Pee on the toilet seat

There is NOTHING more disgusting than sitting on a wet toilet seat. Well, I guess falling IN to the toilet would come in a close second... But it's something I haven't really had to think about throughout my life.

I grew up with 2 sisters and my husband is a germ-a-phobe to the max! So up until this point I haven't thought twice about just popping a squat in my own home. That is until my hubby began coaching over 60 teenage boys.

Although we believe we live quite far from Juan Dolio and Guayacanes (where most of the boys live) I am reminded that we aren't really that far when boys turn up at our door several times a month. 

At present we have 6 boys staying in our tiny 2 room (ONE bathroom) apartment. They have played basketball, dominoes, Wii and even tossed a baseball around our balcony. The fact that the lights went out 4 times last night didn't discourage them from staying up until after midnight and Robersy had oatmeal all ready for them when they decided to get up (also... Boys eat a LOT!).

Our life is crazy. Sometimes too crazy!

(Body slamming a dog falls in to the too crazy category, but we'll save that lesson for another day).

But we love it.

If sitting in pee (which I am determined to check every time now!!!) is part of reaching 6 boys for Christ and urging them to love the Lord with ALL of their heart, then so be it.

Over the last 2 weeks we have been BUSY! Sleepovers, groups, baseball, Lily House, teaching, discipleship, and very little sleep in between lots of power outages and having a cold to just name a few things that we've been up to, but we are excited for July to arrive because that means camp, Bermuda and then Disney World! We may work our butts off... But we look forward to playing our butts off too!

As we see things around the world changing and Christians who once stood firm on God's Word remaining silent or becoming "tolerant," Robersy and I are determined to do all that God has called us to, until He returns or takes us home.

Life is too short.

So we will serve and rest and play and serve again... ALL for the glory of God!!!

Daddy's keys

Our brains are absolutly amazing.

Smells, sights, sounds that can transport us back in to time, remind us of a loved one or bring on a wave of emotions (laughter, tears, anger, fear).

I found myself in tears the other day as I read on the beach. I'm coming to the end of "Kisses from Katie" and she mentions that despite all the beautiful blessings she has received from obeying her call to Uganda, there are so many things that she misses back home. 

Immediately I heard a sound in my head.

My daddy's keys.

All of Bermuda knows this, but my daddy is a locksmith. It is his passion! He goes to locksmith conventions, conferences and reads locks & safe magazines like they are novels. Every family vacation growing up also included scanning the local phonebook to see where the closest locksmith was located. Golly I love him!

With a profession like this he is called out at absurd times of the night and morning to open cars, safes, drug busts with the police (he loves those ones!) and many other adventures. 

But when we'd hear the kitchen door open at 3 or 4 in the morning (I didn't use to sleep with earplugs!) I'd listen for a distinct sound to make sure it was just my dad. His keys. 

Of course there are all sorts of other sounds that I love from home too. Each month our church would have a fellowship time at a church member's home and when it was my mom's turn you could guarantee to hear the pans banging, the mixer running and the timer beeping. She is a beast in the kitchen. (Those sounds were also common on Sunday mornings as she gets her amazing roast beef, potatoes and yorkshire pudding lunch ready. Yuuuummmmm!)

Bermudians fall asleep to the sound of treefrogs. We grew up with the sound of waves on the gorgeous beaches, we'd run to the road if a siren stopped within earshot of the house to see what was going on and we could hear the sound of the Gombey's on any given holiday.

I used to feel guilty for missing home. Actually... I still do sometimes. I'm thankful for the call God has placed on my life, but it doesn't mean that Bermuda and the people there have become any less special to me. Believe me... I am counting the days until our plane arrives on that little dot in the middle of the ocean :)

But amongst the sounds that transport me back home, I can't help but cherish the sounds that surround me every day here in the Dominican.

Bachata at every colmado (little convenience stores), the honking of speeding guaguas (buses), barking dogs and clucking chickens, the "ssssssss" sound when someone is trying to get your attention, whistles (we don't have a doorbell... They whistle for us to come to the door. Pity for me who can't whistle!!), my neighbor's blender EVERY morning. love it!

But amongst the beautiful sounds we hear day, I think there are a few that make God smile too. Here are a few from this week.

The sound of our youngest Lily reciting all 10 verses required for camp and then sitting with another young Lily (who is unable to read) to help her memorize them too.

The teens at youth group laughing through the games at youth group and singing their hearts out during worship on Sundays.

Laughter from about 30 young boys who voluntarily turned up at church to wash the chairs!

L (who lost her mom a couple weeks ago) cheering and dancing around her house hugging her new Bible in creol (what Haitians speak). She's excited to study in her own language.


