One step at a time

While the coast we live next to in Santo Domingo isn’t what I’d call a beach, the paved sidewalks that line rocky cliffs hugging the water make an ideal running trail. Normally when I run, I can’t think of anything except for what’s playing on my iPod, but today I actually learned something.

I was on my return from the halfway point and still had yet to pass Adrian Tropical, this restaurant that serves as my “only ten minutes to go” landmark. I had already been running for fifteen minutes, I was tired, and wanted to give myself a break by walking for a bit. I tried to justify it by saying to myself, “I’ve already ran for twenty minutes…I worked out yesterday…what would stopping for a few minutes do to me?”

I even tried thinking of the satisfaction finishing a thirty minute run having given it my all the entire time would bring me (I’ve never been much of a long distance runner, so for me thirty minutes is plenty). But fifteen more minutes of giving it my all seemed too overwhelming to attempt.

Then Matthew 6:34 came to mind:

Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.

As I meditated for a moment on how Jesus tells us to live life one day at a time, I was encouraged to complete my run the same way—one step at a time.

Literally, for the next full minute I kept mentally repeating after each step, “That one wasn’t so bad.” Before I knew it, I was back to my starting point and as I stretched out my sore muscles, I thanked the Lord for empowering me to attain that satisfaction of finishing well.

It may seem silly to find such victory in completing a half hour morning run this way, but I write about it because it really helped me make the connection between what we are incapable of doing on our own strength and what we can do in God’s when we walk with Him one day—or step—at a time.

A glimpse of the sunrise from the Malecon is worth waking up early for

Little Things That Bring Me Joy #2

Finally bought a toaster for our apartment. That’s another thing I went without last year. It’s just easier to put a slice of bread in there and wait a few seconds for evenly cooked toast.

The fact that we now have a toaster is great, but it’s the way that it springs the toast out of the machine like those guns that launch  free t-shirts into the crowd at sporting events that makes me giggle.

It’s like it wants me to play hide and go seek with the toast. As I look into the toaster for my two slices of bread for my sandwich and only spot one, I can almost hear it taunting me: “Oh ho, gotcha this time. You’re probably wondering if you’ve lost your mind and really did put two pieces in or not. Sure try and find it if you think it’s really there…”

About 10 seconds later—which is really 9 seconds too long—I find the previously launched toast laying inside a bowl we keep by the microwave.

Though it’s not something I spend my whole day laughing about, those few moments of searching for my food from the springy toaster brings a smile to my face.

And anything that can do that is worthy of being added to my joy.

Little Things That Bring Me Joy #1

I decided to add this section to my blog as seeking and valuing the good things in life—no matter how small—has been a recent objective of mine. The challenge was inspired by Ann Voskamp’s book 1,000 Gifts.

Worth the watch, here’s a four minute trailer for the book that has helped me recognize God’s blessings in the mundane.

Ann Voskamp’s book inspires the blessings of gratitude

Now on to my joyful experience for the day.

I’ve never bought a dragon fruit before. In fact, I didn’t know what it was called until I Googled it when I got home from the local Domincan super market. It was an impulse buy; I was curious to find out what this artichoke gone pepto bismol tasted like:

Laying forgotten in my refrigerator for a few days, I realized I still needed to figure out how to eat this thing. I asked my roommate to look into the proper way to cut and eat a dragon fruit as I placed it on the cutting board. “Slice it vertically like a kiwi,” she says from the dining room.

I can’t explain why, but I got this unexpected rush of anticipation as I prepared to reveal the insides of this intriguing fruit. What color would it be? Would it have seeds like an orange? Would it hold its form when cut open, or gush juices all over the place?

I can’t remember ever reacting this way to a simple task as cutting open a piece of fruit, but as the two halves fell open I gasped in awe of what I saw. Shocking fuchsia brilliantly complemented with beady black seeds and a texture like sherbet.

