Jengibre y Cafecito

This week we’ve welcomed our fourth team to the El Callejon Social Work site.  Each team has been different, bringing a variety of life experiences, gifts and strengths.  But we firmly believe that God has placed not just the ‘right’ people, but the right people at just the ‘right’ time.  It's so amazing to see Him at work, week after week.

And this week is no exception.  Our team this week has four young ladies, ages 16 and 17.  They are part of a church youth group from California.  All have recently rededicated their lives to Jesus.  All four of them are eager to share that passion. 

Every time we turn around, they’re gone.  On the grass giving piggy back rides, coloring with the little ones on the back patio, joining in volleyball with the teens, asking names, giving theirs…

As we walk through the community, they try out their Spanish with those we meet.  Old, young, women, men, little kids, grownups, they’ve got an “Hola, como esta?” for everyone. 

Yep, they’re hard to keep track of… and we love it!  These four teens (ages 16 & 17) want nothing more than to connect and live out their love for Jesus in El Callejon. 

This afternoon we spent time doing just that. 

During lunch some of the kids came in to color.  Our students colored along with them, encouraged them, told them how pretty their coloring was.  They listened as the girls counted to 10 in English, took their pictures, shared smiles and laughter.  

We headed out and walked to one of the women who had invited us over for coffee.  On the way, another of the women, Angela, invited us in for jengibre (a yummy tea made with lots of fresh ginger root). 

Her young children (ages 5 and 3) showed us lots of their toys, telling us all about their Little Mermaid (La Sirenita) DVD.  The girls loved the tea, and spending time with the family.

After that we headed over to Marcia’s house for our planned coffee.  Marcia and her daughter-in-law pulled out chairs for us on her porch and made us the strong, sweet Dominican coffee known as cafecito. 

She added nutmeg, which added even more deliciousness.  She told us a little about her family and her health problems. 

At the end of our visit, we asked her if we could pray for her.  She invited us into her home, and we joined hands as we lifted up this family.  Each of the girls prayed, and even though the words were in English, we know God is the God of all languages, and heard. 

As we ended, Marcia wiped away tears.  Despite the language barrier, through the Holy Spirit’s power we were able to make a connection that impacted her, and us.

It was a reminder, once again, of Whose work we are doing.  The same God in whose perfect timing each person has come to El Callejon, is able to work in us and through us, in spite of our own weakness and inabilities.

He has created us for community, and even though it is fractured here on this broken earth, when we get to sit in a small home, savoring delicious jengibre and cafecito, with sisters in Christ who are nothing like us, and yet, still so similar, Wow! it truly is a taste of Heaven. 

We look forward to that day, when we will all sit together feasting at the banquet of our Bridegroom, with every tear wiped away.  Until then, we will drink in these moments, enjoying our connections in Christ.

"Chance" Encounter

“Let’s just go down this road a little bit to look at the poinsettia bush, and then we’ll head back to El Callejon.” 

I was talking with Duranda and Anna, two of our outreach participants.  We had taken a walk during lunch, heading to Los Catorces, a community close by.  The rain had stopped for a while, and it was good to get out, walk, talk, and enjoy a bit of sunshine. 

It was nearly time to head back to the Site, but the bright red plant was too pretty to pass up.  As we neared it, Duranda looked at one of the homes.  “I remember this house”, she said excitedly.  “When I was here last year, I visited it.  Can we stop in?”

Even though we hadn’t made plans ahead of time, in typical Dominican fashion we were warmly greeted and invited in.  We sat down with the woman of the home, who lives there with her husband, a couple of her adult children, and eight grandkids.  It was almost time for afternoon school, and as she talked she brushed the hair of one, then another, of her granddaughters. 

She called to one of the little ones, who came out carrying a picture of some of the family.  It was one that Duranda had taken, framed and sent from the year before!  As we sat, several more kids and grandkids wandered in an out, each stopping to greet us. 

In some ways, it was a small thing, sitting and chatting for a few moments.  But, oh, what a gift! 

You see, I don’t know Los Catorces very well, having visited the area just a couple of times with Daisy.  I had never been down that particular side road.  I didn’t know the woman as she doesn’t come to the Social Work site.  Duranda had been there only once, a year early.  She’d snapped that photo and sent it back, not knowing if she’d even get to see the family again.

God, in His love, took all of this, and turned it into a tangible reminder that He sees and knows and is involved in our lives. 

The past weeks in El Callejon have been challenging and at times downright discouraging.  Our focus this year is on discipleship, on growing a faith which isn’t just about saying the “right” words, but living out what we believe. 

And… it’s not going all that well.  It seems every time we advance a little, something happens to knock us back. 

