Surprise Trip

 

 I am leaving for the Dominican Republic in 11 days.

Surprised? Yes, I am too.

Four days ago, I had no idea I was going on this trip. All I can say is that God has me going for a reason I do not yet know.

I have been to the D.R. before, and it completely won me over. Maybe because it confronted me with the sights and smells and horrors and joys of poverty. I will never forget standing in a Haitian village in pouring down rain, covered by a poncho. The children hardly had any clothes on, and they were waiting for a meal. (It might have been their only warm meal that day, or week. I don't remember.) And they were singing praises to Jesus, soaking wet with rumbling bellies and the biggest smiles on their faces. I can't forget them.

I remember an elder in a remote village, one of the few Christians in a large radius, praising Jesus with his eyes closed. Jesus might have well been standing right there in front of him, so in awe was he of the Savior. His body language was gushing forth adoration along with childlike giddiness and joy.

I remember being completely surprised to be speaking German in the D.R. But one afternoon we stopped to play with some kids, and a German man was there. We spoke, and he bragged about all he was doing for this poor family. Yet he seemed so out of place, and I left that tiny house with a feeling of dread and that something was terribly wrong. A few years later, I learned about human trafficking, and this memory flooded back in full force. And though I cannot say for sure what was going on that day, I do believe that our group happened to drop in on an evil that cannot even be fully described. 

I came back with a different view of money and the world. And I have loved the Dominican ever since. Maybe because I feel a profound sense of gratitude toward this island. Because of my experience there, our Compassion child is from the D.R. Unfortunately, I will not be able to visit her this time around, but that is a dream of mine.

So here I am 11 days away from being there again.

Someone from our church who was planning on going, had to drop out. The trip has been paid for entirely. A different person had priority before me to take advantage of a free ticket to the D.R., but that person couldn't do it. That meant that when I was offered this chance, I had 2 days to find childcare for 6 days. Not only did I have to find childcare, but the person was also going to have to be willing to swap services instead of being paid with money. I went to bed the night before the deadline without having found or heard back from anyone. By 8:30 the next morning, I had found 2 wonderful people to watch the boys while Joey is at work, and I was given $100 to help with costs.

I am sure that life will get crazy in the next week because of needing to get supplies for the trip and possibly some vaccinations.

I don't know what this trip holds, but I am thankful for the opportunity. Because it is such a surprise, my hands and heart can't help but to be open to what God might be up to. If you think about it, would you pray for me and the group with which I am traveling? This is not vacation, but a chance to join God where he is at work on a small island, and a chance to see where God is already at work in this small mother of two who happens to live in Columbia, South Carolina.