Top Ten List from the Dominican Republic - March 2014

We have arrived safely back to the United States after an unforgettable week in the Dominican Republic with Go Ministries and Eastview Christian Church. Even after being back one month, we are still adjusting back to our normal culture - school, work, spring weather, water that is clean and always available, hot showers, food we are used to, our own beds… But luckily, above all this, we have been forever changed by this trip. I’ll fast forward for just a second… at the end of our trip, the high school pastor traveling with us recommended that we make a “Top Ten List” of our trip to the DR. I decided I would make a list, and now I’m so thankful I did. I cherish the DR Highlight Reel I’m about to share with you…

Our trip started with a 14-hour bus ride from Normal, Illinois, up to New York City’s airport. To be honest, we anticipated a painfully long trip, but it was actually really fun. It was a great chance to sit back, relax, and meet the others that were traveling with us. I was the leader/chaperone of six high school girls. Being one of three sisters, and having a sister in high school now, I felt fully prepared to handle any “girl things” on the trip. Little did I know, I’d be the one doing the learning and being led by my girls.

Upon our arrival to JFK airport, we had about 7-8 hours to wait for our flight. We had arrived early, which was part of the plan, but we were about twice as early as anticipated. Better early than late! This gave us more free time to get to know one another and to get our last minute communications out – calls, texts, Facebook posts, and anything else phone and internet-related – as we were about to embark on one week of no cell phones and no internet.

We arrived safely to Santiago, Dominican Republic, at 4:30AM on Sunday – exhausted, smelly, hungry, and very ready to serve and see God work! Nearly 50 high school students and just under ten chaperones loaded up, suitcases and all, into three tourist-looking vans. We reached the girls’ dorms about 15 minutes away. The boys stayed at Central Church, which was about a five-minute walk from the girls’ dorms. We had about 2 ½ hours before we would have breakfast and then head to church.

1

 We (meaning all the girls) were informed that our church service would be held at “The Hole” – an inactive landfill in the heart of the city of Santiago. Most citizens of this area (outside The Hole) have no idea it’s even there in their city. Although it is considered inactive, it’s nonetheless a landfill area and people live there with their families. We learned that about 12 years ago, a man named Felix visited The Hole and met prostitutes and drug lords and befriended them. In doing so, they granted him protection in The Hole and allowed him to be part of their community because they saw the good he was beginning to do. He built a church, opened a nutrition center, and started to give adults and children the hope of Jesus – something they’d likely never heard before but desperately needed in the dark, broken place they called home.

We attended church that Sunday. The service was small, the music and technology was far from what we would see in the U.S., but the message was powerful and I felt God there more than I’ve ever felt him in a church service. It was a true, genuine place to feel the Hope of God and see the Joy and Hope on others’ faces. Keep in mind, every part of the service, from beginning to end, was in Spanish. I’d say about 80% of our mission trip group spoke English only – meaning zero Spanish ability at all. In spite of this, something truly spectacular happened. We were a few songs into the worship part of the service when the band on stage started to play a familiar tune that is more upbeat. Although they sang it in Spanish, we recognized the rhythm and the beat and our faces lit up! It was great to finally recognize something familiar! In that same moment, several high school students took it upon themselves to join in the dance movements and motions the local Dominican women were starting to do to keep in tune with the song. Without skipping a beat, our students joined in and the room was filled with such sweet Joy. Our group, as foreign as we all were, stuck out like a sore thumb. But we had been invited into the Church Family, where we became part of the Body of Christ. In that moment, we spoke the same language – the language of Jesus, of love. We connected on a spiritual level like I’ve never experienced – for a moment, we were the same as the women who lived in The Hole and they were the same as us from the United States. It didn’t matter that we could probably never say a complete sentence to one another. It was more important and more special to be able to worship together. In that moment, I learned that God is the same in every language and He really is everywhere.

After that first day in church at The Hole, it was hard to imagine that the week could get any better. I had prayed before the trip that God would be revealed to me because like all humans, I have a tendency to not believe IN God and an even bigger tendency to not believe in His promises. 

2

Monday began our construction week. My group was assigned to the Central Church where we tore down about eight walls inside the church. They needed more room inside for their main worship area. We tore down classroom and bathroom walls with sledgehammers. Our process worked this way: knock down the walls (or parts of the walls) with sledgehammers, shovel the cinderblock/plaster rubble into wheelbarrows, wheel the rubble outside and dump it into a big pile in the parking lot, re-shovel the rubble onto the flat of a truck bed, drive the truck somewhere to dump the rubble. This was our project for three days that week (Mon, Tues, Thurs). Some of it felt a bit counterintuitive – we wanted to be able to just walk the wheelbarrows up a ramp onto the back of the truck, but the tools and resources we had there just wouldn’t work that way. So, we formed teams that alternated tasks as needed. I seemed to always find myself in the groups that would shovel the rubble either into wheelbarrows or onto the bed of the truck.

By Day #2, Tuesday, I was part of a group of high school girls that had come up with a plan to make the shoveling process more efficient. We stationed ourselves outside next to the truck and the rubble pile. The girls took the initiative in this area and began directing the wheelbarrow pushers. Their plan was to have the rubble dumped on both sides of the truck so that we could use twice as many shovelers to scoop up the rubble and fill the truck. They set goals for themselves – three truckloads in the morning shift, three truckloads in the afternoon shift after lunch. They did an awesome job! It was so amazing and inspiring to see a group of Jesus followers, teenagers, girls, in a foreign country, ready and willing to work on a construction project that they may never see the final product of – but they did their VERY best. They worked for Jesus that day. It wasn’t about Eastview, it wasn’t about the Central Church staff or members, and it wasn’t about the girls themselves – they were working for Jesus on that rubble project.

Seeing this reminded me that I had gone into this mission trip wondering really how much help we could be. After all, we were only there a week. And we really only had about four days to work. Typically, construction projects take weeks, if not months, and we had arrived in Santiago not knowing our construction projects until we walked into the church on Monday. I watched the girls work together, plan, strategize, set goals, meet goals, exceed goals, and be so filled with joy and excitement over the simplest of things like a pile of cinderblock rubble. It was a very humbling sight, however. In those precious moments on that shoveling team, I learned that while I often have feelings of inadequacy in my job, at my gym, in my home, in my relationships… even in those times, I can work and I can perform to the best of my abilities, in spite of my circumstances, all for Jesus. It didn’t matter if we filled three truckloads or ten, we were serving with joyful hearts and we were a piece of the bigger picture for that church. Same holds true for my day-to-day life, and yours, here in the United States. My day job involves employer/employee benefits (insurance, trusts administration, business strategies), and I often find myself thinking that in the grand scheme of eternity, I have a pretty unimportant job. I handle health insurance, type lots of emails, file hundreds of documents… I need to work for a church or be a missionary to really make a difference, right? I thought the answer was yes, until I joined the shoveling team that warm, sunny Tuesday in Santiago. I saw that the truth is that our jobs, our tasks, our actions all play a part in the Body of Christ. I can serve someone in my job or in my home and show the love of Jesus in the simplest of things – doing the dishes so someone else doesn’t have to, offering to help in a project even though it’s not my role, answering the phone cheerfully and helping a disgruntled client with a positive attitude. The list can go on and on. It all comes down to the question, “Who are you working for?”

That night, we met back up with the other students and chaperones for dinner, as we did each evening. We learned that the cinderblock/plaster rubble that we considered garbage has a much higher value. Turned out, the truck bed we continued to fill over and over was driving out to the other church our students were helping at. Our rubble was becoming a gravel road for that church. Students were chiseling away and creating smaller pieces of gravel so the roadway would lay flatter and safer. Once again, God amazed us! Whether it’s the rubble of a torn down church wall, or the rubble in our daily lives, God has a purpose and He’s ready to use it – He already has it planned! God doesn’t waste – especially not His children that He loves.

3

That night our entire group went to La Sirena, which is like a Dominican Wal-Mart. It’s very big, and really a very nice place to shop for groceries. We browsed the aisles, got ice cream, and purchased snacks for our dorms or souvenirs for our families. The van ride back to the dorms was the best part. I found myself on a bus with all girls – possibly ALL the girls from the trip (I was only responsible for six, so I didn’t do a full head count J). They spent the entire ride back, probably about 30 minutes, singing worship songs. They started one right after another and never stopped. It was beautiful to hear all of their choir/theater/musical voices, but it was even more beautiful to see their hearts shine through those songs. Their willingness, vulnerability, and trusting hearts were a miraculous witness to me that night. I realized that during this trip, I was going to learn more from them than they would learn from me. God has teachable moments at any age and from any person to another. I was sitting with girls ages 15-18, about 10 years younger than me, and I was the one doing the following. 

4

 Wednesday would have been our third workday, but it was our VBS (Vacation Bible School) day instead. Each group had a VBS day. We took a van about 20 minutes away from our dorms and stopped at a new church – one that had almost no church building. It was a very simple roof, two walls, dirt floor, small stage with a pulpit, and some newly painted art on the walls. Compared to our home churches, this looked like something that had been torn down or was left over from a previous building. It was a bit shocking to hear that it was actually a new church. We spent the morning and the afternoon teaching the Bible story of Hannah and how she prayed for a baby, and one day finally had one. The message of the story was that God hears our prayers so it’s important to show your heart and be sincere. We did a coloring craft with the kids too.         During some free time, while waiting for kids to arrive, or waiting to leave for lunch, the           high school kids I accompanied took it upon themselves to start an impromptu talent show. One boy did magic tricks for the kids, another student practiced some crazy contortion moves, another group made music with no instruments… it was really very entertaining! All the while, these small Spanish-speaking children watched in amazement and you could see on their faces that they were blessed by the visit of the high school kids.

5

Our lunch break on our VBS day was our most memorable lunchtime of the week, by far. Our group headed back to The Hole – the inactive landfill where people live – and we visited the Nutrition Center. First we went to a big, open area in the center of the hole which was mostly just an area of nothing but dirt. While walking to this area, several children, all likely under the age of five, grabbed our hands, followed closely behind our footsteps, and joined us for whatever we were there to do. We gave piggy-back rides, ran around, gave high-fives, spoke a little Spanish… and ultimately brought so much joy to those children that day. We escorted all of those children and several others to the Nutrition Center. The kids knew the drill – walk in, no piggy-back rides, find an open chair, sit down nicely, and eventually tell the people delivering food if you get a big bowl or a small bowl. Kids of all ages came in for lunch. Every child knew the process and knew what bowl he or she was supposed to have – the big kids had big portions, and the younger kids had small portions. The room was orderly, white, clean – and now it was chaotic, loud, filled with hunger, yet filling with hope. For most of those children, that was the only food they’d see that day. Their portions were no more than what we’d eat at lunch, and may have even been only about half of what some of our lunch meals looks like in the U.S. It was a joyful time but also a sad time to see the real faces of the real kids who have REAL

struggles every minute of every day. This time in the Nutrition Center made my own problems seem so insignificant, trivial, and selfish. I remembered in those bittersweet moments that God has a purpose for everything - even the poverty that we can't comprehend is part of His Plan. The Bible says in Deuteronomy 29:29 that "The Lord our God has secrets known to no one (NLT)," and I take comfort in letting Him be the Knower, the Planner, the Decider, and the Ruler over all that I cannot and will not understand on this Earth. 

6

That night, our fifty-five-person group joined the Central Church’s fifteen-person youth group. We listened to a message from Matt Fogle, Eastview’s Senior High Pastor, and the Central Pastor translated for his group. Then we sang songs with the group, too. Some were led in English, some led in Spanish, but every song was simultaneously sung in both languages. It was during those worship songs that I felt how big, powerful, and universal God is.

