We’d only been back to the DR for about 24 hours when something started to feel “off.” I was deeply tired and it felt like more than just jet lag. Within a week I tested positive for Covid and suddenly everything made sense! And while my symptoms were mild, I had 10 solid days with such extreme fatigue that many times I could hardly keep my eyes open. I spent countless hours in bed, dozing on and off, thinking, and most importantly, praying. God kept bringing various situations to mind that needed prayer…a fellow missionary with a bacterial infection plus dengue (more on this in a minute!), our Dominican brother who had been sick for over 3 months with a relentless respiratory infection on top of a UTI from bathing in unsanitary water, dear friends launching a new ministry, another missionary struggling to recover from an odd fungal infection … God made it very clear that He was calling me to start this school year in PRAYER. And while I certainly did not like being sidelined by Covid, I can see how God used this as the catalyst to open my eyes and confront me with the great need for prayer over our community. I could just feel it deep within, the enemy waging spiritual warfare, and the call to fight back, entering into powerful prayer in Jesus’ name!
Since then, dengue has continued to affect several missionary kiddos we know and love, along with hundreds of others on the island. Dengue is a mosquito borne illness that causes days of high fever, muscle and joint pain, rash, a significant drop in platelets, and in severe cases, life threatening internal bleeding and shock. It has been on the rise lately as we are in the midst of the rainy season (May to November). I’m not going to pretend that this doesn’t strike fear in my heart. Because it absolutely does. Some of you know my original resistance to surrendering to God’s calling on our life for missions. The health and safety of my family was a big part of this. God has been sweetly reminding me of our journey together, He and I… my surrender, His faithfulness, that He is a good, good Father that can be completely trusted. And so I continue to pray. Prayer for healing for those who are in the midst of dengue. Prayer for physical protection for my family and our community. Prayer for greater holiness and faithfulness. Prayer for God’s will to be done in all of the ministries that He is using here in the Dominican for His kingdom.
Will you stand alongside me and pray? James 5:16 tells us that “the prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” Not because we possess individual greatness, but because we, as believers, have the Holy Spirit and can approach a Great and Powerful God with confidence. Many times people ask us how they can help. I want to assure you that your prayers ARE help. Your prayers are a fragrant offering, a great gift to us as we do God’s work together, in partnership as the body of Christ, here in the DR.