Hola, mi familia y amigos! Apologies for the lack of posting in the past couple days! I’ve written a couple thoughts that have been circulating within the group as the Holy Spirit moves, and also ask you all to continue in prayer for LIFT 30’s temporary ministry, but also Students International’s ongoing ministry here in Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic!
As I was hand scrubbing my laundry in the late afternoon,
feeling immersed in the culture of the Dominican Republic, God brought me to a
place of contentment as thoughts of cultural barrier and yet the similarity of
human depravity scoured my thoughts. Over mine and Abi’s first couple of days
working in the Social Work site in Los Higos community, I was taken aback by
the stark contrasts between the culture of America and the culture of the
Dominican Republic. I have the urge to “get back to work” during their cultural
time of siesta, or somehow chart the progress of the work in the site thus far,
while they are interested more in the relationships with each individual in the
familial community. I desire so strongly to know the local Dominican’s
perspective of us, “the Americans”, walking through the dirt paths of their
community. We come from the land that they dream of reaching one day, the
opportunity of the United States. We are raised with the knowledge engrained in
us that if we work hard, we will attain success, namely the ‘American Dream’.
The Dominicans, however, come from a culture with a long history of slavery and desire to deny
their sole roots of oppression, while being shunned from the people of whom
they seek approval. Though I try, I don’t believe I can imagine myself growing
up in a tiny house off a small dirt pathway, my only realistically attainable
goal being to find a companion and bear children at the young ages of 14, 15,
or 16. These two cultures are quite abstrusely distanced in these ways.
However, as I was sharing these thoughts with my fellow LIFTer Abi at the
Social Work site in Los Higos, she shared her overarching perception of the
similarity of human pain above the traditions and worldview through different cultures, having heard the day before of the
struggles of self-worth, sexual abuse, and deceit that our missionary site leaders come
across in the women they minister among.
Yes, culture and community shape and root people in greatly
contrasting ways, yet the ultimate truth of humanity is shared: Our depravity
apart from a Savior. Through this knowledge and the forefront of our mission
being the greatest commandment, to love the Lord our God with all our heart,
soul, and mind, and sequentially the second commandment, to love our neighbors
as ourselves, God uses us to spread His Kingdom through His plan and in His
timing. Each of us then are seeking personally and collectively the purpose in
which God has for us in Jarabacoa, as we bring encouragement to the site
leaders and a new set of hands to aid in their long term ministry.
The United Kingdom of God
On Sunday, our LIFT group was split into two groups, having
the chance to worship in two different Dominican churches. In talking with
people from both my church group and the other church group, the first answer
in response to the overall experience of the church was that the worship was
amazing. While cliché, it is easy to subconsciously define God as an “American
God”, our minds selfishly encapsulated in the concerns of our own country.
Going overseas, worshipping in another language, hearing the Word of God shared
in a foreign language, and most of all meeting brothers and sisters of another
race and tongue allows our perception of God to transcend all borders,
languages, and cultures.
While having an amazing opportunity to serve Christ with our
Dominican brothers and sisters, we have also just begun praying for the
persecuted church around the world through the information from the ministry of Voice of the Martyrs.
In becoming aware of the violence and persecution happening daily, our hearts
have been broken for the Church. Through this, however, our collective bond
with the Saints in prayer throughout the world has grown stronger. There is
nothing like the realization of having brothers and sisters in Christ all over
the world, crying out in unison, eagerly awaiting the return of our Savior. This
vision will be truly manifested only in Heaven, when we the promise of Romans 8
is finally realized: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time
are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” 
In closing…
I wanted to share a bit about the opportunity each site had
to do a prayer walk over each of their separate communities on Monday. Following
the Spirit, the site leaders, along with their LIFT students, walked together
through the streets of each community. Each groups experience differed, though
in unified hearts, whether being led by the Spirit to stop and pray for a
specific person in the community, boldly entering into a gathering of men to
awaken the presence of God, or sitting atop a hillside in unity calling out to
God, interceding for the communities with eager hearts. 
Our group of thirty-five has come into the Dominican,
embracing a new culture, willing to be servants in the work of the Kingdom that
God is already doing in the Jarabacoa area! Glory be to God for opening our
minds to effective ways of cross-cultural missions and opening our hearts to
the leading of the Spirit! Our days working in the sites are coming down to
only a few, and I ask for your prayers for strength to complete the work of the
Holy Spirit and words of encouragement and strength for our site leaders as
they will continue on in ministry as we return to New York!
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