Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Expect the Unexpected

It's shocking that I haven't learned to expect this already, but I am constantly amazed and surprised by the way our God turns things upside-down and inside-out. Every time I think I know what's coming next, my God surprises me. Every time I think I know what's best, God shows me something greater. Every time I think I know how something is going to work, God impresses me yet again with his far superior plan. One of my favorite verses, to which I frequently refer, is found first in Isaiah 40 and then again in 1 Corinthians 2 -
"What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love Him"

This summer is no exception. Over the past 6.5 weeks, God has grown me, molded me, humbled me, and continued His work to sanctify me as I learned time and time again to stop "expecting" things when it comes to working with my God. Whatever I expect, He's usually getting ready to blow it out of the water. Here are a few examples.



What I expected: To be consistently dealing with behavior issues as co-director of the summer program
What actually happened: When our first week of summer program passed without a single fight and with only one child visiting me in my office for behavior issues, we chalked it up to the "newness" of the program and braced ourselves for a crazy second week. That crazy second week never came. At the end of our five week program, we sat and marveled at how incredibly behaved our students were. I've been told that in years past, the director's job has mainly consisted of discipline with almost daily fights, children being sent home, and a constant flow of "problems" in the office. This year we had more children finishing the program and less fights/discipline issues than ever. We are so thankful and so proud of our kids!

What I expected: To be "holding-the hands" of our interns all summer 
What actually happened: We were blessed to have 3 incredible summer interns serving in Monte Plata this summer. Mary Ann and Shelby both joined us from the US and Carolina joined us from Santo Domingo. The girls worked in our summer program at school as teachers/assistants and helped coordinate and run activities at Casa Monte Plata. They got a great taste of what it is to be a missionary during the crazy summer months and were also an incredibly encouragement to me. They lived with Nadelly and I in our home and we enjoyed many evenings of sharing about all God was teaching us. One of the things I most appreciated about our girls was their independent spirit - they jumped head-first into ministry here, regardless of their language level, and our kids truly felt the love of Jesus through them! I never expected the interns to bless me like they did, but I'm grateful that God had far greater plans. 

What I expected: To have a relatively "healthy" summer in Monte Plata
What actually happened: As many of you know, the Chikungunya virus has hit the Dominican Republic full-force this summer. What started as a "buzzword" that was being murmured around town has become a full-fledged epidemic, striking almost every single home in Monte Plata. Our students were in-and-out of school as they succumbed to the illness. We had 5 out of 9 summer program workers sick with the virus during our 5 weeks, including my co-director and one of our American interns. Several members of a visiting team also caught the virus. The symptoms are brutal - fevers of 102-104, severe total-body pain and headaches, and inability to walk or stand on your own. However, God sustained us all. He enabled those who were sick to endure the long, feverish, painful days and nights and the weeks of joint pain after the fever left. He enabled those of us who became caregivers to have the patience, compassion, and energy needed to care for those who were sick. The virus is still strong in Monte Plata and throughout the country and we are expecting the epidemic to last through October. Please continue praying for our health!

What I expected: To say goodbye to all of our children and staff at the end of the school year and see them all again in a few weeks when the school year starts
What actually happened: Many of you heard the news of the death of our 2nd grader, Juan Carlos. His drowning shook our ministry, but we are thankful for the firm foundation that enabled us to remain standing together in Christ in the face of tragedy. Several hours after his death, one of our oldest and dearest partners in ministry, Argentina, also passed away after a battle with cancer. Nothing prepares you to walk in the funeral procession to the cemetery with your student's family as they prepare to bury their son and brother. Nothing prepares you to go straight from that burial to the funeral home to visit the family and friends of a greatly-missed sister-in-Christ who ended her time here on this earth. As the dust settles from these incredibly overwhelming two weeks, I cling to this verse from Nahum (1:7) - The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows those who take refuge in Him. Through it all, God is good. Through it all, God is strong. Through it all, God knows me. Through it all, God provides a refuge for my soul and for all of us who have walked through this darkness together. Please continue praying for the families of Juan Carlos and Argentina, including Juan Carlos's young siblings at our school (Francisco, Jesus, and Erica).

What I expected: To serve as co-director of the summer program and host interns
What actually happened: I laugh when I think about a day two months ago when I told someone "I just can't wait for summer when everything will quiet down and I'll have time to rest." Little did I know that with summer comes an expansion of responsibilities and roles within the ministry. Not only did I have the privilege of co-directing the summer program and hosting/coordinating our intern team, but I also was able to do some work with child sponsorship, translating for neighborhood VBS clubs, and group-hosting. It was a busy summer but God consistently showed me more and more of Himself, on the easy days and on the hard days, and continued to ensure me this is exactly where He created me to be right now.

To see pictures of our summer, click here