What the mission field has taught me: reflecting back on 2019

2019 is almost over and it is during the hustle and bustle of this time of year that I step back, grab a notebook and pen, a hot cup of tea and sit in quiet solitude thinking back over the last year….yeah right. It is more of reflecting on the year while removing cat claws from my hands and legs while de-boning chicken, shushing dogs that are barking at the inevitable death awaiting all of us at the hand of the delivery boy and his motorcycle at the house up the street, a toddler throwing balls as he does “bulling” (bowling) with empty two liter bottles as pins, and a husband listening to various YouTube videos while working on the computer at full blast. The cacophony of noise is often overwhelming, but it is my family and I love them!

            I do not want to focus on personal ups and downs, but rather, mission-specific lessons, both the good and the bad. Yes, not everything on the mission field is positive; in fact, more negative things happen than positive ones. But that is how it goes, that is what serving others and spreading the Gospel is like, mostly thorns but the roses you get out of it are well worth it. The old saying “if only one…” yes, it is absolutely worth it even I only one soul is saved.

            I think the biggest lesson I learned is that friendly fire [metaphorically] is a very real thing. The people that are supposed to be in your corner and supporting you, often cause the greatest damage, intentionally or not. On more than one occasion a mission team, person, or another missionary has said or done something that has taken more than a year to fix, all because they disagreed with something we said or did, but did not take the time to see for themselves if we had a reason for what we said or did.

            Along the same vein, I learned that missionaries need to stick together. If you cannot work or get along with another missionary than perhaps missions is not your calling. We are supposedly all working towards the same goal, but if we cannot be loving towards each other, how can we show Christ’s love to those we are trying to save/serve?  It is just not possible. Doctrinal differences included, the only reason to not work with another person on the mission field is if they are preaching a different gospel and if that is the case, they are not really missionaries and should be reached out too as well.

            Another thing the mission field has taught me is that even the smallest seed, something we may not even see as ministry can be, and often is a tool to preach the gospel. First aid, a conversation, showing genuine care for a person, these everyday actions speak volumes on the field.

            Once you have been on the field serving in a specific area for a length of time (at least a year, 2 is better) people drop their guards and facades and you see the genuine person that they are. I have always hated hypocrisy and after spending 4 years on the mission field, my hypocrisy radar has really been fine-tuned. Because the community knows us, they have let go of the facades they presented at first and just act like they do in everyday life. On more than one occasion we have seen people’s true colors and have better understood what the ongoing issues in the community are/have been and have been able to be more effective in mediating issues that have been brought to us…or rather Jonathan.

 I also learned that even Christ was tired doing ministry work. It is hard and tiring, especially when balancing full-time work and family life. Through grad school and extended family issues (on both sides) and we basically burn the candle at both ends. People need you at all times and every day and you just can’t meet their every need. You always feel like you are never doing enough and discouragement is a constant. But when you see one person baptized you get a renewed strength to keep going, because your effort helped one soul, maybe there are more you can reach.

            Finally, I learned that it is okay to ask for help and accept it from others. This was a hard one for me. I was raised to work hard and make things happen and not accept help from people. Just pull yourself up by your bootstraps so to speak. I still agree with this, but I have learned that Adonai will use other people to help you and you are robbing them of a blessing and being prideful to refuse help, especially if you have been praying for it. It is fine to receive just as it is fine to give.

            So, this year has been full of lessons, both personal life lessons, as well as ministry and spiritual lessons. I hope to continue to grow and that 2020 provides more insight into how to better serve others, regardless of nationality, language, economic status, and gender.

            Until next time, may Adonai bless you and your homes. Happy Hanukkah!

Does it matter?

      I can see that I have not posted since April. I did not realize it had been so long. During these few months, I have finished my Master's degree and have done various other, boring, yet time-consuming things. I have been crocheting like crazy and I will post about what I have made in the near future. We decided that I would make all our Hanukkah/New Year gifts this year, so I started in Septemeber (I did make one item in June) and I have been going like crazy. I have 24 gifts to make and I believe I have 14 done. I have also done baby gifts and a wedding gift, so I have been busy, busy, busy with crochet!

     As is well known, I have had to quit working due to medical issues. Jonathan has started an electrical business but it is slow in growing. The lord is providing for our daily needs, but sadly, we will have to leave our house in December. We are unsure where we are going to live, but we are looking at a couple of options. Our income has decreased so much that we just cannot keep up with all the bills. Rent is something that has to be cut so we are cutting it and exploring other options for living arrangements.

     Additionally, first aid care has seemed to increase just as drastically as our income decreased. I am praying about pursuing further medical training when my health is finally straightened out. Teaching no longer seems to be where the Lord wants me. I would appreciate your prayers for wisdom on this. I have always enjoyed medical but never pursued it due to my poor math skills. But maybe it is time to re-examine that option. I am also going to apply myself and focus on increasing my Spanish. Enough of this not being able to communicate stuff!

     Now, onto the actual intended content of this post:

     What do I mean when I say "does it matter"? Jonathan and I have spent a lot of time discussing various doctrinal things, as a ministry couple is inclined to do. One thing I often say is "does it matter" and Jonathan always has to step back and think about it to see if I am being heretical or not! Of course, I am not talking about things related to salvation, I usually refer to things that are like splitting hairs, however one concept I said this too just about escalated our discussion into an argument (it didn't, but almost did). We were discussing the topic of heaven.

