Being Christ Followers

Speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.  From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.  - Ephesians 4:15-16

There is no one thing that happened this past week to make me feel so passionate about the following subject, but God has been giving me various scripture, blogs, and even sermons lately having to do with the Body of Christ.  I think about my time before leaving to move here -- how for the first time in my life I began to understand what the Body of Christ was -- a body of believers coming together to complete God's work.  I remember how overwhelmed I was because of everything I had to do before moving.  I remember meeting and the group of 8 who prayed for me and God's will on my life.  I remember that God  touched each and every one of those people to have a different part in helping me be able to leave my native country to share Jesus with the people here.

It's interesting being in another country, where some beliefs are different, worship is different, and denominations are different.  And somehow all of those "differences" seem to separate the Body.  We judge, offend, tear down or forget the main goal.  And those who are not yet believers, they are watching.  They notice how much "like" the world we are... even though our claims are that we are One Church.  One Body.  One Spirit.

Speaking these words are easy of course.  Sharing that we are One is easy.  But living as One, that is different.   Jesus himself said that His followers are the light of the world.  We are to shine Jesus' compassion, patience, love, humility, service, and gentleness to those who look like us and those who are nothing like us.  We are to extend His grace and mercy to those whose eyes are still closed to His love and to those who are new in their faith.  We must build each other up and love unconditionally.

Philippians 2:1-5 talks about us as a body.  We should be encouraged by being united in Christ.  We should be comforted by His love for us.  We should have fellowship with the Spirit.  We should have tenderness and compassion.  Our joy should be complete.  We should have the same love.  We should be one in spirit and in purpose by

Being humble

Considering others better than ourselves

Having an attitude like that of Christ.

I am struck over and over again while I live here by the separation based on tradition, rules or rituals.  It does not matter what we call ourselves.  What matters is that we recognize that we have a need for Him, that we cannot do this life alone, that we are sinners, that we need Him to forgive our sins, and that without Him, we are separated from the one true God

What matters is that in the midst of everything in this world, we follow Christ.  It does not matter where we work, what we are doing, where we live or who we are talking to. No matter what we remain Christ-followers first.  We are not a denomination nor a tradition.  We are His body.

During last Tuesday's Bible Study we read about the clearing of the temple.  Jesus was mad because of the way that people were treating the Holy temple, which was meant to be a place of worship and praise to the Lord.  Instead, it was turned into a place to cheat people and to sell things.  And then, He  talked about His body, the Temple that would be destroyed and in 3 days raised up.  And somehow during our talk, the likeness was made to our temple.  Our bodies.  His Body.  We are His Body.  His followers.  And, I think we make a mess of it many times.  I imagine God's righteous anger to be similar to that of Jesus' that day.

As His body, we should:

encourage.
love.
be patient.
show compassion.
speak truth in love.

And yet, we are separated.

We get distracted.

I know how these traditions, rules or rituals have defined me in the past.  But the truth is that in the States, I am a part of an Anglican Mission congregation. Here I attend a Baptist church. Every day, I work and live with a pentecostals.  And, whereas I know that Jesus is the center, I fear that many (both Christ followers and not) see more differences than likenesses.  I come from, work with, worship alongside, and am supported by people who love the Lord, Jesus Christ.  None of us have doctrine completely right, I'm sure.  But, what matters is that Jesus is at the center and being in relationship with Him, reading His Word, and communing with Him through prayer makes our relationship with Him continue to grow.

I want people to see our United Body.

I want people to know us as Lovers of Christ.

I want people to want to be a part of the Body of Christ.

No matter where we are, what we do, or what traditions we believe in.  Not because it's what saves us, but because we have believed, we strive to shine His light.  We are a part of something greater than ourselves because at some point we began to understand His love for us.  We understand it so much, in fact, that we want nothing more than others to hear about it, see it, and experience it.

Prayer Requests:

• Three moms who are a part of the Bible study.  They see being Christians not as following Christ but rather as following the traditions and cultural norms.  They see Christians as people who judge their current life style instead of correcting it in a loving way. One believes that she must change first and then God will except her.  May they all three come to understand the Gospel, that while we were still sinners, He died for us.  May they understand the great love He has for us and may they recognize the freedom, peace and hope that comes into the lives of those who believe in Jesus as their Savior.

