esperanza

last night i got to play on a local women's team in Jarabacoa with Jess and Katie. We played against Bethel college. super close match. Bethel won 3-2 

Willy. haitian orphan living in Jarabacoa at an orphanage called Kids Alive. please check out this organization. they are doing amazing things for the abandoned, malnourished, and abused children in many different areas, Jarabacoa being one of them.

Genesis. four year old girl abandoned by her parents at two years old. government brought her to Kids Alive. immediately attached when we met. 

at Pizza Pepperoni with the interns! Angie, Kaylee, Tyler, and Lacey

Andrew, Helena, Ellie, me and Brad

casa de esperanza = house of hope
that was one of the house names at the orphanage.

God is good. so very thankful. He gives me amazing hope.
two weeks have gone by extremely fast. trying to soak up all my time here.
going to miss the Bethel girls when they leave. they have been such an amazing group.

blessed

Corocito kids!

visiting the men's sport site to have lunch:

Sammy :)

katie sharing her water with a hilarious kid who had some type of mental disability.

varsity practice in town:

Nana; sweetest girl with the best attitude.

so thankful.

God is good.

perseverance

God is good. all the time.

learning a lot about perseverance this week. perseverance in everything in my life, not just in the areas that seem to need a little more effort. I know God has me right where He wants me, it definitely hasn't been the smoothest road, but just as Romans 5:3-4 says "we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope."

yesterday Kaysi shared about how much God was teaching her about perseverance with what was going on in her family. She talked about always having this type of perseverance in her school work, and in volleyball, but never with her family and in her home life. In her rage she had thought about taking her dad's life and even possibly her own. She told us that she felt like she had been missing something; things never seemed right. she realized it was a perseverance she didn't have to get through the tough times at home. she was so blinded by her frustrations and suffering that it wasn't producing fruit, it wasn't producing this perseverance that in turn produced character and ultimately hope. she is now seeing more clearly that God will allow us to go through some extremely tough things that are meant to grow us and build our faith and hope in Christ. hearing Kaysi talk and read from her journal was an amazing blessing. this girl is very mature for her age. as she concluded her sharing of what God was teaching her, she said, even when there are tough times, God will never leave us and after every storm there is calm waters.
amen.

while we were at the capital, Santo Domingo, playing a bunch of games... my backpack got stollen. i unfortunately had my camera, phone, intern keys, intern money (1,500 paso = $35), my own spending money (1,600 paso), my swimsuit, shorts, and sandals.
huge bummer to the amazing day, but very apparent to me someone else needed that more then I do. I realized material possessions are not what I need. nor do I want them to be a distraction to my time here. I tried to quickly realize these things were no longer mine. I will say it definitely wasn't the easiest thing to get over. I asked God que es significa? what is the significance? why? but i just looked at the varsity team and thought to myself, my focus needs to be on them and persevere, because this perseverance will produce character, and this character will produce hope. not a hope in myself, but a deeper hope in Christ. He is my provider and my sustainer.

day one

bethel college with the team from jumunko.

  

with the varsity team after lunch at Jess' house.

in La Vega about to play on the La Vega team!

great day full of volleyball. very tired, but definitely learning more spanish! its awesome. so blessed.

kaysi

Kaysi is 15 years old. A girl who doesn't want to mess up at anything and will always strive for success whether that's in volleyball or english. She can be quiet and reserved until you get her dancing or wait until she cracks a joke. She is passionate and has a deep love for those close to her. She is the captain on the varsity volleyball team. She comes from a broken family. She has an absent father and a forgetful mother, and a step father who is prone to wing a fist full of anger; thankfully not at kaysi, but her mother hasn't been able to stear clear of the rage that so frequently comes. This last blow was one to the head leaving kaycee's mother unconcious and in need of plenty stitches. When kaysi saw her mom, she cried and went into a familiar panic attack. Kaysi became raged and bolistic. She felt as if it were her fault, like so many other events that take place, kaysi puts herself to blame. Her culture and environment tell her this is normal, and that her out of control behavior is something she should not be doing. Her mother told her walking out of the hospital that she is ok, and that kaysi is ok. A manner in which to sweep things under the rug. But kaysi is not ok, and her mother... beyond ok. Yesterday kaysi slept for 24 hours straight. Her body is in a state of trama and drained from her anger boiling to the point of explosion. She told her mom she was going to kill her step dad. And to be honest, if she didn't have people like Jess (vball coach) she would have no other reason not to. Kaysi's older sister (17) is pregnat and her other older sister (19) just moved into her boyfriends house. The Dominican cycle could continue with kaysi; meet a guy, have sex, once the children come the guy often leaves, and the girl is forced to take care of the child on her own or she finds another guy, has more children, the guy could do the same thing. Those children will grow up and do thesame thing, repeating the cycle. Our whole mission with kaysi and these vball girls is to break that cycle. Give these girls an out, something and some place to go to and as well to see and hear the gospel. Kaysi I just one of many girls struggling to understand the trials she faces and find the love she is longing for. Just as I know her story goes deep beyond the words on your computer screen, I pray that God's love will penetrate even deeper with in her.

