Thursday, June 24, 2010

family reunion

What a week! I was able to share this place with my mom and Caullen this week, along with my youth group from Lake Cities and it was incredible. Many times I found myself overwhelmed by emotion in having some of the people I love most in the entire world all within 50 meters of me! It was really neat to see how the Lord moved their hearts this week and covered Lake Cities with His Spirit.

I was really proud in the way my mother had no fear in trying to communicate with the people of this country. She had such a desire to connect with them, her love over flowed on to the hearts of the Dominican people. I was also impressed in the incredible growth of my brother. I see Christ working in him probably more than he realizes himself. I am proud he was able to have no fear in interacting with these people and furthermore continue to be himself.

Not to my surprise at all Matt did an incredible job leading the youth. He is just one of those people you experience Christ through interacting with. I believe Christ used him profoundly this week. I am so proud to be apart of Lake Cities and really felt their energy.

I am so excited about the potential of RSJ! Our main focus has been this city and establishing a church home here. As we have been able to reach many of the children through our VBS programs we long to use those relationships to introduce their families and more importantly their parents to Christ. Please be in prayer of this Sunday as the church in Rio San Juan will meet for the first time. Whether there are 2 people or 30 people, pray that the Lord will meet us there. I know He will.

God,
you are so good to us and we don't deserve Your love for a minute. Thank you for tuning my passion and allowing me to be here to serve. Please prepare the hearts for these people out here in RSJ for the radical change I know will take place in Your name. Father, You are worth it. You are worth the risk. Please help us to be bold and give you all the glory.
In Your son's precious name,
Amen

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Weekly highlights

Well first of all this week was incredible. East Hill was so well prepared and they really worked hard in every activity and work project during the week. I am not sure if I had already told ya'll but this summer I am the Drink Director and the Communication Director (or we like to call them the drink dictator and the communication czar)

Basically in my drink director position I work each day with any and all drinks. We have a cooler of drinks like coke, gatorade, diet coke, sprite, flavored water, etc. that I try to sell to raise money for our Latino American missionaries. I feel really blessed to be in this position because of the purpose behind it. I can really see Christ overflowing out of Ronald and Rosi, and Porfi and Carla's hearts for this place and these people. Honestly I am really blessed to know these people. Talk about selfless servants! Ronald and Rosi are our Rio San Juan evangelists who are working on creating and developing relationships in RSJ and eventually planting a church there. With their very involved work in groups, the group members are able to get a very clear picture of the quality people Ronald and Rosi are. Which honestly makes my job, in selling cokes for their support, very easy.

One moment that really touched me this week was when I was in the hospital in Puerto Plata and I saw this Haitian lady laying in her hospital bed very sick. I got down to sit on the floor and talk with her and got my bible out to read her my favorite scripture from James. As I began reading it she reached into her bag and pulled out her Haitian bible and read along with me in Creole. It was so amazing to see her following along with me as I read in Spanish and she read in Creolo, and to see her nodding her head back in forth in agreement. God was there in that moment.

Another incredible moment in the hospital was when I saw this lady laying in her bed in a diaper very very sick. Her two beautiful daughters were sitting and standing all around her bed looking so dismal about their mothers condition. It was just so touching to me to see such the role reversal. As the mother, the caretaker, and consoler was laying helplessly in her bed, her sweet daughters were all she had to keep her going. As I began talking with one of the daughters tears just started pouring down her face. I grabbed their hands and began to say a prayer and she endless squeezed my hand. I was so blessed even to be in their presence. God was definitely in that moment as well.

I am obsessed with these people here! I think me and the other interns are in constant laughter over something. Our most recent bonding moments have been filled with singing melodies of Church of Christ hymnals and seeing how many people we can fit into the cab of the diahtsu. Yesterday we got 8! God has really blessed our bonds with a spirit of joy and overflowing fellowship in His name.

I could go on and update for days but other people need the computer haha.

Please pray for the upcoming groups and that the Lord will stretch us beyond our comfortable boundaries.

Dear God I'm overwhelmed with your presence in this place. I pray you will help me to find my identity in you and you alone, because You are all I need.

Until next time,
Audrita