A woman who wants to trust God falters, choosing to believe another woman has cursed her;

instead of being a testament to the changes that can come from conforming to God’s will, a newly, legally married couple refuses to soften their hearts toward their daughter;

teens who have been coming to the Site for years are pregnant;

several women are complicit in their ‘husbands’ stealing the Site’s electricity,

and on and on.

It’s so easy to get exhausted and disheartened.  Satan is continuing his fight for (and against!) the hearts and souls of El Callejon.  The temptation to give up, to concede defeat, can be strong.

And so, we praise God for this “chance” encounter, because it wasn’t chance at all.  We praise Him for reminding us that He is with us.  He sees and knows. 

We cling to the assurance that just as all the seemingly random bits of that walk came together, so He can move in and through all the stuff we’re battling right now.  That doesn’t make it less of a war, but it gives us glimpses of the victory Jesus has already won. 

We pray that as we go into a new week, we will keep our eyes and hearts open to the Holy Spirit’s guidance.  We invite you to pray with us and for us as well!  And, we pray that in your lives, too, you see God’s hand at work in your “chance” encounters.

Sharing Gifts

This week is zipping on by!  We have four wonderful outreach participants serving with us this week.  It’s wonderful to see how the Holy Spirit continues to provide the exact people for the exact time.  What a blessing to know that our great God is in control of all the details of our lives and ministry!

We’ve had lots of fun – and some tears.  Each student is invited to share her testimony with each other, and us.  While every story is different, in each one the faithfulness of God through sometimes difficult circumstances, is evident.  What an encouragement!

Along with sharing their stories, our team has been sharing the gifts/passions/talents each one has been given by God.  It’s so wonderful to see Him at work in this, too! 

Lorianny decorating with glitter glue.

We asked Anna to bring a craft for our Little Girls to go along with the story of Isaac.  We didn’t know that she loves crafts – but God did!  Back in the US she took the time to read the story, and then went to the store, not sure of what she’d buy.  As she looked, the Spirit was with her, and helped her pull together an awesome craft. 

Because God promised Isaac his descendants would be as many as the grains of sand and stars in the sky, she brought flower pots (sand, or earth) for the girls to decorate with stars, glitter glue (a favorite!) and letters to make their names.  It was a hit!

At 18, Kierra is only a couple of years older than our teens.  She shared with them her struggles with self-esteem, and how through Christ, she began to see herself as having value.  She wanted to help younger girls learn this same truth, and started a Big Sister program at her church.  She used verses in I Timothy 2 which talk about clothing ourselves not with fancy outward things, but with good deeds (vs. 9-10).

Gabrielle has also had struggles in her life, but from an early age has known God has been with her.  One of her passions is singing.  Daisy asked her to sing for our teens.  Without any preparation, with music or accompaniment, her voice soared in our little Site. 

Duranda shared that before deciding on further education, she prayed to ask for God’s guidance in her career.  When she felt Him calling her to teaching, she did some volunteering with students and God confirmed it.  As a teacher, she’s been impacting students for 20 years.  What an important lesson for all of us in getting the order of events correct.  Prayer first, not as an afterthought.

With Alicia (and one of her sweet little ones)

Last night we had dinner in the home of one of the young women of El Callejon.  Alicia made ‘la bandera’ (the flag) of the Dominican Republic, which is Rice, Beans and Chicken.  She also made delicious Tostones, which are fried plantains. 

It was an opportunity to learn a little more about the lives of the people in El Callejon, and also to share in one of their gifts, the gift of cooking. 

We believe that just as God has blessed each student and outreach participant with gifts, He has also given them to the women, teens and girls of El Callejon.  Sometimes they don’t see it, many times the world tells them they have nothing, but we refuse to accept this as truth.  I

nstead, we want to help them understand that they, too, are beloved and blessed.  That they, too, have something to share, that they, too, are a part of the Body of Christ.

What an honor to serve Him together!      

Art Class

As I believe we’ve mentioned before, one of the best things about having teams come down to minister with us is watching them use their God-given gifts and passions in El Callejon.  This week has been no exception!  Rachel is a high school senior at a Christian school in Florida, and Krisse is an Art Teacher at the same school. 

Both came on SI outreaches in the past, and both had worked in El Callejon before. Rachel was in both Social Work and the Pre-school, and Krisse with our former Art site.

The Little Girls proudly displaying their crosses

This morning we taught the Little Girls the story of Abraham, and then Rachel led them in a craft making a cross with the word Fe (Faith) on it, to remind them of the faith that Abraham had in leaving his country, and in the promise of Isaac. 

The girls really enjoyed decorating with stickers and markers, each one unique, and all lovely – just like they are themselves!

In the afternoon we had our Teens.  Because Rachel is 18, we asked her to talk with them about the kinds of things they struggle with, especially relationships.  We were building on Julie’s talk from last week, about the importance of dating young men who believe in Jesus. 

We feel it’s important for the girls here to hear that girls in the U.S. have the same kinds of concerns as they do. 

Both Rachel and Krisse shared stories from their pasts, emphasizing the lessons they’d learned.  They talked about the importance of knowing what is in someone’s heart.  Even if people say they love Jesus, their actions will show whether this is true or not. 

We used the verse in I Samuel where God tells Samuel that people look at appearances, but God looks at someone’s heart (16: 7b).

Art Class with the Teens

Krisse then taught a drawing class.  The teens really jumped in as Krisse patiently showed them how to draw a face.  Even though none of them had taken an art class before, they did great! 

After they drew their faces, Krisse showed them a ‘magic’ trick.  “Remember how we talked about the importance of character, and how God looks at our hearts. 

I’m going to write something about my character.”  And then she took a white crayon and wrote on the white paper.  Can any of you see the word?  No. 

Painting to 'reveal' their characteristics

Okay, now, look what happens when I paint over it.  As she brushed blue watercolor paint over the paper, the word Gozo (Joy) appeared. 

But, sometimes people can appear one way, but remember God looks at our hearts.  She then painted another part and the word Odio (Hate) appeared. 

We asked the girls to grab a white crayon and write what they wanted to have in their hearts.  Then, they painted over them, too, revealing words like Paz (Peace), Fe (Faith) and Amor (Love).  It was a great illustration, and they seemed to have a great time! 

We feel so blessed by the way God continues to call talented, giving outreach participants to come and share in El Callejon.  Just as another part of Abraham’s story says, they are blessed, and are using their blessings to be a blessing to us (Genesis 12:2)!

More of Our Week

Here’s a bit more about our week with this wonderful group of women who came and shared so much of themselves with the women, teens, and girls of El Callejon, and also with us. 

On Thursday morning, Tara talked with our Young Women.  She told them how important it is to pray for their children, how she and her husband pray together for their kids, and even for their future spouses.  She also shared the importance of reading the Bible with their kids, even at a young age. 

Tara helping Katie with Richie's handprint

It can be difficult, as sometimes the women don’t seem to be paying attention, but we know that hearing other moms talking with them plants seeds.  After that we did a fun craft, using paint to make hand- and footprints of their little ones.

That afternoon we met with the Treces, our group of thirteen year olds.  Our topic was their menstrual cycles.  Our outreach women helped us tell the girls what to expect, what’s normal, how they might feel, etc. 

It was an open and frank conversation.  It is important to help these girls understand this process, especially as many have moms who choose not to discuss it. 

And, since in this community boyfriends and early sexual activity are common, it is critical for them to be told in simple, straightforward terms about the risks involved.  We want them to cherish their bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit, which includes waiting to have sex.

the boys with their awesome (& colorful!) model

On Friday we were blessed with visitors in the form of Tara and Julie’s older sons.  They were along on the trip, working in Construction with their dads, helping to build our new Social Work site.  

Daisy gave them a special project, constructing our new site… out of play dough and popsicle sticks.  It turned out great, and they even included our new bathroom!

In El Callejon Dads are often absent or not very involved.   This week they were able to see men interacting in loving, positive ways with their sons.  We praise God for this example of what He desires for families, particularly husbands and dads. 

That afternoon we had our Pre-Teens.  This group is one of our largest, and has been a real challenge.  About half the girls are from El Callejon, the other half from another small community called Los Catorces.  Even though the communities are only 15 minutes’ walk apart, there is some animosity and hostility.  And, sadly, it trickles down to these young ones. 

Daisy and Kimberley decided we needed to outline some basic rules, like listening to each other, obeying, respecting others. 

We asked our awesome ladies to help us out by modeling bad behavior.  As Daisy and I tried to talk, Phoebe and Julie started fussing at each other.  Tara also started talking and giggling.  They got up, started playing with things… including our drums, and even ran outside.

Wow, Daisy said.  Girls, what should we do with these Americanas?  Throw them in the trash!  Do you ever act like that?  No.  Hmmm, really?  Well… And most of them admitted to how badly they've been acting.

We talked with them about the need to respect their compañeras.  But, who is that?  Kimberley asked them Should I only respect the Americans, since that’s where I’m from?  No.  No, that’s not right.  You are right, we need to respect everyone because we are all daughters of God. 

