But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us…and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved … Who is sufficient for these things? For we are not…but as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ. Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant. The surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. – 2 Corinthians 2:14-17, 3:4-5, 4:7

Dear Family and Friends,

It was several years ago that God called me to mission work in the Dominican Republic. I had no idea how He was going to get me there or even if I wanted to go. But through His lovingkindness, for His glory and His kingdom purposes, He guided and led me to Monte Plata where I have lived and served for the past two school years. God brought me to Monte Plata first for His glory, and then to do some much-needed work in me. I arrived a perfectionist, a controller, and a hypocrite who preached living by faith but was always five steps ahead of God’s plan for me. He has put me through the fire here, has refined and sanctified His servant, and has revealed more of my stinking, ugly sin than I ever was willing to admit existed in my heart. He did that so that the aroma of Christ, and only the aroma of Christ would be spread in Monte Plata. This town did not need Kristin. This town needed, and needs, more of Christ. I am only a commissioned worker, and a poor one at that, who was blessed with the opportunity to spread the fragrance of Christ in this town for the past couple of years.

Dear friends and family,

Is it really already the second week of February?! That just doesn’t seem possible to me. I pray that this email finds you all well, growing in understanding of how much our Father loves us, and thankful for the blessings He has richly provided. Even on the hard days and in the middle of the hard weeks, He is faithfully working out His plans.

My dear friends, family, and supporters,

It’s November which means that the Christmas season has been in full-swing here in the Dominican Republic for about a month! While you all are preparing for Thanksgiving, we are singing Christmas songs under the palm trees in 90 degree heat and 90% humidity. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be! I pray that this email finds you and your family well. I pray for many of you specifically every day. Please never be afraid to let me know how I can be praying for you! Thank you for so faithfully praying for me and supporting me financially. I am honored to be your partner in the Lord’s work in Monte Plata.

Good morning! I pray this is a joyful morning for you, as it is for me!

Today I celebrate 1 year in Monte Plata. Praise God!! I want to share a blog post with you all in which I try to describe my feelings about the past year and the upcoming year in Monte Plata. I am so thankful for the support of each and every one of you and I thank God for you this morning. You all are a large part of my journey here.

Una Maestra con Una Misión – 1 Año

Hola from Monte Plata! Summer is in full-swing here as I’m sure it is for most of you. I pray that as we head into July you are able to see and experience more and more of God’s presence. That is definitely what we are experiencing here! Below are some quick updates on what’s going on within our ministry and our town this summer along with some ways that you can pray specifically for us! Please let me know how I can be praying for you as well!

Hola Family and Friends!

I am sitting on my porch this rainy afternoon enjoying the cool weather (and tolerating the mosquitoes that come along with the cooling rain). As I sit here and read God’s Word, I am overwhelmed by all I have for which to be thankful and I want to share my gratitude with you all. Thank you for your continued prayers, encouragement, and financial support. As part of my team of supporters back home, you are an indescribable blessing to me personally, to the ministry here, and to the advancement of God’s Kingdom around the world.

Hello dear friends and family!

I wanted to send a quick email tonight to update you all on some prayer needs and praises. Thank you for your continued encouragement and support. I often brag that I have the greatest team of prayer and financial supporters that a missionary could ever ask for. God has truly blessed me with ministry partners and friends like you!

Hola from Monte Plata! I am excited to quickly share with you the amazing things the Lord is doing here and to ask you to continue praying for our ministry.

Listen to these two incredible stories of the Lord’s provision within our missionary community! First, we have a missionary couple named Kami and Romulo who live in Santo Domingo and are the directors of our new care center there. They have a 3-year-old son named Robert. On Tuesday, Robert slipped and fell from a second-story balcony at his babysitter’s house. After an overnight stay in the hospital to monitor for internal injuries, Robert was released without a broken bone, with no internal problems, and with only a scrape on his elbow and a bruise on his heel. Praise the Lord for protecting this little missionary boy! Another one of our missionaries, Lorren, had a heart attack yesterday. His wife, Kari, was on her way back to Canada to see family, but her plane had been delayed in Miami for several hours. So instead of being on a plane and nearly in Canada like she should have been, she was only in Miami and was able to quickly change her flight and return to the DR. They placed a stent in Lorren’s heart and he is recovering well in Santiago now. Praise the Lord for his provision and hand of care for our missionary family! Your consistent prayers for our ministry team are heard and answered!

Hello friends and family!

It’s a rainy evening here in Monte Plata and I have the great privilege of writing to you all to update you on the Lord’s work here. February has been one of the calmest months I’ve had since arriving here and today marks my 6 month arrival anniversary. Some days I feel like I’ve been here for much longer than 6 months, and other days I feel as though I just arrived. Either way, I am thankful for all the Lord has taught me in my first 6 months here and all the ways in which He continues to provide for our ministry.

Hello everyone! I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend! For those of you who are interested and have been praying with us about our ministry needs, I wanted to send a quick update on all the God is doing here in Monte Plata. I also have some great updates on my blog so check it out!

A photo from a recent home visit to the house of 3 of our students – Euris (1st grade, left), Perla (2nd grade, center right), and Deivi (4th grade, right) – who are all being cared for by their grandmother, Juana

Hola y prospero año nuevo from Monte Plata! Happy New Year! As I look back on all that God showed me and blessed me with in 2013, I am filled with joy and thanksgiving. It was truly the most life-changing year I have had thus far. Thank you for being a part of all that God has done for me! As I ponder the blessings of 2013, I can’t help but look eagerly ahead to 2014 and all the opportunities it brings here in Monte Plata. The Lord is doing a great work here and I truly have the greatest job in the world since I get to be a part of it and I get to bring you all along to be part of it as well.

¡Feliz Navidad, mis amigos! Merry Christmas, my friends!

I hope that you are finding time to calm your (probably) very busy heart this Christmas season and rest in the joy and peace that comes with the knowledge that God chose to enter into our broken world with the intention of drawing us closer to Him. I find it amazing that He chose to come so humbly, so quietly, and so peacefully although He deserved a far grander entrance, far more recognition, and far less ridicule and shame. What a powerful lesson about life as a missionary and how we should serve and love our communities.