There is just over a month before we officially move to the DR. We are feeling so much, we are so full of joy and excitement, looking forward to seeing what God has in store for us over the next year, we cannot wait to serve in San Juan and further get to know the people there. We are beyond amazed, still, that God would call people like us to serve there, and this month we got a glimpse of where we will be very soon. Through all of the joy and excitement, there is also fear and anxiety, and there are times where I think that’s all I feel, but there are also the moments where I don’t worry at all, and I’m just overwhelmed with love for where we’re going. People ask us probably daily now, “How are you feeling about everything?” and sometimes I just don’t know what to say. Even writing this now I struggle to put my thoughts and feelings into actual words.

We arrived in the DR on October 18 and came back home on the 25th. The trip was only a week long but it was so full, I hadn’t been to the DR in over three years, and it was Christian’s first time ever. While we were there, we got to meet so many people and experience so much. I think it is safe to say that the trip overall didn’t go as planned. At this point, I feel like all my plans need to be thrown out the window all the time because rarely do things go according to how I think they should. However, we are taken care of every single time, and this trip was one of the biggest examples of that. The week started off great, on Monday and Tuesday we both got to join the barrio clinic team where we got to see life in the barrios and go with Pastor Enol into homes so people could receive both medical care, and most importantly, the gospel of Jesus Christ. Seeing these homes and talking with those living in them was amazing to say the least, it really allowed us to experience a culture and life that was completely different to us, and utterly beautiful. We also got to get to know some of the staff that were with us and some of the team, making connections with people that were true blessings. We had by this point signed up to donate blood and decided that for Wednesday and Thursday, we would stay back and try to experience more of guesthouse life and see more of San Juan; so on Wednesday Katelyn took us to the clinic to have lunch and donate blood, this is where things begin to go a new direction. While getting ready to donate and taking his vitals, we discovered that Christian’s blood pressure was quite high, which we did not expect, so much so that they wanted to do some testing right away. Eventually we went back to the guesthouse and spent some time together discussing everything that just happened, as people seemed quite concerned about him and we weren’t yet sure how serious this was, and yes, this was one of those moments where we felt scared, there is truly nothing like being in a foreign country for the first time and having to spend half your trip in a clinic not understanding what’s wrong. Fast forward to Thursday morning, we are back at the clinic for more tests and spend most of our day there. The doctors discovered some health complications and gave Christian some medications; I’ll spare you the details, it was a concerning situation but the doctor seemed to believe he’d be better with diet and medication. I’m not going to share everything but I will say that Christian is fine now, and is not in any life threatening condition, our greatest concern is his high blood pressure, which we are keeping an eye on and treating. So we didn’t get to see some of what I wanted to while we were there, and a health scare is certainly not on anyone’s itinerary, and I really did wonder for a bit if this was all a sign saying we were in the wrong place, but i was then quickly reminded how that was not the case at all. I remember thinking to myself, “oh my soul, how quickly you forget how the Lord provides,” and I looked at it not as an inconvenience, but a blessing. Christian had no symptoms, if we had not been there, on that day, wanting to give blood, no one would have thought to check his blood pressure, with different staff they may not have even thought to check for anything else, but we were in the right place, being taken care of by exactly the people God knew we needed. If it wasn’t caught when it was, he may have gotten to be in a worse condition, harder to treat. I cannot express how incredibly cared for we felt in the midst of it all, how we didn’t have to worry about the cost of the medical care, how Katelyn spent her entire day with us so we’d have someone to translate and explain things, how many people reached out to us, how even after being home people continue to reach out. There are so many more blessings that came of this trip, even the fact that we were able to travel and get there was God working, and I can’t even share the details of how that worked out, but I can say that we wouldn’t have even been there this week if it weren’t for God working through people in our own community. I feel like I say this in every blog but God really does provide, even when I doubt, He provides. 

When I begin to worry about things like leaving the community I know, and fear that I won’t connect with anyone away from the home I’ve always known, I think about how many people who don’t even know us that well, have helped and supported us before we could even ask. I know we will miss people from home, the ministries we’ve spent so much time with, the community we love so much, but there is so much to experience in a new place, new relationships to build; and I know that the more people I let in to my life, the more goodbye’s I will eventually have to say, but I have learned by now that it is better to enjoy the season than to dread its end. So I try to embrace the change, look forward to the good that’s to come, and grieve the losses as they happen. 

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:34. I keep going back to this verse right now specifically because, and if you’ve had a conversation with me in the past few months, there’s a good chance you’ve heard me say this, God is teaching me to embrace the unknown and to take things one day at a time, lately, even one moment at a time. Like I said before, everything rarely goes the way I planned. So I can make my plans, but I cannot dwell on them, I cannot worry about how things will go. I can only trust in the Lord’s provision, and if my heart isn’t set on things working the way I say they should, then I’m not disappointed when they don’t. I can’t afford to worry about tomorrow, if I do, I miss all the blessings that are right in front of me today. 

One of the best things about the trip for me was being back to a place I missed so much. I don’t think I even realized how much I missed it until I was back and didn’t want to leave. It was also cool to be in the clinic again (though we didn’t expect to need its care), since it was still under construction that last time I was there. I had some really good memories from before so it felt almost nostalgic to be back, and while the trip this time felt too short, I know that the time between now and returning in December is going to fly by.

Our DR trip of course was not the only thing that happened this month, so I will sum up some other highlights over the past few weeks. First of all we’ve been able to cook a little more at home, as we had been doing a little less, between our busy schedules and it being easier to eat somewhere else, and sharing a kitchen with more people, thus having somewhat of a rotation of who’s cooking; but we’ve been able to cook up some tasty dinners this month.

Christian spent a weekend away on a guys camping trip with some friends where they got to do offroading trails and some paintball.

We also went on a family vacation to Hocking Hills, Ohio earlier this month with Christian’s side of the family, where we got to relax and do some hiking. 

October 28th was my little sister’s 17th birthday, so we got to celebrate by surprising her by taking her to a movie (Chainsaw Man), giving gifts, and going out to dinner. It was a really nice afternoon getting to celebrate her and just have fun together. 

Lastly, I wanted to give a little update on where we are at with support, we just hit a little over half our goal! With a goal of $3000 per month, or $36,000 total, we hope to get another 1,500 in monthly support before we leave, this feels like a lot to raise in just a month but we’ve been working on support raising and have had more and more people say they want to support us as our moving date gets closer, and above all, I’m confident that God will provide one way or another. 

Prayer requests:

• Anxiety for both of us, and Madison’s sleep being affected. 
• That we would find the time to connect and that schedules will line up with people before we leave.
• Spending more quiet time with the Lord, especially when life is loud. 
• Trusting in the Lord’s provision
• Physical health for both of us.
• All affected by hurricane melissa.