{"id":1154,"date":"2016-01-21T02:06:00","date_gmt":"2016-01-21T02:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kinshipradio.org\/home\/2016\/01\/21\/itch\/"},"modified":"2017-02-17T20:20:02","modified_gmt":"2017-02-17T20:20:02","slug":"itch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kinshipradio.org\/home\/itch\/","title":{"rendered":"Itch"},"content":{"rendered":"

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I must confess that I have had an itch lately. <\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
Regular readers of this blog may remember that exactly one year ago, I was in the Dominican Republic on a mission trip.<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
It was a wonderful, amazing, life-changing experience and I itch to go back. <\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
The itch sometimes even borders on \u201cache\u201d at times.<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
It afflicts me when I am cooking, (The staple Dominican beans and rice dish is delicious almost to the point of addiction.) when I am reading my Bible, and even today as I was loading firewood into the bucket of the tractor. It sneaks up on me even in church when I want to shout \u201cGLORIA DIOS!\u201d and \u201cALELUYA!\u201d during a song or in the middle of the sermon.<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
The thing is, the itch is entirely selfish.<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
Whenever you go on a mission trip, people ask you, \u201cWhat are you going to do there?\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
As if, because we are American Christians, we are somehow more spiritual, or smarter, or somehow better than these poor people living in this \u201cthird world\u201d country.<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
That\u2019s a bunch of nonsense.<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
From what I saw, the Dominican Republic does not \u201cneed\u201d Dan Jones in any sense of the word.<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
The Dominicans are absolutely capable of doing anything they need to do without my help at all. They know how to do things I am clueless about. I was absolutely humbled when I tried to \u201chelp\u201d them break up some concrete to level a floor. There was a little girl there about four feet tall who was far better at that task than I was.<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
And as for their spirituality\u2026 <\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
The church service I attended at the Iglesia Altar de Jehova (Church of the Altar of God) in Sabana Perdida consisted of three hours of genuine, heartfelt praise and worship. It\u2019s a good thing there is no stained glass in the windows, because the sound of the praise would probably rattle the glass right out of the frames.\u00a0 And, there\u2019s no need for a church bell because when they praise God, the whole neighborhood knows it. \u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
Yes, it\u2019s loud, but that\u2019s not the most noticeable part of a Dominican worship service.<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
The most noticeable part is that the Holy Spirit is not just present–the Holy Spirit is on fire there.<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
You can feel it. It\u2019s a burning, loving, grateful, unrestrained incredible joyfulness. <\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
And the Holy Spirit is noticeably present in the people. <\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
Even with a language barrier, even working through an interpreter (Thank you and God bless you, Luis Felipe and Hector and Sor.) I could feel that all was done con amor. (With love.)<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
Certainly, the Dominican Republic is not perfect. It absolutely is part of this broken world.\u00a0 Certainly not all Dominicans are as filled with the Holy Spirit as the ones I met. They have criminals and drug addicts and murders, too.\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
They have problems with corruption in their government, with pollution, with the safety of the water supply, with the reliable delivery of electricity, and most certainly with poverty. <\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
The average <\/i>Dominican lives on about $300 per month\u2014which is below the poverty level. <\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
Let me say that another way. <\/span><\/div>\n
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The average<\/i>Dominican subsists on less than is needed to subsist. They are able to survive only because families love each other and support each other.<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
So what they do not have is the material<\/i> things we take for granted. <\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
They also do not have millions of babies murdered on the altar of abortion. They do not have their government mandating that gay marriage is the law of the land or judges fining bakeries and putting them out of business because they refused to bake a cake for a gay wedding. (Although it should be noted that the U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic openly hosts events at our Embassy with his \u201chusband.\u201d) And they do not have a 66-year old grandfather going public with the announcement that he is now female.\u00a0 <\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
Actually, the more I think about it, the more I am convinced that they should be sending missionaries to US<\/u><\/i>.\u00a0 The Dominican Republic is not in need of being evangelized–we are<\/i>. <\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
So, yes, my itch to rejoin the hermanos (brothers and sisters) is entirely selfish\u2014because they gave me far more than I could ever possibly give them. Yes, I long to be among a people where the Holy Spirit burns like a million power searchlight in this dark, dark world and sings to the glory of God at the very top of its lungs.<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
The problem is, all I have to offer them is filthy rags by comparison. <\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
And, when I think about that, two things occur to me:<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
1.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>That\u2019s all I have to offer Jesus.<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
2.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>It\u2019s not their job to evangelize the place where I live. It\u2019s mine.<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/div>\n
Today\u2019s Praise<\/b><\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/div>\n
God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ\u2014to the glory and praise of God. (Phil 1: 8-11 NIV)<\/b><\/span><\/div>\n
\n

