After I spent 24 hours at the Image of the Maker retreat, enjoying woods filled with tall trees, southern hospitality, new friends and so much grace, I was sad to see it end and say good-bye to some amazing women, but God was not finished giving me His gifts.
I drove north past medians filled with orange day lilies, then down winding country roads, past vegetable gardens and horse farms, abandoned barns and fresh mown fields, to the lovely country home of a longtime friend, Sharon and her husband Charles. I so enjoyed their little piece of heaven… seventeen acres with chickens, gardens, flowers, LOTS of hummingbirds (like dozens), strawberry cobbler and rocking chairs on the porch. We picked blueberries, took a drive around the mountain, but mostly we sat and talked and listened and caught up on the last 20 years. Such a gift!
The perfect solution to keeping squirrels from robbing the bird feeders… hub caps. Ingenious!
Even if I didn’t like blueberries, I think the bush is beautiful. Mom, we need to plant some!
I LOVE this arbor Charles and Sharon made from two old doors!
Do you see the tiny hummingbird sitting on top of this vine on the right? It’s a male and he had a little red around his neck. They were so fast I had a difficult time getting any good photos, but I love this one.
Thank you Charles and Sharon for your love and warm hospitality!
Today I am flying (thanks to the generous gift of airline miles) to North Carolina for a retreat with Ann Voskamp! She wrote One Thousand Gifts. It will be a small gathering at a beautiful retreat center. I am so ready and filled with anticipation of hearing from God. Ann, I can’t wait to meet you face to face!
Between the time the retreat ends and my return flight departs, I will be spending the night with a dear friend that goes waaaaaay back. Back to when I was an awkward middle school (7th grade) missionary kid home for a year of furlough with Mom and Dad. Sharon was my carpool to and from school. Fast forward a few years to the year after high school and before Mark and I got married. Sharon and I worked together at Tropicana in the “microfilm” department and became good friends. That goes back to 77-78! I really don’t recall the last time Sharon and I saw each other, but thanks to the FaceBook connection I know we are going to have a wonderful time catching up! Sharon, do you think we will get much sleep? Put the coffee on…
Today is also a very BIG day for my baby girl, Veronica.
After seven years, today is a new beginning… her last day of working at The Met. Bittersweet I am sure, but she has much to look forward to. Afterall she has a baby boy to prepare for! Veronica, as your mom I am so proud of you, your work ethic, your loyalty and trustworthiness, the way you have used your gifts and talents and the way you and Mike have trusted God as you made this decision. I know you will be greatly missed by your boss and co-workers, but I for one am sooooo excited for you to have some free time… let’s do lunch!!
Today a special and beautiful young lady and friend is traveling to Kenya on a medical mission trip.
beautiful sisters... Molly is in the middle
Molly has traveled a lot, but as she says it has been mostly for pleasure. But this time God is working in and through her in a special way. I know she will come backed amazed at the things God has done. Anytime we step forward in obedience to something God has called us to, there will be obstacles and attacks. This has been true for Molly as well. Will you pray for her this week.? Thanks! Travel light and expect big things Molly! Godspeed
Tomorrow is Mark’s birthday. Yes, I left town… just a payback for the fact that every year on my birthday he is at the Daytona 24 hour race. But it’s okay with both of us. And just because I am gone does not mean I can’t wish him a happy birthday.
So Happy Birthday Mark! You are one of a kind and I appreciate so much about you… you can go here and here to see what I mean, because I still feel the same today, but deeper still. You are my superhero. Thank you for the mercy, grace, forgiveness, strength, faith and laughter you give to our relationship. May God give you the desires of your heart as you walk with him so faithfully through this not so easy time. I love and respect you (even though I fail to express it well). Happy birthday and don’t party too much without me!
Happy weekend everyone!
May it be filled with the beauty of God’s gifts.
One of the great things about being a part of a team, is getting to know everyone and hearing their story. We all remarked how everyone worked well together, pitched in wherever needed, and served with such joy. Not wanting to leave anyone out, but there are a few who really touched ny heart. I think we were all blown away by the story of these two remarkable people, Marty and Alex.
