Exactly two days ago, I left the Dominican Republic after having been there for exactly 5 months.
In the last days there before coming home for Christmas, I had so many things going through my mind, had many loose ends to tie up (some of which are still "untied), and I had a friend in town to who I helped get around and who helped me in ministry. Needless to say, I was really busy, leaving only 30 minutes to both pack and get ready for my first Dominican wedding. Through all of the thoughts in my head, the ones that stick out most surround all that has happened in the last five months, the adjustments that have occurred, the friends that I have made, the community that I have built, and the culture difference that I have gotten accustomed to. As mentioned in my last blog, I am studying Jeremiah right now. My memory verse is Jeremiah 9:23-24 (I am now working on it in Spanish). For whatever reason, God has laid it on my heart to focus on it for another week. Scripture memory is my struggle, but I have this one down (in English).
This is what the Lord says, "Don't let the wise boast in their wisdom or the powerful boast in their power or the rich boast in their riches. But those who wish to boast should boast on this alone -- that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the Earth. I, the Lord, have spoken."
I am reminded over and over again, that I cannot boast about anything that I have done in the last 5 months. Rather, I can boast about my growing understand of who He is and what He has done. I can boast that I understand that God is the all-powerful, abundant One who orchestrates it all! When I think of all that He has done for me in the last five months (and before) and all the things that He has protected me from, given to me, and how He has provided, I am truly amazed and overwhelmed. All I can do is boast in His goodness and His overwhelming Love! Because, the truth is that none of it is deserved by me. I know that I will not be able to cover it all, but I am hopeful that I can somewhat share how far he's brought me.
Living in the Dominican Republic, I can truly say that I live in paradise! Believe it or not, I do not make it to the beach as much as one may imagine, but it is unbelievable how much God shows me his creativity and artistic ability while I am driving from one place to the next, riding in a bus, or just staring up at the sky. I often (at least once a day) marvel at his creation. Here are a few of His beautiful skies. Thank you, God, for giving me something to marvel about!
In the last month, God has put these 2 girls in my life. They are new to Emanuel House. Their mother is dying of terminal cancer and they, along with their 6 siblings, will soon lose her. I praise God for Mirqueya wanting to help them by allowing them to attend Emanuel House, get fed daily and sometimes even get bathed. PLEASE PRAY FOR GOD'S CONTINUAL PROVISION FOR THIS FAMILY AND GROWTH IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. While the mom is saved, the husband and many of the family members are not. Please pray for wisdom as to what will happen to these children once their mother has passed away.
There was a time when I used to beat myself up about the Spanish that I didn't know, if I made mistakes or if I couldn't understand. There are still things that I don't know, mistakes that I make and times that I don't understand... but GOD. He has empowered me to understand more and my Spanish has improved over the last 5 months. I am more comfortable than ever. I see the biggest difference in praying in Spanish. Because He has given me that gift, I am able to talk to kids that I meet on the street. Thank you, Lord!
I praise Him for opening my eyes. He helps me to be in the Word regularly, put people in my life to encourage me when I'm not in the Word, and open my eyes to His message. I thank God for the Holy Spirit. Since I arrived in the D.R., I have read from 2 Cronicles - Jeremiah. The Lord opened my mind to understand and has given me boldness to share what I have learned. 
I thank the Lord for the teachers at Emanuel House. There have been a lot of changes since I came in August because they will be receiving laptops from ONE LAPTOP PER CHILD. But, before they can introduce laptops into the classroom, there has been a focus on discipline, curriculum, and planning. This has not been an easy change and has a long way to go, but God has been faithful to show me small improvements. In moments when I get discouraged, I walk into a classroom where they are implementing centers or I am told how grateful someone is that I am there or I am reminded of God's power and not my own.
These four children received uniforms early in the fall to go to school for the first time in their lives. God provided me with a car to be able to take them shopping one Saturday morning. Having a vehicle has made ministry so much easier in many ways. I praise God for His provision. He is Good!
God has blessed me with the relationships built at Pasitos de Jesus Orphanage. He gave me a community of girls to talk to about God, to challenge in everyday life, and to love whole-heartedly. My relationship has grown so much between both the girls and their "mom" Dalma, that I am able to communicate freely between her and SCORE. We have a relationship built on trust. In fact, just a few weeks ago, 5 of the teenagers spent the night in Quisqueya with Mirqueya and me. Watching movies, making fajitas, going on home visits, helping with Saturday morning kids' club, and just enjoying each other's company. I've had the opportunity to witness kids leave the orphanage, and new kids come. And, there are some kids who did not give me the time of day when I first got there, who now love me dearly. I praise the Lord for relationships with His children! May He continue to bless them!