7

Thursday was our last work day. My group headed back out to Central Church to continue the construction projects. There was even less for us to do this day because other groups had worked while we were at VBS the day before. We did our best to stay busy, but it was hard! We did some sweeping to try and keep things clean inside the building. In the last couple hours of our work day, we helped level out a big heap of dirt. All we literally did was take shovels full of dirt and throw them around an open area next to a building being built of cinderblock – this was across the street from the church. Most of our group pitched in, which gave us a real sense of accomplishment and community. We laughed and shared stories with one another. It was a simple afternoon, but it was fun and memorable.

8

Because it was our last work day and we had very little to do, we went back to our dorms early that day. We had about three hours before dinner so I wrote in my journal and took a nap. About 6:30PM one of the high school girls came up into the dorm room and said, “Ashlynne and Emily (my sister), your sponsorship kids are upstairs.” I thought to myself, Is this going to really be the child that I sponsor each month? I was a bit skeptical. Let me backup about six months before this… I had been sponsoring a child financially for about a year. In the beginning, I’d receive confirmations that Go Ministries had received my payment, but they kept listing it as being a payment for a different child. The little boy I had chosen is named Sergio, and my mailed statements kept confirming a different child. It wasn’t a big deal, it just left me skeptical because it felt as though I wasn’t giving money to a worthy cause. For months I felt very guilty for having those thoughts, but I couldn’t help it. Here I was sending money to the organization each month and I was trusting that a child in need was receiving the money, so for documents to be incorrect wasn’t helping me feel more at ease about my sponsorship. Nonetheless, I kept

paying each month. Around Christmas 2013, I received a letter from Go Ministries apologizing for mixing up children’s names and stating that the errors had been fixed. With that, I assumed my sponsorship was the real deal. Ok, ok, I admit I was still skeptical. Before I left for the DR, I packed a picture of my sponsored child because I wanted to know him if I saw him. I had very, very little hope of seeing him. I wasn’t exactly sure how Go Ministries worked and I figured they reached children all over the area so there was no way Sergio would be around the Santiago area we were visiting. While in the DR those first few days, I prayed that God would show me this child. I asked Him if I could just see Sergio’s face for a quick minute so that I’d know my sponsorship money was going to a real child. Our dorms were right across from the Go Ministries school, and I realized that Sergio’s school uniform in his picture matched the uniforms those kids wore. I prayed even harder that Sergio would walk by me one day that week, but he never did.

So fast forward to Thursday evening, right before dinner, I’m being told that my little boy, Sergio, is upstairs. He’s thirty feet above my bunk bed right now. I walked upstairs with my sister, Emily, and was eagerly met by the woman who runs this sponsorship program through the Go Ministries school. She knew exactly who we were and before she could get her words out, I spotted him. Sergio was real! In a matter of seconds he was sitting across from me, not even three feet away, and we were talking about school and all of his favorite things. He speaks Spanish, of course, but after studying Spanish all through college, I felt like I could handle a conversation with a four-year-old. He was exactly like in his picture: small with observant eyes and a kind, shy smile. I sat with him, his mom, and his younger sister. Sergio probably said three words during our time together, but I didn’t care. I was so overjoyed to see him. As our time ended and Sergio got up to leave, I knew in that moment that I had doubted God, I had questioned God, and yet He still came through above and beyond anything I could have dreamed up. God goes before us long before we even think things up in our simple minds.

9

Friday was a day of relaxation. We had breakfast and then took a bus “out of town” so to speak. We went and visited the grounds that will one day be a big sports training and vocational complex. With my background in sports and CrossFit, this of course spoke right to me. And with my fiancé’s background in professional baseball, I was especially interested in the vision of this project. In the coming years, the Go Ministries team will break ground and build an amazing complex for baseball, basketball, volleyball, other sports, and also vocational training like ESL (English as a Second Language). That also peaked my interest because I have a degree in Spanish and I’ve considered getting my certification to teach ESL someday. It was such a blessing to see this enormous vision coming to life for the ministry people and also the locals in the community. I hope to go back with Josh someday to see the finished project and volunteer.

