas and speaking English, a friendly family from our school as our new neighbors, the fridge arriving just in time to move, missionaries volunteering their time and skills to help with moving and installation, the list went on and on. Although my body and mind were exhausted by the end of it all, my heart was so encouraged to see our God demonstrate His care for us in all the details and we truly are so grateful for this new space that we get to call home.

Semana Santa

Here in the DR we call the week leading up to Easter "Semana Santa" (Holy Week) and we have the week off of school to celebrate. This year Semana Santa fell right after we finished moving which gave us some much needed time to rest and recover as well as spend some extra time with friends. Our praise team at IBEM had been practicing a few special songs for our Easter program and on Easter Sunday we were able to lead the congregation in worship with these songs focused around the cross and resurrection. This time of worship, along with video clips and a sermon focused on Christ's sacrifice and love for us, made the service a sweet time of reflection and rejoicing in His resurrection together.

Yuvia Retreat

This year I was invited to go on a missionary retreat called Yuvia Fellowship Retreat. This retreat is hosted by a group from the States that has visited the DR many times in the past and was burdened by the number of missionaries they saw pouring out but not always getting poured into. They designed this retreat to be an opportunity for missionaries to have a weekend away to receive encouragement and have time to rest. On this retreat I got to attend sessions with times of worship, guest speakers, and breakout sessions. There were physical therapists and a counselor available to meet with the missionaries throughout the weekend as well. One of the main things that was impactful to me from this retreat was a session and breakout session about rest. The speaker explained how he had served in ministry for so long going at full speed and didn't realize the importance of building in intentional rest. He shared about how Jesus set an example for us of being unhurried in his ministry and how we often miss this piece of following Christ's example in ministry. The weekend was impactful and encouraging to me and I'm thankful for the team that came and served us in that way.

End of School

The end of the school year was full of lots of celebrations and events. On May 22nd the elementary school had their Spring Program. Since we recently had our basketball court covered at the school, we were able to host the Spring Program on campus this year and have all of the elementary school participate in one big program together. Our students sang songs that they had been practicing in their music classes in both English and Spanish and it was sweet to be able to see them perform and sing songs about God's goodness in both languages. We finished the program with a few worship songs led by a student worship team and seeing all the parents and students worship together was a powerful reminder of the work God is doing through our school.

On June 5th the graduating seniors had their senior chapel and did their senior walk where they walked through campus one last time cheered on by all the current students. It is always an emotional time as the graduates pass through the campus and reflect on all the years they spent and Las Palmas and all the Lord has done throughout their time at our school. After this, we wrapped up the school year with class parties and award ceremonies with our students. Once the students had left for summer and classrooms had been packed up, we finished off another school year with an end of year chapel and staff lunch where we worshipped, laughed, and thanked God together for another great year.

Prayer Requests

• For 14 years our school director, Lynn, has faithfully served at Las Palmas. About a month ago Lynn announced to the staff that her husband had been asked if he would consider taking over as the mission director of their mission agency. She shared that they felt the Lord had confirmed that this was His will for them at this time and that they will be transitioning back to the States to step into this role over the next few months. I ask that you pray for her and her husband in this transition. Moving back to the States as missionaries always means leaving one home to go to another and I know this has been heavy on their hearts as they prepare for this transition. I ask that you also pray for our school. Pray that the transition in leadership is smooth and that God raises up a new leader to continue to guide our school well for His glory.

• On Wednesday I am flying to California for a family vacation and then I plan to spend a few weeks in Ohio with friends and family this summer before returning to the DR. Please pray for safe travels, good times with family and friends, and for me to have times to slow down and really rest this summer.

• Our praise team at IBEM has already begun preparing for our anniversary service that will be on August 2nd this year. This will be the first year that I will be in the country for this special service and I am excited to celebrate it together with our church. Please pray for our team as we prepare for this program. Many people on our team travel for the summer so it can be hard to work out all the details, but we are looking forward to celebrating the anniversary together.

Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter and for continuing to lift me and my ministries up in prayer. I am grateful for your support and encouragement.

Blessings,

Natasha