It Was One Of Those Days

Have you ever just had one of those days when you wake up and stupid is just all around you? 

Have you had one of those days when you just cannot figure out what people are thinking?

You know, one of those days where you feel that you must be entering some kind of alternate world where nothing makes sense?  People do not make sense, even the people that are close to you make no since?  Even  I did not make sense!

Yep, I was having one of those days, yesterday.

If I could sink back into my pillow, hide under my comforter and sleep until everything was okay again and people were not acting crazy….

…I would never wake up.  I am sure that would happen, I would never wake up because I am sure that I will never understand what is going through some people’s mind and my mind as well.

Ugh, yesterday was just one of those days.

Then today, I realize how crazy I was acting.  How blessed I am, truly blessed, just not a little but a bunch of blessed is going on with me.  How dare I get upset with other people for how they were acting and for how I was acting.

How dare I get depressed and sad when I have so much to be happy over.  A home, food, clothing, running water…clean running water, healthy kids.  Silly, how I get so wrapped up in myself when there is so many people out in the world that has nothing…NOTHING.

Hmm, yep yesterday it was one of those days and today it’s one of those days when I got over myself and put it into perspective!

Speaking of perspective….I have started a private blog to talk about a few things.  I’m going to keep it private for a little bit until I can open it up to the public.  I would love to share a few things that are happening so If you would like a peek, please send me an e-mail and I will add you.  I, for one hate secrets, but it’s important for the time being…So if you are interested, e-mail at jpdbj (at) dtccom (dot) net.  The blog is located here.

Finally, More About Goats!!

 

God is good, He is amazing and His works are incredible so basically I could stop there but then what fun would that be??  My last goat post was here if you wanted to catch up, but so much has happened since then, that it just blows my mind!! 

When we left the DR we left the community with a list of goals that would need to be accomplished before we could move on.  It is so important that they take ownership of this project for it to be successful.  So we left them with the task of locating land for the project and to locate and identify forage that would be used to feed the goats. 

Before I go any further, let me explain Dominican time to you because their time is not like ours.  Here in America we rush with everything,  I think we are a hurry up and get-r-done kind of a nation!  In the Dominican their time is much slower.  If they say we are leaving at 8am, we would hurry up and be on the bus at 7:55am and then wait to finally leave at 8:30am.  So when we talk about time, their time table can be much slower than what we  would consider normal.

With that being said, when we left we did not know how long it would take them to be ready for their next set of goals.  We were really hoping that January would give them plenty of time to be ready for the “next” phase.  I am very please to say that last Monday I got a message from the pastor saying that they found land and were waiting for the next set of goals.  I WAS FLOORED!!  They moved so much more quickly that I ever thought they would.  Not only did they find land, but apparently there has been many meetings discussing the goat project.  Very encouraging.

So what does this mean?  What is this goat project all about??

This goat project will feed hungry children in their community.  Some of the  children that reside there that are being fed sugar water because there is nothing else for them.  Their hair has began to turn orange because they are not getting enough nutrients to sustain their hair color.

The leadership of this community know the great need and  the importance of having dairy goats and daily fresh milk that would provide the very thing that could literally mean life or death to some children.  Trust me, I am speechless when it comes to this.  I have found myself, more quiet and reserved, in awe of the magnitude of this project and the way it is coming together.  God is moving in a mighty way and I have a front row seat watching Him work.  It is so much more than I can explain in a few words on a blog on how big this is.  I guess that is one reason that I struggle with writing this post, because my words can not do this goat project justice. 

The biggest thing I can say right now, is God is good!  I will share more on this as the goat project moves forward and as it is now, could be changing daily.  I do appreciate your prayers more than I can express.  Right now, we wait and are ready to go back at a moments notice to get the goats in the community!

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner Or Starbucks Coffee Gift Card!

The results are in….Drum roll pleasssseeeeeeeee……..The winner is:  Melissa @ Melissa's Thoughts and she said...

Just because I can always depend on you to walk with me even if you forget your workout clothes. Love you!

AWWWWWWWWW!!  Congrats!!

Okay, really I have so much to say about the goat project and I promise I will get that posted really, really soon!!!!!   There is some really good things happening in that area and it keeps changing daily so, stayed tuned to some really GOOD stuff!!!

Again, congrats to Melissa!! 

A Little Pick-Me-Up For Me And One For You!

Just because today is Wednesday. 

Just Because my alarm did not go off this morning. 

Just Because, I once again filled up the hummingbird feeders this morning.