• Toni, a grandmother of an Emanuel House Child.  Please pray for the Body to come together to provide for her in her everyday needs.  She is 86 and begs each day to have food.  Praying that the Body of Christ would recognize her need and come together as a community to serve this woman in need.  Praying for safety as she is seen walking the streets most days.

• Elpidia, the mother of 5 little girls who has terminal cancer.  Please pray for her health.  She is in lots of pain and her body is still deteriorating.  Please pray for us to find someone to take care of her, bathe her, give her medicine and feed her as she is fighting and living in really bad conditions.  Please pray for her girls as they are witnessing her mom die.  Pray for patience, kind words to each other, and a loving environment.  Pray for comfort and the provision of strong enough medicine for her pain.

• Yumercy, the little girl with Leukemia.  Please pray for her and for her family.  She has had a turn for the worse and was recently put into intensive care.  Please pray for her mother and grandmother and brothers during this time.  

Lastly, please pray for the Body of Christ to come together all over the world... 

United in Prayer.  

United in Spirit.  

United in Christ. 

United in Purpose...  

Following Christ and Sharing Him with others.

Mirqueya and I have enjoyed spending time with these girls, EH interns.  Praying for Ellie as she heads home tomorrow early.  So appreciative of all of the laughter!

Woman's Bible Study with their kids who often join in as well.  They threw a going away party and made a coconut sweet, a treat with salami and cheese, and tamarind juice.

The ladies sang and bid a wonderful farewell for Ellie's return.

This past Saturday, there were 40 kids at Kids Club.  We learned about  Philip and the Ethiopian and his boldness in following the Holy Spirit to share with him about Jesus.  Here we are playing a game of "musical chairs."  The kids want to get as close to the Ethiopian as possible.

  

Thanks to sponsors who donated a birthday gift, these two EH kids participated in their first trip to the zoo.  They saw lions, and tigers and bears for the first time.  Burger King was fun too.

Pregnant (Because of Him)

“It is about the greatness of God, not the significance of man. God made man small and the universe big to say something about himself.”  — John Piper

In March, I had 3 people within one week, people who did not know each other, tell me that they dreamed that I was pregnant.  And just the other week another friend told me that she dreamed the same thing.  Of course it is possible that God is about to bless me with the love of my life to share in His calling for my life and that I will be pregnant at some point, but I imagine that actually those dreams about pregnancy reflect more about God's hand on my life and ministry right now.

Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear.  For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him. Philippians 2:12-13

The last few weeks have been incredibly busy, really fruitful, and just a blessing overall.  I see that God's hand is working and that it has been working over the last 11 months that I have lived here.  I notice my relationships getting deeper with the families and people in the community.  I notice that I am more comfortable getting around in the D.R. and in the community of Quisqueya as well.  The lady that I live with, Mirqueya, says that all of these pregnancy dreams are about ministry and the growth of it.  And, I must say that I tend to agree.  When the first 3 people had that dream, I was shocked.  Me? Pregnant?  One lady even said, "Adrienne, do you have a boyfriend?"  Knowing that I don't, I was a bit confused too... but during that time, my Saturday ministry was thriving.  It jumped over 6 months from having on average 10 kids to 40 and sometimes up to 70 when Wesleyan visited.  Likewise, lately, I have really felt in God's groove.  My Tuesday evening Bible Study with moms seems to be going well.  We are studying John.  Two weeks ago, we even got to speak candidly about some of our struggles and how just because we have weaknesses doesn't mean that we are no longer Christian.  We are all memorizing scripture.  And last Tuesday, they blessed me with a Dominican meal -- spaghetti and fried plantains.  God is moving!  I'm excited to see what God will do in these women.  Please pray for their continued participation and eagerness.  Please pray especially for one woman who is a non-believer and does not participate fully in discussions.  Pray for her continued interest and presence at Bible Study.  Pray that she begins to feel comfortable and that God would lead me in my relationship with her.

And, it seems that the Lord is opening opportunities for me to teach. In addition to teaching a few weeks ago in the Special Needs classroom, Mirqueya has asked me to help a teacher here at Emanuel House.  I will be working with her all day 2 days a week, and I could not be more elated!  The Lord knows the desires of my heart... and if He takes care of the lilies in the field, why then would he not take care of me?  Please pray for continued gentleness, humility and patience.  Pray for softened hearts of the other teachers as change is not always easy.

