The Gathering: Sewing Conference, Construction, and Carrying Us

At the end of January, our team had the privilege of hosting The Gathering Church once again! This was their third time coming to Santiago, and the Holy Spirit is so very evident throughout their congregation.

When I first started writing this blog, my plan was to share about how their team impacted so many of the people we get to serve. From hosting a sewing conference for our Haitian ladies, to building an awning and playground for one of our partnering schools, to building beds, to putting on a medical clinic, and so much more. 

But as I wrote, I felt like I wasn’t giving the full truth as to what they really did for us.

To be very transparent and we also shared this with the team while they were here, JJ and I were running on fumes going into this week. We were having a hard time. It hadn’t even been a month since his mom passed away. I was still in my first trimester. We hadn’t had a day of rest since the middle of December, and I can’t even begin to describe all the emotions we were carrying.

But let me tell you about these incredible brothers and sisters from Illinois. 

Without hesitation, they picked us up, prayed for us, hugged us, supported us, and loved us in ways they don’t even know they did.

Our dear brother, Jeff Wagner, shared an incredible message at our Wednesday Night Gathering about living in the tension. It was, without a doubt, a message specifically for JJ and me. We were quite literally in the peak of living in the tension. The feelings about his mom were so fresh, while at the same time trying to wrap our heads around the blessing of the little one the Lord has given us. 

Jeff shared that it’s okay to live in the tension, just keep your eyes focused on Jesus at all times. He also challenged us: How are you handling these times in the tension? Are you frustrated with His ways and plans, or fully relying on His goodness?

Throughout the week, I began to feel glimpses of joy that we had scarcely felt. 

Watching JJ laugh while playing basketball with the team. Watching one of the boys on the team, Silas, swim his heart out in the pool all by himself. The heartwarming conversations with the women on the team. One team member, Emily, giving me a haircut. The pure laughter we shared with LJ, Dustin, and so many others. 

There were many moments of joy.

To The Gathering Church, thank you for being the hands and feet of Jesus in so many ways. The ministry you poured into our ladies and the communities was incredible to witness. Thank you for pouring your hearts into ours.

When teams come, we are always excited to see how they will serve the people we love so deeply here. But this trip was different for me. It was a week where I felt the team serving my heart and helping carry me.

Below you’ll see pictures from their time here and all the ways they served. We are so blessed to call them our family. Thank you The Gathering Church.