December 15, 2013

As I write this we are chatting with young adults from the church here. We practice our Spanish as they practice English. These times are what I love about these trips, 2 cultures interacting and learning from each other. We have spent most of the day worshipping Jesus and enjoying the beautiful weather. Another favorite of the Dominican Republic is worship at Ebenezer church. Today was a celebration of the 12th anniversary of Ebenezer church. We were honored to be a part of both morning and evening service. I love hearing and experiencing worship in another language. Tomorrow we head home, back to cold Ohio. We are thankful for the time God has given us here and look forward to seeing our families. And excited about the opportunities God has ahead of us.

December 14, 2013

Hello all, It's been pretty rough here in Barahona, Dominican Republic. Last night was spent up on the roof of our building watching the shooting stars and enduring the breeze as we talked and watched over the surrounding town. This morning we woke up to bitter 75 degree weather and spent the morning into late afternoon painting murals. (We almost ran out of blue paint, it was a near disaster.) Following our paintings, we went to a concert with lots of different styles of music and people. There was dancing and singing and praising and making new friends along the way. I hope everyone in Ohio is thoroughly enjoying the wonderful snow ;) In all seriousness, I've been having a great time in getting to know the people in the community as well as the people that joined me on this amazing adventure. Every day brings something new and exciting as well as something to think about and change the way I see things all together. I miss everyone back home, but I know I'll miss the DR just as much. See you Monday, Caitlen.

Day 3 - Teaching/Painting

We started the day off playing with the kids while we waited to start teaching. At first, it seemed like some of them were a little weary about approaching us, but it did not take long before all four of us were bombarded. I was a little worried because I don’t speak any Spanish, so I thought that the language barrier would be a problem when I was interacting with them. Thankfully, this was not the case. The younger girls were very content with simply smiling at me and playing with my hair. We played a strange version of rock, paper, scissors that involved the loser having their cheeks pinched and slapped and they had a habit of tickling you so hard that it began to hurt. A little later we had to start our lesson on personal hygiene and healthy eating. Tracy and Shelby focused on the hygiene part and Caitlen and I focused on the healthy eating. The kids were surprisingly very interactive and seemed to enjoy the lesson overall. After that, we painted murals in the cafeteria that consisted of the solar system and fruit (I painted some good-looking grapes if I do say so myself) and then a vendor came to sell us jewelry. For dinner, Ruth made us chicken, rice and beans, a fruit salad, and passion fruit juice. It was very delicious. The day was very good overall and I personally can’t wait for what this weekend has in store. Allyson

Day 2: Picture Day/ Painting

Hola friends and family! Today was an exciting day as we began our work within the school. Today we were able to take the individual pictures of the students along with the class photos. I personally got to take them, which is a job I always enjoy doing. I love that you get to see every student and interact with them. It's excited to return and see faces that are familiar from previous trips, and that they recognize me too! I was able to see and talk with my sponsor child which is such a blessing. I am thankful I am able to have a relationship with him through these trips. After we were done taking pictures, we went with Ruth to the grocery store to get food for the week. We returned to rest a bit before tackling the painting job Moise had for us. The dinning hall here in the school where the students each lunch everyday is being brightened up with beautiful murals from our artist Caitlen, with some help here and there from the rest of us. I am excited to see what God has in store for us tomorrow as we teach in the classes! P.S. At one point today we ended up at the Police department.... but don't worry it was a friendly trip :) Shelby

December Photo Team in the Dominican Republic

Just wanted to let everyone know that we made it to Barahona safe and sound. We were greeted with a delicious meal by Ruth and we are settled in and ready to go with a busy day tomorrow. Please keep this team in your prayers. Pray that we can be a light to these children and that God will reveal himself to us along the way. We will update tomorrow with pictures (if possible).

Seminars Complete, Now Benches

The seminars all went well. Pastor Herve is very pleased and said that he believes the impact will be great. The seminar team is on their way home, but a few others are staying to continue work on school benches for our school in St Marc. Here is the progress so far.

Pray as the remaining team members continue their ministry.

More Coming...

Pastor Herve emailed and said that the Pastors Seminar is going well. He says that more are coming each day. Continue to pray.

Pastors Seminar

We just received word that there are close to 600 pastors and lay leaders attending the evening seminar. Pray for Pastor Garry as he leads this seminar. Pray that those attending receive the Lord's Word.

