Following Him...

Over the past couple of months, the Lord has really been challenging me to take a closer look into what it means to follow Him. In Matthew, Jesus tells His disciples, "Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men." I wonder if the disciples knew what that would mean for their hearts, their minds, to truly follow Jesus into the world that is so broken with sin, sickness, disease, and hurt. I wonder how many of them wanted to back out of the deal once they saw the multitudes who cried out to touch the one who could heal them, to desperately want to hear words of hope and truth. These are the thoughts that I struggle with lately as I have taken on a new postition of helping out in another one of SI's ministry sites in the community of El Callejon.
Several days a week I go and help lead Bible Studies and do crafts at one of our women's social sites. It is a joy and a challenge all at the same time. These women and young girls are broken and deal with circumstances that some of us only see in movies. So many of the young girls are pregnant without husbands, physically and verbally abused, sick, poor, consumed with grief, and most have little or no hope of change. I follow these women into their homes and listen to their stories of death, infidelity, financial despair and I find myself weeping, begging God to give me some word of encouragement to share with these women.
It is in these moments when I want to scurry away and not look upon the brokeness of these people. Sometimes it is easier to avoid peoples pain, to not see the hurts of this world, and to not come into contact with these people. Because when I do, something breaks in me, and I am forced to understand that there is nothing about me or my words that can make a difference, but only thru the truth, hope, and love of Jesus can hearts truly be changed.
I pray each day for Jesus to shine thru me, to speak thru me, to show me how to love these people and to continue to give me the strength to follow them no matter what the circumstance or the cost to my own heart. I wonder if the disciples went thru the same thing? Did they question how far they would follow Him? I don't know for sure. But I know that He wants me to follow, and I pray that He would give me the strength to continue.


Here are a few pics of our days here in the DR!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTuBeXtyFm0