I mentioned to my mom and dad that I wanted to go back to the Dominican for awhile after graduation in December. I don't know if they heard me right or not, but they both seemed fine with it. My mom said, "I know you'll figure it out! You always do!" And with the hand of God, that's just what I did.
A few weeks after returning form the Dominican, I met with Karen, a woman from my church who is a part-time missionary in the DR. She and her husband helped plan our summer mission trip and were with us most of the time while we were there. She knows a lot of the ins-and-outs of being a missionary and has a heart for the nations. I knew she'd have some good advice for me.
We met at Caribou Coffee, just a few miles from my house. I immediately went into detail as to how my heart was yearning to be back in the Dominican. I told her I had looked online for different ministries, job opportunities and internships to be my ticket back there, but nothing had come close to catching my eye, and I needed her help.
As our conversation continued, she informed me that there was a school for girls in La Vega, DR that has a girl interning there currently, but she's leaving at the end of the year and they are in need of another. The school is for girls living in poverty who can't read, write or do basic math. A couple from another church in my town knew the lady, Joy, who started this school, and Karen gave me their contact information.
Could this be where God wants me? He provided not only a place, but instant contact information on the same day I was getting frustrated because I couldn't find anything.
That evening I contacted the school, and just a few days later I had an email response from Joy asking for things such as my testimony, what I like to do, etc. I emailed her back quicker than you could ever imagine!
She responded again asking what I would like to do if I came down. She also included a list of things they were in need of: "Web design and maintenance, accounting, fundraising, communications, girls mentorship and programing, teacher/perhaps, girl's house mom/perhaps?"
When I read the message and realized how overlapping my skills/talents/passions were with the list of things they needed, tears welled up in my eyes. I just knew this is where God wanted me.
I met, via Skype, with Joy, as well as the woman whom Karen knows from the other church in my city. We talked for about an hour and seemed to really click. One of the biggest questions I had was about the time commitment, as my mom and dad told me I should only go for about 3 months to try it out. Joy asked me to come from January until June. 6 months. She explained that once I have made connections with the girls, it will be hard for us to part in the middle of the semester.
The next day I was on the phone calling my mom and dad with butterflies in my stomach. How would they feel about me living in the Dominican Republic for 6 months? In a country-town that only gets water on Mondays and Thursdays? In a school where no one speaks English? Sharing a dorm with 4 little girls because their home-life wasn't safe, and they had no one to take care of them? What would they say?
Both mom and dad said I could go. Enough said.
There is no doubt in my mind that this is where God wants me. If this isn't a testimony to God's control, I don't know what is. He completely orchestrated this in a way I could never have imagined, and I cannot wait until January.
Check out this website for more information about the school:
