Happy New (school) Year!

As this new school year is about to begin, here are a few highlights from last year. Along with a few ways you can get involved this year!

One of my favorite parts of this second year at Doulos has been the growing and continued relationships with students at school. It was fun to watch relationships with students grow in various different ways. One way that relationships were growing was in the classroom. Getting to teach students a second time around not only made teaching more effective, but it made it more fun too.

Beyond that, Emily and I got to share our marriage and our life together with students by teaching a devotional class together. Two days a week Emily would join me in class as we talked to students about different topics from the Bible. It was really fun to share our different strengths together.

Here I am celebrating the craziness of Doulos’ math madness week by doing and obstacle course with Oliver.

Without a doubt one of our favorite parts and richest blessings was our community. We often had a chance to share fun things like meals, games, and movies. As well as help each other out in times of loss, transition and change.

Here we are enjoying some time off with friends, at Spirit Mountain, a coffee farm that supports Doulos.

Among the other highlights was “campaigners” (Bible study) with a group of high school boys. Every other Tuesday I had the great joy (with the help of my co-leader/friend Tim) of having 3-5 boys over for a time of hanging out and sharing. Our time was usually comprised of eating some burnt hotdogs, sharing stories from the week, making fun of each other some, and a time of reading and discussion.

Certainly the most challenging part of this year was the death of one of our students, Gabriel. Gabriel was fun-loving student who brought smiles and laughs to all of his peers. I had the great privilege of getting to know Gabriel through many laughs in class, crazy dance moves and singing songs together at Young Life, serving together at WyldLife Camp (a camp for middle school students), and times of hanging out over ice cream. Please continue to keep Gabriel’s family and the other students in your thoughts and prayers.

This is Gabriel playing around as usual, celebrating alternative energy which he was learning about in class.

Thank you for all of your continued love and support for me, for Emily, and for our students and friends in the Dominican Republic, without you everything we do we truly be impossible.

This is a picture from the “Vida Joven” (Young Life) Dominican Republic summer camps.

Finally, Emily and I have decided to continue working here for another wonderful year. In order to continue to live and serve here in the Dominican Republic we need your help. I have been richly blessed by the generous giving of other so much so, that much of money for this year is already taken care of! However, in order to meet my budget for this year I will need to raise $3,000. I would love if you would consider joining me in prayer and/or financial support this year.

If you are interested in giving you can do so through our website http://doulosdiscovery.org/support/donate/ be sure to fill in “Brad Holehan” in the box.

Thanks so much!

-Brad