A couple days ago I hiked up a mountain and got to explore an Indian cave.
Isaiah 52:7 “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation…”
It was my first time hiking and it was incredible!!!
It was a tough hike. There were a lot of mud pits and a lot of steep hills. I had told one of my squad mates, Brie Thomas, that I wasn’t made for this outdoor thing. I had stepped in way too many mud pits, gotten my foot stuck in those same pits several times, and traversed through a pathway filled with poison nettles. I didn’t believe that I was made for this hiking/primitive lifestyle. She responded and said, “Yes, you were. Look at how far you’ve come. You were made for this.” Her response gave me a boldness to continue on through the cave and back down the mountain to get home. As I hiked back down the mountain I thought about what Brie had said and how it rings so true for me on the world race. As I climbed back down that mountain I thought about what Brie had said and how it rings true for me on this race.
He has called me and the other 44 people on my squad to this missions trip for 11 months of our lives. We have left our family and friends and said yes to the call.
All of this was sinking in as I took one step, after the other, outside of my comfort zone. This month has been hard for me, not the ministry aspect but the primitive way of living. I had to find courage quickly. But whenever I felt like sleeping in my tent for one more night was too much. Waiting two days for my clothes to dry instead of one. I remembered that this is what I was made for. Look at how far I’ve come. This is what God has called me to do and this is what He will equip me to do. We have slept in our tents, showered in waterfalls, shared a bathroom and sometimes we eat cake for dinner. (It’s not really cake. It’s Dominican sweet bread served with hot chocolate. It’s so good!!)
We are living a semi-primitive lifestyle. We wash our clothes by hand and hang them to dry. Pick fruit off the trees, instead of walking to the store. Dig ñame out of the ground, to eat for dinner. We are living off the land and loving it! I never thought I would get use to this lifestyle but as I continue to be obedient to this calling God has placed on my heart, I continue to see that His mercies are new every morning. His grace is sufficient for me and he continues to equip me to do the work that He has called me to do.
It is such a fresh realization and it brings the verse Phillipians 4:13 into such a real perspective. I CAN do all things through Christ who gives me strength. I can wash my clothes by hand. Can wait two or three days for them to dry. I can wear the same outfit more than one time a week. I can sleep in a tent for a month. I can hike up a mountain and explore an Indian cave. I can dance in the rain on my way to breakfast and not complain.
I can do all these things because Christ gives me the strength. And that’s enough to get me through the day.
Our ministry this month has been incredible. We are working at Rancho Los Pilones with Reuben and Victoria Dominguez. They have an amazing ministry here called Hope for DR. They are devoted to seeing the lives of the men, women and children of the Dominican come to know the love of Jesus Christ.
They have given us some fantastic ways to be involved in this process. We taught English classes to the children around Lajas, DR.
We went to Santiago and taught at a children’s center called Cien Fuegos. The kids at Cien Fuegos live near a dump. The center was established to give the children a place to stay instead of being on the streets when they aren’t in school. A place where they can learn while feeling safe and secure. There are not enough teachers in the schools for the students to attend for a full day. It was such a blessing to be able to teach these kids English. It was a challenge at times because of the language barrier but it was so rewarding when the students would sing or say the things that we taught them. I really enjoyed this part of our ministry.
We have been doing a lot of manual labor this month. It’s so much fun! We dug a 10ft square to place a septic tank in for 4 new bathrooms to be installed near the waterfall. It was a lot of work loosening the dirt and shoveling it out but we made the most of it. It was wonderful to work with some people that are on my team and also from our squad. We weren’t just digging to make new bathrooms but we were getting to know each other on a deeper level with each shovel full of dirt.
We have done prayer walks in Santiago and Lajas, asking God to tear down strongholds and let the people of the DR feel and know His love for them.
This month has taught me so much about myself and has challenged me to go beyond my level of comfort to accomplish Kingdom things.
What do you feel like God is calling you to do? Are you willing to step out of your comfort zone to do it?
Would you like to be apart of my journey?
My next deadline is April 1st and I am still in need of $3,250 in order to continue on this mission that God has called me to. If you would like to give, you can click on the support me link on the left hand side.
“…there are certain stories you simply can’t make happen by yourself. In order to make the story happen, we had to give it away, we had to ask for help, and when you ask for help, you are asking other people into the story with you, so it’s no longer just yours, it belongs to the community that believed in it with you.” -Donald Miller
This quote rings so true to this journey. I can’t do this alone. I need your help. I need your support. Not just financially, but also spiritually. Please keep myself and my team/squad mates in your prayers on a daily basis.
Together we can accomplish so much for the kingdom of God. Thank you for your love and support.
