Agua Agua Everywhere and Not a Drop to Drink

Buenos Dias!!!

I love and miss all of you. I am having a fantastic time here in the Dominican.

The Colorado Team left at 4 this morning for the airport. Pastor and his family drove them back in the bus. Saying goodbye was very sad, but I am so happy that I get to stay a little longer. They had a successful four day VBS! The theme was transformation and they used the analogy of the caterpillar transforming into a butterfly (la mariposa). I am sure pictures will begin to appear on facebook! Unfortunately I have not been doing very well taking pictures haha. This will have to change. So sorry again that I do not really have too many pictures. I will have to upload the pictures I do have later.

It is the coolest feeling being able to walk through the streets of Pimentel and to have children from all directions calling out your name. Some of the 500 children that came to VBS and that we played football, volleyball, soccer, hacky sack (yes I am becoming a pro -- I have a few videos of how amazing these kids are at hacky sack).

All of the girls here always want to shower you with gifts. One girl (about eight years old) wrote me a letter in Spanglish and gave me a ring and a wooden cross to put around my next. They are constantly trying to give me things off their ears and out of their hair. They freely love and freely give just to make you happy.

This upcoming week Lindsey, Cierra, and I will begin to work on the child sponsorship website and outline plans for a girls Volleyball camp. I will also begin to work on revamping the YFC Project Serve Handbook and Bible Study guide.

God is so good. His presence here always seems to be magnified. The relationships of people within the community are stronger. Since children do not have televisions or video games, they are playing outside with one another. I love children so much. They do not care that we speak another language. They just want to be invited to play. They just want to be accepted. That is how the Lord wants it to be: "At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." ~Matthew 18:1-4~

To love like a child. I keep thinking about the verse in 2 Samuel where it says, "I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes." ~2 Samuel 6:22~ To freely serve the Lord with no inhibitions. That's what I want to be able to do. To love and serve and to be able to sing out that I'll become even more undignified than this.

The sun is intense. I got a little sun burned yesterday even after applying 50 SPF sunblock several times! Sorry Laura, but I am going to have weird tan lines for your wedding... :-)

I can never seem to organize my thoughts while I am writing on this blog page. Now that the team has left, I will have more downtime to consistently write updates. I have many thoughts that I am still trying to process.

I would like to ask for prayer in the areas of health, wisdom, and safety.

I would also like to ask you to pray that I have discernment in the area of a job. I can hardly believe that it is almost July!! I just read an email from Melissa (Thanks MELISSA I LOVE YOU!) and something that she encouraged me to do was to make every moment count. (Ephesians 5:15-17)

Miss you!!
<3
Theresa