Once we got into Santo Domingo we were greeted by Kailey, Dr. Angel and Robinson.  SO many tears of happiness and tight “squeezer hugs”, as the kids like to call them.  It was a truely joyful moment!  We packed up and made our way to San Juan where our family rents a home.  Over the last year our housing has shifted a lot due to our prolonged time in the States.  So when we finally arrived in San Juan it was the FIRST time that Adam and the kids had seen the new house.  Kailey was gracious enough to move all of our belongings into the new place when we were still in the States (with help from Courtney, shoutout to you amiga!).  But Kailey took it even a step further and UNPACKED the basics so that when we opened the door for the first time it truly felt like home.  Our living room was all there, the kitchen was set up and our beds were ready for us to fall into them.  This was a HUGE labor of love that still makes me tear up when I think about it.  The new place is a second story apartment right in front of a park (for those of you who have been to the DR, it is 2 doors down from Dr. Angel’s house, in front of the same park).  Neighborhoods in the DR often have a very urban feel to them with homes very close to one another which restricts air flow (we still joke about a previous rental house where  our living room window was the recipient of a local business’ hot air exhaust, haha!).  Having the open space of the park right in front of the house makes for nice breezes and a good view of the neighborhood.  Like all Dominican houses, it isn’t without it’s quirks.  A big section of tile in the living room had to be replaced and we will likely have to replace more in the future.  Perhaps the best part of this house is that Ben and Emily are finally in their own room!  They each have their own bed in the room next to ours.  I’m not sure who was more excited about them having their own space, the kids or us (spoiler alert: Me.  Definitely me. I was the most excited by far!).  We brought a few things from the States like familiar bed sheets and blankets to make it feel like home.  Within a few nights they were completely transitioned into their own room! 

Over the course of the following weeks we settled back into life in the Dominican.  We re-connected with friends, colleagues and co-workers.  We got caught up to speed on each of the projects that we are concurrently operating (preschool, med clinics, volunteer program, etc.)  and prepared for the Aquinas College group to come work with us.  We were surprised by a visit from Carl, the owner of the Mission House that we rent for our volunteers.  He is a YWAM missionary who lived in the area for many years.  It was a blessing to spend several days visiting with him.  Once AQ arrived we were going nonstop.  As a team we worked in the preschool and mobile medical clinics (over 150 patients and 300 children received care thanks to the group!).  It was a pleasure to have them working with us!

In the interest of transparency, we don’t want to paint a completely rose-colored-lens picture either.  There were also challenges to our visit.  We saw firsthand how our time away had made it hard on our co-workers and how we had dropped the ball repeatedly by not being present over the last 11 months.  We love the work of BBOH/FUMSIL and the people in the communities where we operate.  So the idea that we’ve hindered or hurt the program(s) isn’t an easy one to swallow.  But, once we know better we can do better.  And thanks be to God we are in a position to DO better, to roll up our sleeves and get to work.  So, back to work we go, more dedicated and motivated than before to “stumble toward heaven” (shoutout to Padre Dan!) and bring as many people with us as we can. 

And then 1:00 AM hit.  Our sweet, sparkly eyed Emily woke up out of a deep sleep sicker than I have ever seen her. Everything she had eaten that day came back up and then some.  Adam is still in one of the various stages of shock.  The human body is amazing.  That’s all I can really say.  

So we called Delta Airlines in the middle of the night, explained the situation and they were more than accommodating, waiving some of the fees/restrictions.  #deltaforthewin  

We will now be leaving for the Dominican Republic TOMORROW MORNING.  As I type this, all three of the kids are tucked into bed sound asleep.  All of our bags are packed and loaded into the vehicles.  It almost feels too good to be true. 

Adam is completely healed from surgery.  His stitches are gone and the hole on the bottom of his foot is completely healed up.  Jessica is also feeling much better after her surgery, back to being mobile and picking up the kids!  We feel so encouraged by these major improvements   We are hopeful that we will be able to return to the Dominican Republic the first week of October.  This trip would only be 4 weeks or so because we have a wedding and our annual BBOH auction that will be held in November.  We feel that starting off with a shorter trip is  a smart move so that we can ensure our health problems are resolved for the long haul.  We have 3 mission teams coming down to work in October (the busiest Oct we have ever had!), so if we are able to travel it will be a blessing to be there during that time. 

Since we have been Stateside, we have been brainstorming some new ways to expand the blog and create content that illustrates our mission well.  One of the ways that we want to bring you “inside” the mission is by inviting former volunteers, local staff and friends to do a Guest Post.  Our guests will share about their experience with a particular part or aspect of the BBOH/FUMSIL mission.  

Through Building Bridges of Hope, we have the opportunity to serve remote villages that do not have any access to medical care.  I knew that I would see people who were suffering, sick, neglected, and hungry. I knew that this would be difficult to see. However, what I didn’t know is the imprint that it would leave on my heart.  Never again will I be able to casually walk by a situation of suffering without part of my heart breaking.  But in exchange, I can step into the Father’s heart and be a vessel of His love for those around me. 

At one of our clinics, I stood off to the side watching the children get weighed.  After one little girl stepped off the scale, her eyes locked with mine.  The child walked up to me and held out her tiny arms. I knelt down to her and she instantly wrapped her arms around me. I held her there in my lap for an hour.  I felt Jesus in that moment. This was not just a stranger; she was a daughter of the King.  Not a word was said but at that moment, two of His daughters from completely different worlds connected.  My heart was overflowing, and it changed me.  There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about that little girl. 

How is it possible to have such a connection with people in another country that you’ve never met and don’t even speak your language?  We are connected because we are a part of the same creation.  We connect on the one thing that every person was created to need – to be loved.  Love speaks every language.

All in all, it’s been a chaotic 6 weeks or so.  With both Adam and Jess facing possible surgeries, it doesn’t seem that the chaos will be letting up anytime soon.  

As the old saying goes… “when it rains, it pours”…. so we’re learning how to dance in the rain.  <3 

It also happened to be Pentecost. AKA the perfect moment ever for us to talk.   And the perfect day for me to be reminded that I’m not doing the speech, or anything else for that matter, by my merits alone.  That in addition to the first two persons of the trinity I have the Holy Spirit to rely on if I would just remember to ask.  This powerful person of the trinity that will assist with anything, big or small, by strengthening the gifts of the spirit and leading us.  **Cue Taylor Swift’s song “Jesus Take the Wheel”** 

I know that God is with us.  I know that Jesus is walking alongside us, or better yet carrying us, through this season of health issues and stress.  But why-oh-why do I forget that fact precisely in the moments when I need to remember it the most?   Here’s to making a conscious effort to live more in the spirit and less in the worries, stress and frustrations of the flesh.  

Today, three days AFTER the mission appeal, I am STILL blown away by the show of support for our family and for Building Bridges of Hope.  The kind words, hugs and encouragement that followed each of the masses touched my heart in a way that, to be honest, I really needed.  To know  that people believe in us, recognize this calling, validate it and are praying that we continue to follow the Lord’s leading…. WOW.  It is precisely what this weary heart needed to hear.  I feel more supported than ever before.  And I feel empowered.  In this season of what feel stagnant, God used each of your expressions of support as a confirmation that we are moving forward in right direction.  That are worthy.  That He will provide.