Matthew 25:40

"...Truly I say unto you, as you did it to the {least} of these my brothers, you did it to Me."

It was towards the end of our time in Manila, and I was feeling a little bit overwhelmed, 

and unsure as to how much more I wanted to see.  

I realized halfway through the day on Saturday that I was a little depressed, and finally was able to figure out part of the reason why.   Stories and scenes of human and animal suffering were overloading my mind, 

and I was starting to question the purpose in it all.  

I didn't want to see one more child walking through the lanes of traffic trying to beg a few pesos for something to eat...

I didn't want to see one more mangy, homeless dog or cat wandering around or dead on the side of the road...

I didn't want to hear of another girl sexually abused by a family member, 

or see the hardness in the face of another young girl selling herself to a foreign man she didn't know or love for the sake of money and a few material comforts in life...

and I didn't want to see the hopelessness behind the eyes of hundreds of thousands of adult men and women eking out an existence, working 16-18 hour days, 7 days a week, for 100-200 pesos a day (equivalent to a few American dollars), never an end or better way in sight.  

Selfish of me, perhaps...but it's such a helpless feeling - where do you even start?

How do you even begin to make a difference when the need is so enormous?

And what of hope?  What is the purpose in a life like that?

Quietly, but surely, Jesus spoke to my heart, and reminded me that indeed there is hope, 

because of what He did on the cross...we know that those who are found believing in Him will have a life after death free of suffering and pain, and more beautiful than anything we can imagine.

And He also reminded me that while I probably won't fix any cultural tendencies towards poverty, I can start with one person...the "least" of these...by giving a smile, a word of encouragement, a cup of cold water in His name.

His ministry was always about the "one"...the one needy person in front of Him received His full attention and love.  The woman at the well....the tax collector...the woman caught in adultery...Peter after he had betrayed his beloved Savior.  The realization of that is to me a huge relief in many ways - not to say that I can't or shouldn't have big dreams, but not at the expense of the one person Jesus brings across my path today.  

So we went out on the streets to help with the children's ministry

...and we gave out cookies and juice and hugs and smiles,

and breathed prayers and spoke words of life into those children...in the name of Jesus. 

And we played games with the students, and laughed together...had heart conversations with some of them, and took walks arm in arm.

This is Darwin :)  All I know about him is his name, because he speaks only Tagalog and I speak only English...but we were collecting the children to start the program, and he came running over to me and gave me a huge hug - I picked him up and carried him for a while, the whole while he was chattering away with the most beautiful smile on his face....totally stole my heart.

While it's sad to see so much pain and suffering, I came home encouraged that God is at work there in Manila, and around the world - through His people and their willingness to stop for the "one".  

Never underestimate the power of a simple act of kindness.  Zec.4:10 says, "Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin..." (NLT).  

The more you give, the more joy fills your heart in return....even that which seems small and insignificant to us can be used by God for great things (John 6:1-13).   

There are lots of other things that I've been thinking about as a result of that trip, but that was one of the main things. :)  On the plane ride over, I read an interesting book by K.P. Yohannan, 

the founder of Gospel for Asia.  

He has a beautiful heart of love for the people of his country (India) and a passion for world missions.  All of his books are wonderful, but Revolution in World Missions, and No Longer a Slumdog 
are two that I've been reading lately...they've reinforced some of the things God has been teaching me lately, and further opened my eyes to the fact that all the world problems of hunger and slavery and 
human trafficking and whatever other means of suffering 

{begin with the individual}. 

A child is hurting...a human being is hurting...and if I can help that one person, God can multiply it a thousand times over, beyond my wildest imagination...if I am doing it in His name and for His glory.

"...Truly I say unto you, as you did it to the {least} of these my brothers, you did it to Me."

-Matthew 25:40

Summer Camp

One of the things I enjoy the most about my job with White Fields Foundation is the ministry opportunities it facilitates.  A good portion of my job involves office work, 

but occasionally I get the chance to help with various outreaches.

Several days ago, we took a group of about 30 inner-city boys that have been involved with the sports ministry this year to an overnight camp out in the country.  The baseball season just ended, and this was kind of one final hurrah before summer is over and school starts back up. 

The camp is located on a beautiful piece of property that borders the Quemahoning Reservoir.  

I absolutely loved being there to watch the kids get off the bus and see their faces as they slowly realized what all they were going to have the opportunity to do during their two-day stay.  

Canoeing, sports, climbing wall, zip-line...the boys had the chance to do all of these activities, which were interspersed with several Biblical teaching sessions, and meals, of course. :)

For the most part, I was free to take pictures, and just get to know some of the boys that were there.  

I hung out with the little tee-ball guys (6-8 years old) for most of the day, and a few of them managed to capture my heart in the process. :)  Here are some of my favorite images from the day:

{these two are brothers, Malik and Junior...it was so sweet to watch the older brother look out for his younger brother, who couldn't get his hearing aids wet, and needed help with them}

Many of the boys had never been canoeing before...it was so fun to watch them trying to learn, 

and see the whole range of reactions...from "This is awesome!!" to "I'm scared..Mommy! We're going to tip...take me back!!" to "Shark! I think I saw a shark!" {LOL...that's one thing they probably didn't need to worry about coming across in the reservoir}

Kickball team rally...

Climbing wall instruction...

