Makarios

Our weekly village visits.

Imani Folkes — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 03:54:27 +0000

Every Wednesday afternoon our staff visits one of the villages that our students live in. (Chichigua, Tamarindo, or Pancho Mateo). We do these visits primarily so the teachers are able to speak with parents about how their children are doing in class. The visits are also a great time to share life and build deeper relationships with our students, their families, and the rest of their community. Every village visit is an amazing time, and we believe God uses us in specific ways every time we visit!

Here is a peek into our most recent village visit to Chichigua. We had a great time spending the afternoon with our students and their families. Enjoy!

Thanks Andy for taking these great photos!

Juan Pablo Duarte Day

Imani Folkes — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 01:59:46 +0000

Here at the Makarios school we love celebrating holidays with a twist.
Juan Pablo Duarte was one of the founding father’s of the Dominican Republic. He is most known for helping Dominican Republic gain their independence from Haiti in 1844. Today would have been his 119th birthday, and Profe Johan and Profe Genesis of our 2nd grade class came up with a fun way to celebrate. They had Carlos Alfredo dress up as Juan Pablo Duarte and visit each of the classes. It was a hit! Especially amongst his own peers! Here’s a few pictures from Juan Pablo’s visit.

If you remember back to our Dia de la Raza post, this is not the first time we’ve dressed up to celebrate holidays. And it certainly won’t be the last!

Kindergarden art

Imani Folkes — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 21:39:34 +0000

Our kindergarten class loves doing art projects! This week they made butterflies out of pipe cleaners as they learned about the metamorphosis process of insects, and painted crosses as part of their bible lessons.
Profe Dena & Profe Nicole were able to capture lots of pictures of their class during their projects! Take a look through the pictures below, and don’t forget you can click on them to make them bigger!

Next »
Benllina View at Picasa Benllina10-Jan-2012 21:29, Canon Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS, 2.8, 5.0mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 400	Andy & Isaak View at Picasa Andy & Isaak10-Jan-2012 21:29, Canon Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS, 2.8, 5.0mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 400	Miguelina V. View at Picasa Miguelina V.10-Jan-2012 21:29, Canon Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS, 2.8, 5.0mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 800
Raidi View at Picasa Raidi10-Jan-2012 21:28, Canon Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS, 2.8, 5.0mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 800	Miguelina I. View at Picasa Miguelina I.10-Jan-2012 21:28, Canon Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS, 2.8, 5.0mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 640	Ricardo View at Picasa Ricardo10-Jan-2012 21:30, Canon Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS, 2.8, 5.0mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 400
Ana Wendy View at Picasa Ana Wendy10-Jan-2012 21:29, Canon Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS, 2.8, 5.0mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 800	Wandy View at Picasa Wandy10-Jan-2012 21:30, Canon Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS, 2.8, 5.0mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 800	Paola View at Picasa Paola10-Jan-2012 21:30, Canon Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS, 2.8, 5.0mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 400
Nelisa View at Picasa Nelisa19-Jan-2012 19:09, Canon Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS, 2.8, 5.0mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 320	Wandy View at Picasa Wandy19-Jan-2012 19:06, Canon Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS, 2.8, 5.0mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 640	Warner View at Picasa Warner19-Jan-2012 19:01, Canon Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS, 2.8, 5.0mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 800
Benllina View at Picasa Benllina19-Jan-2012 19:00, Canon Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS, 2.8, 5.0mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 800	Paola View at Picasa Paola19-Jan-2012 18:56, Canon Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS, 2.8, 5.0mm, 0.1 sec, ISO 800	Andy View at Picasa Andy19-Jan-2012 18:56, Canon Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS, 2.8, 5.0mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 800
Yunaris View at Picasa Yunaris19-Jan-2012 18:53, Canon Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS, 2.8, 5.0mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 800	Anthony View at Picasa Anthony19-Jan-2012 18:53, Canon Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS, 2.8, 5.0mm, 0.05 sec, ISO 400	Raidi View at Picasa Raidi19-Jan-2012 18:52, Canon Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS, 2.8, 5.0mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 800

« Previous
Some of the girls working on their project. View at Picasa Some of the girls working on their project.08-Jan-2012 19:09, Canon Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS, 2.8, 5.0mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 160	Kindergarten’s bulletin board of the 4 Seasons View at Picasa Kindergarten’s bulletin board of the 4 Seasons18-Jan-2012 22:39, Canon Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS, 2.8, 5.0mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 400

First week back & blessings from the Austin Stone college group.

Imani Folkes — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 01:43:57 +0000

Here’s a bit about Makarios’ first week back after Christmas break. Enjoy!

We were BEYOND blessed to have a group of college students from the Austin Stone Community Church come and and serve Makarios this past week. I speak for every staff member, every student, and every community member when I say we could have not been more grateful for their presence here. These 13 students had incredible servant hearts, amazing energy, and a zeal for the Lord and his kingdom that was inspiring. After reading this post, be sure to check out the group’s perspective of the week on their blog.

Here are the ways the group served:

- Spending time in each of our 5 classes

• Prepping an activity
• Practicing in Spanish how they would teach the activity
• Doing the activity with the students
• Playing with the kids during Recess


John Michael also helped in the Kindergarden class for the day. View at Picasa John Michael also helped in the Kindergarden class for the day.11-Jan-2012 09:59, Canon Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi, 4.5, 32.0mm, 0.05 sec, ISO 1600	Hillary & Miguelina. View at Picasa Hillary & Miguelina.11-Jan-2012 09:53, Canon Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi, 5.0, 50.0mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 1600	Hillary & Raidi. Hillary helped in the Kindergarden class for the day. View at Picasa Hillary & Raidi. Hillary helped in the Kindergarden class for the day.11-Jan-2012 09:49, Canon Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi, 4.0, 28.0mm, 0.125 sec, ISO 800
Bernito & Shannon View at Picasa Bernito & Shannon11-Jan-2012 09:41, Canon Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi, 4.5, 33.0mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 1600	Profe Johan, Shannon & Miguel Angel Shannon helped in the 2nd grade class for the day. View at Picasa Profe Johan, Shannon & Miguel Angel Shannon helped in the 2nd grade class for the day.11-Jan-2012 09:34, Canon Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi, 5.0, 52.0mm, 0.077 sec, ISO 400	Michael playing checkers with Miguel Angel & Bernito View at Picasa Michael playing checkers with Miguel Angel & Bernito11-Jan-2012 10:52, Canon Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi, 5.6, 19.0mm, 0.04 sec, ISO 200
Posing for the picture View at Picasa Posing for the picture11-Jan-2012 10:26, Canon Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi, 5.6, 85.0mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 200	Hillary, Adrienne & Raidi View at Picasa Hillary, Adrienne & Raidi11-Jan-2012 10:21, Canon Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi, 5.6, 29.0mm, 0.02 sec, ISO 200	Hillary playing soccer with Raidi View at Picasa Hillary playing soccer with Raidi11-Jan-2012 10:14, Canon Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi, 4.5, 32.0mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 100
Jonathan playing with the Pre-K 4 class during recess. View at Picasa Jonathan playing with the Pre-K 4 class during recess.11-Jan-2012 10:06, Canon Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi, 3.5, 18.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 200	Jonathan playing with the Pre-K 4 class during recess. View at Picasa Jonathan playing with the Pre-K 4 class during recess.11-Jan-2012 10:05, Canon Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi, 5.6, 67.0mm, 0.01 sec, ISO 200

- Landscaping the Makarios house

• Heaving heavy rocks
• Unloading 15 trucks of dirt & spreading it around the house
• Cutting down unnecessary bushes with machetes
• All around making our team house beautiful


