An Update from the States

We are grateful for a quiet place

to rest while in the States.

"My soul finds rest in God alone."

Psalm 62

As many of you might already know, we have returned to the States to address some of the health issues Margaret has been facing since last January, and we thought it was time for an update.  We continue to be encouraged by the news we are receiving from the doctors regarding Margaret’s health, although she is not out of the woods yet.  Margaret continues to improve and is having more good days than bad, so we are thankful.  She will have more tests in November, and will see her endocrinologist and infectious disease doctors in November and December.  Depending on the reports we receive from her doctors, and the condition of her health, we are tentatively planning on returning to the DR in January, but we will wait to make that decision until we have more info.  Thank you for all who have prayed for us.  Even in the midst of this season, we are constantly saying to each other, “The Lord has been so good to us,” or, “The Lord has protected us,” or “The Lord continues to provide for us.”  So, although this season is not ideal, we are grateful for the countless ways we see the Lord’s kindness and goodness. 

We are also thankful for the Lehrs who are continuing the Lord’s work in the DR in our absence. They are hosting teams in the Mak House and are holding down the fort while we are away. Having them in the DR has given us great peace as we work on our health issues in the US.

Before we sign off, we wanted to share with you some insights from Elise.  Elise is a senior at Cedar Ridge High School and has been to the DR several times with Fellowship Round Rock.  May you be encouraged by what the Lord taught her this summer.  Elise, thank you for sharing your experience with us!

Elise in Pancho Mateo

"Each year, I have flown into the Santiago airport thinking about the impact I will make when I get there. And each year I leave reminded about the impact the Dominican Republic has on me.

     We visited Makarios the last week of soccer camp, meaning that at the end of the week, there would be a competitive soccer game between two of the four teams. Watching the game is always bright and lively, exciting and celebratory. Each boy playing on the field has a blast, and every fan watching has equally as much fun. The sun’s rays are constantly on the back of our necks, exhausting our group, but never stopping the boys from playing at their full potential. Since it is the championship game, the boys receive medals and trophies at an award ceremony that takes place directly after the game. As the game comes to an end, the blue team celebrates their victory and both teams rehydrate. I slowly walked back to the school, drenched in more sweat than I’ve ever been before. I took a seat on the cold, cement floor in the back of the school cafeteria. The boys shuffled in excitedly and took their seats, eager to receive their awards. Parents, siblings, and friends of the soccer players scrambled in as well and found a chair. The room buzzed with small talk, victory cheers, and an overwhelming amount of joy. However, in that moment, I felt drained. I was unable to notice how evident the Lord’s glory was shining in that cafeteria. I sat in the back, hoping no one would approach me to try and start a meaningful conversation.

Elise and Her Sweet Little Friend

Glancing around the room, I noticed the sweet face of one of the boys’ sisters, about eight years old, sitting in the lap of my friend. We made eye contact, and she lifted herself off my friend and scooted next to me. She grasped my hair and braided it gently. Then she plopped down on my lap. She began to make silly faces at my friend and I, causing us to laugh hysterically. She hugged me then rested her head on my shoulder. My heart softened. Of course the Lord knew exactly what I needed in that moment. I was so oblivious of the obvious joy around me, so He sent that little bundle of joy my way. Her love and compassion for me when I stopped pursuing the mission I was there for was such a sweet reminder of the constant love and compassion God has for me when I forget to pursue Him. I’m so thankful for a God who extends such grace toward a sinner such as I."

May you be blessed!  We love you and thank you for joining us in the journey!

With Love,
The Becks

Health Update

This picture was taken in March, just a few weeks before I got sick

To say that April, May and June have been eventful would be an understatement. 

After several months of not feeling well, I (Margaret) had a crisis situation and ended up in the hospital in the Dominican Republic at the end of April.  I immediately flew to the States and saw an internist and endocrinologist to determine what was going on in my body.  After 4 weeks of testing, I was diagnosed with Addison’s Disease and remained in the States to recover for a total of 7 weeks. 

Fortunately, I am back in the DR, but my fatigue is still very present.  The doctors have told me that over time, the fatigue will diminish and I’ll start to feel better.  Through all of this, God has taught us so much.  I’m so thankful for His provision.  Doug and I have been the only host couple for the last 4 years, but just before I got sick, another host family reported to the DR and were able to smoothly jump right in and help Doug while I was away.  Their help has been tremendous, but the gift of their friendship has been irreplaceable!  We count our blessings for the Lehrs!

