God Went Out For Ice Cream

Ok so you are probably wondering why I would title something "God went out for ice cream" so I'll explain. Tonight after the new church opening Victor was very tired and ready to go to bed, so we headed home. As we were driving home, out of nowhere I hear, "we need to go get ice cream" which the kids loved as they started jumping and screaming for joy. So off we went to Bon, the ice cream store. We went in all excited about ice cream but we had no idea what God was planning to do at that moment. 

After about 15 minutes of sitting and talking with Yudermy and Victor as they enjoyed the ice cream I hear a voice speaking in English. I turn and the man at the table next to us asks me, "You speak in English?" and I said "yes, yes I do." He said he was surprised when he saw me walk in and heard me speak in Spanish and then he asked me if I was an American, where I was from, and what in the world was I doing in the Dominican Republic in a small town like La Romana. 

I shared with him a bit, and asked him where he was from. He said he was born here in the DR but had been living in FL until a recent job promotion brought him back here. Our conversation quickly turned from polite questions to an in-depth discussion when it came to 

"why are you here?" I shared with him how I've been living with Victor and that Victor is the pastor of Cuerpo de Cristo here and about the work we have been doing for the past month. The man (who's name is Jorge) asked me why I would want to stay here for two months. I told him that I love it here, the people at Victor's church are so on-fire for God and I enjoy working in the community with them ( I also told him about the new church plant and the work with Starfish missions). His response was less than encouraging. 

"No you do not want to live here. Trust me. I loved it here when I was young but now, things have changed and I hate all the crime and bad people here... and its no different in any of the churches I've seen either. There are tons of Jehovah witness churches and others that are packed with people, but yet these churches are located where crime has the highest rating, the church is focused on getting peoples' money and they aren't in the least focused on the community."

WELL, anyone who knows me knows that I stopped for a second and said... "Ok Jesus, I'm here, HELP!" So with Victor watching me, I scooted closer to their table and began to share. I can't remember the exact words, but I can tell you that the Spirit was present in that room and in me. I told Jorge that yes, there are bad people in the world, you can find them everywhere but you can also tell those who truly believe in God and those who do not. I do not know the people he speaks of but I can say with all honesty that he would not find those kind of people in Cuerpo de Cristo. I told him that it's one thing to know About God, its another thing to truly Know Him. As Christians, when we truly Know God we are baptized and have a personal relationship with Him. We change from the inside out and leave all the wickedness and temptations of the world behind us. I encouraged this complete stranger to give Victor's church a try, and I promised him that what he would find there would be people who have the love of God in their hearts and smiles on their faces. I love the body of Christ here because the people truly work as the body of Christ, hands and feet that help one another, help other churches and are out in the community wherever there is a need. 

                I told Jorge when the church service starts and what he could expect to see there, then I introduced Victor and told him that I had been sharing with these people about the church. I say that God went out for ice cream tonight because I could feel him right there beside me as Victor then began to speak to Jorge and his wife in Spanish. Jorge's wife began to share her frustrations with the "church" in general and how we should not be focused on peoples income but on what's in their hearts (they have huge issues with the idea of tithing). I cannot tell you all that Victor said, but I can tell you this much, after about 5 minutes of sharing with this couple, their demeanor completely changed, the skeptical look on Jorge's face and his wife's crossed arms turned into a slight smile and open arms leaning in to hear better. THIS is the reason I came here, God is working in such awesome ways here and I want to be a part of it! I praised God in this moment, and as we said our goodbyes and Jorge promised to try coming to the church on Sunday, I looked at Victor and grinned when he said, "Thank you, I know God made you do it." 

I told him that I am truly beginning to see that "cada momento es un opportunidad por Dios trabajar" Each and Every moment is an opportunity for God to work. We were just going out for ice cream, and God came too, I don't think he was there to indulge in some brownie or chocolate chip ice cream, but I do think he was there to plant a seed and to do a little watering. 

Do I believe that Jorge needed to hear from God tonight? Absolutely, but not in a church (as we saw his reaction to that), no... Jorge needed to meet God over a bowl of ice cream. 

So where do You need to meet God? I'm sure He's willing to go anywhere to meet you. Did you know He has a special plan and a special moment to bring you to Himself?

He's not pushy, he's not going to drag you into church and down the isle to be baptized. He's patient and He loves you soooo much that He's willing to wait for you, as long as you will come to Him. 