Landscaping the Mak House Yard View at Picasa Landscaping the Mak House Yard	Landscaping the Mak House Yard View at Picasa Landscaping the Mak House Yard

- Helping Imani with her ESL classes in Chichigua and Los Ciruelos


Elle & Shannon helping out with Imani’s ESL class in Los Ciruelos View at Picasa Elle & Shannon helping out with Imani’s ESL class in Los Ciruelos12-Jan-2012 13:48, Canon Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi, 5.6, 18.0mm, 0.02 sec, ISO 400	Erik helping Sylvia with her ESL activity View at Picasa Erik helping Sylvia with her ESL activity12-Jan-2012 13:49, Canon Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi, 5.6, 38.0mm, 0.025 sec, ISO 400

- Helping with school maintenance
• Cleaning windows
• Mowing the lawn
• Organizing the office & several closets
• Sawing school desks to better suit the classroom


Sawing tables in half for our 1st grade classroom View at Picasa Sawing tables in half for our 1st grade classroom26-Jan-2011 15:06, Canon Canon EOS REBEL T3i, 3.5, 18.0mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 160	Solomon helping in his own way View at Picasa Solomon helping in his own way27-Jan-2011 15:23, Canon Canon EOS REBEL T3i, 5.0, 52.0mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 400	Jonathan mowing the lawn View at Picasa Jonathan mowing the lawn27-Jan-2011 15:22, Canon Canon EOS REBEL T3i, 5.6, 100.0mm, ISO 400

- Spending time in the communities we serve (Chichigua, Pancho Mateo, Tamarindo, and Los Ciruelos)


Team Visit to Pancho Mateo View at Picasa Team Visit to Pancho Mateo28-Jan-2011 14:46, Canon Canon EOS REBEL T3i, 10.0, 18.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 400	Manuela & Erik View at Picasa Manuela & Erik10-Jan-2012 22:52, Canon Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS, 8.0, 5.0mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 160	Our students love playing with hair. View at Picasa Our students love playing with hair.28-Jan-2011 15:04, Canon Canon EOS REBEL T3i, 5.6, 72.0mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 400
Rachel playing Jump rope View at Picasa Rachel playing Jump rope28-Jan-2011 14:51, Canon Canon EOS REBEL T3i, 6.3, 42.0mm, ISO 400	Michael playing basketball with Cakito View at Picasa Michael playing basketball with Cakito28-Jan-2011 14:49, Canon Canon EOS REBEL T3i, 6.3, 62.0mm, ISO 400	Jonathan & Raidi View at Picasa Jonathan & Raidi28-Jan-2011 14:47, Canon Canon EOS REBEL T3i, 10.0, 42.0mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 400
Some of the Austin Stone group after playing muddy soccer in Chichigua. View at Picasa Some of the Austin Stone group after playing muddy soccer in Chichigua.07-Jan-2012 13:23, Canon Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS, 2.8, 6.2mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 160

Thank you Rachel, Michael, Shannon, Solomon, Adrienne, Nate, Hillary, John-Michael, Elle, Jonathan, Abby, Erik, and Molly for giving up a week of your Christmas break to serve the Lord through Makarios.

The way you served our organization with such energy, zeal, and excitement was an INCREDIBLE encouragement & blessing to us. We thank God for you, and we pray for you as you finish your college years.

Pass on the Latte

cdbuster — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:45:20 +0000

Ricardo is a precious 6 year old who has had many asthma issues in the past when he gets sick. The Makarios staff has had emergencies where we had to take him to the hospital because of his breathing. Now, when he gets a cold we are able to be proactive in getting him his medicine so that he doesn’t have the severe asthma attacks of the past. He is able to be in school more because he is not sick so often.

These are the supplies we regularly need for cases like this.

- A rescue asthma inhaler costs 200 pesos = $5.26
- Antibiotics for pneumonia cost 200 pesos = $5.26
- Tylenol for fever costs 90 pesos = $2.36

Please consider passing on the latte today to help provide an inhaler for Ricardo and kids like him. You can donate to the Mak Medical fund here.

