As of 3:30am, everyone from the KBC team made it to Jarabacoa. The 9 traveling from Kiron made it to Puerto Plata with their carry-ons around 2:30pm while their luggage arrived with the 2 travelers from Minnesota about 12 hours later.
Today’s been a good day of lots of hard work. Some blisters are forming, relationships are being built, and attitudes are great! Keep posted & check out pictures as I’ll update when possible.
Have you had the opportunity to step out of your comfort zone, multiple times, to see our God encountered & worshipped in different cultures? Almost everyone has been part of celebrating a wedding, celebrating love reflecting the way God loves us, but have you ever seen a baby brought into the world? Have you seen the life of an addict change as they encounter the Truth in Jesus Christ? The newness of life as one experiences freedom & is washed clean by the blood of the Lamb. The last few months have been ever so full of activity, but also of seeing God.
If you visit my album page, you’ll see a lot of new pictures. In the beginning of May I had the opportunity to travel to Indiana for my cousin Phil’s wedding. Had a birthday. Have had a lot of work to do as many have come to know Jesus here in Jarabacoa. As Director of Integration & as a cell group leader its a privilege to see God’s Truth bring freedom to lives, cleansing the past, restoring individuals, marriages, families…
This next school year there is a probability that the Timothy School, the school that our church has for shoe shine boys off the streets, will be in desperate need of teachers. So, the church leadership sent me to San German, Puerto Rico for a week of training in the ACE (Accelerated Christian Education) method & curriculum so that if needed they can use me as a teacher part time the next school year. The 12 days I spent in Puerto Rico with Jesecca Ortiz, the current Administrator of the Timothy School, were extremely full & busy as we shared the vision of the project in various churches, met with individuals, did some sight seeing & hours upon hours of training & homework. It was a time of reaffirmation for the heart God has placed in me for what He’s doing in the Dominican Republic.
One of the women from my cell group gave birth a week ago. Being a 20-something single woman, I have only seen babies born on TLC or the Discovery Channel, until last week she wanted me in the delivery room to record & be nearby. The more I see of life… birth (physical) & rebirth (spiritual), I’m convinced of the greatness of the God it is a privilege to love & serve. There is no one like Him! May He continue to make Himself known in our lives & in this world, because the greatest thing in the world is that, having a relationship with the Creator of the universe.
Check out this link to learn more about the Timothy Project, working with the Shoe Shine Boys of Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic, or on YouTube search “Shoe Shiners Dominican Republic.”
So, even though I love photography, I’m not the best at photographically documenting my life… However, my mom was here visiting the end of March, & she got some good use of her camera. Check out new pictures on the Album link!
2008 is off to a running start! I don’t know that I have a lot of “news” but as I was posting new pictures and writing some comments decided I wanted to share with maybe the two people who check this page about some of the mighty ways I have the privilege to see & participate in what God is doing in the lives of those in my cell group.
One of the biggest problems of the traditional evangelical church in the Dominican Republic is that it in many ways has been a place of legalism… there to receive those who want to fit in its rules. Knowing Jesus does bring remarkable change to our lives, but many churches are not all that accepting of those who are sick. Jesus said the church is a place for the sick… those who have need, whether it be physical, emotional, spiritual, mental, or any combination. The church I am a part of has been & sometimes is looked down upon by other pious believers because we are radicals that seek to follow Jesus as opposed to a rule book.
In our church, in the cell group I have the privilege of leading, are those whose lives are in transformation. Not all, but some have been saved by grace out of the pits of drugs, alcoholism, abusive & broken relationships. None of us has yet arrived, but the grace of Jesus has made each of us a new creation. His mercy, new every morning, continues the redeeming work in our lives.
I’m always struck by the story of Hosea, a prophet of the Lord called to marry a prostitute. So often each of us is that prostitute, that addict, the one who is so broken that only His eternal, never-failing love can heal our sickness. What a privilege & honor it is for me to be a part of the lives of the faces you can see on the album page! Their lives bless mine & teach me more about our Savior & Loving Father everyday. I ask for your prayers.
