With just one day of ministry left in the Dominican Republic, I thought it would be nice to give you all a glimpse into my day-to-day life here for the past month!
6:00 AM – the alarm rings and I get (or drag/flop/throw) myself out of bed to workout before the sun comes up and turns the entire mountain into a sauna. My physical health here has been just as important as my emotional and spiritual health. I am thankful to have the space to find alone time to do something that I find fulfillment in. Also, the sunrises over the mountains do not disappoint.
7:00 AM – quiet time with the Lord on the roof has become such a crucial part of my routine and one that I plan to continue for the rest of my Race. It gives me the space to align my heart with the Lord every morning and get ready for the day of ministry ahead. I’ve learned that if I want my heart and life to be truly changed by these nine months, I must first become intentional with the Lord and pursue Him everyday.
7:30 AM – the whole squad meets up for devotionals together before breakfast. This time is important for our squad to come together and get our hearts right with God before we can effectively serve together.
8:30 AM – breakfast time! My team and I eat breakfast together every morning. We typically have bread and hard-boiled eggs, oatmeal, or rice pudding. Definitely not my traditional breakfast from home, but I have come to appreciate that salt and pepper or sugar can change any meal.
10:00 AM – ministry starts around 10 everyday. Our teams are split up between different activities around the property/community. We rotate between property work, outreach in the community, hospitality, and administration with Vicki. Each day brings something new and we never quite know what ministry will look like. Some days I have hacked down banana trees with a machete (yes I have all my fingers still) and other days I have prayer walked through the community and made home visits. The connection with the community has been difficult due to our isolation on the mountain, but our squad has adopted the mindset of working for the Lord and not for man. We have strived to see that though the work we are doing may not directly change someone’s life, the work we are doing to build up HOPE4DR will change lives in the long run.
12:30 PM – lunch time! Elva is our sweet “abuela” who cooks all of our meals here. She feeds us incredible food and has been one of the biggest blessings to our squad. Elva makes sure we are well fed and never fails to put a smile on our faces. Lunch is our biggest meal of the day. We usually have some form of rice and beans or boiled green bananas.
2 PM – ministry resumes. Teams who have completed their morning tasks are given new jobs and teams who have work to do still will continue with whatever job they had been assigned in the morning.
5 PM – ministry ends around 5 everyday. Many of my squad mates take the time between ministry and dinner to shower/play in the waterfall, do laundry, or walk to the corner store for Emperadors cookies (SO GOOD) and orange juice (ALSO SO GOOD). This is our biggest chunk of free time and I usually will find a quiet space to nap or just chat with friends.
6:30 PM – dinner time! Elva treats well and we often will have cornbread, fried bread, or banana bread for dinner. She has lately been treating us to fresh squeezed juices or hot chocolate. Her hot chocolate may be the best hot chocolate I have ever had and it has definitely given me some comfort from home.
7:15 PM – team time! We rotate through team times each night – worship, journey markers (guided bible study/reflection time), blogging, feedback, and “free fo’ all” night. Team time gives my team mates and I an opportunity to check in with each other and debrief our day.
10 PM – bed time! Or at least quiet time. After team time lots of people will call home or connect with friends and family. Our squad has been blessed with wifi for the month which has allowed people to stay in touch with home fairly easily. By 10 every night, we have to quiet down and start getting to bed. I am typically in bed by 10 or 10:30. My roomies are super awesome about getting to bed (or at least being quiet and having the lights off) at a reasonable hour and we all conk out pretty easily after a long day.
The DR has spoiled me with its beauty and our ministry hosts amazing hospitality. Each day has brought something new. I have learned so much about intentionality and inviting the Lord into everyday life. Leaving for the Race, I envisioned a completely changed heart immediately. But after being in the DR I have seen that changing my environment does not change my heart. God is calling me to enter into a two-way conversation with Him to truly open my ears and my eyes which will ultimately change my heart. Here’s to month 1 DONE. On to Haiti…
