I’m leaning how hard it is for me to blog about day-to-day life and tell stories about what is happening here on the Race. My writing tends to reflect things I’m thinking about, beliefs I have, or what I’m learning at the time. But I know, as supporters, you’re interested in the day-to-day, so I wanted to try to cater to that more from here on out. So I’m sharing with you some short snippets of daily journaling from May. Bare with me… journaling and I don’t get along— my mind doesn’t work that way. But I hope this gives you some more insight to daily life on the Race. Enjoy!
May Daily Journal
5/1/14 We’re in Boca Chica, Dominican Republic for debrief! And this is probably only the second time on the Race that I’ve actually felt unsafe in my surroundings. Coming from five months in Asia, the Dominican Republic is a culture shock to say the least. Much unlike Asia, the men here are super aggressive. I haven’t felt this objectified since Ethiopia. Even then, my white skin was more fascinating to them than my femininity .Also, I just found out that Boca Chica translates as ‘Girl ’s Mouth.’ How fitting!
5/3/14 We read our squad leader surveys today. I’m celebrating that my squad sees and trusts that I listen to The Lord and lead a life that exudes the fruit of the Spirit. I’m still learning a lot about leading my peers. I want to grow in being more relational with people when addressing issues and not overcompensating for favoritism by giving less time and attention to those I’ve naturally grown closest to. It’s an interesting balance as a squad leader to develop and nurture friendships that will last a lifetime while also investing in those that (honestly) won’t.
5/7/14 When does a daughter enter into an adult relationship with her parents? Is it when she starts her career? Or when she gets married? Or when she has children of her own? Or how about when she invites her parents to join her on the mission field for a week? Mom and Dad are HERE for PVT and I pray that we are able to take our relationship to a deeper level this week as they get a glimpse of my life as a missionary.
5/8/14 Tonight as we worshiped with our parents, we took communion together and washed their feet. It was such an intimate and meaningful experience to share with Mom and Dad, and I’ll never forget it. Coming on the Race has caused me to realize that I haven’t done the best at actively loving either one of them, and I’m SO ready to change that.
5/9/14 PVT is over and we just arrived to our next ministry- Hope Dominican Republic. The ministry is led by a 1/2 Dominican 1/2 American family of 10. The wife, husband, and 4 of the kids live here now and we are tenting in their rainforest of a backyard. We just had orientation and I’m so excited that all the women of X Squad have the privilege of serving here together. The ministry runs a children’s center, a church, an english school, does prayer walks, and hosts short-term missions teams frequently.
5/10/14 It’s 7:00 PM and I’m sitting alone in my tent on top of a beautiful mountain in the Dominican Republic. I’m listening to the rain pour and the wind blow and The Creator speak through His creation. I’m remembering that even the wind and rain obey Him. I’m grateful for moments like this when I can rest in His presence and be surrounded by the wonders of nature.
5/13/14 Today God spoke through the rain yet again. I was listening to the song Grace Like Rain.The chorus of the song says, “Hallelujah, Grace like rain falls down on me. Hallelujah, and all my sins are washed away.” I was reminded of what happened a few days before when a pair of my pants acquired a large unidentifiable stain on them. I spent about 10 minutes scrubbing the stain as hard as I could with detergent only to find that the stain was going absolutely nowhere. I hung them up to dry, then it rained for 2 days straight while they were hanging on the line. By the time they were dry enough to take down, the stain had mysteriously disappeared. My human effort could not remove the stain; only the rain could wash it clean. Hallelujah, grace like rain falls down on me. Hallelujah and all my stains are washed away.
5/17/14 Tonight at Worship, I played ukelele and Kiersten and I sang a few songs. It feels so good to have music back in my life, and collaborating with Kiersten has brought me so much joy. I’ve never sang with anyone whose voice fits mine so well. Looking back to the rocky start that the two of us had with each other at the beginning of the race, it is now obvious to both of us what the enemy was trying to steal.
5/18/14 We celebrated my birthday today (the big 2-6)! I got to go down the mountain for the first time to visit the pastor’s church. Jena, Sam, and I worked the children’s church and taught them about Zaccheus. I learned a new Spanish phrase that should come in handy someday, “Zaccea, Boho de ese arbhol!!” (Zaccheus, come down from that tree!) When I got back to the mountain we had ice cream and enjoyed the afternoon off. The team I’m visiting this week prayed for me and encouraged me through Listening Prayer and words from the Lord, then they each told something they admired about me. What a sweet birthday gift! Tonight we played Pop 5 and ended the night with a 90s dance party! Unfortunately, the infamous ‘ugly horse bag’ was returned to me as my birthday gift. Not sure how that thing made it out of Thailand, but I’m not happy about it!
5/19/14 Tonight, Maddie and I enjoyed another late night chat in the shelter of my tent in the pouring rain. We treated ourselves to some melted dove chocolates and talked about friendship, life, and the mysteries of God. It’s chill moments like this on nights like tonight with friends like Maddie that remind me how grateful I am for awesome community.
5/20/14 My tent floor turned into a waterbed. It’s only a matter of time before the water resistance gives way and the entire thing is flooded, belongings and all. It has rained almost every day that we’ve been here in the mountains of the DR. If anyone has a reason to hate the rain, it’s the tenting women of X Squad— yet somehow The Lord has preserved my love for it.
5/22/14 Today my ministry was to clean and organize a refrigerator and kitchen, and I’m almost embarrassed to say that its one of my favorite ways to serve on the mission field—bringing lift to the longterm missionaries by relieving their everyday burdens. I’ve done a lot of that kind of thing here lately, and sometimes its easy to question whether or not your work is fruitful, but God is showing me that the kind of work that brings me the most joy is making people’s lives more organized, efficient, and effective.
5/28/14 I just read a letter from my mom and I can’t stop sobbing! She wrote to me about all the great memories we have and how proud she is of me. Who knew Mom was such a beautiful writer! I will cherish this 5-page letter for the rest of my life.
5/29/14 The Ninja Turtles (Sam, Lesley, and I) are on a mission to scout out some new places for debrief. We left the ministry 3 days early and came down to the capital city to haggle down some prices for future squads. We’ve been asking the Lord for His favor and it has so evidently been with us. We just booked the location for our LDW at the end of next month at a beautiful apartment style hotel that should cost $30/person, for only $10/person! We also made a relationship with 2 other hostels that can meet us at our price for future squads. Thank you Jesus for your favor!
5/31/14 It’s 6:47 AM and in 30 minutes we will be on our way to HAITI!! During my first visit to Haiti 2 years ago, I was blown away at what 3rd world poverty looks like, and I can honestly say that I have yet to see anything comparable to what I saw there on this entire race. After seeing Haiti, I described it as the “most beautiful mess” I’d ever seen. As soon as I left I wanted to go back, and now I’m getting that chance. I’m curious how I’ll feel this time around.
