I am now just nine days away from leaving for the Dominican Republic, where I am blessed to be participating on two mission teams! Beginning August 2, 2008, through August 9, 2008, I will be working with a team of midwives and midwifery students sent by Medical Ministry International (
http://www.mmint.org/) to help receive babies in a hospital in Santo Domingo where 2000 babies are born each month! My dear friend Wendy Wright of Womanly Wisdom put out the call for donations on several local yahoo groups and the donations are now pouring in. Additionally, members of my church, Fairfax Church of Christ (
http://www.fxcc.org), which is sponsoring me for both the medical mission trip and for my second trip (August 9 through August 16) have contributed a huge amount of donations. As of today, I am so happy to report that I can now fill two 50 pound bags with items to donate to the birthing families in the Dominican Republic and the hospital where we'll be serving.
Thank you all so much. I was corresponding with one of the other missionaries from my church (who will be leaving the week after me for a country in the far East which is not open to Christian missionaries), who reminded me that raising money to go on a mission trip is incredibly enlightening as to what the Body of Christ actually is. Many of you are familiar with the Apostle Paul's imagery of the members of the Lord's church (the "Body of Christ") being akin to the individual parts of a human body, which are so incredibly interconnected and dependent (your ear can't see, and your foot can't hear!) For each person who has donated, whether physical goods (baby wipes, sheets, etc.) or money, you are participating in the divine calling to work differently together as Christians. Just as each part of our body has its own special purpose, we, being interdependent and interconnected, must work together, each in our diverse roles. So, I've been meditating on what it means for people to be paying funds so that I can go on this trip to the DR, and I'm coming to understand that it is a good thing. We need many to work:we need some to go, we need others to teach.... By working together like this, we are each allowed a place to thrive that we wouldn't have without the others. So for me, it reminds me that, by going, I'm allowing those who give to do something the Lord has called them to do - give away their money. And by them giving, I'm enabled to do something the Lord has called me to do - go to the the DR to try to serve humbly following our Lord's example, as I give labor support and help receive babies there, among families who have so much less in the way of material blessings compared to us in the Northern Virginia area. In the second week of my trip, I'll be part of the mission team sent by my church and we'll be supporting our missionaries who live there year round and minister to street children and orphans.
In the end, it draws my attention to the goodness of Christ, who is able to work all things together for the good of his purposes. And above all, he sacrificed His body, so that we, this body of Christ, might be redeemed.
I would also like all of those who have donated, whether money or supplies, to know that, as your prayers go with me and our team to the DR, my prayers are also with you - prayers of thanksgiving and that your gift will be multiplied in the lives of those who recieve it. Thank you with love.
Please come back to see pictures and read about my trip. I'm told I won't be able to post from the DR, so I'll have to put my notes up when I get home.
