We Suffer Together

I love my job, I really do, but today it SUCKED.

I'm not the kind of person that talks about bad feeling days, so forgive me if this is a little rough.

The only reason I write on this blog is because I know there are people (Mom and Dad) that want to know how I am and what life is like being a missionary in the Dominican Republic. Somedays I get to rant about long days and hard work and some days I get to post pictures and smile while I tell you about this beautiful island we call home. But today I cried... pretty much all day. Today being a missionary in the DR was painfully hard.

Today "doing what's right" was a gray and confusing thing that hurt people who I love dearly. Today we needed (and continue to need) prayer. I'm not even sure what for- maybe for peace? Or wisdom? A tube of water-proof mascara?

My friend, Kamanda (shout out!) just wrote about how much the verses in James (consider it PURE JOY when you face trials of many kinds....) have meant to her during a few incredibly tough months in her life. But, should I find PURE JOY in the trials of others as well? Something about that seems pretty sick and wrong. Dealing with issues between me and God are complicated enough- I don't even know how to begin to discuss his dealings with others. I just know that when they hurt, I hurt. And tonight, we are suffering together.

And, if you have a minute, I'd love to ask you to suffer with us. I know that's a terrible way of asking, but would you pray for us? It is days like this that I so badly need to know that we're not alone....

How Could I Not be Moved?

Dan still makes fun of me for it, but in my high school years I was totally in LOVE with the band "Lifehouse". It may have been a bit of a teen phase that revolved mostly around Jason Wade's gravelly voice and charming good looks, but I hold that there are definitely WORSE bands I could have fallen for. Some of their songs still move me.

There's one line especially from the song "Everything", it goes:

"And how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
Can you tell me, how could it be any better than this?"

Driving back from "church" under a mango tree through the mountains of San Juan, I kept playing that over and over in my head. How could I NOT be moved by this?? How can I not be humbled when a woman from the village hugs me so tightly and so dear, inviting me into her home and family without even knowing my name. How can I not be overwhelmed when I see 8 year old girls teaching a group of kids their own age stories about Moses and Abraham and teaching them to pray to Jesus because he loves them so very much. How can I not stand in awe when people from different ages, races, denominations and cultures pray together and worship  our ONE Jesus. How could it be any better than this??

People often comment that they can tell that we love our job here. How could we not?? Our "job" is to live life and experience Jesus together with the BEAUTIFUL community and people that he placed us with. No matter how long the days get or how tough that looks on a practical day-to-day basis, it is ALWAYS worth it.

How could I not be moved???

Juan Ernesto's Church Plant, Under the Mango Tree in Cabeza de Toro

The Beautiful Mountains of San Juan

Fall Groups!

Groups are coming today!! YAY!

We are so excited to be hosting teams again this fall, beginning with the Northwoods team who is on their way toward San Juan even as I write this.
The fall teams are a fun mix of everything: construction crews, surgeons, cosmetologists (teaching local women a trade), teachers (giving English classes), evangelism teams, doctors doing barrio clinics and tradesmen (electricians and plumbers). Whew! We're gonna be busy, but we're excited about it!
Stay tuned to hear about all the cool things God's ready to do...

Heart and Home

Dan and I just returned from a WONDERFUL week with family. It was our first trip back to the states since moving to the Dominican back in February. Of course there were moments when it felt strange to be back- our own culture felt very oddly foreign at times- but mostly, it just felt good. Sometimes it even felt like we'd never left. Hugging my sisters still feels SO comforting, long conversations with my Mom are still SO rich and meaningful and hearing my dad tell me that he's proud of me still means the world to me.

It was great to be able to be there to love and support my sister and her new husband on their wedding day. She was SO beautiful and of course she made me cry (see pictures below). Seeing God work in their lives and bring them together like he did was such an awesome reminder of how GOOD He is!

But being in the states was also a reminder of how we are exactly where we are meant to be. It will always be hard to leave my family and I will always cherish the moments that we have together and wish there were more of them- but coming back here to San Juan really did feel like coming home. I'm so thankful to have such a wonderful family that supports and loves me and encourages me to follow God to wherever it is that he might take me!

Thanks Godmother Riggs for the great photos!