Day 31: Fun with the Crazies

Charly, Reimy, and Griseli happy as can be!

     I woke up today knowing that I needed to go see them.  Today isn't my usual day to go to La Otra Banda, but I woke up with a heavy heart knowing that I wanted every chance I could get with them.  You know how you will do crazy things for the people you love?  Well that happened...

     I am going to give you a little cultural fun fact real quick: Let me explain to you what a concho is.  It is a form of public transportation in the Dominican Republic where you cram 7 or more random people into a 5 person car.  4 in the back, 3 in the front and yes there is a center consol.  Each concho has a route it drives and you wave one down, squeeze into the car with sweaty random people, and pay your 20 pesos.  If you're wondering why that's not illegal, we are on the same page.  Oh and did I mention there's motoconchos (motorcycle versions) as well?  Mom don't hate me.

     Anyways, each day I usually take around 3 conchos to get to the community I'm working with.  Let's just say I took 9 conchos in all and was determined to see my sweet/insane/giggly children.  When I got there, without a moment to spare the laughing and loving began.  Climbing trees, climbing hills, climbing piles of trash, and having a good ole time.  Luckily I had a few Dominican friends from the community with me, and they were able to cook for the kids who wouldn't have eaten until dinner.  I was able to tell Griseli why I do things like this and why I came here.  I kept it simple and short just saying that whenever I accepted Christ in my heart I was filled with so much joy and love and I want so bad for others to know that as well.

     I realize that God might have put my entire life back home on hold and called me to this trip and made it possible solely for this family.  I am doing good things with the others but this is where my heart pulls me.  They are the only thing I think about all day and I want so bad for them to know that they are loved.  How am I going to leave them?  I don't know yet, but until then I want to plan something special for these kids.  I don't know what that looks like yet, but I ask for prayers on how to go about it and that God will just use me to bring his light into these children.  T-minus 10 days until home, lots of work to do, so little time!

Day 30: Our God Isn't A God of Good Deeds Alone, He Sets Out to Redeem

     Through my past weeks working with La Otra Banda, it has given me such a wonderful opportunity to be one with the culture.  Every Sunday, I join them to eat lunch, play with the kids, and then attend Pastor Ortiz's service.  I want to make clear that my purpose when I go to La Otra Banda is not just to bring goodness to the people.  Unfortunately just spreading goodness and helping others make better decisions with their lives is not going to satisfy the world.  There will always be hurt and there will always be sin among us.  When I visit La Otra Banda, I try to go farther than just bringing goodness.  I try to bring the living water that will satisfy their hearts and help them to understand that this life that is hard for them is just a temporary home.

     This past Thursday while inviting girls to bible study, we came across 6 young children in their house with no one watching them.  They were very hungry and didn't have food to eat.  We were able to provide them with a little food and play with them for the rest of the day to get them out of their house and to love on them.  In this situation, it isn't enough just to buy them food.  It isn't even enough that I'm going to spend time with them and love on them because there will come a time when I have to leave them too.  These children desperately need to know that they were created with love and that there is a God who loves them more than they can even fathom.  He is real and if they look to Him, they will find him I'm sure of it.  It is so hard here for children who come from such darkness to find God in the midst of it.  But that's the crazy thing about how God works.  Just like he sent Jesus to redeem us out of sin so long ago, he is waiting for Gríselí and her siblings to find him so he can redeem them.  He sent me to find them!  He is waiting for them to accept him so that he can take them in under his wings of refuge and comfort and say "I have come for you, don't worry sweet children, you are mine now and I will protect you."  The God who would send 100 to reach 1.  That is who our God is and that kind of redemption doesn't happen by spreading goodness alone.

Charly-6, Celina-4, Reimy-9, Carly-2, Gríselí-10, Cristal-3

     This is only one example of what I get to do here.  It's a blessing to be able to bring love to these kids and teenagers everyday.  This community, this city, it is teaching me to be a more faithful servant of Jesus.  Their hearts are open and ready for Him.  It's difficult for me to always know what to say and how to say things, but if my actions are a reflection of my heart they will see Jesus and all his love has done for me and believe that it is possible for them too.  Gríselí is the first person here that I said "I love you" to.  I was able to tell her that more than I love her, there is a God who has been in love with her since she was born.  It was a sweet moment sitting on the mountain looking over the entire city with her and all the while knowing that we were both exactly in the midst of our Father.