May Newsletter

Dear Prayer Partners,

I like to share highlights of ministry in these newsletters, but I also want to be transparent with the difficult parts of ministry, so you know how to truly lift me up in prayer. May was a long month. I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel "teacher tired" at this point in the school year. Students and teachers are ready for a break. The "feels like" temperature has been over 100 degrees almost every day and our classrooms do not have air conditioning. We've had many storms causing power outages. These power outages mean our air conditioners in our apartment do not work, and sometimes our running water goes out as well. Many of my close missionary friends have been struggling with the loss of loved ones or personal medical concerns. I, and many others, have been sick with a flu in the last two weeks which made even walking across the room feel exhausting for about a week.

These are the things that can make serving here a challenge. But in the midst of the challenges, the Lord lifts my eyes up to see His face. He reminds me that this life is about much more than my own comfort and pleasure. He gives me peace in knowing I am walking out my calling. Hope in having an eternity without sickness, death, and trials. Joy in watching a prodigal son come home or eyes be opened for the first time to the good news of the Gospel that we build our life upon. The Lord is abundantly good.

Home Visits

In the month of May I did a few more home visits. When I began home visits my goal was to be a blessing to the families of my students. What I didn't anticipate is the blessing it would be to me to hear their stories. Almost every home I visit, I hear a testimony of what God is doing through Las Palmas in the lives of these families. Not all are believers, but a common thread is that each family has had a front row seat to see the transforming power of the Gospel in the lives of students at Las Palmas.

One recent home visit that was especially sweet was to a family that attends my church. As I sat down with them, I got the privilege of hearing their story. Both parents had a Catholic background. The mother grew up attending a Catholic church all her life and the father's mother is a devout Catholic as well. The mother shared with me how even when she was attending the Catholic church, she knew that some of the teachings of the Catholic church did not align with what she read in scripture. About a year ago their daughter, my current student, asked her parents if they could visit the "church of the school." Their family visited our church and found that it was different than other churches in the way scripture was taught and the fact that everyone was welcomed and treated equally. As they began attending the church they were also impacted by seeing transformation in the life of one of their relatives (a current high school student at Las Palmas) after she committed her life to Christ.

The father of this family recently trusted the Lord as his personal Savior, and I got to see him follow the Lord in baptism at our church a few weeks ago. As he came out of the water and met his family, I saw my second-grade student beaming with excitement watching her father take this step of faith. What a beautiful thing to see this family follow the Lord together.

Spring Program

As we near the end of the school year, the school arranged a special program to showcase what the students have learned both academically and spiritually this year. This was the first time the school has had a Spring program in many years. Each grade prepared something to preform such as songs, Bible verses, or an academic skill. On May 11th we hosted the program at my church. It was a great chance for the parents to see a little part of what their students have learned this year in English and Spanish. After the students performed, we showed the parents a little taste of what the students get to experience in chapels at Las Palmas by singing a few worship songs together and then having our campus pastor preach a short message for the parents. Many of the families at the school do not have a church that they regularly attend or do not consider themselves to be believers. This program was a good chance for the families to see our church and to hear the hope of the Gospel presented.

Teacher Appreciation

The last week of May was teacher appreciation week. Each day the school encouraged the students to bring a different type of gift for their teacher. I got so many cards, flowers, snacks and gifts. The school administration also gave us little gifts throughout the week. It was an encouragement to me to receive these little gifts and it made some difficult teaching days much sweeter. I am thankful for the way Las Palmas values their teachers and I am so thankful for each of the students God placed in my classroom this year. It's a blessing to see them grow and get to teach them each day.

Prayer Requests

• We have one full week of teaching left and then two days of end of the year activities the following week. Please pray that my students and I would have the energy and strength to finish the school year well.

• Please pray for me as I prepare for this summer. I will be spending a few weeks in Ohio and then a few weeks in Texas visiting churches and raising support. My roommate and I are going to be raising support for a car this summer. We are hoping to purchase a car for next school year. This would be a huge blessing to us and help us get to church, chapel, home visits, Bible studies, and other ministry commitments much more easily. Please pray with us that God will provide for this need this summer. If you are interested in helping us with this need, I will be sending out more detailed information about how to give toward this soon.

• This summer I am also hoping to complete some online courses to get a TEFL certification (teaching English as a foreign language). This will help me with my work at the school, but I am also hoping and praying it will open more doors for ministry as well. Adults around the city ask the American teachers frequently about teaching them English. Our ministry currently does not have a ministry to teach English to adults. I have been thinking about this over the last few months and the school recently sent out information to some of the teachers about potentially starting a program like this next school year. I am praying about this opportunity.

• One huge blessing this month was getting to meet Sydney, one of the new teachers that will be joining us at Las Palmas next school year. I always love hearing stories about how God brings different missionaries here to serve. Sydney's family served here as missionaries during her teenage years and, although her family moved back to the States, the DR has always felt like home to her. She just graduated from college with an education degree and is now returning to the DR to teach first grade at Las Palmas this coming year. She was able to come visit the last week of May to see the school and meet the other missionaries who live here. I enjoyed spending time with her, and she even helped me with some things in my classroom throughout the week! Please pray for Sydney as she goes through the process of applying for a visa and preparing to move here this summer.

Thank you for continuing to pray for me and support my ministry. I am excited to see some of you this summer and get to talk with you face to face.

Blessings,

Natasha