“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.
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