This experience of seeing the inside of a fruit for the first time may seem trivial to some, but to me it was like God sharing with me His wonder and tenderness through His creativity.

I am thankful for the reminder that the dragon fruit brought me:

God is good.

He makes beautiful things.

He loves to bring us joy through his creation.

He loves to bring us joy through our experiences.

He loves me.

What brings you joy today?

Music makes you well

One of my favorite stories in the Bible (or at least makes the top 20 list) is in 1 Samuel 16 where King Saul’s soul had been troubled by a spirit that made him feel depressed and full of fear. His servants encouraged him with the following advice:

“Find a good musician to play the harp whenever the tormenting spirit troubles you. He will play soothing music, and you will soon be well again.”     1 Samuel 16:16

David, a God fearing man, shepherd, and harpist, was appointed for the job and as the King’s men suggested, Saul’s spirits would be lifted whenever he played the harp for him.

I love this story because it confirms why sometimes listening to music brings me comfort, encouragement, perseverance, and peace. Music can be a very powerful ailment for our sufferings when the words are edifying and promote wholeness.

I’ve often been one to benefit from others’ music recommendations, so here’s one for you guys that has inspired me to remember the important stuff in life. It’s by one of my favorite artists—Francesca Battistelli—and the rest of her songs are just as awesome. Buen provecho!

This is the Stuff

Do you have to speak Spanish?

A lot of people ask this question when I tell them that our team will be working full time with college students in the Dominican Republic. One reason why I chose this country to do my Stint over others was for the opportunity to use the Spanish I had studied for five years while in Jr/Sr High.

Even with my plethora of book knowledge, I found listening and speaking a bit beyond my capabilities upon my initial arrival to the DR last year. Thankfully, my vocabulary and verb tense skills sharpened up throughout those first ten months as I spent more time doing life amongst Dominicans.

I’m pretty fluent now (someone even thought I was Dominican the other day!) However, half of our team is just beginning to add Spanish to their language repertoire.

Though it’s only been two weeks since our team has been in country, I’ve been delighted to find evidence that supports one doesn’t need to know Spanish right off the bat to make an impact in the Dominican Republic. One teammate has made connections with over a dozen students already by simply picking up a basketball or tennis racket and communicating through his actions on the court. One girl asks lots of questions and carries a small notebook with her where she jots down new words, phrases, and even Dominican recipes! Another teammate has an incredible ability to understand the gist of what is going on in a conversation and ask insightful questions that help spur the discussion further.

While I wouldn’t tell my teammates that developing their language skills isn’t important, I would say that humility and compassion for Dominicans are two qualities that would go a long way as they seek to demonstrate Christ’s love at UASD.

I can’t write this entry without thinking about the 90 students we received in spring break and summer project teams. The majority of them were not Spanish speakers, yet we are currently ministering to students that they initially reached out to!

So shout out to my three teammates who are kicking butt and taking names as they combat tropical heat plus cultural overload, yet still manage to build solid relationships with students; and another to all those that have come to serve the people of the DR and found a way to love them when you couldn’t speak their language. To me, you all have lived out what Paul encourages the Corinthians to be to the lost:

I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.   1 Corinthians 9:22b,23

Ricardo getting to know the guys in a tennis match on campus

 

What’s it like to be a student at UASD?

Some of you have recently started reading my blog or just joined my support team, and as I’m going through the process of reacquainting myself with the main university we’re serving in the Dominican Republic, I deemed it important to share with you a little bit about UASD (Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo).

There are 120,000 students on the main campus, making it nearly double the size of the largest university in the States (which happens to be my alma mater: ASU). It’s a public university with a history; it was the first university in the Americas, founded in 1538.

So what’s it like to be a Uasdiano (student at UASD)? While tuition can be as low as 6 pesos (equivalent of 16 cents) per credit hour for those that attended public high school, they can spend a small fortune just getting to and from school everyday. For someone who takes class Monday-Saturday (which is quite common), they can spend about $15 a week taking public transportation.

