With much help from one of our school families who donated 50 boxes, a small Hispanic church that donated 90 boxes, and a youth group who donated 30 boxes, Heritage Christian was privileged to be able to collect a total of 476 boxes to donate to Samaritan's Purse for global distribution. Thank you to all who supported this very worthy cause!
"Working at Women's Social Work site again this year with Daisy (our leader), her two daughters, and several girls that have grown up in the site has been such a blessing! During our time here, we've been able to walk and visit women in their homes, have tournaments with the kids, drink tons of coffee, and make tons of crafts with the girls and women! The main way we get to connect with them is through crafts followed by giving a devotional that goes along with it. Some of the crafts we've made include tiny mirrors, picture frames, and bracelets. And following these, we've been able to share about the identity they can find in Christ, the message of the gospel, and the dangers of disunity and fighting among themselves.
"The Men's Sports site is by far the best site in the DR! When our team members would come home from site, most would have at least one complaint and/or an anecdote of something that went wrong. When they finally asked how my day was, not once did I have a negative comment in my mind. The site has two simple requirements: talk to the kids and play baseball. Our site leaders, Dave and Moreno, make the process incredibly fun. They equip us with the information we need to form a relationship with each and every student. As far as baseball goes...well, let's just say they don't need to worry too much about that aspect.
Every afternoon entails an activity unique to that day. Monday afternoons feature a trip to the local pool where the leaders, the kids and us play two hours of pool tag, which they really like. One Tuesdays and Thursdays, we venture through the back roads of town and climb up mountains and through rivers to reach the Fight Ministry. This organization plans to help house women who have fallen victim to sex trafficking. Since we've been here, we've helped them roof their shelter, install toilets and door frames and maintain their garden. We take a few kids from the team to help us. Wednesdays are the only days that lack consistency. Yesterday, we took a trip to the barbershop, ate lunch at a local restaurant, and took a walk around town where we prayed over the city and the people that we ran into. On Fridays, we bring a lot of the kids back to base and play basketball with them. Although standing in the heat for 6 hours a day can be draining at times, the Men's Sports site is lots of fun for all who are involved."
"Cory and I serve alongside our site leaders, Jim and Arturo, and our intern, Brett, at Young Men's Social Work in Jarabacoa. Our site has recently switched its perspective on serving the shoe-shiner boys and other people in the community. We used to come from behind and try to pick up the broken pieces of their lives, but now we are leading them to follow Jesus. If they come along, they will find truth and be blessed!
Some of the ways we've been able to be a blessing at the site include helping lead English classes, Bible studies, and just forming relationships. We also help out with the "Redeemed Souls" project. This is a way that Jim can employ some of the shoe-shiner guys and help keep them off the streets. The two current "employees" are Jason and Jordy, who are both Christians. (Jordy just recently gave his life to Christ.) We make sandals that can be sold in order to give them a steady income. The sandals come from recycled tires and are handmade by our team effort. 
"Hey, everyone! It's David here! These past couple days Kyle and I along with Matt (a student from New York) have been in the Educational site at Los Higos or "The Figs." Every single day has been a huge blessing for each one of us!
"Hey, readers! It's @angelaawad and @aaragon301 reporting from the Physical Therapy site in Jarabacoa! Each morning we have the pleasure of working with Sylvio at a nursing home, where we connect with a wide range of personalities. One of them being Mario, a "99" year old who dances around like he's in his twenties. Later in the day, we travel back down to our site leader, Sylvio's, clinic where we work alongside Katie, the intern of the site, to treat patients. 
The second half of the day is usually a bit slower. So, when we're not seeing patients, you could find us spending time with Sylvio's secretary, Marlyn. All in all, this trip has been a huge blessing, and we don't want it to end! 
Note: Please read in a British accent!
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| The family that hosted the Appropriate Technology site (George and Dan) |
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Our very own Matthew rocking the house with his rendition
of Elvis Presley's "Cant Help Falling in Love"
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