God has placed this sweet girl, Flor María, in my life. She is 13 years old and loves the Lord. I wasn't able to go to her baptism about a month ago, but I know that He has placed her in my life for a reason. She is the first in her family to go to school, is in the 3rd grade, and wants to follow Jesus in all that she does. She often hangs out with me, visits houses with me, and is just a great girl in all.
One thing that I knew I would miss when I moved was working with teenagers and teaching Spanish. Working with them is not easy, and building a relationship with them and gaining their trust and respect is always important. Well, in the midst of my ministry to the dominicans, God has placed GAP students in my path. They are spending a year in the dominican learning Spanish and Bible. They often come to stay at Emanuel House to help with ministry. While I am not their Spanish teacher, the Lord has provided me with the opportunity to get to know these girls, speak Spanish with them, and even teach them grammar tricks that I learned while teaching Spanish. I praise Him for knowing my heart's desires and allowing me to work alongside some really neat kids as we do ministry on Saturday mornings!
God is so faithful. I sometimes meet kids on the street and have the opportunity to tell them about Jesus and why I am living in Quisqueya as an American. In that, I often invite them to Saturday Kids' club that I started in the early fall (I believe in August). God has been incredibly faithful. The group, which started with 2 children, has now grown to between 15 and 20 each week. The kids are faithful in attending. I am grateful for the experience of teaching at my church, Trinity, as well. There, I learned about the Church Calendar and how to "calm" children down before teaching the Word of God, and how to allow them to "worship" by expressing their understanding of the story. Also, I get to incorporate reading into the Saturday morning activity. God has blessed me with help from one of the Emanuel House teachers, the Gap program, and even from the girls from Pasitos one Saturday. Each week, the Lord sends kids who have never come, He gives me the right words to say, and He provides the resources. He is my provider!
One of my biggest prayer request in coming to the Dominican was community. The Lord taught me over the last few years that He built us to be in community with other believers. We are not meant to do this life alone! We need prayer partners, we need people who can be straight with us. We need people just to do life with who believe that Jesus is the only way and who want to live their lives showing that they believe that. Well, I've only been in the Dominican for 5 months, and I believe that God has provided that community for me. I praise Him for knowing my needs, for giving me missionaries who can keep me accountable and to do Bible Study with. I praise Him for the kids in the ministries who are now comfortable with me and who give me hugs when they see me or who call out my name, "Adriana!" I praise God for my friend, Daniela, who was not in good health when I met her and who did not believe in Jesus as her savior, but who since has become a believer. The Lord has restored her smile and her hope. I praise Him for our short chats and our times of prayer. I give so much thanks for Mirqueya. She is the one who loves me enough to let me live with her. God has grown our relationship and I know that she truly loves me and even misses me when I am gone. And I praise God for the girls in the picture right above this. He provided me with friends who I can be silly with, cry with, and pray for. And He has been so faithful to me by continuing relationships that I had before I left. Late night skype lessons with friends & family, prayers, and emails have helped me more that anyone will know. I have been minimally homesick and have adjusted better than I could've imagined. He always knows my needs and the desires of my heart. The deepest thanks!
When I arrived in the Dominican, I had to organize the names and birthdays of kids, figure out their stories and be a liaison to the U.S. regarding Child Sponsorship. God has helped me make a lot of progress, taught me that it'll never be perfect, and allowed me to see how important it is that children know that they have people praying for them and who love them. He's allowed me to deliver gifts, letters and Christmas wishes. He knows just what they need. Because of the Child Sponsorship program, I've also been able to connect americans to kids who really need help and to express their deeper needs. I praise Him for giving us the ability to communicate!
People often ask me what I have learned about God. I have learned of His abundance and that He has our back. He will take care of us! I thank Him for giving us hope, even when life is hard. I have received undeserved and unexpected donations in the form of care packages, books for the Emanuel House Library, presents for the kids at the orphanage, clothes and shoes for the neediest kids in Quisqueya, and teacher aids for the teachers at Emanuel House. I praise God for knowing our needs. We should not worry!
As you can see, I want to boast in Him today. I've adjusted to the life in the D.R. I can open cans with a knife, have learned to boil water and let it cool down if I want warm water to bathe in, I have learned how to drive in a crazy country with few driving laws, motorcycles and people everywhere, and I am even used to the irregular electricity. He has taught me to be slow to speak and to learn and that for now, that is okay. I have learned to live with less and be okay with it -- even if it's hard sometime. And, He has taught me to go to His Word and pray when I am uncomfortable, not of the right mindset, or upset.
Thank you for allowing me to understand Your Word and that it is You who are God! Thank you for bringing us justice and righteousness to the Earth. Thank you for the hope and the love that you've placed around me.
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