As I begin to wrap up in the DR I can only think of one
reason for my journey here. I know
God used me in other ways, but He brought me here to show me something
specific, to meet someone in particular, Yoleisi.
When I arrived to the slums this stone cold breathtaking
face grabbed my heart. From the
moment I laid eyes on Yoleisi, there was no other care in my world but her. I
know I shouldn’t play favorites, but my heart wouldn’t wander from her. I knew
nothing about her, but I knew I needed to love her and pray for her
endlessly. After our translator
dug a little deeper inside, her only request was for her family, that’s
it. I knew no specifics, but that
did not matter because I knew my God did.
A small glimpse of a smile appeared to us after about 4 days
and from that moment on, they came sparingly, but praise God more often. Yoleisi is an extremely reserved 7-year
old who has one beautiful 12-year old sister, a three month old brother from a
different dad, a mother who knows the bible inside and out but does not know
the Lord personally and a father who left for another family. Although her living conditions,
community, fatherless life, and other things bring pain to my heart, the biggest
pain is that she doesn’t know the Lord.
She has walls up, it seems she is numb to life sometimes, she is not
sure about Jesus, she doesn’t know that she has a true Father who will never
leave her!
It kills me that we were unable to share our hearts desires
together, but it brings peace to me that I have a God to depend on. “God is the strength of my heart and my
portion forever.” (Psalm 73:26)
Yoleisi’s relationship with Jesus has nothing to do with me and has
everything to do with the grace God can give. The Lord has taught me so much through this delicate little
girl, He has taught me about His pure love.
Although Yoleisi doesn’t know Jesus, I have faith she will
soon come to know Him. I can’t
even fathom the love a mother and father must have for a child, as the love I
have for this little girl who has been in my life for a month is
overwhelming. But what blows me
away even more and brings me to tears literally is that God loves us more than
that. That He sent the one person
He loved so much to die for our crap.
My heart yearns for Yoleisi. Although it’s on a smaller scale, I know that is what God
wants to show me. He is showing me
how much He yearns to know me more.
When we have these walls and roadblocks up, it pains Him. He wants to get inside my heart and
desires to know me more.
If she is the only reason I am traveling the nations for
11-months I am perfectly ok with that.
I pray for her daily, I cry for her and it pains my heart to leave her,
but I know Jesus is not leaving. I
know He will meet her in His time, not mine. I believe God started something in her and I believe He will
finish it. “Being confident of
this that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until
the day of Christ Jesus.” (Phil 1:6)
(PLEASE PRAY FOR SAFE TRAVELS AND A SAFE STAY IN HAITI. WE ARE LEAVING SUNDAY! LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH)