    "What!!! How can you say 'does it matter' about heaven"???. That was exactly Jonathan's response! Let me clarify what I mean. The Bible is actually pretty vague about what heaven is. We as humans have added our own traditions, imaginings, and interpretations about heaven, but Scripture is actually very vague. The only thing Scripture states is that it is a place and that we will be with Adoani for eternity. After this, we only have mankind's conjectures.

     Before you stone me for heresy, hear me out. We need to understand what "heaven" is because a commonly asked question is "why should I follow Christ?" A common answer is "to have eternal life with God in heaven". Well, what is heaven? A variety of answers follows this question, but does it matter if we know what heaven is? Isn't eternal life with Adonai enough?

    Here are a few examples of what I have personally heard heaven is:
1) The New Jerusalem here on Earth
2) A New Earth
3) Living with the Angels
4) Being in the throne room 24/7
5) Ruling your own planet (Mormon belief)
I am sure there are more, these are just the ones I have heard the most. But again, does it really matter? Does the actual location and appearance of heaven affect our salvation? More importantly, does it affect whether or not you accept Christ as your Lord and Saviour? No, it absolutely should not. That is what I mean by "does it matter"?

     While here on Earth we are commanded to spread the Gospel, baptize people and create disciples.  Anything else is extra, and although it is important to study, it honestly does not matter if souls are not being saved.

    Another thing I often say "does it matter" too, is end-time prophecy and study. I acknowledge that the end of time is approaching and the Lord will return soon. But again, I still firmly believe our focus should be on saving souls, not debating if we will meet our end by nuclear warfare or if we will be forced into hiding or another exodus, or anything else like that. The end-time prophecy is more about what will happen and less about when it will happen. My experience with these teachings has been okay, but everyone became so focused on end-time signals, that no one even thought about evangelism. We were all preparing for the end, keeping ourselves in a community, planning on keeping our faith strong and together, while ignoring anyone not a part of our faith. I am grieved when I think about how I was in agreement with that for many years. And now, I look back and ask, "does it matter?"

    Does it matter if you wear clothes of mixed fibers? Does it matter if heaven is Jerusalem on Earth, or Jerusalem in heaven? Does it matter what the end of time occurrences are? How is your salvation affected by this? More importantly, how is someone else's salvation effected? Are we spending so much time debating these things that the wheat right under our noses is withering away because we are to busy to notice it is ready to be harvested?

    I encourage everyone to study everything for themselves and to continue to grow spiritually, but when it comes to saving souls I ask you to consider what is most important for them to know? Does it matter for their salvation? That should always be asked when talking with whether new or non-believers. Does it matter for salvation?

    I hope to post again soon. May Adonai richly bless you and your homes.

What Now?

The last month was full of unexpected things, both good and bad. And with the school year entering its final quarter, we are looking ahead at what the near future holds.

At the end of June I will be officially leaving classroom teaching. I am in the process of interviewing for some online tutoring places and we are going to start some intermediate and advanced English classes as well. However, even with picking up tutoring and doing odd jobs, the income is not reliable so we are looking at other options.

We are actively pursuing and are in the process of starting a crochet business and an electrical business. The idea for my crochet business is that the focus will be bags and baby items. Those are the things that will sell here, but we will also have some other misc. things as I feel inclined to make them. Ultimately, we want to employ the women at Cancela who are now making things to sell but we have to start with building the business.

I placed a yarn order last week to start making bags but we found out a member of our church is in urgent need of a backpack, so I will be using the yarn for that and saving up to get more. I would like to make market bags, backpacks, purses, diaper bags, etc. The possibilities and creativity are endless. I even found a site that will sell the yarn at wholesale prices if I buy in a large enough quantity. I do not see that being a problem! We just have to come up with the money first. I have a couple of leads on places I can set up temporary stands to sell things so once I have stock, I will do that. Jonathan is designing the website and tags and such for me so we can save money that way. I am also starting a crochet YouTube channel so once that goes active I will post a link to it.

Since the future is still largely unknown, we ask for prayer for wisdom, patience and strength It is scary to walk away from the only steady income we have had, but my health just will not allow me to continue teaching in the traditional classroom setting. So, please keep us in your prayers and I will keep you updated as everything develops and unfolds.

Another update

Hello everyone!

 It has been a hot minute since I last wrote. There has been a lot going on and honestly, I haven’t really known where to start when it came to a post. But I will just plunge in and hopefully it will all make sense.

Amos is doing very, very well. He is wanting to potty-train, is starting to brush his teeth and is currently engaged in a battle with us about weening off of formula completely. He loves doing things with his hands and is speaking Spanglish but comprehends both languages perfectly. He also appears to be a lefty because he throws, bats and grabs things predominantly with his left hand. Since Guapo and I are both righties, I am saying that Tio Jovanny is the one to blame!

Jonathan is teaching for 1.5 hours two days a week and doing electrical and other things during the day. He is trying to launch an electrical business so is doing a lot of odd jobs to get word of mouth going. His after school teaching of robotics (the 1.5 hours, two days a week) is going well and he plans on continuing that for a while.

My brother Matt and sister-in-law Colleen came to visit for a week last month. It was very nice to have them visit. We had a good time and I hope they come again soon. Amos loved playing with Tio and Tia.

There is also a team here currently. They are from a university and are educating the people of Cancela about trash clean-up and not burning it, as well as how to clean the water barrels and prevent mosquitoes from breeding in it. In addition, they are helping construct some aquaponics systems for the church so we can teach the community to garden. They have been very helpful and we are grateful to them.

