Lisa: Sometimes this is really hard...

I just dropped Erin off at the bus station and said goodbye--for about the 100th time.  The difference is this time I have no idea when I will see her again.  Good-byes are easier when you have a definite date for your next meeting.  A friend here took us to the bus station and we were chatting on the way home about our lives here.  "Why can't we have a normal life like our friends and other family members."  I guess the answer is that we could if we chose to ignore the calling the Lord placed on our lives. And in my heart that is not my desire.  But sometimes this is really hard....

I wish I could tell you that I was the perfect missionary.  Always looking for the next person to speak life over, talk about Jesus, finding the next opportunity that God places in my path, loving the children every day and being a light in the darkness.  The reality is, I try to do all of the above things  and I do try to seek the will of God each morning.  However, I fail and sometimes I fail often.  Life here can be difficult at times--I miss warm showers, air conditioning, certain foods but mostly my friends and family.  I was very happy today that I managed to make it up our hill before I started crying after telling Erin good-bye.   For those who have seen me cry, you know I am not a pretty crier--haha!

But the Lord in His faithfulness reminded me of why I am here when I got home, wiped my face so I could see again and blew my nose.  In the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke there is a story of Jesus describing His true family.  He was with a crowd of people and someone told him His mother and brothers were outside.  Scripture says He pointed to his disciples and said, "Here are my mother and brothers.  For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."  He was not denying his responsibility to his earthly family.  His family was a very important part of His life and He provided for his mother's security while he was on the cross (John 19:25-27).  Jesus was showing us that spiritual relationships are as binding as physical ones and he was paving the way for a new community of believers, our spiritual family. ( notes taken from my Life Application Bible)  Jesus wants me here to build up my spiritual family and love and honor them as I do my earthly family.

God has blessed me with wonderful people here that I am able to live and work with each day.  He has shown me that the more open I am in doing His will, the more blessings He is able to give to people and to my family.  Jesus knows I struggle some days with being so far away from my family and friends and He understands.  But He has not called me to do anything that He and His disciples did not experience.  There can be hardships when you follow God's will for your life.  But I know and believe that the blessings He gives for our obedience are well worth the sacrifice.  Jesus is alright with my tears and my questions and lets me have that time to mourn. He mourns with me. But when I listen carefully I can hear him say--I love you.  Now get up, wash your face and find the joy I am giving you this day.  Pretty awesome!

We want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and blessed New Year.  Thanks for all of your love and support for our family.  This journey we are on is also your journey and we are so blessed to be able to share it with you.  I am pretty excited to see what the Lord is going to do in 2015!  We love you!

Jessica: Painfully and Blissfully Aware

“Jessica,” my little 4-year-old neighbor called from his house, “Elisa and I are sad.”

“Why?” I asked.

“Because we’re alone.”  I sighed heavily before getting up, grabbing my broken jump rope and torn deflated soccer ball and heading next door to cheer up Jojo and his 7-year-old sister Elisa.  I wasn't sighing because they had called to me; those kids drive me nuts sometimes but I love them dearly.  I was sighing because this was just another reminder of the broken system we are trying to live and work with. 

Elisa and Jojo are alone for at least four hours, sometimes more, six days a week.  Six months ago I might have judged the parents, condemning them for allowing their young children to be home alone so much.  The kids were bored but mostly they were lonely, just begging for someone to look up to, someone to love them.  But when you spend enough time somewhere you become aware of what is really going on around you.  I learned that my little friends are alone so much because their parents are working, or going to school to have more opportunities.   

They say ignorance is bliss, but is it?  Too many people just look on the surface of things and don’t bother to learn what’s really going on.  Is it a blissful feeling to think Elisa’s parents are neglectful or don’t care about her?  I can tell you the truth is fiercely the opposite.  They are two of the most loving parents I have ever seen.  To me, watching them interact in the time they have together is bliss.  And to stay ignorant would be to miss out on those beautiful moments, because I would be too blind to see them.

The way I see it, the only way we can experience the truest joys in this world is when we allow ourselves to experience the greatest hurts as well.  We can’t have one without the other, not in this broken world.  I believe that because I believe God is most obviously seen working in the deepest despairing places in the world; not that he works more in desperate places but that he is allowed to work in those places.  And when we see God work we can finally see bliss at its finest, truest form.  I would rather be a Christ-follower who is blissfully aware of the world around me, the good and the bad, so that I can know how to live and work in it effectively. 

