Estoy Aprendiendo

Estoy sentada debajo de una manta gruesa con un cafecito en mi mano, y todavía tengo frío. Pienso en mi casa en la República Dominicana y como casi nunca necesito una manta (excepto cuando llueve mucho). A veces cierro mis ojos e imagino que estoy ahí con el aire fresco, un Bruniño loco, y mi amado esposo. Puedo oler el café en la greca y escuchar los motores en la calle.

Yo he estado en los Estados Unidos por un rato, bueno un largo rato. Estoy loquita por volver a la casa y mi vida en la RD. Puede parecerles loca, pero extraño las cosas pequeñas. Cómo caminando por todos lados, el olor de la bandera (arroz, pollo, y habichuela), escuchando, “colmado!” en nuestro complejo de apartamentos. Extraño saludar a mis amigos con, “hey klk”, pasando la noche en la terraza y viendo las luces de la ciudad, o las noches cuando la luz se va y nos sentamos en el balcón y hablamos sobre las cosas profundas que tenemos en nuestros corazones. Cree en mi que la lista puede seguir.

Sabes qué hay muchas personas alrededor del mundo que dicen, “aye los Estados Unidos es mi sueño”? Bueno, la República Dominicana es mi sueño. Y nunca quiero olvidar que fue Dios quien me hizo un camino para vivir allí.

Este tiempo en los Estados Unidos ha sido tan difícil. Mi esposo y yo estamos comunicándonos a través de un celular, y hay tiempos en que no tenemos una buena conexión de internet. A veces siento como que no puedo compartir mi vida entera con mis amigos aquí porque no tienen las mismas experiencias. Cuando estoy aquí, extraño a mi esposo y gente en la RD. Cuando estoy ahí en la RD, extraño a mi familia y gente aquí. Mi corazón está en dos países y eso no es fácil.

Estoy desesperada por un poco de esperanza ahora. Nunca he luchado contra Dios o cuestionando a Dios antes. Pero durante esta etapa, quiero preguntarle, “Dónde estás Señor? Estás escuchando? Estás viendo lo que está pasando?” Estoy tratando de estar firme y confiar en Él. Pero mi cerebro humano quiere tener las respuestas. Mi cerebro humano quiere saber por qué tengo que estar separada de mi esposo por mas que dos meses y por que siempre estamos luchando pero no vemos el fruto de nuestra lucha.

Yo soy una mujer terca. Cuando tengo algo en mi mente, no me detengo hasta que llegue a donde quiero estar. Este tiempo ha sido tan difícil porque no puedo controlar nada. Tengo que esperar en el Señor. Y a pesar de que creído en Dios desde que era una niña, a veces tengo dificultades para liberarle el control. Pero cada día, estoy aprendiendo más.

Aunque Dios no contestó en el tiempo que yo quería, este tiempo tiene un propósito para el reino de Dios. A través de este largo tiempo, Dios me enseño muchas cosas que nunca quiero olvidar…

Aunque Dios no te ha respondido, Él está obrando todavía. Suena tan cliché, verdad? Entiendo perfectamente. Nunca vamos a entender las formas de Dios. Él es soberano. Jesús puede ver todo lo que no podemos ver. Él ve lo que está en frente que no alcanzamos ver. Es como estamos viviendo en un gran rompecabezas y no podemos ver todas las piezas. Pero Dios es el jugador. Él puede ver todas las piezas que tienen que conectar para completar el rompecabezas.

No podemos controlar todo. Gah, es una lucha para mi. Quiero saber lo que va a pasar y quiero planificar todo. Cuando me mudé a la isla en 2019, planeé mis días. Pero cada día nunca iría como estaba planeado. Pensé que yo sola podía controlar las cosas alrededor de la casa. Mi pobre esposo. A veces estoy estresada porque quiero que la casa esté de una manera exacta cuando tenemos visitantes. Alan siempre me dice, “hey tranquila. Nadie va a ver ese polvo en la mesita.” Bueno, hace casi 3 años y todavía estoy aprendiendo cómo poner todo en los pies del Señor. Ahora, apuesto que tú puedes imaginar lo difícil que ha sido este tiempo para mi. No tengo a mi esposo, no tengo mi pasaporte, estoy esperando al consulado que no nos comunica, y no se cuando voy a volver a la casa. Estoy aprendiendo a cómo dejar todo en las manos del Dios.

