Fall Photos

These pictures don't really do much to help explain my life, but the sun and the trees were beautiful this morning, and I promised photos earlier...so this will have to do for now :)

 The view from my bed that I get to wake up to every morning :)

 From our balcony

 

Missionary?

"So what will you be doing in Dallas?  Do you have a job yet?"

I find myself awkwardly fumbling for a response, not really sure how to explain myself.

Can I say that I'm a missionary?  Is that appropriate to what I'll be doing?

I hesitate to claim the title 'missionary' as images from End of the Spear come to mind and I think of people in primitive or rustic places, literally sacrificing their lives to make God known.  Dallas isn't exactly primitive with its skyscrapers and multilayered highway system, nor is my three-bedroom apartment with dishwasher and walk-in closets rustic, so I would hate to presume the label when I know others have given so much more than anything I am doing.

"I'm hoping to get involved in ministry."

She stares back confused, clearly questioning my plan and wondering if "hopes" will pay rent.
"Oh, okay."  She's not sure what to say, so I try to save the faltering conversation.

"I will be working for my friend's dad to pay the bills, but that's not really the focus of what I'll be doing in Dallas."

"Oh, okay," she responds, this time with understanding.  "So what is the job?"

She does not understand.  I explain the job, and hope that by the next time the question is asked, I will have a concrete ministry to talk about.

---------------

Thomas Hale defines being a missionary as "one who is to witness across cultures."  Given this understanding, I think I can say I am a missionary.  Dallas, and in particular Oak Cliff (my neighborhood, AKA Little Mexico), is most definitely a different culture from the small-town Midwest I've grown up in.  Or perhaps the move is more comparable to going from Wheaton to the south side of Chicago, for those of you familiar with that geography.  Witnessing is also a large part of what I'm doing.  We just met our upstairs neighbors, and may now be nannying their children four days out of the week.  I've been attending Mercy Street, an after-school program for kids in the area.  And through church and other organizations, I am working to make known the glory of God.

I currently find myself working under the 'tentmaking' philosophy of missions, and thus think of myself less as a computer draftsman and more as a missionary.  If anybody reading this is a missionary and finds offense at this or thinks me bold to suggest my lifestyle in Dallas as missional, then I apologize.  This is me just trying to find the short-version response to "What do you do?"

And for anyone still curious about what I'm actually doing, but now too afraid to ask, please don't hesitate to call or email me.  Perhaps the post below will also help clarify things.

Pictures soon to come!

The Dallas Project

A seven month lease guarantees (caveat: James 4:13-15) that amount of time in Dallas, and thus I begin what I affectionately call, The Dallas Project.

What does it entail?
- Read the Bible in its entirety
- Pray for every country in the world
- Be involved in the local church
- Spend time outside of my typical context

- Make sacrifices to be able to give more generously*

- Live in a community of believers who are also participating in some or all parts of the Dallas Project

How does this happen?
- I am getting involved in LifePoint church.  I love their mission statement and hope to adopt it as my own: "Love God. Love people. Serve the city."
- I am getting involved in local ministries.
     - Mercy Street: an after school program once a week where we hang out (read: go completely crazy) for awhile, then we sing some songs, and then break into age groups for a lesson and craft.  So far I've gone with the youngest ones (1st-3rd grade) and they are hilarious.  My favorite quote from last week: "The opposite of kindness is a girl."  Sorry fellas ;)
     - Buckner International: I haven't actually done anything here because their volunteer coordinator is out of town this week, but it looks like an awesome organization.  They are a global ministry that strives to make life better for orphans and vulnerable children.  They combine my love of youth ministry and missions (and even have a camp!) so I am eager to find a way to get involved.
- I am working to get to know other people and families in the area and apartment complex.
- I am supporting myself as a computer draftsman for Spitze Graphics.  Spitze Graphics helps people apply for patents.  Working in AutoCAD, I will be cleaning up technical drawings and making them fit for the patent office.
- I'm living with four other wonderful girls who have warmly welcomed me into their apartment.

I say all of these things as though I am somehow responsible for them happening, but really this has been quite the journey of God opening up doors for me to come to Dallas and get connected.  He has put several books in my hands (Life Together by Bonhoeffer, Radical by Platt, Don't Waste Your Life by Piper) that have filled my head and heart with these ideas about how to live.  And most of all God has allowed me to grow up in a context where it is easy to know Him and feel His love.  It doesn't seem possible that I can take responsibility for too much of what has happened this first week in Dallas, nor the rest of my life prior.