Two people who in spite of tragedy, are so full of Jesus and his love. So refreshing!
Sandy (on the left) and Robyn, childhood friends on their first mission trip, spreading sunshine with everyone. Sandy, without hesitating gave away her own shoes to a woman in need.
I wish I had the time to write about everyone. But for now I want to share about the reason we, a team of doctors, nurses, dentists, a pharmacist, translators, and support staff, served…
We saw approximately 1000 people in 5 days of clinics, 3 days in Santiago and 2 in La Vega.
We saw Dominicans
and Haitians,
young
and old.
Some were very sick
others were relatively healthy and just needed a little TLC
So we saw lots of people, tended to their physical needs and loved on them.
But as Dr Shamsey, our team leader, says… meeting their physical needs is secondary to the real reason we go. We go to share the good news of Jesus Christ. We go to tell them that His light will break through their darkness.
That only God can heal their wounds.
That there is forgiveness and healing and restoration.
After each person saw the doctors and had their physical needs attended to, they had the opportunity to talk to someone… someone who would listen to their story.
There were so many stories of wounded people. Diana (in the photo above) is one of my heroes. I have never seen another person so used of God in the ministry of healing hearts.
Sometimes she would take an hour or more just to listen and talk. She would sometimes use the beanie babies that you gave as a tool in helping women who had lost their baby through abortion. The women would hold the beanie babies, caressing them as they told God what was in their hurting heart. Just amazing to see God work.
Before each person left they were given clothes, beanie babies, bibles, eye glasses, etc.
By the end of the week, we touched the lives of 1000 people, but all of heaven was rejoicing because 111 people are now experiencing a new life through Jesus Christ! These 111 people will be discipled by the local Dominican believers.
How humbling that God takes our inadequate humanness and changes lives for eternity. Oh happy day!
I want to share more and hope to do so as I process my thoughts, time allows, and photos from others on the team filter in. But I couldn’t wait to thank you for your prayers and donations. YOU were as big a part of this mission trip as any of us that went. God bless you abundantly for putting your words into action.
Here is a slideshow put together by a young man from the Santiago church. It says it all!
It did feel good to take a hot shower and sleep soundly in our own bed last night. Although in a strange way I miss the background noise of dogs, roosters, car horns, and loud music.
I miss it because it means I am not in the Republica Dominicana. As many times as I have been there, I feel melancholy when I enter back into, as Alex said on the flight home, “our sped up mess of reality” back here in the USA. Life in the Dominican Republic is hard for most who live there, but at the same time refreshingly simple. Life here is easy compared to what we just lived, but it is oh so complicated. I am already fighting the pull to jump back into the fast paced craziness we call life here. For just awhile longer I want to recall what God did last week… He showed up in such a big way!
Mark and I felt priviledged to be with these 26+ people for a week.
Every person in the group has a story of God’s amazing grace.
When we left home last Saturday afternoon, Mark had been through a night of dealing with food poisoning. He managed to press on and on Sunday afternoon he met with the elders of the Santiago church to discuss their church building project.
They are in the process of rebuilding (due to termite damage) and while rebuilding they have been meeting in another church. They were told that they needed to be out of that church in two weeks. So after much discussion, they came up with a plan that would allow them to move back to their own buidling, even though it is not completed. Mark would tackle building a roof. Sunday evening he told me about their game-plan and said it would be a miracle if they could accomplish what they needeed to. After a miserable night Sunday night, it was evident that Mark was not getting better and was actually getting worse. Thanks to the care of our team of doctors, they had the meds he needed and Mark stayed in bed all day Monday. Tuesday morning, he headed to work on the project with Zack.
The first day was spent collecting tools and materials, which took five people all day. Something that would have taken one person a couple hours here.
They worked long hard days and it was truly a miracle, not only that Mark had the strength to work hard, but that they accomplished more, yes more, than they set out to. God heard our prayers and is in the business of miracles.
There is much more to share with you. But I will have to do it a little at a time. Thank you so much for your prayers. God listened and answered them!