In Haiti

The first portion of the team (those from Ohio and Canada) made it to the Mission Center this afternoon. The second portion was delayed by weather, but is expected to arrive this evening. Pray for the seminars these next three days as the team will minister to the Mission Possible Teachers, Nurses and an expected 400+ pastors and church leaders from the surrounding area.

Gateway (Saturday)

It is hard to believe that we will be traveling back later today. Yesterday morning we split into three teams and working on school registrations, hanging cabinets, and finishing up the desks/benches. Then in the afternoon we traveled to Lahatte, one of the poorest schools up in the mountains. To get there we had to travel up a riverbed with cliffs upwards of 50 feet on each side. The truck couldn’t make it all the way to Lahatte so we hiked the last 1.5 mile to the small village. The school at Lahatte is the only buildings other than the huts that serve as homes. The people of Lahatte do not have much of anything except for a few pigs, goats, and cattle. The rain water collected from the roofs of the school run into a cistern and provides water for the community. This is important since water is scarce in this arid territory. It is also about 15 to 20 degrees warmer in Lahatte (makes sense based on its name being close to hot). In the evening we were able to hear Pastor Herve’s testimony and his vision to see Haitians rise up as leaders and go out to other countries as missionaries. Then we packed up and started weighing our bags for the trip home. Most of us are very tired and will sleep most of the way home. Thank you for your continued prayers and pray that we all make it back safely.

Gateway (Thursday)

It was very hot and humid today. SWEAT was in full force today and few individuals are showing signs of heat rash. One team member was sweating so bad that their shorts were completely soaked (and they weren't swimming in the ocean). Thankfully there is a nice breeze tonight and we should be able to sleep better. Today the team finished the 2nd coat on the benches and fixed approximately 75 benches. Three of us stayed back at the Center to work on the school registrations including the youngest member who needed a day to rest up. Tomorrow we are splitting up into three teams: school registrations, placing 2X4s on the bottom on the new desks/benches, and hanging a few cabinets at another school. Hopefully we will be able to visit one last school tomorrow afternoon and then pack to return on Saturday. Thanks for your continued prayers. Please pray for strength on our last day, that our bodies will handle the heat, and that we will continue to work well as a team.

Gateway (Wednesday)

Wow, it’s already mid-week and we are ahead of schedule for the work planned for the week. Yesterday we were unable to send an update because of a major thunderstorm that rolled in during the evening. A few of us even showered in the rain and had a good time. We were able to assemble the desks and benches yesterday. Today we put varnish on all of the desks/benches and we will put a 2nd coat on the tops tomorrow. Everyone is doing well and no one has gotten sick so far. The best meal of the day by far is dinner when we get to eat traditional Haitian food. Today we had mashed plantains, awesome rice with beef stew, carrots and tomatoes, fried plantains, and cookies that tasted like elephant ears. A typical evening after dinner consists of devotions/debrief as a team, swimming in the ocean, showering for the next day, and then playing cards together. Thanks for your continued prayers. The team is doing really well and working extremely well together.

Gateway (Monday)

Today was our first work day and it was a warm one. We all jumped right in and completed all of our cuts for the benches. Then we started assembling them. Everyone worked great together and no one had a single injury. We were all happy with the amount of work that got completed, but we are all pretty tired. Everyone is in good spirits though and excited for day 2. We will try to post some pictures when the internet allows us. Also we had a big rain storm come in this evening. Please be praying for the people of Haiti because too much rain can make their lives very difficult. Thanks for praying for our team. Please keep them coming!

Gateway (Sunday)

Today was a very busy day for the team. We started the day worshipping with the Haitian church in Saint Marc. Everyone was encouraged by the intensity of the worship and the multiple forms including drama, dance, and a female chorus group. Pastor Herve challenged the congregation to "put God first" in everything and shared how he had started the Saint Marc church when he decided to put his money towards the church even over the birth of his first child. We were all challenged by his message. Then we had the opportunity to visit two of the schools, both off the main road and quite adventurous. At the first school, the youngest member of the team had the opportunity to play football (soccer) with the locals while the rest of learned about the school. Then after lunch we visited a second school even further into the hillside. The ride to this school was even more exciting because of the tight corridors in the market area (we may have even knocked over some rice with the truck). Then we parked at the end of the road and had to hike up the mountain and through a river. We may get another chance to visit this school later this week to install some cabinets. Abe and Dan have volunteered to carry all of the cabinets up the 30 minute trek (without cabinets). Actually, all of us will participate in this cabinet transport, but the writer of this blog thinks Abe and Dan should carry all of the cabinets except for one. Most of the group finished out the day by taking a swim in the ocean. The snorkeling was a little murky, but at least we were able to cool off. Tomorrow we will be building benches. Thanks for your prayers.

