Pennies from Heaven

    

I found a penny today. That may not seem like remarkable news until you remember that I am in Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic and pennies are as scarce as hen’s teeth. (The younger generation may have to look up that expression.) What is equally remarkable is where I found it. To get to my second floor apartment door, I go through three locked gates. This penny was lying on the top of the stairs between the second and third gates. My upstairs neighbor goes through that space to reach her apartment, but she is Dominican. The chances of her dropping a U.S. penny are slim to none.

What really matters, though, is not the “how” but the “why.” Some years ago I read about a man who considered finding a penny on the ground to be a message from God. The words “In God We Trust” that are stamped on it was God’s way of reminding him that he could trust God whatever the circumstances of his life. I liked the idea and adopted it as my own. When I saw a penny, I picked it up and carried it in my pocket. Every time I touched that penny, I was reminded that I could trust Him. Eventually that penny would be lost from my pocket, hopefully for someone else to find and be encouraged. It never ceased to amaze me how God put those pennies in my path just when I needed them the most.

Some months ago when I was going through a difficult time here missing my home, family and friends, I thought about the penny, how much I could use one right then and how impossible the thought was. No penny appeared, but in other ways God brought me back to a place of peace. I forgot about the pennies....until today.

 In our Bible study group this afternoon, we were looking at perseverance. We have the strength to persevere by holding onto God’s promises. God uses hard times to mature us and changes us as we go through them. We can rejoice in hard times because we know there is more to come beyond this life. Toward the end of our time, we talked about those faith heroes mentioned in Hebrews who never received what they had been promised but still persevered to the end (Hebrews 11:39). I shared with the group about my oldest son, Clifford, whom I haven’t seen or heard from in over ten years. Every year that goes by, it gets harder – not easier – to accept. I have to face the questions, “What if I never see him again before I die? Will I continue to trust that God is holding him in the palm of His hand? Will I believe that I will see him in the life to come, if not in this one?" All I could say was that I want to hold fast, that I hope I will continue to believe no matter what.

 

 So I came home….to find a penny at the top of my stairs. All I could do was laugh. God is so good! What we cannot do on our own, through our strength, He does for us and in us. The words engraved on the penny, “In God We Trust” are engraved on my heart, “In God I will trust”. Yes, I will trust the One who loves me and my son with an unfailing love, who carries my son in the palm of His hand, who brought reconciliation through His death on the cross to a world separated from Him by sin. Nothing is too hard for Him.

 

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.                    Hebrews 12:1-3

 

 

 

 

 

Tengas cartas and so much more....

For the past two months, I have been trying to write a blog post about sponsorship. I’ve started over more times than I care to say – this being one of those restarts. I’ve given up…only to be drawn back to it again and again. Yesterday, I spent the day at the Santo Domingo School – about 150 kids in a 4-room house in a neighborhood that offers no other school. I know I have to try again.

Sponsorship is the life blood of Kids Alive. The money provided through the sponsorship program enables Kids Alive to educate, clothe, feed, provide medical care and a safe place for many children to live, grow and come to know Jesus. As each child in the program becomes fully sponsored, Kids Alive is able to reach out to additional children and bring them in to offer the same help to them.

Today, I just want to give you some “snapshots” in words and photos of how I see sponsorship at work every day.

Hopeful faces, bright smiles and two words – “Tengas cartas?” – greet me when I come to The Ark. Someone always asks – not always the first person, but someone…or two…or three. And it isn’t only at The Ark. If they see me at ANIJA or at church on Sunday morning, the question comes. For some, it is wishful thinking because even at Christmas, they didn’t receive any mail. For others, it is with great expectation because they regularly receive letters, cards or emails. Whatever the case, those two words, “Tengas cartas?” are on their lips.

 



Grocery day at the Ark-Jarabacoa. What does it take to feed 50+ kids, their house parents and their family? Lots and lots of food! As soon as the van pulls up, the word is spread. Everyone who is available comes to unload and sort the groceries. When it's all out, the director goes through the list, item by item, and  tells each house how much of each item they ordered. Someone from that house gets the item and takes it to their spot to wait until the next item for them is read. Such patient cooperation as the food is distributed!

 

The kids at the Ark eat every day. Some of the students at the care centers and schools aren’t as fortunate. One boy, when asked his favorite day of the week, replied, “Monday, because I get to eat again.”

 

Waiting their turn

 



Parents who fuss over them – helping with homework, doing nails and hair, playing soccer, working on motos or bikes.  Parents who discipline and love and teach the responsibilities of being part of a family.

