feels like home...

So for the first time since I have been here, I am sitting in my room... on my computer.. listening to music... and it feels like home. Complete with the spider I just killed, the rain on my tin roof, and the sound of 22 boys' laughter in the background. I love life here. I love the simplicity. I love the kids at the orphanage. I love the constant pouring into the lives of the girls here. I love seeing God's beauty in creation. I love that my porch is a roof. I love that I live with people who have the same passions as me. I love that the Lord is stretching me. I love it all!



So last week was both crazy and a breath of fresh air. We had a group of 50 high schoolers here that added so much energy. Though I felt like I was constantly busy, it was neat to see them experience life here for the first time. They began building volunteer housing and almost completed an entire building in 6 days! It was insane! I also organized the first ever VBS camp in Jaibon. We did one session in the morning and one in the afternoon Monday-Thursday. I honestly am completely humbled to be a part of the beginning of everything here at Jaibon. It is awesome to see the ways God has worked here already and the huge things He has done just in the past two weeks. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is where God wants me. My eyes are now opened to the way the journey of this past year has all led me to this place. God has used situations in the past couple of years to prepare me for everything that is Jaibon. I feel like God created a special place in my heart for the Dominican and I am overwhelmed to be spending the next year here.

Everytime I am on this island, I feel that the Lord breaks me and molds me more to look like Him. Right now I see Him prying my fingers off all sense of control that I have on my life. I have no idea what I will be doing in two weeks much less throughout the next year. I could be living here, I could be living in Monte Cristi... who knows, it could be somewhere completely different. I have always been in control of relationships with people in the sense that I could always at least pick up the phone and call my friends and family... it has been a huge struggle to no longer have that, but God is faithful and teaching me to find my identity in Him... reminding me that this was never a story about me. I am finding surrender to the King in this place... all for the sake of THE Kingdom. I want the Gospel to radiate from me. Ahh, God is good!

Things you could be praying for...
-Next week we are going to Monte Cristi for the week! Pray for the interns adjustment to a different place with different people.
-Pray for the hearts of the interns here... huge gains are made daily and I am seeing people fall more in love with the Lord.
-Pray for Christopher. He is 11 and got to the orphanage two weeks ago. His dad died in an accident and he is suffering from the pain of loss.

So some other exciting news...
-I went turantula hunting today!!! It was sooo much fun! We caught about 20 turantulas and it we had a great time with the boys that live here!
-I am going to Monte Cristi on Saturday!!! So excited to see my Dominican family there and to be with Graystone for a week!
-We are going to Santo Domingo on Friday for some history in the capital!

I love you all!

Oh, and I love mail :) So if you want to send some... here is my address!

Heather Colbert
Hogar la Esperanza de un Nino
Calle Altagracia #80
Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic