Dominican Dispatch: Finding the Flow

Hello there!

With another month in the bag, I am absolutely shocked at how quickly time is flying by! I've been down here about three and a half months now, and boy has it been both super hard and super fun!

These past four weeks have been full of peace, joy, and exploration as life has started to stabilize.

¿Más o Menos?

A common phrase in Spanish is "más o menos," which means "more or less." That's one thing I've been working through this month. Do I add more or less to my schedule? Am I really an introvert or an extrovert? How much can I really handle? How much interaction with people should I undertake? So far my strategy has been to add more! I've started attending two Bible studies every week with different friends from Doulos. There's definitely joy in fellowship with others, and it's been super up-building for me to study the Word with them!

One night after one of these studies, everyone had left except me and the older couple who hosted. We just sat on the porch and talked for about an hour. That was incredibly special and encouraging to me! I have so much I need to learn, and God has placed great people in my life for me to learn from.

Another great thing has been the opportunity to play guitar and sing songs together before Bible study!

A Week With Frandi

Meet Frandi. He's the husband of one of my co-workers, Grace Peralta. He actually graduated from Doulos years ago and worked here until recently. In my short time here, he's already become one of my greatest friends. Unfortunately, Grace's mother has very severe health issues, so Grace headed back to the States for a week to be with her. While she was gone, Frandi invited me to stay at his apartment. It was a really great time! Very grateful to have a bro I can hang out with. Their whole family really needs prayer though!

Seeds of Impact

Last week I was nominated by some of the 5th and 6th grade boys and won crew member of the week! I was super honored, and it helped me slow down and recognize that God's already planting great seeds of influence. The relationships with students I've started to develop have the potential to bear incredible fruit! I'm really humbled and extremely grateful.

I may not see all the results yet, but I already see God working through me to model His Gospel to the people around me. I just want to be used by Him to impact others for His glory. "Falling short" falls short of describing how I fall short at times, but that makes me all the more grateful and humbled when I see Him working through me.

Fun WyldLife Story

Last Monday we had our WyldLife club (it was birthday-themed), and I had the honor of doing the talk part! I felt led to share with the middle schoolers about Jesus in the garden praying in grief that the cup might pass from Him. To provide a visual and sensory emphasis, I made a disgusting juice. I've never felt so much like a chemist (or a witch) as I did while crafting that concoction. Various types of vinegar, cranberry juice, tomato juice, soy sauce, a bit of sesame oil (for extra flavor)–let me tell you, it was not delicious. I would not recommend it to anyone.

So I let all the kids smell it, and then offered it to anyone who wanted to try it. To my surprised, a whole bunch of them came up and demanded to taste it! So I let them. Unsurprisingly, they hated it, which really helped me nail home how hard it must've been for Christ to drink the cup the Father gave Him and how amazing it was that He submitted to His Father's will.

The kids wouldn't stop telling me that I poisoned them! Fortunately, no one's discomfort lasted too long, and everyone was okay! Praise the Lord! I hope they never forget the night I almost took out half of middle school.

Extra Highlights

My neighbor has a pet rabbit that's super cute and friendly! I don't know what they call him, but I dubbed him "Beans."

During my week with Frandi I got to go to a villa in the mountains with his family! The view was incredible and we had a great time!

A couple of the high school boys started a survival club, and I've been joining them every week! This has been a really fun and neat way to engage with some of the high schoolers, even though my direct ministry focus has mostly been on elementary and middle school students!

I purchased flight tickets back to Iowa so I can be home for Christmas! See ya soon Iowa family & friends!

Furnishing my apartment has been a challenge, but it's really coming together!

God has been so good.

Prayer Requests:

• My co-worker Grace's mom needs prayer! Her mom's health issues are very severe, and it's taking a huge toll on the whole family
• I still have so much learning and growing to do
• Pray that God would plant more seeds of faith in students' hearts
• Pray that I would grow in humility, not pride, as God continues to bless my life here
• Doulos is still raising money for the new land we're moving to! More Info

Author: Timothy Bemenderfer (10/31/2023)