I have so many things I want to tell you. So here’s the first thing. There will be more to come in later posts. I’ve decided to talk about my faith and how my faith has been influencing and impacting my time and work in the DR.

As many of you know, this is my second and last year of teaching according to my contract as the first grade teacher at Doulos. I was to tell Doulos if I am staying for another year or leaving to continue God’s work in another place, last week. Keep reading and you’ll find out what my answer was.

For this decision, I spent a lot of time in prayer, and asking the Lord to guide Troy and I. I have also been reading my Bible everyday (let’s be honest…almost everyday…) and reflecting of life in the DR.

Bottom line, why leave?

Why leave a profession that I have been creating from the ground up and I am growing into? Why leave a community of Christians that are shaping my faith and character? Why leave a beautiful country where I am continually reminded of God’s glory and provision? Why leave when God’s children at Doulos need discipling? Why leave the country that Troy and I are shaping the first steps of our marriage in? Why leave a country where I have grown to love the people of the Dominican Republic and the work that God is doing in them? Why leave a country where I have just started to pour into the lives of my first graders and many many other students at Doulos? Why leave the DR when Troy loves his work? These are all the questions I that I have been reflecting on over the past couple months.

Now, what if God calls me to drop all of those things and go back to the States or somewhere else in the world? Will I do it? Will I leave behind all my hard work, relationships and a beautiful country? Absolutely! My purpose for living on this earth is to glorify and serve my Lord and Savior no matter where He calls me.  Following Him honors and brings glory to God, so that is exactly what I am going to do.

So what are Troy and I going to do?

I will be honest with you.  Trying to discern God’s call stressed me out all summer! Knowing that I had one more year and had to figure out the next step was stressful! I would pray for peace everyday! Just because I’m a missionary to the DR, doesn’t mean I’ve got things under control or that I’m closer to God and can hear Him any better than any of you.

Matthew 14: 22-33 reads at follows:  

22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. 25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” 29 “Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me! 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” 32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

I have become a Peter. Peter asked God to call him but then became afraid and fell into the water and needed Jesus to rescue him. For me, I asked God to call me overseas  but then feared not having the finances for a third year and Satan had a foothold on that and kept feeding me lies upon lies!  Fact. Without financial support, I do not receive a salary and in my decision to stay or leave money was THE major scare factor.

At the start of October, I received my monthly financial statement and saw that I had received enough money to cover October’s salary and more! Immediately I remembered verse 31  “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” 

Why do I doubt? Clearly God already knows my path and knows how He is going to provide for me. All I need to do is get out of the boat and not doubt. So why do I doubt! (Romans 7) I do what I don’t want to do. I doubt when I do not want to doubt. My decision daily is to step out of the boat and trust God that I will be able to stand on water. I trust God with all my provisions and he has still yet to let me down. God is Jehovah-jireh, my provider!

So friends, this is where I’m at. God provides, enough said. I am choosing to remember that DAILY and not be anxious about finances nor let that sway my decisions to stay or leave. Troy and I trust the Lord 100% with our salary in the DR and we will continue to do so for the rest of our lives.

After prayer and much needed time in the Lord’s presence, our decision for next year is to stay. I believe God has called us to stay and we will follow His guidance above all else. We will continue to follow God in the DR until He calls us elsewhere.

Isaiah 6:8
“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

I’ve been listening to this song recently and love it! It fits my current situation. I hope you are blessed by this song as much I have been! God is good!