Friday afternoon and overnight into Saturday, we ventured out to an all-inclusive resort on the beach. We sat by the pool, layed by the beach, and ate buffet-style for every meal. It was a fun but also relaxing time to think about what we did during the week and what we would do when we return to the United States. It was during this resort visit that I completed my Top Ten List.

10

Last but not least, my 10^th moment of my Top Ten List, is Saturday morning I hosted a nice little workout on the beach. We did the infamous “7-minute Workout” which is 7 squats, 7 burpees, over and over for 7 minutes. I had about 15-20 people join me. We had a good time! That workout is definitely different on the sand, that’s for sure! Doing the workout on the beach really doesn’t compare to the week of service and growth we had back at Central Church. But, it is a fun little thing to be able to say I did J

I cannot say enough thanks to the people who made contributions to my trip - both financially and through prayer. Without you, I wouldn’t have a Top Ten List, I wouldn’t have made a small dent in the construction project, and I wouldn’t be forever changed. This trip restored my faith in God and in the amazing gift of the Gospel. Our human nature pushes us to question things and to doubt rather than to believe in the unexplainable. As Christians, I now understand and believe in the power of retreating to rest, restore, and reconnect with the Body of the Church and with God Himself. Thank you for blessing me with that gift.

On A Quest

If you haven't heard of the protein bar pictured here, you better get ready! I was on a quest (pun intended) to find a low sugar, paleo-friendly "bar" - protein bar, fruit & nut bar, whatever. Everything I found or tried was natural, yes, but LOADED with sugar, which ultimately wasn't keeping me within my nutrition/fitness goals. Natural sugar is better than refined, but I still try to limit my sugar consumption. If you're like me, you'll LOVE Quest Protein Bars. They are a great protein snack and they definitely meet your sweet fix! With the protein and fat inside, they'll keep you fuller longer! I personally like the chocolate chip cookie dough and the double chocolate brownie. The vanilla almond & coconut flavors are great too. If you're a fan of fruits, try the fruity flavors too! Click the image here & start ordering! Use coupon code "WORKOUT" at checkout for FREE SHIPPING! (while code lasts) Contact me with questions - arsolvie@gmail.com 

Speak Up.

I learned two lessons this week, and they're somewhat interchangeable. Let me explain.

We had nice weather this week and so I chose to do my CrossFit workouts after work each night (about 5:00 - 6:00 PM or so). Unfortunately for me, the workouts were programmed with some type of running nearly every night. Running = something I'm bad at, something I hate, and something I really should be making myself do so that I improve. I wasn't looking forward to it, but I went to the gym anyway.

Each night, the running workout began, and within minutes I was miserable. My legs were more and more fatigued with each step I took on the hot concrete. I was silently counting down the seconds until the misery would be over. As I was quietly complaining to myself in my head, I realized that everyone else in the class was just as miserable as I was. Each person I passed or ran next to on the trail had the same look of fatigue, heat, and misery on their faces. Something came over me and I realized I could maybe help others finish up these awful workouts. With each person I passed or came up near, I offered a "good job!" or a "hey keep going - you're almost there!" With each encouraging word I spoke, I realized it was becoming easier and easier for me to focus on and complete my own workout. The misery and pity party I was having for myself started to vanish and I felt encouraged as well. I eventually finished each workout this week and felt better at the end than I did at the beginning. My small side comments of encouragement to others actually helped me - probably more than they helped the people I was actually talking to. This "phenomenon" made me realize that by speaking positive words to others, I was feeling positive myself. I was encouraging, so I felt encouraged. I was also keeping the focus on the success of the workout and praising the hard work, rather than focusing on the negative of it all.

