May He Be Glorified as We Follow

Sarah and Abraham.

Over the last week, they have really intrigued me.
God's chosen.
His imperfect, sinful, chosen.
His barren, doubting, chosen.

If you haven't had a chance to read recently the story of Sarah and Abraham, read it.

Read the story about two regular people who loved God, were chosen by God to live out His call and who followed Him.

And then, learn about how they were chosen to have a baby at a ripe… very ripe old age.
Read the story of people who couldn't completely see God's plan and tried to manipulate and make it work their way thus causing conflict.
Read about lying and disguising and some more lying.
Read about their love for the Lord and their struggle to trust His plan.

Then, learn about God's faithfulness and forgiveness.
Learn about His promises fulfilled.

And be encouraged about your own life and what God can do with you if you just let Him!

I've been in the Dominican for a two weeks now after having been to the States and it feels good to be back.  I would say that I do not really know how to "ease" into anything so I've hit the ground running, while at the same time keeping in mind that I have come off of not doing much for the last 6 weeks.  I have overall been feeling better and am more than grateful to God for that!


Upon arriving, I was welcomed by the Wesleyan group of girls and teachers in San José, a small village outside of Boca Chica, about 45 minutes or so from where I live.  I had the opportunity to stay there for four nights and minister and share with the girls there.  "Doing life" in San José involved building relationships with the people of the small village where there was a church planted just a few years ago by Craig and Joanna some missionaries that I have grown to love.  Roasting marshmallows, putting on skits to tell Bible stories, showing movies, visiting homes and hearing how they were lead to know the Lord, and playing games were some of the weeks activities.  And of course one day the group visited Emanuel House and shared with the pre teens and teens that attend there by playing silly games, competing in kickball, dramatizing the story of Esther, and asking questions about why it is important as girls to be brave.

I get to serve alongside dominicans and serve the dominican people every day of my life so being able to be with American teenage girls again was a treat for me.  And, even though I don't know many of them deeply, being able to encourage them to love God with all of themselves no matter what… even if it goes against the grain… just to please God... that was a truth that God put in my heart to share with them while focusing especially on Romans 12:1-2.  

Saturday I spent the day with two people.  One was a 17 year old boy named José who had gotten in a machete fight about a month before and whom I met while with the Wesleyan team.  We went from a small clinic to the hospital to a nurses house to his home trying to get everything worked out so that he could get the care needed to work on his hand. We ate lunch together and shared with Him the love that God has for Him, the fact that God created Him and that He has a plan for His life if he will allow it.  José dropped out of school when he was in 4th grade, is known as a delinquent in the community and has a little brother who used to be a part of the Emanuel House family.  I know that God has used this time as an opportunity to plant seeds.  I do not know what other opportunities I nor Mirqueya may have with him, but know that God is working in him.  

Then, we spent time with Silveria, a 17 year old pregnant teenager.  It is unclear if she was abused or not, but she is an 8th grader at the local middle schooler and seems to be alone with very few people to speak with about how she is doing.  We were able to share Psalm 139 with her, pray with her and will follow up with her with some prenatal vitamins and hopefully more conversations.

Last week, I started teaching again.  The kids are still a challenge.  But, they are learning and they are excited.  We scrapped many of the math and reading lessons to learn about Jesus and practice for a skit we did for the rest of the school about the need for Christ to come to earth, His death on the cross and His resurrection.  Indeed He lives and He will come again! (We were so caught up in the play that I didn't get pictures of it.  But the gospel was shared, the kids learned, and for that I am glad!)

The twins, Josefa and Josefina who have come to live with us at Emanuel House have been an unbelievable blessing.  They are the sweetest and most obedient girls I could ask for. I am grateful to have them as a part of our family.  Since the day that their mom died, they have been living at Emanuel House, and now, I get the opportunity to love them, cook for them some days, and help educate them. They love to read, learn about God and are up for whatever challenge.  It's been fun witnessing the 13 year old twins giggling as they wash dishes, memorizing scripture after reading their morning devotion, and tasting certain vegetables for the first time.  I've loved it and praise God for putting them even closer into my daily life!  I do not know how long God has them living at Emanuel House, but their presence right now is a true gift!

