If you have seen me in person, talked to me, or read my blogs in the last six months or so, it’s no secret that the words overwhelmed and exhausted have been a recurring theme – overwhelmed by the to-do lists and the needs around me and exhausted by never feeling caught up to my responsibilities. My prayer requests each month include “both physical and spiritual rest.” And I fully recognize that my problem lies in relying on my own strength. I know this well, yet it is so hard to put into practice reliance on the Lord in the mundane, daily tasks that don’t seem to need divine intervention. But I’m learning that the smallest of things set before me are only sustained by the One who sustains all things. I don’t want to be a woman marked by exhaustion and overwhelm no matter what life brings. I pray to be a woman who relies fully on the Lord to sustain her. And I’m slowly learning and practicing what it means to truly rest in Him.
Lord, it is You who sustains me.
This month it has been evident that the Lord is faithful to sustain me when I rest in Him.
There’s so much that goes on around here in the day to day. Sometimes I feel like I’m not the one for the job because I can’t carry it all. Then I remember that I was never meant to. God wants me to lay everything at His feet in surrender – even to the smallest, most trivial of tasks.
Lord, it is You who called me here and it is You who sustains me. I commit my to-do list to You, down to the last speck of dust swept off the floor, the last snack packed in the basket, and the last t-shirt folded and put on the shelf. I can accomplish nothing apart from You, no matter how much I toil and labor. You alone give me the strength to complete the work You have set before me.
It’s been extremely difficult to be away from my family and friends this long. Aging grandparents. New babies being brought into the world. Not experiencing life – both the good and the bad – with those you hold most dear. I sometimes wonder if I’m being selfish by choosing to sacrifice the precious, but fading time with the ones I love most. And He wants me to surrender the hurts and fears surrounding being away from home to Him.
Lord, when I feel disconnected from the ones I love back home and guilty for choosing to be away from them, You are the one who sustains me. I commit my feelings to you and thank you for giving me so many people to love so much that it’s hard to be away from them. Lord, give me the strength I need to continue to follow where You lead and remind me of the hope of eternity with those I love most.
I hate to admit this, but I often allow my exhaustion and overwhelm to dictate how I think, speak, and act. It makes me easily offended and irritated and a real rotten attitude can start to creep into and seep out of my heart and mouth. And the Lord wants me to lay all of this at His feet, too.
Lord, You are the One who gives me grace when I fall short of the woman You created me to be. Help me to rest in Your perfect grace. I lay my thoughts, speech, and actions at Your feet. It is You who sustains me in all seasons. Sanctify me as I come to You with every broken piece of my heart.
So when I’m tired, both physically and mentally, I can remember that He invites me to surrender my body’s and my mind’s limitations.
Lord, You created my body and mind with limitations and I often grow weary from the work the days bring. Remind me to rest in You. For it is You who sustains me. You are the One who gives me the rest I long for.
When I worry about the future and how things will work out, I can rest and trust in the sustainer of the universe.
Lord, I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but one thing I do know is that You are already there and You will sustain me. To You alone be all the glory.
May Highlights:
I went to visit a barrio clinic one of our teams was hosting at our friend Olvis’ school and ended up teaching a lesson in Olvis’ English class! It made my heart so happy! Sometimes I miss being in the classroom. So I’m thankful for opportunities like this!
Emely, one of the high school girls at our church, invited us to an event for Lucille Rupp’s graduating class. It was kind of like a prom, but was more of a presentation for the theme of their graduating class: Ember. They chose this theme because even after the fire is out, the embers remain, just like their class! It was a lot of fun to get dressed up and experience something new!
We hosted a team from Wauseon, Ohio, who completed various projects during their time in San Juan. A small group of them spent time in the English and Computer Science classrooms at CCED and Lucille Rupp. I loved seeing our ministry partner with our schools in this way and hope to see this partnership grow! Teachers and students at both schools really enjoyed having the team members there!
I attended a youth picnic at my friend Eunice’s church and was able to spend some time with both her and Yamila before they headed to the states for summer work! I miss having them around, but am so proud of them for taking advantage of that opportunity! I can’t wait to see how much they grow over the next four months!
My friend Kailey’s organization hosted a veterinarian team in Elias Piña, so I took Peanut to be fixed, vaccinated, dewormed, deflead, and deticked. I’m so glad they were able to take care of her! I’m still looking for a home for her, but I really like having her here. Her little personality is so fun!
We had a beach day to celebrate Kelsi, Dr. Peña, and Christopher’s birthdays! It was nice to get away from San Juan for a bit with a lot of our friends! We also went to a natural pool (that was FREEZING cold), but I loved it!
We had a smaller, more intimate pool day for Kelsi’s birthday later that week. It was very simple, but we had a good time celebrating her and relaxing in the sun!
I’ve been experimenting quite a bit in the kitchen lately which is so fun for me. Kelsi’s birthday cake was the first layered cake I have ever attempted to make, but it was so much fun to challenge myself to make it and felt really good to accomplish it. The following week, Santo and Angel brought a bag of cherries they were given at the barrio clinic and weren’t sure what they were going to do with all of them. I’m not really sure why I said, “I bet I can make a pie with those!” But it came out of my mouth before I even thought it, and next thing you know I was baking a pie (which I’ve also never done before). It turned out really good, but I can definitely use some work on my pie decorating skills! Haha
Last week, my friend Hannah brought her sweet babies and helped me fold and organize our new apparel order. I love spending time with Hannah and her family and feel so strengthened by our conversations! Her and her family have been such an answered prayer! Of course we didn’t get any pictures of us working, but here’s a cute picture of Dolly and Isaac with Elsie in the background!
This week, I had some help around the guesthouse from the ONU team! These ladies helped me get a lot of things done: daily guesthouse team prep, banana bread, cookie dough, french toast bake, banana pudding, finish folding and sorting the new apparel, staff appreciation gifts (there’s just a couple final touches that need to be done), and some donations taken to the clinic! I am so thankful for all the help I’ve had lately. The Lord sure has provided to lighten the load!
I donated blood again this month! As I’m writing this post, we are up to 48 pints of blood collected this year! However, we still have a few more people that are going to donate later this week! We’re almost a third of the way to our goal of 150!
I’m extremely excited for this summer because we will have two summer interns – Brayden & Lizzie who come in just a week and a half! Brayden comes with the group from Concord, NC, and worked with me in the kitchen for a day when he was here in March. Lizzie is from my church back home and I have spent lots of time with her at Camp Linn Haven and she is awesome in the kitchen! Both of them are so strong in their faith and so wise beyond their years. I’m excited to get to spend the summer with them and to have some extra hands in the kitchen!
Prayer requests:
- To fully lean into the Lord, surrender my work, and let Him sustain me
- Brayden & Lizzie – safe travels & that their time here in the DR would be so sweet and full of spiritual growth
- Intentionality with friends and family back home
- Nick, Madison, and Christian who will be joining our team – for the Lord to prepare their hearts and minds as they begin their transition to the DR later this year
- For our ministry to continue to grow and strengthen from the inside out as a body of believers and each day to reflect the Lord’s heart more and more