Right around Valentine's day, the Makarios staff had a retreat at the Makarios House where teams usually stay. It involved worship, revealing of the re-vamped Makarios vision and mission statements, devotion and lots of food and fun games. We took a scavenger hunt around town and had a shaving cream fight.
I graduated! YAY! Since May of last year, I have been taking a class with one of my co-workers, to learn more about Dominican education. It has helped a lot to understand the legal side, the history, and the new curriculum that is being implemented country-wide.
Since graduating, Creole language learning has started back up again. Meet Odilsia. She's the cook at Makarios and one of my favorite people to hang around. She let's me encroach upon her space at home and ask lots of questions about Creole. Did I mention there is a lot of repeat please? God continues to amaze me with what He allows me to learn and say. I have gotten to attend Church service in Chichigua a few times and while I don't understand it all, hearing Creole, building relationship with the local church members and participating in worship is good for the soul.
Three pastors and the head pastor's daughter came to visit, encourage, and see how Trinity can continue to support the ministry here. What a treat it was to have them around, travel with them to a Young Life camp, and have them see life on this side of the island. Good news? They will be back, Lord willing. Even better news? They will be blessing us next year with some much needed staff care.
Both Makarios little kids and Adonai Big kids participated in the celebration of Dominican Independence Day on Feb. 28. Along with a presentation given at the school with third graders as the highlight because of a traditional dance that they presented, there were songs, explanation of the Dominican Flag, and later that week a parade in the town. Que viva la Dominicana!
Here are some kids from Chichigua who have just listened to a Bible story with fellow missionary and good friend, Christine. And then they spend time reading, writing and playing. Of course, I have a hard time snapping pictures of my Bible Study group, but at least here is a glimpse of what happens with the kids while we study. Bible Study is in both Creole and Spanish and we are memorizing John 1 in Creole. May God give me the brain power!
March 18-25, 20 Wesleyan high school girls and 4 teachers made their first trip here to Makarios. It was a great week encouraging the girls in their faith, letting them meet the people I've come to love here, and serving alongside with them. While here, they taught chapel to the Mak kids, did various projects around the school, and visited the three communities we serve. I am so grateful for this community that God has allowed me to continue to be a part of! Jesus Others Yourself!
Second Saturday meetings have started with women from various areas of ministry here. In March, we had our first study of John MacArthur's book Fundamental of the Faith which is an in depth study of Bible basics. Women from each community that we serve were present, along with Makarios teachers and missionaries. American, Dominican, Haitian... old, young... rich, poor... married and single. For me, it was a small glimpse of the body of Christ, and I look forward to seeing how God will continue to grow this group of believers to know more about His Word so that they can teach others. They are being challenged to study, to learn the books of the Bible ,and to memorize a Bible verse each month.
The new Family Empowerment Ministry.
So far we've been working on the vision, structure, and relational aspects of the ministry so that we can get 2016-2017 school year started off on the right foot. Lots of prayer, staff meetings, planning, home visits, and parent meetings have been happening over the last two months. God has definitely filled a void by letting me be a part of this great group of people.
Meet the staff:
Wilson (top left) -- He is the logistics coordinator and also helps families who need help processing documentation since many of our kids don't have their birth certificates. He will be encouraging families to be responsible in this process along with helping them where he's able. He speaks Creole which is a plus and lives in a Haitian batey about 15 minutes from the school.
Benjamin (top right) -- He is the Family Empowerment Manager. He's in charge of making sure that everything is working as planned, coordinating our meetings and encouraging us to continue doing what we do. He used to be a compassion kid, and has now graduated college, gotten married and is an incredible leader who loves Jesus!
Andrea (bottom left) -- She is from Pancho Mateo, one of our communities. She loves Jesus and loves the community where she lives. She has a heart for Jesus, the local church, and drawing those around her to Christ. She helps Wilson a lot and serves as a great link between the community and Makarios.
