The End is in sight

The day is approaching and the end is in sight! The students are out on their last host homes to try and soak up as much culture, hospitality and Dominican love as they can!  In two short, fast weeks most will be back on US soil and the next phase of life will be beginning.  I pray that the students find and combine the good things of the Dominican and American culture and are able to integrate it into life.

If you're reading this...and you'll be interacting in some way with a student in the next month or so...do me a favor? Pray for them and take it easy on them! As much as they look the same (well maybe a little more tan) on the outside, the God-experiences over the last 8 months has made a change on the inside.  It is my hope that you will gain a more confident, God-fearing, God-loving, humble, Spanish-speaking friend/son/daughter!

''So speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you'll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind.''

-1 Thessalonians 5:11 MSG

This has been my prayer since the beginning of the year.  It has been an honor and a joy to have these 12 students over the past eight months and I am so proud that EVERYONE finished!!  We started with a dozen and we finished with a dozen...I can honestly say that this year no one was left out, no one was left behind.  God has been faithful to keep us together in this and carry everyone through until the end.  Every student had some specific glue that helped hold the group together, this was not the doing of one specific person but of everyone involved in teamwork through perseverance and love.

And to round out the dozen...here is how God has been using the final four students~

Meghan has kept us laughing from day one...she along with a couple other of the students has kept the morale high simply by providing joy and laughter.  There is also a maturity to Meghan that I thank the Lord for.  As one of the oldest students she has shown maturity not only in her faith and personal relationship with the Lord, but has shown others (and myself) the balance between vulnerability, leadership, craziness, and solitude.  She came into the program after graduated with a teaching degree and it was immediately put to use in her Monday ministry at Emanuel House where she helps tutor students and work with the special needs class.

I think that Maggie has grown the most in the past year.  Some say she has one of the best Spanish accents out of the group and she has, perhaps, benefited the most from the weekly bible classes. I pray that this foundation of her faith remains solid.  Maggie had grown up in the Jewish faith and over the past several years has put her faith in Jesus Christ and has been growing in her relationship with Him.  It's been cool to hear her process what she has learned through Apologetics, Hermeneutics, the book of Matthew and so many other classes.  She is learning how to share her faith and her testimony in such a way that there is no doubt that she will have great impact for God's Kingdom.  It's been cool to learn from her about different Jewish customs and it's also been awesome to celebrate together her first real Christmas & Easter!

Ciera is a quiet soul with a sweet smile (I'm sure her roommates may have different things to say), and to me she has been one of the most consistent and even-keeled students here.  Her quietness brings out a gentle and approachable demeanor which makes everyone love her.  She is very relational and as her Spanish improves week after week the relationships with her Dominican friends grows even stronger.  She is a leader, whether she sees it or not, and leads mostly by her heart, her joy and her actions.  She is willing to do whatever is asked with excellence...which makes my life easier!  She has put in the work day after day and I pray that she is blessed beyond measure for her faithfulness!

And lastly (but not least by any means)..Ashley! Oh Ashley! (can you hear it in the Barbara Jean accent??)  This girl.  This girl takes the PC rule and throws it out the window.  And for me, a very non-PCer could not understand how one person could have ZERO personal space whatsoever.  And this year, I have learned the most from her.  She attracts people with her smile and personality.  Her open arms are an invitation into love...pure, unconditional, joyful love.  It's still a concept I am very much working on...and to see it put into action day after day after day after day has been one step in my process.  I cannot WAIT to see what God is going to do when her unconditional love is used to preach the GOOD NEWS of a love even greater than she can give.  

T-minus 10 days and counting until Graduation! God is good!

God remains...

God is remaining faithful.  With less than 3 weeks left the students are out TRANSLATING with the largest team that comes through SCORE DR all year: Johnson Ferry with 347 people!  It definitely is all hands on deck when it comes to this week and the GAP students are called upon to be translators and group leaders.  Although translating and leading short-term mission teams is not the overall goal of the program, it is using EVERY SINGLE PIECE OF KNOWLEDGE they've learned over the past 7 months.  They are able to speak Spanish and communicate.  They are able to educate about the culture and help guide the teams to help more and hurt less. They are able to step up as leaders and use some of the oh-so-necessary critical thinking skills.  And MOST IMPORTANTLY rely on the Lord for His guidance, His protection, His provision, His wisdom, His strength, & His patience.  I am SO proud of them for stepping up to the plate!

