as we hope in you

Our soul waits for the LORD;

He is our help and our shield.

For our heart is glad in him,

because we trust in his holy name.

Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us,

even as we hope in you.

Psalm 33: 20-22

to know and to believe

I have the awesome opportunity to be writing progress reports right now. I find out how kids are growing- physically, socially, personally, academically, and spiritually. Then I write about each child so that their sponsors who love them and pray for them can be encouraged about the work that God is doing in these children.

In doing this, I find out some super exciting things and also some really heavy things. Just wanted to share with you about Gilberto, this great looking kid in the photo above.

I asked him if he is a Christian and he said, "Not yet, but really soon I am going to decide to follow Jesus!" We talked about it a little more and he said, "Don't worry Emily, I will tell you as soon as I make the decision".

I am so encouraged that the Holy Spirit has already been working in Gilberto's heart as he learns more and more about God's love. I was reminded of this passage as I think about Gilberto and am praying these things for him.

From 1 John 4...

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us.

April Update

Here is the update letter I recently mailed and emailed out. If you would like to be on either of these lists, please send me an email (emilyrbill@gmail.com) and I would love to add you!

      

Dear Friends and Family,                                                                    April 2013            

What a joy to celebrate the Resurrection!  It’s the hope I have because of my risen Savior, and God’s grace that has allowed me to live and serve in the D.R. these past 6 months!

As I LOOK BACK on the last few months, here are some of the highlights:

January

-Enjoyed a wonderful visit with my mom and sister Megan.

-Helped host a team of high school students who came to do work projects and lead a VBS.

February

-Met with counselors from Mission Training International for debriefing, processing, and learning about how to manage the stress of living in a different culture.

-Hosted several “mini-teams” who came to our Care Center to learn and serve.

-Finished Easter sponsorship projects with our kids to send back to their sponsors.

March

-What a beautiful opportunity to pray with Elito, a boy at our care center, who decided to follow Christ!

-Administered intestinal de-worming medication to all 300 kids (I included myself just to be safe).

-Had a super fun visit with my aunt Jeanine and sister Becca.

In addition to these highlights, I have been continuing in my school nurse and Sponsorship Coordinator roles which give me a million opportunities to love on these precious ones in my life. I am so grateful for opportunities to offer a word of encouragement, be an advocate, visit a home, dry a tear, put a Band-Aid on, give a hug, pray with a child, help a visitor connect with the ministry, laugh, and LOVE.

I cannot say that these last months have been easy, but I am so encouraged by God’s presence, peace, and joy in my life and in the ministry here. During this Easter season, the truth of Christ’s victory over death and sin is such an encouragement. Sometimes when I feel inadequate and overwhelmed, I wonder, “What do I have to offer these children?”  And then I’m reminded of the answer: “EVERYTHING because of what Christ did for me on the cross and the new life I have in him. “

 

As I LOOK FORWARD, here are some highlights:

April

-I will have the opportunity to travel to Haiti to visit the Kids Alive ministry site. This will be helpful to learn about the country and culture because so many of the children I work with are Haitian.

-I am currently working on updating progress reports and photos for all of our kids to send to their sponsors. It’s exciting to report how our children are growing spiritually, academically, and physically.

May

-I’m really grateful for the opportunity to come home for a visit. I will be in the Midwest from May 15-29. I would love to see many of you!

June

-Starting in June, several work teams will be here to minister and my role will be hosting them. Please pray that the Lord will give me confidence, wisdom, and sensitivity.

-Our site will also be hosting college-aged summer interns. I am excited to be involved with them and help give them opportunities to serve and love the little and the least.

I would like to share some areas of growth in my responsibilities within the ministry and one of the needed tools to help me in this area. My responsibilities have grown to include helping with team hosting/short term intern hosting and as part of this, having a vehicle will help in my effectiveness in this area. I will be splitting the cost of a vehicle purchase with my roommate and we will be able to share the use and expenses for a vehicle. We are purchasing a Honda CRV which is a great vehicle for both the rough roads as we travel to Caraballo as well as gives us space for passengers and cargo as we work in the ministry. My share of the cost of the vehicle will be approximately $5,750. The great news is that because of the generosity of you my ministry partners, I have some extra funding that has come in that will help cover a good part of this cost. This amount will cover all but $2,000 of the purchase price. This is the amount that I need to fully cover the cost of the purchase.

In addition to the purchase, I will have some additional monthly costs for fuel and repairs and I need to raise an additional $140 in monthly support.

This vehicle will expand our ability to minister to the kids in Caraballo. I see it as an additional tool that I will have that can be used to increase my effectiveness in my daily interaction to the kids I see each day as well as the visitors that come to assist in the ministry.

Would you consider helping with the initial $2,000 needed for the vehicle purchase or the $140 needed on a monthly basis? Thank you for your partnership with me, for allowing me to serve here in the DR as part of your care for these precious kids. I am here because of you. Thank you!

Emily Bill                                

I would love to stay in touch!  
emilyrbill@gmail.com

For more details and stories, check out my blog: emilyrbill.blogspot.com

Emily Bill

Unit 3049 KAIDR

3170 Airmans Drive

Ft Pierce, FL 34946

Kids Alive International- 2507 Cumberland Dr. Valparaiso, IN 46383- www.kidsalive.org- 1-800-KIDS-330

favorite Saturday

Have I mentioned that our Care Center uses the Awana program? It gives kids opportunities to compete in fun games, memorize Bible verses, and learn more about applying God’s word to their lives. Awana is used in many countries around the world, and let me tell you, in this little corner of the world, it is a BIG DEAL.

Yesterday was the “2013 DR Awana Games Competition”.

Rewind a few weeks- our Awana leaders chose 13 kids to represent our care center. These kids were chosen for good behavior, character, Bible knowledge, and…..speed! There have been rigorous practices going on for the last several weeks. The team was pulled out from classes to train, strategize and improve. The kids that were chosen to go range from 4^th grade to 8^th grade, but during the practices they were practicing against our older kids who are 17 and 18 so that they could get even better. I’m telling you- we were taking this really seriously. So day after day, I saw kids running their hearts out around the Awana circle, implementing new strategies from their coaches, and growing in excitement about the big competition.

The kids on the team got picked up Friday night and got to spend the night in our team house in Montellano. This in itself was quite a treat! I’m sure it felt so special, knowing that most of them have probably not been on too many trips or vacations or ever stayed in anything close to a hotel. They got a special dinner, slept in the bunkbeds, got showers, and got up super early for the long journey to Constanza!!

Constanza is a beautiful site up in the mountains where Kids Alive also has a residential center and a care center (similar to ours). And of course, where the big competition was hosted!

Karen and I spent the night with Alberto and Lidia and their extended family so we met up with the team early Saturday morning for the treck up the mountains. Hmmm…how to explain this mountain drive??? Super curvy- not for the faint of heart- or those prone to carsickness! Even though all the kids were given Dramamine before we took off, we still had a few issues. This drive is a little crazy for anyone, but especially for kids who rarely travel. Without getting into too many details, Karen and I tag teamed the vomit cleanup in the guagua ;) Even though there was some nausea, there were also some really sweet moments on that drive. Like sitting next to Chilove and getting to hold her hand while she was so afraid and then being a shoulder for her to sleep on when she couldn’t keep her eyes open anymore, and being able to listen to her excitement about seeing the different kinds of trees and the mountain scenery along the drive.

Okay…fast forward. We finally arrive at the site in Constanza and prepare to compete! There were 6 teams total who brought their fastest. It was so fun to see our kids walk around and get their bearings in a new place. I wondered if they would be nervous, but I was so proud of them to see how they carried themselves with such confidence and dignity (like they should because they are great!). Many of our kids are of Haitian origin so naturally their skin is darker than others and there were some comments made about our team, but our kids didn’t let it get to them. I was so proud of them.

During the first round of games, they rocked it!!! They were getting 1^st and 2^nd place on every game and the team spirit was amazing. Karen and I decided that we would of course be the cheerleaders and we brought posterboards to encourage them. When we asked them what they wanted their team name to be, they said, “LOS VENCEDORES” which means the winners or the conquerors. So one of our signs said their team name and the other sign said “SI SE PUEDE” which means, Yes you can! It was a blast to cheer for them and see them doing so well.

They won in their first round so after a little break they moved on to the championship round. At the beginning of the championship round, they had a bit of a rough start (who can blame them? They woke up at 4, had a long car ride, had already run a ton in the sun, and it wasn’t time to eat yet). They were looking a little discouraged, but they pulled it together and started gaining momentum again.

One of our 7^th grade girls named Lorena so impressed me. She took the initiative and had her whole team join hands as she prayed out loud for God to help them. They continued to compete, and then she led prayer again. I was really moved by her leadership and boldness.

After the games were over, the judges deliberated and checked all the official scores while the teams waited in anticipation. I was praying, “Lord, if these kids could win that would mean the world to them- You know how much they need a victory in their lives, something wonderful and something meaningful cause they just don’t have a whole lot of that”

So there we are, all the teams around the circle waiting…waiting…4^th place…3^rd place…2^nd place…and 1^st place goes to, CARABALLO!!!!

