Monthly Archives: November 2007

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Welcome back to the DR

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.