Since I last wrote, we have been super busy. Here's what my life has been like since February:
- At the end of February, we had our Mid-Year conference in Puerto Plata. Two Cru staff flew down from Raleigh and led our team through some activities and cast even more vision for why we are in the Dominican Republic and how to launch movements here. It was very refreshing and just what we needed for our second half of our STINT year.
- During March and the first week of April, our team hosted 80+ Cru students and staff from the US. We spent many hours on campus sharing the gospel and translating for the US students. Can you believe that I actually translated?!?!?! It wasn't perfect, but I realized that I have learned a lot of Spanish in my 7 months of living here.
- 400+ Dominican students were engaged in a spiritual conversation during the Spring Break trips
- 29 of these Dominican students asked Jesus to come into their life as their Savior! (Go God!)
- During the last Spring Break trip we went to a community called, Bienvenidos. Our church here in the DR, La Primera Iglesia de la Cristianizacion Nacional, planted a church in one of poorest communities just 15 minutes outside the capital city, Santo Domingo. The church feeds lunch to over 100 kids every day Monday through Friday and provides a discipleship program for each of the kids to teach them about Jesus. This meal is the only meal most of these kids get every day. In this community, many families sell their children into prostitution just so they can eat. Some of these kids are as young as 8 years old. There is also a lot of witchcraft in this community. Since our main focus of why God brought us here is to share our faith with university students, we don't get to see much of the poverty stricken areas of the country. We were so blessed by being a part of what God is doing in this community through Proyecto de Vida Dale de Comer and we are looking forward to going back really soon. Such a special place!
- I met my mom, sister, best friend and best friend's mom in Punta Cana for vacation. It was absolutely incredible! This country is so beautiful! I am so glad they were able to come and see me! So blessed!
- This past weekend our team went with Prospero to San Pedro to a university (UCE- Universidad Central del Este or in English the Central University of the East). A group of Vida students and Prospero and Leyla went to San Pedro last October to launch a Vida Estudiantil movement. This time, we met with one of the students they met last time that has a passion for reaching her campus for Christ. Hearing Francesca's heart for wanting to start Vida Estudiantil and the need that exists on her campus was really exciting. The pastor of her church gave us the opportunity to share about Vida Estudiantil at their young adults service Saturday night. At the church service on Sunday, we were able to participate in the commissioning of Francesca as a missionary on her campus. It was so special to be a part of praying over her for the Holy Spirit to empower her to start Vida at UCE. During the service, the pastor asked us if we could go to the local television station to talk about Vida Estudiantil during the church's two hour segment! So, we were on Dominican television!
Many exciting things are happening here in the Dominican Republic! I am praying that these next 10 weeks, before heading back to the USA, will be fruitful and we will see God's hand move even more in launching movements everywhere so that everyone knows someone who truly follows Jesus.
Thanks for being a part of what God is doing here!
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