It's already been a month!!

It's hard to believe that I've already been here for a month! Time has really flown by. This last week seemed to go especially fast. It's hard to know where to begin. There's been a lot going on in my mind and heart lately. I feel like my eyes have been opened to a lot of new things. I'm learning about the challenges and benefits of working together with people from different cultures. I've been learning about God, and I've been learning about myself.

Friday -

Friday was a full day. We went to Santo Domingo with a small group of pastors and leaders to a conference. There were two speakers at the conference. One was Dr. David Walden, president and founder of MOTE and professor from Bethel University. The other was David Kentish from California. David Kentish started Sobriety International.

Dr. David Walden, often called "Chappy," has been doing ministry in prisons in Mexico for the last few years. With the power of God working through them, they were able to change one of the most violent prisons in Mexico into the model prison. They worked together with local churches, sharing the gospel, doing Bible studies, teaching the prisoners to read, write and do basic mathematics. They started every morning with prayer and devotionals. They did character training, and they helped the men learn different trades so when they got out of prison they were better equipped to find a job, provide for their families and contribute to their communities in a positive way. It sounds incredible. "Chappy" continues to give God the glory for it all and insists that it only worked because Jesus was in the center of it all.

Dr. Walden has signed a three-year contract with the government officials of the Dominican Republic. Did you catch that? The government signed a contract inviting Chappy to use his Christ-centered program in the prisons in the Dominican Republic! He and his wife have moved here, and he has already begun working in the prisons here.

Dr. Walden also feels called to help pastors. Dr. Walden was a pastor for several years before starting his prison ministry. He knows the challenges of being a pastor. He is committed to doing what he can to encourage, equip and serve local pastors.

I really like this guy! Dr. Walden oozes with joy, passion and dedication to serving the Lord. He is constantly testifying of God's amazing grace. He is all about Jesus, and it is contagious! I also know that there's so much I can learn from him. I have an opportunity to spend a few weeks with him and his wife in October, and I can't wait. There is a group of seminary students from Bethel University's Global and Contextual Studies program coming here for one of their classes, and I've been invited to participate! Alleluia!!

David Kentish talked about Sobriety International. Sobriety International is intended to help churches in 3rd world countries reach, help and support people in their congregations and communities who struggle with alcohol and other addictions. They want to see life transformation through the healing power of Jesus Christ. They also want to bring healing and hope to families who have been affected by alcohol abuse. Dave Kentish told stories about how God worked through them in Africa to bring healing to many people. It was really powerful.

If you want to see more about these ministries, you can go to the following links: http://www.mote.ws/ and http://www.sobrietyinternational.org/.

Friday afternoon, we returned from Santo Domingo, rested for a few hours and then headed to La Romana for a special service. It really was a special service. It was outside with a beautiful sunset and then with many stars. The church in La Romana is in the middle of a Haitian community. The service was mostly in Creole. I love going to these services in La Romana. I love the way the people there sing, dance and worship the Lord. They love God so much and are not afraid to show it - it's so encoruaging, refreshing and inspiring!

After the service (at like 10pm), the women from the church had prepared a meal for us. We could tell that this meal was really important to them. I don't know for sure, but I imagine they sacrificed to make this special meal for us. At 10 or 10:30 pm, we went into this house that had no running water and no electricity and ate a meal (which was pretty delicious) by the light of a lantern. I don't remember what they called it, but it reminded me of some sort of stew with dumplings! They also had some fresh juice made with limes that was really good. It was a nice way to end the day!

Saturday -

On Saturday, "Team David" (Dr. David Walden, David Kentish and David Underwood) came to Hatol Mayor to visit. They came to talk to Pastor Carlos, see his ministry and get to know him. I don't know what God has in mind for our relationship with these guys, but He sure seems to be opening some doors.

I was able to join these men on Saturday as they toured, and it was a lot of fun for me. I really enjoy being around them. Like I said, they are oozing with energy, excitement and passion for Jesus and for seeing people set free from their bondages. We had some great discussions, and I learned a lot that day.

Sunday -

Sunday night I had the opportunity to speak in Guayabal. This was a challenge and a learning experience for me. I felt like I had no idea what I was doing. I knew God wanted me to speak about James 1:19-27. I had spent a lot of time thinking and praying about it all week. The time came to speak, and I did the best I could. I know it wasn't perfect. I know there are a lot of things I could have done better, but I have to leave it in God's hands. God knows my heart and passion behind it. God knows I did the best I could. Now, I have to leave the results up to Him and let God do what God's going to do.