Another challenge students are faced with is an inadequate study environment. I went to class with a friend once and the lights were out, some students had to stand or sit on the floor since there weren’t enough desks, and the sound of construction outside made it nearly impossible to hear the professor.

Students walking to class while construction of the Engineering building is in progress

Of course UASD has some redeeming qualities that makes it worthwhile to study there. Besides the fact that it is the most affordable option in the country, it is also well recognized by academic institutions abroad making transfers and advanced education more attainable.

What I love most about UASD culture is the ease of meeting people on campus. You can’t go far without seeing a group of students sitting leisurely on the grass or friends spending their free hours in between classes on a shady bench. Ask one to tell you about Dominican culture and they’ll talk to you for hours. I so enjoy their openness to make new friends and jump into conversation on any subject.

Spiritually speaking, most Uasdianos belong to a church (Catholic, Evangelical, Protestant being the most common). Collectively, Vida Estudiantil and the Stint team last year had over 1,000 spiritual conversations on campus. Something we learned from those discussions was that being affiliated with a religion doesn’t necessarily reflect a genuine faith in God. Many students that consistently attended church and believed in the divinity of Christ and existence of God would say they didn’t feel ready to have a personal relationship with Him. To illustrate how cultural religion in the Dominican Republic is, we learned that even atheists were familiar with Scripture quoting multiple passages. 

There are a lot of faithful believers at UASD, and it’s encouraging to see groups of people meeting for Bible studies around campus throughout the week. But if I were to choose one verse that reflected the general spiritual need for UASD it would be this:

“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’  But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’”    Matthew 7:21-23 NLT

I’m still learning about what God’s doing at UASD. This week our team will be heading to campus daily to do some intentional studying of the university and its students so that we can minister more effectively to them. Pray for the students of UASD and our team so that more people can come to have an abundant life with God!

Mighty Creator

Something I’ve been really excited to do this year with my team is a study on the different characteristics of God. We’ll be using Ann Spangler’s book The Names of God as our daily devotional to help us learn and meditate on what it means to recognize God for the various identities that He has.

Today, our team learned that God is Elohim, our Mighty Creator. This is the first name used for God in the Bible during the description of how the universe was created. The coolest part of our conversation was when we shared how we experience and benefit from His creation in our daily lives. Here’s a few of the daily gifts that we receive through His works:

The majestic display of lightening from behind dark hurricane clouds

The vast variety of living things, even just on the street that we live on. We take joy in seeing the mango trees, palms, and orchids that brighten up our urban apartment neighborhood.

The power of the ocean as the waves crash against the cliffs.

His overwhelming presence in silence.

It was so refreshing to talk about the ways that God’s creation have refreshed our souls. I’m looking forward to learning more about His character together this year and falling more in love with who He is.

And I just have to put this shout out in here:

Today is my teammate, Katie’s birthday! She rocked it practicing her Spanish on campus today and gave our team a great reason to come together and celebrate.

Katie meeting students for the first time at UASD

Things I lived without last year

I thought my experience from our “moving in” shopping trip today would be a great illustration of what it’s been like as I begin my second year of Stint to the Dominican Republic.

I’m not sure if my new teammates thought I was managing with less, just being frugal, or plain out of my mind last year when I told them that we’d have to buy an oscillating fan, ice trays, and a kitchen trashcan since we didn’t currently possess any of those. Now that I’m sitting in the living room with the fan creating a cool, forceful breeze, I’m beginning to think I was on the brink of insanity too!

As I followed my teammates around the department store trying to remember why I went all last year without some of those items that they considered basic, it hit me that although I was returning for the same length of time to the same location, this year wouldn’t be a repeat of the last. Jimmy and I are not the same unsure and sprouting leaders that we were at the beginning of last year now that we’ve gained the gift of experience. My four other teammates are not the same people that joined us last year (whom I keep thinking I’m about to see walk around the apartment any second now).

