Author Archives: Elizabeth

Now for the exciting news… AUGUST 30 – SEPTEMBER 20 I WILL BE IN THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES! As my initial two-year to indefinite commitment is soon to enter the indefinite phase feeling God’s call to have me continue as staff here with Students International in the Dominican Republic, I am excited about the opportunity to connect personally with as many of you as possible.

You all are a much more crucial part of this ministry than you can imagine & in the three weeks I’d love to meet with as many people as possible… individuals, small groups, churches, community groups… really the possibilities are limitless! I’m a girl excited to share, be encouraged by catching up on what God’s been doing in your corner of the world, & willing to travel! Please pray & consider how to continue personally in the ministry here in the DR or whom you might encourage to become a part. Then, no dilly-dallying, drop me an email with possible dates (eckeliza@yahoo.com) or give my parents a call (Arlan & Gwen Ecklund 712.263.8486) or drop my mom an email (gwenecklund@frontiernet.net).

For those of you in the Midwest who maybe don’t yet have plans for Labor Day, Monday, September 4, we’re planning to have a big open house for family, friends & supporters at my parents house in Denison, more details will be soon to follow.

Well, it’s been awhile since I’ve posted. Right now I’m updating from Cambria, California. I’m startign week two of a three week period back in the States for some support raising & renewing connections after almost two years of living in the Dominican Republic. As my initial two-year commitment with Students International is coming to a close, I am renewing my commitment & on the “indefinite track” as to how my time will be with SI. There may be some changes & transitions this fall/winter/spring as to what my role on staff will be, & I’ll gladly keep you updated as God’s timing opens the doors to changes.

Let me tell you about summer however… This summer was full with 7 different outreaches from students & groups from all over the US & some international students. 14 weeks or 3 1/2 months of teams. Since our spring staff retreat in the beginning of may, we as a staff have been praying for a revival to occur in the Dominican Republic. This morning as different teams came through to minister in our different sites with us, we saw God move in big & small ways as we sought to be faithful in the mundane & ordinary everyday as much as the big moments of opportunity.

At the Escuela d’Arte (Art Site) we continued normal classes for students 10-adult throughout the summer as well as offered a special summer program to kids ages 5-9. Two days a week we had between 25-35 younger kids who congregated to sing songs, hear a Bible story, do some arts & crafts & be loved on. As kids prepped to return to school, we were asked to paint some murals on classroom walls at a new Christian preschool. As SI’s vision is not only to share the Gospel in the poor communities through ministry sites doing community development based on felt needs of the area, but also to disciple students on short-term outreach, it was a huge privilege yet again to be a part, a simple instrument in the things that God has done this summer, beyond us & beyond what we could’ve asked or imagined.

Thank you for having such an important role in all that is going on!

Upon returning to the DR, my cell phone # changed as has now our address for mail here in the DR:

All mail & packages now go through one address:
Elizabeth Ecklund
Unit 3022 SIDR
3170 Airmans Dr
Ft. Pierce, FL 34946

My phone number is: 809.721.5452

I can’t believe that it’s April already! (Nor can I believe that this is the third time I’m typing this update, it’s only been erased twice!) For four weeks straight we had outreaches here in the DR. Brothers & sisters from Indiana, Florida, Minnesota, California & Connecticut who were willing to lend their abilities, resources, hearts & prayers to join in what God is doing here in the Dominican Republic. At the Escuela D’Arte (Art School) we have the vision to beautify the property God’s provided us with to also foster the atmosphere of artistic inspiration here on the grounds. “How can all of those big words be achieved?” you may ask. Well, when it hasn’t been raining we’ve been starting little gardens & landscaping. We’ve made lots of discoveries of beautiful plants that are around the property that we’ve been replanting in a more organized fashion. With the help of students on outreach as well as our students from the art school there’s a new mural here on a wall that was once just old peeling white inside the school. My office is freshly painted in a light tan with a cool blue in the closet. All projects that willing hands helped make possible! Thank you Lori Kay, Kathryn, Lindsey, Mary Ellen, Beverly & Mark!