VALOR…estudié algunos versículos sobre esperando en Dios y la palabra que vi muchas veces es: valor. Cuando pienso en esta palabra, siempre pienso, “ah si es la fuerza que tenemos para hacer las cosas que nos asustan.” Pero para tener valor no solo significa eso. Para ser valiente es tener fuerza en el dolor o tristeza también. Quiero ser una mujer valiente con la fuerza de Dios en momentos de miedo y momentos de dolor.

No tenemos que sentir Dios para saber que Él esta con nosotros. Aunque estoy leyendo la Palabra de Dios y orando todos los días, no siento su presencia todos los días. Tenemos momentos espirituales altos y momentos espirituales bajos. Me gusta pensar en el camino de la fe como una montaña rusa. He estado atascada en un tiempo bajo pero yo se que Dios siempre está conmigo. Él ve todo lo que Alan y yo tenemos en nuestros hombros, Él escucha nuestros gritos. Nunca nos abandonará.

Necesitamos estar alerta y atentos en cada momento. Hay una guerra espiritual alrededor de nosotros. El enemigo siempre está buscando y planeado una manera de sacarnos o sacudirnos del camino de Dios. En su primera carta, Pedro dice, “Practiquen el dominio propio y manténganse alerta. Su enemigo el diablo ronda como león rugiente, buscando a quien devorar. (1 Pedro 5:8, NVI) Si el enemigo no puede derrotarnos, hará todo lo que pueda para hacernos sentir como que estamos derrotados. Él quiere mantenernos apartados de Dios en vez de caminar en la libertad con Jesucristo. Pero con el poder de Jesús que vive en nosotros, ya hemos vencido.

Amo a la gente, no a las cosas. Cree en mi que me encanta ir de compras. Me encanta buscar decoraciones para mi casa, ropa para mi esposo o yo misma, juguetes para mi Bruno, y regalitos para mi familia. Pero he encontrado que esas cosas nunca va a llenarme. Nunca me voy a sentir completa con ropa nueva, una casa llena de decoraciones bonitas, o un carro nuevo. No no no. El mejor regalo es tiempo con mi gente. Cuando comparto un buen tiempo hablando o escuchando a los demás, eso va a llenar mi taza. Siempre debe ser personas sobre las cosas.

•Me encanta mi vida sencilla. Amo a mi familia muchísimo, pero mi familia tiene un vida tan ocupada. Siempre están afuera de la casa trabajando, haciendo las diligencias, en partidos de fútbol, en algunas reuniones, etc. Es la forma de vivir aquí. Y algo tonto… siempre tienen luz y agua. Yo crecí aquí en los Estados Unidos pero ahora estoy acostumbrada de mi vida en la República Dominicana. Durante mi tiempo aquí, he extrañando la simplicidad de mi vida en la RD con mi esposo. Si no tenemos agua en la calle, no hay problema, tenemos tanques. Si no tenemos luz, no hay problema, tenemos velas. Hay tiempos en que mi esposo y yo pretendemos que no tenemos luz, hacemos una cita con velas en el balcón sin los celulares y luego conversamos sin distracciones. Son momentos tan especiales. Extraño mucho a esta forma de vivir.

Mi hogar es donde está mi esposo (y mi Brunie también-claro). No me sentía como yo misma sin mi Alan. No me importa donde estamos, pero si estamos juntos, ese es mi “hogar”. Quizás suena queso-ey (como tonto o tan romántico) pero es la verdad. Si tienes que pasar un largo rato sin tu pareja, tu vas a ver.

•Más que nada, he aprendido que Dios va a cumplir su plan en su tiempo perfecto. No estoy segura cuando voy a volver a la casa o por cuánto tiempo estaré aquí. Ha sido tan largo, pero yo se que Dios está en el control. Tengo que dejar de presionarme y cuando pueda dejar de hacer eso, podré encontrar paz y descanso en Jesús. No puedo esperar hasta que pueda sacar esta manta y empacar mi maleta para volver a la casa. Pero hasta ese momento, voy a seguir aprendido y confiando en Dios.