En espanol:<\/span><\/b><\/span>
\n
\n<\/span><\/b><\/span>Debo confesar que he tenido una picaz\u00f3n \u00faltimamente.
\n<\/span>Los lectores habituales de este blog pueden recordar que hace exactamente un a\u00f1o, yo estaba en la Rep\u00fablica Dominicana en un viaje misionero.
\n<\/span>Fue un incre\u00edble, una experiencia maravillosa, que cambia la vida y me pica volver.
\n<\/span>El picor incluso a veces raya en “dolor” a veces.
\n<\/span>Me aflige cuando estoy cocinando, (Los granos dominicanos b\u00e1sicos y plato de arroz es deliciosa, casi al punto de la adicci\u00f3n.), Cuando estoy leyendo mi Biblia, y a\u00fan hoy en d\u00eda como lo estaba cargando le\u00f1a en el cubo del tractor. <\/span>Se cuela en m\u00ed incluso en la iglesia cuando me dan ganas de gritar “GLORIA DIOS!” Y “ALELUYA!” Durante una canci\u00f3n o en medio del serm\u00f3n.
\n<\/span>La cosa es que el picor es totalmente ego\u00edsta.
\n<\/span>Cuando usted va en un viaje de misi\u00f3n, la gente te pregunta, “\u00bfQu\u00e9 vas a hacer all\u00ed?”
\n<\/span>Como si, porque somos cristianos americanos, somos de alguna manera m\u00e1s espiritual, o m\u00e1s inteligente, o de alguna manera mejor que estas personas pobres que viven en este pa\u00eds “tercer mundo”.
\n<\/span>Eso es un mont\u00f3n de tonter\u00edas.
\n<\/span>Por lo que vi, la Rep\u00fablica Dominicana no “necesita” Dan Jones en ning\u00fan sentido de la palabra.
\n<\/span>Los dominicanos son absolutamente capaces de hacer cualquier cosa que tienen que hacer sin mi ayuda en absoluto. <\/span>Ellos saben c\u00f3mo hacer las cosas que estoy desorientado sobre. <\/span>Yo estaba absolutamente humillado cuando trat\u00e9 de “ayudar” a romper un poco de concreto para nivelar un piso. <\/span>Hab\u00eda una ni\u00f1a all\u00ed cerca de cuatro pies de altura, que era mucho mejor en esa tarea que yo.
\n<\/span>Y en cuanto a su espiritualidad …
\n<\/span>El servicio de la iglesia que asist\u00ed en la Iglesia Altar de Jehova (Iglesia del Altar de Dios) en Sabana Perdida constaba de tres horas de genuina, sincera alabanza y adoraci\u00f3n. <\/span>Es una buena cosa que no hay vidrieras en las ventanas, ya que el sonido de la alabanza probablemente recitar el cristal a la derecha de los marcos. <\/span>Y, no hay necesidad de una campana de la iglesia porque cuando alaban a Dios, todo el barrio lo sabe.
\n<\/span>S\u00ed, es ruidoso, pero eso no es la parte m\u00e1s sensible de un servicio de adoraci\u00f3n Dominicana.
\n<\/span>La parte m\u00e1s notable es que el Esp\u00edritu Santo no es s\u00f3lo presente – el Esp\u00edritu Santo est\u00e1 en llamas all\u00ed.
\n<\/span>Usted puede sentirlo. <\/span>Es un ardor amoroso, agradecido, alegr\u00eda incre\u00edble desenfrenada.
\n<\/span>Y el Esp\u00edritu Santo es notablemente m\u00e1s presente en las personas.
\n<\/span>Incluso con la barrera del idioma, incluso trabajando a trav\u00e9s de un int\u00e9rprete (Gracias y que Dios los bendiga, Luis Felipe y H\u00e9ctor y Sor.) Pod\u00eda sentir que todo estaba hecho con amor. <\/span>(Con amor.)
