God the Rescuer!

my tree :)

So, as it's been several (cough cough - six) weeks since my last blog post, I was totally planning on writing about my time here in the D.R. during Christmas. This was my first Christmas season without my family and so far from home. It's been different and a time of growth, and there are things to catch you all up on, but I've been thinking a lot lately about God as a Rescuer, and that is the true Spirit of Christmas anyways. Thus will be my focus.

I'm guessing I've been thinking so much about the Superman character of God because of the ministry I work with right now: Kids Alive International. I knew this before I got here because of past, brief interactions, but it has become ever more clear to me that this ministry is a huge vessel God uses to rescue His children, all around the world. It's true that through our skewed vision in this life, it is often difficult to truly see how God recues and saves. I was reminded of that yesterday when a fellow missionary said to me, "God is always good, but it is so darn hard to see sometimes when one of the children you've grown to love was found abused with sperm all over her." It also reminded me of a few months ago when I was really bonding with a little Haitian girl at my school. We were playing and laughing and it was so easy to see Jesus through her eyes and smile, I just knew she was a child of His. I left her for a few minutes and sat down next to a co-worker who informed me that she had gone missing in the past couple of years for a week or so, and apparently when retured had been raped several times. Men on motorcycles came and abducted her (apparently that's more common to the Haitian "foreign" children here). I looked over at her. She was smiling and my heart broke. This is incredibly difficult - where's God?

Whenever I ponder this and try to work through it, the Holy Spirit brings to the forefront of my mind how much evil He restrains. If He didn't, our world would be even more dark and twisted than it already is. Children are beaten and abused, but God brings them to ANIJA and the other sites here for them to be loved on. If they are hungry at home, they can come and get at least one big meal per day. In hopeless situations, God has brought these children to Kids Alive's doorstep so to speak. And what more - these children's souls are being saved, and one day they will not experience any more pain, and God knows that when we forget.

To show God's mighty saving hand further, I want to tell a bit about some of the Haitian boys here at my school. I've grown quite fond of them and in the weeks preceding Christmas break, I felt like we really started to connect. There are four at school that seem to be very close. Two in particular I was noticing to be inseparable (I'll call them Noah and John). They both live at the Ark, the Kids Alive residential homes here, and attend ANIJA. One day as I was closing up the library, something I am some days admittingly looking forward to at the end of a long day, Noah came up begging to change his book before the bus came. I reluctantly told him, "OK, you have like two minutes." While he was rapidly browsing the books, I looked over and noticed John staring in the window. "John, you need to leave, the library is closed now." "I'm waiting on Noah." What is the deal with these kids? Can they not do anything without the other!

I was discussing this with my roommate later that night and she let me know a little bit about their background. Both of their families were killed in the earthquake in Haiti. At about 10 years old and completely alone, hungry and no place to go, they started travelling together searching for hope at the border of the D.R. I'm not sure of the specifics, but I do know they found themselves in the D.R. and were sent by authorities to live with some of the nuns in an orphanage. When it was time to find somewhere else to go, Kids Alive was contacted and they are now living safely in the homes here, learning more about Jesus with a roof over their heads and food in their bellies. God the Rescuer!

That is one of my "favorite" stories I've heard because I can see how strong the bond is that they have formed. The boys have been through more at 10 years old than some people go through in a lifetime. You can see it in their eyes and faces too- that they've really been through something. But they are also very sweet and happy, and I am hoping to continue even more of a relationship with them in the coming year.

It's hard to know some of these stories because it is sad to even imagine children going through what some of them do, especially if you grew up in a very different way. But God shows Himself faithful to these children day in and day out. And when He sent His only Son Jesus Christ to this earth, He was on the greatest rescue mission of all time, for all people. I was thinking about that on Christmas - a little helpless baby in a manger was going to save God's children one day... was going to be the ultimate Rescuer.

This Christmas season was different, but definitely nice to have time to get rejuvenated before the New Year. I was able to attend many of the Christmas performances at the school, one of which I was a part of. There was a Christmas celebration at school also for all of the Sponsored children. They got lunch and presents, sang and played games. It was really cool to be a part of, especially being the Sponsorship Coordinator for the school. I have spent a lot of my time growing closer with some of the fellow missionaries, primarily one family that stayed around who work at a different site than me and I did not know well before. I've also been able to start to form some deeper relationships with some Dominicans. I spent Christmas Eve at my friend Kenya's house and we ate a delicious meal followed by a Merengue/Bachata lesson for me (picture of us below). There has been a lot of motorcycle and Spanish practice too, so that has been a huge blessing! It has been a bit of a rollercoaster since I arrived in October, but I feel like I'm on my way "up" right now and looking forward to jumping into a new semester with the kids, refreshed and a bit more comfortable here than I was *11 weeks ago*.

Thank you for your continued support and prayers! I am so blessed for my support system back home. Have a safe, blessed, and happy 2012!

When they cry out to the LORD because of their oppressors He will send them a savior and defender, and He will rescue them. Isaiah 19:20

If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. Psalm 139:9-10