My Faith Spot

Have you ever cried out to God? I am not just talking about word vomiting all the things that you want from Him. I am talking about the deep cry where your belly aches a little and you are trying to get words out but cannot even utter a sound. Where you are pleading with God for something that may seem so out of reach?

I have this sacred place in my old room in the states where I go when I am praying for a miracle. This is a place where I go and wait in great anticipation for the Lord to meet me there. My faith spot.

It all started when I was a young girl longing for that special someone (as most young girls do). I would go to this sacred spot and talk to Jesus about the man of God that I desired. I would sit on the hard, cold wood floor resting my back up against the side of my bed, and I would just lay it all out there at the feet of Jesus. Over the years, I have returned to this same spot over and over again to ask God for things that seemed impossible or insane to some.

•After my first trip to the Dominican, I knew that I wanted to give my life to ministry on the island. So, I went to my faith spot and talked to Jesus about this desire He placed in me to move to the Dominican, and I dreamed of how this desire would become a reality.

•I found myself in the same faith spot a year later. Following my internship in the Dominican, I was fully convinced that I would move there right after college to do ministry. I did not know what kind of ministry, how it would financially happen, or really any of the details. But I knew that God had given me this vision and would bring it all the fruition.

•In 2018 I was about to graduate college and head straight into missions in the Dominican, but I had zero money. Ningún dollar. I remembered how God had planted this seed in me on a hot basketball court in the DR years before, and He was going to be faithful to water the seed until it bloomed. And once again, I went to my faith spot.

Now here I am again, sitting cross cross apple sauce on my old wood floor and asking in mighty faith that God will work on my behalf again. We are praying for a crazy miracle that all the legalities are sorted out. There has not been much clarity, a lot of unanswered questions, and some potential set backs. Alan and I are not sure when we will see each other again, and it is scary and hard. Sometimes I find myself daydreaming about getting to hug my husband again and going for a walk around our itty-bitty apartment complex with my little Brunhijo. I am so eager to get back to the island that God had called me to and made my home. Believe it or not, I miss the roosters crowing early in the morning, the loud music sounding through the streets, and the smell of arroz con habichuela during siesta (rice and beans-Dominican eating is good eating). It’s the place that I love so much with the people I love so deeply.

Although my heart feels overwhelmed by what lies between me and going home, my soul finds hope as I recall all the little miracles that God has already given me. I look back on how many times I sat my booty down in this faith spot and asked God for something big that others told me were crazy. Time after time, He met me here and answered each specific prayer.

In this sacred place, all my worries and anxiousness fall in Jesus’ presence. I am no longer consumed by my circumstances but instead consumed by my precious Jesus. I become undone in His presence.

Boy, I would love to just get what I want when I want it. I mean, don’t we all? But here in this spot, I remind myself that even when I do not get my way, Jesus is still good and worthy of my trust. You see, I do not want basic, cool stories to tell. I want stories that scream, “holy crap that was Jesus!” I want to share things where something that seemed wildly imposible became possible with one explanation…”Jesus.” So, I will continue to go to my faith spot where I pour out my heart and guts to Jesus. Where I go and trust in His name and promised over what seems logical and tangible. And I know He will meet me there time and time again.

Now here is the cool thing though, God does not just meet us in one specific place. But instead, He wants to fill our every space. Whether on our comfy couch or running around the house with the vacuum and cleaning as us women do, He is going to meet us right where we are at. He hears our prayers from wherever we call out to Him. And even when God does not respond when or how we want, He is still attentive to our hearts’ cries.

So, if you are looking for me over the next couple days (maybe weeks), you can find me kneeling on my hard wood floor asking God for a, “holy crap that was Jesus” story once again. And if you are feeling discouraged or weighed down, I encourage you to create that sacred time or space to call on the name of Jesus too.

What the Lord is About to Do

My human brain cannot even begin to comprehend what the Lord is about to do.

