Saturday, June 27

After a hard week’s worth of work we were able to have a fun day. We all climbed in speed boats that would take us to an island close the the mainland of the Dominican Republic. On our way to the island, we stopped in an area of water that the locals called the “swimming hole” which was basically just a big area where it was shallow. Here, we all got out and had some time to play in the water and some of us even found some starfish. From there, we finished our journey to the island. We unloaded and stayed in the water to join together to witness the baptism of one of our students, Anna Phillips. That seemed to be a fitting way to end the week. After that, we were free to do whatever we pleased on the island. Later that afternoon the group loaded up on a catamaran, which is like a really big sail boat, and sailed back to the mainland. It was really neat to look out toward the horizon and take in God’s creation. 

My most memorable moment of the week was on Thursday when I carried a little boy up the mountain that was right next to Batey 106. He was attached to me the previous day and the only way I identified him was by his green shirt with stripes that he wore three days in a row. We climbed up the mountain and when we reached the top, he hopped off my back, picked a flower, and ran over and handed it to me with a smile on his face. He was so excited to give it to me and it left a lasting impression on me. As we went back down the mountain, I looked out at the rolling hills of sugarcane and palm trees. Even though there was a language barrier, I pointed to the mountains and said “Las montanas!” (the mountains). I told him that God’s love for him was greater and bigger than all of those mountains. I know he probably didn’t understand it, but the connection I made with him this week will be something I will never forget.

-Mary Beth Gordon

My favorite part of the week was being assigned to the barrio every day. Even though I switched between the construction and day camp, I was still able to see the same kids. Before the trip, I had been praying that I would find children that I connected with, and that prayer was answered. One girl in particular sought me out daily to give her piggy backs and walk around with her. Although there was a language barrier between us, we were able to communicate pretty well. On the last day as we were packing up to leave, I looked for her to say goodbye but I could not find her in the crowd. I decided to walk toward the bus when I saw her standing close by. She ran up and held her arms up like she wanted me to pick her up. I started to say, “No, I have to go,” but I decided that picking her up one more time would not take too long. I grabbed her and she wrapped her arms around my neck, and we stood like that for a few seconds. Before I put her back on the ground I said, “Te amo mucho” (I love you very much) and she replied “Yo tambien” (me too). Having that connection with her was so special to me, and I know I will never forget it. 

-Anna Grace Eldridge

My most memorable moment from this week happened on Friday when the whole group went to Batey 106. I had only been there one day before that so I didn’t know many of the kids there, but as soon as I stepped out of the bus a girl came up to me and started asking for my shoes and my sunglasses. I had to tell her that I needed them and I was very sorry and she told me “es bien” (which means its ok) and continued to take me to her house. Once I got there she introduced me to her parents and siblings and told all of them that i was her new best friend. After talking to her family for a while one of the adults walked up and gave the girl a bouncy ball since she hadn’t gotten anything yet. The girl immediatey turned toward me and noticed that I had a pocket on my shirt and but the ball in it and said “es para ti” which meant “its for you”. I tried multiple times to give it back but she wouldn’t take it. It just made me happy that even though she asked me for most of my things, she still gave me the one new thing she got for herself.

-Stephanie Brooks

This week we worked hard to build a school for the neighborhood children. After a few hours of shoveling and moving dirt, we took a water break in the church that was built by our youth a few years ago. The church was filled with children singing Christian songs that I recognized, except they were in Spanish. It helped me to realize that all this hard work, all this money, all this time, and all this effort is all pointing back the glory of God.

-Jackson Harbarger

The most memorable part of this trip for me occurred on the last day of work, Friday. I was on the bus ride from the school to Batey 106 for the house dedication. I had made a little friend earlier in the week at this Batey. As soon as he saw me on the bus, his face lit up with a smile. He began to jump up and down saying, “Es mi amigo!” which means “It’s my friend!” This week, I was blessed to see such great joy in the children of the Dominican Republic, especially with my little amigo.

-Patrick Jesup

I spent the majority of my time working construction, so I didn’t get to spend all of my time with kids, but my most memorable moment was with some of the kids at Batey 106. It was Wednesday afternoon and it was extremely hot and we were starting to level the floors at the house we were building, and my job was to shovel gravel into the wheel barrel so they could put it on the floor. I was on my 7th wheel barrel full when two 3 year old kids came over to the pile of gravel and pulled plastic spoons out of their back pockets and started to help shovel gravel with their spoons. They didn’t actually help me that much but just the willingness to help serve their community without even being asked was a God moment for me.