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.  Then, you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.  His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

Last week I had the opportunity to teach for the first time with her.  In the mornings, I am helping with 1st graders and in the afternoons, with the youngest kids at Emanuel House -- 5 year olds -- who haven't been to school yet.  I must say that teaching such young kids is very different than teaching seniors in high school.  On Tuesday afternoon, I was given the opportunity to teach those youngest kids  by myself, and the respect that I have for the teachers grew, and I was wishing that the head teacher was there.  If you close your eyes and imagine 20 kids... crazy, running around, crawling under the tables, jumping up and down, in their little heads screaming "Party!" that is almost how zoo-like it was.  I finally understand how hard it must be to be a substitute teacher, work in a class that has little established discipline, and work with the little ones.  I praise God that beginning the next morning, I was able to laugh about the hour and a 1/2 of craziness.  Wow!  I praise Him for a new week and a new opportunity to pour into these young kids' lives.  Please pray that God would provide me with more ideas to help in the classroom with these little ones.  (I seem to do better with planning for the 1st graders than the littlest ones.)  

Know a lot about planning / activities for 3 - 5 year olds (pre-kindgerten)? Please feel free to email me.  I would love any ideas, websites, pictures of activities or explanations!  We concentrate on teaching them Bible, pre-writing, pre-reading, and math...  Thanks! acorinnechristian@gmail.com.

Additionally, even though I missed 3 Saturdays of Kids' club, and the number of kids in attendance since has been scarce -- they are back.  Last week we had a great time learning about Peter and John as they were thrown into prison for curing a lame man in the name of Jesus.  And, just two days ago, we had almost 40 kids at Kids' Club.  They learned about Stephen, his power because of the Lord, and his forgiveness even to those who were stoning him.  Please pray for those who used to come regularly and haven't returned.  Especially pray for a 14 year old who came to church with me last night.  She comes from a voodoo background.  I know that God's power can surpass any other.  Please pray that I love her well.

Last Thursday, I had the opportunity to go out with another missionary and a principal from a high school to deliver water filtration systems.  What a task.  As you can imagine, clean water is a huge problem here.  While some have trouble finding it, those who can find it cannot drink the water that they find.  So, providing them with water filtration has been wonderful and is a way to share with them the Gospel and pray for them.  Please pray for the families of Isaias, María, Raquel, Ana Cristina and Alexander who received filters last week.  Pray for them to use them so they don't have to buy bottled water.  Please pray for them to get used to the taste as it is different from bottled water, depending on where the water comes from.

That same day, I visited Yumercy in the hospital again.  She was not well.  Truly, Thursday was a sad day, as we visited a less than 60 pound 15 year old who was on a breathing machine and who hadn't eaten in over 12 days.  Praying for her, listening to and singing hymns, and just being there with her saddened mother and grandmother was incredibly draining.  When I left, I thought, "This child is going to die any time now."  But, somehow, just a few days later, she is off the machines, eating,  digesting, and breathing normal.  Truly it's a miracle.  God just isn't done with her yet.  Please pray for her mother who has had an incredible journey with her daughter.  Pray for her little brothers who are at home, being taken care of by other family members whenever possible.  Pray for continued dependence on Him for peace and comfort.  Pray for Yumercy as she begins her 3rd round of chemotherapy this week.

Overall, the life that God has given me -- even though I in no way deserve it -- the people who He has placed in my life, and the opportunities that He has given me to serve in His name, are overwhelming.  I am amazed at the eagerness of so many to learn about Christ, even if some are not ready to accept Him as their personal Savior.  I pray that the Lord would continue to help me plant seeds and love the people here well.  I pray that those whose eyes are closed would some day be able to recognize the unfailing love that He has for us.  I pray that they would recognize the freedom and hope that comes along with believing in Christ , a freedom that surpasses everything from this world.  Mostly, I pray that God would continue grow His ministry here.  Please pray for continued rest for me and opportunities to be filled with His Word.

Praise the Lord, Oh My Soul

Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God... (Philippians 1:3)

As I come back to the Dominican after a short and unexpected trip to the States, I have to praise Him for giving me rest, renewal, and re-focus. He answered my prayers.  I am so glad that I was able to see people who I love and who love me, hug them, comfort them, and even hear words of encouragement as well.  Not only did the Lord truly bless the time with family in Florida, but somehow in my less than 24 hour time in Atlanta, I ran into many previous students, fellow teachers and even parents from my previous school.  The Lord knew exactly what I needed.  Thank you to everyone that I saw both intentionally and unintentionally.  Thank you for your encouraging words.  You truly lifted my spirits.