Gateway (Travel Day)

Hello friends and family! We made it safely to the mission center. Please be praying for our team this week. We will keep you updated on how the week goes and what gets accomplished. Hope you all have a great week back home!

Teachers Seminar (Thursday)

Our last night in Haiti is bittersweet.  The Lord put together a wonderful team with many talents and we all are thankful for this opportunity to serve the Lord here.  The day started with a moving drama by the "Corner of Deliverance" group from Pastor Herve's church.  Here we stand at the corner of deliverance, trusting for the Lord's continued work here. 

We were especially blessed to have dinner with the senior staff members this evening at the mission center.  Via Pastor Herb, we were able to give small tokens of appreciation to these amazing people whose hearts are like gold.

Continue to pray for traveling mercies as the team from South Carolina will be heading out at the break of dawn, and the team from Ohio will be on their way tomorrow afternoon.  Thank you all for your support and prayers that have brought us to this corner.  See you soon!

Teachers Seminar (Wednesday)

Day 3 of the Teacher's Seminar today (only one day left). Each of us has found his stride, becoming more and more comfortable with communicating through translators, sharing with the educators, answering questions from inquisitive minds, praying for each other and our new "friends." 
This is the first mission trip I've been on where I've (Blake) been in my "sweet spot": teaching the scripture. It has truly been sweet! I'm teaching on leadership and really enjoying the challenge/experience.
By now ours are becoming familiar faces to the Haitians. And their faces are becoming familiar to us too. And they're so hungry: to learn, to know, to discover. The teachers here at MPCA (Mission Possible Christian Academy, hosting the seminar) and the other six MP schools make this a joyous place--full of hospitality, and everywhere, there are warm smiles.
Speaking of warm.... Someone told me before I left the US that the phrase "Hotter than Haiti" (a take-off on a better-known phrase) would have real meaning when I experienced it. He was correct. Air conditioning is a luxury we only experience in the van on the way to and from the school (about a five-minute trip from Lanzac). Michael is the only exception to this rule. He's been tackling a month's worth of problem computers in the computer lab (the only air conditioned room any of us have experienced since we arrived) and even brought several back to our mission center tonight to attempt to solve some "virus issues."
Several of us have been wanting to see more "real" Haitian life. So, after the seminar today (we teach four, one-hour seminars each day so it was around 3:30 pm) we piled into the back of a "cattle truck" (see picture) to drive up into the mountains to visit another school and community. Mission Possible calls this school "Chardene" (after its location--see picture). It's the school where Madame Mark (the former principal of the school and now lead educator for Mission Possible in Haiti) worked some wonders with the teachers in terms of quality and culture. The younger children attend school in the morning. The older (advanced) students attend in the afternoon. Some of the math problems left on the chalkboards (with their exponents and square roots) bewildered me!  Charden School serves the surrounding rural community. We spent about an hour walking through this area, visiting with families, meeting the Director of the School (we'd call him a "principal). It was sobering. None of the people had access to running water (unless you count the stream) or electricity (unless you count the solar-powered cell-phone charging station halfway up the mountain [YES! That's what I said: a solar-powered cell-phone charging station!]) and certainly no sewer. Mission Possible is working with some desperately poor children, introducing them (and their families) to the love of Christ and enlarging their worlds through a first-class education. We have seen evidence of that call and their work everywhere we've been.
Thank you for your prayers for us all. God has been good to us--giving us opportunities to grow, be disturbed, share our hearts with each other and the Haitians and, as a bonus, no one's been sick so far. Keep praying. God is the only hope Haiti has. In fact, God is the only Hope any of us has. Ask Him to do what only He can do for His Church throughout the world. 


The school at Chardene



Our "ride" up the mountain.




Charging cell phones on the mountain near Chardene school



Teachers Seminar (Tuesday)

Becky is reporting from Haiti tonight and she has a message from each person here!

