It's on!!!

The quest for a wider and more Aristotelian way of organizing my [scrambled] writings has just started!! Feel free to visit: http://joyfulrhapsody.wordpress.com/

I will not abandon this one, though. This one will just be like an extension of the other one.

[[Algo atrasados...pensamientos de Diciembre...

Impulso. Es lo que necesito.
Ha sido refrescant mirar atrás,

//Proverbs 24:30-34//
I applied my heart to what I observed
and learned a lesson from what I saw

finalmente dirigiendo esas bendiciones
que de tiempo en tiempo añoro.
Esta nostalgia pinta todo lo que hago,
y no sé si se va a desgastar.

Si el pasado se pudiera visitar
todos los 'frescos', las antigüedades
de lo que están llenos los museos,
serían obsoletos y sin valor.

Cuanto más aprecio ese lugar que no puedo visitar, menos importa añorar su visita.]]

Mi estrategia...1 Corintios 9 to run as to obtain the goal

/Just one shooting star/

Next time you decide to go back chasing the sun, don't visit too many memories.
Last time mountains were hiding them in a far off country.
Now there is no distance or time to bond both horizons together.
/Just one messenger can bring then together if only for one moment.
If only for an instance, one idyllic remembrance was brought back to light/
Maybe.
Another journey. This paper moon could be brought back to life.

Todo es gris.
No lo podía contener más. Y ahora que ya lo entendí, empiezo a ver en blanco y negro.
Es así de simple.
Hasta los comerciales de las bebidas alcohólicas lo han dicho. Al final de sus desenfrenadas insinuaciones recomiendan 'todo con medida'.
Aunque nos empeñáramos en irnos al extremo en toda ocasión ('toda ocasión' siendo un ejemplo) no podemos cumplir con esto!!
Ergo, si no estás en el límite estás en el punto medio, porque siempre habrá la misma distancia hacia el final del horizonte.

Desde otra perspectiva...el proceso de un embarazo destroza mi argumento previo.
*Al mismo tiempo aprovecho para tumbar el caso pro-aborto.
Voy a ser atrevida en suponer que todos podemos estar de acuerdo en que el bebé se encuentra vivo el día de su nacimiento. Pero qué hay del día anterior? Y del anterior a ese? Qué si la cesárea hubiera sido programada para un día despues? Qué si el bebé iba a ser uno prematuro?
La vida no es progresiva. No va aumentando proporcionalmente con el número de días en el vientre de la madre. Si bien la habilidad para sobrevivir en el mundo exterior es diferente, pero desde la concepción se está absolutamente igual de vivo que al instante antes de morir.

Se está vivo o muerto, no hay medios.
El punto es claro, cuando alguien mata a un bebé le llaman 'aborto' para suavizar la realidad.
Es un intento humano por hacer GRIS algo que es blanco y negro.

Entonces ya lo tenemos. Vivimos en una realidad de absolutos. Verdad/Falsedad. Vida/Muerte. (hay muchos otros pero estos son los que más inician discordias)
Esta es una verdad fuera de nuestro alcance, no podemos cambiarlo, lo aceptemos o no.


Sin embargo, dentro de ésta realidad transita algo gris. Nosotros.
'Somos incapaces de producir algo absoluto'
Lo que hagamos con La Verdad en este tiempo de trazadas grises nos afectará cuando pasemos al reino de absolutos.

Es increíble que tengamos la oportunidad de ver la realidad aún estando cegados por esta densa niebla gris que mancha todos nuestros corazones.
[Sólo que no todos quieren ver]

Makarios!

The faith-based non profit organization we are interning for the summer is called Makarios. The name means blessed in Greek!
And the idea is that because we are very blessed (with salvation) we want to bless others so they may ask for the hope that is in us!
ESL classes, VBS, Soccer camps or even school during the whole year are blessings easy to identify. Our "blessed" status could also be easily mistaken. One can think, because we are so materially blessed we come to share a better lifestyle, a better opportunity for them to get a job.
But if this was our goal we would be changing nothing!
Better is one person with nothing who knows Christ, than a person who has a job, family, a rich inheritance, health, or anything else they could ask for and doesn't trust in God for their salvation!

It is when you start to know the kids and the families that live in the Baty's (haitian villages) who know Christ when you see that they are truly blessed also. Having Christ is the only blessing we need. Knowing Him as a personal savior is the only difference between someone with true joy and someone happy. It is the only difference between "us" (me and other brothers and sisters in Christ in the DR) and Dominicans who don't trust in God.
True Joy is the irresistible blessing we come to spread among the villages.
There is no "gain" for us, there is only sweat, depraving of priviledges we are used to, heat, uncomfortable transportation, etc.
But because we have been eternally blessed, we want to see others makarios too!

First Impressions (in the Dominican Republic)

After a few months of preparation, prayer, learning about the country and about a biblical view of missions, now we have been able to see and experience what we had signed for in this internship.

When I first jumped into this country and started to visit the three main villages we were going to be working at for the rest of the summer I noticed several interesting factors about the culture.

Culture can be a huge factor of how well the work that one is trying to accomplish is received. In our case was soccer camps and ESL classes for adults.
Some of the special features that I will point out from the Dominican Republic aren't all negative, and I just want to clarify that I also saw many good things in this country. It is very rich in traditions, they like to enjoy life fully, they are very sharing and are ready for visitors all the time!

Since every culture has good and bad, I also noticed some things I didn't like as much:

• everything and everyone is raised in the wild, even domestic dogs! Let me explain a little. Kids rule themselves all day long. They run around free with no one to model order for them. They grow like the wild flowers. Street dogs are made into domestic dogs, but still look like street dogs because no one cares for it!
• it is a very sexual society. In a different way than in the US. It is not glamorous or in fancy billboards; it is just part of common life. some parents take their kids to the clubs with them so it is just common knowledge for the kids.
• racism. between Haitians and Dominicans. Between islanders and americans. if you are different it is a good enough reason for people to treat you differently.

These and many other first impressions were shaping my thoughts about this country and the people that I was meeting.

But after reminding myself that God takes care even of the wild flowers and the birds. I know that He according to His goodness and His plan, He takes care of people.

Being reminded of this truth has helped me while wrestling with poverty/ injustice specifically in the DR.

Compassion, love, care and interest for others cannot be stained with short-sightedness, or else it would be hopeless care, hopeless compassion...

I am not saying that it has become easy every time I meet a new kid running around on the road with just a shirt on knowing that his parents dont really care where that kid is during the day, but God provides a compassion that is originated in Him and that allows me to trust in Him for the results in their lives! Also I trust that the work He has us do in that place will be to honor Him and will impact their souls more than their lives.

Even if my students don't learn perfect english by the end of the summer, or if they still can't get a job; but if they were able to see God's love in action, and the gospel touched their hearts it was a job well done!

I am glad for the second glance He has allowed me to have at this culture! I have hope in the work He is doing here because I see people's lives changed from the inside-out, not merely in the outward appearance!