Hope, Health, and Healing

I have been back in Michigan for approximately 12 hours now, my sunburn still fresh from that unforgiving Dominican sun. But I couldn't wait to share what God did the past nine days and wanted to put "pen to paper" and share with you all some of the things that happened.

For those of you who don't know, I've been on a short term missions trip to the Dominican Republic with Hope International Ministries. Their mantra is to bring hope, health, and healing to the people of the Dominican Republic. That looks like sharing the good news of Jesus Christ and providing medical care where it is not easily accessible in the villages.

Over 2600 people were given medical care whether it was medical, dental, physical therapy, lab work or pharmacy.

Approximately 860 people gave their lives to Jesus! (LET'S GOOO!!!) I had the privilege of being a part of a few of those prayers. When someone gave their life to Christ or requested prayer for anything, we would take down their name, contact information, and note whether they accepted Jesus or not. That information is then forwarded to the local pastors so they can follow up with them and continue discipling them. Some of the people we prayed for were already believers (praise God!) and we were able to minister to them and encourage them in their walk with the LORD. Also, because of your prayers, a hurricane (Brett) was heading right for us and was expected to hit us as a Category 1, but unexpectedly it turned south and lost it's power. Then we had another tropical storm called Cindy who was also expected to turn into a hurricane, but it went north and lost it's power. According to the Weather Channel, these storms are extremely rare and only 6% of these storms form in June.

But it's not just the Dominicans I got the chance to minister to on this trip.

One of the days I was sitting with a young woman from another church and getting to know her. She shared how her five year old son was struggling with epilepsy and even something as mundane as lifting his head and looking at the sky could trigger an episode. I asked if I could pray for her and her son. I'm believing for a miracle of healing in that boy's life.

A small group of us prayed for a doctor seeking prayer because he wanted to make sure he was giving the best possible care to his patients. It's daunting to be practicing medicine in a place that's unfamiliar and sometimes it's tricky to know the diagnosis when it could be one hundred other things (remember when we were unsure if we had COVID or a cold?) I was able to sit with two young fourteen year old girls and read some of their fantasy fiction they are working on (I love the creativity in the body of Christ) and teach them how to properly sit in a hammock that I brought with me. I was able to connect with other missionaries going to Vanuatu, South Dakota, and Turkey and hear their heart and the needs for the places they were going.

I was also able to share my heart as well for Germany and what my role as a Missionary Associate would look like for the two years I'd be there. I handed out prayer cards to the people I connected with and asked that they would pray for me. I am so blessed to add so many prayer warriors to my arsenal. They asked good questions like when I would be leaving for the field.

Right now I am at 35% monthly commitments. Once I am fully funded and receive clearance from AGWM, I'm booking my ticket and heading out! Would you prayerfully consider joining my support team?

While I was in the Dominican sweating from places I didn't know I could, avoiding faux pas like flushing toilet paper, and working in 112 degree heat, I realized there is nothing better than the work of the ministry. Seeing dead people come to life, hard hearts becoming soft, and eyes filling with hope in the knowledge that there is a God who sees them, knows them, and loves them anyways. What full time work could be better than that?

Romans 8:18 "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us."

1. Prayer

• Thank you for praying for us in the Dominican Republic. Your prayers ensured our effectiveness and we could not do it without you watching our backs. Praise God for the fruit that we bore from this ministry!

• I am still support raising for Germany. Pray for the Lord to continue to lead hearts to give.

2. Financial Support. If you want to partner with me financially in order to send me, my missions account (tax-deductible), you can give here. Account # 298383 3. Share the News. I'm looking to share about my mission and seek those who are looking to partner with me. If you know of any small groups, churches, or people that are looking to financially support the spread of the gospel in Europe, any introductions provided or invitations to share are appreciated.

Marantha.