-John Forrest Ruble

My most memorable moment for the trip occurred last Sunday morning at the church service I attended. Our group split up and went to three different churches, but we all planned to sing the first three verses of Amazing Grace at each church. By the time my group had finished the third verse, the keyboard player in the church had already figured out the melody, and the entire church then proceeded to sing the first three verses of Amazing Grace in Spanish. The entire service was incredibly powerful and unlike any I had ever attended, but it was an overwhelming feeling to hear a song that we all know so well sung with such passion in a foreign language by a fellow body of believers. Mr. Dubose-Schmitt mentioned as we were leaving for the church that morning that this was going to be a glimpse of heaven, because as Christians, we are all a huge family spread across the world. But once we are all in heaven, we will finally be united, praising God and celebrating for all of eternity. And I feel that this moment was about as close of a glimpse of heaven as I will ever get in my time on this earth.

-Ryan Stallcup

Monday I was at Batey 106 doing construction. Right before lunch, many of the children led us up the side of a hill nearby to a Mango tree. (Don’t worry. I didn’t eat any haha) Since I was carrying two kids on my back I didn’t see the view until I reached the top. It was beautiful. You can probably find pictures somewhere. Surely the LORD created everything here. That’s one of my favorite moments of this trip. 

-Will Whetzel

Throughout the week, I spent my time in the barrio where we worked on the school. As the week progressed, we were able to form some sort of organization and order with the kids at the day camp. On Wednesday, we read the story of the Lord’s Prayer. I read the story in Spanish from a Bilingual children’s Bible. When I got to the “Lord’s Prayer,” Mike Pierce had the idea for them to repeat small phrases after me. It was a huge success, as they were able to participate in the Bible story and praise God in the process. We decided to do the prayer every day, and by Friday they had all learned it pretty well. I like the way the children’s Bible translates the beginning: “Hola, Papito!” which translates to “Hello Daddy!” It was an incredible experience. The children shined with the love of Jesus and I hope I will carry their precious faces and voices in my memories forever.

-Julianna Darby

I was at the school for all but the last day of work, so I got to know a few of the kids there really well. Rosie, an adorable little girl there, walked around with me and held my hand for hours. On Tuesday we gave out some materials for making bracelets. I noticed that Rosie wasn’t spending as much time with me and was instead very interested in the bracelet she was working on. At the end of the day, she walked up to me and gave me the bracelet without hesitation. I put it on and when she saw me walk out of the bus the next morning, she saw that I was still wearing the bracelet and immediately pointed at it and started beaming. I couldn’t help but smile back. I know that many other people on this trip experienced something similar to this story and I think it’s so special that these kids, who have so few material possessions, want us to have things from them.

-Abby Hicks

My most memorable moment of the trip happened on Friday afternoon. Friday afternoon was our last day to do mission work in the barrio or the batey, so we took any equipment and/or materials left over and handed them out to the children. This one boy named Carlos took me to his house and introduced us to his father and let me practice hitting baseballs in his property. Afterwards, Carlos was given an Auburn hat and noticed that I had one too. I wanted to take a picture with him of the both of us in our Auburn hats, but before we could take the picture he took his hat off, grabbed a Sharpie , and asked me if I would sign the inside of his hat for him, so I did and that moment just stuck with me the most out of this entire trip.

-Cole Hill

 My most memorable moment from this week was our first sunday when we attended church in a batey. Almost all of the service was in Creole. We couldn’t understand the words they were using, but it was abundantly clear that their intention was to praise the lord. We were asked to participate in the service, so we sang amazing grace, and Jamie gave a few words. Luckily we had a translator (however he did embellish some of what Jamie said), so they were able to understand our message. It was truly a taste of heaven; we were able to worship and sing together, even though we couldn’t understand any of what they were saying. 

-Tyler Belk

I was able to experience many new things this week. I was able to see Christ working through all of the students and adults from our church who volunteered but I also saw it in the children and adults in Batey 106 and the barrio. There was one child specifically that really impacted me on the trip and I met him in Batey 106. His name is Jose and I met him on Tuesday when I was working the day camp. I probably threw a baseball with him for what seemed like three hours. On Wednesday Jose walked me around the batey and showed me his home and I got the opportunity to meet his mother. Seeing the way she smiled at me when she saw me with Jose made me realize why we came on this trip. We came to show God’s love to these people and build relationships with them and that was one of the most unforgettable things I’ve had the opportunity of witnessing.

-Amanda Clark

 

Saturday, June 27

After a hard week’s worth of work we were able to have a fun day. We all climbed in speed boats that would take us to an island close the the mainland of the Dominican Republic. On our way to the island, we stopped in an area of water that the locals called the “swimming hole” which was basically just a big area where it was shallow. Here, we all got out and had some time to play in the water and some of us even found some starfish. From there, we finished our journey to the island. We unloaded and stayed in the water to join together to witness the baptism of one of our students, Anna Phillips. That seemed to be a fitting way to end the week. After that, we were free to do whatever we pleased on the island. Later that afternoon the group loaded up on a catamaran, which is like a really big sail boat, and sailed back to the mainland. It was really neat to look out toward the horizon and take in God’s creation. 

My most memorable moment of the week was on Thursday when I carried a little boy up the mountain that was right next to Batey 106. He was attached to me the previous day and the only way I identified him was by his green shirt with stripes that he wore three days in a row. We climbed up the mountain and when we reached the top, he hopped off my back, picked a flower, and ran over and handed it to me with a smile on his face. He was so excited to give it to me and it left a lasting impression on me. As we went back down the mountain, I looked out at the rolling hills of sugarcane and palm trees. Even though there was a language barrier, I pointed to the mountains and said “Las montanas!” (the mountains). I told him that God’s love for him was greater and bigger than all of those mountains. I know he probably didn’t understand it, but the connection I made with him this week will be something I will never forget.

-Mary Beth Gordon

My favorite part of the week was being assigned to the barrio every day. Even though I switched between the construction and day camp, I was still able to see the same kids. Before the trip, I had been praying that I would find children that I connected with, and that prayer was answered. One girl in particular sought me out daily to give her piggy backs and walk around with her. Although there was a language barrier between us, we were able to communicate pretty well. On the last day as we were packing up to leave, I looked for her to say goodbye but I could not find her in the crowd. I decided to walk toward the bus when I saw her standing close by. She ran up and held her arms up like she wanted me to pick her up. I started to say, “No, I have to go,” but I decided that picking her up one more time would not take too long. I grabbed her and she wrapped her arms around my neck, and we stood like that for a few seconds. Before I put her back on the ground I said, “Te amo mucho” (I love you very much) and she replied “Yo tambien” (me too). Having that connection with her was so special to me, and I know I will never forget it. 

-Anna Grace Eldridge

My most memorable moment from this week happened on Friday when the whole group went to Batey 106. I had only been there one day before that so I didn’t know many of the kids there, but as soon as I stepped out of the bus a girl came up to me and started asking for my shoes and my sunglasses. I had to tell her that I needed them and I was very sorry and she told me “es bien” (which means its ok) and continued to take me to her house. Once I got there she introduced me to her parents and siblings and told all of them that i was her new best friend. After talking to her family for a while one of the adults walked up and gave the girl a bouncy ball since she hadn’t gotten anything yet. The girl immediatey turned toward me and noticed that I had a pocket on my shirt and but the ball in it and said “es para ti” which meant “its for you”. I tried multiple times to give it back but she wouldn’t take it. It just made me happy that even though she asked me for most of my things, she still gave me the one new thing she got for herself.

-Stephanie Brooks

This week we worked hard to build a school for the neighborhood children. After a few hours of shoveling and moving dirt, we took a water break in the church that was built by our youth a few years ago. The church was filled with children singing Christian songs that I recognized, except they were in Spanish. It helped me to realize that all this hard work, all this money, all this time, and all this effort is all pointing back the glory of God.

-Jackson Harbarger

The most memorable part of this trip for me occurred on the last day of work, Friday. I was on the bus ride from the school to Batey 106 for the house dedication. I had made a little friend earlier in the week at this Batey. As soon as he saw me on the bus, his face lit up with a smile. He began to jump up and down saying, “Es mi amigo!” which means “It’s my friend!” This week, I was blessed to see such great joy in the children of the Dominican Republic, especially with my little amigo.

-Patrick Jesup

I spent the majority of my time working construction, so I didn’t get to spend all of my time with kids, but my most memorable moment was with some of the kids at Batey 106. It was Wednesday afternoon and it was extremely hot and we were starting to level the floors at the house we were building, and my job was to shovel gravel into the wheel barrel so they could put it on the floor. I was on my 7th wheel barrel full when two 3 year old kids came over to the pile of gravel and pulled plastic spoons out of their back pockets and started to help shovel gravel with their spoons. They didn’t actually help me that much but just the willingness to help serve their community without even being asked was a God moment for me.

-John Forrest Ruble

My most memorable moment for the trip occurred last Sunday morning at the church service I attended. Our group split up and went to three different churches, but we all planned to sing the first three verses of Amazing Grace at each church. By the time my group had finished the third verse, the keyboard player in the church had already figured out the melody, and the entire church then proceeded to sing the first three verses of Amazing Grace in Spanish. The entire service was incredibly powerful and unlike any I had ever attended, but it was an overwhelming feeling to hear a song that we all know so well sung with such passion in a foreign language by a fellow body of believers. Mr. Dubose-Schmitt mentioned as we were leaving for the church that morning that this was going to be a glimpse of heaven, because as Christians, we are all a huge family spread across the world. But once we are all in heaven, we will finally be united, praising God and celebrating for all of eternity. And I feel that this moment was about as close of a glimpse of heaven as I will ever get in my time on this earth.

-Ryan Stallcup

Monday I was at Batey 106 doing construction. Right before lunch, many of the children led us up the side of a hill nearby to a Mango tree. (Don’t worry. I didn’t eat any haha) Since I was carrying two kids on my back I didn’t see the view until I reached the top. It was beautiful. You can probably find pictures somewhere. Surely the LORD created everything here. That’s one of my favorite moments of this trip. 