Darren - I am continuing to work with the discipleship boys.  We are going through the book and they are answering questions.

Donald - I had another great day of talking to Haitians and answering their many questions.

Michael - I am continuing to work on the computers and making short and long term plans.

Jill - I wish my other half was here.  I needed him very much today.  (She keeps making friends with the Haitian kids). 

Madison - I say, "no comment - again!"

Blake - I am missing my girls.  I am encouraged by the strength of the Haitian teachers and pastors.

Jeannette - The hammocks have been a big hit!

Herb - It has been encouraging to see the work continuing and the faithfulness of those who have been around a long time.  It was an encouragement to have a heart to heart with the senior staff.  We had a great conversation.  I had a quiz off with the discipleship boys and they were right on top of it!!

David - I am the newcomer on the block.  I am sober but hopeful about the situation in Haiti.  I see what Mission Possible is doing.  Haiti has no choice but to prosper.  I would definitely like to come back.

Becky - I had another fun day.  The funniest thing today was teaching the Haitian teachers how to do wheel barrel races (I taught this because it increases shoulder stability for fine motor development).  They laughed and laughed.  It has been a joy to teach and interact with the Haitian teachers.  It has been VERY hot, but God is keeping me content even in this situation.  I am making peace with sweat. I miss you Cliff, our 6 kids and our 8 grandchildren so much.  I have totally loved my daily notes. 

Teachers Seminar (Monday)

Among the highlights of our first day of the Teachers' Seminar, were the Haitian meals prepared for us.  We were honored guests for lunch as the superintendant Madame Mark, wants to show her appreciation for the work in helping train the teachers of Mission Possible schools.  Dinner has also been an experience in Haitian taste.  Here are a few other highlights from team members:

Jeanette- "I am so happy to see familiar faces and to hear my students sing the peanut butter and jelly song that we had so much fun with last year."
Madison- "No Comment-lol!"
Jill-Today has been a day I have been anxious about for weeks now, so I'm glad Day 1 is behind us. Nerves are much more relaxed and ready to face tomorrow.
Michael-"Enjoyed the AC in computer lab!"
Donald-"I had the most popular class!"
Blake-"Impressed with the number of young disciples that came out for this week's seminar!  You can see the investment this ministry is making in Haiti's future generation."
Lindsay-"Heading out tomorrow and I'm going to miss this Haitian food.  Finally got to eat bread fruit this trip!"
Darren- "It's been great being back in Haiti! I love working with our discipleship boys. Looking forward to the rest of the week... and the awesome food!"

Donald Teaching

Enjoying our Haitian Lunch

Haiti Teachers Seminar (Sunday)

What an amazing day!  We began the morning with a church just outside the gates of the compound.  We arrived just as they were finishing up Sunday School and joined in for worship.  I think everyone in the group experienced sheer joy watching the congregation praise and worship through their songs and prayers.  We were all eager to join in when we were invited to stand and clap!  An entire hour was devoted simply to praising God in song and seeking his presence through prayer.  We had an interpreter for the sermon.  It too, was a blessing to hear.  Sitting in the pews of this small church worshipping with brothers and sisters in a language foreign to many of us fills you with so many emotions! Joy! Passion! Love!

We were able to spend a little time visiting with the families outside of church before returning to the compound for lunch.   Comunication was a little difficult, but we gave it

our best attempts!  We were able to get a few giggles out of the children! 

The afternoon was spent reading, preparing for tomorrow's classes, fellowship with the team and some even caught a little nap.  It's hot, but so far we have been blessed with a short rain in the evening which helps cool things down. 

We are all eager to get out tomorrow and start our classes and to see what God has waiting for us.  We ask for prayers to deliver what God has put on our hearts and to be a service for Him and a blessing to those who await us. 

Good Night loved ones!

Haiti Teachers Seminar 2013- Travel

Hello friends and family, we made it to the Mission Center. Our travels went well and we are looking forward to church in the morning. Time to get some rest though after a busy day. Thanks for the prayers... please keep them coming!

We finished VBS this afternoon. Today we had 240 and it was a much more manageable group. The Lord was with us. The team did a great job.

Tonight we begin to pack up and we head to Port-au-Prince in the morning.

We all are reflecting on our time here and will process for the weeks to come how the Lord moved in each of our lives.