The big idea of the message was that God is inviting each one of us to be a part of His mission in the world, and this is an opportunity we don't want to miss. God doesn't need us - He is God and can do anything He wants whenever He wants. However, because God loves us so much, He gives us the opportunity to walk with Him, to be used by Him and to be at His side as He works in others' lives. This is an incredible opportunity! It's such a gift to be there as God works in another person's life!

I continue to pray for the people of Guayabal. After working in this community for so many years, there will always be a special place in my heart for the people of Guayabal. I want to see this community healthy, happy and free, loving one another and praising God together. There is going to be an outreach event in Guayabal next weekend. Please join me in praying for this event.

Monday -

Monday morning the students and I met and continued to read through the book of Matthew. We are now on Chapter 5. We only got through five or six verses because we had such good discussion. Chapter 5 is commonly known as "The Sermon on the Mount." We got into a good discussion about what each verse would have meant to "the multitude," what the verses would have meant for Jesus' disciples and what the verses mean for us today. For example, what would someone who does not know Jesus think about the following statement, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven?" Then we asked what is Jesus trying to teach the disciples with this verse and what does it mean for us today? I found it really interesting. I hope the youth did, too!

Late Monday morning, we went to Kilo 16 to deliver more ImpactLives food. We pulled in with the truck, and people lined up to receive the food. It was really interesting. I had lots of thoughts and questions running through my mind. Who are these people? What are their daily lives like? What do they think about? What do they hope for? The picture here is of a woman selling shoes and clothes under the shelter where the men load crates of oranges (chinos) into their trucks.

One thing I am recognizing is how easy it is to come here and want to "fix" everything. Our intentions may be good. We may truly care about these people and just want to help. Sometimes I wonder if what we think would make things "better" would really be helping at all.

Another thing that became clear to me this week is that there is still a part of me that wants to help so that I can get the praise and recongition. I say this is about God and deep down I know that He is what this is all about, but this week I saw a part of me that wants to be the heroine of the story, the one who comes up with the perfect solution and saves the day. YIKES!!! This is not good! This is terrible!! I hate that this is true! I've been praying about this a lot the last few days. I've been rejecting many thoughts about the future and how I could somehow help someday. I've been praying that God would change my thinking and my heart in this regard, and I've been asking God to give me a deeper passion for Him and His purposes.

For several years now, I've been praying that my life would be like a giant spotlight pointing people to Jesus and what He did for us on the cross. I want God to be glorified and Jesus Christ to be exalted. I know this. I believe this is what my life is to be about. Now, I need to live this way. On my own, it's impossible. I need God's help! I'm desperate for God's grace and forgiveness. I'm desperate for God to continue to show me His majesty and power and to remind me every day that this is all about Him. It's not about me. It's about God and leading others to a relationship with Jesus.

The only ONE who can save us is Jesus Christ. The hero of the story is Jesus - always has been and always will be. The God who created the Universe, the God who created you and me is the Everlasting God. He has been long before I came along, and He will be long after I am gone. My days here on earth are maybe a sentence or a word in God's storybook. The only hope I have of contributing anything significant or meaningful is by surrendering my life completely to God and joining Him in the work He is doing in the world around me today.

It's thundering here now - loudly - I love it. For some reason, it gives me peace. I think it reminds me that God is in control, and He is big!

Tuesday -

On Tuesday, Pastor Carlos and I went to San Pedro. I thought something broke on my internet card and Pastor Carlos wanted to get a new cell phone. It turns out my the internet piece for my computer was fine - Hurray! It was really nice to get to spend some quality time with Pastor Carlos. We got to have some good conversation along the way. Spending that time with him was definitely the highlight of the trip. We also got to eat Pizza - Hurray again!!

From San Pedro, we went to the airport to pick up two men from Virginia. Pastor David Dwight and his friend JG. They are here for a few days to do a leadership workshop/retreat for pastors and leaders in the area. Leadership development seems to be a common theme - eh?!

Wednesday & Thursday -

The retreat was great! It was another reminder of how amazing God is....so big and powerful yet so in love with you and me. We don't need to be afraid. We don't need worry. We don't need to hide or be ashamed. God is in control. God is good. God loves us. God accepts us just as we are. God provides for us. God forgives us. God helps us along the way. When we have given our lives to the Lord, we can walk with courage and confidence because God holds us in His tender hands.

More specifically, we talked about leadership and staying healthy on the inside as a leader. Pastor David explained that whatever is inside a leader is contagious. If a leader is healthy on the inside he or she will spread goodness, confidence, peace, passion and love. If a leader is unhealthy, this leader will spread fear, confusion, doubt, pride, selfishness, etc.

