I arrived back in San Juan Monday evening, after spending roughly six weeks in the States. Since it was such a long trip back, I was able to fill my time with so many things that I wanted to do.
To start things off, I watched more golf than I ever have before. I went to almost all of Quinn’s matches and was able to attend one of Cole’s. It was a home tournament and only two hours from Peoria. If you know golf, it is fun to watch them play, especially when they are doing good!
A few weeks ago I traveled to Joe and Shannon’s house to visit them and meet the new addition to their family, Gordon. It was great to see their family, play with Naiomi, and hold Gordon. He even fell asleep in my arms for about an hour! I also worked in the office by prepping to mail out the annual reports.
While in Indiana I was also able to get together with Noah and Chloe, my friends who got married in August. They only live twenty minutes from the Zimmerman’s house. It. was so fun to spend time with them and see their apartment!
Following my trip from Indiana, I had a meeting at Northwoods Community Church with a few of their DR mission trip leaders. They prayed for me, and we talked about what trips look like now. After the meeting, I spoke at Converge, which is Northwoods youth group, and encouraged the kids to sign up for the summer mission trip to the DR. I talked with them about what they would be doing while on a mission trip, and shared with them about my calling to the mission field and how it happened on a mission trip!
My final week in the US was pretty hectic. Why is it there is so much to do before returning to the DR!? I spent most of the week working on the beginning stages of my visa and residency. It is quite the process. I had to get an FBI background check, fingerprints, get official copies of my birth certificate, and then get the documents apostilled. Thankfully I got all the paperwork done, and now I have to wait for them to come back apostilled. Then I will move to step two. I have a lawyer who is helping me.
Last Friday We had family over for dinner. My aunt had been asking me to make plantains, so she could try them. I made them tostones. It was fun to cook for them something that I am able to enjoy every day in the Dominican. Everyone said they were delicious!
On Saturday evening my mom and I attended a wedding of a good family friend. It was such a fun evening, and I was able to catch up with lots of friends. I am thankful that I was able to extend my trip so I could go to the wedding! Saturday was also homecoming for my brother, so he had to dress up that evening as well. Of course my mom wanted some pictures!
And now I’m back in San Juan. It feels good to be back home. I am working at getting back to my schedule here. On Monday, Adam Carlile picked me up from the airport. He is a friend in San Juan who works for another ministry. I am so thankful for his willingness or it would have added another four hours to my travel day.
If you have been following along with SRI’s social media you may have seen that we are in the process of building a woman a house. Here’s what was written on social media: “Over the past year our staff have been visiting remote villages to provide education on hygiene and share the love of Jesus throughout the pandemic. It has been through these visits that different opportunities to serve have been discovered. Deseada and her son live in this one room house with an outdoor cooking area to the side. The walls are made from mud, and every time it rains a little bit of the walls are washed away. For the next couple of weeks, SRI has committed to building Deseada a new home with block walls and a tin roof. Please be in prayer for safety throughout this project as well as the witness SRI is demonstrating in the community.”
Yesterday I had the opportunity to go with the staff to help pour the footings of this home. It was a long, and hot day, but I really enjoyed working with our staff. It’s truly a privilege to serve alongside them and serve God at the same time. I will say, having the mountains in your background makes everything better. A rainstorm also came in the afternoon, which brought a cool breeze, and lots of shade!
Today for lunch I was able to get together with Nef, who use to work with Solid Rock. Nef is here visiting family, so I’m happy I had the opportunity to catch up.
Prayer request:
- Visa and Residency process
- Health
- The staff as we work on Deseadas home
- Upcoming fall teams