And the normal every day continues.  I continue to pour into the Bible Study ladies whom I love.  One, María continues to sell jewelry through her local business and has employed one of the Bible study women to help her.  She is able to feed her children regularly and is learning to manage money and a small business.  The struggle continues in the community where I live of seeing so many hurting women and so many abusive men and lack of male presence in the church community.  This week is Holy Weeks which marks many voodoo parades in the streets of Quisqueya as well.  I am reminded often of the ever-present need for better education, medical care, and Bible instruction. 

God is stretching me.  
He is challenging me.

He is teaching me.

And at the same time, I can say that I trust that He sees far more in space and in time than my eyes can see and than my mind can imagine. That story of Sarah and Abraham came to me right at the perfect time.  I am grateful that He knows all, sees all and controls all. May He continue to be glorified through each and every step, each and every word, and each and every relationship!  

To Him be the glory!

Closer

I have been waiting to write this blog for quite a while now -- for many reasons -- but the main of which is that I haven't felt well over the past month.  As many know over the past year, I have been "sickly" many times in the Dominican.  Everyone has their "theory" on why and some are probably true, but no matter the reason, my health is a constant prayer request.

Today, I find myself in a different warm-weather place.  I'm in Florida and have been for over two weeks now.  I won't go into the long story of how I got here, and I will spare all of the worry by saying, "I am okay."

I praise God because for the past 4 weeks now, I have not felt myself.  And even though in the midst of not knowing, I was plagued with waiting, uncertainty, worry, doubt, and sometimes sleeplessness, as always, God was and still is with me.  Every corner that I turned I received warm smiles, prayer, encouragement, and understanding from God's people.

Do you know what it feels like to feel helpless?  It's frustrating.  And that's how I felt.

And at the same time, over and over again, I was reminded to believe truth.

God is with you.
God has a plan.

So, I waited.  I prayed. I was still…. knowing that God is God.  He is God.  He will never stop being God nor being good.

And I stand confident through it all that there is a reason that I've come home for such an extended period of time when I was just here.  I am sure that God will continue to reveal to me the "why" of it all, as all of my tests have come back normal.  (Oh, did I mention -- THANKS BE TO GOD!  All of the tests came back normal! He is the ultimate healer, miracle worker and answerer of prayer.  He is sovereign and He loves us!  And yes, the same would be true even had I received bad news.  But, I am extremely thankful for the good news this time.)

I can already see some reasons why He has me here.  Clearly it wasn't for medical help -- other than for my own peace of mind (and that of my family's and close friends) so that when I'm sick in the same way in the Dominican no one will freak out, so that I will pay more and more attention to my water intake, rest and eating habits -- again.  So that I'll have the right medicines...

God does definitely have a plan because…

...at the end of this trip, I will have spent 3 weeks with my parents.  I don't know when I have spent so much time with them since high school..

...I have enjoyed time with my god sisters and godfather who lost their mother and wife last May.  It is a natural conversation between us to talk about her and spend time loving each other during the first year of her being in Heaven...

...I got connected with idisciple through Family Christian Bookstore.  It is a great compilation of sermons, writings, and short devotionals that are linked to me based on my needs as a Christian.  Through them, I have had the opportunity to listen and be encouraged in God's Word by pastors like David Platt, Andy Stanley and Francis Chan...

...I've seen just how cool the body of Christ is if we work together.  The body of Christ, when working all for His glory is STRONG.  The body of Christ is invincible and can change things.  For me it doesn't make a whole lot of sense why I feel normal again.  I mean granted, I've done very little over the last 4 weeks, I've gotten to eat some great seafood and dark greens, and I've slept a lot, but I truly believe that I was doing well in all of those areas in the dominican (replace seafood with chicken and dark greens with other veggies), but I truly believe that all of the people who came together and prayed in the Dominican and here in the States influenced the outcome of "normal" test results and me feeling myself again.  And as an overflow, God gave me some time to rest and rejuvenate, and I will always thank Him for that...