Bernabe (bottom center) -- He is one of my neighbors and also a member of the same local church that I attend. He is the Spiritual leader of the group and has 20 years experience working with Compassion International as director before working with Makarios. He is highly relational, respected, and loved! I met him during the floods, as he helped me find some of the kids who were most in need.
Yep, that's me (bottom right) -- I am connected to 12 families that I get to visit and pray with, encourage, and share the gospel with.
Meet the staff:
Wilson (top left) -- He is the logistics coordinator and also helps families who need help processing documentation since many of our kids don't have their birth certificates. He will be encouraging families to be responsible in this process along with helping them where he's able. He speaks Creole which is a plus and lives in a Haitian batey about 15 minutes from the school.
Benjamin (top right) -- He is the Family Empowerment Manager. He's in charge of making sure that everything is working as planned, coordinating our meetings and encouraging us to continue doing what we do. He used to be a compassion kid, and has now graduated college, gotten married and is an incredible leader who loves Jesus!
Andrea (bottom left) -- She is from Pancho Mateo, one of our communities. She loves Jesus and loves the community where she lives. She has a heart for Jesus, the local church, and drawing those around her to Christ. She helps Wilson a lot and serves as a great link between the community and Makarios.
Bernabe (bottom center) -- He is one of my neighbors and also a member of the same local church that I attend. He is the Spiritual leader of the group and has 20 years experience working with Compassion International as director before working with Makarios. He is highly relational, respected, and loved! I met him during the floods, as he helped me find some of the kids who were most in need.
Yep, that's me (bottom right) -- I am connected to 12 families that I get to visit and pray with, encourage, and share the gospel with.
"The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness
and the world's deep hunger meet."
Frederick Buechner, American writer and theologian
If I were surfing, I would imagine that over the last two months, I caught the perfect wave and have been riding it in towards shore pretty steadily. I've been in my "happy place," the place where my gifts and the needs here have met. Relationships continue to deepen and small opportunities to point to Christ abound.
My prayer is that in the ministry that God has me doing here, the people who meet me or see me, wouldn’t see what I do nor who I am. May they recognize that anything good that they see in me, glean from me or hear from me comes only because of Christ who lives in me.
Most days, I feel weak, unable, and sometimes overwhelmed. I have a routine of going to the school, visiting the communities, praying with family ministry, and helping wherever I can. Then out of the ordinary, God tugs on me to offer up a prayer, make a visit to someone who has been sick, or ask how someone is doing. And in those small moments, I am reminded how strong, able and good God is.
My Hopes:
My hope is that people would see that I am serving a king the best way I know how, not because I have to but because I love to. My hope is that God would continue to guide, give wisdom, and encourage me to have boldness to do His will. My hope is that I would always walk in His strength and not my own.
My Prayers:
May the Lord help me know what He does not call me to do, may he help me be JOYFUL in all that He has called me to. May I work in the little and the small in the same way that I work for the seemingly important -- as if working for the Lord. May I find balance and space to fill up and exhale. May God's mercy cover me when I mess up and may those around me see Him and not me. May I be thankful for the blessings and encouragement that surrounds me. May He become greater and I become less.What's coming up?
I will be in the States from April 15 - April 30 to share with everyone what God has been doing here and to share about the new Family Ministry needs. I will also be selling some artwork made by Dominicans in the Wesleyan Artist Market April 27-29. Proceeds will go to buying books for the communities. I hope to spend some good quality time with friends, family, and previous co-workers while in the States. My friend, Nicole will be traveling with me to help with the Artist Market. Please pray for all of the little details. I cannot wait!
“People from my first home say I'm brave. They tell me I'm strong. They pat me on the back and say, 'Way to go. Good job.' But the truth is, I am not really very brave; I am not really very strong; and I am not doing anything spectacular. I am simply doing what God has called me to do as a person who follows Him. He said to feed His sheep and He said to care for 'the least of these,' so that's what I'm doing, with the help of a lot people who make it possible and in the company of those who make my life worth living.”
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