election day

Ganò Danilo!
còmputos de la jce le dan el 51.2%

well Ganò Danilo won the presidential election with 51.2% of the votes. close race.

we (the interns) went down town to exchange our money and have lunch.
there was a celebration going on for sure. purple team came up on top!

purity of the heart...

...is to will one thing.
"What is man without Thee? What is all that he knows, vast accumulation though it be, but a chipped fragment if he does not know Thee! What is all his striving, could it even encompass a world, but a half-finished work if he does not know Thee: Thee the One, who art one thing and who art all! So may Thou give to intellect, wisdom to comprehend that one thing; to the heart, sincerity to receive this understanding; to the will, purity that wills only one thing. In prosperity may Thou grant perseverance to will one thing; amid distractions, collectedness to will one thing; in suffering, patience to will one thing. Oh, Thou that giveth both the beginning and completion, may Thou early, at the dawn of day, give to the young man the resoultion to will one thing. As the day wanes, may Thou give to the old man a renewed rememberance of his first resolution, that the first may be like the last, the last like the first, in possession of life that has willed only one thing."

wish you could hear the sounds with me as I lay in the hammock reading Kierkegard. so peaceful.

two days, two waterfalls

small water fall (bridges) 

 lacey and kaylee 

 down town

day two waterfall

amazing view

bigger waterfall (extreme hike)

the team! (ellie and helena

 kaylee, adam, jessica, tyler, lacey, brad (missing andrew)

mi casa

they say home is where the heart is. my heart is beyond happy here. aware that where I lay my head that is where God has me, and I'm blessed to know this place, and these people are my my home. my belongings may be scattered through SD, but I realy don't need much. being reminded that my treasure is in heaven. such sweet truth
driving through the town on the way to base came I was reminded of the lack of rules here. basic stops and lines that keep you to your side of the road. no side walks and no boundaries that keep you from awating adventures.
its actually cool here because of all the rain. its a blessing to step outside and not instantly be drenched.
well better unpack!

bienvenidos!

Hola para Santiago!
not sure who is here to pick me up, but hopefully ill find out soon!
just a 40 mile ride into Jarabacoa and ill be "home".
Than you Lord for safe travels!

panama city, panama

Just landed in the sticky humidity of the lusciously green capital  city of Panama. definately in Latin America!

take off

adventures begin, now. San Diego to LAX. never been in a tiny plane! sooooo cool!

doulos (δοῦλος)

an opportunity to serve (doulos).

one week from today I will be departing for an amazing adventure in the Dominican Republic. God has me there for 3 months which most people imagine is a long time, but I'm already aware of how diminutive this time will actually be. In these past few months God has been working on me in more ways then one. Its great to look back on now and realize it all even being in the midst, but its not been easy to go through. My focus has been on the end of the expedition for some time now and I have neglected the journey and reason in which God has me there. He has left things on hold, and has left me waiting to figure out this thing called patience and of course this thing called living for Him DAILY. I am often being reminded that I do not have control, nor can I have a plan that will go my way if I choose to live for Him. His plans are infinitely bigger and infinitely better. I am called to be a servant of the most high God; I am as well called to serve His people, not myself.
my focus lies on these girls and the people of the Dominican Republic.

ensena me a amar

O Senor da me mas de tu amor y verdad.

O Senor, da me mas de tu poder y gracia, O Dios.

Ensena me a amar. Ensena me a ser como tu. Da me tu corazon (mi Dios).

O Lord give me more of your love and truth.

O Lord, give me more of your power and grace, O God.

Teach me to love. Teach me to be like you. Give me your heart (my God).