-Will Whetzel

Throughout the week, I spent my time in the barrio where we worked on the school. As the week progressed, we were able to form some sort of organization and order with the kids at the day camp. On Wednesday, we read the story of the Lord’s Prayer. I read the story in Spanish from a Bilingual children’s Bible. When I got to the “Lord’s Prayer,” Mike Pierce had the idea for them to repeat small phrases after me. It was a huge success, as they were able to participate in the Bible story and praise God in the process. We decided to do the prayer every day, and by Friday they had all learned it pretty well. I like the way the children’s Bible translates the beginning: “Hola, Papito!” which translates to “Hello Daddy!” It was an incredible experience. The children shined with the love of Jesus and I hope I will carry their precious faces and voices in my memories forever.

-Julianna Darby

I was at the school for all but the last day of work, so I got to know a few of the kids there really well. Rosie, an adorable little girl there, walked around with me and held my hand for hours. On Tuesday we gave out some materials for making bracelets. I noticed that Rosie wasn’t spending as much time with me and was instead very interested in the bracelet she was working on. At the end of the day, she walked up to me and gave me the bracelet without hesitation. I put it on and when she saw me walk out of the bus the next morning, she saw that I was still wearing the bracelet and immediately pointed at it and started beaming. I couldn’t help but smile back. I know that many other people on this trip experienced something similar to this story and I think it’s so special that these kids, who have so few material possessions, want us to have things from them.

-Abby Hicks

My most memorable moment of the trip happened on Friday afternoon. Friday afternoon was our last day to do mission work in the barrio or the batey, so we took any equipment and/or materials left over and handed them out to the children. This one boy named Carlos took me to his house and introduced us to his father and let me practice hitting baseballs in his property. Afterwards, Carlos was given an Auburn hat and noticed that I had one too. I wanted to take a picture with him of the both of us in our Auburn hats, but before we could take the picture he took his hat off, grabbed a Sharpie , and asked me if I would sign the inside of his hat for him, so I did and that moment just stuck with me the most out of this entire trip.

-Cole Hill

 My most memorable moment from this week was our first sunday when we attended church in a batey. Almost all of the service was in Creole. We couldn’t understand the words they were using, but it was abundantly clear that their intention was to praise the lord. We were asked to participate in the service, so we sang amazing grace, and Jamie gave a few words. Luckily we had a translator (however he did embellish some of what Jamie said), so they were able to understand our message. It was truly a taste of heaven; we were able to worship and sing together, even though we couldn’t understand any of what they were saying. 

-Tyler Belk

I was able to experience many new things this week. I was able to see Christ working through all of the students and adults from our church who volunteered but I also saw it in the children and adults in Batey 106 and the barrio. There was one child specifically that really impacted me on the trip and I met him in Batey 106. His name is Jose and I met him on Tuesday when I was working the day camp. I probably threw a baseball with him for what seemed like three hours. On Wednesday Jose walked me around the batey and showed me his home and I got the opportunity to meet his mother. Seeing the way she smiled at me when she saw me with Jose made me realize why we came on this trip. We came to show God’s love to these people and build relationships with them and that was one of the most unforgettable things I’ve had the opportunity of witnessing.

-Amanda Clark

 

Saturday, June 27

After a hard week’s worth of work we were able to have a fun day. We all climbed in speed boats that would take us to an island close the the mainland of the Dominican Republic. On our way to the island, we stopped in an area of water that the locals called the “swimming hole” which was basically just a big area where it was shallow. Here, we all got out and had some time to play in the water and some of us even found some starfish. From there, we finished our journey to the island. We unloaded and stayed in the water to join together to witness the baptism of one of our students, Anna Phillips. That seemed to be a fitting way to end the week. After that, we were free to do whatever we pleased on the island. Later that afternoon the group loaded up on a catamaran, which is like a really big sail boat, and sailed back to the mainland. It was really neat to look out toward the horizon and take in God’s creation. 

My most memorable moment of the week was on Thursday when I carried a little boy up the mountain that was right next to Batey 106. He was attached to me the previous day and the only way I identified him was by his green shirt with stripes that he wore three days in a row. We climbed up the mountain and when we reached the top, he hopped off my back, picked a flower, and ran over and handed it to me with a smile on his face. He was so excited to give it to me and it left a lasting impression on me. As we went back down the mountain, I looked out at the rolling hills of sugarcane and palm trees. Even though there was a language barrier, I pointed to the mountains and said “Las montanas!” (the mountains). I told him that God’s love for him was greater and bigger than all of those mountains. I know he probably didn’t understand it, but the connection I made with him this week will be something I will never forget.

