"Walk Humbly With Your God"

"I believe in the doctrine of election, because I am quite certain that, if God had not chosen me, I should have never chosen Him; and I am sure He chose me before I was born, or else He never would have chosen me afterwards; and He must have elected me for reason unknown to me, for I never could find any reason in myself why He should have looked upon me with special love."

-Charles Spurgeon

God has been good to me. To the me who fails Him daily. To the me who always says the wrong thing. But especially to the me who thought I was going to come down here and save Hato Mayor.

God humbles people, and has all the right to. This is harder than I thought and I am so thankful for that. My purpose was not to come and all of a sudden there be amazing changes and credit completely due to me. My pride got a hold of me, which pride is one of the most deeply rooted sins we have and it is so easy for it to get ahold of your and twist your actions.

But oh how God humbles, while sitting in a church about a week ago I found my mind running to places it shouldn't. To the place of judgement, to saying that this church service is shallow, and asking is their worship genuine or is it more like putting on a show? and this is really different, it can't be real worship. And than a thought crossed my mind and I thought about what would He say while He is hearing my thoughts right now, I thought He would say "These are my people, how dare you question, how dare you judge people who are loving me to the best of their ability?" 

Humbled in the presence of God.

A few days later I found myself in the Cafe shoulders high in dishes. And they just kept coming, but they were throwing them right into the sink that was already over flowing, not on the counter right beside? I found myself getting angry and my actions were speaking louder than my words. At one point Victoria brought over a plate and I just took it and put it on the counter in anger. She quietly picked it up and again put it into the sink the destination she wanted before. I wanted to get angry, but I found myself giving thanks for her, and maybe there was a reason they wanted to put them right into the sink? they told me didn't want all the food to stick to the plates if they sat on the counter and were trying to make it easier for me.... 

Humbled again. 

And as I tried desperately to change how our inventory control was in the first three weeks. Trying to change a system in three weeks that has been going on for three months and yesterday we ran out of almost all the food because of all my "amazing changes"

 I was once again humbled.

I am nothing without Christ. I am certain as Mr. Spurgeon said I would not have chosen Him if He did not chose me, and why He would choose an ugly sinner like myself. I am still uncertain, but thank God He did. 

Who ever said being a missionary would be cool and fun lied to you. 

It is hard, and you cry a lot and everyday I must passionately love my Savior and remember to lean on Him for every single thing in my life. I also am trying to remember to thank Him often. Thank Him for this place, for these beautiful people, for the mind He has given me. For my ability to comprehend, for my health. The list could literally go on forever.

We serve a great God.

And He makes beautiful people.

He makes people with financial problems, family problems, and work problems.

He makes people the same all over though, the Dominican people are the same as the people all over the world, they wake up in the morning, they go to work, they go to the store, they even go to the gym (that was an experience), they eat, they drink, they talk, they go to school, they even run tv programs. they are very smart, and when it rains to hard school is cancelled.

 

He makes people like Victoria, who cries daily because of her husband. He just now returned from Ecuador where he was a missionary. He fell sick there and was even in a coma for a little bit. Victoria who is from Ecuador was at the point where she was selling everything even her house to be able to have the correct papers to get over there. She finally now has peace because he is finally here.

It sounds like a touching story until you see it played out in front of you.
I mean can you even imagine if your spouse of in coma in another country and you had no way to get to them? I couldn't.


People are the same everywhere. And we are all trying to just serve the Lord with all we have.

Sunday we are having a party at the Cafe and I asked Luciano "What is the party for?"

He answer without a pause, "To celebrate Jesus" me and Gracie laughed, but isn't it true? Do we really need another reason than all the reasons He has already given us to celebrate Him?