Praise God for how well this transition has gone thus far and please pray that I can continue to find where God wants me to get involved here in Dallas.

*the first five pieces of the Dallas project are more or less David Platt's "Radical Challenge" from his book Radical.

Forgiven

"Repentence is not what we do in order to earn forgiveness; it is what we do because we have been forgiven.  It serves as an expression of gratitude rather than an effort to earn forgiveness."

- Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel

The Final Stretch

I have just concluded my last "off" weekend this summer.  Our final two week team arrived yesterday and when they leave we will have a brief six hour break before the final group arrives for just one week.  It is absurd to believe that eight and a half weeks have already passed and in another three and a half I'll be home (what?!).

This last outreach went well.  God took some time to teach me about patience.  One day the kids were just really misbehaving and not putting forth the effort I know they are capable of.  As I was getting frustrated, I realized God must feel this way all the time as He watches us fail to do what we know is right or as He has to teach us the same lessons again and again.  And despite all of my frustrations I truly love these kids and want the best for them - so how much more must God love us!  I am special to God in the same way these kids are special to me, and I mean that in both senses of the word "special."

"The challenge to grow and the grace to fail" is a quote I read this week by Judson Morgan describing the theater I was a part of at school.  I think it pleases God to put us in circumstances where we feel "the challenge to grow and the grace to fail."  God has done that for me here in the DR as I am pushed to learn more, yet surrounded by a wonderful, supportive community.

I also got to practice patience as Taúmi did not want to follow instructions one day; she was more interested in playing in the swing.  I held her as she continued to scream, cry, and squirm in attempts to get to the swing.  She made herself so upset that she even threw up a little.  However, God is good and rewards us as we stick it out through some of these difficult situations.  Taúmi is learning to follow directions and that she can't just do everything her own way.  Her tantrums are getting shorter each time and she is becoming a more willing participant.  Praise God for the work He is doing in these kids lives.

On a lighter note, one of the kids, Daniel, was playing dead on the porch where we were all eating lunch.  So Angelica, another little girl, ran over to give him "CPR" and was pressing on his stomach.  On one of the repetitions, she managed to squeeze a fart out of him!  Sorry for the crude humor, but it was one of the most hilarious things that has happened at school!  All of us teachers were practically rolling on the ground we were laughing so hard.

"But God does not take away life; instead, he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him." - 2 Samuel 14:14

Fotos

The kids in my class, followed by a few other photos:

 Alfry

 Evelyn

 

 

Mildred

 

 

 Taúmi

 

 

 Yensey

(he's not always this sweaty and concerned looking; this is just the only picture I could find of him)

 

 

 Remember Meri, my host mom from the fall?

 

 

 Waiting with Taúmi for her mom to come pick her up at the end of the day

 

 

 Taking a siesta after a good, long day :)

 

 

 Snorkeling during our off weekend

Faith Journey

My roommate from last fall just sent me this quote.  As I ponder "what's next" (and I know I'm not alone in this inquiry), I thought it seemed particularly applicable:

"Living a life of faith means never knowing where you are being led.  But it does mean loving and knowing the one who is leading.  It is literally a life of faith, not of understanding and reason - a life of knowing Him who call us to go.  Faith is rooted in the knowledge of a person and one of the biggest traps we fall into is the belief that if we have faith, God will surely lead us to success in the world."

- Oswald Chambers

Answered Prayer

Sometimes when we pray God says, "yes"
Sometimes when we pray God says, "wait"
And sometimes God says, "no," but it's only because He loves us
But God always answers our prayers
- A song we sing in the preschool classroom :)

Looking back over my various prayer requests, I am blown away to see they way God has really answered them.

Before the last outreach, I asked for your prayers that I would not fall into the rut of routine and that I could continue to find newness in everyday.  It was a wonderful outreach and this truly seemed to happen.  The things that were old had new life to them and somehow I ended up on a number of new adventures.  For example, we were in town buying some groceries when suddenly our car was needed to pick up a group of students.  Since there would not be enough room in the car for all of us, I hung out at the ice cream shop in hopes that they would someday return.  I really enjoyed having my own little solo adventure and having the chance to slow down and people-watch for a little bit.  Another day, a teacher at SI's preschool in Los Higos was sick, so based on my experience there last fall, I was elected to go fill in for the day.  It was a ton of fun to get back to Los Higos and see a bunch of people, have lunch with my Mamá again, and to try something different.  It seemed like these sorts of things were happening all outreach.