I'm sure many of us will call family and friends when we hit US soil. Oh, many are planning already what they are going to eat first when they arrive in Atlanta. Several just was something with ice. :)

Trace

I have had an amazing time being here. The children smile all the time and they brighten your day. I really enjoyed going to church yesterday. Even though I didn't know what they were saying, it was still cool to think that God does know what they are saying. It was fun to praise God with them and to see how much joy they have with so little. God has really helped me to see how much I have and how little they have. I am so blessed. I have really enjoyed being on this trip and playing with the kids.

Sarah S.

Today is the first day of VBS and we have around 400 kids. Yes, 400. We thought we were over preparing when we thought 300. It is great to see so many children. All are eating now and then we will begin the afternoon session. Pray that the children will lean of Jesus' power today and tomorrow. The team is really doing great with the children and working through the language barrier. It is great to see and all of you would be proud of them.

Yesterday we gave another 30 water filters to church members. All were surprised as to why they were called back to the church in the afternoon. All were very thankful for the filters. During the filter training, the youth of the church met and several from our team were able to share their testimonies and one of the local youth shared also. Both youth groups shared from their life experiences.

Evening church was fun. We did a series of skits to invite the kids to VBS. It was very funny and the congregation laughed hard. The team sang several songs and Pastor Nate preached. It was a great service.

We are tired this afternoon after the busyness of the morning, but all are doing well and loving the time here in Haiti. I am glad we could get an update to you today.

Trace

Hey everyone! First off I want to say thank you for praying for us. It has helped out a lot I'm sure, because everything is going really well! Yesterday we got up and had breakfast then hit the road for a really long bumpy ride! It was nice to go through the towns where people live and see how they live each day. It was a very eye opening experience, and showed me just how good we have it. When we got to our campus(which is beautiful) we all unpacked and had a very tasty meal. Today we woke up and had breakfast, then got to take a tour of the campus we are staying at. We got to check out the workshop, school, and beautiful church! After that we met some new friends and got to play around with all the kids! Then we went to a town about 30 minutes away and showed the people of that town that have cholera, how to use the filter systems we gave them! So that was very exciting to help people out that way and we could see their excitement and appreciation for that. Over all, the first few days have been great, and God has really opened my eyes to see how much we have. One thing I've notice is how little they have, but they seem to be the happiest people I've met! That has been a big challenge for me this early in the week! Thank you all for praying and I hope you continue to pray as we finish out the week!

Brandon Cooley

As Brandon has said, we have had good days here in Haiti. There have been the expected unexpected things, but the team has handled them all very well. All of us are healthy and the weather is quite nice. Tomorrow we will worship both in the morning and evening, do another seminar on filters, and prepare for VBS on Monday and Tuesday. It will be interesting to see how many kids come. Pray for us as we prepare and that the kids will learn more about Jesus.

With the limited internet access here, pictures will be a luxury. Sorry.

Trace

Haiti Travel: Stonebridge Team

Our first day of traveling went well. We made it safely to Haiti! We had a good day yesterday and when we talked last night, many were overwhelmed with the sights and poverty here. Nate was particularly emotional and taken by Haiti. All are in good spirits and healthy. We are anticipating a long day of travel to Deyemon. We will continue to update the blog as time allows.

Thank you for your prayers. God is with us and moving our hearts.

Last Day at Ebenezer

At this moment we can hear pockets of cheering Dominicans all around us. Its obvious they are Miami Heat fans. By morning a winner will be decided. We have been reminded here that there is a race we are running. A race we strive to win. A race much bigger than what we think is important in the society in which we live. One of our Bible verses we shared with the kids at camp this week talked about the ultimate prize, an eternal life with God. In our morning devotional, Kayla and Rachel shared how we find strengths through our weaknesses. It was brought up about our journey as Christians being a difficult one, not the easy road traveled. All of us agreed we needed each other to stay the course. Today we got a glimpse of those here in one of the poorest areas and saw first hand very poor living conditions... something you may see in a National Geographic magazine. Children followed us, some with nothing more on than a t-shirt five sizes to big or torn shorts, bare feet and beautiful smiling faces that captured our hearts. Then we got to see God's creation by climbing the water fall and playing in the ocean. It was truly a great ending to our week and an eye opening experience. I know that I am very thankful that my husband and children are here together. What a great opportunity to serve as a family and with a wonderful group of young people!