Some projects we’re currently looking at undertaking & how all it would work are to make calendars featuring Fran’s paintings & mini-bio’s of different students here at the art school as a way to support the site with the profits (anyone interested in selling something like that at your church?!). Also, with some of my photography to make greeting cards to sell at the base & anywhere really that would like to sell them, with profits going towards the site. Anyone who’s interested in being a part of the Art Site with Students International in the Dominican Republic in either of those ways, or if you have any other ideas just drop me an email.

Back in the good ol’ US of A & freezing my behind off, but with a warm heart to be able to share with all you friends & family! While I’m here, the best ways to get ahold of me are: 

Cell Phone – 712-267-3290 it’s Verizon prepaid, so if you have Verizon, our chat’s free for both of us, & I have free nights, but no matter what, I’d love to hear from you.
My Parents’ House – 712-263-8486
Email – eckeliza@yahoo.com (until I’m traveling & then don’t know how often I will be accessing email.)

Schedule of Events
Now-December 26: Iowa
December 27-31: Indianapolis
December 31-January 10/11: Minneapolis (staying at Danika, Lindsey & Mel’s)
January 10/11-17: Denison, IA
January 17th I return to the Dominican Republic where I am always open to visits from y’all as well 🙂 !

Hope to see you if possible, in any case, Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

So today is one year since I moved to the Dominican Republic. So many thoughts run through my head. Rainy season has started again, and for the last four or five days it’s been raining off & on. (I know I can live through rainy season in the tropics, but a few days in a row of this & it makes me think hard even about ever considering living in the Pacific Northwest where it rains 9 or 10 months of the year & is not tropical.) Needless to say, rainy days provoke thinking…

I know I’m more me than I was a year ago. Did you catch that? So often I think we say we’re different or changed & while to some extent that’s true, it’s that I’ve grown more into who I’ve been made to be, by God’s grace & mercy & my feeble part of seeking to follow Him. As I was walking home from staff Bible study tonight (in a few moments without rain), the evening was so tranquil & pleasant & as I looked up at the full moon & the transluscent clouds which shifted through the night sky, the chorus of the song “Show Me Your Glory” went through my head, to now listen to the verses & it puts into words much of this last year & the desire of my heart for all that’s still to come of life in the Dominican Republic & wherever He leads me:

i caught a glimpse of Your splendor
in the corner of my eye
the most beautiful thing i’ve ever seen
and it was like a flash of lightning
that flickered on the sky
and i know i’ll never be the same

show me Your glory
send down Your presence
i wanna see Your face
show me Your glory
majesty shines above You
and i can’t go on without You Lord

when i climb down the mountain
and get back to my life
i won’t settle for ordinary things
i’m gonna follow You forever
for all of my days
i won’t rest until i see You again

show me Your glory
send down Your presence
i wanna see Your face
show me Your glory
majesty shines above You
and i can’t go on without You Lord

I feel extremely priviledged thinking back to many of the manners in which He’s allowed me to see more of His glory in this last year from getting to know different Dominicans, the culture, individuals on different teams that I’ve met, things that God’s permitted in my life, His never-failing faithfulness, the prayer & financial support, all of it & so much more than I can recognize or recall.

It’s not all been mountain top experiences. In the discipleship class I’m doing at church here the first thing we do is read through the Bible. As I was reading the book of Job last week in what sometimes God permits the enemy to put us through & then like John the Baptist talked about Jesus sifting us like wheat to separate the chaff from the grain (Matthew 3:12), who am I to say in this last year what trials God permitted the enemy to attack me with, or what God’s given me to strenghthen my faith & sift out some of the chaff, or what’s simply come as consequences to my own sin, but nonetheless, I know God has & is using it all to grow me more & more into exactly who He made me to be. I’ve caught glimpses of His glory & continue to choose that I will live for Him. I want to see more of His glory.

So life in the DR… amazing! The transition after summer, figuring out my personal role at the new art site after summer’s end, just in a place… dry & hungering & thirsting for Jesus anew, but that’s good, we need those times. Right now i feel like I’m in the middle of a waterfall of His blessings! The summer staff was a blessing to me that i didn’t realize how much i needed as i know i’ve said before, but towards the end of summer really just started praying for more friends. It’s been a huge blessing to be making some more real friendships, more than just “un saludo” in church or on the street to random people I may pass. Tara, another American who’s been here about a year & a half as a teacher at Doulos Discovery School (a Christian school here in Jarabacoa) & I have been teaching an English class at my house on Sunday mornings & as more & more people from church keep showing up, it’s been really fun just getting to know them. I’m doing “discipulado” the discipleship c lass as well at class & just have been hanging out every once and awhile with other young people from church. Life feels very full as I also agreed to teach an English class four hours each Saturday morning. It’s been fun, but my weekends feel more busy than the week almost right now, as well as with discipleship class, I’m reading a lot whenever I have time.

