i'm back...

The past few weeks of have been full of so many good things. I spent a little over a week in the good 'ole US of A... journeying around through Arizona, New Mexico, and a little bit of Colorado. The Lord knew I needed that week more than I did, that's for sure. I spent my days with my two sisters, helping one get ready to get hitched. It was so good to be them... who know my heart and sometimes know me better than I know myself. I also met some other pretty sweet girls who were in the wedding... Katie has good friends, what can I say :)

The wedding was beyond amazing! It was incredible to watch my best friend get married. I'm so excited for her and Mike and the gift of marriage God has blessed them with. I see Jesus all over their relationship and the wedding was such a preview of the team for Christ they are going to be. I loved every second of it. Here are some fotos... :)

Going back to the States was good for me in more ways than I realized. It gave me such a needed time to think, pray, spend time in the Word, and seek wisdom from my sisters. I missed home (as in the Dominican) so bad while I was State-side, and yet, it was exactly what my soul needed. The Lord filled me up to overflowing with His love and opened my eyes to His faithfulness and grace that are at work all over my life. He confirmed over and over again that He made my heart with a special place for the Dominican... and I will forever love these people with a Jesus-love that I can't explain. I was able to share my dreams of opening a home for women stuck in prostitution and sex-trafficking with my friends and God continued to fan the flame of this vision. Through their words and encouragement, He gave me so much peace about being patient, yet continuing to move forward and chase the dream.

By the time Monday morning rolled around, I was sooo ready to hop on that plane and head back to the place I call home. I got in late Monday night, caught up with the Hopkins, and crashed, excitedly awaiting the next day. Tuesday was the birthday of a good friend of mine who cooks for us in Jaibon. I was supposed to go straight to Monte Cristi on Monday night, but instead went to Jaibon for a day to pull of a little birthday surprise. So I got up Tuesday and had an amazing morning full of birthday surprises, muffins, pictures, good food, good conversation, and catching up with the boys who have worked their way in to a very special place in my heart. They are pumped about summer and all the Americans that are coming and I am excited about returning to Jaibon in a month to spend the last half of that summer with them.

After lunch, we headed to Monte Cristi, where the rest of my day was full of catching up with my OO family, spending a lot of quality time with the kids, passing out American chocolate, showing off Katie's wedding pics to all the kids at the orphanage, and a roof/coffee date with my sister. I went to bed that night so full of love for these people and this place and so thankful that the Lord has blessed me with this life. I deserve none of it, yet He has given me the desires of my heart. I love it here so much. Being in the States confirmed that I'm not sure I will ever leave.

And God continues to reassure me to dream big and bring the Kingdom to earth. When I begin to think that maybe I can't start this home for women, He crosses my path with someone who assures me that I can. My prayer this spring has been that He will raise up leaders who are passionate about this very thing and I am seeing those answered. God is so faithful and my heart's beating desire is to bring His hope and unconditional love to the Dominican. And sooo, this home will open. I'm not sure when, but it will. In His timing and not mine. And I can't tell you how excited I am about that :) If you want to hear more about it, just ask and I'll be more than happy to share :)

So I'm back in the Dominican, filled with the Spirit, refreshed after a week with my sisters, excited about the future and bringing the Kingdom, content to be with my kids, and excited about the start of the internship program on Saturday. I am so humbled by the Lord's grace and kindness. He really is too good. I hope each of you are doing well and would love to hear updates on your lives whenever you get a chance!

dream big.

we wait for You...

Yesterday, I spent the day in Jaibon. I love those boys so much. They are so genuine and have such big hearts. They all had new clothes, shoes, and socks and were very excited to tell me all about them. Their smiles light up their faces and I would be content just sitting, talking, and hanging out with them for hours. They are great! I also got to spend time with my sweet sister, Jacqueline. Jesus continues to teach me so much about life through her.

By the time we got back to Monte Cristi last night, I was so ready to spend time with the kids here. I had only been gone a day, but it seemed like I hadn't seen them in forever. I hung out with them the last couple hours of the day, thanking Jesus for these kids and in awe of His love for me and His children. I am blessed.

I told Christine this morning that I feel like my heart is a mess right now. I've prayed over and over that people would see Jesus in me and that His love would be what is flowing out of me... that my heart would be broken for what breaks His and that I would have an unconditional love for His people. As thoses prayers are answered, I sometimes feel like I become an emotional mess. I love the people here with a love I can't explain... one that only comes from Christ. I care about them more than I ever thought possible. I'm living life right next to them... sharing in their joys, their hopes, their dreams, their pain, their struggles. I love it. And when I leave one orphanage to go live at the other, I feel like a leave a piece of my heart in the other town. And if I can barely leave these places to go live an hour away when I know I will see them again soon, I don't know how I am ever going to be able to leave this country. So I pray for just an ounce of God's wisdom and that He would continue to open my eyes to His vision for the Kingdom in the Dominican. He is so good.



