Let me just preface this by saying I have never blogged before, but I desire to share with everyone what I experienced during my mission trip to the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Welcome to the randomness that is me and I hope to include you on the journey that has changed my life.
Before I begin, I think it is a good idea to give you a little background on the team that I accompanied on this trip. We are called "Serving the Purpose" or "STP" for short. The mission of our team is taken out of Matthew 25:35-36. "For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me." It's pretty self-explanatory, but our goal is to reflect Jesus to the world and reach out to everyone with arms of love, serving and putting others' needs first. Did I mention that we are all from different churches? We desire to be the unified body of Christ, regardless of denomination. Afterall, I can't recall the bible singling out any denomination to carry on the gospel of Christ. In fact, it was when the body was unified that God's power was made manifest.
Our leader is Adam White, a young man who loves the Lord with all his being. Adam has somewhat of a black and white view of life, and has challenged many of us in our Christian walks. There are no gray areas concerning the Bible in his mind. What's written is what stands. I think it's great to have him as our leader, because as I mentioned above, he challenges my walk with the Lord. He truly has a servant's heart and really strives to reflect the life of Jesus. Another characteristic of him that I greatly admire is his humility. Like I said, he is usually pretty black and white, but definitely tries to seek out the ultimate truth that is in the bible. If he is incorrect, he is not afraid to admit it. Afterall, we are all growing in our walks and who really has it all together?
Whitney Thomas is another member of our team. Whitney reminds me of Stephen from the bible. She has such a quiet personality, but a depth that most could never fathom. Her heart for the Lord is enough to make one jealous. She possesses such a quiet strength and zeal that is contagious. She is the type of person that you listen when she speaks, because ususally what she says is profound. Did I mention that she has such a sweet countenance and her smile brings peace to others?
Another member of the team is Nathan Lechien. How do I describe Nathan? To me, he reminds me of the little brother you always wanted. Not in an "awww...he's so sweet" type of way, but more like he is the one I would protect over anything. Not that he can't fend for himself, because he totally could, but he has a very innocent quality that is very endearing. Don't be fooled by this description though. His humor is magnificent! He is the person who waits for the perfect time to crack a joke and his delivery adds even more to the humor. Nathan is a young man who loves the Lord and is very transparent in his walk with the Lord. He has such a tender heart and I know that when he prays, God is wearing an ear to ear smile. Nathan truly is a man after God's heart and continually strives to live a life that is an example.
Amy Dorn is an amazing woman that joined us. Amy is a music teacher and has a smile that lights up the darkest places. She has the typical "sweetness" that most music teachers possess, but she is far from typical. Amy is a woman who is talented in so many areas that it's hard not to compare yourself to her and come up lacking. Amy is the ultimate package: smart, beautiful, joyful and her love for Jesus is contagious. Amy has such a sweet personality and invites conversation with ease. Even if you have just met her, she makes you feel like you have known eachother forever. Amy also has an awesome sense of humor and willingly shares stories filled with humorous characters and situations that will have you rolling. Just ask her about her Grandma Dorn and the cops!
One member of our team who has challenged me the most is Christa Stalets. Christa is not even twenty years old, and her spiritual maturity is quite convicting. She reminds me a lot of Paul from the bible. She has such a zeal for the Lord, and her zeal is not concealled at all. In fact, this woman possesses a fierce boldness to proclaim the gospel. She has such a compassoinate heart for the lost and a genuine sincerity for souls that are condemned to hell. She also has such a hunger and understanding of the Word of God. She definitely uses her bible as her sword to fight the darkness that engulfs this world. Christa also has an innocent quality about her, but this is overcompensated by a great mischievous side. She always has a smirk on her face and that's because she is usually up to something. She is an amazing woman of God with a huge calling on her life. Missions is her heart, but she will be the first to tell you that you don't have to go to another country to do missions. There is a huge mission field in each of our lives and we should reach out to others just as we would in another land.
Another valuable team member is Stefanie Barnes. Stefanie is a very analytical person and usually waits to process information before speaking, a girft I greatly admire. Stefanie has a very easy going personality and instantly makes one feel at ease. Her laugh is contagious and her strength is undeniable. She is not afraid of anyone and is not afraid to speak her mind. I especially appreciate this boldness when it comes to sharing the good news with others. Stef also has a very tender heart and is really great with children. Stef is also the planning sort of person, the one that has the organizational skills that would make any CEO jealous. To put it bluntly, if I had a business, I would put her in charge of everything because I know it would be done the right way without any detail being overlooked.
One key member of the team is Rachel Detamore. It is so hard to describe Rachel because I have a great affinity in my heart for her. She is from Texas, so has that southern drawl but also the sassiness of a country girl. She is a woman who can take care of herself, but has a tenderness that takes time to unveil. I may be bias, but Rachel is a kindred soul. She feels like home and conversations can and will go to a great depth. This girl has an amazing view of life and such a wealth of knowledge of the Word of God. She has a gift of making biblical characters come to life and putting you in the time and situation that each character faced. She addresses the emotional side of the characters and what they may have been experiencing. She has a great teaching gift, as well as a powerful intecessor. She is also a great encourager to others, revealing giftings that may be overlooked by others.
While we were in the Dominican, we stayed with Adam's parents, Jim and Teresa White. Words cannot describe these two, but I willl try to paint a word picture to you. Jim is a man that automatically commands your attention. Not because he is loud, domineering, or trying to make his presence shown. In truth, the total opposite is what is so commanding about him. Jim posesses a quiet strength and is not quick to speak. I think of him as a quiet observer, taking everything in and watching. Jim is a strong man in the Lord with great wisdom of the scriptures. Jim was unjustly kicked out of Haiti because of government corruption, but is a great example of being persecuted for Christ. I am sorry that it happened to him, but his story is a great encouragement of standing when everything else is coming against you. I will be honest, Jim kinda intimidates me because of his quietness. I can't help question what thoughts are going through his head when I am around him...it drives me crazy!!
Teresa is the complete opposite of her husband in many aspects. She has a very, very sweet personality. Her smile is so inviting and you instantly feel welcome when she is around. Teresa is also very strong, and you can sense this in the first five minutes of meeting her. She has such a strong relationship with the Lord and you listen when she speaks. Her wisdom is flavored with the salt of God's word and she commands respect wherever she is at. She has a gentle spirit and a heart dedicated to worshipping our Lord. Teresa also posesses a deep humility that I greatly admire. Honestly, I pray that I become a woman of God that shares many of her characteristics, she truly is the proverbs 31 woman.
We also met an intern while we were there. His name is Daniel Dortch and I am so thankful he joined us. Daniel is an awesome man of God. His facebook profile says he is fluent in sarcasm and I couldn't agree more! It was always an adventure being around him and you couldn't help but smile in his presence. From stories about tarantulas to his witty jokes, Daniel instantly fit in with our team. One thing about Daniel that I observed and greatly admired about him was his servant heart. Rachel compared him to the farmboy in "The Princess Bride" and I couldn't agree more with that analogy. If you have seen the movie, you know what I am talking about. Whenever something needed to be done, the farmboy would simply say, "as you wish" and perform the task at hand. This is very similar to Daniel, although most of the time you wouldn't even have to ask him to do something. He would already be in the process of doing it. I found this to be one of Daniel's greatest strengths and he accredited Teresa for his servanthood.
I am sorry this is so long, but in order to understand all the events of the trip, you have to understand we were a team. The events didn't just happen to one of us, but all of us. If I didn't introduce you to the team, you would have no idea of what happened. There were two other members that joined us on our Haiti adventure, but I will introduce them to you later.
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