Finishing Strong

I am having a difficult time understanding exactly what this means for me. I have one more week here in the DR and currently I am bed sick, again, and am unsure what my last week will look like. I thought that finishing strong meant staying strong, working hard, and pushing the most u can push until the end...like in a race...sprinting the last mile. However what I have come to realize that ministry isn't like running a race all the time.

Sometime finishing strong does mean working your tail off until the end, but I think for me this week, finishing strong looks like the following:

*resting when I am told to rest.
*encouraging those around me to continue serving and loving they way they are called to.
*spending quality time in His Word.
*journaling about what He is revealing to me and teaching me.
*prayerfully joining the team that is coming in and coming alongside them in the journey the Lord has called them on while they are serving here in the DR for 1 week.
*laughing and connecting with the Nationals that I have come to know and love.
*thanking the staff for all the encouragement and support that have given me the past 3 months.

So what if I don't pick up another shovel or fill another water jug...yes those things have been daily tasks that I have loved to do, but maybe the Lord has other plans for me for my last 7 days here. I think I have learned this summer that He is in every single detail, every seemingly mundane task. He is the orchestrator of our time here on earth, so I don't want to sit and be sad because I am not able to leave my bed right now, I want to see Him in the midst of it all. I don't want to miss out on all that He has to show me and all the ways He desires to use me.

One thing I will challenge you with is this: look for Him in everything. Have the eyes and heart to see Him working in the midst of silence, in the midst of chaos, in the midst of frustration, in the midst of tragedy. He is at work all the time!

Time, where have you gone?

It is 11:20 am on Tuesday, July 20th and this means one thing. I only have 4 more weeks left here in the DR. This place has become home. The people have become family. The staff have become kindred spirits. The culture has gently nudged it's way in my heart permanently. I have a feeling that this means I should get some Kleenex's pronto!

It was a lil over a year ago when I began to serisously consider coming here on the internship, followed by many months of not being sure, to jumping on a plane just 2 short months ago, to now only having 4 weeks left. I was reminded the other day of just how faithful the Lord has been in EVERYTHING leading me up to this day. From showing me how faithful He is in the little things and the BIG things to providing in ways that still make my jaw drop to the floor!

No matter the end result of my time here, I know that this journey was for a purpose. That He will use the things that I have learned here to continue to shape and mold me into who He desires me to be and will use my time here and the relationships that I have built for His purposes and His glory. I consider it a privilege to have the opportunity to be a small part of His HUGE plan.

Going Home - Trip to the Batey's

This past week I had the joy of going back to the Batey's. This is the place that I have been on my first two trips here, so it will always hold a special place in my heart. I have come to know people there and feel like they are my family. I have been anxiously waiting for the chance to go back since I first arrived in Santiago, but I knew that it would be awhile before I would have the opportunity to go. Welp....I finally got to go! It was a great week. There was a group from KY that came to do a medical clinic in 2 of the Batey's so it was a very busy but fruitful week. We sorted meds one day, then hosted 2 days of medical clinics, then had a day of evangelism and VBS. I had the priviledge of seeing 2 people come to know the Lord, hundreds of people received medical care that they wouldn't have otherwise gotten, children laughed and played with the Americans, and many hearts were changed as a result of the week.

It was a week full of joy and sadness. The sad part for me was going to Batey Cuchilla and seeing the feeding center that my church has committed to build. The building is the same way we left it after our last trip in November. It brought tears to my eyes to see that nothin has changed in 8 months. It also breaks my heart to see a place that is in so much need not get help. Out of all thr groups that have come this summer to serve with G.O. only 3 are going to the Batey's. And only one of those groups is doing construction. That means that children will still be going without food....hearts will still be broken....and lives will be lost. If we don't go, then who will? If we don't give, the who will? If we don't pray, then who will? Will you?

Feeding center in Batey Cuchilla

Humility is hard but OH so worth it!

About a week ago I hit my breaking point. This is a very good thing.

I realized a BIG sin issue I had in my life was controlling me and affecting those around me. It was pretty ugly. What's interesting is that it took being wronged for me to realize it. I have always been the type of person that is caring towards others. It kills me to know that I have the power to hurt and tear down. I can deal with being the one that is hurt, but I can't deal with the fact that I hurt others. I was consistently being hurtful and not really aware of it until the Lord revealed that to me through a misunderstanding where I was wronged...

I am sooooo incredibly thankful for how the Lord is in the business of changing and transforming...I don't want to be me, I want to be who He desires me to be. I am blessed to have a Father that isn't satisfied but that wants me to be like His Son and lovingly guides me towards that. I know I will never fully arrive, but I am thankful that I atleast get to be on the journey because that means He receives ALL the glory, honor, and praise as I continue to be molded into the likeness of His Son. It's not a pretty process or a fun process, but oh the joy that is found along the way, wouldn't change it for ANYTHING!