30 Days of Amazing Images!

cdbuster — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:34:55 +0000

Have you ever seen a picture so compelling that it made you cry, laugh, scream, squeal, or smile? Images are powerful and we want to share with you one stunning image each day over the next 30 days to raise support for three of our most pressing needs listed below.

Medical Fund Goal – $2,000

This will provide basic medical needs at the school and also for treatment of more serious issues at the hospital.
Click here to Give to the Medical Fund.

Water Fund Goal – $2,000

We will be able to provide clean drinking water for the entire school and also subsidize water costs for the local community. Your donation will help prevent disease and ensure that children in the Makarios community are healthy.
Click here to give to the Water Fund.

Library Fund Goal – $2,000

Books, Books, and more Books!! Every $5 given purchases a book for the Makarios School Library. Books represent opportunity for kids to learn and go a long way in educating kids at Makarios.
Click here to give to the Library Fund.

Click here to see todays Photo of the Day. Stay tuned for other great images from Ester Havens.

Christmas in Chichigua

menold.makarios — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 20:09:40 +0000

We are really excited to share that an anonymous donor from the US gave money towards a Christmas meal in Chichigua. The church in Chichigua actually are the ones who receives the money and they are the ones who prepare and buy the meal. This way the community sees the church as providing the meal. For Christmas dinner, in the Dominican Republic, whole pigs are cooked and wrapped in some type of leaf and sold on the side of the road all over the cities.


View at Picasa Christmas in the D.R. – many pigs sold on the side of the road.24-Dec-2011 15:15, Canon Canon PowerShot SD880 IS, 2.8, 5.0mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 80

Mares, the pastor in Chichigua, purchased one of those pigs as you can see from the pictures below.


View at Picasa Mares inspecting the pig.25-Dec-2011 12:46, Canon Canon PowerShot SD880 IS, 5.8, 19.998mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 400	View at Picasa Nothing was left! They starting chopping bones and all and by the time they got to the head they ate that as well. Different way to chop pork than I am used to.25-Dec-2011 12:58, Canon Canon PowerShot SD880 IS, 5.6, 5.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 400	View at Picasa Chopping up the pig that was served to the whole village. An anonymous donor donated funds through Makarios that was given to the local church to provide a Christmas meal for all the people of Chichigua – about 100 people.25-Dec-2011 12:58, Canon Canon PowerShot SD880 IS, 5.6, 5.0mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 400
View at Picasa He really whacked that pig to pieces! If you stood close you might have gotten pieces on you!25-Dec-2011 12:47, Canon Canon PowerShot SD880 IS, 5.8, 19.998mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 400

When I asked him what he was going to prepare, he said, “Pork! Of course.” The meal consisted of rice, beans, cabbage and onions as well.


View at Picasa Very good! All the kids loved it. It was a blessing to take part of this blessing to Chichigua. Thank you to the donor who provided!25-Dec-2011 13:17, Canon Canon PowerShot SD880 IS, 2.8, 5.0mm, 0.025 sec, ISO 400	View at Picasa Jen and the kids showing off their plate of food – pork, rice, beans, cabbage and onions.25-Dec-2011 13:17, Canon Canon PowerShot SD880 IS, 2.8, 5.0mm, 0.025 sec, ISO 400	View at Picasa Everyone gathering around to check out the feast!25-Dec-2011 12:45, Canon Canon PowerShot SD880 IS, 5.6, 5.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 400

Christmas Sunday morning began with a baptismal service. Chichigua is a Haitian batey a few miles out in the midde of a sugar cane field. They do not have a fancy baptism tub like most churches in the US. We walked a mile through the cane fields to a pond where the service was held.


