Words of Beauty...

Amor a Quisqueya

(Love this country)
It’s been so long since my last post! Sorry!! I have just been pretty busy and have had a hard time writing about all of my experiences here. Everyday has a new lesson for me and a new friendship to create. This is the best experience of my life and it’s hard for me to realize I only have two weeks left. I have been thinking lately how grateful I am to the people who have supported me finanacially or in other ways. Wow, I feel so blessed:)

I’ll try to write again soon, but I think I’ll be able to write more near the end of my trip when I have more time to reflect. We have one Vida Joven leader training camp this weekend, three work groups during the next week and then another training camp next weekend. Whew, lots to do!!

Week 2

In the two weeks that I’ve been here, I have fallen in love: with the country, the lifestyle, the people that I have met, Vida Joven in RD.

Since I’ve been back from our home stay in Santo Domingo, it has been non-stop work everyday. We had a Wyldlife camp this past weekend and three work groups arrived one after the other. It is nice having so many people at the camp, but no lie, it’s exhausting! I even felt really sick to the point where I needed half a day off yesterday. But no matter that, I was able to force myself to go to Bachata and Merengue dance lessons that night which made me feel a lot better today.

Even though I’m constantly tired and worn down physically, I feel like I am being healed in so many other ways. My faith is becoming so much stronger as I HAVE to rely on God for the strength to get up at 6am when I don’t feel like building a cement wall every day. My view of friends and commitment is being restored as I meet people who are intentional about loving each other and working things out when conflict arises. My view of romantic relationships is also being restored as I meet couples who have model their love for each other after the way that Christ loves us. Even the college aged YL and Wyldlife leaders who we have working at the camp are such Godly guys who treat us girls well and always look to make sure they are serving us girls the best way they can. It’s awesome to know that these guys were all Young life kids who had leaders pour into their lives and took that influence to make their faith their own. Young life way look different in every country, but the ministry everywhere.

It’s comforting to be working in a place that I am serving and unexpectedly being served too.

Santo Domingo

We had the privilege to spend a weekend in the capitol, Santo Domingo to familiarize ourselves with Vida Joven in SD. Fernando and Ester Mejia opened their house to us and graciously welcomed us into their world of Young life in the DR. Fernando is the Area Director for Santo Domingo, so he had us meet most of the leaders and team leaders of the clubs in SD area at their leader meeting. The majority of them are in high school or right out of high school. Now, these guys and girls are the real deal when it comes to leading. They know what it means to follow Christ and have a heart for the youth in their communities.

I consider these people that I met friends, which is a rare thing for me to say so soon. People like Willy, Carlos, Corpito, Pamela, Rodolfo, Lichy and the many more that I cannot remember their names, wanted to know us, looked out for us and shared with us their culture. It was a very transformational experience and showed me what it means to be a better Vida Joven/Young Life leader and follower of Christ.

Oh and how did I forget to mention that these guys are such jokesters?!! These peeps know what it means to have a good time and fill every moment possible with laughter. Ha ha, I love to do that too and now I know where I get it from!!

It’s bitter sweet to be leaving Santo Domingo, but I will come back and visit my friends. Well, it is time to get back to camp in Jarabacoa!! We need to get back to work and I can’t wait to be back with the camp staff again:)