We're Coming Home!

In less than an hour, we will be heading to the airport and preparing to start heading home!  We cannot believe that it is already time to go.  This morning we were able to talk through, as a team, all the ways that we've been encouraged and challenged this week as well as how much we are all going to miss the DR, the people that we have met, the times we have have in the Word and in worshipping the Lord, and the fellowship that we've been able to have with each other.  

God has blessed us more than we thought possible, and soon we will be able to share with you in person our pictures and our stories!  Thank you for your continued prayer and support; and, Lord willing, we'll be back in CA around midnight tonight!

A Deeper Look into the Sites (part three)

SOCIAL WORK (El Callejon) - Melanie

Working at the Social Work site in El Callejon was such a pleasure.  I got to work there for the second year in a row, and I got to continue relationships with my site leader, Daisy, and all the girls in the community.  At this site, we share the gospel through displaying love to the women and girls of the community, sharing devotionals, and doing crafts.

SPECIAL EDUCATION - Rebecca and Zack

God works in the most amazing ways.  Where fear resonated, God jumped in and brought comfort.  Where anxious thoughts tried to attack, total peace was blanketed over us.  We in the special needs site discovered this.  We got to play with kids who simply wanted a smile; we got to read to kids who just wanted to be spoken to.  God delivered more than we all thought possible!

MEDICAL SITE - Laila

What can I say?  The medical site is incredible.  Going back for a second time just adds to the experience; it's as if I never left.  Yesterday we got to be at a clinic that we set up at someone's house.  While we wait for patients, Fernando and Rachel (site leaders) always play worship music, using their guitar and flute.  Every day, so far, we have been privileged to work with exquisite doctors and talk to and take care of wonderful people.

PHYSICAL THERAPY SITE - Tristan and Chase

Physical Therapy was a great eye-opening experience.  We got to see some amazing things that we will never forget.  We worked with patients that had serious issues.  God works through our site leader every day, which brings more and more people closer to God.  We got to go to a nursing home and work with elderly people, and they impacted us incredibly.  They loved to give hugs and just talk to us, even though we couldn't understand what they were saying.

A Deeper Look into the Sites (part two)

WOMEN'S SPORTS SITE - Cassidy and Valerie

In the women's sports site, we had tons of fun meeting all the younger girls and getting to play volleyball, a sport that we all really love.  We really enjoyed being a part of their volleyball practices and seeing how good they are.  It honestly really shocked us how good they are, when we began to play with them.  All the girls that came out to play were so young, but had so much talent.  We were also able to see how smart they are and how much knowledge they have concerning the Word of God.  Whenever our leader talked about our sin and the redemption we have through the cross, they would quickly participate in the conversation.  

Initially, we were both really nervous about whether the girls would like us and whether we would connect with them.  However, when we first arrived at the school where we were going to be practicing, two girls immediately came to hug and greet us, asking to play with us.  After the first day, the rest of the girls were also comfortable with us and would excitedly rush to give us the traditional Dominican greeting.  It made us really happy to see how full of love and care these girls are, and we feel so blessed that we were able to meet these girls and share in their love for volleyball and cheer them on!

MEN'S SPORTS SITE - Alex, Pablo, Josh, Najeem, JC

"Today we went to the baseball site to play with the kids, where we played the game, "Baseball 1-2-3."  This is basically a slow-pitch baseball game where everyone rotates positions after an out.  After we played, we had to say our goodbyes to the kids that were there, since it was the last day with them.  We all felt really sad about leaving them, but happy that we had had a part in their lives.  Shortly after leaving the field, we went to get haircuts.  Now we can say that we got haircuts in the DR!"  - Alex

"We played one regular game on the first day of the week.  One of the kids that we all thought was pretty cool was Gustavo, who was also the first of the kids to talk to us.  I will miss the DR, but I will never forget the kids that I met here and all the experiences that I had."  - Josh

EDUCATION: LOS HIGOS - George, Daniel, Leon, Alex 

We were at an educational site that mainly serves kids ages 3-4 and 13-15.  While there, we had an amazing time seeing what God is doing in the community of Los Higos.  Los Higos is a small community located in Monte Evade with around 200 people.  SI established the first school in the community, "Mis Primeros Pasos," to teach writing skills and remedial math to pre-kindergarten students and English to teenagers.  SI was able to demonstrate God's love to the people there by establishing an education site for young students and aspiring teenagers, where previously there had been none.

It was such a blessing to serve all the little kids and grow close with our site leader Michael.  He shared with us his ministry and shared with us how, through education, we can raise up the next generation with God's Word and love.  Michael and his staff taught us how we should serve even the smallest with the humblest of hearts.  We are so thankful that God has provided such faithful servants, in His plan, to Michael and his ministry in Los Higos and that we were able to serve alongside them this week.  The kids taught us how to be patient and thankful for everything.  It was refreshing to get out of our normal routine and learn about God's goodness and work in another environment.

A Deeper Look into the Sites (part one)

We had the kids start writing up brief summaries of their time in their sites today, and we will be sharing them over the next couple days.  Also, here is a link for our Flickr photos, where more photos from the trip are being uploaded, beyond those posted here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/124998824@N06/


MEDIA SITE - Griffin and Ethan

"In the media site, we get to spend most of our time working behind the scenes to capture all of what everyone else is doing and then put together the pictures and footage into a cohesive and tangible presentation of God's love through His students.  Our primary goal in this site is to display the full and complete picture of this mission trip, for all to see.  We want to show everyone involved  with this outreach all of the amazing and exciting things that happened in different areas that they didn't get to see themselves.  God is working in every ministry site, and we believe that everyone should have the opportunity to witness both the experiences they had themselves and the experiences others had in their sites, in the form of pictures and a video."

SOCIAL WORK (Mata Gorda) - Isabel, Kara, Makena, & Miss D.

"We work at the school with the kids until 12:30 each day, then go into the surrounding community and pray with some of the women and their families, while trying to also help in whatever ways possible (deep cleaning their house, cooking, etc.).

The experience that we have had so far has been eye opening, to say the least.  We have formed some close relationships with some of the kids and are saddened to think of leaving them so soon.  The school there is very small, but the kids always have a smile.  God is blessing Mata Gorda through this school and social work site, and the teachers there are absolutely fantastic.  Helping at this site has been a humbling experience for us all.  Despite the lack of resources, the kids have a blast making crafts and playing games.  Words cannot describe how much this trip has changed our lives, and we can't wait to share our pictures and stories with our families and friends back home!"

YOUNG MEN'S SOCIAL SITE - Jose, Scottie, Robert, Dan & Tyler

 

"In our site, we invest in young men that are working on the streets.  We attempt to show them a hard working lifestyle to avoid a darker path.  We also connect with local leaders to help give these kids a better chance by teaching them different trades.  By doing this, we give the young men a better lifestyle while portraying Christ-like examples."