Gimme, Gimme!

Phew!

What a whirlwind of a week. 

Semana Santa, or Holy Week, is celebrated here in the Dominican Republic as the week leading up to Easter. Most have time off school and many businesses are even closed for a few days allowing many to travel and visit family. 

In our Sunday best :) HAPPY EASTER!!!

We had family down too! Robersy's mom and brother visited us from Bani on the Wednesday until Saturday. What a blessing to not cook or clean for a few days as Robersy's mom loooooves to do all of that :) Of course she enjoyed loving on her grandson too!

We ate our share of rice and beans with the added tradition of Habichuela con dulce - sweet beans - brought to us from neighbors and friends. Let's just say... we all got our fill of fiber!

It was a lovely week to relax and reflect on the death and resurrection of our precious Savior Jesus Christ!

Unfortunately though, the Thursday through Sunday are particularly dangerous as the vacations can quickly turn to partying, and the partying turns to drinking too much... such a celebrated week has turned to a very sad week for many, MANY families that have lost loved ones in accidents, drownings, fights, etc.

Because of the danger of this week our street outreach team decided to visit Boca Chica on Wednesday instead of Thursday. We also decided to try something new. Instead of stopping to talk to girls, we passed out slips of paper inviting them to the park close by in hopes that by taking them out of sight from club owners and peers the door might be opened to reach them on another level.

Needless to say, we got their attention... and they got ours!!! When we arrived to the park there were about 15-20 girls already waiting! 

Habichuela con dulce - sweet beans. This pot WAS full...

YAY!!!

They had come! 

They wanted help! 

They wanted to leave the streets!

They wanted Jesus!!!!! 

So we thought...

As Erica (founder of Lily House ministry) began to speak, one lady walked right up to her. 

"What are you going to give us? Don't tell me you've called us here and aren't going to give us anything!"

We were all caught a little off guard. 

"Well... What do you have to give us?" She repeated again.

By the look on our faces some girls realized we didn't have much to offer and within a few minutes some ladies took off.

Thankfully, for those who remained, Erica presented the ministry well and spoke clearly of all the benefits that come from leaving the streets. She also spoke to them about Jesus and the salvation that He offers.

We prayed with the ladies and traded phone numbers to keep in touch. Then... we walked back to the truck.

For the next few days those words haunted me. "What do you have to give us?"

In this time of celebration for the glorious resurrection of Jesus, I realized the words haunted me... because they were SO familiar!!!

We are so quick to sing about how His grace is enough and how all we need is Him. "You can have all this world, but give me Jesus!" 

But what if that were REALLY all we received when coming to the foot of the cross.

Would it be enough? Would HE be enough?

Eternal life? We don't get to enjoy that now!

Grace and mercy? Tough to see sometimes!

"What do you have to give us?!?!?!" We want healing and blessings, health and wealth. 

What if we never saw one prayer answered?

What if we suffered until our dying day... rejected... unloved... forgotten. 

Would He still be enough?

Friend, I challenge you (and I'm challenging myself too!) to find my everything in Jesus. I'm so grateful to experience the LOVE and HOPE and MERCY and GRACE, because that is who HE IS!!! In a GIMME, GIMME world I pray that our desire isn't to GET... but to give our ALL to the one that gave Himself for me.

On Friday we shouted "Sunday's a comin'" but now that Sunday has passed, I pray my heart still rejoices for the gift of His Salvation. HE IS ALIVE! And HE is certainly enough!!!

GET LOST!!!

"GET LOST!"

You've either yelled it at someone or heard it yelled at you.

But yesterday, I wanted to do it myself. 

Getting lost sounded good. 

On Monday I had gone to McDonald's with a friend and ended up in the bathroom for the rest of the afternoon. So it was only a matter of time before my breast-fed baby started feeling it too :( Poor thing was fussy and needy all Tuesday morning. Goodness me! I thought McDonald's was a good idea. No dairy. No creamy, cheesy lasagna! WRONG! 

Adios McDonald's.

So when Robersy called to say he was on his way home around 1:45pm it was only then that I had realized I hadn't eaten all day. Had my decaf coffee in the morning with a side of NOTHING before Josiah began his rough morning.

Then he said, "I've got 7 boys with me."

"Well, tell them not to expect a pretty Sarah!" 

I stared in the mirror. Hadn't showered, brushed my hair or even gotten completely dressed yet. Even had to think HARD to remember if I had brushed my teeth. Don't judge me. 

"Oh and Robersy, when you get here I want to take the dogs for a walk. A loooong, loooooooooong walk." 

"Um. Ok?!"

