LESSONS

written Friday, June 10th…

It’s become a pretty normal occurrence… all shapes and sizes, perched on a ledge, climbing a wall, falling from somewhere above you to land in front of your feet. No big deal. Ha. Today we had a lot of sun… it was glorious! We soaked it up over lunch and then walked up the river that runs behind the house to go swimming. It may have been my favorite part of the week. Surrounded by beauty and friends, playing in the water.

The week has not all been fun and games though. It has brought its fair share of challenges and unmet expectations. (which I realize I shouldn’t have had in the first place). We spent most of our time in the pharmacy reorganizing, cleaning, labeling, sorting, etc. It needed to be done, we came here to serve, so what was my problem? I don’t know… I asked myself that question many times this week. I think part of what was happening was that I felt isolated. We didn’t interact much with people here, and I missed that. That’s where my heart is. The other bigger piece was that I wanted a different experience for our friend, Grace. I wanted her to love every moment, and I felt bad that I had brought her here. How horrible right? But here’s the thing. I’m glad we spent the week here. We all struggled, but God met us there. The three of us had great conversations and prayer time, and learned a lot about ourselves and each other. I was able to spend some really sweet moments working through my negativity and unmet expectations with the Lord. It’s amazing to me how many times, on this trip alone, that God has had to remind me about surrendering my plans and expectations to him. Maybe someday I’ll get it.

In coming to him with the challenges of the week, he provided us with joy and peace and sunshine and swimming time in the river. I came here to love, serve, and care for people. And I did that… this week too. It just looked differently than I thought or wanted. But it’s not about me. Lesson learned. The pace of this week has been slower which has allowed me time to think and process, and I welcome that. I also appreciated spending time with the family that runs the ministry. They have lived here 20 years, working to build and grow churches and church leaders, as well as treat medical issues among the Dominican people. What a privilege to hear about their experiences and know how to pray for them as I leave here. The Klein’s pour so much of themselves into other people, my biggest prayer is that they are able to get filled back up and feel supported and loved. There was a lot of purpose in this week even though my vision was blurred at times. And maybe some of it I’ll never see, but that’s okay. Another lesson learned.

On Wednesday we got to take a drive out to one of the churches up in the mountains. The beauty of that area took my breath away. Amazing. I loved our time of singing with the kids at the church, even when Paula, Grace and I were forced up front to lead a song… it was actually pretty fun. We walked around the town, shared Coca-Cola with friends, were welcome into homes, and fed delicious food. I think that particular evening and swimming today were the highlights of this week for me. Pictures can’t capture what we experienced and saw around us in those moments, but the three of us will carry the memories with us forever. And that is pretty cool.

God is good all the time, and all the time God is good… This is the day that the Lord has made, rejoice and be glad in it… Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these… For I know the plans I have for you…

So home I go. And I’m actually excited. The month has flown by, but I miss my family and friends, my church, my car, and warm showers. I look forward to sharing my experiences and catching up on life (over coffee of course). Once home I’m sure I will continue to process all that has happened in this month and will blog some of those thoughts as they come… there’s just no way to get it all down in the moment. And there will be lots of things that will probably never make it into written word, but I will share my heart and stories with anyone who asks. In leaving here, I reflect on the memories and lessons that this trip has brought into my life. In returning home, I weigh the decisions that have been placed on my heart and gear up for pace of life to change quickly. To deal with stress, busyness, work, bills and bad sleep schedules. I will hit the ground running, jumping right into the hecticness of summer, graduations, weddings, etc. And I just pray that everything I’ve gained in being gone for a month isn’t left in the dust. “Lord, help me bring these lessons home. Grow in me a love for you and others that shows itself constantly, no matter where I am or what I am doing. Continue to teach me and mold me into who you want me to be.”