Many Needs.....

I was talking with someone this week about the obvious and many needs here in the Dominican Republic.  As we spoke I told him it is hard.  There are so many needs.  Sometimes helping actually hurts.  Kind of the like the sign at the duck pond, "Don't feed the ducks, because then the ducks can't feed themselves".  Handouts of food can give false hope to a family who waits on the next hand out without looking for work to help themselves.  There are many here that are making due.  Living off the $15 US dollars a day which is typical for work. They survive, their bellies are full, their pants are tight.  Rice is cheap, red beans add a little protein.  Chicken, beef or fish is a treat and only comes infrequently if at all.  Veggies and bread are plentiful and are available off many trucks and motos that drive around the villages.

I am reminded that if I have the means, then I should help.  Not just by a hand out, but by loving, sharing God's love and equipping.  In September  I met Carina and her four precious children.  She is Haitian and lives here in the Dominican in Boca Chica.  She had a husband, she had a house, she had a better life.  But her husband died and then a very short time later, her house burned to the ground, literally.  Life as she knew it was not the same.  She has no family here and her mother in law helps as much as she can with what little she has.  So she found a place to live, a one room apartment with a double bed for the 5 of them to sleep in, a chair and a table to hold the few possessions she has.  She asked how we could help her.  I can't help everyone but I can help the ones that pop in my face.

Carina and her 3 girls and little boy

This is what is left of Carina's house

I asked, "What does it mean to help?"  She has asked if I could build her a new house...like the one we just built for another family.  I explained to her that it wasn't me that built that house, but God provided the funding through people who loved Jesus and gave generously of their own money.  I told her it might be possible in the future to build her a home.

For now, I can hire her to clean my house and give her a little extra money each week.  Her little room that she has provided for her family costs a mere $20 US dollars a month and the little extra I give her is about $5 US dollars a week.  I could very easily give her the money each week and month, but I wanted to give her a feeling of providing for her family, for working for it.  I also give her a wonderful food product that we have from SERV International that gives her family the needed nutrients to fill their bellies.  Not all her kids like it, but hope they will learn to like it over time.  I dug through the kids drawers and gave her our access clothes.

I found out her kids were not in school.  Due to paperwork (which I don't really understand) issues they couldn't go to school and she didn't feel right about them walking across the busy highway to go to school.  I am sure she fears losing something more having them so far away and not close to her.  Miguel one of our Dominican friends took an interest in helping her and took her to numerous appointments to get the paperwork for them to go to school.  Took her to the fire station to get documentation that her house did indeed burn to the ground.  After a month or so, the paperwork was all in place and her four children were ready to go to school.  The next week she came to my house with a list of all the things the kids would need to go to school.  Uniforms, backpacks, shoes, tennis shoes, notebooks, pencils, etc.  So Mike and Miguel took her to the store with all the kids.  I wasn't home so I didn't get to see it, but I would have loved to see it!  Her little boy who is 5 I think loved riding in Mike's truck.  Later he told Mike, "I don't have a daddy" and Mike responded back with "Neither do I, but I have a Father in Heaven who loves me very much, and He loves you too!"  Momma responded with "Amen" and he just had a look of surprise on his little face.

Today when I picked her up, always with a smile on her face, I asked if everything was OK with the kids and their new school.  She said they don't have the money that they need to pay for the school each month.  Ok, so how much is that I asked?  Public school is free but they are not at a private school.  It is by no means a private school, but a school that you do have to pay.  It is about $50.00 a month for all 4 kids.  We are personally helping a lot of other ministries here and doing what we can to help those in need.  We sponsor a little girl, Rosaly in an orphanage in Boca Chica, here in the Dominican.  We sponsor a man in the Amazon who is spreading the love of Jesus there.  We help our friends in the inner city of Atlanta serving with FCA.  We still have a Compassion child in Africa that we have had for years.

So here is where I ask for your help!  Are there 2 people who can help sponsor Carina's family at $25 each?  Or someone who can do the whole thing?  Is someone looking for a family to sponsor for the holidays?  Is there someone that wants to spearhead raising money to build her a new house?  She owns her property, so we would need labor to help and money for materials.  Could you help raise $10,000?  I can hook you up with SERV International who can facilitate it for you.  Save her picture, print it out, and put it on your fridge so you can remember to pray for her and her children or see where God is leading you to help.

Email me at jodilynne21 at gmail or leave a comment here.

There are MANY other needs here that I know of, so if you are lead to help, get in touch with me and I can tell you what the needs are.  Have a heart for women?  There are prostitutes who are off the streets and need sponsoring.  Or a heart for kids?  There are orphanages, a boy's home, or a day care that need people to sponsor their kids.


Hebrews 13:16
And do not neglect doing good and sharing; for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

In His Grip and Loving His People,

Jodi Shaheen

Twenty Cans of Success

I am reading a book called Victory Over the Darkness ~ Realizing the Power of Your Identity in Christ by Neil T. Anderson.  My friend Whitney had it here in the DR and we were talking one day and she said, "I have a book for you to read".  Then about a week later the same book came up again and another person mentioned the SAME book.  So I started reading it right after that.  There is SO much good information in that book, but in Chapter 6 I found this amazing gem and it really touched me deep in my soul.  

