I realize haven't blogged for 3 years. Maybe I'll start again. SO VERY MUCH has happened to our family in 3 years, but that's a post for another day.
Last year in July I sat and listened to my pastor, Eric and his wife, Maria, share about their trip to the DR with Rain Down Ministries. I was so happy for them and loved their stories. Little did I know what God had in store for my family.
God has planted a love for missions in my heart. It was years ago...like 30...when I first felt the tug of my heart for people to know His Name and have a relationship with Him--especially those who might have lesser opportunities than those of us in the USA. When The Lord took Tony and me to seminary at SWBTS, I thought He would send us onto the international mission field. We've been on a mission field, but not out of our country. If you believe what Matthew 28:19-20 says, everywhere is a mission field as our mission is to make disciples. "Go" in this instance in the Greek simply means 'as you are going'. So--all the time--we are to be making disciples.
In January SBC held an informational meeting about the 2016 DR trip. Tony suggested we go and listen. I was a little shocked as I just didn't see how we'd be able to go this year as he's still new at his current job. (however, no longer requiring a week off in the summer to visit family in MS is a plus!)
We were seriously interested in the mission. I have a sticky note in my closet that says, 'Lord, show us if and how we are to go to the DR this summer.' I began to pray.
After much prayer and discussion and sacrificial thinking we firmly decided as a family to commit to this trip.
We raised funds as a team through cooking supper, selling chicken plates, personal donations from friends and family. The Lord supplied more than abundantly!!
So we updated passports, prayed, planned, prayed, packed, prayed and then loaded up and headed to New Orleans for our early morning flight July 16.
We went down ahead of the group and spent the afternoon in the French Quarter eating beignets. (Now there's a mission field.)
Early Saturday we flew to DR via Panama City, Panama. Our flights were awesome. Breakfast and lunch were served. Holla for Copa Air! We arrived in the DR around 3. After getting through customs (mercy!!--yay for Edie-or well, Jesus!-for having the name of our hotel, cause our customs officer wanted more info on where we were to be for the week) we got our luggage and were met at the aeropuerta by Maria, Wil, Jack, Wilfrid and our amazing driver for the week, Erik, who took us to our hotel, Caribe Paraiso in Juan Dolio, to settle in. After dinner prepared for us by PJ and Annie Weeks (RDM) we headed to the gorgeous Caribbean beach. Oh, and only one AC unit in our room was working...
Day 1: Sunday morning we drove to La Cubana to worship with Pastor Francisco and his church family at Iglesia Bautista Rio De Jordan. The service was great, and the church members prayed over PJ and his family. I LOVED it!! They pray simultaneously OUT LOUD!! It was gorgeous ♥.
After lunch and rest we headed out to Monte Cristi for the pastor's conference. PJ and Eric preached while Wilfrid translated--which by the way is an amazing gift. The song worship was beautifully led by 4 ladies. Such a sweet spirit in that church. Pastor Geraldo was so glad we were all there he had tears in his eyes!
Day 2: Monday morning we headed back to La Cubana for VBS with the children in the community. Having worshipped with them the day before, we enjoyed seeing a few familiar faces. Michelle Freeman and I shared the Bible stories of Zaccheus and Nicodemus while Maria translated for us. Wilfrid and Jack led our song worship. We helped the kids make salvation bracelets--glad I remembered my colors in Spanish.
When we were finished we walked down to Sophia's house. Sophia is a friend Maria made last year. She offered us limoncillos-- a local fruit that grows prolifically!! They were interesting. I actually enjoyed them. Owen, however, said they were--and I quote--'a big seed covered in cow slobber'. Nice.
Sophia will be remembered for her gracious hospitality in her humble home/yard.
We returned to the hotel for lunch--OUR AC IS FIXED!!--and went to the beach for a bit. There are PLENTY of sellers on the beach... jewelry, sunglasses, candy, massages, scarves... It's almost annoying until you think that some are truly making their living that way. One seller, Castillo, brought gorgeous jewelry made from Larimar. Larimar is a rare blue mineral found only in the DR. Of course we obliged him. Sweet friend he now is.
We were invited to Pastor Geraldo's home in San Pedro de Marcoris for the evening to share corn he roasted for us. We arrived while he was still grilling.
Then they brought out the fresh coconut,s aka coco, while Pastor Geraldo's wife, Maria, made coffee, aka cafe, for us. Erik and Wilfrid cut the coco for us so that we could drink the water and then eat the flesh.
Truett met two little guys whose grandmother lived across from Pastor Geraldo. They were from Atlanta--Julian and Oswaldo
We returned to the hotel and headed across the street to Stefano's Oasis Italian pizzeria. Best pizza ever!! Chloe and his daughter, Stefania, had an impromptu dance party. Stefania had spent the morning with us at La Cubana VBS. We pray for her salvation. She asked questions about the stories she heard. We know that the relationship Maria built last year with her father while eating at his restaurant opened the door for Stefania to hear the Gospel.
Day 3: Tuesday was a HUGE day. Little did we know what the Lord had in store for us. We headed first to Monte Cristi for VBS. We had nearly 100 kids! We sang and shared the Bible stories. We shared snacks with the kids.
Iglesia Monte Cristi is also home to the nursing home Pastor Geraldo (PG) and Maria operate. It houses 50 residents. PG worked the sugar cane fields as a younger man. Haitians were brought into DR to work the sugar cane fields since they worked "hard, fast and cheap." The villages we ministered to were sugar cane villages also know as batays.
He saw people (Haitians) give their lives to the work of harvesting sugar cane to then be cast aside as they were aged or injured. He felt the Lord leading him to help them, so he and Maria began 10 or so people that they cared for themselves. As the Lord continued to provide their numbers increased. Most of his residents are Haitian. We walked with him and toured his newest addition to the facility. They are building and area to house workers, an office and storage. They are needing money to complete it. We estimate after visiting with him, that it would take $1000 to finish it out completely. We as a team prayed over this area as we had learned from our Haitian friends--aloud simultaneously.
There is a baseball field directly behind the church. There was a game going on of 14-16 yr old boys. We walked over to watch in hopes of Eric being able to share with them after the game. These 14-16 yr old boys were BIG boys throwing 95 mph pitches. Yeah! No wonder we see so many Dominicans on our MLB teams. After they were done Eric did share a short devotion and the Gospel was clearly presented to those boys.
While this was going on, Truett had found some amigos with a bike and marbles. He had ridden the bike some and was quickly learning from some skilled marble players! They were quick to ask if and when they'd see Truett again--the question that always made my heart sink... BUT I knew we were returning to MC on Thursday. I just didn't know if we'd be able to see them as we were to be ministering at the nursing home. I told them 'posiblemente.'
We loaded onto the guagua (bus pronounced 'wa wa') and COOLED down. Erik had a swanky guagua with AC and wifi. Michelle, Jack and I were in charge of sandwich making while we made our way to Olivares. PB& J or Ham and cheese??
We traveled on the bumpy dirt road lined DEEPLY with sugar cane on both sides. Out of nowhere appears a batay. Children were beginning to gather. Olivares is a poor agricultural village. There were cattle just across from the church. Right up Tony's alley.
We took a few minutes to tour the Preschool area of the church. It's been built since the RDM teams were there last year. Such a sweet place for those littles.
At Olivares I fell in love. Luigi, Lalita, Pastor Joel... Forever my heart and mind will be filled with thoughts of them. Luigi... the angel face I spotted during our songs. So. much. joy. And then helping Tony with the bracelets, I once again was face to face with Luigi. When we walked to look at Pastor Joel's gardens, etc, I reached my hand back for Truett so as not to lose him. The sweetest, stickiest little hand grabbed mine and held on for the next MILE we walked. It wasn't Truett.
Leave it to Truett to find the local pigs as we walked ;)
Along our way we saw an amazingly beautiful garden in front of the most humble little house. It belonged to Lalita, a 78 year old angel with a very green thumb.
Truett fell on her path and skinned knees and elbows, and in the process broke a gorgeous aloe plant. She rushed to him with a cup of water to wash his knee, elbows and face. I apologized profusely, 'Lo siento!!' To which she brushed off and promptly told me the child was so much more important than any of her plants. ♥ It was a paradise. One plant was COVERED in these caterpillars, which I have learned to be Frangipani caterpillar. It loves the Frangipani tree which has poisonous sap and in turn makes them poisonous to predators. They are the beautiful predecessor to the Psuedosphinx tetrio moth.
We completed our tour with Pastor Joel discussing his tilapia farming and looking at his banana trees. He promptly offered the bananas up in true DR style.
Pastor Joel truly impacted us. We pray for his strength and endurance as he leads his church. The community was previously heavily influenced by Voodoo. Praise the Lord for His work in the lives of the people of Olivares.
With Day 3 done, we tearfully and exhaustedly headed back into Juan Dolio. HUGE day.
Day 4: Wednesday
Rest! We needed rest. This day was a slower day, and we were grateful. Our hearts and minds had so much to ponder. We spent time at the beach. Now, Tony and Truett spent EVERY morning in the ocean before breakfast. It is truly amazing. God is such a masterful artist and majestic Creator.
Somebody stepped on a sea urchin... OUCH!
The above two are the octopus T and T found...and touched!
In the afternoon we dressed and headed to La Romana to attend church with Pastor Vidal. What. a. night! This church is in the city. It's had to move locations since they don't own property, and they have power by a generator. They share building space with a lottery office... gotta love God's sense of humor. What a fantastic worship! As the members arrive, they kneel and pray before they take their seats. Eric preached with Wilfrid's translation. The music was amazingly beautiful. I love the Spanish language. Worship songs in Spanish are so moving to me. Toward the end of the service the generator quit. No one moved, and Eric and Wilfrid pressed on. The night ended with such a sweet Spirit. I'll never sing "I Surrender All" the same again.
Chloe shared her fan
Day 5: Thursday
Thursday we headed back into Monte Cristi to help serve lunch to the residents of the nursing home. I must admit, I did not want to go. Just wasn't feeling it. As we unloaded off the bus I was promptly met by two familiar faces. Remember our marble buddies? Well, they didn't forget! Wandry, the oldest, has a grandmother in the nursing home. He and his mother were there visiting (and waiting to see Truett). Ezequiel the one who shared his marbles with Truett was also waiting for him. They quickly began to play and just be little boys. Language barrier? Nah, no problemo!
Ezequiel on the left, Wandry in the center in the red, and two of Wandry's 5 brothers with T.
We sang songs and then helped feed lunch to the residents. I was so proud of the kids--all of them. No complaining and they were so helpful. We took the time to pray over Napoleon. He's 83 and suffered multiple strokes. He touched our hearts.
I guess the most touching thing for me was meeting and talking with Wandry's mother, Liliana. She seemed unapproachable but was so kind. I'm truly grateful and humbled at how much Spanish the Lord allowed me to remember. Mrs. Hill would be so proud ;)
Liliana is expecting her 8th baby, Deborah, in a month. We talked 'mama stuff'. I realized that moms are just moms wherever and however they live. We have all the same desires--healthy children, adequate provision for them, friends who truly care about us.... Liliana and I prayed before she left. I know the Lord knitted her heart to mine. I have to go back to meet Deborah. I hope Liliana knows what a kind hearted son she's raised and that we pray for her family. I'm so grateful to be her sister in Christ.
Truett had collected baseball gloves for the kids who needed them in the DR. We gave them to Pastor Geraldo to distribute to the community team of young boys.
We left MC headed to Santo Domingo to have lunch and see the orphanage that Wilfrid and his family are working to get started. That city is 1 million people...well, at least. I think it's WAY more. Reminded once again of all the reasons I adore the country. The drive was ocean side so it was beautiful. There's no more beautiful water than Caribbean water!
Wilfrid, Givelina, Wanda, Wengi, Willi, and Giordani at the orphanage.
Katye and Chloe on the roof of the orphanage.
T and Erik our guagua driver at the souvenir shop.
Dinner at Oasis with Stefano and Stefania on our last night.
Day 6: Friday. Time to go home. We loaded the guagua with 19 people and ALL luggage. WHEW!
sardines!
Goodbyes were hard for all of us. Our hearts were torn.
Thank heavens for Matt and KK to make the eternal line for tickets pass quickly.
As we left I saw this sign in the airport. I made a promise, and I'm gonna DO IT!
Thank you for your prayers, your interest, and your time reading. I pray you know
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
(John 3:16-18 ESV)
Dios Te Bendiga, Amen
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