Walking back from the Baptism. very muddy and cow manure as the path we took was normally taken by the cows. View at Picasa Walking back from the Baptism. very muddy and cow manure as the path we took was normally taken by the cows.25-Dec-2011 10:05, Canon Canon PowerShot SD880 IS, 2.8, 5.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 200	Regina with her mom and aunt i believe after her baptism. View at Picasa Regina with her mom and aunt i believe after her baptism.25-Dec-2011 10:02, Canon Canon PowerShot SD880 IS, 2.8, 5.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 100	A real blessing to witness this. Two young men and Regina a girl with CP was baptized. View at Picasa A real blessing to witness this. Two young men and Regina a girl with CP was baptized.25-Dec-2011 09:57, Canon Canon PowerShot SD880 IS, 4.5, 12.524mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 125
Mares had to test out the water first to make sure no one fell in too deep! View at Picasa Mares had to test out the water first to make sure no one fell in too deep!25-Dec-2011 09:46, Canon Canon PowerShot SD880 IS, 2.8, 5.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 125	Tight spots! View at Picasa Tight spots!25-Dec-2011 09:44, Canon Canon PowerShot SD880 IS, 2.8, 5.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 125	Walk to the pond from Chichigua out in the middle of a sugar cane field for baptism service Christmas day. View at Picasa Walk to the pond from Chichigua out in the middle of a sugar cane field for baptism service Christmas day.25-Dec-2011 09:38, Canon Canon PowerShot SD880 IS, 2.8, 5.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 80

My two sons, Tate and Oliver, walked with us through the mud and cow manure to get to the pond. It was lightly raining but the group of about 15 didn’t seem to mind! It was neat to see two younger boys who attend Makarios School from the village, Estiven and Ambiorix, at the baptism as well.


Ambiorix cam to the baptism as well. Makarios student. Great to see these young boys witnessing this. View at Picasa Ambiorix cam to the baptism as well. Makarios student. Great to see these young boys witnessing this.25-Dec-2011 10:03, Canon Canon PowerShot SD880 IS, 2.8, 5.0mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 125	Estiven is a makarios student who we had some trouble with this past semester. Great to see God working in his life. He was very intent on what was being said. View at Picasa Estiven is a makarios student who we had some trouble with this past semester. Great to see God working in his life. He was very intent on what was being said.25-Dec-2011 10:01, Canon Canon PowerShot SD880 IS, 3.5, 9.368mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 125	Tate and Oliver on the way back from the baptism. This was their first baptism that they remember! Chichigua does not have anywhere but a pond a mile or so away from the village. View at Picasa Tate and Oliver on the way back from the baptism. This was their first baptism that they remember! Chichigua does not have anywhere but a pond a mile or so away from the village.25-Dec-2011 10:03, Canon Canon PowerShot SD880 IS, 4.5, 12.524mm, 0.01 sec, ISO 100

At one point, Estiven was not coming back to school this last semester but because of the love of Sarah VanHoose, his first grade teacher, he is still attending! I am so proud of our teachers this last semester and it was a God moment as I watched a young boy sing and pray at the baptism. Makarios spends a lot of time praying over their students and to see God at work in front of me was a blessing. Two young men in their early 20′s and Regina, a girl with CP, were baptized. We could not push Regina in her wheel chair the whole way so we had to carry her in a chair. After the baptism, while the meal was being prepared by one of the church members, we continued the service which lasted another 2 hours.


