Even in the desert... God remains

This is my prayer in the desert.
When all that's within me feels dry.
This is my prayer in the hunger and need.
My God is the God who provides.

And this is my prayer in the fire.
In weakness or trial or pain.
There is a faith proved of more worth than gold.
So refine me Lord through the flames.

And I will bring praise.
I will bring praise.
No weapon formed against me shall remain.

I will rejoice.
I will declare.
God is my victory and He is here.

And this is my prayer in the battle.
When triumph is still on its way.
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ.
So firm on his promise I'll stand.

I will bring praise.
I will bring praise.
No weapon formed against me shall remain.

I will rejoice.
I will declare.
God is my victory and He is here.

All of my life.
In every season.
You are still God.
I have a reason to sing.
I have a reason to worship.

I will bring praise.
I will bring praise.
No weapon formed against me shall remain.

I will rejoice.
I will declare.
God is my victory and He is here.

And this is my prayer in the harvest.
Where favor and providence flow.
I know I'm filled to be emptied again.
The seed I've received I will sow.

"The Desert Song" by Hillsong United

I heard this song live about a month ago at the Passion 2010 Conference in Atlanta, GA, a Christian conference for college students worldwide...there were over 23,000 students there, and they raised over $1 million in cash donations to 10+ international causes ranging from clean water projects to sex trafficking border patrol outposts.

This song by Hillsong United has been on my mind all day.

Here, I come face to face with pain, suffering, and death. Every single day.

After being here for two days, there was a record-breaking earthquake in Haiti, where over 150,000 people died in a matter of minutes.

Two weeks ago in St. Louis, my great Aunt died.

Monday, a previously perfectly healthy Creighton senior fainted, had a heart attack (from a pulmonary embolism) and passed away yesterday morning.

Tuesday, two American friends of Padre Bill (the chaplain here) flew in their personal helicopter from the US to land in our backyard at ILAC. They loaded it up with supplies and flew to Haiti the same day. They returned yesterday to get more supplies. I stood there and watched them take off to head back to the border. This morning, I woke up to hear that their plane had crashed into the mountains close to Dajabon, a border town that is one of the poorest villages in the world. Both men died. We had mass for them this afternoon in the chapel.

Meanwhile, I am confronted by my daily experiences in the DR with suffering, sickness, lack of sanitation, electricity, and health care, malnutrition, corrupt government, racism, even a lack of basic clothing. Jeffery, my 6-year old Haitian buddy at my service site, ran around the other day with his caked-in-mud thumb in his mouth, wearing pants two sizes too big and no belt or undies, with his little black butt hanging out.

I know people who are injured, pregnant, in physical pain, grieving, and are lost in their faith.

There are children in the DR and other developing countries that die every day from diarrhea. Not even kidding. Do people understand how preventable that is?

To satisfy the world's sanitation and food requirements would cost us only $13 billion, what the people of the United States and the European Union spend on perfume each year. That is so messed up!

"Street crime and terrorism -- real evils, to be sure -- dominate the news. Meanwhile, poverty kills many times their victims" Dean Brackley, The Call to Discernment in Troubled Times

In a world consumed by so much evil, where is God?

What can I say?
What can I do?
But offer this heart,
Oh God,
Completely to you.

"I'll Stand" by Hillsong United

In class, we're discussing hard questions like this one. As Christians -- as humans -- we're called to contemplate the real world, its sin, and our part in it. We're called seek it out and understand it, not to run. We're called to face it, not to hide. In order to become more fully human, we have to come to terms with the evil in our world.

But how? I feel like the 39th witness in the murder of Kitty Genovese (1964), just another person in the crowd who feels like she doesn't know how or have the ability to make a difference.

"Responding to massive injustice according to each one's calling is the price of being human, and Christian, today. Those looking for a privatized spirituality to shelter them from a violent world have come to the wrong place... These turbulent times disclose our need for a discipline of the spirit. To respond to our world we must get free to love. That involves personal transformation, which includes coming to terms with evil in the world and in ourselves, accepting forgiveness and changing." Dean Brackley, The Call to Discernment in Troubled Times

Today was the end of our first of three 3-week sessions of classes. I cannot believe I've been here for a month... time has absolutely flown by. My microfinance elective class is over, along with a temporary break from all forms of homework and studying. Woo!

Tomorrow, Comunidad Nueve (our group) starts a new chapter, our first immersion experience... 10 days of living and serving in solidarity with Dominican campesinos, or famers. We're heading about 45 minutes away to a Campo Urbana, a poor urban community, called Hato Viejo. The community has about 500 families and it is surrounded by rice patties! Starting tomorrow night, we will be living one-on-one with a family - our second moms, dads, brothers, and sisters. During the day, we're completing projects as a group to serve the needs of the Hato Viejo community, such as building latrines, putting in concrete floors, putting a roof on a house, and building a house for a family of four. We eat meals together during the day and spend nights hanging out with our families... talking, sitting around in plastic chairs, dancing, dominoes.

I think I'm most excited to get away from school and ILAC and the bustle of life here, just to go relax and be with the people in the campo. I can't wait to live with them and get to know my family and be completely immersed in the culture. Because as much as I love ILAC and Santiago, we're still somewhat in our little Creighton bubble where we have internet and class and speak English with our friends. In the campo, we'll be speaking Spanish 95% of the day, there will be no internet, no technology, hardly any toilets, electricity, and shower water... I'm going to become a pro at bucket showers, I hear! I'm really excited to just be. To live in the moment and have no other cares in the world but being present to those I'm serving and living with.

We'll be in Hato Viejo for 10 days, and then we go immediately into a two day retreat to reflect and process everything. After that, we have our spring break! (A little early, I know.) Some people's families are coming to visit, but my family isn't coming until Easter break, so I'm going to travel around the DR a little with some of the girls in my group... should be pretty awesome! Whale watching, 27 waterfalls, Carnaval celebrations (DR independence day, Feb. 27), beach, etc. Yay! We don't start second session classes again until March 1 :)

So that was a lot of information... but there's a lot going on here, a lot to think about! I miss everyone a lot and I hope things are going well in the states... try to keep warm!!! That's all for now.


Melissa


In my life, be lifted high.
In our world, be lifted high.
In our love, be lifted high.

"Came to My Rescue," Hillsong United