Pico Duarte Fail

I think you might remember my post about hiking Mogote in effort to practice for our big Pico Duarte hike. Well, this is the weekend of the supposed "big" hike...and its not happening. I was starting to get a bit nervous about being able to hike it: Friday was supposed to be a 2 hour hike, 10 hours Saturday, 6 hours Sunday, and 10-12 hours Monday...YiKes! But then one of the women going on the hike got a mild case of dengue, and other people started to back out, including myself, and the trip fizzled. I can't say I'm too heartbroken, my body is clearly fatigued. Last night I slept 12 hours, and today I'm feeling pretty lethargic too. A few weeks ago I went on a "preparation" hike with my friends Amanda and Stef, and we took some pretty cool pictures, so I thought I would share them.

Our hike started with us walking through town, and then out of town toward where Chad and Krista live, and then out past where the Motocross is held, and further. We hiked 2 hours out of town, and 2 hours back. When we were almost to the point where we turned around one of my friends needed to use the bathroom. So we stopped at a little house. I started chatting with a little old lady, and she asked where we were hiking from. I told her, Jarabacoa, and she covered her head like she was going to faint...I guess they don't get too many people out for a leisurely stroll around that area!!

An Amazing God We Serve

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 5:6-11

Here we are, April 26th, a year into our blogging life, and I feel like I haven't been completely honest with you. Its okay you say, its the internet. Do we really want random people knowing exactly what's going on in our lives? Isn't that kind of creepy? It would be, I think, except that it would stop many people from sharing in our struggles, and knowing when they can rejoice with us when we are restored. I don't think this is creepy; I think its beautiful. I'm not planning on divulging our most intimate secrets (or whereabouts) but, our (and my) walk with the Lord is something that I hope to be more transparent in.

Many of you who know me, know that I'm a bit stubborn, a bit of a perfectionist, a bit frank, and a bit critical (plus, many good things too). However, after moving here, and starting this adventure with the Lord, I have realized that sometimes, I'm too stubborn, too frank, too critical. Sometimes it hurts people. The Lord has been doing such a work in my heart, starting with my teaching. I'm not sure if you remember the blog post from my second day of school (Second Day of School), but I was blown away by my inadequateness in teaching 5 year olds who don't speak the same language as me. Now, I know many of you will be quick to say that it would be a hard job for anyone. And as crazy as it sounds...I thought I could do it well from the beginning. I might have been crazy, but I didn't think it was going to be that hard. Lesson learned. I am prideful. I don't say this in a self condemning way though--because of grace. His grace. I'm not always so graceful with myself, but I'm learning.

This lesson of pride has been interwoven through my entire time here. Through challenges with my job, speaking Spanish, figuring out life, marriage, and friendships here, God has shown me how my pride has many times distanced me from acquaintances, friends, and family. From July through January, I was walking through a time of suffering...I was seeing some of the "ugly" in me that keeps me separate from God.

Right now doesn't feel like the time of suffering anymore...He has already shown me some of "my ugly". This process, this struggle doesn't make me perfect now, but changing. I sense and trust that now is the time that He is restoring me. 

I tell you this for 2 reasons. 
1. I want to be a more transparent Christian. I don't have it all together-He is the one that makes me strong. "But he said to me,“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Cor. 12:9-10

2. So you know of the work that the Lord is doing here in the Dominican Republic. He might be doing more work in me than through me, and thats okay because it is a beautiful thing.

El Mogote

El Mogote

I know it doesn't seem like much, but this is the view I get after we have been hiking for already 1 and a half hours. I think to myself..."no...way. there is NO WAY." My legs are tired, and I ran out of water after 15 minutes of hiking, and the sun is burning hot. At this point I think, "Ok God, YOU are it. Please BE my strength."

Psalm 28:7a  "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me."

A week ago a few of the female teachers at Doulos decided to start training for a woman's hike up Pico Duarte -the highest mountain in the Caribbean, reaching a little over 10,000 ft. This past Saturday was our first group training hike. El Mogote is in Jarabacoa, about 20 minutes from where we live. I think the peak is right around 4,800 ft., and it took us about 4 hours to peak and come down. I don't think our time is anything to brag about, but it was amazing to be sweating, laughing, telling stories, smelling tuna fish (randomly in the middle of the mountain), and exercising with some pretty amazing women. 

Amazing view of Jarabacoa from the top!

We made it! 

At the top there was a little "look-out" tower (we tried to ignore a few of the missing and rusty bolts as we walked up). 

View from the "look-out" tower!

Lessons learned from this hike:

1. Fill up my camelback before starting the hike.

2. Don't start a 4 hour hike at 2 in the afternoon. The sun is brutal!  

3. God is my strength in all things mental and physical.

4. Having the support of other women who love the Lord will get me through lots in life!