It’s hard to believe, but two months of my 11 month adventure has already flown by. The 1st month in Puerto Rico, I had a lot of luxuries, such as hot showers, mirrors to see what I look like, internet every day, U.S. currency, and living right on the beach. Sounds like a vacation right? The 2nd month was the complete opposite. I lived in a tent in the mountains, had freezing cold showers, haven’t seen a mirror all month, no internet at all, a new currency, and one bathroom for all 47 of us. If you were to ask me which place I’d prefer, most would assume the 1st place with all the luxuries, but not sure that was the case. If you take away all of these tangible things that we feel like we are so desperate to have and focus on the lifelong ministry that our Lord and Savior has called each and every one of us to do, we would see God’s beauty and glory in every place we go.
So month one I stayed in Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico, but our ministry was at a drug rehab center in the city of Ponca. The 1st day we walked in and 20 plus men were in a meeting. They looked through the window at us with the hardest, most serious faces I have ever seen. I thought to myself, “How are we, my team of 7, going to get through to these men who look like they are so angry that us Americans are at their place”. We looked at each other with nervous faces, but we trusted the Lord and we were going to follow His lead.
Throughout the first week, we started to form relationships with these men by listening, sharing stories, playing games, telling jokes, playing basketball, and just simply sharing our love with them as Jesus did. Eventually, after relationships were formed and bonds of trust were created, we began to share more than just love. We started to do worship, bible studies, sharing our testimonies, and teaching them that no matter what they had done, they were forgiven because Jesus died for their sins and all they had to do was repent. We explained to them that it wasn’t important to God what they had done, the important part was forming a personal relationship with the one who created them, the one who sent His son to die for them, the one who loves them no matter what. These men were starting to get it.
By week two, these men at Hagar Crea were waiting by the gate in the morning for us to arrive with laughter and smiles on their faces. What a feeling to see these men who were so angry, so troubled, so hurt, smiling and laughing like little kids. The joy was back in their hearts. I remember one day when we were doing chores with some of the men. One of them looked at me and said, “It doesn’t make any sense. I need to be here and don’t want to, you all don’t need to be here, but want to”. It brought tears to my eyes because this is what we were brought to these men to do. Show them that we truly care about them and that God truly cares about them. Not because He has to, but because He wants to.
The last week flew by and let’s just say it wasn’t easy for me or my teammates. We had so much more WE wanted to do, so much more WE wanted to say, but we are called to plant seeds and trust that God, not us, will harvest them. The last day was rough. These tough men went from being angry that we were there, to having uncontrollable tears that we were leaving. We were called to be a blessing to these men, but God turned it around so that they became a blessing to me.
Month two we arrived to Lajas, Dominican Republic. Our ministry focus was less relational and more on physical labor, prayer walking, and teaching the local kids English. It has been an awesome month, but I felt a little under-utilized at first. After spending all last month sharing the good news of God’s love with men who really needed it, I was now digging holes and carrying rocks and doing other things that I may never see the end result of.
By week 2, the Lord showed me that I had a bigger calling this month. The host family we stayed with had two daughters, Solimar who was 7 and Star who was 9, and two sons, Josiah who was 13 and Junior who was 16 that all lived here. They also had 3 boys in the military who were being deeply missed by the whole family. I began to become very close to the kids and the parents. They told me I reminded them of the boys who were away. Vicki, the mom, started calling me son, the girls were calling me brother, and the boys were doing things with me that only brothers do. God is using me this month to remind them of these 3 boys in the military and to fill the missing void of no communication with the sons and brothers that are so desperately missed.
Today Star came up to me with sad, pouty lips and tears in her eyes and said, “Please stay, I miss my brothers so much and you are exactly like them. I don’t want you to leave me too.” It was hard for me not to tear up and I didn’t have the right words to respond, but I know God is blessing them with me being a reminder of their sons and God is blessing me with them as a reminder of my parents, brothers, and sister that I am missing so dearly. It’s not going to be easy to leave my family here in the D.R., but I’ve already promised Star that I would be back, so Lord willing, I will see them all again.
After all the amazing things that have happened these first 2 months, it’s hard to imagine what God has in store for me in the next 9 months. This is God’s journey and I’m just along for the ride.
