More Than Fine…

Why I Love Baseball Works

// August 5th, 2009 // 7574 Comments »http://www.chrissulli.com/why-i-love-baseball-works/Why+I+Love+Baseball+Works2009-08-05+12%3A24%3A32chrissulli // Barahona, I Love Baseball

Kids are wiling to do anything to play baseball. They will drop out of school. They will leave their families and friends behind and move 3 1/2 hours away from home to train and give themselves the best opportunity to get signed. They will take steroids. They will try to use voodoo to curse other players. Conversely if we tell them what they need to do to get the best training possible is go to school and do well, perform community service, participate in bible study, learn English and be mentored, they will do that to. That is why I Love Baseball works and along the way these kids lives are transformed and their worlds opened to new opportunities and possibilities.

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Inspiration For When I Want To Quit

// August 4th, 2009 // 7566 Comments »http://www.chrissulli.com/inspiration-for-when-i-want-to-quit/Inspiration+For+When+I+Want+To+Quit2009-08-04+12%3A11%3A02chrissulli // Barahona, I Love Baseball

My first couple weeks in Barahona have been amazing. Far and away the best part has been hearing the individual stories of the kids we are working with and how their lives have changed. There was a COTN film crew in Barahona my first week here working on several projects and they stopped by practice to interview two of our players, Julin and Salomon. I can’t wait to see the video. The interviews were amazing. Julin and Salomon shined. I couldn’t have been more proud of them. I listened in awe to their stories. They told us about a normal day in their lives. They told us about their lives before and after I Love Baseball. They told us about their relationships with Carrion (our coach) and the impact his mentoring and discipleship had on them. They told us how they got started in I Love Baseball. They told us about their dreams and how their dreams had changed since they started in I Love Baseball. I was amazed by their perspectives on life and the leadership and charisma they demonstrated in front of the camera. Their stories inspire me.

I read a blog post post from Michael Hyatt yesterday (probably my favorite blogger) that asked “What keeps you going when you want to quit?” Down here in the Dominican I think the answer is going to be these stories. When I start wondering what I’m doing down here. When I start to ask myself if I’m wasting my time or if I’m having any impact. When I want to quit I’m going to think about the stories of how Salomon, Julin and other players lives have been changed and I’m going to push on.

At some point I hope to tell the story of each of our kids individually. In short for now, Salomon is taking premed classes in preparation for med school (which is amazing) and Julin is an awesome kid from Los Robles (one the bateys Children of the Nations works in). If you are interested in sponsoring either of them, shoot me an email chrissulli@gmail.com.

I found out on Tuesday that Julin’s brother is actually one of the kids in my favorite picture from my last trip. That is him on the right.

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I Love Basketball?

// July 30th, 2009 // 7449 Comments »http://www.chrissulli.com/i-love-basketball/I+Love+Basketball%3F2009-07-30+10%3A00%3A18chrissulli // Barahona

I know I told you guys I was playing baseball down here… oh well. Enjoy this video, I did.

Michael Jordan of Don Bosco from Chris Sullivan on Vimeo.

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My Home Away From Home

// July 29th, 2009 // 7424 Comments »http://www.chrissulli.com/my-home-away-from-home/My+Home+Away+From+Home2009-07-29+10%3A00%3A06chrissulli // Barahona, Faith, Life

From Sunday July 26:

For whatever reason I feel more at home at a little church in Barahona than I feel anywhere else in the world. God is more real to me there than anywhere else. I feel his presence. I get goose bumps.  Tears form in my eyes. I tremble and feel the presence of the Holy Spirit move around me in a way that I don’t feel anywhere else. As I sit here and write this, I couldn’t even tell you what the name of the church is. I can guarantee you that they don’t have a sermon podcast. They don’t simulcast their service to multiple sites. You can’t watch their service live online.

Worship (they call it adoracion here) at this little church in Barahona is one of my favorite memories from my trip last November, maybe one of my favorite memories ever. I didn’t think I was going there this morning. I thought I was going to the same church I had gone the night before with mi hermana. Mi abuelo picked me up this morning and we went in a different direction than I expected. We pulled onto a familiar street and past a familiar park. “La iglesia de Julio”?” I asked him. “Si.” I smiled. I had been hoping…

I had forgotten how amazing an experience it had been for me in November. Maybe because it doesn’t completely make sense to me that at this little church in Barahona  I feel so alive. My mind had toned it down to something I could comprehend and rationalize. I forgot how in a completely different language the worship moved me. I forgot how I connected with the band after the service and told them that when they play, “Puedo sentir la gloria y la presencia.” My toned down expectations were blown out the water this morning as I heard the familiar verse. “Tu eres mi respira.” From there I was overwhelmed…

In every nation, in every language, He is God and I will worship him.

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Why Am I In the Dominican Republic Anyway?

// July 28th, 2009 // 7415 Comments »http://www.chrissulli.com/why-am-i-in-the-dominican-republic-anyway/Why+Am+I+In+the+Dominican+Republic+Anyway%3F2009-07-28+18%3A08%3A07chrissulli // Barahona

I could give you lots of reasons why I am here: convincing reasons, logical reasons, altruistic reasons, selfish reasons. I could give you reasons of all types. But something I heard in the interviews with the I Love Baseball players is the reality of the situation. I’m here because it is lo que Dios mando. I’m here because I was called. I’m here because I was sent. I don’t know why. All those other reasons are just rationalizations of the fact that I’m actually here, for your benefit or my own. They are attempts to make rational something that doesn’t have to be. I’m certainly not here because of any master plan of mine. Maybe one day it will be clear why I’m here. Maybe I’ll be able to look back and say this is why He sent me to Barahona. Maybe not. The opportunity for me to be obedient is reason enough but I’ll keep my eyes open for opportunities and pray that He makes clear His purpose for me here and that he gives me the strength to fulfill it.

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