What's in a name?

Dalma. Mirqueya. Yocasta. Johaida. Yoan. Yaseilis. Cristian. Deivi. Milca. Rut. Moises. Jose Miguel.  Alexandra. Keidy. Rafael. Gilberto. Nelson. Cristina. Lissys. Niña. Maria. Segunda. 

When someone calls you by name, it's pretty amazing.  I mean, it's probably something that we take for granted until someone who should know our name forgets or someone else never can remember the correct pronunciation.  That in itself shows that when someone gets it right and calls us by name, it probably does something positive psychologically.

This past weekend I spent time with my Dominican Family that lives in Santo Domingo (about an hour or so away from me).  I met them in 2009 when my school did construction at their school and taught VBS.  Since then, I have seen them every summer and this past summer they even came to the US and met my family.  Something crazy occurred this weekend though.  Leyda, the mom, barely speaks English, but out of her mouth came my name in a skewed, forced English accent, "Adrienne." Usually, I don't even tell dominicans my real name because they can't pronounce it and because I really do like my name in Spanish, "Adriana."  But, I do think that her calling me by name reflects the closeness that we feel for each other that has evolved throughout the years.

Many people with whom  I have spoken over the last week (especially the moms who tend to read my blog) expressed concern after my last update.  Realize that I took a moment out of the last three weeks and decided to write about it.  The culture shock, transition, and feelings I think are very normal.  I am adjusting well!  (I mean, I have A LOT of people praying for me.  God hears your prayers and I feel them.)  What I haven't talked about yet are all of the other experiences.  I find it hard to write about them all right now because of lack of regular internet and the desire not flood your inboxes with my updates.  So, I figure little stories will come little by little.  I do realize, though, that I haven't really expressed what my every day looks like, nor have I shown pictures of where my permanent home is nor of the town.  Right now, I don't feel comfortable taking my camera around and taking pictures, but I will little by little.  And, I'll post them.

MY "JOB"
Well, my primary "job" here revolves around organizing the child sponsorship program with SCORE (the organization that I am here with).  I am in charge of the sponsorship of about 150 kids from Emanuel House (the school that I work with) and about 35 girls at Pasitos de Jesus Orphanage.  Right now, if you go to the website (www.scoresponsor.org), you will see pictures of the girls and boys from both ministries who need sponsors.  Basically, both of these ministries were started by dominican women who wanted to help out their communities.  Dalma, from Pasitos de Jesus, was trying to help girls who were in dangerous families due to abuse or drugs, etc.  Many of the girls, without Dalma, would not be as happy and confident and loved if Dalma wasn't taking care of them.  Likewise, Mirqueya, at Emanuel House, is helping kids who otherwise wouldn't be able to go to school or who are really behind.  She also ministers to their families and recently has started to include 14 deaf kids and 15 special needs kids.  Both of these women have a vision and a strong faith in the Lord.  Sponsoring the kids helps them to be able to go to school, eat, and be clothed.

My job each day has been really trying to understand how the ministries work, get to know the ladies and the kids, get the correct list of kids up on the site--especially for Emanuel House, take all of the kids pictures who are missing, and add the biographies.  Thus far, it has been a very slow process because I am having to depend on other people for the information that I need.  But, I am making slow moves in the right direction.  The relationship part has been really good, though.  Also, once a week I come to the SCORE complex and advertise child sponsorship to the american teams that have visited the ministries.  If they are interested in sponsoring the child, I am the connection.

REALITY
Of course, in the midst of doing that administrative work, I find myself in observation mode much of the time, really trying to figure out how everything works, how to get from here to there, learn who I can trust, and discern possible ministry opportunities long term.   There are classes going on at the school where I live every morning and afternoon, there is a lot of planning that happens behind the scenes, there are short term teams that come and visit the school and the orphanage, and there is a whole town full of 50,000 people, motorcycles, music, baseball games, small shops that sell bread, fried chicken, vegetables, plantains, or ice cream, churches,  and lots of scroungy dogs.