I have always loved the Dominican Republic. I knew this would be my home and I would do some sort of ministry here ever since my first mission trip in the summer of 2016. I had no idea what that looked like or how everything would come together to get me here, but I knew that I would do whatever it took. But more importantly, that God would do whatever it took.

Fast forward to 2019, and I was fully funded to be a missionary here. I had all I owned packed into some suitcases with a heart full of anticipation. My mom told me, “Your family is there. I don’t know, I just feel it.”

Not long after my big move, I met a young baseball coach passionate about making disciples who quickly became my best friend and now my incredible husband. 

Every little piece has come together so perfectly. The journey has been long and so hard, but I have never doubted that God was the One behind it all. I have always confidently known that God’s hand has been on my journey to the Dominican. This has been the most clear and evident piece of the entire journey. He has made a way when  I literally would ask, “How in the world is this going to happen?!”

I think back on what my transition to the states was like following my internship here. I was a HOT mess. Not even hot, I was just a mess. A big ugly mess. I would sit on my cold bedroom floor and cry out to God that He would allow me to be a part of His work here on the island. My heart was just drawn here, and I could never put it into words. There is just something about the Dominican. And you know what, God did it. He opened mighty doors. 

Now, here I am sitting on my floor eating rice and praying that He opens mighty doors again for Alan and me. We have gone through a lot of hard things together, and we are currently trying to jump over another hurdle which is my Dominican residency. I wish that when hard seasons arose, that we could whip out a sling and hit the giant right in the head like David did. But it does not always work out that way. So as for right now, these are the truths that I am clinging to:

-God has made a way when there seemed to be no way. He has done it over and over, and He is faithful to do it again.

-God has made this my home and planted me here. 

-The Lord’s hand is on my story. 

-God knew this need before I even knew. He is not surprised by any obstacles or changes. He already foresaw how things would turn out before they even began. 

-Me being here is the Lord’s doing. My marriage is all the Lord’s doing. All that Alan and I have, all that we are is because of Jesus. He is our source.

I have to be honest with you…I am clinging to these truths, but on days like today I am wrestling big time. On days like today, I do a better job of thinking about all the “what ifs” rather than holding to what I know. On days like today, I beg and plead with God to rain down His presence and His financial provision.

Alan and I have been in the process of obtaining my Dominican residency, and we have felt like we are blindly walking through hoping that we are getting all the right documents. There has not been a lot of guidance, but there has been a lot of time and money spent. We have so many big financial needs right now with the residency, Alan’s visa, and a car. We had a big financial gift fall through which set us back a ton, and has added extra pressure to all that we already have. Not only is my brain constantly trying to calculate all we need to do and the money we need to get, but I have also gained an eye twitch. It is not just about our current needs, but that it has been one thing after another. For us, it has felt like we are continually battling something, and we cannot call a timeout to catch our breath. In Spanish we say, “siempre estamos luchando.” 

I love talking to Jesus whether on my floor having my quiet time, or when I am cutting up vegetables to make arroz con habicheula (rice and beans). One day while talking to Jesus, this phrase popped into my head, “My human brain cannot even begin to comprehend what the Lord is about to do.” I silently laughed to myself thinking about all the ways that He has already come through. I had asked God to move mighty mountains for Alan and me, and that His favor would go before us in all we do. If God isn’t in it, then we don’t want any part of it.

Now, I do not know if this phrase that popped into my head was specifically about what Alan and I are facing now, about things to come, or even about us at all. But what I do know is that our God is so faithful and trustworthy. He sends His angel armies to defend us every single day. And although I like to be in control and know what is happening, I find peace knowing that I never face anything alone and that I do not need to have all the answers. Jesus is the best partner, and with Him, the victory is already yours to claim. 

So, I do not know what kind of battle you are facing. Maybe you feel like “siempre estás luchando” also. But please know, sweet friend, that God has not stopped working on your behalf. He knew the situation you would be in before you got in it, and He will guide you towards the solution. Hold to the truth of His word and that He is a promise keeper. And remind yourself that, “your human brain cannot even begin to comprehend what the Lord is about to do.”

Want to see more? Check out our latest vlog. Spend the weekend with us as we try coffee shops, prepare for youth group, walk streets of Santiago, and more!