But now onto sad news. Over the past several months I have been struggling with life and my health some more. I was debating about what to do but after a couple of occurrences at school, confirmation outside of school, and with Jonathan’s agreement and support, I have decided to leave traditional teaching permanently at the end of this year. It was a hard and sad choice to make but we feel it is the right one (Another reason why Jonathan is trying very hard to launch his business). I complete my Masters in August and I will then pursue TEFL certification. I hope to tutor TEFL students but that will be on a schedule I can control and the amount of work I can handle. I am also applying for online writing jobs (part-time) that I can do from home so I can focus on my family, home and our ministry. If you all know of any online jobs, please let me know!

Ministry is going well. We have had our discouraging times and it is a rollercoaster of excitement and sadness, but that is ministry life. The crochet class continues to grow and Jonathan’s classes are also doing well. The community is slowly changing. Please continue to pray for us as we try to keep doing what the Lord has called us to do.

Well, that is all for now. I hope to be more consistent with my writing in the future. Until next time, may Adonai bless you and your homes.  

Poem

Hello everyone!

      I know it has been a long time since I wrote. The past couple of weeks I have really wanted to write something but just couldn't. However, after a rather tough day on Friday I was inspired to write this poem so I thought I would share it. I hope to have a regular post up soon. 

Why?

Dedicated to the 2018-2019 3^rd grade class of:

Christian Community School, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

The other day in class I was asked a rather simple question:

Why?

You see, as a teacher I spend time imprinting knowledge into the minds of my students

But I have never spent a lot of time to explain why.

2+2= 4, 4/8 is the same as 1/2, Thomas Jefferson purchased the Louisiana Territory, a force is needed to put something into motion, the plural of puppy is puppies but the plural of fish is fish.

Just fish, not fishen, fishies or fishes.

Remember that kids or it is a zero on your test.

I spend hours explaining sentence structure and grammar,

The correct format for an essay and the differences between the different kinds of poetry.

The students watch the videos, take their notes, and do their work,

But 6 months through the school year they ask:

Why?

Why do we`1 need all this knowledge when we have calculators and google at our fingertips?

Why is it important to know that a proper noun is capitalized but the others aren’t, when we have spell check? Why do we need to know how sound waves travel when we spend our time with earbuds in our ears? Why do we need to know cursive when I can write in print and can type faster than either of those?

And why on earth,

Teacher,

Do you think Superman is better than Spiderman?

I stand there and look out at my class,

eyes awaiting my answer,

and I do not know how to respond to such a complex yet so simple a question.

How can I explain to these young minds that all of this information serves a bigger purpose than just passing a test?

How do you explain to 9 year olds the concept of learning from the past?

Understanding what happened then,

So it doesn’t happen again.

How do you explain the importance of critical thinking and analysis to youthful thinkers?

And how do you stress the importance of being able to write and speak with such conviction and grammatical correctness that you gain respect from those in authority?

How do you explain that understanding the Bible helps you understand life?

You see, in school you learn things you think you will never use again. You answer the questions on the test then move on, not remembering that fact for years.

Hitler was a dictator, Russia is a communist country, King Henry the VIII had 6 wives, and the laws of physics prove the strength of Captain America’s shield is actually,

impossible.

But what do we learn in school that is proven to be true?

We learn that speaking with authority gives you more credit from your listeners, this includes knowing the myriads of ways the O-U-G-H is used, the Bain of the English language.

We learn that although spelling doesn’t always make sense, learning to spell helps when you try to get a job.

We learn that objects always move in the direction of a force so that means if you throw a ball at a window it is going to break it because it won’t suddenly change direction. So don’t be surprised if your Mom doesn’t buy your “I didn’t mean to” story.

We learn that you can’t outrun a cheetah so don’t even try, but most importantly

We learn that words have meaning and weight and how you use them

matters.

You see, when we speak or write to others what we say can be interpreted many ways.

How we speak, where we breathe, it all makes a difference and sometimes what you say at home,

Hurts someone at school.

The why goes beyond just information, the why is because you need to know it to succeed, to be respected, too function in society.

But how do you explain that to ten sets of brown eyes focused on you just wanting 10 extra minutes of recess rather than a worksheet about commas?

How do you explain that my only goal as a teacher is to teach them to teach themselves, because there will be a day when no one else will?

How do you explain that while I know this, and their parents know this, their innocent minds see this as unnecessary torture imposing on their carefree lives?

How do I explain it?

“Because I am your teacher and you have to learn it, that’s why”.

Update for the end of the year

Hello everyone!

            So, it has been a while since I wrote and I figured that it is time for an update.

           

 First, we finally got family pictures done. We had some good friends come over and they took family photos as well as Amos’ 2 year pictures. It was so kind of them to do that and as you can tell, they turned out really well!

              It is hard to believe that 2018 is almost over! It feels like I was just getting into the routine of everything. But I am excited to see what 2019 holds.

            I am officially on Christmas Break until Jan. 8^th. Our last day was the 13^th so it has been almost a week already. I cannot believe it! I had so much I wanted to do and I have done basically nothing! But rest is a good thing so I am trying to get as much as I can before everything resumes.

            Grad school is going well. I only have 4 classes left! That means I will complete everything in August and I will finally have my degree. It will be so nice to be done but also strange and sad, I like school but I am also ready to have some time back.

            Jonathan is Ubering more hours now since I am at home and no longer have to be dropped off at a specific time. He will begin teaching in an afterschool program in January as well. It is only 2 days a week but it will be a huge help financially to us.

            Ministry is going well. There have been a couple of deaths in the last few months, but sadly, that is a part of life and ministry. I cannot share more details but we are excited to see some growth from the seeds we have been planting (metaphorically). Please continue to pray for us and those we serve.

            I am working more on my crochet, especially over break. I am hoping to be able to start selling a few things to help make money to buy more yarn! As all of you crafters and needle workers know, you can never have too many supplies or too much yarn! If I am successful, I hope to get Jonathan to build me a nice little storage cabinet (with a key) so I can keep Amos away from my supplies. We shall see how successful I am. Regardless though, there are 2 more churches in addition to ours that will be having crochet classes. I will resume in late January or early February. I am currently filming some tutorials that Jonathan will do the Spanish translation for. I will then upload these to YouTube so the ladies can have access to the instruction during the week. Pray for that to go well please! It is hard to film with a toddler!

            Jonathan’s gardening project is going well and he will begin making one at the church next year as well.

            I guess that is it for now. Until next time, may Adonai bless you and your homes.   

Thanking Mrs. K

Hello again everyone—

            Yesterday was a Dominican holiday so we took advantage of it and went to the beach with my brother-in-law, nephew, niece and our dog. Amos loves the water and had a wonderful time and it was so nice to be able to relax and spend time together as a family. We finished the day with a pastors meeting which, while that was going on, Amos, Tesla and I fell asleep. It was accidental but it was nice to go to bed earlier than usual! The beach just wears out little man!

            Anyway, onto the topic of this post. Tomorrow is the last crochet class for this year. We are going to take the rest of the year to plan a new class starting in January, with a different focus, and prepare to start the program at 2 other churches. We are also going to collect some more supplies in order to start again as our yarn supply is now gone and we need more starter hooks. We have decided to have people start with the plastic hooks (they often get lost) and as the progress, give them the metal hooks. This way we can have as many people working as possible since the plastic hooks are supposed to be returned when they receive a metal hook.

            Anyway, as I am wrapping up this class and planning another (actually several different ones for different locations) I realized something. I never acknowledged the woman who taught me to crochet in the first place.

           

Jonathan snapped this picture last week of all of us working on our projects together. It made me think of the first class I attended when I was taught the basics of crochet, and how one woman’s patience with a hyper 7 year old girl is now affecting a community of women in a different country.

            

         We have a family friend who I am still in contact with. Okay, she is Mom’s friend but I claim her too! Her kids and my brothers and I grew up together. She is an avid crocheter and as a favor to my Mom, agreed to teach a class of girls (I think for 4-H) how to crochet. My Mom also got a lesson because she wanted to learn and I still remember the pattern used to teach us how to crochet a washcloth. I then crocheted off and on throughout the years using YouTube to teach myself the stitches I did not know once we moved away from the area. However, the very basics of holding the yarn, chaining, single crochet and how to turn your work were all taught to me by Mrs. K.

            Now, here I am, a 29 year old woman living in the Caribbean and the seeds planted over 20 years ago as a favor to my Mom have born fruit. The obnoxious, hyper, bouncy, 7-year-old girl with pig tails and a gap in her teeth has grown up and used the skill that was so patiently taught to me. Her patience is now giving women who would be, to be real for a moment, at risk for prostitution and sex trafficking, an alternative way to help support their families. The area is very poor with many making less than minimum wage, having several mouths to feed and constant pressures of unreliable water and power and poor sanitation. These women now see hope and a chance to be and do something to better themselves and their families. All because of a one patient lady who spent an afternoon teaching girls to crochet.

            As an English teacher I find the English language lacking here. “Thank you” seems so trivial. You truly do not know how much your selfless act means to me and the community of women we are serving. I know there are jewels in your crown already, but I think there will be an extra diamond for this as well.

            It took a long time to see the fruit, but it is showing itself now. So, as inadequate as it is. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart and the hearts of the women benefiting from this skill. Thank you Mrs. K.

Life and Ministry update

It has been a while since I have had time to write. I had several papers due, grades for report cards due, multiple meetings with parents and admin about my teaching and grading, etc. etc. etc. But I got ahead a little bit so I can finally sit down and do another post!

                Life here is as interesting as ever. We have finally settled into our house that moved into in April. There was a lot going on with it being sold and getting a new rental contract from the new owner, power issues, installing things, 2 washer repairs, car repairs etc. As hard as daily life is, we are seeing fruit in the ministry field. The teenage boys in the neighborhood have really formed a good strong bond with Jonathan and are comfortable coming over whenever to just talk or ask questions and even help with work! They love talking with Jonathan and playing basketball with him. He invested in some new, brighter lights for the front of our house which illuminates the basketball court fairly well at night, so now the boys are happy as can be! They can now play until 9-9:30 at night when they used to have to stop around 7 because of it getting dark. We much prefer they stay and play and Amos loves to join in. The boys are good to include him and make him feel like he is part of the game. I will try to film it sometime.

                AS I am no athlete and medically cannot be that active, I have made myself the water queen. I make sure to put the jug of water and disposable cups out on the table and the boys know and feel comfortable enough to get water whenever it is out there. They don’t need to ask and they know it. This culture does not drink a lot of water as a regular rule, so I try to encourage it whenever possible. Jonathan also gives a scientific talk to people about the importance of protein for the cells in your body, and the need to stay hydrated. So between the two of us the boys in the neighborhood and the Uber riders will have better nutrition and hydration!

                In addition to the basketball hoop which Jonathan helped them buy and install, we have had several of the boys come over to play games. Right now Catan is popular so we need to get the 5-6 player extension for it. Games played here are usually dominoes and monopoly so any new game that is introduced is usually well received. We played Yahtzee with Jonathan’s brother’s family and they were laughing so hard they could hardly breathe! When the boys played Catan there was yelling and excitement and everyone left with smiles on their faces even though 3 of us lost. That is the type of ministry and community we are trying to build. Jonathan has already shared the gospel with a few of them and they keep coming back with more questions. Jonathan is planting seeds, the Lord is watering them and we are starting to see them grow.

                Jonathan has also started his project with the boys at Cancela. After the crochet class he spends some time with the boys. They are working on engineering a hydroponic, vertical garden. He has had success on his own at home, so he is teaching the boys out there how to do it. The hope is that between being able to grow food and the crochet projects bringing in money, the people there can become self-sustaining. Jonathan is even going to teach everyone business basics such as money management and investments. He is also going to teach them how to use the internet to advertise and sell their products as well as setup and maintain a website.

                It is so encouraging to see the little sprouts coming up from the seeds that have been planted! The Lord is being faithful and providing and we hope to care for these seedlings (metaphorical seedlings) and watch them grow into strong trees with fruit that will help others!

                In addition to ministry we have our daily lives and activities. I am completing the first quarter at CCS this week so there has been a big push with grades and activities and there is a bug going around the school as well. I caught it but only had a weak voice, fortunately. However, I have 2 kids out with the sickness this week and 1 out last week. So pray for all of us! Teachers and students are catching it.

                I have also been crocheting a lot because of the class. I am actually glad to have this weekly class because it keeps me crocheting when otherwise I would not prioritize it. I am glad to have the push and the artistic outlet. All the donations we have received have been a huge blessing, so thank you!

                Bunt and Tesla are doing fine. Bunt forgets he is a cat sometimes and acts like Tesla, especially when food is involved. However, other than occasional sniffs at the crate, they ignore Bernard which is nice. Bernard is starting to grow tail feathers back and is standing on his complete leg. Obviously, the missing one will not grow back. He is eating well and hopefully will continue to heal. If you had told me we would be nursing a wild pigeon back to health I would have laughed, but here we are!

                I was actually talking to Jonathan the other day about our animals and Amos. It struck me how much Amos copies us and our behavior towards animals. He has no fear of unknown dogs and cats (he particularly likes dogs) and tries to call them over all the time. When we pet animals he does too. He knows what “gentle” means and is very kind and soft with any animal he touches. When we caught Bernard (it was not hard, poor thing could not fly and could hardly walk) he was super excited and raised his hand to pat it. As you know, babies don’t pat very well but when I said “gentle” he immediately changed and carefully stroked Bernard’s head. I then took him to the bathroom and washed his hands. Loving animals is good, but I prefer he not get sick from them!

                Ever since he talks too, waves at and pets the neighborhood dogs that approach us or let us approach them. There are only 2 dogs we will not let him near because they are mean. However, Amos has learned to be kind and gentle with animals and it is crossing over to how he treats people. He is very loving and kind with people and becoming gentler as well.  Who knew the simple act of showing kindness to animals, in front of him would make him so gentle? But as I told Jonathan, we didn’t look for or want a pigeon but it needed help. If we care for the bird and shows an appreciation and respect for God’s creation. He created the animals, we are to care for them.

                Another thing that my husband does that is setting a good example for Amos is his treatment of strangers. Our money is very tight and we are not sure how we are going to make it until his job starts in January, but the Lord will provide. Anyway, it does not matter how tight our money is, if someone needs food or gas, he gives it, even if it means we go without. We never give cash, but it is not uncommon to see Jonathan giving someone a gallon of gas, a ride to the gas station or food if someone is in need. I love this example he is setting and Amos is already showing kindness towards others. He will smile at, high-five (sometimes even hug) strangers and loves to just chat with people. I love to see the faces of people light up when Amos engages with them! He often goes up to security guards and “talks” to them, gives them a knuckle bump and/or smile at them. Their faces always break into a smile and since a good portion of the guards are older men, it makes me wonder how many people don’t even acknowledge their existence, yet here is this little curly-top Americano paying attention to them. Sometimes, Amos does more effective ministry in 1 minute than Jonathan and I in 1 day.

                Wow! This post is long! I will stop for now and try to be more regular in my posting from here on out. Until next time, may Adonai bless you and your homes.  

The Missionary Pedestal

I realize this post may not be super popular, but there is something on my heart I would like to share. So, I have decided to post about it as a way to get it out there and start people thinking. 

There is one thing that really bothers me about both US and Dominican culture. And that is the pedestal that missionaries are placed on. Whenever it is mentioned that I am a missionary (whether by myself or someone else) there is an almost universal response of admiration and wonder. This bothers me a great deal and I usually prefer to just describe myself as a pastor’s wife because for some reason, that is not on the same level as a missionary.

There are several things that I want to address about missionary life, or rather, ministry life. You see, we tend to forget that we are all missionaries. We were commanded to be missionaries when we were given the Great Commission. The act of being a missionary should go hand-in-hand with the life of a Christian. Yes, some people choose the foreign mission field, and others their homeland. That does make the abroad missionaries better or more valuable, they chose to serve abroad, but being a missionary is not an occupation, it is part of Christian life.

Also, just for the record, being a pastor or a pastor’s wife can be just as hard, if not harder, than being a missionary. Now, I am not saying that people who have chosen to be missionaries are wrong or anything, there are some who are truly called that way. What I am saying is that they are normal people. They do not deserve to be placed on a pedestal, no one does. That defeats the whole purpose and meaning behind ministry work. Yes, life on the field is wicked hard, but it is a duty we were given by Christ. Not everyone is called to the field, others serve locally, and they are just as much of a missionary as those serving abroad.

Rather than placing us on a pedestal, why not pray for us? And for yourself? We are all uniquely placed in this world to impact someone or maybe even multiple people. That is an act that all believers should embrace and realize that that is a port of being a follower of Christ. Christ is the only one that should be placed on a pedestal. As scripture says, we are one body but we have different functions. That does not make one part more important than the other, we just have different callings and purposes.

All of this to say, don’t make missionaries more than they are. We are human and preach the Gospel just like you.

Until next time, may Adonai bless you and your homes.   

Our hope to bless others

      It has been a while since I have posted. For some reason Tuesdays have become very busy so I am choosing to post today in order to get a post up this week!

     As you probably know we moved in March to a house in the north side of town. There is vacant land around us so the owners of the house planted different kinds of trees on the lots and in the backyard. People in the neighborhood have been harvesting from these trees but they produce so much that we cannot keep up! We are now collecting the fruit and giving it to those in need, particular people in the community of Cancela.

     The main food we get is Avocado currently, but we also have sour orange, almonds and mango. The cherry tree is not producing a lot just yet and the green bananas are still ripening. I just wanted to share with you Jonathan’s endeavor to gather some avocados to take to church today (I gathered some sour orange as well). We are now using some of the seeds to plant more and once the sprouts are established, we will take them and plant them in vertical gardens in Cancela. The children 12 and older are being taught how to care for the plants and it is there responsibility to tend them during the week. Jonathan will check in on Sundays and Wednesday to see how they are doing. 

The goal is to teach the young adults how to vertical garden specifically with plants that are not in the immediate area. They have mango trees but not the others. They will be taught how to turn the gardens into an income but starting with the church’s garden that will be used to help those in need. The seeds of those plants will then be used in their personal gardens. 

       The ladies ministry crochet class will begin the first Wednesday in September. The ladies will be signing up this week and next so I know how many people will be present so supplies can be purchased. I have asked for ladies 13 and older only but I am willing to teach younger if they really want to learn.

            The first projects these ladies will learn is washcloths, hot pads and headbands. If there is still interest, I will teach them various granny square patterns and show them how they can be joined to create bags, blankets, pillows etc.

            So, with all of that and my new job starting we have been very busy! Jonathan hopes to start Ubering this week and that will be his main source of income so that he can focus on ministry more.

            Until next time, may Adonai bless you and your homes. 

Back in Tennessee!

        Well, it has been awhile since I wrote last. Amos and I are now in the States and a tropical storm hit Santo Domingo. Jonathan is checking on family and church members and I feel so helpless being up here and unable to do much. But in a way it is easier as well because he does not need to worry about our safety.

            Friday is the last day for one of my grad school classes. This latest one was an English classes where we learned about the importance of writing and how to teach writing in a classroom. I really enjoyed the course and I am a bit sad to see it end. However, that means I am that much closer to completing my degree so that is an encouragement.

            I found out that I will be teaching classroom 3^rd grade (all subjects except specials and Spanish) at my new school. This is not the challenge I was expecting but I am excited about it. My new classroom is tiny (I will show pictures in a future post) but I only have 9 students so it should be fine. The school is just starting its 5^th year but is steadily growing so that is awesome.

Because I am teaching 3^rd grade, I had to decide a different classroom theme because the one I was planning on doing was middle school English oriented. So I thought I would do elephants but that was this class’ theme last year. So, I have decided on….Pineapples! With accents of purple and a touch of green. I thought that would be fun for the kids, especially since pineapples are common there and it is a sign of welcome. Since that is my theme, I have been collecting a few things for my classroom which has been fun but also required a lot of thinking outside the box. It is not a common classroom theme yet, and most stuff is like neon tropical paradise stuff. I am enjoying the creative part but trying to find stuff for limited money is a bot of a challenge….plus the fact I have a small classroom and I have to think about where everything will go. Posters are a no go due to sheer lack of wall space. But I can do little caddies and ceiling decorations. So far, so good!

Amos is enjoying the time here. He loves the attention, the toys and the shopping! There are 4 cats and a rabbit to play with plus uncles that are around. Grammie has all these cool things that he is not supposed to play with as well that he tries to sneak any way.

Well, that is all I have time to write for now. Amos needs to go down for a nap. I have another post in progress so I will try to get that up next week. Until next time, may Adonai bless you.

Summer time

Hello everyone---

I know it has been a while since my last post. This has been a rather difficult week outside of school, so I want to spend a little time talking about that.

My beloved dog died last week (run over by a car), my husband and I officially informed our school that we will not be returning next year and I missed my big brother’s graduation from the State Trooper academy. I will be heading Stateside next week for a visit, but I am upset that I was unable to make it to his graduation. He has wanted to be a lawman for so long and after extended higher education, marriage and other things, he is finally one! He is so excited and we are so proud of him!

