Month #1 is wrapping up for my team Reckless as we depart for Haiti at 5am this Saturday for a 11hour bus ride. As of right now we’ve been told that we will be living/working/ministering/teaching/construction at an orphanage in Fedja, Haiti!! This was my heart’s desire, so I can’t wait! This month has flew by fast, although ironically it seems like we have been here for a few months.Many relationships/friendships were built & amazing memories were made. God reigns in San Juan & Goachupita! We have seen the beauty amidst the despair. We came to bless but in return THEY blessed us & taught us about life, love, hospitality, faith & giving. As i brainstormed my DR experience at 3am this morning, this is what i noted:
*Warm tropical lightening/thunder storms
*Beautiful green mountains & white sand/clear water beaches with coconut trees
*mango & banana trees
*Moths & bats the size of birds, & cochroaches the size of small rodents. Rats. rats. rats.
*squatty potties/holes in ground
*Horns honking everywhere
*Men hissing at us as we walk down the streets, people waving with smiling faces
*Loud salsa music bumping from cars & houses/bars/restuarants
*rice, beans, chicken, rice, beans, chicken, more rice & beans, tortillas, empanadas & rice & beans…
*Hugs & kisses on the cheek from locals (some wanted, some not)
*Love starved/attention starved beautiful children desperately craving our hugs, kisses, being held, playing with
*Roosters crowing, stray dogs howling (every morning at 7am on the dot), chickens clucking
*us gringos attempting to speak spanish (spanglish) everyday
*Walking several miles daily just to get free/pay for WiFi internet service
*Walking over 12miles daily to/from ministry in Goachupita (loved it though)
*Living in community with 45 other people for a few weeks in a 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathrooms,2 story house, with one stove & one fridge haha
*heat, humidity, sweat, humidity, sweat, sweat…….
*cold showers, electricity & water when it decided to come on/off 🙂
*cold “showers” (which actually felt great in hot weather)
*Gangs, violence, poverty, children begging for food/work everyday on streets, homeless, water borne illnesses, desperation…
*Beauty & hope
*lots of dirt, mud, flooding
*Large families!!!!
*Lots of naked little kids running around with no shoes…glass & needles on ground everywhere…
*Kids being forced to grow up way too fast, loss of innocence..stolen from them, abuse, neglect
*Randon guys with loaded guns everywhere you walked (wasn’t sure whether to feel safe/secure or more concerned haha)
*Killing my own chicken, boiling it, plucking the feathers, cooking it & eating it!!!!!!
*Running in the pouring rain
*Gettin’ dirty!!! Gettin’ muddy!!
*Teaching VBS to the kids, singing worship songs in english & spanish
*Baby goats, pigs, cows,horses, cats, dogs, chickens, ducks everywhere you look!!!!
*Green geckos!! Turantulas!!!! I had a staring contest with a gecko….and i won!
*Hearing Dominican people yell “Gringos!” & “Americanos down the streets as we walk
*Learning how to REALLY LOVE my team mates, be selfless on a whole other level than ever before, growing my patience, & realizing that when you cant shower….baby wipes are your new best friend!!!
Thank you all so much for your blog comments, prayers, thoughts, verses, words of encouragement & simply just taking time to read my blogs! It means more than words can say & i have a blast sharing with you all! You are a big part of this mission & journey. Please pray for Krystel Kemper, my team mate. She’s been sick & we all want her to heal & feel better as we depart & leave for Haiti on Saturday morning! I’m sad to say bye to all of the kids that i bonded with everyday & spent hours with, but i know they are in God’s hands & other Adventures in MIssions teams will be coming in after we leave to continue to love on them. Please also pray that God will continue to raise up local leaders in the slum of Goachupita! We will go all out in love these last few days we have to spend in the Dominican Republic. I had an amazing month, learned so much,did so much, & i’m PUMPED & EXCITED to see what God has planned for my team & i in Haiti for Month #2.
I’ll leave you with this verse: Philippians 4:8-9 “Finally brothers, whatever is true,,whatever is noble,whatever is right, whatever is pure,whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me-put it into practice.And the God of peace will be with you.”
(Juanita & Alfred in our backyard, the morning before their execution.Little did they know that they’d be our delicious lunch that afternoon muahahaha)
(washing the chicken after the be-heading)*Buying a package of boneless chicken breasts= 115 pesos. Buying a live chicken & killing it yourself for lunch=priceless!*