So, last weekend was just great! Sunday in church, the presence of the Lord was just incredible, if i went into detail of all i thought & prayed & saw in that time, this posting wouldn’t send because it’d be too big. A guest pastor (who he & his wife had shared at the men’s & women’s conference the night before) shared the message & God gave that man a word to speak to our church as a whole, a calling to the young people ages 12-18 specifically to serve the Lord, that God will use them to change this town, this country & the world. They went forward as the rest of us were praying & interceding, then everyone moved forward & into the aisles, worshipping the Lord, praying, singing… (these mere typed words don’t do what the Lord was doing in that place justice)! As signs of confirmation to that calling the Lord gave him profetic words to no one specific, but in that there was someone there who had a stomach problem that the Lord would heal within the week, someone with a broken relationship, etc., etc… more prayer, singing, worship, & then he had a specific word for a specific person. I with my eyes closed, listening, but focused on the Lord heard the dude say, “Senora” well, whatever, I’m a senorita not a senora, but someone touched my shoulder & I openned my eyes. He said to me, “I don’t know you right?” “No” “Do you speak English or Spanish?” “Both” “Which would you like me to tell you this in?” “Spanish”… “There is something you’ve been asking of the Lord for a long time. He’s heard your prayer and it’s on the way.” …That’s more or less the translation. Ay ay ay, tears of joy & gratitude poured from my eyes & I fell to my knees. They’re simple words that may not have much meaning to anyone else, like “yeah, that’s sweet,” but the Lover of my soul who rejoices over me also happens to be God of the universe & He took the time yet again to speak directly to my heart in a way that it doens’t matter if anyone else understands! I don’t kno w what God’s doing, or what He will do in any more specifics, nor have I doubted that He will be faithful to His promises of love to me, but it was a touch to my heart that has brought me back to awe & first love of my Savior.

I pray for each of you dear friends, that whether you’re in the wilderness or the waterfall of faith right now, that God may be blessing you with a peace & assurance that He’s right there with you & will be faithful to bless you with His best for you if you seek obedience to Him. To Him be the glory!

I’d love to take you through a brief overview of, no, not the 12-days of Christmas, but rather the 12-weeks of summer here in Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic with Students International. Hopefully then as I continue to upload more & more pictures, you’ll have more of a background to what may or may not have been happening. Let me first give you a quick look at the schedule of the week’s activities on a two-week outreach in the Dominican Republic as this summer’s theme was IT’S NOT ABOUT ME, IT’S ALL ABOUT JESUS:

Monday: fly into Santiago, get situated at the base
Tuesday: (each morning starts with worship, a short talk by one of our staff, quiet time & breakfast) morning, cultural & SI orientation, afternoon, site orientation, evening, culture night full of activities
Wednesday: 9 am – 4 pm at ministry sites, evening, team time
Thursday: ministry sites, supper in a home in the community
Friday: ministry sites, evening activities varied depending on the outreach
Saturday: Waterfall excursion & evening in town
Sunday: day of rest, Dominican church service in the afternoon
Monday: ministry sites, team time
Tuesday: ministry sites, game night
Wednesday: ministry sites, evening of worship & special speaker
Thursday: ministry sites, team time & debriefing
Friday: ministry sites, banquet in the evening
Saturday: head back to the States

Outreach #1 – May 23-June4
The summer started here with a great group of students from college IVCF groups from Conneticut & Boston College. Lauren, Savina, Charlene & Cali helped us get a big first step painted on the murals of the cemetary in town. As we walked through the streets of Jarabacoa talking on a little tour they also helped birth a sort of outreach idea of doing a mini Bible school of sorts in a poor community down by the river using a painting on canvas & walking around with a guitar to gather children & share about Jesus. It was a hard start to the summer as well as two of our students contracted amoebas (a rough parasite) & got to know SI’s medical site as well at Clinica Inmaculada while spending quality time with my roommate the Dr. Alba Valdez. Sickness doesn’t normally come near our students during their time here in Jarabacoa, & while the cause was never found, the Lord used it if not to get our staff on our knees even more for the rest of the summer. It also brought our small group at the Art Site closer together in dependency to be each other’s family, encouragers, visitors, etc. as we openly shared our lives.