I'm not the best speaker and I tend to babble sometimes, but I want each and every person who reads this to know something. I want you to know the Truth, that the GOD OF THE UNIVERSE loves you, that He sent His son to die for Your sins because He wants you to live Eternally with Him. 

He wants to see Your name in the Book of Life, and so do I! ... 

Michael?, Jackie?, Denny?, Leah?, Courtney?, Joan?, Jamie?, Libby?, Anna?, Cheryl?, Donald?, Sean?, James?, Jamie?, Chanh?, Chelsea?, Max?, Kevin?, Tammy?, Brad?, Erin?, Stacy?, Pete?, Melanie?, Tiffany?, Tresa?, Letisha?, Tom?,  Tracy?, Ashley?, Chris?, Brittany?, Kendra?, Sara?, Linda?, Dawn?, Tim?, Margaret?, David?, Tabitha?, Tammy?, Brandon? Karen?Matt?, Josh?, Audrey?, Bain?, Kenny?, Tyler?, Pam?, Aaron?, Brianna, Keith, Kevin?, Ryan?, Victor?, Euri?, Francisco?, Benjamin?, Marleen?, Ricardo?, Tony?, Manuel, ... Jorge?

He's calling your name, whether you see it written or not is up to you!

We stick together...

Well I got a great surprise last night when I heard a familiar voice and looked behind me to see Ryan, Erin and little Micah Vandelinde walking in! What joy filled my heart to have friends here from the States! I truly love my Dominican friends and family, but there is just this indescribable feeling I get when there's someone else nearby who can relate to what I've been thinking and feeling. It's exciting to me to see other young missionaries-in-training who have the same desires and passions that I have, it gives me the fuel I need to keep on, keeping on. ... Ryan and Erin also have a love and passion for the D.R. and have a desire to serve, they are leaving in January with their son to live in Costa Rica for a year. They will undergo language training before coming back to work with Eastern Dominican Christian Mission. It was great to talk to Erin and to have someone listen who truly understands the joy, the excitement, as well as the moments of frustration when you want so desperately to share your heart with someone, but the language becomes a barrier that you can't ignore. Sure I get by with speaking and listening in Spanish, but do I truly want to live the rest of my life with just "getting by?" //

After church last night, we were all standing around trying to talk to one another, and I realized how much I value the relationships I have with these people. My dear friend Euri is always there for me, in the moments I'm lost he says its written all over my face, so he tries to fill me in. I've enjoyed getting to know more of the other youth here as well, Omar and Jeffrey the unbelievably talented twins who are the musicians on Ricardo's album, worship leaders at the church, and all around nice guys. Rhode who is a beautiful girl inside and out, she has teamed up with Euri and a few others to preform some amazing mime acts to christian music and I learned last night that they have been invited to a church across town to preform (yay!!!). Benjamin and his sister Marleen are my favorite goofballs here, Marleen simply amazes me at how she carries herself, always welcomes people, and truly enjoys life. Benjamin is constantly picking at people and joking as is Jhoan who strives to be the class clown in every situation but they are also kind-hearted, funny, and talented people. I could go on and on but I'll spare you having to read much further. 

The point to all this is that no matter how well I have thought these relationships were going, I realized that there's still so much we don't understand about one another. I also realized that it is our tendency as humans to bond with people who have the same background, Ryan, Erin and I can kinda clung to one another in the moments of not understanding, just as some of the Dominicans clung together when they were trying to search for the words to say in English. Every moment is a learning experience, and I must admit I am jealous of the language training the Vandelinde's will receive next year. I truly dread/anticipate the year it will be my turn to spend in language training as I know it will be the most difficult thing I've ever done but will also be such an amazing blessing. I look forward to the day I can walk up to Benjamin, Marleen, Rhode, Euri, Omar, or Jeffrey and truly tell them how great the love of God is and how grateful I am to each of them as they welcomed me even when they couldn't understand me. And how amazing it will be to stand there after church and understand Everything they say! I will be praising God and jumping for joy on that day! 

So the next conversation you find yourself in, soak in every word, don't just hear the person speak, but truly listen___ as Listening, and Understanding are two huge gifts from God. 

Thank you for taking the time to "listen" and I hope God speaks to your heart as much as he has spoken to mine. God Bless.