Turning the other cheek

Have you ever been pinched in the butt by a father and son duo while waiting to rent snorkel equipment at the beach?  It gives new meaning to "turn the other cheek."

I can cross that one off my list.

I was in complete shock... all I knew to say was a stern "no!" as I turned around to meet the young man's eyes.  He and his father (I presume his father from the age difference) had tried flagging me down earlier on the beach but I knew they were on the hunt for a "good time" and ignored their advances... I also don't speak Dutch.

If I rebuked them in English, they wouldn't understand, so I tried Spanish... that didn't work either.  So, I chose to ignore them and found a different spot to snorkel as they thought it'd be fun to meet me out in the water.

For real.  That just happened.

As a single woman, I've gotten the occasional "no tengo una esposa... soy soltero..." (I don't have a wife... I'm single) from neighbors and moto drivers.  I've been given unwanted flattery, flowers, candies, and marriage proposals while living here, too... but there's nothing like an unwarranted pinch in the butt to stir up some righteous indignation.

I learned a valuable lesson through this interaction, though... it's not only the men of this country who don't respect women... and oddly enough, I needed that.

After the snorkeling excursion, my friends and I went to grab a bite to eat, and wouldn't you know, there was propositioning going on at the table behind us. A gray-haired man in his late 60's was discussing when and where to meet a young Dominican woman who had just recently sat down beside him.

I confess there can come a point where, when driving through Sosua, the sight of scantily clad women and dirty old men sitting at bars becomes part of the "norm."

But it isn't normal at all.

The friends I was with were asking me, "is she a prostitute?," pointing to different women passing by, and I realized, first of all, how much I dislike that certain beach, and second, how detached I allowed myself to become concerning this area.

My answer? Most likely.

The thing is, even if these women we saw aren't prostitutes, they are inviting the attention of men and not helping the situation at hand.  I felt so disgusting sitting at this beach, knowing the transactions occurring all around me and seeing vacationers, young and old, partaking in this over-sexualized culture.

For crying out loud, I was modestly dressed and still molested by perverted men.  Nothing about that day was normal.

Things, as they are, are not ok.

So where am I going with all this?

Besides being enraged by such debauchery, I realized something...

Though God has placed a burden on my heart for the young girls here, my particular calling in life is not to save or prevent them from entering the "sex trafficking business" or to keep them "off the streets."  There are great humanitarian efforts that do this all over the world.

No, my calling is to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all that Jesus commanded me.  (Matthew 28:19-20)

That's it, plain and simple.

I just so happened to be planted in the Dominican Republic as the first of (I hope) many nations.  I don't think it's because of the prostitution down the street either... it's because God loves His creation.

How has what He created strayed so far from Him? Instead of chasing and pursuing God, our world is chasing and pursuing money, sex, drugs, and fame.  For what? To feel purpose and significance?

If only the world knew how loved and significant they were created to be!

This is the truth that burns in me.  That God sent His Son as propitiation for our sinfulness so that we could enter into the Holy Place and meet with our Maker who created us for significance and purpose... the chiefest of which is to love and be loved by Him!

This is why I'm here. And by here, I mean earth.

If people only knew Jesus, truly knew Him, they wouldn't mistreat others.  They wouldn't go searching for love or a "good time."  They would love well because they would be loved well.

Creation groans for this...

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.  For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.  For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.  For we know the the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.  And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.  For in this hope we were saved.  Now hope that is seen is not hope.  For who hopes for what he sees.  But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience."         

Romans 8:18-25 

That pinch in the butt, though not from God, was used by Him to ignite a new fire in me.  I will not be shaken or discouraged, but I will rise up and invite others to arise with me, to hope with me, and to groan with the whole of creation for the freedom of God's children.

There's a new prayer movement in Sosua that I believe has already begun to purge the city of its wickedness and stir up a revival.  As worship, prayer, and intercession arises and pours out to the main street here, I am confident that God will draw hearts to repentance and restore Sosua to its former days.

I am hoping for what I do not yet see here, but I'm waiting for it with patience...

Walking in His Faithfulness

"...Your steadfast love is before my eyes, 

and I walk in Your faithfulness." 

Psalm 26:3 

What David sang to the Lord in Psalm 26 has captured my attention in this single verse... 