I am also thankful that He gives me and others the ability to forgive lovingly and graciously. Boy oh boy, what would I do if that wasn't true!?!?!?!

"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient; bearing with one another in love" - Ephesians 4:2

B-ball in the DR

This past week I had the privilege of helping out with a basketball camp. I coached 12 boys on the Verde team. I helped lead a rebounding station in the mornings and then coached my team in games in the afternoon. Not only did we try to teach the boys basketball skills but we also taught them about the Lord. I was able to share verses in the Bible that relate to playing sports but more importantly are applicable to life as well. My main focus for the boys wasn't to win, but to glorify God in all they did. I had soooooo much fun coaching these guys...I pray that the things I taught them from the Word will leave an indelible mark on their hearts.

Team Verde - Go GREEN team!!!!!!!

Coach Witcho in action with team Blanco

I love this lil guy!

My team looks tough don't they?!?!?!

I was super nervous to coach at the beginning of the week. I was the only female coach so I wasn't sure if I would be received well...girls in sports is becoming more accepted in the DR but still not many girls play sports. I am also a lil rusty. I haven't coached for several years so I wasn't too sure if I would have much to offer these kids. I am in awe of the verse in Philippians, which I have had memorized since I was in high school: "I can do everything through him who gives me strength". I have known the verse but saw it lived out this week. Even with the language barrier, the fact that I am a girl and rusty at coaching, He gave me everything I needed in order for Him to be glorified through me this week!

Go AWAY Bacteria....

Verdict has been reached...I had a bacterial infection of some sort. Boy am I glad to see the bacteria go away!!! I can't remember a time I was that sick. When it first happened I was soooo frustrated because I am here to serve and being sick takes me away from being able to do that! BUT THEN, I realized something pretty sweet...

Last week I had put my back out....that is what doing construction and lifting water jugs will do to ya after awhile. So when the first groups were here I couldn't really participate in the construction work because I was in too much pain. It was very frustrating, but I became a master at fetching water for people. :) I started taking some medication to feel better but the pain wasn't lessening, if anything it was getting worse. then enter the dreaded bacteria!

what I have come to realize is that the Lord had a definite purpose in allowing me to get sick this past week. I came to this conclusion even more fully on Thursday night when I was laying on the couch that had become my home for several days. I truly believe that the Lord gave me time to get my back better because when I had my fever I could barely even sit up let alone be up walking around and doing things. I slept a lot, got plenty of rest, and my back had time to fully recover and heal properly without me pushing it to do more then it could. When I think about that I am soooo grateful I got sick. If that is what it took for my back to be better, then I would do it alllllll over again. I can't be here and do what I believe He has called me to do, if my back is out. Praise the Lord for bacteria! ha!

I think sometimes we go day to day not really paying much attention to our lives and the things that happen to us. Have you ever thought that maybe you have to wait at a stop light for an extra 30 secounds because the Lord is protecting you from an accident right past the intersection. Or that when you chose to hold the door open for someone at a restaurant, that maybe just maybe that saw a glimpse of Jesus in that moment. Or how bout when you smile to that homeless person you see on the street, maybe that was just the right amount of encouragement for him to look for a job. He has a purpose in all that He allows to happen in your life as well as all the things He leads you to do during the day. I was reminded of that this week...look for him in the "little" things...I bet you'll be surprised at what you see Him do!

Things I NEVER wanted to experience in the DR and other stuff :)

Soooooo, our first teams were set to leave on Tuesday, then the rest of that day is getting all the sleeping and eating areas ready for the next round of teams. The day was going as planned and then about 5ish that afternoon things started to go down hill for me...and fast.

I was soooo feverish and felt faint/dizzy/fatigued. Left the work site to go take my temp (had to be driven back to the dorm by Luis...which by the way he has become my favorite person here! more about him in another blog to come!) I got to the staff nurse and it was confirmed, I had a fever. Then I went home, took some medicine, was in and out of sleep, THEN the "other symptoms" began. I'll spare you the details. I was in and out of sleep all night, woke up at 6am Wednesday morning with a very high temperature...was taken to get blood work done which I then passed out at the clinic...then came back to home to the iv that was waiting for me...rested a lot that day...then had a semi-ok day on thursday with the fever to return that night. whew....

just typing all that makes me tired. I am still pretty fatigued, very weak (haven't had barely any food since tuesday at lunch time) If my fever returns then I will need to go get more blood work done, if not then I just need to spend time resting and getting ready to start back to work as soon as I can. Please pray this happens quickly...being in bed for 3 1/2 days and probably more is absolutely no fun!!!

