Know this: any time a group of Christians gets together to do the Lord's work...and begins succeeding...and better yet seems to actually be enjoying the process and each others' company, there is one party none to happy with things. Today, the devil took a few swings at us. His goal: distract, discourage and divide us in hopes of driving a wedge between us and a stronger relationship with God and our Dominican brothers and sisters.
Actually, the first issue might have been our fault. I'm not sure " hubris" is one of the seven deadly sins or not, but yesterday Nurse Carrie turned at one point and said, "You know, it's Day 6 and we don't have anybody on Cipro. That's a record!" (That's Ciprofloxin - the pharmaceutical one-stop-shop for all manner of lower GI-related issues one might contract in third-world countries.) That all ended before breakfast as four young ladies (Codi Regan, Kallie Meade, Jamie Hughes and Kristin Hoglund) reported various degrees of gastric distress or discomfort. Misfortune continued on our way to the worksite (flat tire on the team bus) and remained by our side on the job with a slip-into-ditch-gash-leg incident (yours truly), one blown-out back (John Hughes) and a lot of still work-weary backs, arms and legs struggling with each shovelful of earth and swing of the pickaxe (um....everybody).
Fortunately, today was scheduled to be just a half-day on the site (which if I have my math right translated to a quarter day since we were all about half-shot from the word go). So, after another terrific lunch by our Haina kitchen ladies, we simply tucked our tails, boarded our newly shod bus and headed back to the Foundation house in Santo Domingo to wash up and prepare for our evening service project, Samaritan's Feet. This organization, which Foundation for Peace has recently partnered with, reaches out to needy communities around the world with shoes - something that anybody who has been to the DR can tell you is sorely needed here. However, "SF" adds an interesting Biblical twist - rather than simply giving out shoes, our team would (just as Jesus did for his disciples on the evening before his crucifixion) wash the feet of and pray for each recipient.
Naturally, the Enemy was still in the game and had a different vision for us...and the 300+ local residents who showed up, tightly massed in the street when we arrived. After just over an hour or so of washing, praying and fitting, we had almost completely run out of shoes. So, rather than attempt to continue fitting the few sizes left to the 150+ still outside the church, our intrepid leader Bruce Jones made the difficult but wise and necessary decision to shut the operation down. This left our team in an interesting situation...locked inside a cinder block church with shoes as hundreds of expectant local residents - many of whom were pressing their faces against (or reaching through) the rebar windows were told by Pastor Brony and our security team that they would receive no more this evening. I won't kid you, people - it felt a little tense.
So there we were; everyone physically beat from digging, shoveling, wall-building and now foot-washing and shoe-sorting, some slightly injured and others still a little queasy from the morning...now held hostage in the very building intended to be used for setting souls free. Satan had us exactly where he wanted us. And then an interesting thing happened.
Christian fellowship broke out. It started with singing, led by Kathy Heller, Carrie Steele and several Dominicans who were serving with us. Then our amazing Foundation leader Anna Hernandez smiled, formed our team into a great big circle and led us in one of her patented spirit-driven prayers. A buzz of loud group praying ensued. And eventually laughing. Then more singing. And in time, the impatient crowd dispersed. And a potential disaster had been transformed before our eyes into one of the more powerful experiences of the trip.
So the box score on this one is now in the books...after a shaky start and being rung up for a few hits early in the game - it was Christians 1 - Enemy 0 today. The group was tested and we are even stronger than before. Move along, Satan...nothing for you here.
Gloria a Dios,
P.S. Rest easy, parents - while they all came back on different schedules, all the girls are back to health now and we are back to full battle strength. As for John's back...well, sorry Helen - your husband is just plain old! ;-)
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