Tuesday we just were folks out and about in Santiago.
Seeing and noticing things. How clean the city is. How the power lines look a lot like those we saw in China. We did the Multicentro La Sirena. The Dominican version of Wal-Mart. While in China we were IN a Wal-Mart—this was just the DR version. Very nice store! While Spanish is a challenge, it’s nothing like going to China and being able to decipher nothing. Blake and Ethan were very helpful to be able to come up with some Spanish to get us through! Mrs. Flores and Mr. Olivarez would be proud. We were!
Back to the shopping—there is no Wal-Mart in the DR. While we were there though we ran into these incredibly American looking young men—dark pants, white shirt, tie and yes they were Mormon. It’s always helpful to run into English speaking folks—we did yesterday, a couple of guys here with their families for Go Ministries based out of Louisville. They helped us order lunch. Back to the Mormons. Odd. Here we both were missionaries of sorts looking at each other, talking and sharing tips. I sensed that they truly wanted to please God and serve Him. I only pray that they will quickly come to trust and know the Jesus that died for them and provided for their atonement by the cross. Mormons do not believe that our Atonement and His grace are only through the cross.
Francisco—a friend of the ministry drove us around today. At the end of the day when it was just the two of us he wanted to show me his house and serve me a cup of coffee! He made it in his Greco. Gotta get one of those—makes great coffee! How did he know I loved a good cup of coffee? His son believe it or not lives in Charlotte. I have his number to give him a call! It was a nice home—mi casa he says. So proud to have me as a guest. The man loves the Lord.
We have gotten some stares as a white family in a culture that is not ours walk around with an obvious member of our family that is Asian. Some are gentle and subtle stares and others are gawking. There are 3 other little 4 year olds waiting to play with Levi in Haiti. Guervens, Jamison and Lubenson—they all four have overcome many obstacles. Makes you wonder. What was it about these little boys that was different then the millions of others that do not have hope? Will we ever know?
One of my favorite quotes about life in general comes from a missionary—by the time I came around as a student at Wheaton; a dorm had been named after him. Jim Elliott wrote, “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” It’s so close to my favorite passages in 2 Corinthians—“What you see in temporary and what you do not see is eternal.” “Our treasure is in this earthen vessel”
Trying to imagine and give a picture to Cindy, Blake & Ethan of the even greater contrast of Haiti tomorrow. It’s just hard to communicate. They’ll know tomorrow.
Seeing and noticing things. How clean the city is. How the power lines look a lot like those we saw in China. We did the Multicentro La Sirena. The Dominican version of Wal-Mart. While in China we were IN a Wal-Mart—this was just the DR version. Very nice store! While Spanish is a challenge, it’s nothing like going to China and being able to decipher nothing. Blake and Ethan were very helpful to be able to come up with some Spanish to get us through! Mrs. Flores and Mr. Olivarez would be proud. We were!
Back to the shopping—there is no Wal-Mart in the DR. While we were there though we ran into these incredibly American looking young men—dark pants, white shirt, tie and yes they were Mormon. It’s always helpful to run into English speaking folks—we did yesterday, a couple of guys here with their families for Go Ministries based out of Louisville. They helped us order lunch. Back to the Mormons. Odd. Here we both were missionaries of sorts looking at each other, talking and sharing tips. I sensed that they truly wanted to please God and serve Him. I only pray that they will quickly come to trust and know the Jesus that died for them and provided for their atonement by the cross. Mormons do not believe that our Atonement and His grace are only through the cross.
Francisco—a friend of the ministry drove us around today. At the end of the day when it was just the two of us he wanted to show me his house and serve me a cup of coffee! He made it in his Greco. Gotta get one of those—makes great coffee! How did he know I loved a good cup of coffee? His son believe it or not lives in Charlotte. I have his number to give him a call! It was a nice home—mi casa he says. So proud to have me as a guest. The man loves the Lord.
We have gotten some stares as a white family in a culture that is not ours walk around with an obvious member of our family that is Asian. Some are gentle and subtle stares and others are gawking. There are 3 other little 4 year olds waiting to play with Levi in Haiti. Guervens, Jamison and Lubenson—they all four have overcome many obstacles. Makes you wonder. What was it about these little boys that was different then the millions of others that do not have hope? Will we ever know?
One of my favorite quotes about life in general comes from a missionary—by the time I came around as a student at Wheaton; a dorm had been named after him. Jim Elliott wrote, “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” It’s so close to my favorite passages in 2 Corinthians—“What you see in temporary and what you do not see is eternal.” “Our treasure is in this earthen vessel”
Trying to imagine and give a picture to Cindy, Blake & Ethan of the even greater contrast of Haiti tomorrow. It’s just hard to communicate. They’ll know tomorrow.
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