Have you ever been in a situation where you say to yourself, "What on earth am I doing here?" Well, that’s how I felt the day that Val and I were traveling down the 401 on our way to Detroit to fly to the Dominican.  It’s not that I hadn’t prepared myself for the trip...

For two and a half months our team had met once a week learning Spanish songs and common phrases, collected monies and resources and then packed items to take along.  But now it was really happening. I was on my way. My husband was back in London and for the first time I was heading out without him.

I had bought a book to read a couple of weeks before we left and although it was meant for reading material on the plane...I started reading it in advance. The book, written by John Ortberg, was called "If you want to walk on water, you’ve got to get out of the boat". He prefaces his book by saying that "The Bible is, among other things, a list of unforgettable walks...But perhaps the most unforgettable walk of all was taken by Peter the day he got out of a boat and walked on the water." Peter’s walk stands as an invitation to anyone who, like him, wants to step out in faith to experience more of the power of God.

One of the first paragraphs that caught my eye said, "I believe there is something -Someone- inside us who tells us there is more to life than sitting in the boat. There is something inside you that wants to walk on the water - to leave the comfort of routine existence and abandon yourself to the high adventure of following God." That’s exactly how I felt when Val and Allana started discussing this trip to the Dominican. There seemed to be no other choice but to GO!

So as we traveled down the highway I felt that I had jumped out of the boat, but I wasn’t sure yet if I was going to be able to walk on water.

My experience in the Dominican was a true walk of faith and included much personal spiritual growth. From the moment the van stopped in front of the Dominica Life Skills School and Orphanage on that first Sunday, I knew I would never be the same. We saw the children come toward us and greet us with genuine, warm, tight hugs and "telling" eyes. The church service that followed along with communion for everyone was very emotional and very meaningful for me. God spoke to me that first day through the children. He used a medium that He knew would leave an impact on me...one I could not resist.

Ortberg says "When you take on a challenge, it builds the core of who you are, even if you don’t perform flawlessly." "So it always is when somebody gets out of the boat. They are never quite the same. Their worship is never quite the same. Their world is never quite the same. Whatever the results, whether they sink or swim, something will have changed.

And so it was for me...because of my team members and the children and adults I met in the Dominican, I will never be quite the same. As I walked on the water, I learned that "Jesus is waiting to meet you in ways that will change you forever, deepening your character and your trust in God."

And so it was for me...because of my team members and the children and adults I met in the Dominican, I will never be quite the same. As I walked on the water, I learned that "Jesus is waiting to meet you in ways that will change you forever, deepening your character and your trust in God."

My walk on the water isn’t finished yet. I have to go back to the Dominican and continue to help with the job that has been started. I would challenge each of you to think about stepping out of your boat and taking a walk on the water.