One of the highlights for the kids was the time they got to spend in the pool.  It was a beautiful pool facility, overlooking the lake...complete with a diving board, a huge slide, and a bounce cushion.

One person would sit on the edge of the bounce cushion, 

another would jump from a higher diving board...

...and bounce them into the air before they landed back in the pool.

Before ending this, I wanted to share something that one of the kids said to me towards the end of the first day there.  We were standing in line waiting for dinner, and I was talking to some of the little boys.  One of the boys standing next to me was the son of a volunteer coach that is very involved with our ministry - during our conversation, they asked if he was my brother.

I told them that he wasn't my brother, but he was my friend..."and so are you" I said, 

pointing back at the little boy that had asked the question.

I didn't think anything of it at the time, but several minutes later, after walking away, I realized that one of the boys that had listened to the conversation had followed me.  I turned to him and he asked me quietly "Can I be your friend too?"  Oh goodness, he was so sweet...totally melted my heart. 

And it made me sad at the same time, realizing that some of those kids there were so desperate for love and attention and friendship.  I came away challenged to remember that there are many hurting children and adults around me, and I need to pray more that I would see them as Jesus sees them...and be willing to put aside my needs and agenda, and love them as He does.  So easy to say, but unfortunately it often takes situations like that to remind me how to do it.

Blessings to you all,

Rachel Elisabeth

Children of the Dominican

I just returned home several days ago from another wonderful trip to the Dominican Republic...the more times I go there, the fewer photos I take, but I can never resist taking at least a few of the children. 

 I am completely in love with their beautiful eyes...and when I see their happy smiles in spite of 

the conditions in which they live, I am humbled. 

This little boy has two crippled feet...he sits in his tiny wheelchair most of the day, and when he wants to move around, he has to crawl on his hands and knees through the dirt.  But he had the most joyful smile I had ever seen.  He was thrilled that we took time to pray with him, and play with him...

"...'Let the children come to Me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.  Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.' And He took them in His arms and blessed them, laying His hands on them."

{Mark 10:14-16}

Rachel Elisabeth

Dominican Republic - March 2011

My suitcase is lying on the floor of my bedroom partially unpacked, and there is a basket of laundry that needs folded, yet here I am sitting at my computer sorting through pictures and listening to Spanish music...somehow that's all I usually feel like doing the first few days after returning from a missions trip. I am so glad we have the ability to capture bits and pieces of these trips through photography and video - so much happens during a week like this, and pictures help spark memories after returning home.

This was my third trip to the Dominican Republic, and try as I might, it was very difficult to go back without having expectations of what was going to happen.  And of course, those expectations were way off...but the Spirit spoke to my heart in powerful ways.  I'm still processing all that He revealed and did, and will be for a while...for now, I'll pretty much let the pictures speak for themselves. :)

There were about 35 of us that travelled down together...most of the group coming from Pitt University, on their spring break.  We spent most of the week in a small sugarcane village, scraping and painting the row house, and developing relationships with those that lived there.  We were challenged by the Spirit through morning devotions led by Kim Costanza, enjoyed gorgeous weather and local church services, and survived a 24-hour stomach flu virus.  We spent a morning witnessing door-to-door in the barrios of Hato Mayor, had a baptism service, and a house dedication service.  It was a good week :)

Danilo, one of the local boys that works with MGM.

The first day we were there was a fairly relaxed day, as we had just travelled all the night before.  We played basketball with several of the local boys, and had a service at the compound...

The road we travelled through the sugarcane field.

This is the village we spent most of the week at...this picture was taken on the first day, as we were preparing it for the primer and paint.

Pastor Ney and several others repair the leaky roof as the rest of us were painting.

Cleaning up on the third day, when the project was finished.

The whole group of us with the villagers right before we said goodbye for the last time.

Elizabeth, Ruthie and I with a dear friend from one of the neighboring villages, Loida.  Liz had known her for several years, and I had met her and her mother when I was in the DR last July - it was really good to see her again.

On our third day in the sugarcane field, a few of us went with Kim and Pastor Ney to visit some of the other villages.  We rode in the back of the pick-up truck and had fun taking pictures and playing with the kids while we waited for Kim and Ney.

Ney's house was completed and he and his family had moved in by the time we arrived.  On Thursday, we added some of the finishing touches and had a communion service to dedicate the house.

Loida and one of her friends came to the compound for the dedication service.

The last day we were there, we had a baptism service at the pool in Hato Mayor - 

four of the girls on the trip were baptized.

Liz, Keally and I

And a few more shots of the kids...I can't resist :)...

Here is a quick video I put together with several more photos and clips from the week.  The song I used is a Christian Spanish song called Un Viaje Largo by Marcela Gandara.  In English, it translates to "the Long Journey", and I thought the words were very appropriate for some of what the Lord was speaking to my heart throughout the week.  The song talks about the long journey of coming to see God's eternal purposes...the valleys of insecurity we walk through and the cost we pay to believe and follow Him.  And then finding His love within all His plans for us - it's worth every price we have to pay.  I feel sometimes that this is a life-long journey, through seasons of doubt and seasons of trust...but this journey will end someday, and with that ending will come full understanding of all His reasons.

Many thanks to all of you who were praying for us.  You were part of us this week...

Rachel Elisabeth