Dominican Dispatch: Thanksgiving in the Sun, A Farewell, & More

Hola amigos!

I want to start off this update by saying that I am hugely grateful for each and every one of you! God used this Thanksgiving season to grow me in huge ways I didn't anticipate. I'm shocked and humbled to see how much I still need to grow and how much God has already grown me in my time here in the DR. More than that, it's blowing my mind to see the ministry that He's allowing me to participate in. Seeds are being planted, relationships are growing, strong connections are being developed, and the Gospel is going out. I couldn't be a part of this if it wasn't for all of you who support and pray for me!

I can't thank you all enough!

Thanksgiving Far Away

Speaking of thanks, this was my first time celebrating Thanksgiving without my family, which was a really odd experience. It was fun, but I can't deny how much I miss them! God's brought other people into my life that I got to celebrate with, but it wasn't quite the same! There's something special about family.

But it was still a great time! Over the Thanksgiving weekend, I got to go to the beach with a great group of co-worker friends! We all had a great time. I could definitely tell that before Thanksgiving break, I was starting to feel extremely exhausted emotionally and mentally, so it couldn't have been better timing! I got to rest. Really rest. I was able to find time alone with God on the beach, in the quiet, away from all the demands of work. I needed rest, and God provided it!

It was hard being away from family, but chilling on the beach, in the sun, was pretty awesome! Every other Thanksgiving I remember has been freezing cold!

Farewell Fluffy Friend

This month I made the hard but necessary decision to let little Cheeto go. I have to admit it was really tough to take care of him while working full-time and still figuring my life out. He was definitely an outdoor cat, and I couldn't provide him with the space he needed, so I had to let him go! Adios, gatito.

Maintaining the Vision

God's given me solid connections with quite a few students already! There's about ten guys I can think of right now that I could really impact on a personal level. I'm starting to feel a bit more responsibility of sorts as a friend and spiritual influence in their lives. Sometimes I get so caught up in work and daily life that I kind of forget why I'm here! I need to maintain focus and remember my goal to impact others for God's kingdom. Whether that means bringing the Gospel to those who haven't heard, or helping other believers who need a hand, I'm here to serve.

A Glimpse at Doulos' Biblical Integration

As a Christian school that wants to disciple kids and help them know God better, Doulos blends it's curriculum with Scripture itself. When I first heard about this Biblical integration, I thought it sounded really great, but I wondered what it would look like practically. I got to see a great example this month, and I wanted to share it with you!

These 2nd graders have been learning all about plants and how they develop, and their great teachers took this awesome opportunity to simultaneously teach the kids about having a relationship with Christ. They taught about plants using the parable of the sower, as well as some great crafts and illustrations! It was really neat for me to see how effectively they were able to blend understanding the way plants work and understanding our own walks with God. That's Biblical integration!

Praises:

• God's teaching me to rely on Him more, to grow in faith, and to step outside my comfort zone
• He's giving me more and more opportunities to have a genuine impact on students
• He's helping me grow real, meaningful friendships with fellow believers
• The future looks bright!

Prayer Requests

• I really need wisdom to know what steps to take with the influence God's given me (Should I start some kind of Bible study? Should I start a quiet time group? What do the students need? etc.)
• Please pray for safe travels as I fly back to Iowa to visit family on the 16th!
• Pray that we would all finish the semester strong!

Author: Timothy Bemenderfer (11/30/2023)