Julie helping the Pre-teens make bracelets

We know we’ve got a long way to go with this group, but we know that they have few people in their lives who care enough to be firm.  We know that they choose to come, and we want to have them learn more about Jesus and about living for Him each week.

We said goodbye at the Base, which is never easy.  But, we know that God will continue to work in the lives of Lee, Phoebe, Tara and Julie, and their families. 

Kimberley taught the boys a Dominican phrase, Si Dios quiere (the Lord willing).  Si Dios quiere, we’ll meet again here in the D.R.  If not, we know that what our amazing Lord wills is the best, and we look forward to His plan being worked out in their lives, as well as ours.    

March 5-9 Team

Making bricks for the Torres de Babel

We’re having a great week with our team!  Tuesday morning we met with our Little Girls.  We taught them the story of the Tower of Babel, and then helped them construct Towers out of play-dough.  As always, the little ones loved spending time with their new friends from the U.S.!


In the afternoon, Julie talked with the teens about the importance of praying for, and seeking, boyfriend (and spouse) who loves Jesus. 

She ended by inviting one of the girls, Edolyn, to stand up on a bench while she stood below.  Pretend you’re a believer and I’m not, and we like each other.  You want me to go to church, but I don’t want to.  Do you think it’s going to be easy for you to pull me up, or for me to pull you down?  Some of the girls thought Edolyn would be able to pull her up.  Let’s see, said Julie. 

They grabbed hands and pulled, and as you can probably guess, it didn’t take much to make Edolyn lose her footing.  What a powerful visual of what often happens when a young person chooses to date someone who does not share her faith.

Yesterday while the students from the SI Sports site held a volleyball clinic for our other teen group, we visited some of the women in the community.  Rosemary has a lot of tough stuff going on in her life.  Along with her own spouse and two sons, she also cares for three adult brothers-in-law, niece and nephews, and others.  Cooking, cleaning, washing clothes as well as running her colmado (little store). 

To escape it all, she drinks.  She knows she shouldn’t, and she desires something more, but seems trapped in her life, and in bad choices.  We listened, cried, and prayed with Rosemary. 

Madelyn’s spouse works in Haiti because he feels he gets paid better there.    He comes home once a month, leaving Madelyn alone with their 2-year old daughter, Marjorie, for the rest of the time.  She wants to become a nurse, but with a little one, her ability to travel 30 minutes away for school is limited. 

Madelyn would like to become legally married, but her spouse says they need to wait until they’ve built a bigger house, paid some debts, bought a car.  Like Rosemary, in many ways she, too, seems trapped.  We prayed for her and her family and situation as well.

When we got back to the Site, we asked the team what they thought about what they’d seen.  They commented on how open and welcoming the women had been.  How clean their homes were, and how they displayed and cared for their things. 

If a door is open in El Callejon, it’s an invitation to visit.  There’s typically no need to make a date ahead of time, you just show up.  The women are willing to share about their lives, even things that are personal and difficult. 

What a privilege to share, even for just a while.  We know that these visits can have lasting impact, both for Rosemary and Madelyn, as well as for the women from the U.S., who will carry their stories home, continuing to pray for them.

One-on-one training

Doing some ab exercises

In the afternoon, we had a fitness class.  Phoebe taught the Adult Women how to do some standing exercises.  Although they spend most of the day moving as they cook, clean, wash, care for others, it’s not the same as focused exercise.  The women really got into it, and Phoebe was a great motivator!

Heading out to Dinner in the Community

We ended our day by having dinner in the community.  This is always one of the highlights of the outreach.  We were joined by the Social Work team from Los Higos (another small community where SI is working), at Coco’s home.  She is a great cook, and fixed us La Bandera – what Dominicans call their three staple foods – Rice, Beans and Chicken.  

Like the other women we have visited, a lot in Coco's life is difficult.  To be able to spend time together, sharing the love of Jesus as we ate her delicious food, blessed us, and we pray, her, too!

The week is going by (too!!) quickly!  Please join us in praying that we continue to share the love of Christ as we finish our time together.  

New Week, New Team, New Challenges

Yesterday we welcomed the new team to the Social Work site.  On their first day, we always take a tour of El Callejon.  Allowing them to walk around, see (and at times smell!) where they’ll be working is important. 

This week we have four women from Florida.  They are great!  It’s a different dynamic when it’s adults, as they are moms (and one is a grandma!) and so see things from the perspective of raising a family in the conditions. 

We always struggle with trying to paint an honest picture, without being so depressing that they don’t want to come back!  The truth is, there is a lot of hardship in El Callejon. 

The ‘successes’ we see are typically very small steps.  It’s difficult to quantify a lot of it, and as Americans, we like that quantifying!  Do A, B, C, see results D, E, F.  That’s just not how things go most of the time. 