\n<\/span>Ciertamente, la Rep\u00fablica Dominicana no es perfecto. <\/span>Es absolutamente es parte de este mundo roto. <\/span>Desde luego, no todos los dominicanos est\u00e1n tan llenos del Esp\u00edritu Santo como los que conoc\u00ed. <\/span>Tienen delincuentes y drogadictos y asesinatos, tambi\u00e9n.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Tienen problemas con la corrupci\u00f3n en su gobierno, con la contaminaci\u00f3n, con la seguridad del suministro de agua, con la entrega confiable de la electricidad, y sin duda con la pobreza.
\n<\/span>El promedio Dominicana vive en alrededor de $ 300 por mes, lo cual est\u00e1 por debajo del nivel de pobreza.
\n<\/span>Perm\u00edtanme decir que de otra manera.
\n<\/span>El promedio Dominicana subsiste con menos de lo necesario para subsistir. <\/span>Ellos son capaces de sobrevivir s\u00f3lo porque las familias se aman y se apoyan mutuamente.
\n<\/span>As\u00ed que lo que no tienen es las cosas materiales que damos por sentado.
\n<\/span>Asimismo, no tienen millones de beb\u00e9s asesinados en el altar del aborto. <\/span>No tienen su gobierno ordenando que el matrimonio gay es la ley de las panader\u00edas de la tierra o de los jueces multar y ponerlos fuera del negocio porque se negaron a hacer un pastel para una boda gay. <\/span>(Aunque hay que se\u00f1alar que el embajador de Estados Unidos a la Rep\u00fablica Dominicana acoge abiertamente eventos en nuestra Embajada con su “marido”.) Y no tienen un abuelo de 66 a\u00f1os de edad a bolsa con el anuncio de que ahora es una mujer.
\n<\/span>En realidad, cuanto m\u00e1s pienso en ello, m\u00e1s me convenzo de que deben estar enviando misioneros a los Estados Unidos. <\/span>La Rep\u00fablica Dominicana no tiene necesidad de ser evangelizada – somos.
\n<\/span>As\u00ed que, s\u00ed, mi ganas de reunirse con los hermanos (hermanos y hermanas) es totalmente ego\u00edsta porque me dieron mucho m\u00e1s de lo que pod\u00eda posiblemente darles. <\/span>S\u00ed, deseo estar en un pueblo donde el Esp\u00edritu Santo arde como un reflector millones poder en este mundo oscuro oscuro y canta a la gloria de Dios en la parte superior de sus pulmones.
\n<\/span>El problema es que todo lo que tengo que ofrecer ellos es trapos de inmundicia por comparaci\u00f3n.
\n<\/span>Y, cuando pienso en eso, dos cosas se me ocurren:<\/p>\n

<\/span>1. Eso es todo lo que tengo para ofrecer a Jes\u00fas.<\/p>\n

<\/span>2. No es su trabajo para evangelizar el lugar donde vivo. <\/span>Es m\u00edo.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Elogio de hoy
\n<\/span>Dios es testigo de cu\u00e1nto los quiero a todos vosotros con el entra\u00f1able amor de Cristo Jes\u00fas. <\/span>Y esta es mi oraci\u00f3n: que vuestro amor abunde m\u00e1s y m\u00e1s en ciencia y en todo conocimiento, para que puedan ser capaces de discernir lo que es mejor, y sean puros e irreprochables para el d\u00eda de Cristo, llenos del fruto de justicia <\/span>que viene a trav\u00e9s de Jesucristo, para gloria y alabanza de Dios. <\/span>(Filipenses 1: 8-11 NVI)<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

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