-Mary Beth Gordon

My favorite part of the week was being assigned to the barrio every day. Even though I switched between the construction and day camp, I was still able to see the same kids. Before the trip, I had been praying that I would find children that I connected with, and that prayer was answered. One girl in particular sought me out daily to give her piggy backs and walk around with her. Although there was a language barrier between us, we were able to communicate pretty well. On the last day as we were packing up to leave, I looked for her to say goodbye but I could not find her in the crowd. I decided to walk toward the bus when I saw her standing close by. She ran up and held her arms up like she wanted me to pick her up. I started to say, “No, I have to go,” but I decided that picking her up one more time would not take too long. I grabbed her and she wrapped her arms around my neck, and we stood like that for a few seconds. Before I put her back on the ground I said, “Te amo mucho” (I love you very much) and she replied “Yo tambien” (me too). Having that connection with her was so special to me, and I know I will never forget it. 

-Anna Grace Eldridge

My most memorable moment from this week happened on Friday when the whole group went to Batey 106. I had only been there one day before that so I didn’t know many of the kids there, but as soon as I stepped out of the bus a girl came up to me and started asking for my shoes and my sunglasses. I had to tell her that I needed them and I was very sorry and she told me “es bien” (which means its ok) and continued to take me to her house. Once I got there she introduced me to her parents and siblings and told all of them that i was her new best friend. After talking to her family for a while one of the adults walked up and gave the girl a bouncy ball since she hadn’t gotten anything yet. The girl immediatey turned toward me and noticed that I had a pocket on my shirt and but the ball in it and said “es para ti” which meant “its for you”. I tried multiple times to give it back but she wouldn’t take it. It just made me happy that even though she asked me for most of my things, she still gave me the one new thing she got for herself.

-Stephanie Brooks

This week we worked hard to build a school for the neighborhood children. After a few hours of shoveling and moving dirt, we took a water break in the church that was built by our youth a few years ago. The church was filled with children singing Christian songs that I recognized, except they were in Spanish. It helped me to realize that all this hard work, all this money, all this time, and all this effort is all pointing back the glory of God.

-Jackson Harbarger

The most memorable part of this trip for me occurred on the last day of work, Friday. I was on the bus ride from the school to Batey 106 for the house dedication. I had made a little friend earlier in the week at this Batey. As soon as he saw me on the bus, his face lit up with a smile. He began to jump up and down saying, “Es mi amigo!” which means “It’s my friend!” This week, I was blessed to see such great joy in the children of the Dominican Republic, especially with my little amigo.

-Patrick Jesup

I spent the majority of my time working construction, so I didn’t get to spend all of my time with kids, but my most memorable moment was with some of the kids at Batey 106. It was Wednesday afternoon and it was extremely hot and we were starting to level the floors at the house we were building, and my job was to shovel gravel into the wheel barrel so they could put it on the floor. I was on my 7th wheel barrel full when two 3 year old kids came over to the pile of gravel and pulled plastic spoons out of their back pockets and started to help shovel gravel with their spoons. They didn’t actually help me that much but just the willingness to help serve their community without even being asked was a God moment for me.

-John Forrest Ruble

My most memorable moment for the trip occurred last Sunday morning at the church service I attended. Our group split up and went to three different churches, but we all planned to sing the first three verses of Amazing Grace at each church. By the time my group had finished the third verse, the keyboard player in the church had already figured out the melody, and the entire church then proceeded to sing the first three verses of Amazing Grace in Spanish. The entire service was incredibly powerful and unlike any I had ever attended, but it was an overwhelming feeling to hear a song that we all know so well sung with such passion in a foreign language by a fellow body of believers. Mr. Dubose-Schmitt mentioned as we were leaving for the church that morning that this was going to be a glimpse of heaven, because as Christians, we are all a huge family spread across the world. But once we are all in heaven, we will finally be united, praising God and celebrating for all of eternity. And I feel that this moment was about as close of a glimpse of heaven as I will ever get in my time on this earth.

-Ryan Stallcup

Monday I was at Batey 106 doing construction. Right before lunch, many of the children led us up the side of a hill nearby to a Mango tree. (Don’t worry. I didn’t eat any haha) Since I was carrying two kids on my back I didn’t see the view until I reached the top. It was beautiful. You can probably find pictures somewhere. Surely the LORD created everything here. That’s one of my favorite moments of this trip. 

-Will Whetzel

Throughout the week, I spent my time in the barrio where we worked on the school. As the week progressed, we were able to form some sort of organization and order with the kids at the day camp. On Wednesday, we read the story of the Lord’s Prayer. I read the story in Spanish from a Bilingual children’s Bible. When I got to the “Lord’s Prayer,” Mike Pierce had the idea for them to repeat small phrases after me. It was a huge success, as they were able to participate in the Bible story and praise God in the process. We decided to do the prayer every day, and by Friday they had all learned it pretty well. I like the way the children’s Bible translates the beginning: “Hola, Papito!” which translates to “Hello Daddy!” It was an incredible experience. The children shined with the love of Jesus and I hope I will carry their precious faces and voices in my memories forever.

