21 unforgettable days

(L) Me with some of the girls I befriended last week in the FH supported community of Los Botados (DR) during a site visit.

There are some things in this world that cannot be captured in words. Things like the beauty of a sunset, the depth of the ocean, the warmth of an embrace, or the power of a prayer. To this list I must add March 20-April 7th, 2006. Combinations of letters seem totally inadequate to the task of encapsulating the learning, laughter, growth, pain, encouragement, tears, prayers, knowledge, relationships, joy, and profound wisdom shared over the course of the 21 days our learning community spent together in the Dominican Republic.

Thus, I humbly share these 10 brief nuggets of wisdom gained from my experiences over the last 3 weeks, knowing that they are but a shadow of the truth I discovered and emotions I felt in the process of learning.

1. The most important thing people will remember about you is who you are, not what you’ve done.
2. There is a forest in every seed. (Look for the potential in everything.)
3. People matter more than programs.
4. We are messengers of God’s story.
5. The key to sustainable development in any community is the renewal of the mind.
6. Don’t judge your success by transformation, but by faithfulness and obedience.
7. God desires the reconciliation of ALL things (creation, the arts, economics, politics, business, institutions, relationships…)
8. In any given moment, you are either building trust or destroying it.
9. God is interested in nations as much as individuals.
10. Incarnational ministry means identifying, serving, advocating, and witnessing.

May the next 21 days be equally unforgettable.