To the unaware, the solution to the problem above may look simple—put the kids in day-care, have one parent stay home with them, give them to a neighbor or family member to look after.  But to the blissfully aware it’s more complicated.  There is no day-care, and if there is the family can’t afford it.  To put the kids in day-care would mean more money needed, and that would mean working longer hours (if they could even achieve that-there are not enough work hours to go around here), which would mean more time in day-care, which would mean more money, etc.  Their neighbors and family members are all working too, or they have their own children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, to take care of.  Should a parent stay home and sacrifice that paycheck or that education, or should they leave the kids alone for a few hours for a slight chance at being able to provide for them better in the future?  It’s complicated, and there is no easy solution.  There is a saying here that people use all the time: “No es fácil”—It’s not easy.  It’s one of the most accurate sayings about life I have ever heard. 

Do I regret it?  Coming to be a part of their lives, and becoming aware of their hardships and struggles?  Not for a moment.  In fact, I thank God I am finally beginning to understand life here, because the more I know the more God can use me to help.  The more I look the more He will show me.  The more I listen the more He will tell me.  And that, my friends, is bliss.  Painful, yes, but beautiful.

If I had one wish on this topic of being painfully and blissfully aware, it would be that the young ones around me wouldn't be so quite painfully aware of the world around them.  I praise God that I as a 22-year-old am aware of what's going on around me, but I cry out to Him in anguish that the 3- and 4-year-olds I love so much are aware of the same things I am.  The culture here can be rough sometimes, and hurtful and inappropriate things are not swept under the rug as much as in the U.S.  The other day I was sitting outside my house while Elisa was doing my hair.  Three men passed by and we greeted each other like everyone does when you're sitting outside.  When they were out of earshot Elisa said this to me in a low grave voice:

"The man in the black shirt was looking at you badly."  I turned around to face her.

"Why do you think he was looking at me badly?" I asked her, curious of what she thought.  She didn't answer my question directly, I think because she was ashamed to talk about it,

"He was looking at you badly.  When you were looking the other way, he was looking at you badly."  It truly broke my heart that a 7-year-old girl could tell me when a man was looking at me inappropriately.  A 7-year-old shouldn't even be aware that men (and women) have a look that expresses a thought like that. 

 Me and my beautician/hair stylist Elisa

That's not the only instance when I have been shocked and broken-hearted at the things these children have learned and experienced.  I have heard 3-year-olds cussing like a sailor as if it is nothing.  I have watched 5-year-old girls dancing so unbelievably vulgarly, and the 8-year-olds that are teaching them.  I have listened and seen as 9-year-old boys blow kisses and say such crude and offensive things to me that I am too shocked to respond.  One of the greatest tragedies of this world is our lack of innocence, and in poverty it is hard to shield the young ones for very long from the evil and offensive things around them.  

I am painfully aware of the hardships and hurts the people, especially the children, around me have experienced.  But I am eternally grateful to God for allowing me to experience the pain, as well as the bliss, that comes with serving Him and lifting up His broken people.   No es fácil, it's not easy, but thank God He can take this world and redeem it to make every second, the pain and the bliss, worthwhile.

Marty: What's so Important About Unity?

“All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all….”
— Acts 4:32-33

The concept of unity has been coming up in my world lately. Most mornings, I read a selection from “Tozer on Christian Leadership,” and share it with my accountability group in the States. This month’s theme is ‘Revival,’ and the last couple of days specifically tackled this idea of unity. Tozer teaches that God works through a body of believers when that body has, “…through repentance and faith, brought their hearts into one accord.” Tozer says, “The Holy Spirit comes because we are a united people; He does not come to make us a united people.”

“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!”
— Psalm 133:1

As I look at our ministry here, unity is a theme that is guiding our day-to-day efforts. For example:

• We strive to be united as a family first. Without family unity, we could not expect God to work through us to accomplish His will. We work on this in a couple of ways. First, by communication with God. We try to start our work days with prayer as a family, thanking Him for allowing us to serve in this way, and lifting up our ministry team, people in the bateyes, and specific needs we are aware of, both here and in the States.
  And second, we communicate with each other. We talk to each other – a lot. Granted, we spend a lot of time together, and there are times we need to just be alone and quiet (a need that we respect in one another!). But, we do spend a good deal of time discussing our ministry, what’s going right, what can improve, where we sense God leading us, what is frustrating us, and what is bringing us joy.
  
  
• We are working to build unity within our ministry team. Many readers know that the ministry employs four local residents with whom we serve. They are a great team, and I love these guys! We all work well together, but I’m not sure they are fully united in seeing God’s vision for this ministry. This is something we need to work at together, just as we do as a family.
  
  
• We rely on the supportive structure of a united governing body – the ministry’s Board of Directors. Organizations must have structure and leadership, and ours comes from our Board of Directors located in Westminster, Maryland. It is by God’s work through this body of believers that we are able to do what we do here. Jessica will be returning to Maryland the first two weeks in October to report to the Board and share her vision for where God is leading us in the ministry. In communicating with the Board, we hope to be strengthening the unity within that body.
  
  
• One of Jessica’s goals is to build unity among the ministries that serve this part of the Dominican Republic. There are many mission-focused organizations here, and each one seems to operate alone, with their own idea of what is needed and the 'right' way to meet those needs. What an impact we could have if we worked together on some of those needs! This summer, we began developing relationships with two organizations here and have worked with them on projects in ways which are new to us and them. Just last week, we met contacts with two other organizations, and we hope to foster those relationships to support this goal of unity. We have just scratched the surface of the potential. And, of course, we won’t always see eye-to-eye with our sister organizations. But even if we can partner on a few of our projects, what a difference that could make!
  

Okay, so why is this stuff important?

Because this is the type of stuff Jesus prayed for when He was on earth – and I believe He still prays for it today! Check out this prayer of Jesus, recorded in John’s gospel (17:20-23):

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and
have loved them even as you have loved me.”

Unity is important because when the Body of Christ is truly united in our work to serve Jesus, it is then that unbelievers encounter Jesus, and experience His love in a life-changing, life-saving way.

                                               

We’d like to thank the many people who have united with us to make our ministry here possible. Your gifts of prayer, encouragement, financial support, — even taking the time to read our blogs — mean so much to us! We are still in need of financial support to ensure our work here will continue into the coming year. If you are able, and would like to join with us in this way, you may do so by:

• Clicking the “Donate” button on our blog page. Here you may donate via PayPal (either with a PayPal account or major credit card), directly to our account with The Least of These Ministries. (If you are reading the e-mail version of this blog, you may access our blog page by clicking the title at the top of the page).

OR…

• Mailing a check. Please make the check payable to The Least of These Ministries, and indicate on the check or a separate note that the donation is for Missionary Support-Hogan. Checks should be mailed to:
  The Least of These Ministries
  170 Airport Drive
  Westminster MD 21157

The Least of These Ministries is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization incorporated in the State of Maryland. As such, your donations may be tax deductible in accordance with IRS regulations.

Jessica: Playing With the Big Boys

"But Moses said to God, 'Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?'  

And God said, 'I will be with you.'"

Oh hey.  Remember me?  The last time I posted I talked about how I was just a baby learning the ropes around here in the DR.  It's amazing what four short months can teach you, and how much older you can feel after all your experiences.  In some ways, that's great!  We now go to the supermarket with no supervision (and have for some time now!).  I can walk into a hardware store and actually receive what I ask for, even if it takes a couple tries.  We have made friends with people and businesses owners around town who get excited when they see us.  And, more importantly, I have become friends with many of the leaders in the bateyes, and I think they are starting to realize that my family and I are here for the long haul, and that we really are here to help them and to bring us all closer to God.  These are major successes, people!

But these four months have also truly revealed to me just how big a task with which God has entrusted me.  Crazy circumstances have made these the hardest, randomest, and most wonderful four months of my life.  For those of you who don't know, the manager of the Dominican side of The Least of These Ministries resigned after just a month of us being here to pursue other career interests.  The ministry placed me in charge to fill his place.  Me-a small 22-year-old white girl with no experience leading a ministry.  This is a role that I felt I might occupy in the distant future, but definitely not this soon.  I certainly wasn't seeking this position, but I also felt certain that it was the will of God.