My husband and I left our school for a variety of reasons, most of which were ethical. However, Jonathan being a Pastor, he also felt that the demands at this particular school were so heavy that ministry had to take a back seat and we are not okay with that. He is teaching at a summer camp but after that, he is officially unemployed. I left also for ethical reasons, but also for medical reasons. My medical condition worsens with stress and teaching 2 subjects and the extra requirements by the school, plus ministry, plus grad school, plus being a wife and mother was just too much. I did accept a teaching position at a different school that has less afterschool and weekend requirements, and less hours overall. It is also a Christian school so I can be open about my faith and teach from a scriptural standpoint. I am hoping all these factors will help decrease my stress so that I can focus more on other things. I am also praying my husband finds a job soon. Surly as a bilingual person with a master’s degree someone will want to hire him! I think the harder part will be finding a job with consistent hours so he can still focus on ministry.

I am really enjoying grad school. I honestly never thought I would get a masters, especially not in English, but the Lord has a sense of humor! Most of my life I was told I was stupid because my handwriting is atrocious, I cannot spell and I was home schooled. My goal is to graduate from Liberty as a member of the honor society. Even though the naysayers are no longer in my life, I carry scars from them and I want to be able to prove to myself, and students that also struggle with dyslexia that you can still achieve great things. The dyslexic brain works differently, learn how your brain works and use it to your advantage. Dyslexia doesn’t mean dumb, it means different.  

I will get off my soap box now.

I have been watching some youtube videos about bullet journaling and teacher planners trying to prepare for the upcoming school year and find a system that will allow me to keep track of personal, ministry and work life. One of the videos I watched had a suggested video about a quote journal. Out of curiosity I watched it. I really like the idea. I have several spare journals (I seem to collect them!) so I started a quote journal…which my husband’s cat promptly vomited on. Why do I like animals again? But I digress, I have found that quote journaling is actually therapeutic for me. Right up there with creative writing and crochet. So, I am going to try to institute a few minutes of quote journaling every day. I also think I found a method of planning that will work, so I am going to get me planner/teacher binder set up this summer.

The church Jonathan is currently the interim pastor at (he is training the new pastor) is in a rural area. It is a very poor area that has unreliable water and sanitation. One of the women living near the church has requested I teach a crochet program so that the women can make things to bring in more money. The average income there is only minimum wage which is about $200 us dollars a month. Considering that I spend that on groceries for 2 weeks, I have no idea how they make it stretch for a month. And we do not live a rich or fancy lifestyle at all, a very modest one in fact. So, I have agreed to teach the class when I return form the States at the end of July. So now I need to create a crochet class, for Spanish speakers, and I speak very limited Spanish. My Husband will translate but this is a challenge for sure. Ministry life does not leave time for boredom that is for sure!

I will end this lengthy post. Until next time, may Adonai bless you and your homes.

A Healthy Dose of Perspective

           I have been having a pity partly lately. My pain is higher than normal due to the increased stress of being this close to the end of the school year. In addition, I have come to accept that we cannot afford for me to fly to the States this summer. Our moved that happened over Easter, completely drained our savings. I knew it would be either the more or going to the States, but I thought we could tighten our belts and do both. However, since there is a payment issue from our employer, and several other factors, it just is not possible. As a result, I have been feeling sorry for myself because I really wanted to see my Mom and watch my brother graduate from the police academy. But the Lord has said no, so I need to accept that.

            Yesterday, I was thinking about how sad I was to not go back over the summer and went with Jonathan to Cancela for Bible study. I do not normally do that because that is my scheduled grad school time. But, I only have some simple things to do so I felt like I could afford the time to go this week (Cancela is a church outside of town that is in a really poor area). As we pulled up to the church we noticed that a house next to the church was undergoing major construction. Concerned, because we know the residents, Jonathan inquired. Turns out that wife delivered their firstborn this morning (a boy!) but the doctor’s diagnosis was correct. The baby has fluid on his brain and needs surgery. While dealing with this, the husband was in the home when some police showed up by the Landlord’s order and bulldozed the house. So the man now has a very sick baby, no money for surgery, no home, a broken motorcycle thanks to the bulldozer, and it appeared that his source of income (raising fish and chickens) was also destroyed.

            The church is going to do what it can to help, but obviously, this man is devastated. As of when we left yesterday evening, he had not yet seen his baby because he and some kind-hearted neighbors were rebuilding the home. His wife was also unaware of the demolition so he was going to have to tell her at some point. The house itself was/is made of sheets of tin metal. Not sturdy at all and they are preparing to bring a sick baby into it. It really made me step back and realize that my not going Stateside is not a big deal. We are strong and healthy, we have a sturdy, clean house and although money is tight right now, we can make ends meet and make it through the summer with no payment (gotta love being a teacher!).

            Sometimes the lord gives us a new perspective when we start to lose focus on what is really important. I had to eat some humble pie last night but I am grateful for the lesson, especially since I was holding my healthy and strong son’s hand as he fell asleep on the way home.  

      Until next time, may Adoani bless you and your homes

Thoughts on the Diary of Anne Frank

Hello everyone!

Recently, I read the “Diary of a Young Girl” by Anne Frank. Yes, I just now read it for the first time. I was not so struck by the diary itself, as I was visualizing where the family was and what they were going through; as a Mother. I tried to imagine what Mrs. Frank was feeling during that time and how I would feel in her shoes. I then began to think about the Holocaust and how all those mothers felt as they were being shipped there, their families being split and sorted, trying to figure out how to keep your precious child(ren) alive, etc. I had been wondering how parents could willingly give up their children to strangers to keep, or sneak them away, but now that I have Amos, I get it.

