Prince Charming's in the shower

I've never been so much of a girly girl that I didn't enjoy the outdoors and different animals, but I must say that something comes over me when I see an incredibly large frog in the shower. Actually I didn't see him until I was already in the tub but I heard a noise and decided to get out and lo and behold there was a huge pale lime green frog sitting behind the bucket.

Now this may not seem like a big deal to you but after a few nights of sleeping outside with the lizards I was really looking forward to a nice shower... Alone. I'm so glad I could also be the comic relief to the family as I went into the kitchen with the look of shock still fresh on my face saying to Yudermy... "um, I can't take a shower,... Nestor, come here, help me!" Well I thought boys were supposed to be invincible but Nestor backed away just as fast as I did after seeing the large frog. So then we both run back into the kitchen and told Yudermy... um, there's a frog... in the shower. 

Yudermy went and had a look and started laughing and went and told Victor who also had a good laugh, meanwhile I'm standing there still wanting that shower by myself but now I have half the family and a stinkin' frog in the bathroom with me. So Yudermy gets a glove on, looks at me and says "are you sure you don't want prince charming?" and starts laughing really hard as I exclaim "if prince charming has to jump in the shower for me to find him, I'd rather not find him at all!!!"  Hehehe. 

Ya know I just thought, this would make a pretty great tribal name don't ya think? "one who sleeps with lizards and bathes with frogs?" lol. 

One of those unforgettable moments I thought you'd all enjoy. :-)

Life in the Dominican... what can I say? Always an adventure.

God Bless and take care. 

7 New Sisters!

If ever I thought that there was a mighty work being done in the Dominican Republic, I truly believe it now more than ever!! In the past few weeks 9 people began meeting with Victor to talk about baptism. 7 from Cuerpo de Cristo and 2 from the new house church at Pica Piedra. On Sunday we all had the privilege of witnessing 7 women, one girl about 11 years old, her mother, three teenagers and three older women accept Christ and make the decision to be baptized. There is no way to explain the joy that I felt watching these 7 women each step down into the baptistery, be immersed in the water, and stand up as new creations, their old selves and all the sin that dragged them down being washed away. One of the women was Senora Cordero, the mother of my dear friends Euri and Francisco. It was so amazing to see a woman I know so well and have spent time with over the past 8 weeks, decide to accept Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. As I stood beside the water, filming everything for Victor, I saw the tears stream down Mrs Cordero's face, as she new that although she like all of us don't deserve what Christ did for us, we accept his gift of mercy, forgiveness, and salvation and look forward to eternity in heaven with the Father. I wish you all could've been there, seeing each of these women being washed of their sins, and seeing the joy that shown in their eyes because they now know that this life is not the end, we have so much more to look forward too!

This is the reason I desire to live in a third world country, this is the reason I can say goodbye to those I love and follow the call God has placed on my heart. God has done so many amazing things here and I want to be apart of His plans. To see people being filled with Hope and Love from God, it fills my own heart with joy and I thank God each day for saving my soul so many years ago. It is an honor and a privilege to work here with the wise elders and pastor in La Romana, I pray each day that God will bless their ministry so that more people, young and old will know the hope we have in Christ. 

Victor sat down with me last night and we talked for a long time about why it seems that some lives seem to be lived out so easily while others struggle and go through many hard times. I will never forget Victor looking at me with all sincerity in his voice and saying... "Because some people like you, like me, have hope for a future, we not live for today and pleasures we have today, our hope and our future is in Christ so we work harder than most people."

He is right, God promised us eternal life and freedom from sin through his son, but He never said it would be an easy life, and sometimes as Christians we should be working harder in this world to make a difference. Satan likes to attack our minds because its our thoughts that others can't hear, can't help us figure out, so Satan gets right in there filling our thoughts with doubt and discouragement, but today I choose to believe. Today I choose to be filled with joy in knowing that I have been given the gift of salvation and that my savior Jesus Christ is preparing a place for me in heaven. I believe that its time to start thinking not of what I Can't do, but what God Can do. He is the Almighty One, the Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End, and if He can take the time to create my every little part, He will take the time to walk with me and to help me when I simply can't do it on my own. 

Our God is so BIG, so Strong and so Mighty, there's Nothing my God can not do! 

I miss singing that song at camp, it just might have to be brought back again as it is so true, there is Nothing in this world, nothing we struggle with or face that is bigger than our God. 

Thanks to each of you for sticking with me through this journey, and I pray that you have been blessed through what you've been reading and that God has in some way touched your heart or opened your eyes to something you haven't thought about in awhile. Dios Te Bendiga... God Bless You.

Hearing is so much better than Not hearing

Why is it that as humans we have to be without something before we truly learn to appreciate it? I've been thinking a lot about this as for 3 weeks now I've been without hearing in my right ear and my left ear is simply tired of straining and tired of listening. Why before now did I not say "Thank you God that I can hear?" Have any of you said, Thanks to God that you can hear or see, or smell? Little things yet without them we learn their importance. 

There's been a rooster here that for the first few weeks kept waking me up with his loud obnoxious crowing at 3 or 4 in the morning, but now I realized how much I've missed hearing that. Sitting in church and watching the body of Christ here sing and shout praises to God and to only be able to hear a little of it... oh the things we miss hearing when suddenly the blessing is gone. God could've chosen not to allow any of us to hear birds chirping or the sounds of children laughing, He could've chosen not to let us see the bright sun shining or the smile on the face of someone we love, He could've chosen not to allow us to smell the wonderful smells of cookies baking or sweet flowers or the beautiful smells of a newborn baby. 

God could've chosen Not to... but instead he Chose to. He wants us to hear, to see, to smell, to feel because its through all these senses that we can explore this beautiful world He created for us. What a blessing it is to have an such a complex yet wonderful body God created. 

Today I give thanks for the things I can hear, I can see, I can smell, I can taste and I can feel. I thank God for the amazing Dr. Pena I was able to go see who didn't rush us through even though there were tons of people outside the door. He was caring and compassionate, asked about all my family history and what he could do to truly help make me better. It wasn't the antibiotics and drops that I truly appreciate although they are great, its the honesty of a doctor who cares. When's the last time you went to see your doctor and  you were welcomed as a friend, had a wonderful conversation, and then were shown out of the office without ever having to pay? I was amazed and so thankful for Dr Pena, he is also a pastor here, and he treats his patients with so much respect that the love of God truly shines through him. I will never forget that experience or his kindness. 

What are you thankful for today? Doesn't have to be big, it could be something small like an eardrum that works. :-)