Marty: "And surely I am with you always...."

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

—Matthew 28:19-20

If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you read Jessica’s entertaining post last week about our major airport mix-up that led to an unnecessarily adventurous travel experience. (If you haven’t read it, I encourage you to do so… it will be well worth the few minutes invested!). Even now as I reflect on the day, I shake my head in disbelief that I would make such a huge oversight. Oh, the night we spent in the Santo Domingo Airport will not soon be forgotten. Thankfully, that day (well, it was technically 36 hours) is behind us. Wednesday afternoon marked the completion of our first week living in the Dominican Republic. And that’s what I’d like to share in the remainder of today’s post.

Many of you have served on one or more mission trips. Several reading this have probably served on one or more trips with The Least of These Ministries. Those with mission trip experience know that there is a certain structure to the week, and to each day within the week. A typical day's schedule may look something like this: On Monday we meet for devotions and breakfast at 7:00, and then leave for the work site at 8:00, etc. Granted, some teams are more rigidly structured and some more loosely. Not surprisingly, living here is quite different. We arrived in Barahona on Wednesday around 4 PM. We didn't really have our first meal until dinner on Thursday, after visiting the super market. Those who know me know that’s significant!

As we planned for this move, we knew the culture change would not be easy; we knew there would be bumps along the way; and we knew that we would face unexpected challenges (bucket showers & bucket-flushing, a bat in the bedroom, a flat tire…). But until we began unpacking and setting up ‘home’ in our bunk-room, we didn't know what really to expect.

Our first week has been a time of reunion with friends, meeting new friends, learning, making mistakes, driving in a familiar, but not well-known area, making a new home, and enjoying a lot of time with one another. Jessica has been coaching Lisa and me as we go through Spanish lessons – something we are able to do, now that we have much time to devote to it. Lisa is making new friends and reaching out to other ministries in the area. Jessica and I went out on The Least of These Ministries truck to assist Ariel and Miguel with food distribution in four bateys (villages). It’s been a busy week, which seems to have flown by.

Despite the challenges that have faced us throughout our first week, Jesus has repeatedly shown us that He was here before us, and He is here with us, and we need only to obediently join Him in His work here. He continues to reassure us that He will lead us, strengthen us, calm us, and work through us, when we surrender to His will. Here are some ways Jesus has revealed Himself to us this week:

- A friendly Dominican woman who seemed to be looking out for us on the bus trip from Santo Domingo to Barahona.

- Ariel bringing the truck we are using to the place we are staying, on the night of our arrival (The alternative here was for me to be driven – on the back of a motorcycle – to pick the truck up the next morning. Thank you, Jesus, for sparing me that ride!).

- The gift of an ice cold grape soda from Pastor Ramón after a hot day on the back of a truck.

- An impromptu dinner party with seven local friends after an afternoon of delightful conversation.

- A seventeen-year-old boy greeting us every day and asking if there was anything he could do to help us.  There usually was.

We are blessed to be a part of what God is doing here, and look forward to more surprises to come. Thank you for your continued prayers and encouragement.

Dios te bendiga!