Heart of
by Karen Unternahrer
Missi ns
Jurassic Park
W
e live in the third
largest city of the
Dominican Republic, the country that shares an island with Haiti.
Jarabacoa is nestled into the Cordillera Central mountain range, an area
known as the Alps of the Caribbean in
the north-west corner of the Dominican Republic. Because we sit in somewhat of a valley, no matter which way I
turn I see the mountains rise up before
me. Sometimes they appear hazy with
the heat and humidity. Sometimes
wisps of clouds float by. Sometimes
the sun shines bright across the slopes
covered in thick dark foliage.
Regardless, I can’t help but recite
Psalm 121 … “I lift up my eyes to the hills
- where does my help come from? My help
comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven
and earth.”
I love the fact that God has allowed
all of creation to glorify Him, to point
others to Him. When a person physically stands before a mountain (literally), one cannot help but look up and
take in the grandeur of it all. Interestingly enough when a figurative mountain stands before a person, one can
look up and recognize the majesty and
sovereignty of the God who created the
foundations of the earth, the seas, and
the mountains.
Among these mountains there
are many waterfalls; in fact, there are
three waterfalls within a ten minute
drive of our home. One must first
traverse a steep 2000’ descent in order
to see the Upper Jimenoa, the tallest of
the three waterfalls. It has the distinction of having been one of the locations in which the movie Jurassic Park
was shot. Each waterfall has its own
unique characteristics. And with any
significant amount of rain, each one is
transformed, albeit temporarily, by the
higher water levels.
Again, my thoughts automatically
turn to the Bible’s many references to
God in Christ providing us with living
water; see John 4:10-14 for just one
example. Again, all creation points to
our great God, Creator of every living
thing and Sovereign over all.
The Dominican Republic is a
beautiful place to live. Closer to the
equator, we enjoy warm temperatures
year round. Summertime heat can
sometimes be stifling. Even more so, it
is the suffocating poverty so many Dominicans experience that can be wearisome. Not everyone, especially here
in the city there is affluence alongside
poverty much like cities in the United
States. It is especially evident in small
squatter communities further up in the
mountains.
Ultimately, it is the spiritual poverty among people in any given place
that breaks the heart of God. In what
ways are you cooperating with His
work in your own life and in the lives
of those around you?
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The Hometown Treasure · July ‘13 · pg 27