I can’t even explain to you how much excitement, joy, screaming, jumping, high fiving, and hugging was going on! Our kids were out of their minds! They won 1^st place! And, they beat the team who had won for the last 4 years in a row J So the trophy was awarded, and all the kids got individual medals put around their necks. I’m not a mother, but maybe this is how you mothers feel when your child has a victory of any kind…I was just so happy/proud/overjoyed for them!

I remember when I was a kid and there were Awana competitions and it was a big deal to win, but not this big of a deal. Maybe you are reading this and are confused about why winning 1^st place for games around a circle is such a big thing…its because these kids have such a hard life. Their childhood is nothing like what we would think of as a “normal childhood”. They have to grow up so fast, because of their economic circumstances, or maybe how their parents treat them, or maybe because of abuses done against them, or a handful of other reasons. Also, fighting is such a big part of the kid community where we are and it’s so great to give them other outlets for their physical talents and energy. And they get affirmed and awarded for something so fun/kid like/honorable rather than other things that they could be getting involved in. This was a big deal.

I am so thankful that I got to experience this with them. What a day!

P.S. Find me on facebook to see photos!

Meet Dalina- a beautiful 5^th grade girl with a heavy heart.

She came into the Nurse’s Station today crying because of a bad headache. After giving her some Tylenol and offering the sick bed, she just wanted to sit across from me at my desk.

So I started asking her questions…

Dalina lives with her older brother, older sister, and younger brother in a simple cement block home near the care center. There is no running water and sometimes there is electricity. The head of household sibling is 17 (I think).

She has not been to school in 4 months because the public school won’t let her enter without shoes. When she tries to go with flip flops, she gets turned away. She has become discouraged so hasn’t been coming to the care center either, even though she is allowed to enter here with flip flops. We are going to work on getting her some tennis shoes.

She’s in 5^th grade and she hasn’t seen her parents in 2 years. They live and work in Haiti and the kids have been left here on their own. I’m guessing that the parents are hoping that their kids will have a better life on this side of the island, but it is so sad because many times they aren’t even coming to school for one reason or another, but there is no adult to encourage them to come. I honestly don’t even know how they get money to buy food. Thankfully 3 out of the 4 come to our care center so they get a warm nutritious meal for lunch.

Dalina told me she really misses her mom and just wishes she could see her.

I asked her what she wants to be when she grows up- she wants to be a kindergarten teacher J I hope that dream comes true for her.

What a story. She’s just a little girl who wants her mom. I know that Jesus is walking with her every step and I hope that one day she will learn to trust Him as her faithful friend and Savior.

 

all the reasons hope is in my heart. hallelujah. Christ my joy and strength.

A day in the life

Our care center staff has a GUAGUA (glorified van) that we take from Montellano (the town where I live) to Caraballo, where our Care Center is. It’s a bumpy, rocky road through the sugar cane fields and even when the guagua is at its best, the ride feels a little bit like a carnival ride.

 

The last few days we have been hearing an interesting new noise. Yesterday the noise was getting  louder and all of a sudden, THUD. The guagua comes to a halt and everyone gets out to see what the problem is. Turns out, some kind of big important metal piece underneath fell right off (they told me what it was called but unfortunately my auto mechanical Spanish vocab is almost non existent). So there we are, hanging out in the sugar cane, waiting for a rescue.

                                    

 

 

Then from around the bend comes Alberto in his trusty blue truck to save the day. I am wondering how this is going to be fixed, how to get a tow truck, how to get us all back to town, etc. But the men decide to just attach the guagua to the truck with a rope and everybody piles back in for the treck to town. I’m sure we looked like quite a sight! A blue pick up hauling a van full of people using only a simple rope! Thankfully we made it back to town and now our beloved guagua is getting worked on.

                                    

A phrase I learned that I have been using a lot here goes like this, “Pero eso es normal”. It means, “But this is normal”. I find myself saying it because even though things like this seem a little crazy, this is the new normal J

 

 

 

{You make known to me the path of life

in your presence there is fullness of joy

 at your right hand are pleasures forevermore}

Psalm 16:11

"April 1" from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young

I am calling you to a life of constant communion with me. Basic training includes learning to live above your circumstances, even while interacting on that cluttered plane of life. You yearn for a simplified lifestyle, so that your communication with Me can be uninterrupted. But I challenge you to relinquish the fantasy of an uncluttered world. Accept each day just as it comes, and find Me in the midst of it all.
Talk with me about every aspect of your day, including your feelings. Remember that your ultimate goal is not to control or fix everything around you; it is to keep communing with Me. A successful day is one in which you have stayed in touch with Me, even if many things remain undone at the end of the day. Do not let your to-do list (written or mental) become an idol directing your life. Instead, ask My Spirit to guide you moment by moment. He will keep you close to Me.