My second lesson this week came quite unexpectedly. (For the sake of those involved, I'm leaving this very brief and anonymous.) I've never been one to be overly outspoken about my faith, Jesus, Christianity, etc. If asked, sure I'll share, but I don't necessarily offer my story or any personal information. You could say this is something I need to be more bold about - and I'm working on it. Well, God had a plan this week for me to seize an opportunity to share my story with someone. The "irony" here (and by irony, I actually mean the God-ordained appointment) came less than 24 hours after reading some encouraging words about sharing a testimony. The points made in the reading included: 1) it's your story so it's true and relative to you, 2) it involves a spiritual transformation that can only be explained as supernatural, and 3) the change in your like is backed by what the Bible says will happen when you choose to believe in and follow Jesus.

So keeping all three of those points in mind with regard to one's own spiritual story/testimony, I was presented with a conversation in which I could openly speak about my story. The topic of atheism came up among the group of people I was with this particular day. I openly and honestly asked one individual why he was atheist. He explained his points, and I listened. A shower of adrenaline and excitement came over my entire body when he finished speaking and I could not hold my words in anymore - they fell out. I told him I understood his points, and not just understood, but that I had been there. I grew up in a Christian home (like he did) and saw things that were hypocritical and pushed very hard against the Bible and Jesus. I didn't believe in anything really because I saw no proof or backing to it, just as he doesn't now. My words continued to fall out, and I knew he was somewhat shocked that I could relate. Then I took a turn in the conversation and explained why I was using past tense and saying that I "could relate" and "was there too". In my mind I went back to those three points about sharing your story - 1) my life experiences are mine and cannot be denied - I grew up in a broken home and at the age of 23 realized that all my life I'd been looking for something that friends, jobs, relationships, and hobbies could not fill. 2) I joined a small group and it changed my life forever - the first study we did ("Not a Fan" is the book) opened my eyes to the fact that Jesus is a relationship, not a religion. I'm saved because of what has been DONE and it's nothing I can DO. 3) the change in my life is exactly what the Bible says is in store for every one of us who accepts Jesus as our Savior and walks with him.

I kept my testimony brief, but I can tell you that by making the transition from where I was (which is where he is) to where I am now (which is proven by my life experiences and backed by the Bible), it was much easier for this individual to follow me. Now, I'm not saying that I converted him and he is a believer now, but I felt amazing after taking the opportunity to share. Just like my encouragement to others helped encourage me, so too did opening up about my story help me redefine my story and my faith. In a matter of 5 minutes, my faith felt restored again and even stronger than just 5 minutes before.

When I encouraged those other CrossFitters during the workout, it's possible they didn't hear me. It's possible they thought I was stupid and annoying and just wanted to finish the workout quietly. That's the sad truth. On the flip side, it's also possible that my words helped push them along and now their outlook on that workout is very positive. Maybe they even sped up and finished the workout faster than they thought they could. Either way, by speaking up, I felt better about the miserable, hot, sweaty, tiring workout. My mind was focused on other things and I became a stronger runner.

It's possible that my atheist friend was just being nice and not openly reacting negatively to me sharing my story about Jesus and my transformation. It's possible that he still doesn't believe anything at all. On the flip side, it's possible that by connecting his current life to my past life, and then connecting those to my current life, he's curious and more willing to listen when the topic of God comes up again. Either way, I left the conversation feeling more solidified and secure in my faith and in my story and it's ability to help others.

I'll close by summarizing a sermon I recently heard at Willow Creek. The pastor explained in his teaching that it's not up to us to get someone from being a non-believer to a full out Christian devoted to following Jesus. That's the job of God through the Holy Spirit. That spiritual transformation is not someone we humans can accomplish. We can, however, help spur someone on from point A to point B, or maybe even point B to point F over time. We cannot take someone spiritually from point A to point Z - that's God's job. Just like I couldn't make those runners finish their workout any faster or any stronger, I cannot take it upon myself to convert a non-believer. I can however, encourage the runner and share my story with the non-believer. It's my small act of hopefully helping take someone from point A to point B that is most important, while feeling uplifted, encouraged, and stronger in myself & my testimony along the way. When I do another running workout, I'll be better. I'll remember the encouragement I felt by encouraging others. When I have another opportunity to share my faith, I'll feel more confident in it. I'll remember how much stronger I felt after taking the change to speak up.