Hello from the Dominican Republic! I’ve been in the DR for four days now, and while it has had it’s fair share of difficult moments, it has been pretty amazing. This month is “All-squad month,” meaning all 40 people on the trip are together. Usually, we will be split into our smaller teams, but this month, we all get to be together! We are all living in Lajas, a city that is actually in the jungle. Our meals are made up of authentic Dominican foods, which has been an adventure in itself!
Days one and two of ministry consisted of my team working outside doing manual labor. On the first day, we cleaned out the river that runs through the property that my squad and I are staying on. On day two, we worked in the jungle cutting down trees and cleaning up some of the mess the recent hurricane made. Afterwards, my team and I played in the waterfall we had cleaned the day before, and then had a delicious meal of rice and beans.
Day three, today, we got to go on prayer walks. My team and I walked through the community and prayed while doing so. In a sense, prayer walks can be discouraging because we will never see the fruits of our labor, unlike manual labor. However, Christ reassured me that just because I cannot see the impact my prayers are making, doesn’t mean there will be no impact one day.
As we were walking down the dusty roads, passing the tiny colorful houses full of smiley kids, I realized with every step my teammates and I took, golden seeds were being planted into the ground. The seeds would sink into the road, and some might not take at all. Others might take years to grow, and still others may grow the very next day. These metaphoric seeds we planted represent Christ’s love, abundance, joy, and strength. These are my prayers for the community I am currently with, and I would love for you to join me in these prayers.
I have only been in the DR for four days, but I’ve experienced a wide range of emotions already. I’ve been completely excited, grateful, amazed, and in awe, but I’ve also been nervous, exhausted, lonely, and a little homesick. I love my squad, but it is not easy to live with 40 people I barely know, an ocean away from my family.
Thank you for keeping me in your prayers, it means a lot to me! This next week, please pray for patience, strength, and the community I am surrounded by. (American and Dominican.) I can’t wait to blog about more stories soon!
