...it was very good.

"And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good." --Genesis 1:31

I was stretched to trust in these words on Friday.

As a precursor to taking our FORO collaborators there later this month, the seminary students and any missionaries who had not been were invited to visit "Kilómetro 28." Located near the capital, Kilómetro 28 is home to two government institutions that the Dominican Republic Lutheran Mission (DRLM) works in conjunction with. The goal of the partnership is fourfold: 

1. Forge a relationship with the director;
2. Provide training for the staff;
3. Share the Good News; and
4. Impact (improve!) the lives of people in all of life's stages.

We started at the Hogar Feliz (Happy Home), which cares for 33 abandoned adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Danelle briefed us on what to expect before we proceeded to the cramped comedor (dining room), where all of the residents were gathered.  

Many are wheelchair bound, whereas one man didn't stop marching around the room and clapping jubilantly. Most are non-verbal; some are better able to express themselves using sounds and body language than others. Each of us was paired with a friend; mine was a young woman in a wheelchair who didn't speak, so I don't even know her name or how old she was.

The program consisted of acting out a Bible story (Jesus raises Jairus' daughter), singing songs, praying, coloring, and doing puzzles. A woman just to my right clearly couldn't wait to color, but my friend seemed totally uninterested. In fact, she pushed me away a number of times. I knelt by her, pointed out various elements on the coloring sheet, and gently spoke God's Word to her while simultaneously reminding myself that she is a fearfully and wonderfully made child of God and not to take her rejection personally. Although it didn't appear that any of what was said or sung actually sunk in, I trust that the Holy Spirit will cause the Word to accomplish what He desires, regardless of her seemingly broken physical state (c.f. Isaiah 55:10-11). We concluded by blessing each person in the room, by name, with a benediction song.

From there, we made the short drive to the Social-Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center, a former psychiatric hospital that has undergone a 180 in recent years. In the not-so-distant past, residents were treated worse than zoo animals, as one employee described it. Now, it's a bright, colorful space where residents - again, adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, albeit higher functioning than those at Hogar Feliz - are evaluated on an individual basis and placed on track for reintegration into their families and society through a wide variety of therapies and activities. DRLM had a hand in hiring the current director, Marisol (below, in yellow); she's the perfect storm of passion, dynamism, and loving kindness. 

After debriefing over sack lunches, we left for Santiago and got back a little after 5:00...including a stop at a roadside souvenir stand for me to make one of my first purchases for my new house:

I can't stress enough how glad I am that I know when to expect when I go back to Kilómetro 28 in a few weeks, this time in a leadership role. The DRLM has undoubtedly made great strides in the realm of mercy work, one of two areas that the upcoming FORO will highlight. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen how missionaries - and short-term teams! - will continue to deepen and expand these types of efforts in the months and years to come, and I have a front row seat!

Until next time, blessings!