Well here I am in the Dominican Republic! It is exciting and surreal at the same time to think I have no return ticket to the United States. I am here. I arrived in the Dominican on June 9th, my wonderful mothers 50th birthday, and am now in this whirlwind one would call mission work. When I first arrived I obviously got to see all my girls and all the kids and shared lots of hugs and kisses with them. It was also exciting to arrive to a room to call my own with a bed already in place. I spent my second day here just getting settled in. It was so nice to have a morning to just get settled in. I folded all my clothes, put up my shelves, got a little bedside table for my journals and pictures, and have desk for all my books. It really does look like my own little room.
It is hard for me to believe that I am officially on the mission field. I feel as though I have so many things I should be doing and praying for and at times just thinking about it all can be somewhat overwhelming. However, I am determined to take it one day at a time. I am so excited for what the future holds for my teenage girls in Rio San Juan. There are three specifically that I will be discipling and spending time with. Their names are Estefanie, Graisy, and Jailinne. I have been praying for them a lot lately and this morning in my quite time I was able to really spend some time talking to God about them. This summer, while groups are here, I want to spend my time really building our relationship. I am hoping for them to be leaders in the Princesas program (my small bible study group of girls from the city) when I set that ministry underway.
With all the momentum and excitement I have right now in arriving to the DR, I want to make sure that I pace myself. I have always had the tendency to get in way over my head and I want to do this right. The Lord is doing such amazing things here right now. It is as if each of these kids were placed before us so purposefully and they all have such potential. Each team member and myself are so passionate about devoting ourselves to bettering their lives and their futures. It really is an incredible undertaking though. To be completely honest, I have felt overwhelmed with just the incredible task before me and whether or not I am capable of being what Christ needs me to be for them. I am trying to spend as much time talking to Christ about this as possible and I do feel confident that He can use me. I am so blessed to have this opportunity and it is truly where he has called me to be.
Please pray for our team as we are pushing forward in our different areas of ministry. Please pray for me and my transition on to the mission field and my progression in how I am building this ministry with these girls. Pray for our students/disciples and that Christ’s seed will be planted so deep within them.
God has some incredible plans for this place and these people and I am so blessed to be a small piece in that.
I love you all and will keep you updated as often as I can.
Love,
Audrey
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
Happy reading...
Sorry it has been a couple of weeks. I promise you we have been very busy. Since I last posted, Jill and I have had many adventures with lots of language learning thrown into the mix. Our first trip that we went on was to Lake Atitlan and Chichicastenango (or Chichi for short). We really enjoyed this trip because most of it allowed us to experience their culture in a very unique way. We were able to ride in a lancha (or speed boat) across the lake which took a good 40 minutes. It was neat to be completely surrounded by volcanoes in a little dinky boat. As sketchy as the boat was, it definitely added to the excitement. Then once we arrived in the new little pueblo, or town, we went to visit one of their Mayan gods. Honestly, it was pretty creepy. Basically they took us back down this alleyway into this dumpy room with a very loud band playing instruments above us. This god was basically a wooden carving about 3 feet tall, wearing about 50 different ties, with a cigar stuck in its mouth. And we had to pay 5 Quetzales just to see it. You won’t find any pictures of the god because that cost more money. So we walk in and all these men are sitting in the smoky room surrounding the god and a lady gets on the floor and starts praying for him. I did an ‘in and out’ kind of viewing because it was pretty odd. But nonetheless, I was able to see one of the Mayan gods. Then, I think my favorite part of the trip was dinner on Saturday night. We went to this family owned restaurant where the 3 daughters played the marimba. The marimba is basically a huge wooden xylophone, and very popular here in Guatemala. It was so fun watching them play because we could tell the girls really enjoyed it! The rest of the weekend was pretty enjoyable. We went to a market and bought some different things, nothing too incredibly riveting. Then this weekend we went to the beautiful Semuc Champey. The car ride was a little too much being 10 hours each way, but I’d say the experience was quite worth it.