I’ve also seen the beauty of the body of Christ!  While in the States, I had friends (and some strangers) making phone calls to doctors’ offices to help me get appointments ASAP; others brought by meals; many reached out; some sent notes of encouragement; some offered their services for free and the list goes on and on…it was a beautiful example of God’s love in tangible ways.

Whoa!  Look at my face!  This was taken 2 days

before I went to the hospital in April

And finally, through my sickness and uncertainty, 2 Corinthians 4:7-10 has been etched in my brain and I have never been more convinced in God’s sovereignty and care for me.

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.  We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.  We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.”  2 Corinthians 4:7-10

There is hope in the gospel, and we are thankful for that Truth. 

Thank you to many of you who have prayed for us, encouraged us, supported us, emailed us, etc.  We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love we have received from friends both near and far.  Thank You!

The Lehr Family and Interns

We are right in the midst of our busy season hosting summer teams, but are thankful to be sharing the load with the Lehrs.  Please be praying for all of us as we host and minister to the teams coming this summer.  We also have 7 interns who have been ROCK STARS!  Please pray for them, too as they minister to teams, to us and the Lehrs.

Even though we have health insurance in the States, our recent out-of-pocket medical bills have been significant. If you’d like to help with some of our current and medical expenses, you can click HERE to give. All gifts are tax deductible.

This picture was taken in May...

There is still considerable swelling in my face.

Another way you can help is by purchasing Young Living Essential Oils.  A friend who has Addison’s gave me some Ningxia Red from Young Living to help with my fatigue and I’ve found that this, and some other essential oils have helped with some of my symptoms.  If you have ever considered using essential oils, and if you order them using my member #, it will help me purchase what I need.  Contact me if interested.

Despite all the recent struggles, God has been faithful to us as we continue to serve here in the DR.  Thank you for your part in our life and ministry.  As we often say, “Life is Never Boring.”  Oh, What a journey! 

Love from the DR,
The Becks

I hope these pics of my face will keep you entertained and in prayer for me! While it is definitely still better, it still looks like I just got my wisdom teeth out!

Monthly Snapshots

Well Friends, we are LONG overdue for an update!  So, instead of giving you a play-by-play, we will give you a monthly rundown via pictures!

September-November

This is the precious couple we lived with while we were

students at a language school in Mexico.

Eduardo and Lorena were like our second family. 

Our time in language school proved to be very fruitful

in our continued language study.

November-December

We spent Thanksgiving and Christmas in the States with our 2 families for the first time since we moved to the DR almost 4 years ago.  It was also a joy to celebrate Margaret's parents 50th Wedding Anniversary!

January

We loved the 2 teams we hosted in January and appreciate their years of friendship with us and partnership with Makarios.  When we host Fellowship Round Rock and the Dental Team led by Dr. Bud from Austin, it's like hosting our family.  They beautifully served the communities, in the same way they have year after year.  They were such a blessing to us and Makarios.

February

Miguel (our watchie at the Mak House) with his twin, Miguelina.  Several months ago, he told us that he had a twin sister who he had not seen for over 20 years!  So, in February, we offered to take him to visit his sister and it was AWESOME!

We also enjoyed celebrating birthdays in February.  Two of our neighborhood children (who we are especially close with) celebrated birthdays in February.  So, we baked cakes and celebrated with neighborhood kids.  It was SO FUN!

March

We hosted 2 AMAZING teams during the Spring Break Weeks.  First, we had Cedarville University from Ohio and then we had 37 youth from Sagemont Church in Houston.  They worked so hard and we had a ball in the process!

April

We have been busy preparing for the Summer Interns!  We will have 7 college students who will be joining us for the summer.  We have been coordinating calendars, schedules, and job responsibilities- it's going to be an AWESOME summer!

At the end of April, we had a Sponsor Trip.  Here's a pic of the sponsor kids enjoying the Sponsor Water Party at the end of the week.

These are amazing sponsors who participated in our Sponsor Week!

This is a special week when sponsors can personally interact with the Makarios student who they sponsor.

We LOVE our Sponsors!!!

As you can see, it's been a fruitful few months.  Pray for us as we enter into the summer months.  Logos Prep from Sugarland will be visiting us in 2 weeks, then the interns arrive, and our summer teams come soon afterwards!  Ready or Not!!!

We'd also appreciate prayers for Margaret's health. She has not felt well since January and is currently in the States for medical treatment.  We still have a lot of unanswered questions, so your prayers are appreciated!

And Again...thank you for joining on this journey!  The Lord has been gracious to us, and we are thankful for YOU!

       

"This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil..."  Hebrews 6:19

Blessings,

The Becks

Photo Credit for March pics:  Rachel Sawyer.  THANKS, Rachel!