Suddenly I wasn't a baby anymore because I couldn't be a baby.  I was in the Big League now, I was playing with the big boys.  And you know what?  This is hard.  I have never had to do anything this hard.  I know it's been hard because since moving here I have developed a recurring stress dream that I am in a school play and have forgotten all my lines (and dance routines) on opening night.  Apparently that is the epitome of stress to me.  I guess I should be grateful my stress didn't take the form of a zombie apocalypse every night.   

Ever since I can remember my favorite person in the Bible has been Moses.  I love his story, maybe because I can relate to him so well.  I could spend my entire life talking about him (and I probably will!).  Up until God empowered Moses to stand up to Pharaoh-and even sometimes after-Moses seemed to struggle with a huge lack of confidence, not only in himself but in God as well.  When God called him to free the Israelites from slavery Moses came up with every single possibility of things that could go wrong.  What if Pharaoh says no?  What if they want to know who sent me?  What if they don't believe me?  But I don't speak well, I never have.  Oh God, please send someone else.

I hope you all have seen the beautiful film adaptation of this story, The Prince of Egypt.  There is a song in the middle of it when Moses first confronts Pharaoh and his magicians to demand that they let his people go.  Whenever I am struggling or have come up against some conflict, this song plays in my head (Is that lame?  Probably.  I don't care though).  Here is a link to watch the scene: Playing With the Big Boys-Prince of Egypt

When I'm having a rough day or when problem after problem come up with less and less solutions, it really does feel like I'm facing giants.  I deal with conflict among the people around me, broken things that need fixing, people who don't seem to share my philosophy of ministry, and so many other things.  I have seen the negative consequences of people's bad decisions, and I have seen what happens when Satan comes with the intent to destroy.  We as a Church have a lot up against us, and on tough days I allow the weight of it all to bring me down.  I have a feeling Moses had days like that too.

I can honestly say, however, that the biggest giant I have faced so far is my own sense of inadequacy.  Even as a child I struggled with self-doubt.  I have never felt good enough, smart enough, courageous enough to complete that tasks that God has given me.  And now that God has brought me to the biggest task of my life to this point, my self-doubt continues to rear it's big ugly head now more than ever.

But you know what I love about God and the story of Moses?  Moses asks, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" (Exodus 3:11).  It sounds to me like Moses wants some validation; he wants God to tell him why he qualifies to do this job.  Does God start listing off all of his good traits to reassure him that he is the man for the job?  I personally would love a pep talk like this.  But no.  The only response God gives is "I will be with you."  

Moses succeeded because God was with him.  Not because he was big, strong, and brave.  Likewise, God didn't call me because of my stunning good looks, my naturally fearless disposition, or my ability to juggle four chainsaws and a bunny all at the same time.  He chose me because I am a broken human being in desperate need of his salvation, and he knew that if I humbled myself and allowed him to take control of my life, people would be able to see his glory shine through my broken exterior.  If I remain in God and stay faithful to his will, I will succeed too.  And that's all the reassurance I need.

Do you want to help me face giants?  The best way to help is to pray!  Prayer is what moves God to work in mighty ways, and believe me, he has already moved in mighty ways.  Here are some things for me and for our ministry that you can pray for:

Sickness: It seems like every couple weeks I come down with some kind of sickness, from simple colds and stomach bugs to bronchitis and chikungunya.  It's hard to give 100% to your ministry when you don't feel 100% physically.  Please pray I will be able to fight off future illnesses so I can give the time and love that the people here deserve.

Unity: I have learned a lot about how Satan works since being here, and I have decided that through the thousands of methods he uses to lead us astray, he ultimately has one goal-to destroy unity.  He doesn't want us to be in unity with God, with others, or even with ourselves.  I see the disunity here between people in the bateyes and even people in the church, and it breaks my heart.  Pray that the body of Christ learns how to stay unified amidst the chaos, so we can effectively serve the Lord in all that we do.

Leadership: Something God placed on my heart long ago was to find the natural leaders in the bateyes, the people who love their community and want to see change happen.  We have already seen a few people, both children and adults, who have the potential to do great things through God.  Please pray for continued discernment as well as our relationships with these people, that they continue to strengthen.