I also asked for you all to pray for Génesis, a new student in my classroom who was having a difficult time adjusting.  She is doing so well now!  She no longer cries throughout the day and is participating more and more in class.  What a darling Génesis is and it is cool to see her gain increasing mobility with a walker.  As she gets older and gains a little more balance and coordination, she will likely be able to walk without assistance.

In case I hadn't mentioned it, Angie, the lead teacher in my classroom, did in fact get her visa and is in Utah now for an English immersion program.  Lordis and I have taken charge of the class and have learned well how to work together and keep track of all our little munchkins.  In addition to Angie making it to the States, all of our teams have made it back and forth from the DR with no major issues.

Praise God for all of the amazing things He has done and for answering so many prayers.  God has been so good throughout the first three outreaches and I know He will continue to be faithful through the last three.  Please continue praying with me as I am considering coming on full-time staff with Students International and waiting for God's response.

"Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart" - Psalm 86:11

Leadership

As we come to the close of our third outreach this summer, it has become apparent to me that leadership greatly impacts a team.  As I reflect on the various teams that have come through here, I can see that the aims of the leaders are reflected in the aims of the students.  Servant-hearted leaders have servant-hearted students, etc.  This makes me grateful for the fact that we have such an amazing Leader, Jesus Christ, to set the example for us and teach us the right way to live.  If we can follow Him, hopefully we can reflect His heart to those around us as well.

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.
- Philippians 2:1-2 

Clueless

On one occasion, while [Jesus] was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.  For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."
So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"
He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
Acts 1:4-8

We really just have no clue, do we?  Here we see Jesus, after He has already risen from the dead, telling the disciples to hang around Jerusalem in order to wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit.  The disciples are thinking that this is when the kingdom of God will become a reality over all the earth, yet here we are, 2000 years later, and that still has not happened.  They were way off in their guess.  Additionally, I can assume pretty assuredly that they had a wrong picture of what that might look like (as we likely do now too).  And this idea of "baptized with the Holy Spirit" must not have made any sense to them.  They were completely clueless and I'm not sure that we're much different 2000 years later.

I think this teaches us two main things.  First off, we need to trust God to provide all of the answers and that He has a plan for this broken world, since we have trouble grasping many of these concepts.  Secondly, we are called to be witnesses, as it says at the end.  Let's think about this idea of witness in the domain of a court room.  A witness is called upon solely to present what they have seen and know to be true based on their experiences.  They are not called to judge right or wrong, there is a jury for that.  They are not called to say what the future will hold, there is a judge for that.  They are not called to convince anyone of what the truth is, there is a lawyer for that.  Witnesses just say what they have seen.

In a letter to the Corinthians, Paul says, "When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.  For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified." (1 Cor. 2:1-2)  Paul was intentionally clueless to everything but what he had witnessed in Christ Jesus, because nothing else really mattered.

So may our cluelessness lead us not into despair, but rather to trust more fully in God and to be obedient in what we do know.  May we be witnesses of what we have seen.

Normal.

It is interesting to be back in the Dominican Republic for a second time.  While I am in a completely different program, life feels much more normal this time around.  I remember sending my parents text messages every day with something new and exciting:
"I had the official meal of the DR for the first time today!"
"I got to go horseback riding through the mountains for hours this afternoon!"
"You'll never guess what Mamá did today!  I've never seen something like that before!"
etc...

This time around, it feels less like a new adventure and more like returning home.  I've gotten to spend some time with both of my host families since coming back this summer.  But since I'm not living in the community, my experience on the whole is much more American as I return each night to the base and to my house full of American roommates.  This has contributed to a lack of culture shock this time around.  Additionally, many of the activities that are new from last time are reminiscent of camp: communal worship with the teams, large group games, campfires, etc.

I'm grateful to feel comfortable here and that I have gotten to experience so many wonderful things that good times are not surprising.  However, I think it would be better to keep challenging myself and pushing myself to get outside of my comfort zone in order to grow more.  It is good to find something new and exciting every day to avoid falling into a rut.

All that to say, this last outreach went very well, I had a blast, and I feel like I've gotten the hang of things around here.  For this next outreach, I'd like to push myself a little more.  In the same way that everything is new and a "first time" for the students who have come, the people I am with are new and therefore they completely change the experience.

- Pray with me that I can celebrate the newness each day holds and that I challenge myself beyond what is "normal."
- Praise God for how well things have been going, a wonderful last outreach, and that the teams are arriving safely as I write this.
- Pray for Génesis, a new student at Génesis who is having a tough time starting preschool and being away from her mom for the first time
- Pray that the gospel may be proclaimed

Some Stories

I just wanted to post a few stories quickly.

