Dear Friends,
In as little as 6 days I will be heading back down to the Dominican Republic for the month of May. Yes, a whole month (May 1-29)! I will be working at the school from Monday thru Thursday dealing with whatever medical issues arise there with the children, as well as preparing meals. These are special meals as it may be the only meal the child gets all day. On Fridays we will go into the villages. I am so excited to go back to these very specific places! I am praying that I am able to relate and befriend the adults in the villages as I, with the staff, help care for their children. While I am there I will be doing some basic testing (eyes, scoliosis) so that we can bring back appropriate supplies when a team returns in November.
This time as I travel, it will be just me. The staff at Makarios is in place and I will be joining them as a medical member...scary! I have become a little anxious lately as I realize I have less than a year of true nursing experience and they have some weird stuff down there that I am not used to seeing. However, I know that Satan would love for me to feel defeated before I even arrive...therefore, I take comfort and power in the fact that the Lord has given me a passion and a skill. I am just a nurse, but in Christ, I can do all things. He has and will always provide and how exciting to learn lessons with Him! So, I've been a nurse for less than a year, but I have been His child for 20 yrs...in Him, and through Him only will His kingdom be furthered.
I have just a few things I ask you to pray for. 1)Safety and health as I travel. 2) Knowledge and wisdom to help medically where I am able. 3)That little children and even their families would continue to come and know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. 4) To continue to build friendships with the staff and encourage them as they have been there longer and are much wiser than I! Their hearts would stay soft and compassionate toward the Dominican and Haitian people.5) That my Spanish with hold up as it is very different than Dominican Spanish and all I know how to say in Creole is "You're crazy" 6) The Word of God be spoken and people overcome their superstitions and "black magic"
I remember when a woman from the team this past November and I were walking around the markets just shopping for gifts to bring home. We ended up walking down a hall/aisle. Before we knew it we were in the back of a store with all sorts of lotions and candles with pictures of what looked like Mary on them. I assumed it was some Catholic tradition until I literally felt a heaviness come over me. I did not feel right being there. We turn around and saw a sign on a make shift door that said "Witch Doctor is in" We immediately looked at each other and I heard a voice in me say "Get Out! Get Out! Get Out Now!" She and I booked it out of the store and into the sunlight. I have never been so happy to feel sun on my face! One of the villages had just had their witch doctor pass away before we arrived. The building looked like a parable being told with the murals on the wall. Obviously, we had second thoughts as we looked at the pictures later. Evil can be overwhelming and yet so subtle. How thankful I am for the Holy Spirit to guide me and tell me to "Get Out!" I don't know if what they do is called Black Magic to them. I know that they are a very superstitious people. Help us to continue to be the Light for them to see. Let us conduct our lives that Jesus is pouring out of us. You and I know that hope is found in the Lord and that we are more than conquerors in Him. Pray that the people there come to know this freedom as well.
I thank you in advance for your prayers. I go very aware that I am so little. I can take away their headache, but I cannot heal their heart. Please take time to go to Makarios International at makariosinternational.org .
Laura
P.S. If you are interested in possibly going down with a group in November, let me know! We especially need doctors and dentists =)
In as little as 6 days I will be heading back down to the Dominican Republic for the month of May. Yes, a whole month (May 1-29)! I will be working at the school from Monday thru Thursday dealing with whatever medical issues arise there with the children, as well as preparing meals. These are special meals as it may be the only meal the child gets all day. On Fridays we will go into the villages. I am so excited to go back to these very specific places! I am praying that I am able to relate and befriend the adults in the villages as I, with the staff, help care for their children. While I am there I will be doing some basic testing (eyes, scoliosis) so that we can bring back appropriate supplies when a team returns in November.
This time as I travel, it will be just me. The staff at Makarios is in place and I will be joining them as a medical member...scary! I have become a little anxious lately as I realize I have less than a year of true nursing experience and they have some weird stuff down there that I am not used to seeing. However, I know that Satan would love for me to feel defeated before I even arrive...therefore, I take comfort and power in the fact that the Lord has given me a passion and a skill. I am just a nurse, but in Christ, I can do all things. He has and will always provide and how exciting to learn lessons with Him! So, I've been a nurse for less than a year, but I have been His child for 20 yrs...in Him, and through Him only will His kingdom be furthered.
I have just a few things I ask you to pray for. 1)Safety and health as I travel. 2) Knowledge and wisdom to help medically where I am able. 3)That little children and even their families would continue to come and know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. 4) To continue to build friendships with the staff and encourage them as they have been there longer and are much wiser than I! Their hearts would stay soft and compassionate toward the Dominican and Haitian people.5) That my Spanish with hold up as it is very different than Dominican Spanish and all I know how to say in Creole is "You're crazy" 6) The Word of God be spoken and people overcome their superstitions and "black magic"
I remember when a woman from the team this past November and I were walking around the markets just shopping for gifts to bring home. We ended up walking down a hall/aisle. Before we knew it we were in the back of a store with all sorts of lotions and candles with pictures of what looked like Mary on them. I assumed it was some Catholic tradition until I literally felt a heaviness come over me. I did not feel right being there. We turn around and saw a sign on a make shift door that said "Witch Doctor is in" We immediately looked at each other and I heard a voice in me say "Get Out! Get Out! Get Out Now!" She and I booked it out of the store and into the sunlight. I have never been so happy to feel sun on my face! One of the villages had just had their witch doctor pass away before we arrived. The building looked like a parable being told with the murals on the wall. Obviously, we had second thoughts as we looked at the pictures later. Evil can be overwhelming and yet so subtle. How thankful I am for the Holy Spirit to guide me and tell me to "Get Out!" I don't know if what they do is called Black Magic to them. I know that they are a very superstitious people. Help us to continue to be the Light for them to see. Let us conduct our lives that Jesus is pouring out of us. You and I know that hope is found in the Lord and that we are more than conquerors in Him. Pray that the people there come to know this freedom as well.
I thank you in advance for your prayers. I go very aware that I am so little. I can take away their headache, but I cannot heal their heart. Please take time to go to Makarios International at makariosinternational.org .
Laura
P.S. If you are interested in possibly going down with a group in November, let me know! We especially need doctors and dentists =)