… life goes on without me in the Dominican.  And truthfully, it warms my heart.  The Saturday Kids' club that I started was run last Saturday by some people that I had trained last month.  The GAP students that work at Emanuel House visited my Bible Study ladies, spoke truth to one who is still a non-believer, and encouraged the ladies with scripture.  The lady who works with me with my first graders has taken the reigns and is doing a great job teaching and disciplining.

A little over a month ago, I was sitting with my small group and we were talking about what it means to be convicted. I remember times when I've felt convicted, but to give a definition of the word just doesn't come so easily.  And Lynn, the lady who leads the study said, "It's like when God corrects you by pulling you in closer to Him. It's loving not condemning."

And whereas my prideful self can believe that I've done nothing wrong to make me sick -- and although that could be true -- I stand firm in believing that God is trying to teach me.

He loves me.  He wants me closer and closer to Him.  That's what He wants for all of us.

He doesn't want us to be distracted... by the future, by our plans, nor by our worries.  And if any part of us strays, He will do what He has to bring us closer to Him.

And this is not because He needs us.  It's because He loves us and He wants to be glorified in everything.

And sometimes -- while those distractions can be good things -- ministry, work, schedule, sports, friends, and even family -- God wants us -- undistracted.  He wants to be the center of our attention… so that we can glorify His name and so that His name can be glorified in every situation.

And then, pulling us closer, He reminds us...

He will make the relationships right.
He will help us get the work done.
He will help us have the time to fit in what He wants us to fit in.
He will help us with the sport.
God will if it is His will.  
God will at just the right time.  
God will because He wants to be glorified in it all.  

And over and over again, I'm convicted.  Convicted not to give up.  Convicted to continue on the right path.  Convicted to stay in His Word more and more and more.  Convicted that my life is not my life -- it's God's.  

I will head back to the Dominican early next week after having celebrated my mom's birthday, after one more visit to the doctor, and after having spoken at the wedding of one of my dear friends and Wesleyan alumni.  And while I still don't completely know why God wanted me to stop and "vacation in the States for three weeks" (as one doctor said when I was disappointed about the time I had to spend away from the D.R.), and while I may not fully understand His plan for quite a while, I praise Him for allowing me time to rest, rejuvenate, and ponder.

As you read this, I imagine that you haven't had my last month.  But, that's not the point.  This is not about me.  Someone reading this has felt weak, discouraged, taken away from their plan, disappointed, sad, overworked...

And in the midst of it, know that God is there!  And He is good!

Look and see where God has been good in your life.
Recognize that He has tried to show you things.  He may have even made you be still.
And dig into God's Word... Listen to It... Read It... and Seek Him.
Who knows? Maybe, just maybe He is trying to bring you just a little bit closer.

Prayer Requests:

• For my focus to be on nothing more than Him.  Filling my mind with His Word, serving His creation and having compassion and showing love for those who don't know Him yet.
• For two Emanuel house girls, Josefa and Josefina, whose mom died the day that I left to come here.  For God to comfort them, for them to come to faith, and for provision and love to be abundant.
• For the week that I return to Quisqueya and the time that I will spend with the Wesleyan girls team.  May they see not me but God.  May His Word, His light, and His love shine through me during our time.

He Never Lets Go!

I honestly don't know where to begin … it's been almost 2 months exactly since my last blog.

In the last two months, I have cried, laughed, conversed, read, pondered, and evaluated.  God continues to teach me, challenge me, and speak to me through His Word and though my experiences.  He is teaching me about Sabbath and taking care of myself. He is teaching me to follow His example, keeping my eyes on Him and not getting weighed down by circumstances.  He is teaching me to be in His Word and depend on Him each day.  He continues to teach me to keep walking towards the finish line -- even though I might fall along the way, the path may not be clear or I have hard days.

This past Sunday, I woke up early to go with Mirqueya to her church morning service, "matutino". The two of us arrived, via motorcycle, to the church just before 6am.  It was a good way to begin the day -- in prayer, praise, and a quick Word from Matthew 25.

And as I sat in the pew and listened to Jesus' parable about the 10 virgins…I remembered.