Cleaning day at the Ark



Shoes that have been washed

 
 

Helping with laundry

Jump rope

Soccer

 

Coloring

 



Santo Domingo School

Teachers who go above and beyond. A common theme that I heard over and over again when enrolling children in the school at Santo Domingo was that the child was doing this on his own. No one at home helped them in any way. At this same school I heard the story of how one teacher helped change a boy’s life. This is his story:

Santo Domingo School

When Jose started coming to school at Miancerg, he was very quiet. He didn’t know how to communicate with the other students and didn’t play with them during recess. He had trouble in his classes and wasn’t advancing academically. The directors at the school spoke to his mother about his behavior in school and the fact that he wasn’t progressing. His mother said that her other children had similar problems. They told his mother that he needed more help and started praying for him. His teacher prayed specifically asking what she could do to help. She put his desk right next to her and began investing in him. With a lot of love, patience, motivation and extra help, he started to change. Now he has a beautiful smile and interacts well with his classmates. He plays with them at recess. When there are questions in the class, he is the first one to raise his hand and ask. He is also one of the first to finish his classwork. God has done an amazing work in him through prayer and a teacher’s willingness to listen to God and follow His direction.

 

Worship at Caraballo

 A chance to learn about God and His love. There are Bible classes and worship time. There is church on Sunday morning. There are the one-on-one conversations between parents, teachers, Kids Alive volunteers and the children in the programs. There is AWANA and vacation Bible schools. There are Bible story books and Bibles in the library. One of the most incorrigible boys at one of the schools was fascinated with a Bible in the library. We may not see the fruit yet, but the Word of God is being planted in their hearts and it will do a good work.

Reading a Bible story

 

 

 

 

Bible class at Santo Domingo School

So why am I telling you this? For most people when they hear the word “sponsorship”, they immediately think about what it will cost them. It’s true. From your side – the side of those reading this blog – sponsorship will cost you something. But may I challenge you to think from the other side – the side of the children here who still need help? For them, it isn’t just about money. For them, sponsorship is about hope – hope for survival….hope for a future….hope for a letter from someone they have never met who cares about them.

As you go through the next several days or weeks, would you pray and consider if God wants you to become a sponsor, to be the person who can offer that hope to a child who needs it? When He says, “Do it,” you can go to the Kids Alive website, www.kidsalive.org, and do a search for the age range, sex and country of a child. I hope you choose the Dominican Republic because these are the kids I know.  You can call the Kids Alive home office (1-800-543-7330) and talk to Traci H., Rachel or Tracy B. in the sponsorship department. They will help you find a child. Or, you can contact me at ksuegreen52@gmail.com . I will be glad to recommend some children who don’t have any sponsors yet and would love to have one.

 

To those of you who already sponsor a child, thank you! You are making a difference in the life of a child!

God bless!

 

Karen

My mom

Over Christmas break, I spent three wonderful weeks back in the States. First, I flew into Cleveland, OH for one of my girls’ weekends with two long-time friends, Linda and Cecile. We laughed, cried, talked, shopped, ate and watched movies. Then Linda and I drove back to Goshen where most of my family and friends waited.

 

 

Wild Women of Waterford

It was a glorious two weeks of seeing how much the grandkids had grown, talking and laughing with friends catching up on their lives, visiting some favorite restaurants and, yes, more shopping. I had been warned about culture shock – being overwhelmed by all the choices at Walmart, for example – but I guess I hadn’t been gone long enough. I was just thrilled to be able to buy some chocolate chip mini-muffins!

 

 

Grandkids

Those two weeks ended with my family weekend. For several years now, we have rented a lodge at Epworth Forest and all my kids and grandkids who are able spend Friday through Sunday together. I think the lodge sleeps 32. There were 28 of us this year and one family was not there. We may have to find another lodge. J

 

Dani and Andi

 

My final stop in the U.S. was College Station, Texas to visit my son, Jay and his family. Again, such a special time playing with my two granddaughters and catching up on Jay and Tommie’s lives.

 

 

During my entire visit, I always knew I was returning to the DR. There was never any question about that in my mind. I thoroughly enjoyed everything I was doing with all the special people back home in the States but my apartment, my job, my other kids were in Jarabacoa. That’s why my reaction when I returned to the DR caught me by surprise. Culture shock, maybe. More like emotional shock – arriving back at my apartment in Jarabacoa, it hit me that I would not see my family again for a year. And, I had to ask myself, “Why? Why did I think that I wanted to come to a country where I couldn’t understand anything that was said around me? Why did I want to be so far away from my kids and grandkids?” That night, for the first time since leaving my home on April 28, 2014, I cried myself to sleep.