Friday, November 23, 2007 after 12 hours of sitting in airports, eating way too small snacks on airplanes, I was picked up at the Santiago airport by some of my Dominican family. The warm humidity in the night air was refreshing as we cruised down the interstate. As we headed up the mountain & the temperature gradually cooled, my oh-so-tired self was rejuvenated with a fresh burst of energy. Friday was the start of our church’s yearly retreat, and while I pulled into the location of the retreat as everyone was heading home, joy was ever present as I was able to greet my Dominican brothers & sisters whom the Lord has given me the privilege & call to serve & work alongside for the advancement of His Kingdom on this island.
The endorphins of excitement surging through my body, the slight time change & a renewed expectancy about what God has for this place were all factors as I got little sleep & got up at 5:00 to go get to work at serving breakfast at the retreat. As one of my roommates & I were pulling out of the entrance to our house, the stick shift of my car completely came out of place. So, as if to say, “Welcome back to the DR, Elizabeth,” Kenia & I pushed the running vehicle from the street to in front of our house & I got out my little motorcycle which hadn’t been started in 7 weeks. After a 1/2 hour of coaxing my bike to start we were on our way.
The theme of the retreat was, “Preparing for His Coming!” Jesus is coming soon! Before I left, our head pastor Popin had been doing a series of teachings on Revelations & Heaven. His pastor, a well-known author & speaker from Puerto Rico, Pastor Rey Matos, was giving the conference & brought us up to date on the Biblical prophecies that have & are being completed these very days in which we are living.
For me though, the highlight was probably the celebration of who are God is that was unleashed as we praised & worshipped the King of kings & Lord of lords! Everyone’s calf muscles hurt the next couple days from all the jumping that was done in that place as we declared His name, His glory, His coming & our utter dependence on Him.
Getting back, I immediately jumped into the full-swing of things. Two of the members of my cell group who have been together for years & have two children together celebrated God’s restoration of their family as they were finally joined together in marriage Sunday after church. Tuesday night in cell group, a man named Joaquin ended up showing up & reconciling His relationship with the Lord after years of living in the world simply because he saw another guy walking to cell group with a pot of chicken & gave him a ride.
God is very much at work in the Dominican Republic! Our Lord is returning soon! If 2000 years ago the disciples were convinced of this & expected it, even more so now as the signs & prophecies of old continue to happen one after the other. May we not waste any second of this time we’re being permitted by His unending mercy! May we be awake & awaiting His return! Pray for an awakening (revival) in the church & that those who don’t know Him may be drawn in by His love, mercy & grace manifested in the church, the Body of Christ.
“Moro” (Rice & Beans together)
Dominicans eat rice & beans in some combination virtually everyday… this is one of my favorite versions!
-2 cans red beans
-1/2 medium-size onion minced
-Handful of fresh cilantro
-2 cans of water
-About 1 Tsp oregano
-4-5 cloves minced garlic (approximately 2-3 Tsp)
-Salt to taste
-3 Tbsp vegetable oil
-2 cans of white rice
Start with oil in large pan, add beans with all their juices, onions, cilantro, water, oregano, garlic & salt. Bring to boil & let simmer for about 30 minutes. Add rice (I use the same cans to measure, the typical water:rice proportion is 2 water : 1 rice, but all rice is different on its absorbency, so you’ll need to check it as the rice cooks to see if you need to add more water). Stir after adding rice, cook for about 30 more minutes or until rice is tender. Try to avoid stirring again until the end of cooking time or your rice will become mush. Serve & enjoy! These amounts should serve 6-8.
“Mangú” (The plantain version of American Mashed Potatoes)
This recipe is very simple & very yummy!
-1 green plantain (those things in the grocery store that look like big bananas)per person is the rule to knowing how many to buy
-butter or margarine
-milk, 1/2 & 1/2, or water
-onion
-white vinegar
Peel the plantains (you’ll want to make sure all of the skin is off or it will turn blackish-brown as it sits & cooks… doesn’t hurt anything, it’s just better to get it off if possible). Boil until tender (just like potatoes). Mash with butter/ margarine & your choice of water/milk/cream. Consistency will be chunkier than potatoes. To serve, the onion should be sliced & rings sauteed in vinegar until tender & starting to brown. Place onions on top, serve & fill your tummy.
“Pollo guisado” Stewed Chicken
Dominicans eat chicken, a lot! Seasonings are almost always the same, oregano, cilantro & garlic are essential, the cooking methods vary. This is one of the simple recipes that as I’ve been traveling across the States I’ve shared with some of you.