Just because I left my coffee sitting on the counter AFTER I poured it into a cutie little to-go cup as I rushed off to work.

BECAUSE  I received great news concerning the Goat Project…more on that tomorrow.

Just because I love my blogging friends so much…

That when I stopped this morning to get my soy chai tea, extra hot, no water added…just sayin’, that I got a $5 gift card for you!!

Leave me a comment with your “just because” and I will draw for a winner, tomorrow!!

They Call Me The Hummingbird Whisperer

On our porch there are two hummingbird feeders that are getting lots of use as of late.  These tiny little creatures can consume lots of hummingbird food, just sayin’!

Yesterday morning I went out before work to refill the feeders and while I was out there there were two little hummingbirds that were flying around me,  impatiently waiting for the feeders to be filled.  Demanding little boogers!

After I got done, I went and got my camera because I wanted to catch a few of these tiny birds on film.  I was standing there clicking away trying my best to get a picture because no matter how hard I tried, these little things are quick.  The funny thing is that my boys were inside laughing at me because there was a slew of humming birds flying around me and at one point I counted six and could not seem to get a picture of one of them. 

When I walked inside the boys called me the hummingbird whisperer…for some reason they thought it was funny, I think they are just jealous!!

To Much To Wrap My Brain Around…So You Get Randomness!

I have tried several time to write the second part of Goats…Goats…Goats, but I just can’t seem to get what is in my head, out.  Every time I try, there are just to many words.  Again, I try, but nothing I type is profound enough to explain what I feel or what is happening there in the Dominican.  So I have not posted anything.  This afternoon, instead of letting my blog waste away, I thought I would share a few random things with you.

We have this oasis of nothing-ness that is called our back yard flower bed.  I am not the creative gardener and after  all the hard work in the front flower bed this year and completing it,  all the creative genius left us.  One day while at the garden department at Wally’s they had discounted bulbs, so we thought, why not?!  Hubby and Bradley set out to randomly plant these suckers and hope that maybe something might pop up.  Well to our surprise things have been making their appearance and look what God’s beautiful handy work  showed up…

Next random subject…look what I made…

Let me introduce my wheat free, potato free and any kind of latex free pizza crust!!  Yay me!  I would say one thing I miss the most about having this crazy allergy is bread of any kind.  Pizza is an all time favorite of mine and if I had too, I could eat it three times a day.  Needless to say, it’s been tough not having it.  Saturday night was homemade pizza night.  While the family went hog wild with the usual traditional pizza, I set out on uncharted territory.  The crust could use a little tweaking, but I will get better, but to my surprise my pizza was Y-U-M-M-Y!!  Of course since I can not have tomatoes either, I made it with alfredo sauce, bacon, spinach and mushrooms!!  Yes, I am a little proud!!

Last really random thing?  I want to get creative for some craft ideas for craft projects for the Dominican children of La Cumbre.  When we go back we are wanting to make crafts that use useful hygiene items such as soap, toothpaste and things they will have use for in their homes.  I have found a cute little craft using soap and washrags making a fish that ties into the lesson of Jesus feeding the five thousand.  Do you have anything creative that might help us out??   I have searched the web for anything to make but am coming up short. 

Also, have you heard of flip flops being used to make trucks??  Someone said they are super cute, but I can not find anything about those…

Goats…Goats…Goats

Finally, I have a minute to sit down and talk about the goat ministry that is coming alive in the community of La Cumbre.  I will be honest, I have tried to stay calm about this ministry and not talk and get too wild about it, but honestly, I just can’t keep quiet any longer!!  I am so excited at how God is moving with this ministry and I can not wait to see it continue and come alive!! 

Here is where I first talked about the vision for a goat ministry.  If you are interested in going back and reading, click here.

There has been lots of research this year on how to get quality goats in the Dominican.  Many dead ends, lots of calls and no answers and a couple of calls with a Spanish speaking person answering the phone with me having no way to communicate with them.  But finally, I made contact with someone in the DR that could answer my questions and help me!  Paul & Linda are missionaries that moved from the states and began a goat farm near Santo Domingo in 1986.   Not only do they have a very successful goat farm, but also have started a school there in their community.  

   

We took eight members from the community of La Cumbre along with five members from our mission group and Daniel who is over World Servants, whom we partner with and his daughter to a day of “goat schooling”.  Linda laid out the importance of beginning a goat project for the right reasons, the hard work of making it successful and the importance of a co-op mentality.  