Sunday night and Monday afternoon, I walked (no, not by myself) to church and to a neighborhood store.  I observed.  Crazy enough, in both places, I saw familiar faces.  Quisqueya is small enough, I have a feeling, that no matter where I go, I am going to meet and see people who are familiar.  This morning, when I rode the guagua (bus) for the first time to Juan Dolio (where SCORE is), I got on and saw three people that I knew who work at SCORE or near SCORE.  All Dominican, but all familiar with me.  Of the three, I knew one of their names.  Of the kids from Emanuel House who were at church on Sunday, I knew faces, but no names -- and of course, I met even more.  And the girl that I recognized at the grocery store, I didn't know her name either.

Names here are difficult for me.  Many times they start with a "Y" and have a "J" sound.  Many times they are nothing like English names.  But, I know that little by little I will begin to remember not only people's faces, but their names too.  And, the day that I do, something will happen that will build a trust, will allow us to have real conversation, and eventually hopefully have a relationship.

In the book of Esther, when she is faced with a decision about what to do because mean Haman decides he wants to have all of the Jews killed (which yes, would include Esther too), Esther's cousin, Mordecai, tells her basically that God has her in that position as queen for a reason.  Maybe, just maybe, He made her queen so that she could save the Jews from being massacred.  He says, "Who knows if you were made queen for just such a time as this."  Esther 4:14.  I find confidence in the fact that there is not such thing as coincidence.  God knows what He is doing with me.  He's put me here and He will use me here.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• I pray that God would continue to bring people into my life in this little town who need Him.  
• I pray that He would help me to remember the names of those people whom I meet.  
• I pray that He would continue to instill patience in me and allow me to observe without being judgmental.  
• Please, LORD, help me to be in your will and not my own.  
• I pray for the general culture here.  I will write about it more later, but I have been struck by the amount of fatherless families, kids who don't even know who their fathers are (which causes a problem with last names here...).  
• Please pray for the men in this country and their attitude towards family.  Please pray about the lack of jobs and opportunity.  

THESE ARE PICTURES OF SOME OF THE GIRLS FROM PASITOS DE JESUS ORPHANAGE AND MY TIME SPENT THERE TWO WEEKS AGO.

 

Change is a comin'

Well, on Friday I moved to my new home in Quisqueya, Dominican Republic.  I thank God for giving me the wisdom to stay at SCORE for a few days while I got a phone, saw some missionaries that I had met over previous summers, and learned a little bit more about the orphanage that I will be working at.  Additionally, I was able to talk to and exchange numbers with some people who live in Quisqueya and travel by bus every day to the SCORE complex.  So, on Friday I arrived at my new home and was greeted by Mirqueya's wonderful smile.  I can tell that there are lots of good changes coming in terms of helping the kids here get a good education, and I pray that God uses me as He wishes.

 the family that runs the ministry and one of the little girls who attends

 some houses surrounding the ministry

 the classroom... 70ish kids benefit from this ministry

side view of the building

But, what I want to talk about is my first full day here.  Yesterday, I, along with two interns that have been staying here woke up and had a day planned of going into San Pedro with Mirqueya to get some grocery for the kids and for us.  I think yesterday was the first day that I felt culture shock.  It is the first time since I've been here that I have felt like a stranger, realizing that I don't belong, and longing for the day (probably a long time from now) that I feel like I fit in.

Well, our trip to the city to go grocery shopping turned out to last for about 5 hours and we did many other things as well.  The grounds keeper, Jose, was our driver, and he took us first to a new ministry formed by a Dominican family that is very similar to Mirqueya's.  It was humbling, truly humbling.  On one hand, this family is using a building to serve kids that live close by who are poor.  They are trying to help educate them.  While I didn't see the kids, I did see the family in charge, and can see their hearts to help their community.  But, I also saw the poverty that surrounded them and the long way that they have to go to have a nice facility for the kids to come to.  Please pray for this family.  They are believers who are serving Him.  Pray for blessings and the resources to come to help them.  Pray for endurance.