And that's what I did. Exercise is my outlet and since I haven't started running yet, I just needed to get lost. By that time Josiah was asleep. Perfect timing. So I walked... and walked... and walked. Poor dogs were huffing and puffing when we got back. But I wasn't :) 

While I was walking I was reminded of how we're called to "get lost." When we're stressed, overwhelmed, burdened... and even when we're not... we can get lost in Him. 

I remember a song I use to blast on my disc-man :) Don't you dare ask me what that is!!! Anyways... Sonicflood has a song called, "Carried Away."

The chorus says, "I wanna get carried away
I wanna get tossed by Your waves
I don't care where or how deep
I'm gonna jump in with both feet."

I know I'm taking the song a little out of context... but there are verses that carry the same message of getting lost in Him, running to Him, finding shelter in Him. It's beautiful. Even more so as we celebrate Christ's resurrection this week!

Running to Him means that we experience the love He demonstrated when He died on the cross to save us from our sins that destroy us... AND the the hope and peace proclaimed when He rose again!

If you don't know Him, you're missing out!!!

Unfortunately here in the Dominican there are a LOT of people missing out. This celebration of Holy Week (Semana Santa) has been turned into a whole lot of partying and drunkenness! 

You may think I'm exaggerating but one of the teens said to me, "This week is so crazy that the question isn't IF someone is going to get killed (in a car/motorcycle accident, fight, drowning at the beach etc.) it's... WHO is it going to be?"

So if you think of it, pray for us this week. Safety for our teens, Robersy's baseball team, and the women that we work with. Sad to see how Satan can turn the most glorious time of the year in to one of the most dangerous weeks here in the Dominican!

Prayers also appreciated for 4PM this afternoon as we meet with another young lady from the streets. God is stirring hearts... but we pray that these girls will take the next step of leaving the streets and putting their trust in Him not only for Salvation, but to provide for their family in a way that doesn't dishonor their bodies.

ALSO, because of how crazy this week gets, we're heading out to the streets TONIGHT instead of tomorrow. Asking God for His protection and guidance to the girls He'd have us to meet.

Alright. This took me all morning to write with 2 feedings, 3 diaper changes, cuddle time, play time (he played on his Gymini play-mat thingy maggigy while I got dressed) and 2 naps. Oh and I ate a hot dog! Today is looking up already :)

Blood.

Relax.

That's what I got to do today! 

R-E-L-A-X! 

I slept in, took my time getting up, then fell asleep again (so did Josiah...),

...spent some time in prayer with my hubby, put my bathing suit on and laid beside a pool with a friend and her family.

This is the life!!! And it is exactly what we needed after a busy week.

Our busy week began with a trip to Santo Domingo with Faith Christian School. This group is amazing. Each year this school brings down their Senior class and they work their butts off ministering to the Dominican people.

Remember the group that led youth group last week? That was them. And it was a joy to visit some historical sites with them on Monday as well as pass out tracts in a very busy tourist area. 

On Tuesday Robersy's team played against a visiting mission team. Both the Dominican team and American team had a blast even though the Americans beat our boys, "just by a little," Robersy says :) Either way, they had a blast!

Here are some photos...

On Wednesday I was able to go and translate for a team at the Lily House. It was nice to see the girls (I miss them a LOT since I've not been there very often these days) and was blessed by the testimony from one of the ladies on the team. I loooove celebrating how God changes lives. 

Thursday was filled with baseball for Robersy and due to a fussy baby I wasn't able to hit the streets in the evening. However, so thankful for a visiting team that still went out since I received a call from a girl they met the next day! 

We plan to meet with her TOMORROW at 11AM so please be praying for that meeting!

Friday is where the title "blood" comes into play.

On Friday Robersy and I took advantage of a slow day to see his family in Bani. We got up early and ready for the loooooong drive out to the village where he grew up. I always love visiting his family but I was extra excited since the family would be meeting Josiah for the first time! 

When we arrived Robersy's mom was THRILLED to snatch her little grandson away for lots and LOTS of cuddles. She shouted (literally... out of the front door! lol) to the rest of the family to come and see him. Everyone crowded the house to see this little bundle.

As I sat there watching the family "oooo" and "ahhhh" over our son, it hit me. 

This was their blood.

I hadn't thought of it before. I know we're family by marriage. But, no matter how long I am part of this family, I will never be related by blood.

But Josiah...

Josiah is literally related by blood. 

Marilin is his grandmother, by blood.

Fabio is his great-grandfather, by blood! 

These are his cousins and aunts and uncles... by blood. 

There is NOTHING I can do to take him away from this family. 

If, God forbid, Robersy passed into eternity tomorrow... it wouldn't change the fact that this is Josiah's blood!!!

On the drive home I was moved to tears just thinking about it. Blame it on the hormones if you will, but it is one of the most beautiful things to dwell on. 

Reminds me of a family I was adopted in to when I was 8 years old. Oh sure, I was born a Ward. I bleed precious Bermudian, Scottish, English and Portuguese blood! 

But when I was 8 years old I became a member of a bigger family. One where I was bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. 

I became a member of the family of God.

And when I joined this family there was nothing... NOTHING... that could remove me. 

In fact Romans 8 states that, "death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation,will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

It should move us to tears.

That we were fought for... sacrificed for... loved so much... that nothing, NOTHING, can take our family status in Christ away.

Friend, if you don't know Him... come to know Him today. And if you do know Him, thank God for this precious gift that we can dwell on for eternity!!!

Creamy, Cheesy, Chicken Lasagna

I am a selfish person.

There I said it.

I had no idea!!! Even when I got married I think we both equally gave a little and neither one of us had any major problems of needing the world to revolve around them.

Saying that, I have always gone where I've wanted to go... done what I've wanted to do... eaten what I've wanted to eat... etc. etc.

Until a few weeks ago.

I started to realize that the things I was eating was affecting Josiah. Poor little thing has a sensitive tummy and everything I consumed determined whether it would be a great night or a bad night.

So I cut out dairy (like all the books say to do... not that I read the books. What new mother has all this time and energy to read?! Thankfully I have friends that have read the books, LOL!).

I noticed a change and there seemed to be a big change. He was sleeping, eating and burping like a champ.

Then selfish Sarah slipped in.

After a fantastic youth church service (I'll tell you about that in a second) where a friend even looked after Josiah so I wouldn't even have to slip out if he was fussy, we went over to SCORE to grab something for lunch before Robersy and the teens went with Pastor Nate to another church that he pastors in a village called Los Fundos.

I was starving! I had eaten a cookie for breakfast and after breast feeding and pumping several times through the day and night it obviously hadn't filled me up. I was hungry!!!

So I made a decision. A horrible awful decision that affected not only Josiah, but Robersy and myself as well :(

Creamy, Cheesy, Chicken Lasagna.

Boy, it was GOOD!!! For a split second I DID think about it... but I just needed something in my belly. I was selfish.

I now understand why Esau sold his birthright to Jacob. He may not have been feeding a baby, but I assume he was working hard... hunger caused him to make a bad decision. My decision was just as stupid!

Well I had a LOT of time to think about that decision last night.

From 1:28am until 4:43am to be exact.

The lasagna may have been delicious to me, but Josiah's poor little belly couldn't process it and we ALL suffered because of it. Josiah was up, Robersy was up and I was up. All because of my decision.

In regards to ministry, it's been a great week! Robersy had baseball and discipleship most days and on Friday, thanks to the best babysitter ever (seriously!!! She puts Josiah to sleep in no time!) I was able to attend youth group again. We had a group from Faith Christian School come to do the games, music and message. It was a fantastic night!!! They did a great job! Here are some pics.

Then on Sunday our youth took over the service at our church in Juan Dolio. They did SUCH a great job! One of the youngest (and smallest) kids on Robersy's team welcomed everyone to the service and from there each young person involved with music or testimonies did an amazing job! I was so proud of them!!! (photos to come)

Robersy then delivered the message called "WAKE UP YOUTH! God wants to use you!" It was great and encouraged me (even though I'm 30yrs old) to do something great for the glory of God!

However it was one part in particular that gripped my heart. Robersy had all the newest Christians in the youth group to stand up. He reminded them of the difficulties that the Bible promises we'll encounter, but then he urged them to make a difference.

"There is always someone younger than you that you can impact for the Lord."

Reflecting over the message and my yummy, but bad, lunch choice reminds me once again...

Our choices effect others.
They really do!!!

Like my decision to indulge in dairy products affected our entire family (and most likely our entire neighborhood... this kid can cry!!!), we have the choice to have a positive OR negative effect on those around us.

The places we go, the things we do, the things we SAY (we often forget that one), the things we consume... all leave an impact.

"BUT I HAVE FREEDOM IN CHRIST, SARAH!!!"

Yes, we most certainly do. And that beautiful freedom granted by God Almighty releases us from the ties that sin HAD (past tense) on us... so you and I can't blame the Devil for any stupid decisions we FREELY make in our lives.

So from now on I will be paying close attention to everything that goes in to my body and pray that this very long night might remind me to be someone who draws others TO Christ (not away...) through my words and deeds too.

Praying my food choices might help you remember too :)