waiting for life

This is the first time I've been able to just sit down and think in a while. It feels a little overwhelming. I've put so many thoughts on hold and now it's time to dig them up again. I'm learning so much about life this year at school but it's not the fun kind of learning. It's hard lessons. I know that God is shaping me and growing me but I've never felt growing pains like this before. It's different, but I know good will follow. God is faithful...and I am in the process of being made new. It is a constant struggle, but I am starting to think that life, even though it can be full of joy, is a constant struggle because of our sin. I'm learning what it means to be in perpetual pursuit of God. He's showing me that only he can make me whole. And give me shalom :)

I'm getting exactly what I wanted for Christmas this year and it's coming at just the right time...next Wednesday I'll be in the DR! I'm praying for some restoration to accompany this trip. I think it will be good for my soul to be there and spend the week before Christmas in my favorite place with the people who are the love of my life. I think it's time to take a break from the hard lessons and let God's peace wash over me. I know that's what He longs to do.

This verse is one that someone recently challenged me with...I'm encouraged by it and at the same time I feel the weight of it on my shoulders:

"be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land i swore to their ancestors to give them."
joshua 1:6

esperanza

it has been too long since i updated last...too long!

i have some really cool news i've been holding on to for a while :) God has set some crazy opportunities before me in the past months since i have been back in the states. when i left the DR, my heart stayed there, and i've been thinking about what it might look like to live and do ministry there ever since. my good friend heather who i worked with in the dominican this summer has been given a vision of hope for women and children in the DR who are trapped in either sex-trafficking, prostitution, or abusive situations. all summer we talked and dreamed about a safe-house for women in the tourist areas of the DR, but didn't really think it would become a reality for at least another few years. we found out that God's plan was better than ours :) since i left the DR, everything has been falling into place for us to start working on this dream now.

so long story short, ever since we felt God pushing us to start doing something, things have fallen into place relatively quickly. already He has put people in our path who are willing to devote themselves to this ministry with us! we are working on a lot of ways to raise funds and raise awareness, and we are even figuring out how to start our own nonprofit called esperanza vision (esperanza is "hope" in spanish). if you know heather and i, we are definitely not naturals at this, but i've just been seeing more and more how beautiful it is the things God calls us to do; things we would never think of on our own, and things that we could never do on our own - not without Him :) God is so faithful and things are moving along in his perfect timing. even when i doubt that i can be of any help to this project, God shows himself in crazy ways :)

the plan right now is to move to the DR sometime after i graduate! then we will go from there. this will most likely be a long process but i am nothing less than pumped to see what God does!

i will post more on this as time goes on, but for now if you want to know more, click here. heather's blog has tons of info :)

"O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago." -isaiah 25:1

stories

yo no puedo callar mi voz

Now that I've been back for a little over a week I think I'm ready to give another update :)

My last week in the DR was a bitter-sweet one, but every moment spent with the Dominicans filled me with joy as usual. It was a week full of challenges which God brought me through. (One of those challenges was leading my group alone to do camp at a church where OO had never done camp before. And I was in charge! Something I never thought I'd be doing a couple months ago.) It was a week full of goodbyes and/or see-you-laters. It was the last day of camp with my awesome girls who I had befriended over the past few weeks. It was the last time laughing in the kitchen with my good friends. It was leaving the other interns who I have become so close with. Of course it was leaving my 25 little brothers in Jaibón. And finally, leaving Heather, my friend and sister who shares so much of my heart and passion in life.

That's a lot of leaving. But this week God has shown me that He is present with me here, and that I am here to live for Him just as much as I was in the DR to live for Him. It has been so good spending time and laughing with my family this week. They are one way God has and continues to bless me. I am excited to put what I have learned this summer into practice in my life in the States. I'm ready to get back into school and pour into people's lives there. I can't wait to get back to my small group and my friends and my church in Knoxville. I don't know what the future holds for me, or where God will take me next, but I'm just excited to live and find out.

Also, being back home means I can show you pictures!


This is part of my girls' group at a church in Jaibón. These girls had such loving hearts and loved coming to camp. Some of them even came to 3 of the 4 morning camps we did!

These are some of my friends who cooked and did laundry for us in Jaibón. These women taught me so much about true servanthood, hospitality, and God's love. I loved laughing with them.

This is my brother José . I saw Jesus every day in him and the other boys in Jaibon. I tutored José and another boy, Eduardo in English for about a month and I get so excited thinking about their futures. These boys are going to change the DR for the kingdom!

This is Yanina, one of my friends at the orphanage in Monte Cristi. She's 21 just like me and the Lord taught me so much about real love through her. This is us at a festival we had for the kids there.

I'll keep posting pictures over the next few weeks!

Thank you for all your prayers. God has been moving my hands and feet for his glory and I am so glad to have the support of the people I love. I can't wait to see a lot of you very, very soon :)


"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion"
phil. 1:6