Connie Lyon



Families get ready to see us soon!!! Thanks for the opportunity to spend with those you love.  They worked hard and shared their love even more.  I'm honored to have lead such an amazing group.  When they get home ask lots of questions and get ready to hear many stories.

Tracy

Monday, June 17, 2013

Hola todos! Its hard for me to write this blog in English because Spanish has been surrounding me everywhere for the last two weeks! As the days count down to our departure, I fall more and more in love with this place every single day. Today, we had our final full day of camp instruction. As wild as the kids can be, it is still a ton of fun seeing how much joy is brought to their faces by hitting around a volleyball or completely airballing a basketball. As Allie discussed in devotions, a couple days in, we all realized that God didn’t bring us here to necessarily make them better at sports, but to share His love through our sports camp, and I think that’s just what we’re doing. I can’t wait for the last day of camp tomorrow to give them their t-shirts and prizes.

The rest of the day, we painted, enjoyed hanging out with our Dominican friends, and played a massive-awesome-fun game of volleyball. After our volleyball game, we came upstairs to an authentic Dominican meal prepared by Ruth and Carlota. It was so delicious!! AND it included my favorite Dominican specialty – passion fruit juice – YUM. (That would be an awesome welcome home gift for me mom or dad if you learned how to make that!) In all, I am so very thankful for all of the awesome experiences and lessons that God has given us here - Be ready family and friends for some amazing stories when you get home!

See you all soon,
Love you all bunches,

Marisa Sonrisa



Hola! Today was so much fun. During the sports camp, I feel like we especially got to know each kid in our group even better. I was personally in charge of five boys in the younger group in the morning. As the day went on, I got to see how each of their personalities stood out even more to me. As they were leaving, the older group came in., the first person I talked to was Naomi- as soon as she saw me, she asked if I was ready to lose a volleyball game to her! Haha. I love seeing everyone's excitement to play sports and learn new things here. After the camp, we all bought a few things from the venders that had come to the school. Later, a few of us girls taught Sadrac and Naomi the "Cup Song", which was really fun. From there, we went right into a full-out, 7 on 7 volleyball game with the Dominicans. It was a blast and I hope we get to play them again sometime before we leave. I am definitely not ready to leave here in a few short days, but, on the other hand, I am excited to share all of our adventures with you all!

Hasta Pasta! and Love you all,

 Maquensi (or Mackenzie, for all you English speakers:) )

Dribble contest demonstration

The campers try it out

Rachel D-ing it up

King of the Court

Some of the girls took a break to style Shelby and Allie's hair

Savy and Shelby

Shooting competition for the girls.  Gabby and Keaton count made shots and rebound

Mackenzie working with the kids on soccer

Alexis marking down made shots.  These boys were competitive

All smiles for the camera

Brittany finishing up our Autobus

This morning we had the opportunity to attend the Ebenezer Church service. The first part of the service the dance team performed. Even though we couldn't understand the words to the song, we were able to understand the message they were presenting through their movements. Moise said a couple things and then Tracy went up and spoke to the church for the team. Alexis and Marisa shared their testimony with those in attendance as well. It was so neat to hear about their journeys and current walk with Christ. After that, we were able to worship. Thanks to the projection of the words, we were able to sing along even though we didn't know what we were singing. The dance team had tambourines and moved along to some of the songs in addition to the drums and piano that was played. Throughout the service, there were 2 songs that a group of 8 young adults sang. The vocals and harmony were amazing! Ruth was able to translate the message for us that Moise presented. At the end of the service, we had the opportunity to take communion and those people that were baptized last week became official members of the Church. Once they were members, the Church had the opportunity to walk through and confirm/congratulate them in their decision to take the next step in their faith. We were truly blessed throughout the couple hours we were able to participate in the Church service here.

After an amazing lunch of mac-n-cheese and shredded chicken, everyone enjoyed some down time.

Later this evening we'll be attending the evening church service which will be followed by pizza! We're all looking forward to see what the rest of the evening will bring in addition to the rest of our time here. Enjoy the pictures!