I can imagine what a sweet aroma these praises are to our Maker.

Close your eyes. What do you hear?

The stench of death

Soap suds covered the dirty concrete floor. With a broom she scrubbed, then a mop she wiped. Bleach, soap, whatever she could find. She was attempting to wash away the smell.
L's precious mom P fought for her life. From Monday through Friday P lay in a hospital bed until she breathed her last.
In typical Dominican/Haitian fashion, the body was then transported from the hospital to her home, a cheap coffin was purchased and the following morning, P was laid to rest.

It all seemed to happen so fast, but I can't get the image of L out of my head. Scrubbing the floor where her mother's lifeless body once lay. Desperate to eliminate the stench of death.

My heart aches for L and her loss. Please pray for her!

But as we think on death and the filth that it encompasses, GOD pricks my heart...

Hasn't GOD called us to help in this endevour of scrubbing away the stench of death?

We were once DEAD in our trangressions. We were dry bones. Lifeless. Helpless. In need of a Saviour!

Then like a KNIGHT in shining armour, the KING of Kings gave us LIFE. The old has passed away! We are made new.

But sometimes.... We leave the floors the way they are. Thankful for a ticket to Heaven, but pretty sure GOD will accept us as we are. GOD is LOVE, isn't HE?

Yes. Yes HE is!

And in that love... so incredible, incomprehensible, unfathomable... HE has called us to be holy because HE is holy.

This topic has been so prominente in our youth group and church lately as our teens are struggling with this issue. Each year the Dominican has a series of festivals in many towns across the country. They are called "Patronales." A celebration of drunkeness and idol worship. The teens so desperatly want to go!

All their friends are going.
It's not so bad after all.
We're just party poopers.

But they don't see us on our hands and knees, scrubbing the stench. Desperate to show them that playing with darkness brings destruction.

"Sarah, it's GOD's job to change me!!!!"
Yes, HE continues to mold me everyday, but look at this gem of a verse that we studied at church yesterday...

"Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of GOD."

I'm not 100% why God led me to share this today. I know my heart breaks for L... But it also breaks for the young people who are so desperatly trying to fit in with the walking dead around them.

We are called to be an example.
May we continue to scrub the stench of death from our own lives.

PRAY:
For camp that is coming up in about a month.

For financial support so we can continue serving here in the Dominican
Click here to see how - https://scoresponsor.org/missionaries-staff/shop/lara-robersy-sarah/

For our teens as many of them struggle in their walk when they are out of school and have more time on their hands.

For our own walk that we might stay faithful in our walk with HIM.

pooped, but encouraged.

Phew!!! Is it Saturday yet?

This last week has been a busy one and I am ready to rest! But if you know anything about ministry... It only gets busier as the summer approaches.
Still, as busy as it has been... God has answered prayers and moved in several different ways that I'm excited to share about.

On Tuesday I had the opportunity to share with the Lily House girls (as I do each week). We have been studying through the life of David. Wow, I have learned so much! This last week we focused in on Saul and his visit to the medium of Endor. So interesting to note that the reason he went was because he had prayed and sought God, but God wasn't answering. Why? It was a challenging time discussing with the ladies how our sin can get in the way of our relationship with the Lord. It was a beautiful time of reflection, confession and forgiveness.

Wednesday and Thursday were great days for Robersy as he continued discipleship, training and baseball practice with his boys. Several of his boys are really growing in their faith and desire more of the Word. As summer approaches and the teens have more time on their hands Robersy plans to switch his schedule around to spend more time with his boys as well as provide other activities to keep their minds occuppied. Pray for this!

Thursday night street ministry was fantastic! God always leads us to the women HE wants us to speak with and we never finish the night disappointed. I shared about the precious lady who sat waiting with her husband as he waited for a prostitute. It broke my heart to hear her struggles, but it reminded me of the dark times in which we live. Still... There is hope.

On Sunday "P" (from last week) came to church!!! 

She came with her 2 beautiful daughters and their friends. As we sang, "This is my desire, to honor YOU." She whispered, "That is what I want!" We chatted more following the service but she confessed that she isn't ready. Usually I would say, "but this is the day of salvation! You don't know what tomorrow holds, etc. etc." But the Holy Spirit urged me to stay quiet. When we left her at her home she thanked me for not forcing her to make a decision right then and there (thank you Lord!). She asked to borrow my Bible and asked where she should start reading to learn more. We have arranged to meet this week! Pray for P!

Saturday we celebrated the marriage of 2 friends and then Sunday we celebrated Mother's day with Robersy's family.

Friend! God is working. Thanks for being a part of our journey here! We know it isn't by our strength since, like I said... We are pooped... But we are thankful for your prayers, your support and your encouragement. We love you!