Dear Friends and Supporters,
Saturday, the Dominican Republic Mission's Team met for a time of fellowship and activities to build Team Unity. It had been some time since we connected as a team and it felt good to share a meal and see the faces of everyone on the team. God has been so good to our Team and his provisions are evident! We have had amazing financial support come in on our team's behalf. Thank you again to those who gave out of obedience and for the willingness to give to the Kingdom's Cause. Your gifts make it possible to go and exhibit the love of Christ in Constanza.
Our team was exhorted by our Pastor to be mindful of finding a heart of contentedness at all times in all that we do there. He instituted a NO COMPLAINING policy!!! We don't know the exact project assigned to our team yet, so in anticipation and preparation...Andrea led us in a team unity exercise to get us thinking about how we might respond to different situations when we are working in Constanza. It was good to gleam some insight into where our hearts might be in response to the different challenges that will inevitably arise. All that from a game involving tenis balls...Don't ask. I've been searching my heart as of late and I've come to realize that I have the propensity to complain when I'm stressed, overwhelmed with all the responsibility and lack of sleep. Knowing that this is in me...I'm submitting it to the Lord! I want to get real with any area where I could even possibly come across in any other than helpful. I don't see myself complaining about any of the work that is asked of us because afterall, my work background doesn't leave room for that particular disposition. However, I think it could surface by way of expecting too much of everyone around me and perhaps complaining when maybe someone isn't working as hard or behaving in such a way that I would want. So basically not having enough Grace or Mercy toward someone who may need exactly that as God works on each of us at different speeds, in dynamically different ways. I am praying for as much patience, joy, love and mercy in my heart towards EVERYONE I encounter period. It's not easy to confront the areas where we are shortsighted yet God examines our hearts and he deals with us and fixes his love on us.
Lastly, Andrea was kind enough to create an ongoing prayer chain which will cycle through to our return home! How powerful is it to know that there are people around the Twin Cities, the country and the world praying for us???? I think the most impactful thing we can do for oneanother on this team, is to pray continuously for one another! It's clear that the enemy of our souls is trying desperately to deter us whether by discouragement, busyness to the point of selfishness, distractions, fear, insecurity...Inevitably as we do the work of the Lord, we present ourselves as a threat to the enemy and he will do what he can to sully the good things that God's people are instructed to carry out. PRAISE GOD that he is faithful and that we are not only rescued from the domains of darkness, but that we are victors in Christ. I was terribly burdened for the needs of our team and through praying, it is clear that God wants us weaved into him through being weaved into one another through prayer and love. Romans 8:31-39 was particularly impactful to my soul today...especially vs. 37-39 "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us, For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." To even try and conceive of being MORE than Conquerors in Christ is beyond anything I can wrap my mind around, yet that is what we are! The Love of Christ runs deeper and wider than any depths imagineable. We are MORE than conquerors! So, I proceed in faith, trusting that the bounty of the Lord will manifest itself through this mission trip, through our team...evidencing MORE than a conquering victory!!! I look forward to that!
Please pray for us, please pray for those we will encounter in Constanza and pray for spiritual protection for us, all the while trusting that God is gloried through our utter dependence on him to see us through!
Thanks will all my heart,
MEL
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