There was a visiting pastor from Pancho Mateo who preached. He is on the left. Then another pastor in the church, Mares and Rosevelt. View at Picasa There was a visiting pastor from Pancho Mateo who preached. He is on the left. Then another pastor in the church, Mares and Rosevelt.25-Dec-2011 13:29, Canon Canon PowerShot SD880 IS, 3.2, 5.984mm, 0.013 sec, ISO 400	Mares and his family. He is an impressive man. He is studying to be a doctor, studies theology, pastor in chichigua, wife lives in Haiti… I could go on! Mares is walking with God and I am grateful to get to know him and work with him. View at Picasa Mares and his family. He is an impressive man. He is studying to be a doctor, studies theology, pastor in chichigua, wife lives in Haiti… I could go on! Mares is walking with God and I am grateful to get to know him and work with him.25-Dec-2011 13:28, Canon Canon PowerShot SD880 IS, 2.8, 5.0mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 400	Taking communion, Mares washed everyone’s feet as an example as well. Very humbling. View at Picasa Taking communion, Mares washed everyone’s feet as an example as well. Very humbling.25-Dec-2011 12:16, Canon Canon PowerShot SD880 IS, 2.8, 5.0mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 400

The whole village came out for the feast! They filled the plates so full, our family shared one together. This was the first time we have taken our kids to Chichigua since they are so young. They had so much fun and thanked us for taking them! Thank you so much to the donor who blessed Chichigua. Mares was extremely grateful and many people said thank you. It was one of the best Christmas mornings our family has ever had and we are thankful to you as well as it was a blessing to continue to develop new and deepen relationships in Chichigua. Merry Christmas/Feliz Navidad and Happy New Year/Feliz Ano Nuevo from La Republica Dominicana!

More Pictures from the day..


The rice, beans, cabbage, and onions were cooked on this open fire by one of the church members and the church served the community food. View at Picasa The rice, beans, cabbage, and onions were cooked on this open fire by one of the church members and the church served the community food.25-Dec-2011 13:04, Canon Canon PowerShot SD880 IS, 5.6, 5.0mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 400	We truly were blessed to celebrate Christmas with Chichigua! View at Picasa We truly were blessed to celebrate Christmas with Chichigua!25-Dec-2011 13:33, Canon Canon PowerShot SD880 IS, 5.6, 5.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 400	Jen, Parlyn and Aribella waiting for the meal. View at Picasa Jen, Parlyn and Aribella waiting for the meal.25-Dec-2011 13:03, Canon Canon PowerShot SD880 IS, 5.6, 5.0mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 400
Getting to know Rosevelt, the assistant pastor in Chichigua. View at Picasa Getting to know Rosevelt, the assistant pastor in Chichigua.25-Dec-2011 13:02, Canon Canon PowerShot SD880 IS, 5.6, 5.0mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 400	A little girl was wandering around so i brought her in to the service with me. Finley snuggled up as well and they both fell asleep for a few minutes. Long service! View at Picasa A little girl was wandering around so i brought her in to the service with me. Finley snuggled up as well and they both fell asleep for a few minutes. Long service!25-Dec-2011 11:10, Canon Canon PowerShot SD880 IS, 5.0, 14.843mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 400	Regina being baptized. She has CP. I really wished she could have been healed in that moment but every time I see her she is smiling and really understands well. Excited to hear her proclaim her trust in Jesus. View at Picasa Regina being baptized. She has CP. I really wished she could have been healed in that moment but every time I see her she is smiling and really understands well. Excited to hear her proclaim her trust in Jesus.25-Dec-2011 10:00, Canon Canon PowerShot SD880 IS, 2.8, 5.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 200
FInley and Aribella enjoying the natural scenery. View at Picasa FInley and Aribella enjoying the natural scenery.25-Dec-2011 10:16, Canon Canon PowerShot SD880 IS, 2.8, 5.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 125	Kind of like a jungle gym. Aribella and Finley. Finley does everything her big sister does! View at Picasa Kind of like a jungle gym. Aribella and Finley. Finley does everything her big sister does!25-Dec-2011 10:17, Canon Canon PowerShot SD880 IS, 3.5, 8.118mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 80	Jen and the kids enjoying Christmas day in Chichigua playing with the kids and attending a Haitian church service. View at Picasa Jen and the kids enjoying Christmas day in Chichigua playing with the kids and attending a Haitian church service.25-Dec-2011 12:50, Canon Canon PowerShot SD880 IS, 5.6, 5.0mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 400
Tate was running with the kdis and slipped and got a face full of mud! View at Picasa Tate was running with the kdis and slipped and got a face full of mud!25-Dec-2011 12:51, Canon Canon PowerShot SD880 IS, 5.6, 5.0mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 400	Ollie enjoying a moment with one of the boys in Chichigua. View at Picasa Ollie enjoying a moment with one of the boys in Chichigua.25-Dec-2011 12:47, Canon Canon PowerShot SD880 IS, 9.0, 12.524mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 400	Josh and Mares after the very long Haitian service=) 9am to 1pm. Baptism took a good hour and half in that time as well. View at Picasa Josh and Mares after the very long Haitian service=) 9am to 1pm. Baptism took a good hour and half in that time as well.25-Dec-2011 13:29, Canon Canon PowerShot SD880 IS, 2.8, 5.0mm, 0.013 sec, ISO 400