Here is a list of the crazy fun things from our adventurous weekend (most all of these pictures can be found via Facebook):
1. We slept in a tiki hut!
2. We hiked up to a view point to see the beautiful turquoise pools.
3. We swam in the pools and slid down from one to another on little slippery mud-like slides.
4. We tubed down the river.
5. We swam through a dark cave while holding candles, our only light! There are no pictures of this because I was afraid my camera wouldn’t make it, but it was incredible! The cave was pitch dark and some parts we couldn’t even touch the bottom, we were just treading water and trying to hold the candle up. We were in that thing about 2 hours. How nice it was to see daylight after the fact.
6. We met a very eclectic group of people who kept us constantly entertained.
It was a great weekend.
Then two weekends ago, Jill and I decided to stay here in Antigua. It was very relaxing and we found a really neat church to go to. It was most definitely planted here by people in the states, but it is called Iglesia del Camino, or Church of the Way (or path). Really, finding this church was an answered prayer. Since I have been in Guatemala, I have found it very difficult for some reason to sustain a healthy relationship with God. It is almost as though I had not been acknowledging him in my day to day. Before we visited this church, I did not even realize the distance I had created between me and Christ. When we arrived at the church and began singing, the words hit me like a ton of bricks. It was so refreshing to feel His presence again and rightfully acknowledge him. It completely caught me off guard how disconnected I had been when we started singing. I am so grateful for that day and have been trying so hard to sustain us since. I have realized very quickly that on days where I feel down or discouraged no one can revitalize me like Christ can. I’m not sure why I continually turn to other people or other things besides my relationship with Him, but I’m so thankful that He never gives up on me.
Well that is what has been going on so far. We have about a week and a half left and I am desperately trying to retain and take in as much Spanish as possible. Please be praying that I can absorb all that I’m being taught. Please also be praying that the Lord will rightfully prepare me to arrive in the Dominican. I have really high expectations for my time out there and truly want to be the very best I can be for those people and children. I also want to know how I can pray for you. Leave a comment with a pray request if you wish. If you have read all of this you must love me very much! I promise to continue keeping you updated and know that I miss you all.
Hasta pronto,
Audge
Here is a list of the crazy fun things from our adventurous weekend (most all of these pictures can be found via Facebook):
1. We slept in a tiki hut!
2. We hiked up to a view point to see the beautiful turquoise pools.
3. We swam in the pools and slid down from one to another on little slippery mud-like slides.
4. We tubed down the river.
5. We swam through a dark cave while holding candles, our only light! There are no pictures of this because I was afraid my camera wouldn’t make it, but it was incredible! The cave was pitch dark and some parts we couldn’t even touch the bottom, we were just treading water and trying to hold the candle up. We were in that thing about 2 hours. How nice it was to see daylight after the fact.
6. We met a very eclectic group of people who kept us constantly entertained.
It was a great weekend.
Then two weekends ago, Jill and I decided to stay here in Antigua. It was very relaxing and we found a really neat church to go to. It was most definitely planted here by people in the states, but it is called Iglesia del Camino, or Church of the Way (or path). Really, finding this church was an answered prayer. Since I have been in Guatemala, I have found it very difficult for some reason to sustain a healthy relationship with God. It is almost as though I had not been acknowledging him in my day to day. Before we visited this church, I did not even realize the distance I had created between me and Christ. When we arrived at the church and began singing, the words hit me like a ton of bricks. It was so refreshing to feel His presence again and rightfully acknowledge him. It completely caught me off guard how disconnected I had been when we started singing. I am so grateful for that day and have been trying so hard to sustain us since. I have realized very quickly that on days where I feel down or discouraged no one can revitalize me like Christ can. I’m not sure why I continually turn to other people or other things besides my relationship with Him, but I’m so thankful that He never gives up on me.
Well that is what has been going on so far. We have about a week and a half left and I am desperately trying to retain and take in as much Spanish as possible. Please be praying that I can absorb all that I’m being taught. Please also be praying that the Lord will rightfully prepare me to arrive in the Dominican. I have really high expectations for my time out there and truly want to be the very best I can be for those people and children. I also want to know how I can pray for you. Leave a comment with a pray request if you wish. If you have read all of this you must love me very much! I promise to continue keeping you updated and know that I miss you all.
