I have recurring thoughts in my mind about what God is
planning long-term with my ministry here.
Is it ministry solely through Emanuel House and Quisqueya, in Juan Dolio
with the kids from the GAP program, in Boca Chica with the girls there or in
the small village, San José, working with the teacher there? Is it teaching English to missionaries
who come from Spanish-speaking countries or teaching Spanish to missionaries
who haven’t learned the language yet?
Is it mentoring Dominican teenagers or leading Bible studies with
kids? Am I supposed to be working
with child sponsorship long-term? Or is it a combination of some of those? And which ones?
I can get pretty overwhelmed pretty quickly if I think about
it too long. For a few weeks I
took the advice of a Sunday school teacher in Florida who told me to just be,
not thinking about what God’s eventual plans for me were, but just building
relationships. Stop thinking about
it and just be! It was probably
some really good advice that is a lot easier said than done. When I really just concentrate on
serving Him, there are so many opportunities that come up. (All of the ones above have fallen into
my lap as long-term possibilities.)
Most of them I like, but realistically, I cannot and should not be a
part of each one of these ministries – not long-term. Gas is too expensive, doing everything doesn’t allow
me to put my all into any of it, and I am only one person. God did gift others to help too? He knows there is a need and will send
others, right? I want to use God’s gifts to glorify Him well. I want to be able to love the people
well that He has put into my path.
Over the last month or so, I have really begun to feel at
home here, even more than before.
I have made friendships, built community with other missionaries, and I am
starting to feel respected by the teachers with whom I am working – to the
point that they are listening about some teaching strategies. I am often asked, “Adrienne, how are
you really?” The truth is that I
am pretty honest on my blog. I
have some hard days I guess… I am tired sometimes or get frustrated about
little things, but overall I know that God has me here. I see the deep needs and I see my
gifts and in those two, I see that God has me here long-term. I miss the states sometimes and I think about my old job too, but I really do feel at
home here. I do miss teaching and know that will definitely be a larger part of
my ministry in the future. If I could just bring the people that I love here, I think I would be in Heaven! HA!
I am currently in the books of Isaiah and Acts. However, yesterday during my morning
reading time, I flipped my Bible open and instead of flipping to Isaiah, the
Lord led me to Proverbs. After
taking a moment to read what it said, I knew that it wasn’t by coincidence that
I landed there.
Proverbs 2:1-8 says:
My child, listen to what I say,
And treasure my commands
Tune your ears to wisdom,
And concentrate on understanding.
Cry out for insight
And ask for understanding
Search for them as you would for silver;
Seek them like hidden treasures.
They you will understand what it means to fear the Lord,
And you will gain knowledge of God.
For the Lord grants wisdom!
From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest.
He is a shield to those who walk with integrity.
He guards the paths of the just
And protects those who are faithful to Him.
Then, in Proverbs 3:5 was highlighted and I read it too:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
Do not depend on your own understanding.
I am reminded to just lean on Him. Read. Trust. Pray. Don’t freak out! Don’t think about it too much! All of my wisdom and direction comes
from Him. The words of the Sunday
School teacher were right. Just be
(in Him) and He will lead me where I should go.
I ask for continued
prayer that God would lead me where He wants me and that I would be in His Word
– still learning and memorizing it.
May it be imprinted in my heart!
Praises!
- After my last post, I received a very generous donation for Spanish books for the library! THANK YOU!
- I also have received inquiries about what books are most needed. The truth is that any Spanish books for children are helpful. They do not have access to books here and books are a lot more expensive than in the United States. However, I have created a wish list on Amazon that also links to Spanish readers on scholastic and another website that was shown to me.
Check it out! http://amzn.com/w/3TJ16XIBKOEQS
Remember, you can send books to my friend Rachel Todd by
November 30 to:
Rachel Todd:
7068 Stinger Pl.
St. Louis, MO. 63129
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