Last week, we were able to attend Doulos’ relaunch of Reading Under the Stars. Twice a year, Doulos Discovery School invites families to gather together in the evening and enjoy time with the school community to foster the love of reading. Families sat together with hot chocolate and read stories, danced a little on the stage, and listened to the read-aloud that was available at the bottom of the amphitheater.
Our family enjoyed a relaxing evening with some of our favorite books. (Ok, I might have been preparing for my 8th grade English class, but it IS one of my favorite novels.) We were also joined by a couple of Ava’s school friends who were attending the event but did not have the rest of their family in the amphitheater. It was lots of fun to get to build stronger relationships with them and have them join our “family” for the evening.
Last year was an amazing first year for us in the Dominican Republic, but also came with a loss of experiencing what a normal year at Doulos entails. Reading Under the Stars is one of many events that had to be cancelled due to COVID restrictions. The four of us are extremely excited to be able to be a part of all the other events that Doulos normally partakes in: Outdoor Education Week (Melissa and Ava head out next week), Expedition Nights, Revolution, the Independence Day and Christmas programs, as well as Biblical Emphasis Week. These programs are an intentional part of Doulos programming that build strong community and relational ties, which in turn, allow teachers and staff frequent opportunities to be able to present gospel truths to students.