In January we welcomed a gap-year program for their 2nd visit to SI-DR; the Joshua Wilderness Institute out of Hume Lake, CA. In March we had a full four weeks of back-to-back teams, including two teams from Jupiter: the Musicianaries and a team from Jupiter Christian School! In April and the first part of this month we had no teams but spent time doing projects we don't have time for while teams are here (general maintenance and organizational stuff) and working on plans for the year. It is still strange to us that while the school year is winding down in the States, we are gearing up for our "season" here.
In April, we welcomed a six-week old Border-Aussie pup (Border Collie-Australian Shepherd mix) named Kip into our home. He is adorable, energetic, and entertaining to say the least - there's lots of personality packed into his little body! We had forgotten how similar to having a baby it is to raise a puppy! Thankfully, the night trips outside have almost stopped and we have an arsenal of chew toys to help curb his appetite for furniture!
The first of May, Mary Ellen was given an opportunity to take a quick, last-minute trip to the Orlando area to settle some of our things into her parent's new home and visit with her brother's family, three of her four daughters, and six of her seven grandchildren during an impromptu mini family reunion. The only down side to this trip was that Sarah and Nadia were not able to be there due to Sarah's work obligations. It was a very brief visit but such a precious time and it did her heart good to see her parents settled into their new home with her brother and his family close by. 
This past weekend, we joined the rest of the SI staff at a retreat that was held on the property that SI-DR used to call home (La Casa Tranquila). It was a wonderful weekend full of fellowship, refreshing and renewal. We were challenged to accept fully God's ferocious love for us and to make solitude with Him a priority in our lives. In doing this we are free to look to the Lord for all that we need - affirmation in our call to ministry, the ability to live in community with each other, and grace to extend to others.We returned home ready to dig in to our final preparations for the summer. We are one week away from the start of our summer teams and there is a lot of activity here on the SI-DR base. We are excited and ready to get going again after a bit of down-time. We will spend this week making sure the guest house is ready for the ten interns who begin arriving on Wednesday, filing orders for delivery, and shopping for our first team that will arrive on the 21st.
We covet your prayers for a smooth summer and fall with lots of energy and grace to see it through! Please pray that all that pass through SI-DR will be free from sickness and harm. Pray too that those who have not yet committed their lives to the Lord would do so and for those who have given their lives to the Lord, that they will leave with a better picture of God's call on their lives.