Let's keep sharing about God's faithfulness going through the lives of some more of the students:

Micah has a heart for the Dominican people and is amazingly relational.  She had a great gasp of the language when she arrived and it has only helped build early and long lasting relationships with friends from our local church as well as those she meets for the first time in various villages.  Most of the time we're asking "Where's Micah?" only to find her in various and random places...she definitely keeps us laughing.  She is our free spirit but in that teaches us that relationships sometime need to come before the schedule.  Micah doesn't just use her voice to speak Spanish...she also gets up early every Sunday morning to sing worship at church!

 Shawn is the man!  A tough-football-playin'-guys guy with a new heart for Jesus.  He came to Christ not too long before entering the program and has been faithful in obedience to the Lord and has been both blessed and a blessing while here!  The kids LOVE him! Kids flock to him, throw themselves at him and are giggling the whole time.  He's seen a completely different way of life...not only surrounded by people who love the Lord and live it out daily, but also learning how to live with 10 sisters!  (I'm sure he'll be processing this year for a very, VERY long time!)

Corina has maybe been out of her comfort zone just as much as Shawn has.  Although she came from a big family, she was the only girl for awhile...and now she's living amongst some of the girliest girls she has ever met! (welcome to my world Corina!)  The Lord prepared His path and ministry for her here.  She has a heart for sponsoring children...she is sponsoring 5 kids from other countries and because of that she jumped at the opportunity to help with child sponsorship through SCORE.  She spends every Monday morning at the kitchen table of Emanuel house going through lists and spreadsheets, pictures and stories, helping everything stay as organized as possible! (seriously..she was on all 4 electronics at once!) Corina also has a servants heart and a relational heart as well which is a HUGE blessing to the short term teams and leadership staff!

Rebecca is one of the most dedicated and disciplined people I know.  Originally she was supposed to be going to the GAP program in Costa Rica, but God had other plans and I am so thankful He did!  Rebecca is a quiet leader and example to everyone.  We, too, sometimes ask "Where's Becca?"...but unlike Micah, we almost always know the answer...doing homework!  There is an excellence bar that she has set for herself and she's going to whatever it takes to reach it...and I really commend her for that.  She always gives 100% into everything and is always responsible and dependable.  Because her love is huge, her dedication is huge...there is no doubt in my mind that the Lord is preparing her for something HUGE!

And to close this weeks blog...I'll leave you with some truth and wisdom Rebecca shard on her Facebook wall this past Sunday night (probably upon reflection of Easter and in preparation for Johnson Ferry week...but applicable no matter where you are or what you're going through).

"I have been feeling very anxious this whole week, especially today, so I decided to write out my thoughts and I thought I would share....Satan wants me to fear. He wants me to be anxious and afraid because....He wanted the glory. He wanted to be GOD and so he was cast out of Heaven. He hates God because of this. He also hates us-God's creation. He hates the lost and he wants to keep them bound. He wants the lost to be trapped. He smiles when they are in bondage. He smiles when they think they are "Having fun" according to the ways of the world because he knows they are falling deeper and deeper into his trap. He also hates the saved. He hates us because we have been set free. We are no longer trapped and bound. Because of the resurrection of JESUS CHRIST we have been set free! We have the hope of eternal life! Jesus came to mend the broken, heal the wounded, and pardon the guilty to save a sinner like me! Satan hates us because of this. He is going to do everything he can to try and stop us from sharing this hope with others. If you have been discouraged this week, I can relate to you. I want to encourage you with these words, do not believe the lies satan is trying to feed you. HE NO LONGER HAS CONTROL OVER YOU. Glory in the Cross! Do not forget that CHRIST HAS RISEN! He loves us with a love that no one can give or take away. I challenge you this week to be more intentional with sharing the hope we have with others! Thank you so much God for our risen Savior! 

2 Timothy 1:7 'For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.'"

amen and AMEN!