I went with ‘Arrived!’ in the end; after a long debate with myself over whether ‘Arriven!’ is even a word…! But as suggested, I have now arrived; I finally got to the Dominican Republic yesterday after RIDICULOUSLY long queues through Miami Airport the day before meaning my travelling that day started at around 08:00 UKT (UK Time!) and didn’t finish until around 22:30 MT (Miami Time) which is 03:30 UKT!!! So that was a long day! But I’m here now! And with the first team arriving this afternoon, I am rearing to go! So this morning I woke up all fresh (sadly not physically as the heat here means you’re almost constantly quite sticky) and sat outside my hotel room (where I’m staying with this first team as of later, before I move to an apartment in 2 weeks for the rest of my time here!) covered in Jungle Formula with my “uncommon devotional” (‘Message // Remix: Solo’) and my journal! And the reading for today was as if it was just speaking about my time here - Isaiah 61.1-3, 10-11. Verses 1-3 are just what I’m here to do; “to preach good news to the poor”, to “heal the heartbroken”, to bring freedom and comfort, care and “messages of joy in place of doom”. To tell people that they are “Oaks of Righteousness” to display God’s glory. To give them “bouqets of roses instead of ashes”. A lot of the people we’re going to be working with are incredibly poor; there’s no benefit system here, no help for them, and with the current deportation programme many of them are literally being told that nobody cares for them. But God does. And that’s what I am here to show them, with God’s help! To BE his love for them; his arms that hold them and his lips that tell them they are worth dying for. And verses 10-11 show the result of doing that - the difference it makes to me too! Because working under God is to partner with him. And to partner with him is to "sing for joy", and "explode in praise", to be ‘outfitted in a robe of righteousness and a bride’s jeweled tiara’ (or a ‘groom’s tuxedo’ if you’d prefer!). To work for God is to bring about his Kingdom; where he brings “righteousness into full bloom and puts praise on display before the nations.” Of course, it doesn’t mean I’ll be crazily happy all the time - though I do crazily happy quite well! - but it means I will have fearless peace and the joy that comes from knowing it is God’s strength in which I work, and not my own. A strength that can never come undone! P.S. I just went to church and rode on the back of a Moto on the way there and the way back! It was SOOO COOL!!! :-D
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AuthorI'm a recent Cambridge Theology graduate now studying for a Masters in Biblical Studies and blogging about all sorts of things! I'm interested in faith, Church, theology, social action, the great outdoors and being creative, and all of those things - along with many more - come through in my posts!
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