-Julianna Darby

I was at the school for all but the last day of work, so I got to know a few of the kids there really well. Rosie, an adorable little girl there, walked around with me and held my hand for hours. On Tuesday we gave out some materials for making bracelets. I noticed that Rosie wasn’t spending as much time with me and was instead very interested in the bracelet she was working on. At the end of the day, she walked up to me and gave me the bracelet without hesitation. I put it on and when she saw me walk out of the bus the next morning, she saw that I was still wearing the bracelet and immediately pointed at it and started beaming. I couldn’t help but smile back. I know that many other people on this trip experienced something similar to this story and I think it’s so special that these kids, who have so few material possessions, want us to have things from them.

-Abby Hicks

My most memorable moment of the trip happened on Friday afternoon. Friday afternoon was our last day to do mission work in the barrio or the batey, so we took any equipment and/or materials left over and handed them out to the children. This one boy named Carlos took me to his house and introduced us to his father and let me practice hitting baseballs in his property. Afterwards, Carlos was given an Auburn hat and noticed that I had one too. I wanted to take a picture with him of the both of us in our Auburn hats, but before we could take the picture he took his hat off, grabbed a Sharpie , and asked me if I would sign the inside of his hat for him, so I did and that moment just stuck with me the most out of this entire trip.

-Cole Hill

 My most memorable moment from this week was our first sunday when we attended church in a batey. Almost all of the service was in Creole. We couldn’t understand the words they were using, but it was abundantly clear that their intention was to praise the lord. We were asked to participate in the service, so we sang amazing grace, and Jamie gave a few words. Luckily we had a translator (however he did embellish some of what Jamie said), so they were able to understand our message. It was truly a taste of heaven; we were able to worship and sing together, even though we couldn’t understand any of what they were saying. 

-Tyler Belk

I was able to experience many new things this week. I was able to see Christ working through all of the students and adults from our church who volunteered but I also saw it in the children and adults in Batey 106 and the barrio. There was one child specifically that really impacted me on the trip and I met him in Batey 106. His name is Jose and I met him on Tuesday when I was working the day camp. I probably threw a baseball with him for what seemed like three hours. On Wednesday Jose walked me around the batey and showed me his home and I got the opportunity to meet his mother. Seeing the way she smiled at me when she saw me with Jose made me realize why we came on this trip. We came to show God’s love to these people and build relationships with them and that was one of the most unforgettable things I’ve had the opportunity of witnessing.

-Amanda Clark

 

Friday, June 26

“It is in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for.” Ephesians 1:11 (MSG). This verse is personally one of my favorites and the one that I closed with for our devotion this morning. I talked about how even though today is the last day, our work does not stop here even though it was technically our last “work day” in the DR, and how not only has God worked through us, but also in us. 

For four out of the five days that we have been working I have been going to batey 106 and doing mostly day camp with a little bit of construction. From the moment I stepped off the bus at the batey I immediately fell in love with the kids, so of course I was not wanting to say goodbye today. 

One of the kids I became close with was a 2 year old little girl named Maria, who is one of the sassiest kids I’ve met. Monday she refused to come near me since I had other kids around me besides just her, and day by day she’d come closer and closer to me up until Wednesday I was able to hold her and she fell asleep in my arms while I rocked her. Today she hardly left my side and would yell “No!” every time I tried to put her down, and I did not mind at all having to carry her around. 

After lunch the day camp and construction groups from the barrio came and met the other groups at batey 106 to have a dedication for the family that would be moving into the house that we helped build this week. It was an incredible moment to be able to hear and see how grateful this family was and  that had been chosen to move into the new house. After words of blessing and a time of prayer, our youth group recited our theme verse for this year: “ May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and bring you peace. Shalom.”

It was in that moment I finally felt like all the parts and pieces from this week were finally falling into place. It was in that moment I experienced Christ’s Shalom: seeing our entire mission team in the same place, playing and loving on the same kids, praying together over this family, encouraging each other, and ultimately being the hands of feet of Christ in batey 106.

This week has been powerful and one that no one will forget. I cannot wait for us to come home and share more with our church family. 

-Hayley Jarnagin 

Thursday, June 25

Baseball is as simple as a ball and a bat. Yet, as complex as the American Spirit it symbolizes. A sport, a business and sometimes even a religion. 

-Ernie Harwell

 

I have never been able to fully comprehend the true joy a simple ball and a bat can bring someone. Although this is one of my favorite quotes, it is not all true. Baseball is not only part of “The American Spirit” but is the glue that binds brothers together in many countries.

I had the opportunity to make a dream come true and play baseball with guys my age in not only a foreign country, but in the middle of a batay. This was no ordinary field. This was an uneven stretch of ground, where the infield was a trash pile and the outfield was a sugar cane field. 

