Meet Alexandra & Yuly

Yesterday as we were planning, Daisy mentioned she really wanted to talk with Alexandra who is a part of our Young Women’s group.  When the group meets, Alexandra always pays attention, but is very shy and serious. 

We meet with them on Thursday mornings and will be starting again next week.  She misunderstood and came to the Site today at 10 along with her sweet son, Andreas (18 months).

What a wonderful ‘mistake’!!  Since she was herself, Alexandra opened up and was willing to share how she is doing.  She told us that her ‘husband’ has gone to work in Miami for a year. 

She has her family and his parents, but is without Andreas’ dad.  She is taking some classes in computers and clerical skills, but it’s difficult as she needs to find someone to care for him when she goes to school in Jarabacoa. 

We shared with her Jeremiah 29:11-13, which talks about God’s good plans for us, and about our part in seeking Him with all of our hearts.  We pray all of that for this sweet girl.  And we praise God for answering our prayer to spend time with her! 

Alexandra & Andreas

One other fun thing:  when I (Kimberley) was in California for SI New Staff training, I made copies of pictures for our three wedding couples.  On a whim (ha ha!) I also decided to make a copy of this picture.  Alexandra’s face lit up when we gave it to her today! 

After our visit with Alexandra, we went to visit Yuly.  As we walked, women at every other house called out, “Daisy!”  The 15 minute walk turned into an hour, but each ‘delay’ was an opportunity to talk with another of our Father’s beloved daughters.

Yuly seemed very happy to see us and greeted us warmly.  Her story is pretty amazing.  Last September, while she was napping, a fan came loose and fell on her, slicing her face nearly five inches, through her lip and up along her cheekbone. 

When we visited her in October, two weeks after the accident, her face was swollen and stitched, and she had to hold her mouth when she smiled because she had stitches both inside and outside her lip. 

At that time, Yuly didn’t complain or talk about how much she hurt, how unfair it was, or how she was worried scarring.  Instead, she told us she was grateful to God. 

“Gracias a Dios”, even though her home was quite far from the main road, her daughter (5 years old) ran outside and found help. 

“Gracias a Dios” Yuly had been holding her infant son, but he was on the other side.  If it had hit his small head, who knows what might have happened?  “Gracias a Dios”. 

We were humbled at Yuly’s faith, and willingness to praise God in very difficult circumstances. 

When we saw her today, her cut had healed, leaving a long scar.  But, what we noticed was how joy-filled she was.  She smiled and talked excitedly about God’s blessings in her life like her husband’s new small business, which means he won’t need to travel to Santo Domingo for work anymore (2 ½ hours away).

She also shared that a family member knows an excellent plastic surgeon in Santo Domingo and will try to help get her an appointment.   “But, if I can’t have surgery, that will be okay.  I can’t hide my face and be ashamed of my scar.”  We went to minister to Yuly, but instead, she blessed us.

Friends, we serve an amazing God.  He truly does have the very best plans for us.  He invites us to seek Him, and promises that we will find Him when we seek Him with all our heart.  Nothing is wasted with Him, and He is able to use mistakes and accidents and messes and brokenness to draw us closer to Him. 

We invite you to join us in praying that Alexandra would continue to seek God with all her heart, and teach Andreas about Jesus. 

We also ask you to pray with us that Yuly would continue to share her heart of gratitude with her two children.  And, if it is God’s will, that she would be able to see the plastic surgeon.