I have also wondered how come so few people would stand up for or protect/hide the Jews from the Nazis. I know they were protecting themselves and their families but what about their moral obligation? This is still a very difficult question for me to grapple. Again, having Amos has put a whole new spin on it for me. If I were in a place to shelter people being rounded up to be sent to extermination camps, would I hide them? Knowing that if I do, Amos would be hurt if we were found out, would I still do it? It brings a level of understanding of other peoples actions during that time. It was a risk, often a life or death risk. However, we also have to remember that the full extent of what happened in those camps was not fully known to the public until after they were liberated. So some of the people’s refusal to help was out of their own ignorance. I am sure if the full brutality and inhumanity that was endured in the camps was known, there would have been more of an uprising. But that is all speculation and “what ifs”

   One thing I can say for sure though. The reading of the diary and my renewed interest and research in WW2 has taught me some extremely beneficial lessons for being here on the mission field. It is easy to look the other way when uncomfortable situations occur. It is easy to justify not helping someone whom we think is fully capable of holding a job, etc. However, here in the Dominican, some of these homeless, dirty, beggars are victims of the government or unethical employers who did not pay the wages due to them and they are now out on the streets. I am not saying this is the case with all or even most of the people we meet, but if we pass by one, are we any better than those who turned a blind eye and/or deaf ear in WW2? How hard is it to offer food or a blanket instead of money? How about paying for a hotel room for a night so they can have a shower and a warm bed to sleep in? Just one night might make all the difference in the world to that one person. What about going without that coffee this one morning so that man sleeping under the overpass can have a warm breakfast? A $4 Starbucks coffee could buy a couple of egg sandwiches at McDonalds.

There are so many people in need. Everyone can do something, even if it is nothing more than smiling and waving at them so they know that someone noticed and cared that they exist. When someone feels invisible and worthless, then a stranger smiles and waves at them, for no reason, just because they are there, it can completely change that person’s day. Someone noticed, someone cared, and they are not alone in this world.

 You don’t have to hide Jews or spend your life on the mission field to make a difference. You can do that in small, unique ways. Don’t be in a personal bubble all the time. Believe me, as an introvert, I know that is a very hard thing to do! I like my little bubble! But sometimes, that bubble must be popped or put aside in order for others to know that you care about them. Not because they are in need, but because they are creatures that were created by the Almighty and they are loved by him, so are loved by you.

Until next time. May Adonai bless you and your homes.  

Finally! Another post!

Hello again! Sorry for the long time between posts. I am ½ way through with my last grad school class for this semester so I hopefully my posts will become more regular after that!

There has been a lot going on that I cannot discuss just yet, but the Lord has answered several prayers. I am now at a place where the future is a lot closer than I realize and some very serious and life changing choices must be made. The same with Jonathan as well. Ministry is still our mine focus but we cannot dedicate as much time as we want or need too and we are seeking ways to resolve this. We have bills to pay and family to feed so we have to work, but the jobs that pay what is needed to live, are very demanding of our time. It leaves us in a difficult place so prayers for wisdom would be appreciated.

On the same note, I am considering trying to get some more medical training. I am only first aid certified, but have knowledge for other injuries thanks to my parents….and my brothers. There is a great need for medical here. In the last month there have been 3 different significant injuries I have witnessed and 2 of which I helped with. There were several others that I did not get up close with due to people already being there, but it has caused me to start assembling a large, heavily stocked first aid kit to keep in the car(s). I cannot take medical classes here due to my Spanish still not being very good, but once grad school stops I am hoping to find some videos or books or something. I am being drawn back to my original dream of being a nurse. I know I cannot ever be one, but at least some basic EMT training would be beneficial here. Especially out at the rural church we are temporarily caring for. The sanitation is bad, medical supplies and care limited at best, and no money for people that do need the local hospital/clinic. It is a difficult mental place to be, wanting to help but having limited supplies and knowledge. So please pray the Lord gives me wisdom about how to gain more medical knowledge, with the little time and money we have.

Jonathan is keeping very busy. Between his teaching, husband/father responsibilities and ministry duties, he hardly has any time to sleep. I have also had a flare up medically this week and has had to pull a lot of extra weight as a result. Poor guy is running on empty. Please pray for him.

We did get our inverter fixed so we can at least have lights and fans 24/7. None of the appliances run on the inverter, but I can work around that. It is just nice to have 24/7 light and fans! We have our normal issues with cars and car repairs, but both are running for now so Praise the Lord for that! One car is for ministry either us or others and then we have our personal car that is used when needed.

We fixed our inverter because over the Easter break we moved. We plan on returning to Isabelita, but the mold and mildew was causing health issues with Amos and me. Plus, we just needed more space. We moved to the north side of town, and live in a 3 bedroom, 2 bath home. It is in a secluded area and is very quiet (thank you Lord!) and we have nice and respectful neighbors. Amos loves having a room and I am enjoying having space to put things! Bembito and Bunt were not happy at first, but they have adjusted and like the new house and neighborhood. Bunt is the king cat and Bembito is trying to be alpha dog, but enjoys being inside so it is not progressing well!  

    Well, that is all for now. Until next time, may Adonai bless you and your homes.