The second place that we went was to an office building for teachers.  Like in most important places in the city, there was a guard who filtered who can go in and can't.  Much to my surprise, he wouldn't let me in.  That morning, I had decided that since we were running errands, I would put on a long skirt and a layered tank top.  (It was very conservative, but it showed my shoulders.)  A humbling experience to be held back and unable to go up the stairs, I got to talk to him and he explained that teachers hold their students to a standard of not wearing short shorts or tops that showed shoulders so they weren't allowed to either... nor anyone who was entering that building for teachers.  Here I was thinking that I was dressed better than someone in shorts and a t-shirt, but because my shoulders weren't covered, it was "inappropriate."  Please pray for me with cultural differences.  Please pray for me to not be prideful or judgmental and to humble myself to dress according to culture -- even when in the U.S. or biblically, there may not be anything wrong with what I have on.  Please pray that I am not ashamed but rather learn from my mistakes.

Next, we headed to the bank and to a store called Jumbo.  We hopped on a "guaguita" which I promise I will never ride without Mirqueya.  It is an old van and random people drive them and you catch them like you do taxis.  The drivers are just sitting and waiting for clients.  I remember walking past one earlier and saying to my friend, "don't get in those" and she said, "oh, that's what we are about to ride." And so, we rode to Jumbo... and both on the "guaguita" and in the store, I felt discomfort.  Having to do math in my head, pick out vegetables, put them in a bag and get them measured before going to the check out and not knowing how to find anything in the store.  My uncontrollable discomfort were reminders that I didn't belong.  I didn't know how to do things by myself.  Please pray for boldness in asking when I don't know and for patience in becoming comfortable with how to do things.

"the guaguita"

And, then we went to the local grocery store which probably is less americanized and bought food for the kids at Emanuel House.  There, we were given a piece of notebook paper with a list on both sides.  I, along with Jose and the other girls, spent about 2 hours in the store trying to get everything on the list.  On the list were mostly numbers and brand names, so only Jose knew what they meant.  I found myself hoping for the day when I could take this task off of Mirqueya's shoulders and go shopping for her and actually understand what the list meant. Please pray for my patience with being able to help and with the slow Dominican way which is so opposite from the fast paced efficient ways of the U.S.

My reading today came from Ezra.  It talks about the Israelites who returned to Jerusalem after having been exiled to Babylon.  They rebuilt a temple to God, but it took them like 20 years to rebuild it because some people around them were against them rebuilding it.  But, in the end they did it!  They were encouraged by kings, prophets, and each other.  The commentary in my Bible describes Ezra as the man who wrote 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah and Psalm 119.  It describes him as a priest, a scribe and as someone who was humble and obedient to God.

After yesterday's experience, I am reminded that while I have visited and spent much time here, and while on the outside, I don't stand out, I am a stranger here.  I pray that God will give me humility and a continued desire to serve.  I pray that in that humility and service, I will one day belong.

Do nothing out of vain ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  You should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.  Philippians 2: 3-4

Little Steps

We'll I've finally arrived in the Dominican Republic.  Gracias a Dios (as they say here)... Thanks be to God!  I am finally here.  Thank you so much to everyone who has been praying for me.  I truly have felt those prayers.  I had a smooth flight, customs went well, and I arrived yesterday at the SCORE complex where most of the American missionaries stay.  I will not be staying here, however, for much longer, but am waiting on the storm to pass and to get a cell phone so that I have a way to communicate with people if I need to.  Also, I would like to visit one of the orphanges that I am working with, Pasitos de Jesus (Little Steps of Jesus), before I go to Quisqueya, the town where I'll be living.

My first night was not as some may have expected.  I didn't cry or freak out that I just moved out of the country, although I am sure that it is coming at some point.  But, instead I've prayed a lot that God would open my eyes to where there is need, provide transportation, and help me get acclimated in the next few days and weeks.

