Dominican Dispatch: New Year, New Vision

First semester in the bag!

This whole journey has been amazing so far. I've seen God work in me, in the students I get to pour into, and the fellow believers around me that I get to serve alongside. Hoping and praying that God will continue to work in and through all of us this new year!

Vision of Character

As the semester neared its end, I was flooded with all kinds of ideas and inspiration to add more variety to the motor lab. You see, this past semester, my primary responsibility was leading pre-school through 5th grade in some basic exercises and fun activities every day to help them with their motor development (a huge need in the Dominican Republic). Essentially, I live in the motor lab. So towards the end, I started thinking about how I could use the space for even more. I already help with the kids' physical development, what if I could help with their spiritual development as well?

So I started running ideas by my supervisor, Kristen Del Toro, and she was super supportive, giving me a great framework for any changes I might introduce. I've got a plan together to not only use the motor lab for motor development, but also as a space to teach Christ-like character in practical ways! We'll work through qualities like patience, perseverance, and creativity, using a Biblical framework to blend in new targeted activities with our standard motor lab exercises.

I'm really grateful that I've been allowed to have more creative freedom, but it means that I'll have a lot more responsibility too. I'll need to be diligent, focused, organized, and devoted to my work. This opportunity to broaden my impact is huge for me, and I couldn't be more excited!

Home for Christmas

The past few weeks I've been back in Iowa, in the freezing cold, visiting friends and family over Christmas break! It's been so fun and refreshing (and very chilly). I got to go skiing with a couple of my brothers, and I might've possibly wiped out a few times! Still sore. Getting to see family and friends that I haven't seen in a while is super fun, and I'm incredibly grateful!

Extra Notes

• A couple staff transitioned back to the US, including a close friend, which means my workload will increase even more, and I won't get to spend as much time with some of the middle schoolers that I was pouring into
• We also have a couple new staff coming in, but joining the crew halfway through the school year can be tough!
• I'm $60/mo shy of my budget! If you'd like to help out, you can give here!

Praises

• Lots of vision, inspiration, and cool ideas for the motor lab!
• Creative freedom to implement new things!
• Fun times with friends and family

Prayer Requests

• Lots of diligence, energy, and focus for this next semester!
• Smooth transition for the new staff coming in!
• Safe travels back to the DR

Author: Timothy Bemenderfer (01/01/2024)