Goodbyes can be hard.

Mosaic's work team left this morning, and a huge piece of me left with them. However, a huge piece of them stayed behind [with me]. Seventeen people came aging from twenty-two and upward, with four girls and thirteen guys. Here 's some thoughts from the week...

-At one point, we were praying after us girls led devotion. Ted, the pastor, was giving thanks for us sharing our hearts as women in the group. I realized when he said that I had completely forgotten we were so outnumbered by guys. That's huge in my book because I have felt uncomfortable around guys most of my life!! I know many people find that hard to believe because I've got lots of guy friends, but most of them are more of acquaintances than anything else. This week, I felt loved on and encouraged by guys of all ages, both single and married. I had godly examples in each of them, as they challenged each other and embraced each other as the unique individuals they are. I think I also felt comfortable around them because God is bringing me so much freedom in Him with each passing day here, more so than I've ever come to know before.

-I've got seventeen new, amazing friends who love the Lord in different ways and who are extremely different from each other.

-I don't know the last time I've laughed so hard or been so entertained; Mosaic, you need to start a stand-up comedy night. You'll raise all of Doulos' support for the entire school in thirty minutes.

-I felt empowered by God's gifts, grace, and strength through our service projects throughout the week; I don't remember the last time I worked so hard in the form of manual labor. (PHEW! I am sore in every way.)

-I did things I have never done before. We built a bridge to cross the creek at the Doulos coffee farm (Spirit Mountain), and we cleared and created a trail for mountain bikers to use. What hard, rewarding work that gave me hope and excitement for the future, with the knowledge that so many people are going to enjoy God's handiwork performed through us!

-I saw the most beautiful blanket of stars I think I've ever seen in my life one night when we were camping on the mountain...God stirred me in the night, and I opened my tent to a breathtaking view!

-I was FREEZING for the first time since I've been here; literally, I could not put on enough clothes. It was cloudy, rainy, and downright cold.

-We gardened and cleaned up the landscape outside of school and on the road. In America, we wouldn't have been on the median and in the street when cars and motos were whizzing by. Dominicanos were filming and taking pictures, enjoying the sight of us working so hard maybe??

-I was amused with myself and the growth God's pulled me to when we were building the bridge. After we had the posts in place (for the most part), it was time for the decking. I was walking across placing the wood slats down as we went, with gaps in between the boards. I used to be so afraid of heights, and I couldn't believe I was walking across an unfinished bridge confidently to add the decking! Hooray for positive change.

-Yoshi, my new friend, called me "outdoorsy." I used to want to have that word describe me, and now it truly does. That makes me smile.

-I held a beautiful, black and yellow snake on the mountain, and it was so fun to see God's creation so evidently in the palm of my hand!

-We spent the last night sharing encouragement with one another, learning in the Word, and praising Him through beautiful music filling the space at Las Villas. ("Oh, what a night...")

-I learned LOTS and LOTS about coffee. You should only buy organic. I usually don't say "should" as a highly suggested [mandate] to friends, but you should only buy organic. Did you know that everything else you're drinking is grown artificially with chemicals and pesticides out the wazoo?? Since the beginning, coffee has been a shade-grown plant. Next time, read your labels and make the best purchase decision! How was your coffee grown, or the better question is what do you really want to put into your body??

-A huge realization for me this week was wow, I'm growing up. At various points, I felt so mature but also like a grown woman. I had desires to hold infants that were around me, and not only hold them but truly love them. As I write this, I realize further that I am not simply maturing as a woman on this earth, but as a woman in Christ. He is maturing me just as He says we will become in James 1:4. I've had lots of things to persevere through in my life, but if this is where those struggles are bringing me -- bring it on!

-I learned some sign language from Olivia, another new friend who is amazing at sign, and I re-learned how to spell my name in ASL for the bazillionth time. While she helped me with that, I actually taught her some Spanish and how to ask our Haitian friend, Papito, questions. Man, sometimes we really do know more than we think we do!

-My eyes were further opened to everything Doulos Discovery School is doing here in the DR. At the coffee farm, there are sustainability efforts evident and nature is there for everyone to enjoy. There are mountain bike trails and walking trails, and creeks. The view is breathtaking, but the coffee plantation in that setting really does so much for the community both here in Jarabacoa and there in Manabao. A water source was extended to the community members that live below the farm, so they now have water inside their homes. A dream and vision of Chad and Krista is to one day build a pre-K/elementary age school in the valley to help children learn to read before going to public school. Maybe one day when that school is open, those children can receive scholarships to Doulos. Profit from the coffee farm is put right back into Doulos. The majority of the workers are Haitian who are paid well and truly have a relationship with Chad at the farm. Eagle scouts created outdoor facilities on the top of the mountain (kitchen and water source) as their final project, and now it's there for all to enjoy.

...TO BE CONTINUED...off to the beach (Cabarete) for the weekend! Finally.