Hosana is the granddaughter of Tia, the orphanage administrator in Jaibon. She might just be the smartest 1-year-old I know. And she's pretty stinking cute :)



Learning how to cook sweet plantains with Jacqueline.

"See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland."
Isaiah 43:19

...You are making all things new.

si Dios quiere...

The last week of our spring program officially ended yesterday. It has been a whirlwind of craziness, fun, and lots of energy! We had some amazing groups and it was incredible to see the different ways the communities surrounding Jaibon and Monte Cristi were impacted. My lack of blogging is hopefully ending now that I have a bit more time on my hands :)

I moved back to Monte Cristi three weeks ago. It was pretty rough. I am in love with both orphanages and I can truly say that I don't like one more than the other... however, Jaibon has this special place in my heart... and I just wasn't ready to leave. God taught me a lot in Jaibon, opening my heart to His dreams and plans for my life. And although it sometimes scares me, I know my life is nothing without Him and I will continue to lay my life at His feet, forever humbled by His grace in my life.

The 21 boys in Jaibon became like my kids. I have an unexplainable motherly and unconditional love for them. I want to see them grow into men of God... they already have such a pure love for their Father. I'm amazed by their childlike faith. Their smiles melt my heart. My family just keeps on growing here... :)

One of the hardest parts of leaving Jaibon had to do with saying goodbye to my sisters that cook and clean there. They became part of my family just like those boys did. I learned more from them about life and love and selflessness than I ever thought possible. They loved me like they knew me my whole life and their thoughtfulness amazed me. Their genuine hearts and sure faith gave me glimpses of Jesus. I spent my free time listening to their stories, laughing about the differences between Spanish and English names for food, hearing the joys and struggles of life in the dominican, learning how to light dominican stoves and make coffee, and simply sharing life together. They're family now. Leaving was no other word but hard.

I will see them again though, and I think God used my time this spring in Jaibon to quietly whisper to stay. To stay? To stay. I can't imagine leaving the Dominican. I am in love with these people and I feel like God created my heart to be here. I want to invest myself in them... in bringing change and restoration in Christ... in sharing the truth of the Gospel with them... in breaking the chains of promiscuity and prostitution that are everywhere. And while I'm not sure exactly what the future looks like, I do know that I have a crazy passion to invest myself in this country... si Dios quiere :) So for now, I'm in constant prayer for wisdom on what that looks like, and I would appreciate yours as well :)

This is my sister, Jacqueline. She knows how to cook better than anyone I know and her pure faith and wisdom taught me a lot about the heart of God.

Jacqueline and Betsaida. Betsaida's selflessness and genuine heart showed me what it meant to truly put others above yourself.

And Jacqueline and Dominga! Dominga's spunk, openness, and solid faith taught me a lot about true love. She constantly offered me a place in her house and truly meant it.

I love the Dominican so much!

Si Dios quiere...

soy dominicana...

It has been over a month since I have updated this little blog and for that I apologize! Things here have been wonderful and crazy and joyful and draining. I have been living in Jaibon for the past month and I cannot express how much I have loved it. I fell in love with Monte Cristi three years ago and have fallen in love with Jaibon this past year. God created a special place in my heart for this area and these people and I just can't describe it. The people in this community are so genuine. I haven't met people that are so happy and content with what they have. They love from the bottom of their heart. The boys that live at the orphanage are so full of life and joy. They are extremely respectful and love God and their brothers. I'm beyond blessed to be sharing life with them.

The past weeks have been busy. For two weeks we had over 250 people in Jaibon alone, and 200 more people in Monte Cristi. It was lots of fun and I really enjoyed seeing that many people experience the DR, but it was definitely exhausting. This week, we have 60 volunteers here... which used to seem like a ton, but now it feels like there are barely any people here.

Last week we ran a dental clinic on the property and a medical clinic in some local villages. It was amazing to see the doctors and dentists use their skills here. I am clearly not gifted in any of these areas, so it was neat to see them sharing their talents with the Dominicans. I even had minor surgery! One of the doctors cut a wart off of my finger ;) I did have 250 people asking me if I was ok though... haha.

I also got to celebrate my birthday here! It was the best one yet! Having my Dominican family remember and celebrate with me was priceless. Here they don't really give gifts on birthdays, but instead they throw water on you... ALL day long. Christine, one of the other leaders, announced this tradition at dinner on my birthday, so in addition to all of the Dominicans throwing water on me, I had 250 volunteers dumping any water they could find on me. It was crazy but fun! It happened to be a cool night and it took me about 2 hours to thaw out after having ice cold drinking water dumped on me. I ended the day hanging out with the boys and them singing and counting off the years of my life and a surprise oreo cake that Sharon made. It was wonderful :)

Soy Dominicana ahora. I am now Dominican. :) And I take pride in this fact. Haha! The other night I was at the boys' worship service with them and they were like, "Why aren't any Americans here?" I replied, "I'm American." And they quickly assured me that I am Dominican now and no longer an American. Then last night Jose asked me why I don't have big, red mosquito bites like all the other Americans. So I said, "Remember, I'm not American." :) So to the kids here, I am now either a Dominican or a Heather... but either way I count it as a success :)

I will be here in Jaibon for another week and a half. I've already started to get emotional thinking about leaving so I'm trying to push those thoughts out of my mind. Don't get me wrong, I love Monte Cristi so much, I just have this special attachment to this place. But I am excited to love on all my little girls in MC! I have missed them.

