On my recent trip to the Dominican Republic, I started to wonder if, indeed, I am part Dominican.  I felt such a draw to the people I met along our journey.  Maybe I was getting just a little glimpse of what heaven will be like.  A place made up of people from every tribe, tongue and nation.  It is great to get out of my little corner of the world every now and then and see the vastness and diversity of this world!  

On this trip, we met some authentic, humble pastors who are doing great Kingdom things with limited resources.  The one church we spent our time at, is a support for a hundred other local churches throughout Puerta Plata.  I was struck by the generosity and the relentless spirit of giving demonstrated by the husband and wife team, Alex and Atti.  They claim nothing as their own.  Everything is a blessing from the Lord.  They even have sticker on their house and car that says "Esto es una bendición de Dios" (This is a blessing from God).  I honestly believe that if I had asked for their car to do the work of the Lord, they would have given it to me, no questions asked!  That is a powerful witness.

It really challenged me to think about how I view "my stuff".  Do I think everything I have is a blessing from the Lord?  Do I live a life of such gratitude, that I am willing to give anything up for the sake of the gospel?  It once again rocked my comfortable world.  What does it mean to "deny myself, take up my cross and follow Jesus?"  

One of the coolest things about meeting these church leaders, was that they said, "We don't want your money.  We want to partner with you in spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ to people who need to hear it".  Amen and Amen.

Comments

[Jack Vroegh]

Amen David. It is amazing how much "stuff' we don't need! I'm extremely excited about what the Lord is calling us to be a part of in the Dominican Republic as Faith Church moves in a direction of possibly partnering with them in ministry. It may have taken three visits; but I believe the Lord has his timing, not ours; and He has great things in store for us.

[David Weemhoff]

Hey Jack! I am excited that you are going to be Faith's Czar of the DR. I am pumped about what God is going to do for His Kingdom in the DR and here in NWI. Giddy up!