Throughout the week, I was blessed to meet a young man named Leonardo. Leonardo is the youngest of three and has the dream that any young boy does, to play in the pros. Today was my third day working in Batay 106 and as soon as I stepped off of the bus I was welcomed with open arms by Leonardo. Within the first 20 minutes of arriving, guys of all ages gathered for a round of batting practice. Kids ages 12 to 20 lined up so I could pitch to them. They were all amazed by my curveball, a pitch they have never seen. I soon was surrounded by curious kids, teaching how to grip and throw a curveball.

Three hours later, it was finally time for a water break. For some of the kids, it was a time to relax. For me it was time to hang out with the younger kids. While those who needed water got it, I walked around with a kid on each hip and one on each foot. After the water break we played baseball for another 3 hours. 

It is sad to think these kids may not have the opportunities we have in America. However, it brings me great joy to know the excitement shared between young men and our passion for baseball surpasses economic disparity.

-Griffin Blake

Wednesday, July 24

I HAD THE BEST DAY!  I was on the dental team today and it was a great experience! When we arrived at our batey the medical and dental crew of doctors, dentists, chaperones, translators, and students went about setting up for the patients.  I was kept busy either cleaning instruments or shinning light into the patients mouths.

The highlight of the day was a tie between holding babies and pulling out a tooth!  Dr. Amy was a great teacher and my patient was kind and brave.  Granted he probably didn’t know it was my first time holding pliers in my hand!  Our evening activity was a trip to the local pizza place by the river.  Although the food has been fantastic this week.  It was a delicious reminder of home.  They served us gourmet pizzas (mine had eggplant on it!) and passionfruit juice (I had 3 glasses).  To complete this awesome day we had our reflection time on the roof of the mission house.  As we gazed at the stars we felt peace on our group because God has blessed us richly on this trip.

-Laura Leffel

It is really tiny but I promise it is there!:)

Tuesday, June 23

Today started with many kids eager to hug and climb all over us right when we stepped off the bus. Just imagine 3-4 kids climbing all over you and no stoping them. Some had no pants and still were as  lovable as ever. My guy “PePe" had no pants and was always all over me wanting to be held.  We climbed the beautiful mountainside from the Batey.  Once we got to the top we could see the beautiful sugar cane fields and the vast needs of the Batey.  We  even climbed a mango tree and had a mango, not that we were supposed to. But if we did and it was worth it.  The language difference has been difficult but we have been able to over come it with playing baseball, piggy back rides, kickball and walking to see their casa. 

Construction went very well today removing debris and laying gravel to be leveled out for cement to be poured over the gravel for the floors hopefully tomorrow. The plans are for the house to be finished by Friday.

Many relationships were made today, for instance at the accent La Romana God led me, Patrick, and John Forrest to a swimming pool and we came out feeling better than ever. So besides making relationships with kids we also made better relationships with each other. 

Looking forward to another day loving on the kids tomorrow!

-Blake Rogers

Trip Pictures

Visit the regularly updated Flickr album for pictures from the trip!

Monday, June 22 - First Day of Mission Work

Hola de la Republica Dominicana! Day one of building, playing, hugging, healing, and ministering was a success. Part of the team went to “Batey 106” to build a house and lead a day camp. The medical crew went to other bateys to pull teeth, perform surgeries, and deliver supplies and assistance. My group went to the same barrio where the FBC team from 2012 built Ebeneezer Baptist Church. 

I had the pleasure to serve at the day camp in the church. The construction team would be starting the school right next door. As soon as I got off the bus, a boy no older than 5 offered to help me carry my suitcase inside. It’s no wonder why Jesus has a special place in His heart for children. We entered the church with the expectation of an organized, safe day of bible school like VBS at home. But as soon as 70 kids swarmed through the doors running and screaming, we realized we might have to change the game plan. We started out playing ball and some simple name games with the kids. Then we transitioned to a Bible lesson in which I attempted to read (in Spanish.) the story of Creation. Thankfully our interpreter was right by my side. After some more games and crafts, we had a much-needed lunch break. After lunch, I really started to bond with the kids. They were so easy to love; their bright eyes and huge smiles melted my heart.  Many of the kids realized that I can speak Spanish pretty well, so we were able to converse fairly easily. One of the older girls, Franciela, was by my side the whole time. She was so smart and communicated better than any of the other kids. She is one of six children in her family, and I was able to meet her mother and her two twin brothers. She loved learning new handshakes, learning new words in English, and anything that challenged her brain.

Glory to God that Franciela, her family, her friends and neighbors are going to have a school. Education. Opportunity. Praise the Lord for giving us the chance to minister to them and share Jesus with them. Thank you so much for you prayers and support of this amazing dream that we are having the privilege to see brought to life. 