Twenty Cans of Success

1.  Why should I say I can't when the Bible says I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13)

2.  Why should I worry about my needs when I know that God will take care of all my needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19)

3.  Why should I fear when the Bible says God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7)

4.  Why should I lack faith to live for Christ when God has given me a measure of faith (Romans 12:3)

5.  Why should I be weak when the Bible says that the Lord is the strength of my life and that I will display strength and take action because I know God (Psalm 27:1; Daniel 11:23)

6.  Why should I allow Satan control over my life when He that is in me is greater than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4)

7.  Why should I accept defeat when the Bible says that God always leads me in victory (2 Corinthians 2:14)

8.  Why should I lack wisdom when I know that Christ became wisdom to me from God and God gives wisdom to me generously when I ask Him for it (1 Corinthians 1:30; James 1:5)

9.  Why should I be depressed when I have hope and can recall to mind God's loving-kindness, compassion and faithfulness (Lamentations 3:21-23)

10.  Why should I worry and be upset when I can cast all my anxieties on Christ who cares for me (1 Peter 5:7)

11.  Why should I ever be in bondage knowing that there is freedom where the Spirit of the Lord is (2 Corinthians  3:17)

12.  Why should I feel condemned when the Bible says there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1)

13.  Why should I feel alone when Jesus said He is with me always and He will never leave me or forsake me (Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5)

14.  Why should I feel as if I'm cursed or have bad luck when the Bible says that Christ rescued me from the curse of the law that I might receive His Spirit by faith (Galatians 3:12, 14)

15.  Why should I be unhappy when I, like Paul, can learn to be content whatever the circumstances (Philippians 4:11)

16.  Why should I feel worthless when Christ became sin for me so that I might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21)

17.  Why should I feel helpless in the presence of others when I know that if God is for me, who can be against me (Romans 8:31)

18.  Why should I be confused when God is the author of peace and he gives me a knowledge through His spirit who lives in me (1 Corinthians 2:12; 14:33)

19.  Why should I feel like a failure when I am more than a conqueror through Christ who loved me (Romans 8:37)

20.  Why should I let the pressures of life bother me when I can take courage knowing that Jesus has overcome the world and its problems (John 6:33)

So with these promises we are reminded that God is all powerful and sovereign.  Print these out for the next time you need a reminder of the promises when you follow Christ!

In His Grip,
Jodi Shaheen

Prayer

I have not been the best at praying.  I am good at praying when I need or want something or when I am at the end of myself.  I never just prayed to pray and pray without ceasing....all the time!  I still struggle daily with my quiet time with the Lord.  I mentioned a book before called Confession of a Prayer Slacker, and it had this to say about how to do quiet time with God:

1.  Read at least (AT LEAST) one chapter from the Bible per day.

2.  In a journal write out the following:

A. At least (AT LEAST) one thing you are thankful for

B.  Confession - pray this, Search me o God and know my heart, actions, thoughts, words, attitudes, things I neglected to do, times I ignored God's promptings, and times I have yanked back control in certain areas of my life.  Once you are done see what comes to mind and confess it and ask for forgiveness.

C.  Prayers for others - family, church, church family

D.  Urgent Prayers - natural disasters, etc.

E.  Prayers for America - President, leaders and military

F.  Prayers for those needing saving faith

G.  Personal Prayers - husband, children, self

Another good model to follow is

A - Adoration
C - Confession
T - Thanksgiving
S - Supplication

This has helped me tremendously as I need to have structure to what I am doing, and I am a visual person.  I started out using a piece of paper folded in half and I had a half side of one full sheet for each one of the areas above.  I wanted something that I could change out easier and thought of a spread-sheet but thought it would be too formal.  So I bought a notebook at Target (when I was back in the states) and I have a pocket in the front for my journal, pens, blank business size cards, printouts, special things etc.  Then I bought the business card storage inserts and I have them in there and I have have a page for each of the areas of prayer above, then I write a prayer on each card and slip it into the holder.  I can then remove prayers when they are answered and put those towards the back. In that front pocket I even have an index card with the instructions above.

I am finding that I still need help with prayer so I searched the web and found this video and it took my prayers to another level!!  When I think of prayer as not a petition (what I want or need) and more of a inner mystical awakening and a dialog with God then it is so much more!

Two things really spoke to me in this quick video:

Hover over me God, remind me you are there.

~ Teresa of Avila

and

Please enter where you already abide ~ Marianne Williamson from Illuminta

Here is the rest of the prayer here, I printed this out an put it in the pocket in the front of my prayer binder.

Morning Prayer

Dear God,
I give this day to You.
May my mind stay centered on the things of spirit.
May I not be tempted to stray from love.
As I begin this day, I open to receive You.
Please enter where You already abide.
May my mind and heart be pure and true, and may I not deviate from the things of goodness.
May I see the love and innocence in all mankind, behind the masks we all wear and the illusions of this worldly plane.
I surrender to You my doings this day.
I ask only that they serve You and the healing of the world.
May I bring Your love and goodness with me, to give unto others wherever I go.
Make me the person You would have me be.
Direct my footsteps, and show me what You would have me do.
Make the world a safer, more beautiful place.
Bless all Your creatures.
Heal us all, and use me, dear Lord, that I might know the joy of being used by You.
Amen.
- from Illuminata
Marianne Williamson