Hasta pronto,
Audge
Friday, May 6, 2011
Nestled in volcano valley
Antigua, Guatemala!
Well I couldn’t have imagined I’d be living in a valley surrounded by 3 volcanoes, where the sun rises at 5:30, and the streets are made of hundreds of little stones. The city is like nothing I have ever seen before. Granted, I have not done much world traveling outside of the States and the Dominican, but it is really neat to be living in a place that continually keeps me in awe. The people here are so incredibly nice. I think everyone that I’ve met has had the biggest smile on their face and would have sat down to talk to me for hours if I would let them! Jill and I have been staying very busy since arriving here. Of course we take classes for 5 hours each day (8 am-1 pm), so we spend much of our time at the school. I have been learning so much! It is incredible to me how much I THOUGHT I knew. Really, I’ve been saying worlds of things wrong and mispronouncing a plethora of words. It’s been really exciting to work with Willy, my teacher though. He always has so much energy and starts everyday by saying “Hello! It is a beautiful, wonderful day! How is my favorite student?” (But of course all in Spanish) He is very patient with me as well. Also, he loves to sing! He has been teaching me all these different songs in Spanish to sing with my kids in the DR and to help my pronunciation. I think we have sung a song together everyday thus far.
After school, Jill and I have enjoyed touring and exploring this grand city of Antigua. The first day we were here we took a tour around the city and learned about the different banks, the market, found the McDonalds, and learned plenty other useful tidbits of information. Yesterday we went to the market which was amazing! It’s literally rows and rows of shops with all kinds of colorful handmade bags, purses, wallets, shirts, headbands, you name it, and they have made it! It was quite overwhelming considering how much I took a liking to all the colors and Guatemalan ethnicity of the handmade items! Thankfully I have Jill here to keep me grounded and steer me away from buying to my heart’s content! Then we went to the gym and got a membership for the month and worked out for an hour. We met a very sweet lady who worked there named, Veronica. We instantly connected :)
Today we went to a Jade factory with the school! It was so neat! This boy named Edwardo works there and his family owns the little ‘factory’. He was so passionate and expressive as he was describing how the Jade was made. Jill and I got the biggest kick out of him. Basically his family looks for special kinds of rocks in mines and then makes them into jewelry. Some can take up to several months to handcraft. It was so neat to hear them talk about and show us what they were so passionate about and LOVED to do. Jill and I were also able to make some new friends from the school who went with us. We really enjoyed it.
This weekend we are going to a neat lake that is surrounded by volcanoes. I forget the name, but will update you with pictures very soon. I have lots of pictures posted on Facebook, so you should go check them out.
Keep us in your prayers as we are trying to ingest AS MUCH of this language as possible. It is exciting to think about where we could be in a couple of weeks, as fast as we are learning. God has been so good to me and really, everyday is better than the last.
I love you all and will be back soon.
Love,
Audge
Well I couldn’t have imagined I’d be living in a valley surrounded by 3 volcanoes, where the sun rises at 5:30, and the streets are made of hundreds of little stones. The city is like nothing I have ever seen before. Granted, I have not done much world traveling outside of the States and the Dominican, but it is really neat to be living in a place that continually keeps me in awe. The people here are so incredibly nice. I think everyone that I’ve met has had the biggest smile on their face and would have sat down to talk to me for hours if I would let them! Jill and I have been staying very busy since arriving here. Of course we take classes for 5 hours each day (8 am-1 pm), so we spend much of our time at the school. I have been learning so much! It is incredible to me how much I THOUGHT I knew. Really, I’ve been saying worlds of things wrong and mispronouncing a plethora of words. It’s been really exciting to work with Willy, my teacher though. He always has so much energy and starts everyday by saying “Hello! It is a beautiful, wonderful day! How is my favorite student?” (But of course all in Spanish) He is very patient with me as well. Also, he loves to sing! He has been teaching me all these different songs in Spanish to sing with my kids in the DR and to help my pronunciation. I think we have sung a song together everyday thus far.
