A Few More Fun Things from the Trip!

Here are a few fun things that we were unable to put up while we were gone, but I wanted to make available to you all now! 

SI Media Video of our Trip

Student Testimonies

White Water Rafting 

Pictures and Videos

Click the link above to access more pictures and videos!

Last Morning in the DR

Hi friends and family!

Thank you for walking alongside us and praying for us for the past two weeks as we have served the Lord and experienced so much in the Dominican Republic working with Students International in and around Jarabacoa!  The Lord has moved in many ways, opening our eyes to more of who we are, who He is, and how He has called us to shine as lights to the world around us (wherever we are).  We have been able to work with and learn from amazing site leaders and interns and staff that love the Lord and display the joy and peace found in serving Him, are open about God's amazing grace despite their own weaknesses, and serve those around them humbly and wholeheartedly!  It was hard to say goodbye to them last night, which in itself is a good sign--they were such a huge blessing to us!

This morning after breakfast and packing up, the team had some time to reflect on their time here, brainstorm about how to best share what God has been teaching and showing them, and prepare for coming back home.  We would appreciate your prayers as our time here is drawing to a close.  We are excited to see you all again and have missed you, but it will be hard to leave the people that we have come to love here and to come back to the busy-ness and distractions of everyday life!

We'll be headed to the airport before too long to start heading back to the States, via Panama City again.  Lord willing, we'll be seeing you all at LAX around midnight-12:30 tonight/this morning!

Site Spotlights: Medical and Physical Therapy

Medical

Site Leader:  Fernando (MD), Rachel (PA), and Katie (Nurse)

Team Members:  Laila and Daniel

“Hi, this is Daniel and Laila from the Medical Site.  We have had a very dynamic and interesting time in our site.  We started out by meeting Rachel and Fernando and Katie, who are medical missionaries here in the Dominican Republic.  They shared with us what it’s like to be a medical missionary here and what our time in the site is going to look like.  And, with that, we got to participate with them in serving the community as well as its people with two other students from the other group that’s here, Horizon Church in Arizona, Holly and Mindy.  We helped in an OBGYN clinic, and we did multiple house visits with patients who have diabetes (Joana, Lourdes, and Chepe).

Here in the DR, medicine (and especially SI’s medical clinic) is not just an “in and out” service where we see the patient and then they leave quickly.  Rather, similar to what is seen in Dominican culture in general, we show hospitality to each patient, getting to know them, becoming friends, spending time with them, and maybe even taking food and/or coffee with them.  In this way, we not only strive to help them physically, but also to help them grow spiritually as well.”

Physical Therapy

Site Leader:  Silvio

Team Members:  Angela and Star

“Each day at the Physical Therapy site, our team treats patients of varying ages with appropriate exercises to improve their physical health.  The sites our team contributes to are a nursing home, SI’s special education school, and a clinic that is run by our amazing site leader, Silvio.

At the nursing home, clinic, and special education sites, we assist the members in doing their daily exercises.  Although we were expected to help them, they have helped us so much in the way they talk, live, and dance!”

Site spotlights: Special Education and Education - Los Higos

Special Education

Site leaders:  Maribel and Courtney

Team Members:  Karina, Brittany, and Arianna

“Genesis, a private Christian school for special needs kids, teaches kids from ages 5-22 with a variety of different needs.  Tutoring, playing at recess and P.E., assisting art classes, reading in the classroom, creating worship music, and home visits are activities done daily with the children. 

In no time, the kids have found their way into our hearts and continue to bless us as we spend more and more time with them each day!  It’s going to be hard to say goodbye!”

Education – Los Higos

Site leader:  Hector

Team Members:  Daniel Saucedo and George

“Mis Primeros Pasos is a preschool started by Students International located in the city of Los Higos.  The preschool teaches three and four year old children how to read, write, and count in order to prepare them for the public school in the city (K-12). 

However, the main goal is to love the children in order to show them that God’s loves, too!  The teachers, Hector and Yessenia, teach the students about the Bible, God, and His love for them; and it has been blessing to be able to be a part of their ministry these past two weeks!”

Site Spotlights: Women's Sports and Media

Women’s Sports

Site Leader:  Esther and Mabelisa

Team Members:  Hailey, Valerie, Stevette, and Truly

“The purpose of the Women’s Sports site is to not only inspire girls to be active physically, but spiritually as well.  We have had the pleasure of not only helping out with local PE classes, but also practicing with a middle-school volleyball team.  We have noticed cultural differences, such as how it is common for young middle-school aged girls to run away from home to get ‘married’ (which is more like moving in together).  In response to this, the ministry’s goal is also to encourage girls to rely on God and seek his acceptance instead of the acceptance of guys. 

We have also had the blessing of sharing our testimonies with many of the different classes and different teams of girls and are praying that God continues to work in the lives of the girls through this site and SI’s ministry!”

Media

Site Leaders:  Micha and Mateo

Team Members:  Lauren and Blake

“In the media site, we help make the mission of Students International come alive through pictures.  We are in a group of 6 with 2 Horizon members, Zach and Jon, and 2 leaders, Micha and Mateo.  We travel around to each site and take videos of what each team member is doing to display God through what they do.

Every day we post a ‘Jesus moment’ to show how God is working through the teams.  Additionally, we post a video of how God is working through one member each week.  Lastly, we make a video (6-8 minutes long) including every site to display what God has done over the span of our trip.”

Site Spotlights: Social Work - Young Men's and El Callejon

Young Men’s Social Work

Site leader: Jim

Team Members: Joel, Robert, Cory, and Señor Brache

“At the Young Men’s Social Work Site, we aim to minister to the shoe shiners of Jarabacoa between the ages of 11 to 18 through vocational training as well as other programs.  We have faced many challenges this past week including putting an armoir into the second floor of the building where our site is located. 

Over the last couple of days we have presented a microfinance program (partnering with the SI bank), conducted an English class, did some handiwork, played with the kids, and participated in devotionals.  We also had the opportunity to paint a mural, and above all we have continued to bond and make friendships with not only the youth we are ministering to, but also many others in the community.  Please continue to pray for Jim Ralstin, our site leader, and his amazing ministry here.”

 Social Work – El Callejon

Site leader: Daisy

Team Members: Grazie, Clarissa, and Miss Dueck

The young teens' group

Melissa translating for Grazie's lesson for the little girls

“At Women’s Social Work, we’ve been privileged to be able to serve with Daisy (our site leader), Melissa (one of her daughters), and Paige (the site’s summer intern) in reaching out to women and girls in the small community of El Callejon.  At different times during the week we meet with each of the different age groups, helping them with projects, teaching them about God, and talking through everyday issues.

Daisy starting our Mothers' Day celebration

Being with the women and girls has opened our eyes.  We have seen that even though we are all coming from very different places, they still have the same questions about God and many of the same life struggles.  Also, we have had many opportunities to get out into the community, visiting women in their homes and walking around learning about where we are serving.  During these times, we’ve been able to encourage and pray for them, but we’ve also been challenged by their strength and perseverance and faith in the midst of very difficult circumstances.  Those that are saved have a hope that is not dependent on their situation or on material things, but on the love they have for one another and most of all for the love of God.