all i know.

It is now, around the start of my last semester of college, when I constantly get the question, "So, what are your plans after you graduate?" These are the words I dread, probably not unlike most people my age.

It's not that I'm not excited to share my plan, it's just that I haven't filled in all the details yet. Some very important details. I spent the week before Christmas visiting most of my Dominican friends and the orphanages where I had worked over the summer. It was so good for my heart, and I was reminded of the country's desperate need for discipleship. God has given me a place, the DR, and he has given me a vision of restoration and hope for the people there, but I am still waiting on him to reveal what it's all going to look like. Being there again caused me to rethink my previous plans and realize that everything has to start from the ground up; I can't just barge into a country and do things my way. My main goal for the DR, and in life in general, is to raise up leaders... people of God who are sold out, radical followers. So even though it is scary, I am completely okay with being in this place of waiting on the Spirit's leading, simply waiting and seeking the will of God. But still so excited to see what is coming!

Being in the DR again also renewed my passion and love for Dominican people and life there in general. Here are some pictures from my trip!

Nena and I in Monte Cristi at a special service/dinner.

me with some beloved Jaibon boys, Galan and Imanol.

Jacqueline and her boys the day we went to La Caya to visit her parents.

me with Jacqueline and Heather, my hermanitas.

All I know is, God is good. He's going to use me to bring more of his beauty and more of his kingdom to earth if I trust him. And he is going to lead me, one little detail at a time :)

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