Okay, so as I start the World Race and my first week on the mission field comes to end, I was wondering how I wanted to share what was going on in my journey. I think one day shows what it is all about.
On Tuesday night I reached a personal best in bugs as I was brushing my teeth. There were over 10,000 ants and 7 human size water bugs. After that I got to go to bed in a room that has to be 95 degrees. Also because of three guys’ dirty clothes, it makes the smell real nice as well. 7:00 a.m. came early and it was Bible and breakfast then off to the Haitian school. It was one of the best times in my life. We are in charge of the playsports time with a story time at the end. Today was different, though, because we were told that the kids have no idea when their birthday is. We had to throw them a party.
We got them a cake and danced and I got to tell them about how we love them but not even close to how much God does. Working with translators, I gave the message and after that we danced. After one got on my shoulders, it became the thing to do, and at one time had 8 on me at once. No joke it was the best thing I have ever done. But the day wasn’t over after that.
We then had lunch and went to a hospital. I don’t know if I would have called it that, but it was a place where the hurt and sick went. There are two very different places you can go when you are sick–the private hospital where the rich go or the one we went to. There were 6 people in a room and I haven’t seen a doctor yet. Bandages that haven’t been changed since the 90s, and it made me sick. Everything about it made me madsad and so uncomfortable. The ministry host we are working with led us to a room and told us to pray for healing. That’s it, and it was on us. We prayed and told them about Jesus and went to another room. This went on for two hours. Then we finally ran out of rooms and got to leave.
At dinner I couldn’t even eat because of thinking about what I had just seen. We then met up with the college students that our program is mentoring and got to play volleyball. At that point I got to go home to the only cold thing in the DR which is the shower. We talked about the day and called it a night to start it all again tomorrow.
Looking back on the day my first thought was that I am great with kids. I love volleyball and telling people that Jesus loves them. I just want to do that and never go to the hospital again. That changed when I was praying and I heard God say, “Didn’t you ask to be stretched? And don’t you think the sick need to know I love them too?” A life with Christ is more than just what YOU want to do and what makes YOU feel good. It is hard. It is tough. You will be mad and way out of what you are good at. I had to open my mouth with nothing to say and let the Holy Spirit speak through me. I came with nothing and I think that is what God wants.
So how was the first week? I think the best way to say it is that it was life to the full! When you have to depend on God is when you get to see God show up. If life this week showed me anything, it’s that God is not there to make you comfortable. He is there to show you that you can’t do it on your own, and that is fine. Really it is more important that you can’t. I hope this helps give a picture of what I am doing here in the DR. Really I hope that someone reading this will let God stretch them to a new level and see what happens. Just to let you know, it will be great!
