Time seems to move very quickly and very slowly here in the Dominican. Socially, time isn’t a constraint like it is at home, and spending time with people is more of a priority than anything else that needs to be done. Don’t get me wrong; the things on the “list” will get done later in the day. When we have teams here, the days are long, but the weeks are short, and before you know it, the team that just came a day ago is packing up to head back to the Capitol.
One recurring devotional theme that teams share when they come to San Juan is that everyone has their own purpose or gift. I would guess that there is always someone listening to that morning devotional who isn’t quite sure what their gift is or what their purpose was for serving with Solid Rock that week.
Last week, we had a team from Hickory here. They completed our first surgery week of the year! I’ll get back to that week in a bit. Thursday morning, one of their team members shared her devotional with the group, which had the recurring theme of gifts/talents. But it was a side piece of information that she shared from a conversation last year that really stuck out to me: The tithing of time.
As a healthcare professional, I understand the importance of paid time off (PTO). I think it’s also worth mentioning that we understand that when a team is coming to serve here in the DR, it isn’t just their PTO that they are giving up. That’s a week that people could spend with their families, escaping to Florida for a break from the winter or going to Colorado to ski and appreciate the snow. We also understand the amount of time and effort it takes to coordinate a team and make sure you have all the supplies you need, which is usually an additional financial cost to your team.
Recently, I had a conversation with a team member who asked what was better for us? To give financially to Solid Rock or for people to come? I think this person was struggling a little, not sure that the work they had done here that week made a difference. This is something I have struggled with myself in the past, and I’m sure there are others who also wonder the same thing getting on the bus to go back to Santo Domingo Friday morning. I told her we couldn’t operate here in San Juan without the financial generosity of all the people who give. However, if the surgeons, anesthesiologists, doctors, nurses, scrub techs, physical therapists, massage therapists, chiropractors, dentist, construction workers, teachers, and helping hands don’t come, the “work” wouldn’t be done.
Solid Rock’s primary goal is to share the Gospel, and by tithing your time and serving here with us, team members help us share the Gospel. It reminded me of something I heard Pastor Enol share with my friend Paige about a year ago; he referred to our teams as a bridge to introduce the Gospel of Jesus Christ, explaining that the doors to homes open very quickly when he has team members with him.
Everyone who comes on a trip here has a gift, and while you might not think you’re going to use it that week while you are here, God knows just how He will use you. He might not ask you to move to another country, but He might ask you to go for a week. And that week, He might ask you to share the Gospel with the construction workers, just like He did with my young friend Liam. He might ask you to share your talent in chiropractic, which could possibly have an impact on a kid’s future. He might ask you to share the Gospel in Spanish, even though you don’t speak Spanish. Or, He might ask you to sit with a young kid coming out of anesthesia to comfort them.
All this reminds me of this verse in 1 Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 3: 6-9
“I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service, you are God’s field, God’s building.”
I guess what I’m trying to say or share here is that every week, we see people come to San Juan to serve however needed, tithe their time, use their talents, and share the Gospel. But every week, without fail, I can see how everyone has worked together to further God’s Kingdom, to be co-workers for his service, and to use their talents to have an impact here they might not ever realize.
Personally, things are going good here.
After the Pine Hills team left, we hosted the team from Northwoods. The Northwoods team was a small group here working with Central Church. Since it was such a small group, it allowed us to spend some personal time with friends on that team, which isn’t something you usually get to do. It was hard to be able to spend so much time with this team, but I feel like I had hardly any time with my family, who was just here the week before. The next few weeks really made me miss home and all my friends. I try to remind myself that I’m lucky to have such support from people who love me at home, and in some way, I’m fortunate to miss them. I will go home in June for my little sister’s wedding, so I look forward to seeing friends and family then.
I continue learning from Sarah as much as possible before she leaves. I have started communicating with spring teams to gather information and organize things.
We had a Valentine’s party at my house and hung out with the girls. Kate did a great job decorating and organizing everything. I’m always so thankful when my house is full, whether it’s with the girls or a surprise visit from a group of friends. I pray that God will use my home as a place where we can gather, love, and encourage one another.
My Spanish classes continue; I try to get in about 3 classes a week when we don’t have teams here, so recently, it’s been pretty consistent! I do find myself struggling with my Spanish; I feel like I should know more while at the same time realizing I have learned a lot. My Spanish plays a big part in how my days go here. Not speaking the language can be very isolating. I also see a lack of language when I work in the clinic with surgery teams and with barrio teams. My heart’s desire is to be able to invest in relationships with clinic staff and people in the community, so I will continue to take classes and learn.
We had a very successful surgery week last week with the team from Hickory here completing ENT surgeries. This was one of the first teams I worked with after moving to the DR last year, so working with them in the clinic this year was nice. They are a great team! I know I can learn a lot from the surgery teams that come and serve here, and I look forward to that opportunity.
Prayer Requests:
– Spanish Comprehension
– Medical Coordinator Transition