Merry Christmas from Makarios!

cdbuster — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 18:23:27 +0000

Christmas Rice and Beans!

Imani Folkes — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 20:37:27 +0000

Makarios was blessed once again this years with donors who are willing to help our children and families eat over Christmas Break! With the donations we were able to buy 7 pounds of rice and beans for each student! Rice and beans is an essential staple in a Dominican & Haitian’s diet. We’re so excited to help our students and family eat over the holiday break.

The students were so excited that they pushed in line to receive their bag of rice and beans. We had to have several teachers act as “crowd control”


Pat giving our students from Chichigua their rice and beans for they left. View at Picasa Pat giving our students from Chichigua their rice and beans for they left.14-Dec-2011 12:23, Canon Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi, 4.5, 18.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 400	Profe Bella helping Pat hand out the bags to the children View at Picasa Profe Bella helping Pat hand out the bags to the children14-Dec-2011 12:40, Canon Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi, 4.5, 37.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 400
Erickson View at Picasa Erickson14-Dec-2011 12:41, Canon Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi, 5.0, 50.0mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 400	Aldiani realized how heavy her bag of rice and beans were as soon as she picked it up View at Picasa Aldiani realized how heavy her bag of rice and beans were as soon as she picked it up14-Dec-2011 12:41, Canon Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi, 5.6, 85.0mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 400

The students showed their excitement in many ways: smiling for a photo, chanting “arroz, arroz, arroz” (rice, rice, rice), and by balancing beans on their head.


Francesca, Rachel, and Ruth with their beans View at Picasa Francesca, Rachel, and Ruth with their beans14-Dec-2011 12:27, Canon Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi, 4.5, 29.0mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 400	Carlos Alfredo & Pat View at Picasa Carlos Alfredo & Pat14-Dec-2011 12:46, Canon Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi, 4.0, 29.0mm, 0.01 sec, ISO 400
Carlos Alfredo and his teacher: Johan View at Picasa Carlos Alfredo and his teacher: Johan14-Dec-2011 12:46, Canon Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi, 4.0, 25.0mm, 0.01 sec, ISO 400	Raidi View at Picasa Raidi14-Dec-2011 12:48, Canon Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi, 4.5, 33.0mm, 0.01 sec, ISO 400
Profe Johan and Raidi View at Picasa Profe Johan and Raidi14-Dec-2011 12:48, Canon Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi, 4.5, 36.0mm, 0.01 sec, ISO 400

Blani (one of our Pre-K 3 students) was all smiles as she opened her bag. Check out the slideshow below:

And finally.. our Dominican and Haitian staff were surprised and blessed to receive their own bags of rice and beans!!


Profe Narolin celebrating with her bag of rice and beans View at Picasa Profe Narolin celebrating with her bag of rice and beans14-Dec-2011 12:48, Canon Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi, 5.0, 48.0mm, 0.01 sec, ISO 400	Profe Bella celebrating as well! View at Picasa Profe Bella celebrating as well!14-Dec-2011 12:48, Canon Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi, 4.5, 36.0mm, 0.01 sec, ISO 400

Rice and Beans to all, and to all a good night!