Ramón
Two weeks ago on Tuesday I had the privilege of joining our medical intern (Erin) to visit a man named Ramón who has a bedsore that was deep enough you could see his spine.  We brought him some supplies and were able to teach the family how to care for his sores.  Before we left, we were able to pray with the family.  That was such a good opportunity to get back into the community, meet someone in their own home, and pray with other believers.  It's always a good reminder that God is so much bigger than myself and that he is working and moving all over the world.

Taúmi
The other day we were changing Taúmi's diaper at school when she suddenly started hopping off.  Before we knew it, she was squatting down and pooping on the floor.  I think that might be one of the funnies things that has happened at school :)

Sun, Sand, and Slides
This weekend we took advantage of our time off by heading to the beach and to a place called 27 Waterfalls, where you spend the first half of the trip climbing up waterfalls, and the second half jumping off them or sliding down natural rock slides.  We (the interns) had such a great time together and a fun/relaxing weekend was exactly what we needed to get pumped for the new crew arriving today.

 Playing dominoes and eating dinner on the beach after a fantastic day.

Left to right: Me, Myles, Jeff, Christine, Brittany, Erin, Ari, Jesse

 Left to right: Christine, Brittany, Kelly, Me, Erin, Ari, Angie

Woohoo!

For the visual learners:

These photos are all on my facebook, as well as some more if you're interested.

Here we (interns/volunteers) are looking nice.

Top row: Jesse, Myles, Chris

Middle row: Kelly, Me, Ariana, Meaghan, Christine, Brittany

Bottom row: Angie, Erin, Jeff

Here we (interns/volunteers) are being ourselves.

This is Mildred, one of the girls in my class.

 And here we have Mildred winking for the camera

This is Henni.  She got ridiculously dirty this day at recess, and then had a bunch of sticks in her teeth that I am here picking out.

This is Melvin Colón (surrounded by the team from the first outreach).  He was a student at Génesis and has now written a number of songs and made his own CD called Usame Señor.  You can find it on iTunes.

Playing with the kids at recess.  Mildred is in the front of the line, then Rancés, and finally Alfry, who is also in my class.

 The awesome view I like to start my day off with.

A glimpse of the base.  The building on the right is the chapel/rec room.  The building on the left is one of the dorm rooms that the teams stay in.

It's already been 2 weeks?!

Hmm, well it seems as though I have not been very diligent about keeping people updated.  You can see below that my schedule is pretty full, but I apologize for not doing a better job keeping in touch with everyone.  Now that we have the first outreach (2 week mission trip) down, I should have a little more free time as I don’t need to take the time to learn everything and not all of the events are still mandatory.

This outreach went very well.  We had a great group of college students from InterVaristy Boston, InterVarsity Canada, Grove City College, and Tulane University.  I don’t have anything to compare them too, but all of the full time staff seem to think they were a lot more mature than perhaps many of the high school groups that come through.  I guess we’ll just have to wait and see until Monday when the next crew arrives :)

I am working in a preschool classroom at a school for special needs kids.  We’re working on shapes, colors, numbers, and letters.  It’s pretty fun – I feel like I have a solid handle on these concepts :)  We also try to teach the kids some basic living skills like dressing themselves, going to the bathroom, and changing their clothes.

These updates here (this one and the two below) have been rather factual, and therefore probably not extremely interesting.  Peruse them as you are interested, if you are curious in what I am doing.  Hopefully I will add some stories here shortly that will be a bit more interesting.  Also, if you are interested, I occasionally post “articles” on my other blog (see the link on the right) that are not so much what I am doing and more what I am thinking about.  I’m still trying to figure out the best way to navigate having two blogs and how much to keep them separate or not.  Thanks for checking in and I hope you are having a fantastic summer, wherever you are!  Love you!

Prayer Requests:

- Praise God for how well all of us interns seem to be getting along and that we work well together

- Praise God for a wonderful first outreach

- Angie, the teacher in my classroom, is needing a visa to participate in an English program in Utah that would be really cool for her.  However, if she gets the visa, she would leave, making me in charge of the classroom…so just pray that God’s will be done :)

- Safe travel for the groups arriving on Monday

- That the gospel is proclaimed

The Cast

These are some of the key players in my life down here for the next couple months, at least the ones that I spend most of my time with.

The Interns:

Back Row: Erin, Ariana, Christine, Josh, Chris, Myles

Front Row: Jeff, Rachel (me), Meaghan, Vicki, Brittany, Kelly 

Kelly Avery. Lives in California. Goes to school in California. Works at the Art site.

