setting the oppressed free

     What a crazy past few weeks it's been! I moved out of the missionaries' house and into a house a few blocks away with six other interns (with no wi-fi - hence the delayed blog update). All 22 summer interns arrived one week ago, so last week was all training and getting them comfortable here. There were several teaching lectures, we got to spend time with the school staffs that we will be teaching with, and as Dominican custom, I got soaking wet on my birthday. It was a busy week but lots of fun getting to know my new friends!
     Shout out to Cameron Foose and Andrew Lindquist! They are two friends from Wheaton that are also working in the DR, and they came out to the mountains to visit this weekend. We had an awesome time hiking up a river, jumping off a waterfall, running a race, and spending some quality time together. It was a sweet breath of fresh air, something I seriously appreciated.
     I am reading two books right now, The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns and Helping Without Hurting by Brian Fikkert and Steve Corbett. I highly recommend both as I am learning a ton right now about our calling as Christians to truly love our neighbor and seek justice for the poor and oppressed. When you really look at scripture, there really is no way around that. It has been interesting reading them in the context that I am in down here. Matthew 25:31-46 includes the infamous verse, "What you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." Realizing that by loving and bringing joy to, nevermind ultimately attempting to help educate, these small and innocent, yet totally impoverished children, I am loving and bringing joy to my Savior strikes a chord within me. Just as this blog is named after Micah 6:8, another verse that keeps being brought to my attention, especially through these two books, is Isaiah 58:6-7. "Is this not the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and to untie the chords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not the share your food with the hungry and provide the poor wanderer with shelter - when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?" (go read the rest of the chapter!) 
     What does it really mean to seek justice and set the oppressed free? I mean, what does it really actually look like? It's been a crazy reality check when you walk and drive by the overwhelming poverty on a daily basis, and then remember that you are called, in fact you are mandated to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, and clothe the naked. We, as the Church, have a heavy responsibility that we need to take seriously.
     The Dominican Republic has been shown to have the worst education out of all the Latin American countries, and is ranked 137 out of 139 countries across the world in a study on math and science education (if you want that citation, let me know). I am praying and hoping that the work the Lord is doing through the interns this summer and through the tutoring program I am trying to help get rolling will truly make an impact on the kingdom and the fruit of our labor will be setting the oppressed and uneducated free.
     Please be praying for the Lord's guidance and strength in the summer programs this week. Today was day one and it was stressful, confusing, yet incredible all at the same time. It has been striking me ever so clearly how desperately we need the Lord's provision during the next five weeks.
     As always, thank you for showering me with love and support. I am so grateful for an incredible community!