After school, Jill and I have enjoyed touring and exploring this grand city of Antigua. The first day we were here we took a tour around the city and learned about the different banks, the market, found the McDonalds, and learned plenty other useful tidbits of information. Yesterday we went to the market which was amazing! It’s literally rows and rows of shops with all kinds of colorful handmade bags, purses, wallets, shirts, headbands, you name it, and they have made it! It was quite overwhelming considering how much I took a liking to all the colors and Guatemalan ethnicity of the handmade items! Thankfully I have Jill here to keep me grounded and steer me away from buying to my heart’s content! Then we went to the gym and got a membership for the month and worked out for an hour. We met a very sweet lady who worked there named, Veronica. We instantly connected :)
Today we went to a Jade factory with the school! It was so neat! This boy named Edwardo works there and his family owns the little ‘factory’. He was so passionate and expressive as he was describing how the Jade was made. Jill and I got the biggest kick out of him. Basically his family looks for special kinds of rocks in mines and then makes them into jewelry. Some can take up to several months to handcraft. It was so neat to hear them talk about and show us what they were so passionate about and LOVED to do. Jill and I were also able to make some new friends from the school who went with us. We really enjoyed it.
This weekend we are going to a neat lake that is surrounded by volcanoes. I forget the name, but will update you with pictures very soon. I have lots of pictures posted on Facebook, so you should go check them out.
Keep us in your prayers as we are trying to ingest AS MUCH of this language as possible. It is exciting to think about where we could be in a couple of weeks, as fast as we are learning. God has been so good to me and really, everyday is better than the last.
I love you all and will be back soon.
Love,
Audge
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Vamos a Guatemala!
Well I'm here in Miami on my layover before Guatemala! It's amazing to me that this day is already here. I already hear all of these people around me speaking Spanish and it's getting me even more excited to be there. Jill should get here in the next couple of hours then we will land in Guatemala around 8:20. Oh, and I was able to get an upgrade to 1st class! Soon I will be bathing myself in warm towelettes and eating toasted nuts. This rough life I lead.
Looking back on the last couple of months, I am so grateful that I was able to spend some time at home before transitioning into this next phase of my life. It was so important for me to substitute teach and pay off this small school loan and get to spend all the time I did with my family. I am going to miss them terribly. Please keep my Pappaw in your prayers right now. This is my mom's father. He is having some health problems with his back and has an MRI tomorrow to see if it is fractured.
I also have some really great news to share! Sunday my incredible church family at Lake Cities contributed over $6,200 to my mission! This was near the EXACT amount I needed to reach my goal of funding. I was $6,000 short for my first year, and God faithfully provided $200 more than that! I spoke in the adult class and the teen class, then they played a video in front of the church. It was a big day for me and I cannot be more grateful for the family of believers I come from at Lake Cities. If any of you are reading this right now, I hope you know how blessed I am by your generosity. The Lord is using you to answer a prayer I've been praying for years.
It was also a huge encouragement to have my Mammaw, Pappaw, Aunt Net, Jordan, Mom, Dad, and Caullen there with me Sunday. These are some of my very favorite people and I felt so blessed to be surrounded by them on this day.
So this great adventure of mine begins. Keep me in your prayers as I am striving daily to walk hand in hand with what the Lord wills for me. Please do not hesitate to email me (audreymichellep@gmail.com) anytime. I would love to keep in touch with all of you and hear any prayer requests you have.
I'll be back on here again soon.
All my love,
Audge
Looking back on the last couple of months, I am so grateful that I was able to spend some time at home before transitioning into this next phase of my life. It was so important for me to substitute teach and pay off this small school loan and get to spend all the time I did with my family. I am going to miss them terribly. Please keep my Pappaw in your prayers right now. This is my mom's father. He is having some health problems with his back and has an MRI tomorrow to see if it is fractured.
I also have some really great news to share! Sunday my incredible church family at Lake Cities contributed over $6,200 to my mission! This was near the EXACT amount I needed to reach my goal of funding. I was $6,000 short for my first year, and God faithfully provided $200 more than that! I spoke in the adult class and the teen class, then they played a video in front of the church. It was a big day for me and I cannot be more grateful for the family of believers I come from at Lake Cities. If any of you are reading this right now, I hope you know how blessed I am by your generosity. The Lord is using you to answer a prayer I've been praying for years.
