A little over a month after saying I do, Anaka and Quinn Smith have joined up with The Austin Stone to serve in the Dominican Republic this summer. Inside their suitcases: jigsaw puzzle pieces for kids’ art projects. Inside their hearts: the desires to bring God’s love to a community almost 2,000 miles away from their home in Austin.
Why did you decide to join this trip to the D. R.?
Quinn: We both felt passionate about going to another country and serving people in another country. We just didn’t necessarily know where. We both felt that individually, and then it was confirmed when we found out that we both felt the same way. We were kind of called together and separately.
Anaka: We both grew up in the church but are relatively new to actually pursuing Christ like living in community and making disciples—those elemental things, I guess. Making disciples has really been sort of local for us … like Church Under the Bridge… As we started to kind of form what we wanted to do, it just kind of naturally came into place.
In terms of preparation, how are you feeling about the upcoming trip?
Quinn: We very much don’t know what we’re doing…. That’s a good place to be. Everything that God’s called me to do has [a situation where] I had no idea what I was doing. It leaves me feeling anxious and very inadequate. Every single time, it’s proven to me. It’s very different and humbling for me.
Any expectations?
Quinn: For me personally, that it would be a bit of a wake up call. To see how the body of Christ exists in another culture, first of all. Then to see the difference in the culture in general. … But there’s a lot that I have absolutely no expectation for. I expect to have my world shaking up a lot.
Anaka: I guess I don’t have any expectations about what I’m going to gain from it. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I guess one of the things one of the things that I am expecting to happen is for God to sort of reveal to us whether or not that’s a place where He wants us long term—not necessarily the D.R. but just [serving overseas] in general because I know we’re completely open to it. We know that it is not something we can completely decide ourselves but the Holy Spirit moving that in us allowing us to know. That’s all I’m expecting. I don’t know. I guess I’m expecting it to be great.
Anaka and Quinn will be serving with 14 others in the Dominican from July 25 until August 2. They will be encouraging and working with the local church in addition to children's activities.