Do you feel like you are playing with the big boys too?  Let my family know so we can face them together!  You are always welcome to send us a Facebook message or email us with prayer requests or anything else.  

Until next time, Team.  :)

Lisa--"It was just an egg"

Once a month we take eggs on the truck to give out with the rice and beans.  Each member of the family gets one egg in addition to their regular scoop of rice and beans.  Now, you wouldn't think that this is a big deal but believe me it is a big event in the bateyes.  When we pull into the batey the people see the eggs on the back of the truck and the cry goes out that this is egg week and everyone comes.  In one particular batey, I was scooping rice when I heard a cry from the other side of the truck.  I turned around and there was an older boy, I would guess 13-14 years old, holding an egg with a much younger girl next to him crying.  He was yelling and saying something to Jess.  My focus was on the girl by him, holding her bowls with her rice and beans, with her eggs for her family on top of the rice.  She was so upset, I just wanted to hug her.  I asked Jess what the problem was and she told me that the boy had stolen one of her eggs from the bowl.  I can understand why that would make her angry but it seemed like it was so much more.  We gave her another egg to replace what was stolen and she turned and walked away.  I then learned that she was upset because she was frightened.  Scared to go home and tell her family that one of the eggs was gone.  You see her fear was justified--she would have been hit by someone in her home, most likely a parent, if she went home and the egg was missing.  My immediate thought was--"It's just an egg, for heavens sake."  I learned later that the cost of the egg was just a few pesos, which also made me angry that she had been so scared to go home and tell her mom what happened.  I know that this scenario is carried out all over the world, including the U.S., so much injustice and fear.  But when it is right there in your face, it seems overwhelming to think of it.  I want to think that all moms love and treat their children like I feel they should.  Then the Lord spoke to my heart and said, " I feel the same when I see my children being mistreated and I wonder why all of you don't treat each other like I feel you should." 

I have heard many times in my life that our God grieves for His people.  That day, while I was filled with much sadness for that little girl, He reminded me that He was also sad for her fear and wanted her to feel special and loved. The same way He wants all of us to feel.  There is not a doubt in my mind that this is the place the Lord has called me to serve at this time in my life.  While there are days when I think about my life prior to this move and even wish for the air conditioning as well as my Sweet Frog frozen yogurt and time with my family and friends, I know this is what I am to do.  I am to serve my God with gladness and joy, grieve with Him over the sadness and injustice in this world, and show His love to those He places in front of me each day.  To speak hope into their hearts and share the wonderful news of Jesus.  That is what He told the disciples to do years ago and that is what He calls us to do today.  We will become paralyzed with our own fear if we look around at the world today and see all of the problems.  We may think, why bother, my effort will make no difference.  I want to tell you today that it will make a difference to that one person God wants you to speak life into.  Look around and see who God wants you to speak with today.  Love the ones that He gives you and we will make a difference one child of God at a time. 

 "And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.  ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”....Revelation 21:3-4

Marty: Happiness Is...

One day this week, we were faced with the tedious task of raising one of the large bay doors at our warehouse manually. This was not a new problem. Even though the warehouse is on metered electric service, it is still subject to periodic outages. We thought we had solved this problem by installing a power inverter that would operate the doors during outages. Not that day, though. The lights were on, so we knew the inverter was operating. Not so with the doors.

Miguel, a member of our staff, looked at us and said, “There is no complete happiness.” Then he climbed the ladder and began pulling the chain to raise the door. My initial reaction to his statement was that it is a pessimistic worldview. As I reflected on it later in the day, the truth of the statement became clear. However, the statement is only partial truth. For I believe there is no complete happiness in this life. Since the fall of man (see Genesis 3), sin is an inevitable part of this life.

In John’s gospel, Jesus teaches us that “In this world you will have trouble.” (16:33) Sin has so infected the world in which we live that complete happiness is not possible. We strive to be happy; we hang around ‘happy’ people; we buy things to make us happy. But then the garage door doesn’t open. Your car breaks down. You lose your job. A loved one gets sick. 

“But take heart!” Jesus continues. “I have overcome the world.”

