It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Even though it is still 90 degrees out here, you can tell the season is upon us. Since early November people have been displaying lights, trees, and other decorations. Here in the DR, there are a couple of unusual customs around Christmas. One is that in December, employees are paid double. Another thing is that not much work gets done. Christmas is a long season, starting in mid-november (although it seems to start a bit earlier every year) and running through mid -january.

But Thanksgiving has to be my favorite holiday of all time.

I have so much to be thankful for.

Thanksgiving is not a holiday here, so many of us opt for another day, when we don't have work to do. I'm cooking up the big meal on Saturday, and inviting the deaf teacher, the deaf pastor, and their familes.

School is moving along quite nicely. Teaching so many different levels is quite challenging, but I often put the students to teaching one another. As inadequate to the task as I know I am, I still see progress in the students, and that is such an encouragement.

We have a new student, 15 years old, in Sabana Perdida. He came unable even to count to ten on both hands. The other children taught him to count in Sign his first day. His house and all his family's possessions were swept away in the flood.

There is another little girl, 8 years old, who is supposed to come as well. We discovered her when we were doing relief work down in a previously flooded barrio. When we returned the second time, she had a broken arm! She's very bright, and I suspect very mischievous as well.

Both schools are now full and we are making a waiting list for others who want to come.

This past week both school computers died. That's the bad news. The good news is that some new friends came from FL with a brand new one. The Lord knew just when we would need it.

We spent many hours this past weekend, discussing what the needs of the schools are with these brothers, and how we can make their work team's upcoming trip a blessing to the participants, as well as those they will be serving. We headed out to both schools, and into some poor areas, to give them a idea of what they'll be facing, and how they may fit into the Lord's work here. It was a great blessing to all of us, and of course, it's always nice to get to speak English for a few days! :)