One week ago, Joe and I boarded the plane in Baltimore, MD, and made our way through Miami, to our final destination: the DOMINICAN REPUBLIC! Aubrey and Nick greeted us at the airport...Nick and Joe already friends from a few skype dates, and Aubrey and I crying as we reunited after 14 months.
Now, a week later...I'd say we're pretty much settled in! Joe is out at his second day building a house through Homes of Hope, and I'm at the base, scrubbing the kitchen floor and burning rice galore (hey--that rhymes!) I'm filling a bunch of different roles: Aubrey's kitchen sidekick, Malcolm's team contact and admin help, planning scheduling, outreaches and powerful talks on the Kingdom of God for a team coming next week. With only 12 of us working together at the base, we ALL have a lot of hats to fill.
Current conditions? We certainly are in a tropical climate! It's sunny and hot, then cloudly with a breeze. There are palm trees, coconut trees and banana trees all around, mosquitoes everywhere (but only itch terribly for 15 mins), rats, ants, smells of trash burning, people in trucks selling fruit that pass by and announce it over their loud speaker.
We're a 6 minute walk away from a Haitian community where we hope to build relationships and serve them where their need is. Because they are squatting the land, we can't build houses for them through our Homes of Hope program. The needs are high all around us. Needs for healing, needs for education, needs for justice.
One of the first verses I felt led to read and believe since getting here was Matthew 25:40. "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." Whatever we do, whether it seems like it is making a huge difference or not, is UNTO God. It is to bless HIM. That makes every small thing a big deal! A GOD deal!