The reality is, we are in a battle, and so every inch of ground we gain comes with many setbacks and frustrations.  Many of the women of El Callejon truly desire to change.  But, the battle is even more intense for them. 

Yesterday afternoon Daisy challenged the women to begin getting up early in the day to spend time alone with God, as Jesus did with His Father. 

This morning, it’s pouring rain, which means their homes are going to be even more chilly than usual, with the possibility of no electricity.  Getting up early becomes even more of a battle than usual. 

Please pray for the women this week as they try to spend in prayer and reading their Bibles.  We know how much this can fill them, encourage them, sustain them for the day. 

We also know that along with the cold and damp, the worries of the day can quickly crash in.  A sick child, a spouse who didn’t come home, no food and no sure way to get any… Yes, it’s a battle.  But, we know that God sees, God knows, God as promised to be with us.  Not just ‘us’ who live in homes with good roofs, but in all homes. 

Today we are privileged to head back to El Callejon and spend the day sharing the love of Jesus.  He is already there.  Please pray for us as we seek to meet Him.  For those who live there, but also for ourselves.  We, too, need to be filled with Him as we strive to pour ourselves out in His service.

Thank you for your prayers!  We feel so blessed to have you in this with us!  We pray that whatever your battles are today, you, too, will meet Jesus, knowing that He truly can sustain us as we go through the day.

A Good Day

WARNING:  If reading about bugs and vermin gives you the heeby-jeebies, you might want to skip this one!

A couple of weeks ago I pulled open one of the doors to our big built-in wooden cabinet.  And quickly pushed it shut again.  Huele mal.  (It smells bad!)

Last fall we’d found (okay, Daisy had found!) dead mice up there.  Five of them.  One of the women in the community had come in and cleaned it up for us.  Not long after that, a dead rat meant moving everything out of the Site and cleaning.     

Now, it seemed, more of them had moved in. 

With a busy month, it was easy to ignore the cabinet and the horrors inside.  But, I knew it had to be faced.  And, yesterday was the day.  There was water (El Callejon has water every-other day), and there was sunshine (so stuff could be cleaned and dried outside).  Perfect.

And so, armed (or handed?) with a pair of yellow rubber gloves, I got to work.  I’d half-convinced myself it was just mice… the droppings told a different story.  So, so many droppings!  And urine.  Rat urine is… well, it’s potent.  And disgusting. 

First, taking everything out.  Picture a grown woman standing on a bench, gingerly pulling out boxes, bags and other stuff.  Her shoulders are hunched up around her ears, and she’s emitting a series of yelps and whimpers.  She is trying to hold her breath and not gag.  She’s failing at both.

Keila and Jenifer

Keila, Jenifer, Jhoana... and lots of water!

It wasn’t long before some of the girls stopped by.  I told them what I was doing, and they asked if they could help.  Jhoana (12), Keila (9) and Jenifer (8) got to work.  They were amazing!  They helped me move all the benches, desk, and tables outside.  They scrubbed the floor and walls.  Everyone here cleans with lots and lots (and lots!) of water.  As in, buckets full!    

As the floor dried, we went out back and started sorting stuff.  Anything covered with droppings went into the trash.  The girls went through containers, checking old paints, markers, pens, to see if they still worked. 

I tried to tell them if something smelled bad, they didn’t need me to confirm it.  But, time and time again they would shove something under my nose – Huele Mal! 

While all of this was going on, I had the Treces group (our 13 year olds) make Welcome Back signs for Daisy.  They did a great job, and I’m excited for her to see them next week!

I had to lock out the littler ones who wanted to join in the fun.  They rattled the fence and hollered, but I couldn’t let 2-5 year old kids into the rather chaotic mess.  I have to admit, it was pitiful to see them lined up outside, especially when Jafresi started to cry!

At the end of the day, we had a box and three bags filled with droppings and urine-scented garbage.  We’d found 3 dead cockroaches, 4 live ones.  Thankfully, no mice or rat sightings!

I talked with my three helpers and told them how much I appreciated all that they’d done for me.  They told me they had helped because I’m always nice and help them.  In the midst of the yuckiness, my heart soared. 

I let each of them pick a gift from some of the (clean!) donations we had.  They left with hugs… and carrying away the trash.    

We were sweaty and dirty and had smelled more gross stuff than could possibly be good for us, but we had done it together.  And, that made it a good day. 

I pray that as we continue to work in El Callejon, we will continue to have good days.  Not because it’s easy or even clean, but because together we can minister to each other.  Together we can see more of Jesus, learning how to love and serve each other, and Him.