End of Summer 2013

"Yet our walk only begins where God's grace has laid the foundation."  

Oswald Chambers

Today ends 11 straight weeks of summer teams.  It has been an incredible season with over 350 students and adults serving within our sites.  We have been abundantly blessed by the gifts participants have brought and the encouragement they have given each of us long term missionaries.  Check out a video of one of our outreaches HERE This was our July 1st-July 13th outreach....when my church served with our ministry!  I am incredibly proud of our various ministry and community development sites and how they integrate short term and long term missions.

Our Incredible Summer Interns
Benjamin, Jesse, Morgan, Aubrey, Erin
Tyler, Zac, Rachel, Rebecca, Amy

With the closing of the summer also means our interns and volunteers are returning to the states.  I am so encouraged that each of them will be heading back to their own mission fields all over the US.  On Thursday I have to say goodbye to Helena who has been volunteering with me since early May.  It's hard to imagine proceeding with my site without her by my side as she truly has been an invaluable asset, but I know God has great plans for her as she returns to Boston University and a future career in medicine.

Me and Helena

The next week finds our staff laying low, re-energizing and then heading to the beach for a two day staff retreat.  We are not expecting teams again until October.  I am looking forward to spending the next two months changing my site to meet the needs of both Dominicans and Haitians in the communities.  This past week we had a three day clinic in a new community called Saboneta where we saw over 100 patients.  I am so excited to get to know my patients better and hopefully feed more into their lives.  I now have a presence in 6 campos (small, poor, rural neighborhoods)!

I hope and pray everyone is doing well as August has begun and autumn/school is beginning to come closer into sight.  May God continue to bless all of you as you persevere in each of your mission fields!

Check out SI's August Newsletter as they highlight the DR!
Students International August Newsletter