Outreach #2 – June 6-18
Californians do have a lot of fun! June started off with a bang of college kids from California (& some PT students from Arkansas). As the morning sun desired to bake us, Melissa, Dannah, Lena, and Diana painted like professionals in the cemetary wall’s afternoon shade as they prepared canvas murals to be used in the community as well as to be used on the upcoming trip I was to be making to Elias Pina. Those girls have some major artistic talent & were a blessing as we could just let them go & use the knowledge & talents they have. We visited the community twice to play with the kids as well as then to share a painting of Daniel in the Lion’s Den as they also showed off their theatrical artistic talents with a dramatization of the Old Testament story. These women were dedicated to each other & what they were here for, whether they understood all God’s purposes or not as they openly & honestly met each other & the Dominican Republic exactly where they were.

June 19-30
After attending an absolutely fabulous worship conference given by Danilo Montero at my church on Sat., June 18, I headed with Julian & Indira (a Colombian couple who’ve been working with us this summer) to join the group from Seattle Pacific University who were settling into there living arrangements for their 40 days to be spent in Elias Pina, a border area with Haiti. Charlie, Matthew, Nate & Cody – four engineering majors – were joined by Joana, Caroline, Reina, & Jane in all their diversity to serve Jesus in various capacities. It was a blessing & priviledge to be able to see a different part of the island, get to know other Dominican, Haitian, Colombian & American brothers & sisters, as well as help the team start to find their place & be involved in a little bit of what the Lord is doing in that part of the island. The Colombians & I spent less than two whole weeks with them there, but got to see bits & pieces & then hear more stories as the team returned to Jarabac oa in July as they were involved in trying to repair windmills, hand pumps for potable water, dentistry & medical work in outdoor clinics with Julian (who’s a dentist) as well as in the local hospital, working with the local governing officials, ministering to those of the community & family who served as their hosts in being available to build relationships, and more ways I don’t even know.

Outreach #4 – July 4-16
While I was on the border of Haiti, Fran was packing up our art site & I was back to help move the final things out of our previous location as we then welcomed a group from our dear friends from Crystal Valley church in Indiana. Gill, Sahara, Ashley & Aimei were incredible as nomadic missionary artists as a tropical depression dumped rain on us for a week or so, delaying work at the wall. Our traveling art site (most permanently located in the back of my Suzuki jeep and the town park where we ate lunch & spent siesta) did traveling art classes visiting the education sites in Mata Gorda & El Callejon (perfect as Aimei is an art instructor of young children), while then in the second week as sunshine was more abundant, the cemetary wall was painted all kinds of pretty. While the Lord did amazing things through these students, He did absolutely amazing things in them as well!

Outreach #5 – July 18-30
Indiana & California… two states making a major difference in the Dominican Republic as that’s where this outreaches participants were from. High schoolers from the church where one of our summer interns serves as the Youth Pastor the rest of the year, and a young adult group from a church in Indiana. As it started to rain as we started to share with Heidi & Sabrina during orientation after a driving tour & then heading to the park, we went to a Cafe owned by the brother of our now landlord where that afternoon unfolded the blessing of the new art site. It was exciting to continue working at the wall, but also be able to share with Dominican students of the Art School that we once again had a site. These two young ladies (& their leaders as they joined us at various times) were a blessing as we moved into the new site, shared dreams of the Art Site, painted a lot at the wall, and even started to see dreams take shape. As Heidi’s a graphic designer, she also blessed us with the creating of the new logo of the Escuela D’Arte. As we suddenly landed in this new & huge blessing which had once simply been a dream, we took each day as it came & enjoyed every step of the way.