That is just what I'm doing...  I'm walking in The Lord's faithfulness.  Not in my own faithfulness but in His faithfulness alone.

First, God has planted me in a house much grander than I could have hoped for, answering prayers and desires of my heart for a home surrounded by rest.

Sound too good to be true?  God's faithfulness gets better...

Before I moved in, I had suspicions that some form of prostitution had been occurring on my floor from what I had observed the first time I viewed the house. Unfortunately, this is not uncommon here, so I had been praying that God would cleanse out the space before I came and make His dwelling place there.

When I moved in, I discovered some things that weren't quite as they originally appeared.  The mattress, for example... it wasn't until a week of sleeping on it that I realized something wasn't right.  I had been noticing my sheets gradually getting damper, more stained, and developing an odor that definitely didn't smell of "life." 

Through a series of now quite humorous events, the mattress eventually was turned over... where a ginormous stain was discovered, and the dampness of said stain had begun to seep through the top of the mattress!  I promised my neighbor and stand-in landlord that I don't make a habit of wetting the bed...  

Thanks to whoever did wet the bed, I now have a brand new mattress that has never been defiled. One that fits my 6'0" frame.

If we really want to examine God's faithfulness in this, I had actually been praying for a mattress since January of this year.  The little twin bed in my previous place had busted springs that were causing discomfort, to say the least.  The Lord answered my prayers at the time through the lending of my friends' twin mattress until I decided on what to do... then God had me move a few months later.  I was so excited to be moving into a furnished place with a bigger bed.

A new mattress may seem like such an insignificant detail, but to me, God is showing me how steadfast His love is towards me in answering such a basic prayer.

I'm not only walking, but I'm now resting in His faithfulness.

Another example? As an act of gratitude towards a friend of mine for helping fill my propane tank for my oven, I promised to make him my homemade bread.  After 2 hours of preparing the dough, I went to turn on the oven and nothing.  You can imagine my frustration. The stove burners were working fine, but it turned out the oven was broken.

Well, now I have a new oven that fits all THREE loaves of bread at once and works!

Now I'm baking in His faithfulness.

Ready for more?  Remember how I had been walking and taking motos and public transportation? Well, not anymore! 

I'm now driving in His faithfulness.

Just as I had made a list for a home, I wrote a list of things I was asking for in a car...

• Parts in country
• 4 wheel jeep
• Good gas mileage
• Under $8000
• Blue

Mind you, I wrote both lists back in March and it was the end of May when I found it... I remember asking God to help me because, let's face it, I have never bought a car on my own nor do I feel like I could negotiate deals as a woman in this Spanish machismo culture. I asked God to move in the owner's heart to give me a decent price and that they would sell the car in good condition. It may seem silly to ask for a color... I thought it was at first, too... call me crazy, but God asked me what color I would like, so I chose blue.

I had gone car shopping in Puerto Plata and Santiago two weeks ago and didn't feel like I had found "the one" yet.  Then I got a call about seeing a couple vehicles at the local mechanic's shop on that Saturday morning.  When I prayed the Friday night before, I had this feeling that my car was there.  I laid out the fleece and said, "Ok God, if there's a blue Jeep, I'll know it's You..."  

Sure enough! My heart jumped with joy as a smile spread across my face! 

Take a look for yourself and you tell me if it doesn't look like God set this one aside from the beginning...

It's not just a 2002, 4x4 JEEP Liberty, but it matches all the above requests... Liberty never felt so good!

Through the faithfulness of my monthly supporters and one-time donations through last year, I had enough funds set aside to cover this blessing, for which I must say, "Thank you!"

I could go on and on about God's faithfulness.  There would be too many testimonies to write.  

I don't share these things to boast in myself or in any good that I have done... far from it.  I'm sharing these answers to prayers to boast in the LORD.  He is my Provider, my Protector, my strong Deliverer.

There is no god like my God. 

There is no doubt in my mind that He is establishing me here for a purpose much greater than myself.  The God of all grace, who has called me to His eternal glory in Christ, is restoring me, confirming me, strengthening me, and establishing me in a very real way as hope arises all around me (1 Peter 5:10).  

So in the waiting, as God is preparing hearts to receive His Son, I'm prayerfully preparing myself for the task He's placed before me...

I love walking in His faithfulness.