Christmas Presentations!

Imani Folkes — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:56:02 +0000

Even though our Makarios Christmas Fiesta included both pizza and fancy clothes, the biggest hit of the day was when the students were able to perform Christmas presentations for their parents!

Profe Johan and Profe Yomo started the presentations by welcoming the parents, reading the Christmas Story from the Bible and sharing the real reason why we celebrate Christmas.


Profe Johan introducing the presentations. View at Picasa Profe Johan introducing the presentations.09-Dec-2011 13:15, Canon Canon EOS 30D, 4.0, 47.0mm, 0.04 sec, ISO 1600	Profe Yomo sharing the Christmas Story from the bible. View at Picasa Profe Yomo sharing the Christmas Story from the bible.09-Dec-2011 13:18, Canon Canon EOS 30D, 5.6, 109.0mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 1600
Parents watching the show. View at Picasa Parents watching the show.09-Dec-2011 13:16, Canon Canon EOS 30D, 3.5, 28.0mm, 0.05 sec, ISO 1600

And then the presentations began! Pre-K 4 recited a bible verse and sang a song. Kindergarten recited a verse, and the 1st grade class sang a Dominican Christmas song.


Pre K-4 singing View at Picasa Pre K-4 singing09-Dec-2011 13:26, Canon Canon EOS 30D, 4.0, 28.0mm, 0.025 sec, ISO 1600
Kindergarten reciting a bible verse View at Picasa Kindergarten reciting a bible verse09-Dec-2011 13:34, Canon Canon EOS 30D, 3.5, 28.0mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 1600
1st Grade Singing in Santa Hats View at Picasa 1st Grade Singing in Santa Hats09-Dec-2011 13:32, Canon Canon EOS 30D, 3.5, 28.0mm, 0.04 sec, ISO 1600

We ended the show with the 2nd grade class performing a short skit. The skit had a great moral about what Christmas is about. They were a huge crowd-pleaser, causing all the parents and staff to laugh continuously.


Carlos Alfredo, Memo, Luis Fernando & Perla View at Picasa Carlos Alfredo, Memo, Luis Fernando & Perla09-Dec-2011 13:41, Canon Canon EOS 30D, 3.5, 28.0mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 1600	Miguelangel View at Picasa Miguelangel09-Dec-2011 13:45, Canon Canon EOS 30D, 3.5, 28.0mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 1600
Luis Fernando & Miguelangel View at Picasa Luis Fernando & Miguelangel09-Dec-2011 13:44, Canon Canon EOS 30D, 3.5, 28.0mm, 0.04 sec, ISO 1600	Gustavo View at Picasa Gustavo09-Dec-2011 13:44, Canon Canon EOS 30D, 3.5, 28.0mm, 0.04 sec, ISO 1600
Neffi & Escarlet again. View at Picasa Neffi & Escarlet again.09-Dec-2011 13:43, Canon Canon EOS 30D, 3.5, 28.0mm, 0.04 sec, ISO 1600	Escarlet and Neffi View at Picasa Escarlet and Neffi09-Dec-2011 13:43, Canon Canon EOS 30D, 3.5, 33.0mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 1600
Bernito View at Picasa Bernito09-Dec-2011 13:42, Canon Canon EOS 30D, 4.5, 60.0mm, 0.04 sec, ISO 1600	Valentina View at Picasa Valentina09-Dec-2011 13:41, Canon Canon EOS 30D, 4.0, 41.0mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 1600
Luis Fernando View at Picasa Luis Fernando09-Dec-2011 13:42, Canon Canon EOS 30D, 3.5, 28.0mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 1600

If you missed out on our first two blog posts about our Christmas party click here and here!