God is good!

So I haven’t actually written in almost 2 weeks so I figured it was about time for some updates. The past two weeks have been a bit crazy to say the least. I ended my third week here trying my best to get ready for the craziness that was about to start last Saturday. So Saturday came and I packed up almost everything in Jaibon and left for Monte Cristi. It was the best week ever! It was a beautiful thing because it felt so much like home. I was so excited to be able to spend time with the kids there that I have grown to love so much. It makes me so excited for August when I get to move there for the year! Graystone was also there that week which made it that much better. It was so good to have friends there and people that know me from outside of the Dominican (kind of!). Although, I must say, last week was very odd because two very important people weren’t there. Steph, we talked about you all the time and my heart sank thinking about you not getting out of that bus with everyone else. And, Katie, my friend, sometimes I feel like I’m living without my right arm without you here in the Dominican. Praying for you both like crazy!

So last week we did a VBS in the morning for 300 kids and a baseball camp in the afternoon at a local field! It was so much fun seeing so many familiar faces and getting to hang out with people I love. It was a blessing from the Lord at just the right time.

If I’m honest though, I must say that yesterday was probably the hardest day since I have been here. Graystone left yesterday… it was weird saying “see you next year in the Dominican” instead of “see you in a few months.” It just keeps hitting me that I won’t be seeing people for a very long time that have been in my life consistently for the past couple of years. I also had to say goodbye to the kids in Monte Cristi. I know that I will be living with them for a year in five weeks, but it just hurt to have to leave those kids that have become family. I also said goodbye to Sharon and Mateo yesterday. God put these two people with me from the beginning in Jaibon and they have been gifts. I lived with Sharon for almost a month and shared life with both of them for the past four weeks. Sharon will be back in September, but living without her here until then is going to be rough. Mateo was like my brother here. However, I am filled with hope and excitement for him because God did something crazy in his life yesterday while he was traveling home! It is insane to see the ways God speaks to us! God’s plans are better than ours, that’s for sure!

It’s slowly hitting me that as exciting as it is for me to be able to meet so many new people and build lots of new relationships, it is also extremely hard to say goodbye. Yesterday was emotionally exhausting and I have only been here for four weeks. I can’t imagine what the end of the summer will look like. But God is so faithful and I am finding my identity in Him… not in relationships, not in having a place to call home, but solely in Him. He is so good! And as much as yesterday was emotionally hard, this weekend God has revealed Himself in so many ways. He is daily opening my eyes more and more to the ways He speaks to us, even if in gentle whispers. I cannot even begin to describe the way God has divinely orchestrated conversations and interactions with people this weekend. He is our one and only Lover and is pursuing us relentlessly! I am forever overwhelmed and grateful!

I am absolutely loving the Dominican! I have such peace about being here and God never ceases to amaze me with the ways He is so intimately working in my heart and in the people here. I appreciate all of your prayers and miss every single one of you! Love ya’ll! Rock it out for the LORD!

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not n what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
Romans 4:16-18

Sorry this was an incredibly long blog :)


I just had to share a picture from turantula hunting! Haha! Love it :)