HEY! Goodbye... See you later?

There are a LOT of challenges to living on the foreign mission field. 

Power-outages.

Mosquitoes. 

Tarantulas.

Government strikes.

Rice and Beans... every day :) (I actually love rice and beans for the record... but as much as I try I can NOT make it like the Dominicans and I could never eat it every day!)

We won't even begin to mention the spiritual attacks, especially when we live among  Satan worshipers and voodoo! 

It isn't always the easiest life... but it is worth every bug, centipede and dog bite :) 

(If you don't know what I'm talking about, now is a good time to read some of my older blogs, haha!) 

However, one of the most difficult things about serving here in the Dominican is the number of "Hellos" and "Goodbyes" that we have to say.

Amazing mission teams, interns, visitors and missionaries come down and we say "HEEEEYYYY!!!" 

A tarantula visiting our friends Craig and Joanna

We get excited, we fall in love, we bond, we laugh, we cry... and then in a few short days, weeks, months or years at some point or another we have to say "Goodbye" once again.

There are people who we meet once and won't reunite with until we pass from this earth.

Others that we have the blessing of seeing at least once a year!

Some come several times a year.

And there are a few that just overstay their welcome :) heehee. Just kidding!

But I must admit, it is hardest to say goodbye to those we have lived with, served with, suffered with and laughed with for more than just a day or two.

We face yet another one of those "Goodbyes" this week as we say "See you later" (because I refuse to say goodbye) to some of our dear friends - Ashley and Charles Carter. Because of a clear leading from the LORD and some health concerns, they will be heading back to the States tomorrow.

Charles (who we all call by his last name - Carter) and Ashley have been serving in the Dominican Republic for 5 years. They primarily served in the GAP ministry (college-aged students studying missions, Spanish and Bible), but also translated, taught, and served with Lily House as well. They have worked their butts off for God's glory!!!

Ashley and Charles Carter

However, you may know Carter more for his famous pregnancy announcements on my Facebook wall FAR before we even thought about having baby. 

Either way, they are some of our closest friends and we are sad to see them go. 

Like... REALLY sad.

So, why do I tell you all of this? 

What GOD is teaching me through their leaving and other circumstances that I am facing at this time, is that sometimes GOD leads us in a direction that we don't quite understand. 

HE pulls us away from those we love. 
HE turns our world upside down.
HE empties our hands of our most treasured belongings.

Not because HE is an evil GOD, but because HE is a loving GOD.

Because in our emptiness, our rawness, our nakedness... we have nothing more to cling to than to GOD Himself. 

It is where true trust comes in to play.

I don't know why trusting an all-knowing, all-powerful, always present GOD is so hard (HA-HA) but I guess the fear isn't so much in GOD Himself... it's more the "what comes next?"

HOWEVER, knowing that my Saviour is also, ALL-LOVING means that HIS plans are best. 

Jeremiah 29:11, 

"For I know the plans I have for you" declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

So friend, maybe you're not heading to another country, but you're still heading in to the unknown. Be at peace. You may not know what's coming... but HE does. Trust Him. Follow Him. And rest in HIS promises.

Please pray for Ashley and Carter as they transition... until we say "Hello!" once again :)

Run AWAY!

Sometimes life seems to NEVER slow down. The second we get a moment to breathe something else comes up! Making time for family and REST is tough, but this weekend we decided to make it a priority and run away. OF COURSE, having 2 of our friends returning to the States soon gave us a good excuse and we had a blast spending time with them as we stepped away from reality for a few days - hence no Monday blog.

So instead of sharing everything we've been involved in over the last few weeks, I will leave you with a few photos. Don't be afraid to step back occasionally, friends! Find rest in HIM.

Psalm 61:1 

“Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.”

Treasure Hunt

I love a good treasure hunt. 

I love the challenge.
I love to think.
But more than anything I love the prize. 

HOWEVER, it would be pretty sad that if at the end of a long, challenging hunt you ended with no treasure at all.

In my years on the mission field, and most recently in youth and women's ministry I find that this is always the story.

Person feels void.
Person seeks to fill void by earthly means (eg. love, success, popularity, alcohol/drugs).
Void can not be filled.
Tries again.
Tries again.
Tries again...

It came to my attention once again on Thursday night. My ministry partner and I prayed together before heading out as always. "Lord lead us to the women you have prepared to hear YOUR Word tonight."

And off we went.

"Hey! You American?" 'A' asked in a fantastic English accent.

"Ummm" - I contemplated. I don't mean to lie. It's just sometimes explaining where Bermuda is, who Bermuda belongs to, if the Bermuda triangle is real, have I ever gotten lost in the triangle, etc. takes longer than necessary! haha. Sometimes I just smile.

"No. I'm not American. I'm Bermudian."

"Oh cool." Still in English, "I know 5 guys from Bermuda. I didn't know white people lived in Bermuda." I laughed at the common misconception of the last part ------- (I had a Haitian roommate that was sincerely disappointed when she met me. "Where is the girl from Bermuda?" "HI! I'm Sarah." She sucked her teeth and walked away. LOL!!! "UM, Sorry?!") ------- HOWEVER, I blushed of embarrassment at the first.

"People from Bermuda come here?"

"Oh yeah. I have a few Bermudian clients that come back every other month."

:( 

"So why are you here? You seem educated and don't look in need." (She was dressed in designer clothes)

"I don't know really. I mean, I guess I'm looking for something. I just don't know what I'm trying to find here on the streets."

Breaks. My. Heart.

Perhaps you don't think you have much in common with this prostitute, but I assure you... we all do. 

Searching. Looking. Digging. 

To fill the loneliness... 
To fill the emptiness...
To blur the thoughts we lay in bed thinking about at night - and then wake up only to begin searching again.

Each week Robersy and I encounter people that are trying so hard to fill the void. Filling it with parties, filling it with religion, filling it with activities, activities and more activities...

Thankful to be mommy to this sweet boy
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all the mommas,
spiritual mommas, puppy/kitty mommas :)

Friend. Christ ALONE can fill the void. 

If you are trying to fill this void alone, you will be on this treasure hunt your entire life only to end empty handed. A sad, prize-less treasure hunt. 

Deuteronomy 4:29 says, "But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul."

Once you find Him... there is no more searching. HE fills that void and gives you a reason to live! The ultimate treasure is knowing HIM.

We had the beautiful privilege of sharing this message with 'A' on Thursday, but it's our joy to share this same truth in our various ministries each week and it's an honour to share this with you today.

Finding HIM and being filled by HIM has allowed us to be involved in some awesome things this week here in the Dominican. Besides raising a rambunctious 3 month old, Robersy preached several times throughout the week - the Dodgers, Seattle Mariners and Angels for Baseball Chapel, youth church on Wednesday and 2 church services on Sunday - while I led a study and activities at Lily House and planned games for youth group.

Praying over this notes and verses before we take them out this week.

It's funny. I remember planning games for my home church in Bermuda and someone always seemed to get hurt. Nothing has changed here. I get too excited! LOL.

PLEASE PRAY THIS WEEK - One activity I arranged for the girls at LH was to write verses and encouraging notes to girls that are still currently working in prostitution. We plan to hand them out this Thursday. Please pray that these girls will see that there are people who DO understand what they are going through and that there is HOPE... His name is JESUS.