Brittany



Today was a bit of a change of pace for us without having any campers but it was just as exciting since we were able to attend church services and spend some time with the congregation. This evenings service was a smaller service but we all saw the passion of the attendees. The Dominicans really worship with all that they have and then some. To begin the service we all joined hands in a large circle and prayed out loud together. Everyone prayed their own prayer and thanked God for the many blessings he has bestowed upon us, it was a powerful experience. Tonight's sermon was on obedience and trusting in God's word. It was encouraging to see how many youth are actively engaged in the church and sermons. Two members of our team contributed tonight as well, Kayla and Mackenzie each gave their testimony before we wrapped up. To close out the day we had some pizza and talked about our day and what stood out to us. We all agreed that we admired the enthusiasm everyone at Ebenezer has for the Lord and how contagious it is.


Allie

The whole team after a day of worship

The 2 Shelbys

 

The Lyon Crew

So exciting to be on this trip with Keaton

Mackenzie and Kayla each shared testimonies in the evening service

Alexis and Marisa shared testimonies in the morning service (Ruth translated)

Shelby and her 2 buddies

Moise jumps in on a photo

Allie and Mackenzie are called up during the evening service.  They had no idea why.  A little nervous, but it was just to demonstrate how to move during worship

Mackenzie and Brittany all ready for church

Lunch crew in between church services

After lunch and a little rest we organized camp prizes for our last 2 days

Hello to anyone reading this.  Today was exciting, but I miss home and my friends.  It is a lot of fun here.  For breakfast we have had poptarts, pancakes, and eggs.  My favorite is the poptarts.  Today I played with a Dominican girl.  We hit the volleyball back and forth.  We don't speak the same language but we didn't need to to play.  I got to run drills with some of the kids for basketball and then got to play games with the older kids.  I like it here and making new friends, but can't wait to get back home.

Bye,

Noah



Hi everyone! Today by far was my favorite day. Camp today was great, the children here arrive everyday with a smile. I have learned that even though sometimes there is a language barrier, communication is still possible. The children try to communicate in English using the most that they know. With our older group session today we had an abstinence talk.  We learned many cultural differences between those in the United States and those in the Dominican. To end our day a few of us girls joined in the youth church service in the court yard. The Dominicans shared with us their ways of glorifying God (singing, dancing, etc.).  After the church service we met in the cafeteria with some of the Dominican teens to share our testimonies. It was incredible to hear all the different ways they had found God in their lives, some starting from the very bottom. In only three days here I can not even begin to share the ways this trip has already changed my life. The people here go through many hard things and live in an unimaginable amount of poverty, yet still are the happiest people I've ever met. They still give glory to God when everything around them tells them not to. I wish i could stay here longer, but I know my family and friends cannot wait for me to come back home. Thank you to everyone who has made it possible for me to come on this trip and I cannnot wait to share all my experiences with you! Mom and Dad don't worry about me, I am perfectly fine and having a GREAT time.

Kayla Trevino



Hi everyone! Today at camp was AWESOME! These kids here are absolutely amazing. They come to camp everyday with a huge smile on their faces ready to learn and have fun. They are a blast to be around even though they can be ornery at times, but hey, somethings never change no matter where you are in the world! Communicating with the kids can be tough at times, but we both try to make each other understand what we're trying to say. Today after camp, we had an abstinence talk with the older kids. Its crazy how some things can be so different, yet the same. I learned a lot of cultural differences between all of us, but I think the message still means the same. After dinner, we joined in on a church service. There, they all shared bible verses, dances, songs, and poems. It was really cool to experience that. Then, some of us all sat down and shared testimonies, and let me tell ya, they were inspirational. It was incredible to hear all of them. Knowing these people come from nothing and have nothing, yet still wear the BIGGEST smile on their faces, makes my heart smile. Even though I only have three days left here, I cant wait to see what else God has in store for me. I'm sure everyone at home can't wait for me to get back! I miss you all so much and want to thank everyone for letting me experience this.  It is such a blessing. Special little shout out to my mom, dad, and sister, hi. I love and miss you bunches. hopefully you don"t miss me too much and say hi to Cabo for me.

Alyson Hughes

                             (camp basketball drill)

                         All smiles during 1 of our volleyball camp drills

                                  Kayla working on a watermelon for a fruit mural

       An amazing bicycle added to the transportation mural at the preschool

                                 The younger kids starting a dribbling drill

                                 Noah playing some defense

                

        All of us making new friends and having lots of fun sharing Jesus!!!