You see, we were created to be in perfect fellowship with God. But that fellowship was broken when one man betrayed his Creator, allowing sin to enter the world. Thankfully, God gets the last word here. He promises that the day will come when that perfect fellowship is returned.

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation21:1-4)

I believe on that day, those who have put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ will have complete happiness (Romans 10:9-13).

Until then, walk with Christ, taking comfort in the joy and peace that He freely pours out on us. And make sure your ladder is close by, just in case you have to roll that garage door up by hand!

Thank you all for your continued prayers, encouragement, and financial support! We are getting settled into our home and have been quite busy with the ministry. We’ve had several visitors from the US recently, and have enjoyed sharing the ministry with them.

Interested in serving on a short-term mission team with The Least of These Ministries? Possible trips are being planned for October 2014, January 2015, and June 2015.
Send us an e-mail and we'll provide more information!

Jessica: Being a Baby

During my second week here a couple of my friends gave me some very sound advice about starting missionary work that I have held onto these past couple weeks.  People here have seen many missionaries pass through this town doing many different things and making many different decisions.  I had never thought about it before, but it makes sense that the local people could actually have some very wise things to say about how to be a successful missionary in their area, after witnessing so many examples, both good and bad.  Amid the laughter and conversation one of my friends suddenly became very serious and told me that I needed to learn how to walk here before I could start to run.  My other friend corrected him.

 “You need to crawl before you can even walk,” he told me.  I laughed and agreed, telling them that I was a baby here.  They went on to caution me that I should let them help me learn how to crawl and walk and eventually run so that I learn the best way to minister to people here.  They told me they have seen missionaries try to run right into the activities they wanted to do before taking things slow and getting adjusted, and that it usually doesn’t end well. 

While this is solid advice, it’s not the advice I wanted to hear.  I hate beginning things; I just want to jump right in and start doing all the big dreams I have in my head.  But as much as I hate to admit it, they are right.  Even after a month of being here, I am still very much a baby in this city and in this culture.  This is hard to admit to myself because I’m supposed to be the missionary, right?  I’m the one who’s supposed to serve people and show them God’s love, that’s why I came!  But a baby isn’t really good for much, except for maybe a smile and an occasional (or frequent) mess to clean up.  Thank God I have friends here who are willing to clean up my messes and pick me up when I trip over my clumsy baby feet and fall.  Our friends wouldn’t even let us pick up a jar of peanut butter without coming with us to make sure we were ok.  These weeks would have been very hard without their support. 

You know what else a baby does?  A baby learns.  And I have been learning that I still have so much to learn, about everything really, but especially about God’s love and showing it to others.  Here are a few things I have learned about love since being here:

•  Love means going to the supermarket five times in one week and standing patiently while the Americans try to convert pesos to dollars to find the best deal on corn flakes.
• Love means my friend Ariel giving me the bigger piece of cardboard to put over my head to shield myself from the rain storm on the back of our truck. 
•  Love means our friends (and people we had just met) bringing us meals 4 days in a row because they knew our stove wasn’t working yet. 
•  Love means our pastor giving us a brand new hymnal so we could follow along during service, and assuring us every week that he was available for anything we may need.
•  But above all love means sacrifice, whether of time, resources, energy, or anything.  I can’t even begin to add up the hours my friends have sacrificed here to help us get settled.  When I think back and picture them talking and laughing in our kitchen as they taught us how to fry plantains, or with a broom in hand scrubbing everything that would stand still in our new house that we moved into last week, or just coming over to make sure we don’t need anything, I get overwhelmed by the amount of love they have for us, and the love that God is showing us through them.  I feel the same way about our supporters back home.  I feel the love and sacrifice from every person who has donated to our ministry, lifted up a prayer for my family, or sent us an encouraging message. 

 I may just be a baby right now, but every experience and every person I have behind me makes me stronger.  Even as I write this I feel myself beginning to take my first few toddling steps on the path God has laid out before me.  I can go forth confidently because I know I have so many people ready to catch me if I fall down.  I hope the next time God calls you to begin something new that you will embrace your time as a “baby,” and use it to learn and to grow.  And I hope you have as much support as I do.  Thank you, God, for blessing my family and me with such a wonderful support team.  Only through all of us can we turn the Dominican Republic upside down.

Let’s do this.