On the other hand, some things haven’t changed a bit. Which brings me comfort. As we drove up to our old apartment, geared up to move back in, I got such a wave of excitement. This is my cowntry! (country of course sounds much better in a Dominican accent). I missed the eloquence of the flow-y Caribbean Spanish, the ease of taking public transportation, the teal blue sea right outside my window. Mmm! Love it.

So I look forward to embracing the new while growing more in love with the home that I was introduced to exactly one year ago. I trust that God will use the experience and compassion from last year to help me lead my team more aptly. I trust Him to use my new friends/co-workers/roommates to powerfully impact the students as they commit themselves to serving the Dominican people. I trust Him to bind our team together in unity. I trust that at the end of this year, I will be more in love with Him than I was when I first accepted the call of Stint and than I am with Him now.

Our team, left to right: Ricardo, Katie, me, Maira, Josh, and Jimmy at briefing in Chicago.

Massive shopping trip where we broke the news that our milk will now come in a cardboard box.

It’s not the DR if you’re not squished in a car having a great time!

Is it ok to hope?

I haven’t updated you much since I’ve been back from the DR, mainly because I’m pressed for time as I’m trying to reconnect with lots of people while I’m briefly back in the States. However, I’ve received multiple requests to blog about this, so here it goes:

I, like many other young adults, have reached the stage in life where it seems like all of my friends are either engaged, married, or talking about getting married. And I, like many other single women, am left asking myself, “When will it be my turn?”

Now before any of you start thinking that I am just another one of those fantasy chasing, needs-a-man-to-complete-me, constantly daydreams about her wedding kind of girl, let me say this: I have found the last few years of my life to be an adventure in which God has drawn me more in love and satisfied with Him than ever. I’ve gotten to live in another culture, come alive through significant conversations with others, and gained confidence through the experiences God has enabled me to walk through. I would continue to live this way in my singleness for the rest of my life if that’s what He’d call me to do.  But that’s not what this post is about.

This post is about my journey of seeking an answer to why I have this desire—at times an aching longing—for a life long companion.

Have you ever hinted to your parents that you want a certain gift for Christmas and desperately hope they actually get it for you? You know, with the same kind of desperation Ralphie had for the Red Rider BB gun? You get excited just thinking about how you’ll use the gift, but are conflicted about the possibility of that sinking feeling you could have if you don’t find it under the tree. You begin to wonder if it’s even worth your hope for fear of how you’ll feel if you don’t get it. This is the question I’ve been asking God for a while now: “Is it ok for me to hope for a future spouse?” (What I’m secretly asking him is really something more like, “Can you just tell me if I’m going to be single for the rest of my life so I can stop getting my hopes up whenever I meet someone who fits the bill?”)

As I asked God this question for the umpteenth time, I started to hear an answer, though not to the question I was asking. He reminded me of Genesis 1:27,

So God created mankind in his own image,
   in the image of God he created them;
   male and female he created them.

He continued to remind me of something I had read about–how the feminine heart reflects His own character. I began making a list of core desires I have as a woman and considering how these might reflect God’s longings as well. It didn’t take long for me to figure out my top three priorities as it relates to my romantic petitions:

1) to be understood and known,

2) to be pursued,

3) for someone to be committed to me.

I was taken aback when I began making connections to what Scripture tells us is true about God’s heart:

Wasn’t it God who said, “I will give them a heart to know me” in Jeremiah 24:7? And wasn’t it Jesus himself who prayed “that they may know you, the only true God” in John 17:3? God also wants to be known intimately.

And isn’t it interesting the exact phrase “seek the Lord” is mentioned over 25 times in the Bible? It is so important to Him to be pursued that before Jesus’ sacrifice paid the price for people’s sins, the Old Testament tells us that “all who would not seek the LORD, the God of Israel, were to be put to death (2 Chronicles 15:13).”

And try to tell me God doesn’t desire commitment after reading about the Parable of the Rich Man (Luke 18). This guy obeyed all the law and did everything required to follow the Lord, yet God asked him to give that which he still clung to, his wealth, as a demonstration of his devotion.

I was moved by what the Lord shared with me that night, and felt compassion for how His heart must ache, too, when His children say they love Him and go to church every Sunday, but don’t know how to show that love in the midst of their daily lives. If I may, it’s kind of like the guy who tells you it was love at first sight and professes to adore you when he doesn’t even know what your values are, what you’re talented at, or your favorite flavor of ice cream. Empty words don’t build relationship or fill the need to be known.

All of a sudden I could understand the way God must feel when people give up on trying to grow in their walks with Him as I contemplated my own frustration with circumstances where it appears someone is drawn to you, but nothing ever comes of it. If I want someone who’ll chase after what they like in me, I’m certain God wants it too.

And finally, I see more clearly than ever why God desires us to be lifelong followers committed to growing with Him as I think about the satisfying fulfillment of growing with your spouse until you both turn gray and have wrinkles from a lifetime of laughter.

God didn’t answer if it was ok to hope for a spouse (or tell me if I am going to be single for the rest of my life), but He did show me He was true to His promise that “If you seek the Lord your God, you will find Him if you seek with all your heart and with all your soul (Deuteronomy 4:29).” I know Him better now. And somehow Psalm 34:10 restores my hope:

The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

Vida Estudiantil in other campuses

Haven’t had much time to blog as our team is preparing to leave the country and return to the States (also my power has been out since Thursday and just came back last night!) Had to share with you though about my experience at UNPHU (Universidad Pedro Eriquez Ureña). Since Jimmy and I will be returning to the DR for another year in August, we thought it would be cool to visit the campus for the weekly meeting today to check it out before we left the country.

This year, a second year medicine student, Albelina launched a Vida Estudiantil movement on this campus with the help of Leyla. I had the opportunity to get to know her at the student retreat earlier this month. She has such a huge heart for demonstrating God’s love to others on her campus by telling them about Christ. I really admire her for taking a HUGE step of faith by starting this movement. Even though it felt awkward for her to invite her peers and students she didn’t even know to participate in a weekly Bible study that had yet to see it’s first week, she faithfully did so and now has about fifteen people coming regularly.

Although we didn’t know we were expected to lead this week’s meeting until we got there, Jimmy and I were blessed to get the chance to share with the students how we felt God calling us to serve in the Dominican Republic and why campus ministry is so important. They shared with us some concerns they have for students on their campus and how God is already moving at UNPHU. In this meeting of fifteen students—one boy—we caught a glimpse of what the needs of the ministry are and how we can celebrate what God is already doing there.

We heard some students share how God had been faithful to help them in their weaknesses, whether it was a tough class (organic chemistry, you know that one is hard!) or kicking a bad habit to the curb. I was really inspired by the strength of their testimonies. Someone even shared about how God brought her back to him after she had drifted away for a while. It was clear today that many of these students have had faith defining experiences with God and truly adored him for the changes he has made in their lives.

We learned that it’s been difficult to gather men to join the ministry. That while students are growing in their relationship with Christ and desire to share him with their peers, they have not been equipped with resources or training on how to do so in a natural and effective way.

Please pray for this budding ministry at UNPHU. Pray that Leyla as our national director is given divine wisdom to help guide Albelina and the ministry there. Pray for Albelina, that in the midst of the challenge that is leading a new group, she is renewed daily by God and given fresh compassion for those under her care often. Pray for the students who are currently invloved, that they continue to be open with one another and praying for each other and bring light to the campus. Pray for the university, too. It’s a private school and lots of very bright young adults graduate from there. These students could have lots of potential to affect the country in the future. Pray that it produces a generation of true Christ followers who love others as He did!