I left Hope DR just three short days ago. I had such an amazing experience there and miss all that mountain life had to offer at La Jas. After teen camp, my team ended up staying at Hope DR and was assigned to a work project for the remaining three weeks of the month. It definitely took some adjusting on my part. I learned to enjoy the quiet moments and that I don’t have to be constantly doing things. Most days consisted of being woken up at 6am by the chickens and roosters, working out, doing my quiet time with Jesus, followed by devos with my team and then with our host, and then we would have breakfast. After breakfast we would work from approximately 9-11 or 12 and go to lunch. Pretty much everyday after lunch we wouldn’t have any work to so my team would either go on a prayer walk, do laundry or have team time. Our work project included clearing a plot of land, laying cement down in a dorm, picking up trash on their property, moving cinder blocks of cement and buckets of cement, cleaning pools, and the bathrooms. Since we didn’t have much to do in the afternoons I decided to help Viviana, a Haitian women, in the kitchen with anything I could. Though there was a language barrier, I was able to communicate with her and grew to enjoy the quiet moments in the kitchen. It was so hot in the kitchen and always things to do, however; she had such a servant’s heart and never complained. She prepared all our meals for us and received no recognition. I loved her so much and learned so much from her. She was a humble women and served us so well. I desperately want to be like her and serve others in all circumstances without recognition when no one is watching. She became a Christian while we there and I was so excited for her.
I also learned to embrace community and open up to my team. I was able to be vulnerable with them and they challenged me to continue trust them in all circumstances. As the body of Christ we are to take on one another’s burdens and accept them for who they are. In addition, as many of you know I sprained my before I left for the race and upon arriving in the Dominic Republic I continued to workout. One day when I was walking to my tent I lost my footing and my ankle popped back out of place. It hurt so much and I had to wait for someone to carry be up the path to the main house. That night we were suppose to go to down to the city to watch the guys play against the locals and I still really wanted to go. I ended up going down the mountain with everybody and knew that it was going to be difficult to get around. We decided to walk to the grocery store to purchase some American food, but it was going to be a long walk for me. One of my teammates, Andy, refused to let me walk and carried me on his back to and back from the grocery store. For me it was a big deal because I had to rely on his strength and on him not to drop me. In life, just as in that circumstance, God has been teaching to rely fully on Him and His strength in my life because He will always provide for me and I can rest in Him.
Thank you all for your prayers and contributions in my life. I will be having a Chick-A-Filet night on August 28 at the San Marcos location and would appreciate the help if you could make it there. Love you guys and can’t wait to tell you more about my adventures!