Life is beautiful. God is faithful. Hope you all are doing well!

i love jaibon.

I figure it's time for a random update blog :) so here goes...

As my last blog mentioned, my parents were here a couple weeks ago. It was great! My parents, along with the parents of most of the other leaders came down for what we affectionately deemed "family week." We loooved showing our parents around where we call home!

Last week, I spent time finishing some last minute things before craziness starts with all of the spring break weeks here. I finished all of my literacy modules... lots and lots of lesson plans... who would have thought I would still be lesson planning after graduation?!

Last week I tutored the five oldest kids at the orphanage in Monte Cristi. We did M&M math, percents, graphs, ratios, probability, and all those other things you can tie in to eating candy :) My brain hurt after trying to teach all of those things in Spanish, but it was fun!

I am in love with two little twin girls at the Monte Cristi orphanage, named Ari and Arianni. They are three years old and full of spunk that makes them seem years older than they supposedly are. The other day we were tossing a ball to Arianni for a good hour with each person having to say, "ready?" The person receiving the ball had to say yes before you were allowed to throw the ball. It was great :)

Last week we had several "rain days." Equivalent to those snow days that everyone is having in the States, just not quite as cold :) When it rains, it basically shuts down the whole town because the roads are made of dirt and when dirt gets wet... it turns to mud! And lots of it. We had a couple of adventurous days filled with trecking through puddles and sinking in mud while hoping not to fall... it was hilarious.

I moved to Jaibon (the other orphanage) yesterday! I will be here for 5 weeks and I am sooo excited. I just love it here so much! The past two days have been great and I enjoy every minute that I'm here. The boys that live here are great and so full of life and joy. The women who cook here make my day every day. I love spending time with them too. So now my days consist of leading groups from high schools, churches, and colleges. I wake up early to fresh coffee, reading, and conversations with Jaqueline, Betsaida, and Fefa. We work and teach all day and eat the best food I have ever had for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. At night, we have activities with the boys who live here and have become a part of my family. The days are filled with many "Oh Jaibon"s because things always happen unexpectedly, but it's the beauty of living here. I see God in smiles and creation and conversations and sunsets. Cows and goats are herded past our common area daily and we eat food made from completely natural ingredients. The older Dominican women melt my heart and crack me up all the same time. God is good. He is beautiful and faithful and I am so thankful to be here.

I love and miss you all so much! And that's the truth :) Come visit :)

becoming dominican...

In Dominican culture, it's customary to get very dressed up for any sort of special occasion. The special occasion last Saturday was the arrival of our parents. When the Dominicans that we live with found out we were going to the airport to pick up our parents, they told us that they would fix our hair for us... which if you do not know, is an all day process :) Here are a few pictures that document our day full of hair straightening... who knew I would spend more time here on my hair than I do in the States!


Shortly after breakfast, they rolled our hair and put them in these ginormous rollers with strict instructions to be outside in the sun so that our hair would dry faster. This is Elizabeth, Carolina, and I sporting our rollos.


After some partial air-drying, you get stuck under this ancient beauty chair where air gets blown on the rollers and you kind of resemble someone from the Simpsons. Your head is pretty much stuck to the dryer and it's kind of nerve wracking since the kids are slinging soaking wet laundry over the electrical cords. But hey, it's all part of being a Dominican :)

Next, they wrap your hair around your head, bobby pin it down, and put a net over top of it to keep it in place. You wear the "tubie" the rest of the day until you leave for whatever occasion you are going to. For us, we were given orders not to take off our tubies until we were on the bus and headed to the airport.

And the end product is EXTREMELY straight hair! It was great to be able to run our fingers through soft, straight hair once again. Saturday was great and full of stick straight hair and patiently awaiting the arrival of our parents at the aiport.

It's all just a part of becoming Dominican :)

love them.

This morning we went in to Dona Nena, a local elementary school, to teach English. Most of the younger kids at the orphanage go to school there so it was tons of fun to see them looking all grown up in their school uniforms! I'm amazed at how fast they are growing up... it feels like they should still be babies, but yet here they are learning simple English. It's crazy!

Joanni... lookin' so big in her uniform!

Luz Maria peeking out of her classroom.

Mineli, covering up her toothless smile!

Carmelito.