Some Dominican Reality & Surprises:

Last night after dinner, when I returned to the apartment where I am staying, I did not have any electricity except for a small lamp in my bedroom.  Thank goodness for the head lamp that I put in my back pack last minute -- I packed flashlights but haven't found them yet. Surprise? Crazy enough, the air conditioning unit worked in my bedroom last night...(FYI -- I don't have air conditioning in my room in Quisqueya, so I am soaking this up.)  I woke up to a rooster crowing and again, big blessing -- a hot shower... another thing that I will not be enjoying in Quisqueya.  Reality? I already have lots of bug bites, am not flushing toilet tissue in the toilet, nor brushing my teeth with the water.  I am adjusting well, and excited to see how God helps me through my adjustments.

Today, I was able to hop on a bus with one of the short term teams that is here from Hebron Church in Dacula, GA.  They spent the day in Quisqueya so I got a chance to see Mirqueya (the woman who founded Emanuel House), some of the other volunteers and teachers that work there, and I got to sit in on part of a teacher training for teachers around Quisqueya about discipline.   My goal this week is to observe and try to understand more how the SCORE community works together, how Emanuel House works and get to go to Pasitos.  God knew what I needed today because about 5 minutes before the Hebron team left (my plan was to stay at the SCORE complex today), I met 2 American girls/teachers who are currently staying at Emanuel House and a girl who is at Pasitos de Jesus.  So, I hopped on the bus with them to head to Emanuel House.  They were such a blessing to me to help me understand what life has been like for them working with the ministries.  Additionally, I was greeted by Mirqueya's cheery smile and warm hugs from some of the kids and staff.  I can tell that there is much to be done and God is already providing family for me here!

I am thankful for all who have sent me encouraging emails and texts (which are free for me to receive). Truly, you all are my only community until I get settled in here.  The community that God had built around me in Atlanta took quite a while to build.  I am grateful and prayerful that He will provide me with one here with which I feel just as comfortable.  Thank you for all of your support...

I am posting some pictures for you so those worriers out there can stop worrying.  This is where I am staying for my first few days... Seriously, I'm soaking it up.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

Please pray for tomorrow's storm.  I am sure that we will be safe here at SCORE, but please pray for all of the people who live in the villages and in Quisqueya and other parts of the country where the homes are small and not very secure.  Please pray for safety and for no flooding.

Please pray for a 13 year old that I found out about today who attempted to kill herself.  Please pray for the doctors and for those close to her -- but especially, please pray for her that she would see God's love through the people who visit her and love on her.  Right now, she is not awake.  Please pray for complete healing.

Confident and Ready

It is pretty crazy to think that next Monday I will be moving to the Dominican Republic.  As I look around my house and think about what I have been up to over the last few weeks, everything screams "transition, change, and something new!"  The last pieces of my furniture are being moved out this week, my car finally has a for sale sign on it, the closing date for my townhouse is settled, I am seeing people and doing things for the last time, and I am practicing to see what all will fit in my 3 suitcases that I will be taking with me to the D.R.

All of the prayer that surrounds me is felt more than ever now as I do not feel anxious or overwhelmed or doubtful, but instead confident in God's plan for me.  Have you ever been so sure of something even though you don't know exactly what God is planning?  That's how I feel: confident that God's plan is good and that He has gone before me.

When I woke up this morning, one of my friends from the D.R. had posted this verse on Facebook:

It is the Lord who goes before you.  He will be with you, he will not leave you or forsake you.  Do not fear or be dismayed.  Deuteronomy 31:8

Thanks be to God that He has all of this figured out and that instead of worrying or stressing, I can go confidently.

I am most excited to see exactly what He is up to, as I still feel very unworthy of being used in such a way and totally humbled by the fact that God has chosen to use me to minister and serve the kids in the Dominican Republic.

So, I am going confidently... letting Him lead me along the way.  I pray that God allows me to open my hands and my mind and my whole self completely to Him so that I can be used by Him.

Need a little bit of encouragement?  Watch this video that I recently found and fell in love with!