2 Samuel 23:3-4 Describes what it feels like to follow a righteous leader.

We talked a lot about identity as well. We talked about being confident, comfortable and actually liking who God created us to be. We talked through Luke 3:22 the verse after Jesus is baptized where God says, "This is my son whom I love and in whom I am well-pleased." We were reminded that God says those same things about us. We talked about this for a while and talked about whether or not we could really accept this. How will we lead differently if we really believe this and live our lives knowing the God of the universe calls us his children?! The God of the universe loves us and is proud of us. If we can really accept this and walk in this, we won't need to work so hard to prove we are worthy, we won't try so hard to be accepted by others, and we don't need to be afraid that we will never be good enough. Since we are already loved and accepted, we can stop trying to earn love and acceptance from others and focus on loving God back!

We also talked about the fact that God created each of us uniquely and with a specific purpose in mind. Pastor David encouraged us to stop looking around for something different and comparing ourselves to other people. Instead, we can joyfully accept the way God made us, the opportunities He gives us to be ourselves, and we can serve in the way He created us to serve.

We heard a powerful story about a group of children who were given a paper bag with their favorite piece of candy inside. They were instructed to peek inside the bag, not let anyone see what was inside and then go and tell their parents how they felt about what they found. They all reported positive feelings after discovering their favorite candy - they were happy, they were excited, they felt special because someone remembered what their favorite candy was, etc. Then, they were instructed to return to the circle and empty the contents of their bag. Once they saw what the others got, all of a sudden they weren't so happy anymore. Some people received bigger pieces of candy than others, and their response was "That's not fair!" A moment ago they were as happy as could be, but after comparing their gift to others' they didn't feel so special anymore. Wow!!! What a lesson for us!

God has given us each unique gifts - not randomly. The Bible says God knit us together intentionally and purposefully and lovingly. He made us the way we are for a reason. God hopes that we will enjoy the way He created us, and that we will enjoy using the gifts He has given us. Instead of asking God for something different and comparing ourselves to others exclaiming, "that's not fair," let's ask God about His plans for our lives and take steps towards living those out.

I better stop! There's so much more I want to say, but this post is getting really long. To summarize the "lessons" I've been learning...

1. God is really big! I pray that God would help me realize how Holy, Majestic and Powerful He is more and more every day.

2. Believing something to be true and living as if we believe it is true are two totally different things. We can say we believe something, but unless our lives reflect that belief, it's worthless!

3. I am what I am because of God's grace, and I can only become more like Jesus by God's grace. In my own strength and power, I will never "get it right."

4. God loves me just as I am, and I can love me just as I am, too.

I'm sorry there's one more thing I have to tell you about. Last night I had the opportunity to go to a service at another church in the community. This service was wonderful. Again, we worshipped the Lord with all of our hearts. For at least an hour, we spent time thanking and praising God simply because He is God, and He is worthy of our praise. Really, is there anything better to do with our time than thank and praise the God who gave us life and continues to give us life every day?!

Belkis, the president of the youth was the preacher. Wow!! That's what I have to say about the message. The scripture she used was 2 Kings 5:9-14. I don't know much of what she said, but I know the Spirit of God was there! I know that Belkis was bringing the Truth, and God was speaking - Alleluia!! The message God spoke to my heart was how dare you question me? How dare you be afraid? How dare you worry? How dare you doubt? How dare you do anything but worship and praise my name?! I am God. I am Holy. I am Mighty. I am Sovereign. I AM! Trust me. All your concerns are so simple for me. Rejoice and be glad! You can count on me!

Another thing I appreciated about this message is how it was delivered. Belkis didn't go to seminary to learn how to preach. Belkis didn't ready books and study the most effective way to deliver a message. She didn't use a formula or outline for her "speech." I don't know how she prepared for the message, but I imagine she spent a lot of time on her knees. I suspect the things she spoke about where things God had been teaching her and revealing to her as she lived her life. Belkis went up there with her Bible and maybe a sentence or two written in a notebook. She prayed. She spoke for a while, then she paused and waited for God to bring the next message to her mind. This is how she preached, waiting for God to lead her and listening for God to put His words into her mind. Then when God gave her something to say, she preached it!!! Let me tell you - she preached it!!! It was an amazing experience. I am so glad I went!

Prayer Requests

1. That I would take things one moment at a time and look for God's leading in all I do.

2. That I would remember how big God is and that I would constantly seek to bring Him glory.

3. For this week with the youth - that we would gain insight into what God would have us do.

4. For the outreach in Guayabal and the hearts and souls of the people who live there.

5. For Pastor Carlos, Teresa and Naty - They work so hard. Pray for rest, for God's blessings and for God to continue to fill them with His love

Praise the Lord!!! Thanks for your prayers everybody!! God is so good!!