It was also a huge encouragement to have my Mammaw, Pappaw, Aunt Net, Jordan, Mom, Dad, and Caullen there with me Sunday. These are some of my very favorite people and I felt so blessed to be surrounded by them on this day.
So this great adventure of mine begins. Keep me in your prayers as I am striving daily to walk hand in hand with what the Lord wills for me. Please do not hesitate to email me (audreymichellep@gmail.com) anytime. I would love to keep in touch with all of you and hear any prayer requests you have.
I'll be back on here again soon.
All my love,
Audge
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Nachos and Fudge
Today was the Easter Eggstravaganza in Trophy Club, TX. All the kids were able to hunt Easter eggs in a circled off section of grass. I'm pretty sure they enjoyed the candy "free for all". There were different tables that sold different things. Our table, with Lake Cities, was nachos and candy. Props to Caullen and Zeke for walking all around the field with nachos in hand screaming about how great they were. Also all of the proceeds we raised went straight to me to help me on my mission trip! I was so blessed by all the members of the church who came out to support me. The Bells, Rhonda, Karen, and many others blessed me incredibly by making today happen.
I'm getting closer and closer to my said fundraising goal! It's pretty exciting to see how the Lord is providing.
I'm getting closer and closer to my said fundraising goal! It's pretty exciting to see how the Lord is providing.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
A not so abbreviated Spring Break trip
Of course you can make plans and buy plane tickets for the days you plan on departing and arriving. However, if I came away from this trip with one thing, it was how particular the Lord's timing was for my trip. With my ticket bought to leave March 15th for the DR, I was more than ready to go. After a 5 am wake up and close to an hour long security check in through the air port, I had boarded the plane, turned off all electronics when the captain came over the speaker. It turns out there was a leak in the fuel compartment of the plane and we would not be able to leave. Unable to fly out in time to make my Miami flight to the DR, it was obvious that I would be waiting another day to leave.
You know you are in a different country when the thickness of the air causes immediate hair frizzing accompanied by the overjoyed mariachi band. It felt like home.
Thankfully I was able to spend so much time with Jill and the rest of the team there. It was exciting to be back and experience that place from a 'non intern' perspective. I felt an incredible sense of belonging and purpose. My girls in Rio San Juan were so welcoming and we must have hugged continually the entire two weeks I was there. One of the things I look forward to the most is the opportunity to speak with them on a deeper level. As of right now my Spanish just will not allow it. After my month in Guatemala at language school I hope to be able to really reach out to those girls on a deeper level. The Lord was so gracious in allowing me extra time out there as well. As I had planned to leave on Friday March 25th, I was able to push my ticket back to Saturday. Then on Saturday they cancelled my flight into Miami and I was able to have another extra day with my people! Flying out on Sunday was nothing but God's time. Sunday morning before we left for the airport I was able to visit one of the lady's who is very involved with our congregation in Rio San Juan. She has a beautiful heart of service and is raising a family under Christ's influence. However she is currently facing difficult times with her husband and son. The pain these relationships are causing her moved her to tears during our prayer time and it truly broke my heart. Please pray for Milagros and her family. Pray that they will be protected from satan. Pray that Milagros will have strength to turn to the Lord even though she feels deserted by her husband. Pray for her daughters, Gracie and Audriana. They are such angels. All in all, the extra morning I was able to be in the DR and spend with Milagros and her daughters blessed me beyond anything I could have thought to ask the Lord for. I'm very thankful.
Well, four weeks from today I will be leaving the good ole United States of America for Guatemala with my best friend and sister Jill Rhodes. I'm incredibly thrilled for this journey and how the Lord is going to mold our hearts to become more like His. I'll be keeping you posted.
Love you all!
Audge
You know you are in a different country when the thickness of the air causes immediate hair frizzing accompanied by the overjoyed mariachi band. It felt like home.