Outreach #6 – August 1-13
We ended the summer with some great kids from a Christian high school in California & Crown College’s women’s volleyball team (from my dear Minnesota). Erika, Amy & Sarah brought lots of joy & laughter with them as we did cleaning around the site, lots of painting at the cemetary wall, and laughed some more. As we ended the summer working hard, laughing a lot, and seeking to follow Jesus in whatever He had for us in that moment, those girls brought us to the point where now Fran & I only have six more blocks to paint in order to complete the murals on the cemetary wall. By God’s grace, we’ll finish completely all the way down to different Biblical messages written as a means of discouraging worshipping of the images that are paint on a wall, and encouraging the seeking of the One who gives life & meaning to the stories & lessons represented in the scenes.

It has been a summer filled with grace, mercy, love, lessons, laughter, and overall God drawing each of us closer to Himself… Dominicans, Americans, Colombians, Haitians, those are all just the countries listed on our passports. May He receive all the glory & honor He deserves for all that He allows us a part in as He does beyond what we could ever ask or imagine!

When I came to the Dominican Republic in June of 2004 for an interview, I had such a small concept of what life in the DR would be like. I’ve adjusted more easily than most & love my life here, but that week was a small part of the start of many relationships that would enrich & change my life. Whether we realize it or not, relationships (friends, family, whomever) have incredible influence in our lives. That’s how its meant to be, God knew what He was doing in creating us to be relational beings. He desired relationship with us & for His children to have fellowship with one another.

One of those people I met the week I was here for my interview was Willy. Willy was a student at the Art School at that time. A young man about 16 or so, full of life, friendly, good-humored, with so much ahead of him. Willy’s family doesn’t have much but in the DR, economic circumstances don’t crush most people’s spirits. In the time that I was back in the States raising support & preparing to move to the DR, Willy was able to find work to help support his family. Since moving here in November, Willy would visit Francisco & I at the art site when he could. No longer able to study art, working a man’s job for little pay & trying to finish high school, he’d stop in to visit his old art teacher & American friend.

Last week we were hit with the shocking reminder of the fragility of life. Willy contracted Dengue Fever from a pesky mosquito. After three days of a high fever & his mother not wanting to take him to the doctor, Willy passed away after taking himself to the hospital. There are many bits of the story & what happened that I don’t know, but what I have heard is that Willy made a decision to accept Jesus as his Lord & Savior with one of his brothers who is a believer. This life passes like the blink of an eye. Not that we should live every moment anticipating or fearing death, but rather that we should live every moment to the fullest. Willy was supposedly hanging out & swimming in the river on Sunday & breathed his last breath on this earth on Tuesday.

While I wish Willy could have experienced real “life” on this earth after making a decision for Jesus, I now pray for his family & friends that there may be an impact on the community of Barrio Blanco, that God may use it for His glory.

Completed eight months here, two more teams to go for the summer, and God’s grace all around! This weekend I went to Santo Domingo with some of the summer interns and Dominican friends from the capital. I was struck Sunday at church by the lyrics of a song which go along with another song that’s been the song of my heart recently.

YO TENGO VIDA I HAVE LIFE YO TENGO DUENO I HAVE AN OWNER Y YO SOY QUERIDO AND I AM LOVED

ME VISTE A MI YOU SAW ME CUANDO NADIE ME VIO WHEN NO ONE SAW ME ME AMASTE A MI YOU LOVED ME CUANDO NADIE ME AMO WHEN NO ONE LOVED ME Y ME DISTE NOMBRE AND YOU GAVE ME A NAME YO SOY TU NINA I AM YOUR SPARKLE LA NINA DE TUS OJOS THE SPARKLE OF YOUR EYE PORQUE ME AMASTE A MI BECAUSE YOU LOVED ME TE AMO MAS QUE A MI VIDA I LOVE YOU MORE THAN MY LIFE MASMORE

That’s really what life comes down to! We’re two-thirds done with the summer season of two-week teams here in Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic with Students International, and trust me when I tell you that I can’t wait until I have more time to write & write & write the stories of testimony to the bits and pieces of what we’ve seen the Lord do this summer & in different ways been able to be a part of. As it is though, I can simply share with you that I’m continually reminded of my simple & sinful humanness that means something because He saw me, loved me, gives me life, and is Lord of my life. Yet again, if that was the only thing that I was here in the DR for (and I know it’s not) then it would all be worth it. Thank you each so much for your love, support, encouragement and the different ways you play a part in my life & therefore without a doubt in the work here in the Dominican. May you each be blessed & may He receive all glory & honor as He deserves!