Some years back, I was "sleeping."  Going through my normal routines.  Attending church.  Reading some.  Being "good" in the world's eyes…

And yet, at the same time -- listening to people… not focusing on Him... not giving my life… not giving my body… not giving my whole self to Him each and every day.  I wasn't fostering my relationship with Him.

Of course, Ephesians says that it is by grace that we have been saved because of faith.  It is not anything that we have done, but instead it is a gift from God.  Thus, we cannot earn our salvation.  There is nothing that we can do to merit His love for us.  God just wants us to recognize our need for Him, ask forgiveness for our sins, and let Him take control.  He wants us to have faith.

God is not a God of tradition, of rules, of religion.  He is a God of relationship.  He wants to be in relationship with His creation.  He wants us to recognize our eternal separation from Him if we do not decide to accept Jesus Christ as our savior.  God wants to be the most important in our lives.

I can think about a time in my own life when I definitely put others' opinions before God's, other relationships before my relationship with him, and didn't give God the attention that He deserved.  I knew truth, believed it sincerely, but had lost my way a bit.

And yet.

God was still beside me...
God was still loving me...
God was still my father...
God had still chosen me…

...even though my eyes were not on Him. 

I imagine that I made God feel sad at times.  And yet, in his perfect goodness, He still loved me.  He never let go.  He never left.

Sometimes, I feel ashamed about those years.  Wasted years of not focusing completely in on my savior, my friend, and my Lord.

And of course, I have moments when I struggle to give Him the time He needs or when I focus on a negative circumstance or person instead of keeping my eyes on Him.

But I know that in the midst of those times in the past God was growing me, and I know that He continues to do so.

I love God and want Him to be proud of me and my life lived for Him.  I praise Him for choosing to send me here and work for Him in the place where He has me right now.

And oh, isn't life different when our eyes are on Him, our will lined up with His, and our hearts and ears opened to learn from His Word?

My prayer is for those who know and love God, but who aren't allowing Him to be Lord over your lives...  May you re-focus, remembering that life is only found through Jesus.  My prayer is for those who don't know Him... May God reach out and ignite His light inside you in a miraculous way.  My prayer for those of us who are running the race… is that we would keep running -- staying focused always on the finish line -- Jesus Christ.

May He give us strength, endurance, and patience along the way.

Here is a glimpse last 2 months in pictures.

While in the States, I was able to visit 3 different churches and speak about how God has been working and using my team to further His kingdom.  I spoke at Solid Rock Church in Jacksonville, Florida, Providence Church in Ormond Beach, Florida, and at Sabbath Home Baptist Church in Holden, NC.  

View my video of the last year here. 

In both Florida and Georgia, I visited with family, friends and past co-workers.

Since coming back, I had a visitor from Washington, DC who helped at Emanuel House this past summer and quickly after arriving, I re-started Bible Studies with some Emanuel House moms.

Last week, we finished administering the tests to see the kids' progress in learning since last year when many could not read.  We still have a long way to go, but we are seeing improvements.

I took a group of 11 kids to the mall where they enjoyed bouncing at an inflatable fun place, going to the aquarium and eating in the food court.  They received this gift from their sponsors.  Most had never been to the capital city, Santo Domingo.  None of them had been to a mall.

I have enjoyed Wednesday afternoons of Sabbath and a trip to Samaná just yesterday when there was a holiday from teaching. A group of GAP girls traveled with me about 3 1/2 hours north.  

Praises.

I thank God for safety in all of the travels while in the States and since I've been back in the Dominican and for all of the people who are praying for me!

I praise God for continuing to provide for me and for Emanuel House financially.  Over the break, we received final donations to complete the four classrooms at Emanuel House. Thank you to all who contributed!  Construction will begin soon.  

I praise Him for a new copy machine donated by the members of Providence Church.

Thank you!

Petitions.

For upcoming initiation of Kids Club again which will be held every 1st Saturday.

Patience in the classroom.

Continued time in the Word and memorization of scripture in Spanish.

Upcoming short term trips to Emanuel House.  This season is busy with teams through March.