-Julianna Darby

Sunday, June 21st

Today was our first full day in the Dominican Republic. The time flew by and we were fully immersed in the Dominican culture. We praised like them, spoke their language almost all day and swam in their beautiful ocean. This morning we had a wonderful breakfast, prepared by our cooks. It consisted of pancakes, bacon and fruit. Unfortunately I woke up after breakfast began and only got a couple of pancakes (They say I had five, and I ate them off the serving platter. Who needs a plate?)

Shortly after, we loaded up and headed for church at the batey. We sang many songs and tried to figure out what was preached. While waiting for the bus to get back, we got a chance to walk around the village and meet the people. Their living conditions were unimaginable; they lived in tin shacks in a waste land (to us), the ground was very rocky and strewn with trash, with a small dirty stream running through the middle of their community. The people were shy but deep in their eyes you could tell their was passionate. We proceeded to head back to our bus while handing out toys.

After lunch, we headed to the beach; the waters are surprisingly blue. While throwing an American flag football, some native Dominicans came and played with us. They loved "Futbol Americano." A few others and myself talked to them for almost an hour while we roughly translated their Spanish. They were very friendly.

We headed home and ate dinner. Then walked down the street to a very enthusiastic church. Language was not important, only praising the Lord mattered. The Dominican culture is very energetic and passionate and the scenery is beautiful. Spanish life styles are very different from American but the differences are very interesting.

God Bless and we will be home soon!

-Blake Adams

Saturday, June 20th - Travel Day

I know you are all eager to hear about our long day of travel to the Dominican Republic! We departed from First Baptist last night at midnight and arrived in Atlanta around 5:00 a.m. Many were not fortunate enough to get very much sleep. Our group went to IHOP for breakfast and then headed off to the airport.

Checking in at the airport for our flight took way longer than expected. By the time everyone had checked their baggage we were in a mad dash to get through security and find our gate before the plane departure at 9:25 a.m. We hustled to our gate and everyone barely made it before the gates were going to close. After we had gotten through customs and made our way towards baggage claim, we realized our group had 13 suitcases missing; this included personal suitcases as well as suitcases packed by the materials team. All 13 of the missing bags arrived on the next flight from Atlanta to Punta Cana. Then our group got onto some buses and rode for about an hour until we arrived at the Mission House in La Romana. Everyone was excited to finally be here and settle in for the week!

We had a group time after dinner where we discussed our plans for the week as well as moments in which we saw God throughout our travel experience. We felt extremely blessed to have caught our plane on time, retrieve all of our lost luggage, and arrive safely here. Everyone is excited for what God has planned for us this week and we are ready for what tomorrow will hold for our group. Please continue to pray for our team this week; pray that we would experience the heighth, width, and depth of the love of Christ and share that love with the people we encounter.

-Kelly Faulkner

Flight update

The team is on the ground in the Dominican Republic!

Atlanta airport take 2

NOW, they are actually moving toward take off! :). 10:10EST

Atlanta airport

The plane is loaded and everyone finally made on board! They are taking off now! 9:45 EST. Prayers appreciated!!!

Preparing to Depart

Hello All,
Students and adults are beginning to arrive. At midnight we depart First Baptist Huntsville to officially begin the Dominican Republic 2015 mission trip.

Actually, the trip began months ago with registration and the commitment to prepare for this mission endeavor. Our trip participants have done much to get ready to serve God in the DR. Each person has serve 20+ ministry hours in FBC, attended four training sessions, read a book on missions, did a cultural study of the DR, and met an attendance requirement. I am super proud of our team. They have prepared themselves both spiritually and intellectually for the trip.

Now, our 74 member team is ready to board buses. We'll carry our personal belongings plus 74 additional suitcases filled with materials for ministry.

Here is our trip schedule to help you pray while we are gone:

Saturday, June 20
12:00 AM - depart First Baptist Huntsville to Atlanta Hartsfield Airport
9:10 AM EDT - depart Atlanta to the DR
12:50 PM (2 hours earlier than Central Time) - Arrive in Dominican Republic
Travel and settle in at Mission House in La Ramana, DR

Sunday, June 21
Morning - Worship in Church in Bateys (sugar cane village)
Afternoon - Enjoy the Beach
Evening - Worship at Maranatha Baptist Church

Monday - Friday, June 22-26
Ministry Time
- Construction Team building school
- Construction Team building house
- 2 Day Camp Teams
- Medical / Dental Team

Saturday, June 27
Boat Trip to Isla Saona

Sunday, June 28
Worship at Ebenezer Baptist Church (next to school and the church our team helped build three years ago)
Travel Home
3:30 PM DR Time - Depart Punta Cana for Atlanta
7:05 PM EDT - Arrive Atlanta
10:30-11:00 PM - Arrive at FBCHSV

Thank you all for your prayers and support. Our mission trip could not be possible without such a supporting church.

Jamie Mackey