Erin Brink. Lives in Colorado. Went to school in California. Works at the Medical site. Also my roommate.

Angie Coupe. Lives in Washington. Goes to school in California. Works at the Social Work site in El Callejón.

Meaghan McCarron. Lives in Louisiana. Goes to school in Louisiana. Works at the Education site in El Callejón.

Jeff Noppert. Lives in California. Went to school in California. Works at Génesis.

Chris Savoy. Lives in Louisiana. Goes to school in Louisiana. Works at the Dental site.

Myles Shank. Lives in Pennsylvania. Went to school in Florida. Our “Media Guy.”

Jesse Sundstrom. Lives in California. Goes to school in California. Works at the Men’s Sports site.

Ariana Sytsma. Lives in California. Goes to school in California. Works at the Social Work site in Los Higos (where I was last semester).

Christine Sweeney. Lives in California. Goes to school in California. Works at Génesis.

Brittany Wilson. Lives in California. Goes to school in California. Works at the Women’s Sports site. Also my roommate.

The Kids in My Class:

Alfry. If I had to choose a favorite, it would probably be him.  Very sweet and generally obeys instructions. Some of his mannerisms are so funny, but they're hard to describe.  About 4 or 5 years old. Cannot actually form intelligible words.

Evelyn. Has a great laugh and loves to scoot around with cars on the floor.  About 3 years old.  Has cerebral palsy and is in a wheelchair.  Doesn’t speak at all.

Mildred. The quickest to go in for a hug or to sit on your lap.  She’s a cute little troublemaker who spends a lot of her time laughing (sometimes quite mischievously). About 4 or 5 years old.  Has Down Syndrome.  Speaks, but doesn’t always choose to use all of her consonants :)

Taúmi. The cutest kid in the entire world.  She loves to swing and usually ends up spending all of recess in the swing.  About 3 years old.  Severely autistic and doesn’t really speak.

Yensey. Loves to run around the most and make sure everyone is behaving themselves.  He is the most capable of speaking and following directions when he feels like it.  Usually seen running around with his belt undone and flapping in the wind.  About 6 or 7 years old.  Has some learning disabilities that make it difficult for him to retain information.

The Leaders:

Angie. The main teacher in my classroom.  May be leaving shortly to participate in an English immersion program in Utah.  A really great teacher who loves the kids and has their respect.

Lordis. The classroom assistant in my classroom.  A huge help.

Amy Green. The full time missionary that works at Génesis and current director of the school.  Perfectly sarcastic – we get along great :)  This is her last summer before she goes back to the States to get her masters degree in order to then open special needs schools in other countries.

Josh Mathews. Team director. One of our disciplers.  Let’s us crash his house from time to time to hang out and play games.  Also wonderfully sarcastic.

Vicki Mathews. Team director.  Our other discipler.  She’s married to Josh, therefore we are crashing her house too.  Tons of fun in games as well and a wonderful baker, which she proves to us time and again :)

I’m loving these people.  What a blessing to spend 3 months with them!

A Typical Day

6:45 Meet in the chapel with all the teams for a brief prayer before heading out for individual devotional time

7:30 Gather back together in the chapel for a time of worship through music and then a devotional thought from a speaker

8:15 Breakfast and pack our lunches

8:55 Head to Génesis, a school for special needs children, with the other students who are serving there for their two-week mission trip

9:15 School begins with raising the flag and singing the Dominican national anthem

9:20 I head to the preschool classroom, where I spend my day, and begin taking kids to the bathroom

9:30 Devotional time with the kids (sing songs, pray, read a Bible story)

9:45 Help the kids with their coloring pages that match the Bible story we just read

10:00 Snack time

10:20 Take kids to the bathroom again

10:40 Learning time: this usually involves tracing or coloring.  Sometimes flashcards or other lessons

11:30 RECESS!  We play with the kids outside

12:00 Lunch.  After lunch the kids continue playing.  During lunch we eat with the American students, hang out, share testimonies, etc.

1:15 School begins again.  I take the preschoolers to the bathroom, help them brush their teeth, and help them change their clothes.  Parents begin coming to pick up their children.  Sometimes we work on more coloring or learning activities, sometimes we just play.

2:30 The bus comes and school is officially over.  We hang out with the American students until our truck comes.

3:30 The truck takes us back to the base and we have a snack

3:45 Free time.  I usually shower, finish up our assigned Bible reading, and hang out with the interns

6:00 Dinner

7:00 Activity with the teams: everything from teaching merengue to prayer walks to game nights

9:00 Free time.

10:00/10:45 Go to sleep :)