Thankfully I was able to spend so much time with Jill and the rest of the team there. It was exciting to be back and experience that place from a 'non intern' perspective. I felt an incredible sense of belonging and purpose. My girls in Rio San Juan were so welcoming and we must have hugged continually the entire two weeks I was there. One of the things I look forward to the most is the opportunity to speak with them on a deeper level. As of right now my Spanish just will not allow it. After my month in Guatemala at language school I hope to be able to really reach out to those girls on a deeper level. The Lord was so gracious in allowing me extra time out there as well. As I had planned to leave on Friday March 25th, I was able to push my ticket back to Saturday. Then on Saturday they cancelled my flight into Miami and I was able to have another extra day with my people! Flying out on Sunday was nothing but God's time. Sunday morning before we left for the airport I was able to visit one of the lady's who is very involved with our congregation in Rio San Juan. She has a beautiful heart of service and is raising a family under Christ's influence. However she is currently facing difficult times with her husband and son. The pain these relationships are causing her moved her to tears during our prayer time and it truly broke my heart. Please pray for Milagros and her family. Pray that they will be protected from satan. Pray that Milagros will have strength to turn to the Lord even though she feels deserted by her husband. Pray for her daughters, Gracie and Audriana. They are such angels. All in all, the extra morning I was able to be in the DR and spend with Milagros and her daughters blessed me beyond anything I could have thought to ask the Lord for. I'm very thankful.
Well, four weeks from today I will be leaving the good ole United States of America for Guatemala with my best friend and sister Jill Rhodes. I'm incredibly thrilled for this journey and how the Lord is going to mold our hearts to become more like His. I'll be keeping you posted.
Love you all!
Audge
Thursday, February 24, 2011
In a nutshell...
As you all probably know...after spending two summers serving as an intern with Manna Global Ministries in the DR, I have decided to follow the calling I believe the Lord has placed before me and commit to at least 2 years of service..
Having recently graduated this past December 2010, I am currently living at home in Fort Worth and substitute teaching before I leave for Guatemala in May. I will spend four weeks at La Union language school in Antigua, Guatemala, then hopefully arrive in the Dominican mid June.
Lake Cities Church of Christ in Trophy Club, Texas has agreed to be my home base supporting congregation and elder-ship for me in this mission. My family and I have attended Lake Cities for close to 5 years now.
Through this fund-raising process, I am looking for people willing to offer one time and monthly donations. Feel free to contribute via the DONATE button on the right. Any contribution is a huge blessing to this mission.
My role in the Manna Global Ministries team would be to organize and carry out the children’s programs in Rio San Juan as well as teach 3 English classes each week. These activities include a Vacation Bible School program called Club Chiquito, Sunday night movie nights, and the Princesas group.
Thankfully I will have help in the transition into this ministry role, mainly focusing my ministry towards the Princesas bible study. These are a group of 8-10 teenage girls, ages ranging from 9-18 who I will be regularly mentoring.
I will be keeping everyone updated regularly throughout this process. I'm so excited to see what God has in store! Love you all.
Audge
Having recently graduated this past December 2010, I am currently living at home in Fort Worth and substitute teaching before I leave for Guatemala in May. I will spend four weeks at La Union language school in Antigua, Guatemala, then hopefully arrive in the Dominican mid June.
Lake Cities Church of Christ in Trophy Club, Texas has agreed to be my home base supporting congregation and elder-ship for me in this mission. My family and I have attended Lake Cities for close to 5 years now.
Through this fund-raising process, I am looking for people willing to offer one time and monthly donations. Feel free to contribute via the DONATE button on the right. Any contribution is a huge blessing to this mission.
My role in the Manna Global Ministries team would be to organize and carry out the children’s programs in Rio San Juan as well as teach 3 English classes each week. These activities include a Vacation Bible School program called Club Chiquito, Sunday night movie nights, and the Princesas group.
Thankfully I will have help in the transition into this ministry role, mainly focusing my ministry towards the Princesas bible study. These are a group of 8-10 teenage girls, ages ranging from 9-18 who I will be regularly mentoring.
I will be keeping everyone updated regularly throughout this process. I'm so excited to see what God has in store! Love you all.
Audge
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