Once again, I was given the privilege of speaking to the church in La Romana during their Sunday morning service. I always try to speak directly to the children in an effort to inspire hope in light of the school supplies that God has blessed them with. Since the article from Christianity Today that I referenced earlier had inspired me so much, I decided that I would attempt to give a message that would inspire hope, build self-esteem and expand the children’s views about their own possibilities.
In the final days leading up to our 6th annual mission trip to the Dominican Republic…I must confess – I wasn’t feeling up to the task. After celebrating Starfish’s 5th anniversary last year and enjoying all of the excitement surrounding that milestone – our 6th year had begun to feel like somewhat of a letdown. For the first time in 5 years, our fundraising was down from the previous year. This would mean turning away some kids that were helped last year. I was disappointed in our efforts and felt like we had let the children down. I was discouraged, and even began to second guess the work that we do. After 6 years of equipping these children for school…I began to wonder – are we really making a difference?