Republica Dominicana

We have had a CRAZY project so far, as nothing has gone as planned. The first week on campus, of which students stepping out for the first time to initiate conversations hoping to lead to the Gospel, ended with a riot on friday night. The riot began by students in attempt to lower tuition. None of us were present, but things got a little heated- closing down the school off and on for the following week. We were flexible and able to go to some other campuses, but things have certainly been up in the air.  Everything is safe and pleasant now, but we hear rumors of more to come ;) Please be praying for wisdom as we seek to be useful and encouraging to the ministry here.


I want to share with you two stories:

Roodly is a student we met last week on a smaller campus here in SD. Roodly is Haitian. Much like many of our students in Destino, being Latino, experience marginalization in the States, Roodly faces the same hardship here in the Dominican. His school was demolished in the earthquake a few years back in Haiti, forcing him to finish his studies here in Santo Domingo. During his time here, he has had few friends and is far from his family. We connected right away. The following day, he came with us to a VIDA (the ministry here) meeting, of which we had to walk 20 minutes to get to. On the way, a student Joanna entered into conversation with him.

After a few minutes, it was clear that God had put them together. They talked of similar backgrounds with their families being Jehovah's Witness. Soon enough the conversation led Joanna to tell her story of God revealing Himself to her through Christ's life, death, and resurrection. She has a vibrant relationship with God. Roodly asks her, "So, you know God personally? How do you have a relationship with Him?" You can see where the conversation was headed, as Joanna was faithful to share the Good News with him. He wanted to pray right then and give his life to Christ. The men met with him today to follow up with him, and will be meeting tonight to talk about what it looks like to walk with God daily as a man.



Phoenix, a student from Denver (yay!), is experiencing God's grace and truth in ways she never has before. She shared with us last night her response to this question: how are you experiencing the gospel this week in new ways?  I loved hearing her timid voice exclaim:
    "I have been understanding more and more how God hates sin, so much so that He died for me to have life. Now I am realizing that before I didn't want a real relationship with God before where I had to surrender to that. I wanted control, and to get away with things. As I have been here, reading God's Word, and sharing with people- Now I want to, IT'S ON! And I want everyone else to experience Him too."


Please be praying for our team, and our last week here. We love you all!

Today

What a day! The summer is bringing such warmth and hints of newness to our souls, after a long season of transition, which of course includes loss, discovery, disillusionment, fear, pain, sin, surprises, and tears. 


Tonight, we went to Park Church...not to the building, but we sat on park benches in our neighborhood with our pastor and his wife. The kids played with newly-made neighborhood friends on the playground. Lightning lit up the sky intermittently, giving us surprises of sight as dusk became deeper. We shared about our year, they offered sweet care, insight, and direction, and prayed for us. They prayed for us on a park bench in the dark in our neighborhood. We left, and as their oldest daughter grabbed my hand to walk, I began to sing, aloud


these words:


I can see morning, I can see morning, I can see morning. 
Just lift up your head, and you will see it too.


I'm now in my bed, thinking over the day. And I looked up the words to that song, by Jill Andrews, an incredible folk singer from my hometown. The lyrics are like a gift to me in this moment, telling me something true.


gotta go
gotta go
gotta find the answer
gotta find
gotta find a way back home
gotta look
gotta look in every direction
till you find
till you find you're not alone

there are people everywhere lookin out for you
holding their hand out for your hand
i hope someday you see 'em there too
standing right beside
right beside of you



[and later on...]


you can say that i've always been wrong
you can say that you're way too far gone
you can tell me to look the other way
you can tell me to stay and i'll stay




I know you can't get into my head to make sense of all that, but something is shaking me. I've felt in many ways like I have lost a sense of who I am, giving the power of that definition away to anyone with a voice. I am slow to grasp the transforming truth that the Lord's voice is the only one that matters. I gotta go find the answer, find a way back home...and as I start, I hear God saying "you're not alone." It will be a long journey, but I want to know His voice again, the One who is Sovereign and reigns over everything. The One who says, and it is so. The One who tells me who I am, and is my identity. 


Brian prayed that the Gospel would be a taproot in our lives, always seeking more and more, growing in depth and root. I want to pray this, too. 

http://science.howstuffworks.com/dictionary/plant-terms/root-info.htm

just enjoy...

Austin is always the one the background, doing all the work that no one sees. At the last familia dinner of the year, we took a group photo. Austin, of course, took all the great shots. He eventually wanted to be in one, so here's to Austin...he got in the picture.