All in all my time here in the DR has been AMAZING! I had a great time with the first team. Thanks EASTVIEW for making my first team experience a great one!!!! It was a joy to share life with those people for a week and work alongside them!

Here are some things that I thought would be fun to share about my time here. Hopefully this will give you a snapshot of what living in the DR is like:

1. rooster cook-a-doodle-do at midnight on a regular basis.
2. loud music that shakes the foundation of a house is a regular occurance.
3. skim ices are a-m-a-z-i-n-g! (they are like freeze pops but sooooo much better)
4. beans and rice. eggs and chicken. need i say more?
5. squeaky doors are alarm systems.
6. horns are honked just because.
7. even if a moto driver tells you he can take you to your neighborhood doesn't actually mean he will. but the taxi driver outside of the city did make good on his promise to return us home!
8. there is a Burger King in the mall in the city and it tastes the same.
9. water is a blessing and must not be taken for granted.
10. i'm convinced that mosquitos are infatuated with me anymore because there is more tastier blood entering the country.
11. you can buy just about anything from the street vendors.
12. there is something refreshing about hanging your clothes out to dry.
13. Dominicans have an amazing way of making you feel like family.
14. EVERYONE checks on you when you are sick, numerous times a day. this made me feel very loved!
15. spanish is hard to learn when people speak fast and drop the "s" off of most words.
16. Dominican time is not like American time. ten minutes could really mean 4 days.
17. saying "hola" can bring a smile to a childs face.
18. I feel like I am in my own parade when walking down the street. Can I help it I am pasty white and blonde??? :)
19. Construction workers are FANTASTIC! They are hard workers like nothing I have ever seen before!
20. no matter what the end result is of my time here, the DR will always feel like home.

Flying by. Family questions. Photos.

The first teams of the summer arrived here on Tuesday night. It's hard to believe that my first week with teams is almost over! It seems like they just got here today. I'm guessing that the rest of my summer will go just as fast as the past few days. This week we continued to do construction as well as a VBS day in two areas in Santiago. It's always a joy to see children singing and smiling and learning about Jesus.

I have been here in the DR almost 4 weeks now. It has flown by! I have been processing through a lot about my future. Some days I think I could totally do this "missionary thing" and other days not so much. It's been an interesting battle in my brain and in my heart since being here and I don't see an end in sight.

Been thinking a lot about mom too....it's inevitable when u meet new people to talk about family. The dreaded questions always come up...which means I talk a lot about her and what happened and how I have been dealing with it. Which then means I think about her A LOT! I often wonder what she would think about my decision to come here. I hope that she would be proud of me, but I just still wonder. I continue to praise the Lord for the time I was able to have with her, for the memories, for the hard stuff, for the good stuff, and for all the stories I have tucked in my brain about her not wearing clothes! (these always make for a good laugh!) My life is what it is because of those experiences and for that I am grateful.

but boy oh boy do i miss her.

Here are some pics over the past week. (sorry there aren't more....i couldn't get more to load) Enjoy!

Pics, Pics, and MORE Pics

This pic is one of my favorites that I have ever taken. There is sooooo much unsaid in the faces of the girl and the kids. I see faces like that everyday. There's a story behind every face you come in contact with. As I have continued to look at the pic over and over again, I'm reminded to pray for them. To ask the Lord to do amazing things in this girl's life. To ask Him to protect those precious precious kids. I hope one day I will see these faces again for eternity.

The next group of photos were taken one afternoon right in the neighborhood that I am living in. There are some precious kiddos right across the street from my front door and they always pretend to shoot me when I walk past. They crack me up! So I decided one day that I would play some games with them and just spend time lovin' on them and hopefully these pics depict the joy we had that afternoon.

This lil guy is the shooter! :)

We had the privilege and joy of having a game night with the Haitian gals I mentioned in a previous blog post. It was soooo much fun playing Twister, spoons, and a question/answer game with them. They are soooo much fun and very sweet. This was one of my favorite evenings I've had so far here in the DR.

The first 3 teams arrive tomorrow!!!! Yay!!!! Soooo excited to meet them and serve alongside of them here. Please pray for all the teams safety while traveling and pray for the interns and staff as we prepare for our long, busy summer!

Feeding Center

The following pictures are from a feeding center in Los Perez, which is in Santiago. This feeding center has been up and running for only 2 weeks and they already have about 80 kids! This feeding center will provide the kids one meal a day. Praise the Lord for Pastor Nico who is overseeing this area!