Probably one of the other best things that God gave me in my time away was perspective --a chance to step back and re-think some things.  I praise Him for reminding me to just focus on Him and everything will work out.  I thank Him for reminding me to create space for Him to work.  So, that leads to my schedule here as I go into summer.  Thank the good Lord, I have finally figured out a day in my schedule to plan and a day to rest.  Please pray for my Mondays especially.  I have struggled so much since moving here to have a good time away from "ministry" to have fun, read, and just enjoy this beautiful place where God has me.  Please pray for continued rest and renewal and just continued understanding that God needs me to take care of me.  I want my Mondays to be a sacred day where I don't work, but learn more about God and just enjoy.

This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one He has sent.

Since I've been back, God has truly been teaching me to concentrate on Him.  And in doing so, He has really blessed my time.  I've been pretty busy and enjoying it.

As soon as I returned, I was eager to visit some families that I didn't get to say goodbye to.  And, while I was greeted with lots of hugs and smiles, I was also hit with reality.  Many have been sick with the same virus that I had just weeks ago.  Please pray for the little ones who are sick along with their moms and dads and friends.  Pray for those who don't have the medicine needed to bring down fevers or help aches.  Please pray for the Dominican as a whole.  The rumor is that even the president has come down with it!

On a positive note, new to the Emanuel House are two interns, Ellie and Jessinia.  They are here for one month and two months, respectively.  I praise Him for them.  They have the opportunity to support me this summer by taking some tasks off of my plate and helping with Child Sponsorship, the library, the classrooms and anything else around Emanuel House while I have the opportunity to pour into them as we study Philippians and just do life together for a while.  I truly believe that God has a sense of humor, really, to bring me teenagers from the U.S. to encourage this summer.  He knows that American high school / college aged youth have a special place in my heart.

Child Sponsorship is also going well.  Thanks to my help, I feel a little more balanced.  Please continue to pray for supporters who will communicate and pray for kids, and continue to financially support the ministries of Josiah's House Boys' Home, Emanuel House, and Pasitos de Jesus Girls' Home.

Early this week, I had the opportunity to serve an Emanuel House family by taking them to the hospital in the capital for chemo therapy.  Pray for Yumercy and her family as she has just finished her second round of chemo for the recently diagnosed case of leukemia.  Pray for another Emanuel House child, Jeiris, who had brain surgery a year ago and is currently recovering from eye surgery as well.

Mid-week,  I led my first Woman's Bible study since I've been back.  Studying John with mostly new believers will be an exciting time.  I can already tell that God is going to bless it and we will all learn alongside each other.  Please pray for this group of at least 5 women who are so eager to learn His Word, understand it, and live by it.  Please pray for one woman who has not accepted Christ yet.  Pray that my words would always be His, that His relationship with those who believe would be nourished and that seeds would be planted for the woman whose eyes aren't opened yet.

Twice this week, I was able to read with the kids of Emanuel House.  I am assigned three children to read with.  They are behind, but truly want to learn. They come and practice reading and writing.  Virginia, 11, even received a reward from her teacher for her progress.  Please pray that the kids would continue to be interested in reading and for a competition that we are starting next week through the library.

I also had the opportunity to share with a team about Emanuel House and lead them to one of my favorite families: Johansel and his great grandmother.  Please pray for her.  She has not accepted the Lord, but truly loves her great grandson and cares for him even though her eyes are failing and he is entering in his teenage years.  Please pray that she would come to know the Lord and recognize the unconditional love that He has for her.

Lastly, please continue to pray for my family back home who is hurting for our lost loved one.  Please pray for strength in the Lord. Pray for comfort and for fond memories.

And for all who are reading this, I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding.  For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ's return.  May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation - the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ - for this will bring much glory and praise to God. (Philippians 1:9-11)

Thanks be to God!

Kids in their new Emanuel House uniforms use the library.

Yumercy and her grandmother share a room at the hospital
between chemo treatments.

The classroom of mostly 1st - 3rd graders is beginning to learn basic computer science
using the One Laptop Per Child tablets that were donated about a year ago.

Johansel is standing outside of his house.  His new sponsor sent him
some new shoes and clothes.