I wish I could say it was a one night thing, but it wasn’t. God’s mercies are new every norming, but my attitude and thoughts weren’t. My questions continued throughout the following week. I even questioned the warm weather and the green leaves on the trees. Having prayed to miss blizzard conditions on my visit to Indiana, now I realized that living in the DR meant I would also miss the fresh new life that spring brings. As I stepped back into my routine, I was faced again with the mountain roads, crazy drivers, power outages, dirt, bugs…..the list could go on and on. At some point the thought occurred to me that this struggle was all about commitment. I needed to remake that commitment to God, to Kids Alive, to the children and work here, to myself. To be honest, I wasn’t ready to do that at that point in time.

Today, I am ready to make that commitment again – and this is why. During that week of struggle, I watched the movie, “The Good Lie.” It’s the story of the lost boys of Sudan. While the children in the DR don’t face soldiers hunting them down with machine guns, they do face other “enemies” – starvation, physical & sexual abuse, neglect, abandonment, illness and other medical problems for which there are no readily available remedies.

 

 

This battle became very real to me last week as I had the privilege of enrolling ten more children in the sponsorship program. Looking at their faces and then listening to their stories of convoluted family relationships – not knowing how many brothers and sisters you have because your mother and father have had so many partners, not knowing who your father is, generations of sexual promiscuity. Suspected physical and sexual abuse, but no proof and even if there was proof, there is little legal recourse. Parents abandoning their children to go to other countries, legally or illegally. Extreme poverty, neglect, starvation.  Without the schools and homes Kids Alive provides, many of these children face destruction and death just as surely as any child in an actual war zone.

   
So I am here. I know I will need to remake my commitment over and over again. I will struggle with missing my family and friends. I will struggle with the realities of life in Jarabacoa and the DR. I will get tired and frustrated and, sometimes, sad.

But I will also experience joy and laughter and good times. I will be a part of the transformation of life for as many children as possible. I will see the smiles, the changes, the growth and the renewed health. Jesus said, “Let the children come” and that is why I am here – to help provide a safe place for even more children to come.

 

 

Jesus…..Chose US!

We have been reflecting on the choices we need to make if we want to see Jesus this Christmas season or any time.  But have we ever considered that Jesus first had some choices to make if we were ever to be able to see Him?  

These choices involved the two most significant events of his life – his birth and his death. Without one, the other would have been meaningless. His birth alone could not save us; his death alone meant nothing if he were not born as one of us.

As we close our time together, I invite you to spend a few minutes reflecting upon these two choices and what they mean for you.

Jesus chose to become one of us.

Philippians 2:6-7

⁶ Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

⁷ rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.

Have we ever considered what it meant for Jesus to come to earth as a baby? What He gave up? Not his divinity, of course. He remains fully God. But He chose to become fully human with all the physical limitations that involves. He chose to experience pain, hunger, exhaustion, temptation so that we would have an example to follow.

 

¹⁷ For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God...      ⁸ Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. Hebrews 2:17-18

 

What a gift for us! Take a moment to reflect on what this gift means and what you might give to Him in return. It might be your choice to obey, to change your mind, to overcome some fear or to believe His promise. Or it might be something else altogether.

When you have decided, take a piece of colored paper, write the gift you are giving to Christ on it. Find a place to put this paper - under your Christmas tree, in the wreath on your door, in your manger scene - wherever you will see it and remember your gift to Him.

 

 

Jesus chose to die on the cross

so that we might live.

John 10:17-18

¹⁷ The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

 

Jesus chose to suffer and die for us. It wasn’t a choice that was made lightly. We know that He struggled with what this decision meant. Luke 22 tells us that He agonized, sweating drops of blood as He wrestled with this decision. Yet He chose…..us.

 

Why did He do this? One reason and one reason only….Love.

 

¹³ Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends... ¹⁵ I no longer call you servants … Instead, I have called you friends…                   John 15:13,15

 

Today I invite you to celebrate, not only Christ’s birth, but His death and resurrection that demonstrated His unconditional love for each one of us.

 

Many of you will celebrate communion during your Christmas Eve service at your church. As you do, remember that Jesus chose you!

 

If you would like to celebrate communion now as part of your reflection, I invite you to find a piece of bread, cracker or cookie and something to drink, juice, water or pop and follow the instructions below:

 

¹⁴ When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. ¹⁵ And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. ¹⁶ For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”                  Luke 22:14-16

 

What would you have thought when you heard these words? How would they have made you feel?

  

¹⁹ And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”                  Luke 22:19

 

Take the piece in your hand. While you hold it, think about what it meant for Jesus to go to the cross. As you eat it, thank him for offering his body to be broken for us.

  

 

²⁰ In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.^”                            Luke 22:20

 

Pour the juice or other liquid into a cup. Think about his life blood pouring out for us, washing away our sins, bringing us new life. As you drink, thank him for being willing to give his blood for us.

