Travels with Irene

“You’re going to go where?  To do what?  For how long?” was the rather incredulous reaction from some of my family members and friends when I told them I was going to the Dominican Republic to teach for two months.  I didn’t know anyone in the town of Cabrera on the north central coast of the DR except for the headmaster of the school with whom I had shared a meal in Denver when we were both visiting in July 2023.  I was going to travel alone, at age 78, having recently gone through surgery and chemotherapy for cancer, not knowing Spanish, and not having taught in a classroom since 1971.  My decision didn’t make sense.

But I had caught the vision of Cabrera Christian Classical Academy’s leadership during that shared meal: to raise wise and virtuous leaders for the Dominican Republic and for the Kingdom of God.   I had listened intently to the headmaster, Dr. Timothy Slater, as he passionately shared that he and his wife, Dr. Stephanie Slater, were responding to a call from God to teach a rigorous classical education that was Christ-centered.  And when he asked towards the end of that meal, “Would you ever consider volunteering as a teacher for a few months?”, the “tug” on my heart was immediate and strong.

And so, on Jan 4, 2024, I left Oswego Illinois and arrived in Cabrera after 16 hours of travel via Chicago, Miami, and Santo Domingo.  For two months, I immersed myself into the school life, experiencing overwhelming love for the students, growing respect for the teachers, and admiration for the husband and wife who headed up this faith-based ministry in some of the most beautiful geography that I had ever seen.  I could write a book about the challenges of teaching, the enrichment provided by expats in the community, the home church that met weekly, living in a culture so different from mine, driving on rutted roads in a propane-fueled car with no road signs or maps, and getting to know the gifted young teacher with whom I roomed.  But I’ll simply say that I left part of my heart in Cabrera when I returned home. 

Almost twenty months passed before I could return for just a few weeks of volunteering.  The school had grown to almost 40 students and had added a building for the older students.  Funding had been sufficient to hire a few teachers, and they had welcomed a full-time volunteer.  I spent my days helping students with reading, organizing and color-coding the library books, and observing the excitement of learning in the three sections of the school:  Pre-School, Grammar School, and Logic School. 

I quickly noticed that all three sections were studying geography, with the preschoolers learning a song about the continents and locating them on a world map, and with the grammar and logic school students exploring the land and cultures of Africa having finished Europe a few days earlier.  “Mr. Tim” and “Miss Stephanie”, realizing that I was going to be visiting all the other five continents in a few weeks, asked if I would be willing to link up with the students while I was traveling to share first-hand the geography and cultures I would be experiencing.  Of course I was thrilled!  Merging my love for this school with my love of learning about the world while traveling – what a winning combination!

During my last few days at the school, we brainstormed what this educational cooperative adventure would look like and how we could best present geography-focused classes from around the world.   And that’s why I will be traveling on my Grand Adventure with a mascot, Odysseus the Octopus, taking videos and sharing the awe and wonder that I experience with the students at “my” school.