Spring Break, fifty-four college students, four leaders, six Dominican villages...
God was everywhere.

Glimpses.

Sunrises rose with delight upon all powerful seas and as i watched waves bow in His glory, I was called to do the same. Each morning I would rise and watch the sun begin a new day. My time spent with the Lord was sometimes rich, sometimes simple, sometimes joyful and sometimes a discipline, but it was always good. Although I would wake up exhausted my time with the Lord gave me so much more life than the sleep I had sacrificed. I caught a glimpse of the life that comes from the Lord, not of the flesh.

The man two pews up smiled toothlessly, his few remaining hairs stuck out bold and gray from his faded baseball cap. He twirled and sang, as he held his bible bouncing above his head. His enthusiasm invited us to join his congregation’s celebration of the Lord. That morning in church we caught a glimpse of the larger body of Christ that surpasses language and culture and unity brought through our shared love of the Lord.

Wind blew the smells of sugar cane and salt water the sixteen of us piled into the back of a
brick-red pickup cruised the Domincan highways. Driving beneath the cloudless sky, we passed toweringmountains and white sandy beaches, separated by fertile fields and palm trees. As we drove to our village each day we caught a glimpse of the beauty and diversity of the Lord’s creation.

Each morning silently we would sit, three-to-a-seat, isles full, smells, smiles, exhaustion, excitement as we prayed during our morning bus ride. Our prayers were heard. The afternoons following the mornings of prayer gave us a glimpse of its power to change our hearts, build community between God and each other. We caught a glimpse of how prayers truly had the power to heal, conquer darkness and allow us to serve with joy.

Raw. Tears flowed, bandages removed and wounds exposed. As we shared our struggles and exposed the binding darkness within each of our lives, we found freedom in our vulnerability and encouragement in prayer for each other. We caught a glimpse of just how broken we all were, just how much we needed each other and needed our Savior. We caught a glimpse of the power/freedom from sharing struggles and what it might mean to live in authentic, intentional, and loving Christ-centered community.

Laughter lived. As friendships formed from the common desire to know the Lord, there was a purity about the relationships. A freedom to be ourselves, be goofy, live out in the brightness of each unique personality. Laughter was everywhere, joy, purity, peace. We had fun and lots of it. We caught a glimpse of the joy that comes from the relationships rooted in the Lord, for our Lord delights in laughter, He delights in our delight of each other and our delight in His creation. And where He reigns, there is life.

As Lucia’s wrinkled hands rubbed mine in the old wooden pews, her smiling eyes reached into my heart and declared me worthy of the love of a stranger. Her love was too great to come from man, but only a glimpse of the bold and boundless love of the Lord. Reaching for her finger she removed her wooden ring and offered it to me, leaving her hands naked, empty and fully surrendered. Her generosity overwhelmed me. I wanted to reject the gift as it reminded me of my own greed and I felt undeserving. I took it remembering the Lord declares me worthy of blessings and grace. I took it to remember to love and live generously all the days of my life.

The villages presented an endless amount of work to be done and relationships to deepen. Our week in the Dominican quickly realized would hardly dent the potential to be done. Instead of dwelling the enormity of need we quickly had to surrender to the idea of a Sabbath. Our lives our full of to-do lists that continue to grow before we ever reach the end. Sabbath teaches us to rest, listen to God, take time to enjoy life, process life and learn from the Lord in the midst of our to-do lists. Each day our Sabbath was a 2 hour lunch Siesta. Together we would enjoy food, rest, conversation, sleep, worship, games, laughter. Our siestas gave us a glimpse of the Sabbath, the need to recognize our goal isn’t to get to the end our to-do list because there is always something more we could do but our goal is to worship the Lord.

Love. “Preach the gospel at all times and when necessary use words” became a forced reality words were not an option. Moments from stepping of the bus, sticky fingers became engulfed within the callused hands of an Americano. As the chocolate eyes looked up into ours, they loved. While singing, dancing, and playing with the kids we caught a glimpse of the heart of the Lord, as we too fell in love with His little children. And as these strangers time and time again invited us into their relentless love, we caught a glimpse of the true gospel of Jesus Christ, caught a glimpse of what it looks like to love deeply, without fear, without judgment and without boundaries.




My Praise to the Lord.
This past week in the Dominican Republic was amazing. Lord, You worked so many incredible ways this week, so many ways in my life, so many ways in students lives. I am so excited for the ways this past week will transform individuals, the House community, and ultimately the world. God, You showed yourself so boldly and subtly to all of us. Lord, I saw such rawness, such depth, such vulnerability, but Lord, that was accompanied by such life and laughter. God, it was good.