Loving this Community!

     If someone asked me to describe in one word the people that live in the Dominican I would say........Community.  So far everywhere we have gone we have noticed that people work and share as a community.....together as a family.  I absolutely love seeing it in action and it reminds me of what God has shown me during this whole missions journey. 

    I always knew community was important but you don't always understand until you have been the recipient of a communities help....so many people surrounded our family and embraced what God placed in our hearts to set out and do.   Friends and complete strangers partnered with us but praying, donating, sharing, encouraging and inspiring us to give our lives to showing other's God's love.  That to me is the definition of community.  To come along side and use the gifts that God blessed you with to help others.  I still have the pleasure of witnessing (even if it's on facebook) and hearing about my community of friends back home working together to give each other strength and show God's love.

   Here is a few examples that I am able to share.....I get to witness first hand families coming to the clinic where I work and how the employees treat them as family and help them as they do their own.  I also have the HUGE pleasure of having a teacher from one of our schools that is helping interpret at the clinic for now AND he is teaching me Spanish in between patients.  He also teaches English to his friends, usually for no pay, because he explains, "Without knowing English they can't get a job here because most jobs are in tourism."  What an amazing HEART my friend Melvin has!!!!  So blessed to have him in my life!!

   God keeps pointing out these examples to me.  He is reminding me that we are the flesh to do His will while we are on this Earth.

Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 NIV

 

     There’s no doubt about it.  God placed us in community together, whether we are living in the same town, state or country.  Now, it’s up to us to BE community to each other.  The cool thing is, we don’t have to do it alone or in our own strength.  God knows how difficult life can be.  He gives us His spirit, to rule and triumph over the ugliness in our lives…if we only let Him.

     And here's the cool part...you don't have to do this all by yourself, tap into His unlimited supply of resources every day to be His community to those around you.

  
Romans 12:9-10
Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.
   

Life in the DR - Week 2

  We found out this week that we can pack all of our belongings and move in a half an hour!  We all brought 2 suitcases each after we sold most of our belongings.....and guess what?  We have really only unpacked and needed the items out of one!  This just proves again to me that we don't need possessions to be happy.  Now having said that!  haha....There are so many things that I wish I could have brought with me for the clinic.  I would LOVE to have a file cabinet.  (I know I couldn't have packed it anyway but still....haha)  When I began as the school nurse I got rid of like 3 of them in my office.  I don't like clutter and old information just stored in drawers.  But just one for our patient records could make life more organized.  I have learned it is super hard to find organizational items here on the island and if you do, they are expensive.  I would also love to get Internet and a laptop for the clinic so we could modernize it just a little.  It's the simple things!  ;)


   Things that are just becoming a daily routine are:

• Washing fruits and veggies in bleach water to kill bacteria.

• Not flushing toilet paper.

• Not running air conditioning.

• Using electricity as little as possible because it's so expensive.

• Jumping in the shower several times a day to cool down.

• DEFENSIVE DRIVING...HAHA!

• Money conversions.....$1 dollar is 41 pesos.

• Metric.

Hard things we are dealing with:

• Missing our families and friends!

• Wanting to help everyone we see.

• McDonald's....just kidding. (sort of)

• Not getting ripped off because we are gringos. 

• Not knowing the language!!!!  That is super hard for me at the clinic.

So....looking over the list of what we NEED....what we have LEARNED and what is HARD....I would say we have been blessed and covered by God's provision. 

I would love to hear how God is blessing you like only He can!

2 Corinthians 9:8

 

⁸ And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.