Wow, where has the month gone? I’ll start by wishing you a Happy New Year! Part of me feels like this month has flown by, but the other part of me feels like the holidays were so long ago!

I started off the new year in Jarabocoa with friends. We planned this trip a few months ago, and it was so fun for it to come together. We chose Jarabocoa because it is a town in the mountains that gets colder at night. We thought it would be fun to have the weather feel a bit more similar to what it feels like back home. We hiked to a few waterfalls, played games, had a fire, and grilled out. Our dogs joined us on this adventure. Four dogs and 5 adults went on this trip, all traveling in one truck. It was a tight fit, but it made the trip even more memorable. This was a much-needed trip and a great start to the beginning of the year.

After the trip, I began prepping for the busy season. The first three months of the year are our busiest time of ministry. We are three weeks into our first six-week stretch, tomorrow starts the beginning of week four.

I have really enjoyed the first three teams, as they are groups that come back year after year.  These teams have members that I have formed friendships with so I am always encouraged to see these people come back year after year. I love to hear about what they have been up to in the last year, or even two!

I have tried hard to allow myself to have Saturdays off. This requires quite a bit of work to be done on Friday after the team leaves. Having a day that I have little to do is needed during this time. All of the SRI staff have chipped in to help me on these Fridays, and it is much appreciated! Today I spent the afternoon at Glenny’s house, a friend of mine who works with Solid Rock. She cooked a delicious lunch, and it is always good to catch up outside of work.

This upcoming week is Northwoods and Pine Hills. I look forward to seeing friends from home (literally), come and serve. I plan on going out with the team one morning this week, which I look forward to!  
Prayer Requests:

• Good Health ( I spent the first two weeks of teams sick)
• Spanish
• Teams
• Using time wisely during busy time

Enjoy a few photos from the last month!