August 15th, 2007

Sorry this has taken me so long to write. I have had so much to do since I have been back. Anyway, it was a wonderful trip. We only had one delay going there in Miami. It was a five hour delay. Which caused us to get into the Dominican at midnight then we had another hour drive to the church. We finally get to the church and unload our luggage and finally get to have some rest. But by the time we got there I can't say that I really slept. Basically I just rested till morning. I did not get any real sleep the whole time I was there. The next morning we head down for breakfast. It was great. I love the Dominican coffee. Then we go to church service which was awesome. The moment I seen all the children I just began to cry just because I knew I was suppose to be there at that moment in time. God had brought me on this trip for a reason and I felt it the whole time I was there. The church service was great. Two little girls that sat beside me kept wanting to play with my hair. It was also Father's Day there and all the Fathers in the church sang for everyone. Everything was in Spanish but I could understand what was going on. Then after church we went to lunch. We had a great Dominican lunch at the church. Then we had a camp meeting. That is when we found out what group of children we would be with. And also met the leaders that would be with us. I really enjoyed getting to meet the people there.


The next morning we head off for camp. We had three charted buses waiting on us. There were 210 children going to camp. It was a two hour bus ride to the camp in a somewhat rural area. It was a beautiful drive there. As soon as we get there we head for the church for the camp meeting then lunch. At the camp they had church twice a day with Bible study in between and also time for playing games. I was the nurse there for all these children. Just a lot of stubbed toes, scraps, upset stomach, and bug bites. And we also had several of our people to get sick with some kind of bug. That was not fun having everyone so sick there. A lot of these children there just needed someone to love them. I had a lot of children coming back to me over and over again for the same things. They really just needed someone to be there for them. The pic's below are at the orphanage.

After three days at camp we went to an orphanage. This women and her husband have forty children there. They have all been abused in some form. The moment I walked in I just started to weep. I was overwhelmed. The woman Jackie said she wanted the children that no one wanted. Her testimony is really something to hear. She just depends on God to supply all of their needs there. We had brought lots of supplies there for them. A few weeks before I went on this trip I was given a verse. Psalm 121 which says:

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from? 

2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;

4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;

8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forever.

My friend had given me a blessing ring on my birthday with this verse on it. I noticed the verse right away because I had been worried about traveling by myself. At first I was the only one going from where I live. Then later on that day my husband told me that my friend Ellen was also going to be going (he works at the church with her son that is how he knew before me). I was so excited to hear that. I was worried about all the traveling by myself with my back injury. I just felt God was hearing my prayer's. Then later on one more girl was able to come on the trip from here also. Anyway, that Psalm was also my Bible reading three days prior to me getting the blessing ring. I just knew God was watching out for me. Well shortly after we walked in the orphanage a four year old boy stood up and recited Psalm 121. I just started to cry. I was overwhelmed. I knew I was suppose to be there and God really let me know that. I did not know what to think. I mean why would he recite that particular verse? Only God could of known that. I have never really experienced anything like that before. We only had a short time at the orphanage but I left so changed. The faces of those children changed me. And my friend was video recording all of this at the orphanage and I have been watching the video over and over. I am so glad to have that four year old boy reciting that verse on video.

After the orphanage we all headed to a small resort close to the airport for some rest. Some much needed rest I might say. This was a wonderful resort and we really got to bond with some of the people we went there with. I met amazing people on this trip. Such wonderful people that love God. I just felt God's love for me the whole trip. The Pastor and his wife of the Church also joined us at the resort. Well God was not done with me at the resort either. I love taking pictures of the sunrise and so the next morning I was awaken by the air conditioner dripping on me like a river. The top of my bed was all wet. I thought I had over slept and missed the sunrise. So I jumped up quickly put my clothes on and grabbed my camera. I headed to the beach. There were a few other people already out there from our group. Anyway, I had not missed the sunrise. Just a few minutes went by and the sun started to rise. Well I had turned and looked to my right and what I saw I could not believe. I seen an Angel in the sky. I told the other person with me "look there is an Angel in the sky" I could not take my eyes off of the Angel. The Angel was there for about thirty minutes. She also had a cross in the the middle of her. I have never seen anything like it my life. So what a wonderful ending to a awesome trip.
I know that God is calling me into Foreign missions. It was that still small voice that told me to go on this trip. God is so wonderful and He is very real. I really felt His realness on this trip and it was unlike any other feeling I have ever felt before in my Christian life.