 

Sit quietly for a few moments and think about the choice that Jesus made. Because He chose us, we can see Him and have a personal relationship with Him - not just at Christmas, but every day of our lives. All we need to do is...

 

     choose to obey

 

               choose to change our minds

 

                         choose to overcome our fear

 

                                   choose to believe His promise.

 

 

 What will you choose?

 

 

 

 

May every blessing

of this Christmas Season be yours!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Wise Men ……..

Chose to Believe the Promise

 

Matthew 2:1-11

 

The wise men were men of great learning, rich and held in high esteem by their society. Perhaps they were wise men from Babylon, descendants of those who served under King Nebuchadnezzar during Daniel’s time. 

Today we would call them astrologers. In their day, astrology and astronomy went hand in hand – science and superstition. The wise men followed the patterns of the stars religiously. They had seen an unusual new star in the sky and knew that it told of the birth of a special king -  a promise for all who would see.

No one really knows what this new star in the sky was, although there are many theories. Perhaps it was a comet, a supernova, a conjunction of planets or… something supernatural. Whatever it was, it ignited hope in the hearts of the wise men, and they followed the star.

What are you hoping for this Christmas? Do you hope that your family will get along and you can enjoy the family gathering? Do you hope that you won’t be alone?

 

 

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem ² and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

 

The star the wise men saw offered the promise of the birth of a King. We don’t need to look to the stars today for our promises because we have the Bible that is filled with God’s promises for us.

Believing the promise for the wise men meant taking a risk – setting out on a journey that some say took years to complete and was filled with dangers from robbers, weather and terrain. Yet, they persevered and determined to hold on to the promise.

 

What promise has God given to you?

 

What risk or journey will be required of you to see the promise fulfilled?

 

What if the journey takes years?

 

³ When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴ When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. ⁵ “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

⁶ “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

 

⁷ Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. ⁸ He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

 

King Herod was upset when he heard the promise. Matt 2:13-18 describes what Herod did to prevent the promise from being kept.

 

Have you shared the promise God gave you with anyone? What was their reaction?

 

If their reaction was negative, what will help you hold on to the promise?

 

⁹ After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. ¹¹ On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.                                               

The wise men brought gifts with them because they believed the promise – the birth of a king.

       Gold – a gift for a king

 

      Frankincense – incense used by priests

 

      Myrrh – perfume used to embalm bodies

            

Each gift represented a fulfillment of a promise:

            Jesus is our King.

      Jesus is our High Priest.

      Jesus is our Sacrificial Lamb.

 

Take a few moments. Think about the promise God has given you.

 

What gift could you offer to God that would demonstrate your belief in His promise?

 

Because the wise men chose

to believe the promise, they saw Jesus.

Will you?

 

Next time, we will consider the choices Jesus made so that we could see Him.......

The Shepherds…….. Chose to Overcome their Fear

Luke 2:8-20

The words, “shepherds watching their flocks by night,” paint an idyllic picture of peace and beauty that we associate with the Christmas season. The reality of  shepherds’ lives during Jesus time, however, was far from idyllic. 

Shepherds were the social outcasts of Jesus’ day. They were considered thieves and blamed when sheep came up missing from the flock. Living out of doors 24/7 meant they were filthy and smelled like sheep and all that goes with them. The duties of their job brought them in daily contact with insects, blood, feces and carcasses of animals which made them ceremonially unclean.

Being rejects, losers, mistrusted and despised, it is not too hard to imagine that they might have had much to fear from life and others around them.

 

What is your greatest fear this Christmas? Do you fear the expense, the tension of seeing certain family members or perhaps you fear buying the wrong gift?

 

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  

Sometimes as we go about our daily life, God steps in and does something that surprises or even scares us. That’s what happened to the shepherds

How has God surprised you recently? Has this “surprise” been a welcome one or has it caused you to be fearful of what it might mean? In what way(s) are you afraid?

 

¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

The angel’s first words to the shepherds were “Do not be afraid.” Those are God’s words to us, also. The shepherds did not need to be afraid because the angel had great news for them.

Is it possible that God also has good news for you? What good might come from the “surprise” God has given you?

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

The shepherds heard the news and decided to act upon what they heard. In spite of their fear, they chose to see if what the angel said was true.

 What will you do about the “surprise” God has given you? How will you find the good news that God has for you?

  

¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.

¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

           

The shepherds found that God’s word, spoken through the angel, was true. They celebrated by telling everyone they met.

 

How will you respond when God’s word comes true? Will you share the good news with others?

 

Because the shepherds chose

to overcome their fear, they saw Jesus.

Will you?

 

Next time we will see what the wise men had to choose…