After some class room time, we hit the farm to learn about the forage and amounts needed to sustain the goats during lactation and also get up-close and personal with these very friendly and curious creatures!  I was so encouraged by the photos above and the interaction that was happening, all the way down to some note taking…very promising! 

So why was this day so important??  Because there were certain criteria that we felt would need to be met before we could move on.  The concern was when the goats were not lactating that they would be eaten. These alpines are massive, much bigger than many goats that they are used to seeing.  So we were so encouraged to have two men that wanted this project to succeed, so the goats would have the protection they needed from others in the community that might not understand the nutritional  importance of the milk these goats will provide.

    

For now I am going to leave this post at this.  There is so much for me to tell you, so stayed tuned for more!!

Also, I am asking for prayer for our family and some decisions that we are seeking.  I want to share more, but for now, I need to wait.  Thanks so much my wonderful blogging friends!

Dealing With Difficult People Is…Difficult

I have to go there and just say that biting my tongue is causing me a lot of pain…physically.  Really, I had to bite my tongue, rather hard not to let my mouth run and really say what I wanted to say and actually still want to say.

Difficult people can be so….DIFFICULT!!!

Just when I feel like giving up, I turn on my computer and the first thing I read was this:

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.  James 1:2-4 (The Message)

Wow, God is amazing…just when I was so frustrated, having my pity-party and lacking faith, I read those verses!!!  Just what I needed, just at the right time!! 

Okay, enough of that…

I am working on a post about my amazing trip to the Dominican and the goat project.  It has been such a busy week trying to catch up at home and work that I have been kind of behind on my blog post, but I promise I will share very, very soon!!  I am really excited about this ministry and can not wait to share more. 

Some Of The Children Of La Cumbre

 

Each year God has a plan for me when we embark on our mission trip to the Dominican Republic and this year was no different, with God placing on my heart a calling of beginning a goat project on the community of La Cumbre.  Of course in my doubting I felt that in no way could this ever work.  The big guns were pulled out and time after time during last week and children were placed before me with various needs.

Just a little back ground about La Cumbre.  This community is basically an outcast community that is between a major road.  It consist of about 275 families with an average of 7 children per family.  When I say family, most are single moms that are forced into prostitution to feed their children.   Most of these families has no jobs and will do anything to feed their children. 

I think the hardest thing to see is that quite a few of these children are suffering from lack of nutrition, have distended stomachs, green running noses and their hair is turning orange because they are not eating enough to sustain their black hair.

This is were it gets tough…how old do you think the little girl is in the above picture?  Of course sometimes it is hard to tell by pictures, but she weighs a fraction of what she should,  picking her up I would of guessed she was about 9 months old.  I knew she was not 9 months old, so I assumed maybe  there years old.  Three years old…..see her orange hair?  This poor baby girl not getting the food she needs.

This is her family.

This is her 15 day old baby sister, that is also very hungry.  It broke my heart to be holding a 2 week old baby that was desperately trying to eat when I had nothing for her and neither did her mother.  Here in La Cumbre it is not uncommon for a child not to get milk but once a day or every other day.  Most bottles consist of sugar water.

God did not waste anytime getting my attention this week with the importance of starting this goat project that he laid on my heart more than a year ago.  I am excited to say, the goat project is on it’s way.

More to follow…

La Cumbre 2010

My flight made it in last night at 11pm and I was so happy to be home knowing that my hubby was meeting me at the airport with our youngest son so happy and full of joy to see me.  After dropping off the luggage for our group at church, we made our way to McDonald’s for something cold to drink.  All the way home we caught up about the prior week, oh how blessed I am to have such a loving and supporting husband and family that was so excited that one, I went where God was calling me, doing what God called me to do, and secondly I was home.  Upon walking in the door the first thing I saw was a dozen roses welcoming me.  This morning getting ready for church my in-laws called to welcoming me home and to see how the week went.  Again, I am so blessed  to have such a supporting family.

Coming home is so bitter  sweet and as I try to settle back into my privileged life, air conditioned home with electricity and a refrigerator and pantry full of food, Fresh, clean running water, hot water to bathe with and a closet full of clothing, clean clothing is a little overwhelming.  

I just left a community full of outcasts,  scratching out a living where women are forced into prostitution because they are desperate for any income so they can feed their children.

I am overwhelmed.  

Tonight as I sit here typing this post out I can not put into words yet of what God is revealing about this trip to me.  I want to share a few pictures from this week and tomorrow I will go into more detail of each.  Thanks for praying for me this week.  It was amazing seeing God work in so many ways.