I have been able to work with a team of high school students from Calvary Community Church based out of California this week. These kids took time out of their summer to come to a country that they had never gone to in order to have "open hands" and be flexible to what the staff had planned for them to do this week.
This team's leader, Hugo (pictured to the right,) did a splendid job taking care of this team of 18 students and 4 adults as they hosted 3 Vacation Bible School days, worked on removing a pile of dirt that was in the way of the construction team who is steadily building the upcoming Pre-school/ Elementary building, and even distributed more shoes and water filters like the team did two weeks ago.
These high school students used their mission trip motto of "open hands" very literally this week as they opened their arms to hold kids of varying ages, most of which who were thankful for the time spent talking with them (for those who could speak Spanish) or just simply smiling and holding their hand. The team went out of their way to have an actual Americans vs. Dominicans baseball game with the local kids who completely smoked the American teens to the ground.
No matter where I travel on this island, I am always awe-struck with the magnificence of its beauty, No matter if it is the bird's-eye view of Santiago or the country side, it is always lovely to see what God has created.
I want to get real with you for a second to show how I am human and that I make mistakes. While dealing with a summer cold this week, I had a relapse of realizing my reasoning as to why I am here. Wishing I was home in my bed with the many comforts I am used to, I was quickly put in my place by some family members that I am down here for a reason: to serve alongside Brian and the Project Manana team spreading the gospel, whether it be with holding a child in an impoverished community, putting a pair of shoes that grow on a kid who has only a very worn pair of sandals on his feet, or if it is smiling and waving at locals as we drive through the city.
It is hard to keep my perspective of why I here in the forefront of my mind as I miss people from home.
I get pictures like these and I realize it is a little less than a month before I am on a plane back home, back to my life. I need prayers to realize that I need to be in the moment and spend time with the teams here. Not many can say they have been to the Dominican Republic, let alone twice. Please pray that I can keep my mind and heart here as I finish out my internship here. I am happy to be spending time here and making new friends that I hope to keep for years to come.
I wanted to share this little gem with you all. This is a true Dominican Church service song sung by one of the locals in the San Pablo Community this morning. Quality is not the best, but I hope you see that no matter what language someone is singing or speaking, it is all to the same God in Heaven who understands all languages who are singing to him.
Unfortunately, I did not get a video recording of two of this week's team members singing a song this morning that the locals also knew. It was a very humbling experience to hear and see both Americans and Dominicans sing the same song. It literally brought a smile to my face to see everyone in the church singing together. It may be something that you have to see or hear before you realize how magnificent it is.
I spent the day yesterday at the beach and thought I would share this view with everyone. The Caribbean is a very beautiful place. This is Sosua Beach on the northern shores of the island.
I will have the next few days off, so I hope to post about my week and the little things I do around here during my free time. Please feel free to comment or message me on Facebook about my trip.
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