Update on the U's

      We continue to keep on keeping on. I am feeling much better than I was on my last post. All of my energy has returned and back to normal (whatever normal was). Karen continues to have staff changes at Genesis where she is the site leader. Nina began another year at Genesis. Janae just began her Sophomore year in high school at Doulos Discovery School here in Jarabacoa. Marcy began 6th grade with Megan Adams as her home school teacher. So that is a short update on our family.
    With Karen's staffing changes come some great news that Courtney Barlow that came on staff back this spring has now finished her language time here and began working full time with Karen at Genesis. It is going great for them there.
    I finished up moving all the things from the fist place we used as a base in Santiago to the place we
 have now rented for 3 years. This week we began working on the water and electric supply and hopefully by the end of next week we will have water and electric on both buildings and the security lights. We then began to work on more inside things like adding two more bathrooms and repairing several windows. On the outside there is just a lot of major cleanup of yard trash. As much as I enjoy working up there (it's about an hours drive each day, each way) I really miss being a part of what is happening in Jarabacoa. It's hard not seeing any of the staff and just feeling the disconnect for all that.

Janae spraying the sides

Yesterday (Saturday) Janae and Marcy and I went up to start cleaning the pool up. It was really a mess as you can see. Still a lot more needs to be done on it next week but it is a start. It is all a process.  I am looking forward to working with Marcy in Santiago over this fall and then to some work teams coming down in Jan/Feb.

Marcy in the background dragging the leaves out with a rake

   

Almost done but ran out of time. Notice all the leaves that they rakes out.