-Chicken, cut into small pieces (we used 4 chicken breasts, but any quantity or part of the chicken may be used, Dominicans eat the feet & all)
-1 1/2 bell peppers diced
-1/2 onion minced
-handfull fresh cilantro
-2 Tbsp oregano
-About a head of minced garlic (5-6 Tbsp… if you’re not as much of a garlic fan as Dominicans that can be lessened)
-1 small can tomato paste
-Salt, soy sauce & white vinegar to taste
-2 Tbsp vegetable oil
You’ll want a large saucepan, starting with vegetable oil in pan, let the peppers, onion, cilantro, oregano, garlic & pinch of salt simmer just a little as you add in the chicken. As chicken starts to cook you’ll want to water down 2 tsp’s tomato paste & add. The idea is that the chicken stews as the water cooks off. Add 2 Tbsps vinegar. After about 15-20 minutes as the chicken is well cooked & the majority of the water is cooked off, you’ll want to add soy sauce (for taste as well as color, Dominicans don’t like white meat) & tomato paste (don’t feel that you need to use the whole can, but you want to add the majority of paste at the end of cooking time so that you get a thicker sauce) . The chicken can be served over the rice & beans or hold its own.
“Espaguetti blanco” White Spaghetti
This my rendition of the Dominican homemade version of an alfredo sauce. It’s a favorite of all my friends!
-Pasta (I often use spiral pasta, but you can use spaghetti or any other kind of noodles)
-2 Tbsp margarine or butter
-1/2 onion sliced
-1 1/2 bell peppers sliced
-1 Tbsp minced garlic
-1 can evaporated milk
-Salt to taste
-1-2 cups Milk or 1/2 & 1/2
-Parmesan cheese
Bring salted water to boil & cook pasta. Sautee onions & garlic with margarine/butter. Add evaporated milk & milk or 1/2 & 1/2 (the amount that you add depends on how much pasta you are cooking. You can also used only evaporated milk, Dominicans make do with what they have, so often they will start with one can evap. milk & add milk/cream/water so that they have enough sauce for their pasta).
Let sauce simmer until pasta is almost done & add peppers. Drain pasta & combine with sauce. Once combined, stir in parmesan cheese until to your tastebuds’ liking. Serve & enjoy!
So, I’m finishing up the western loop of the DR on tour. Back in Denver for a few days. I can’t express what a privilege & blessing it is to be able to travel, visit & connect with so many loved ones!
Not much news, just wanted to practice posting a little more regularly 🙂 & let anyone who’d like to know… I’VE POSTED PICTURES!!!!! Check out the photos page to see not only what I’ve seen in IA, CO, CA, WA & OR so far, but also there’s a DR Slideshow
that all you have to do is enter in on Flickr & hit slideshow & it’s as if I were in your living room/office/local wifi hotspot with you.
So, a couple slight changes, due to different conflicts with some dear friends who live in states that start with I (not Iowa… aka Illinois & Indiana) I’m revising that section of the schedule briefly.
NOVEMBER 2-5: Indiana
NOVEMBER 5-8: Chicago
I ALSO HAVE A CELL PHONE WHILE IN THE STATES!
712-212-3026… it’s with AT&T so there’s free mobile to mobile if you have AT&T/Cingulair. I had my cell phone stolen a few months ago in the DR while doing art in the park, so if you’d like to chat, you’ll have to call me or email me your number 🙂
So this trip back to the States is definitely different from all others. I’m taking pieces of the DR to California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana & Minnesota. I’m excited to meet with many dear friends & family in those areas & hear about your lives as well as share with you what God has been doing in & through my life in the last three years in the Dominican Republic, as well as the anticipation of what is to come.
TRAVEL SCHEDULE
October 15-18: Denver, CO
October 19-23: Pasadena, CA (I’ll be doing a visit at Fuller Seminary the 19-20 & then be around for anyone who’d like to road trip or who’s in the area)
October 23-26: Seattle, WA
October 26-29: Portland, OR
October 29-November 1: Denver, CO
November 2-5: Chicago, IL
November 5-7: Indianapolis, IN
November 7: Chicago, IL
November 8-9: Rochester, MN
November 10-17: Twin Cities, MN
November 18-22: Denison, IA
November 23: Back to Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic
Contact me & hopefully if I’ll be in your area or driving nearby we can get together! Blessings!
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