June Gateway 2nd Youth Team 2014

This trip has been surreal for me. This was my first mission trip ever, and I was kinda nervous about coming, but I am so glad I did. The entire experience opened my eyes to how the rest of the world lives. I knew I was blessed living in Findlay, but I had no idea how sheltered I was until I came to here. The DR is such a beautiful country, even though the people here have absolutely nothing. The kids we work with every day are incredible, and I’ve been having so much fun using my Spanish when talking to them.  Mrs. Murray (my Spanish teacher) would be proud. I have made so many friends here, American and Dominican. The sports camp is an awesome way to help us relate and have fun with the kids. So far I’ve only been a group leader, where you lead a group of kids around to the different stations in the camp. It’s hard to keep up with all the kid’s energy, but I can’t stop laughing when I’m with them. The girls here have a fascination with my hair; they could probably play with it all day. At one point I had five Dominican girls tugging my hair all over the place. Sunday has been my favorite day so far. Watching how the people worship here is unlike anything I’ve seen before. Literally every single person gets up and claps, dances, and sings their hearts out. The service is so loud the entire time. I honestly think I lost some of my hearing because it was so loud. Even so, the joy everyone felt in the tiny church was indescribable. All in all, in some ways I miss home, but I know I’ll be coming back here next year for sure because this trip has been unforgettable. Our God is the same here as He is in America, and He is so good.

~ McKenna DiRe

This trip for me has been really eye opening in many different ways. As like many other people this was my first mission trip ever and to be honest I never thought I would be on one. I am so glad I am here, at this amazing place with these wonderful kids. Helping out at camp, playing with the kids and teaching them different sports and about God has been one of my favorite parts. They come into camp with big smiles on their faces and leave with even bigger smiles. Seeing the people here and knowing they have absolutely nothing but can be so happy has really been something I will never be able to forget. My favorite day would have to be Sunday; I have never seen anything like it before. They make church and worshiping something you could never forget. Seeing how everyone is standing up, clapping, and dancing brings a huge smile to your face. It really didn't matter how old they were they would be standing up dancing along. I love how everyone here is so kind and warm welcoming to us Americans. I have made so many little friends who I will never forget. The little girls here are absolutely adorable! All they want to do is play with my hair. The boys are all pretty crazy, but all very loving. Being here in the Dominican has really shown me that being happy doesn't mean everything has to be perfect in my life.

                       ~Laura

                     

June Gateway 2nd Youth Team 2014

The DR has been life changing. These kids are so happy all the time even though they don't have very much; it makes me realize how lucky I am to live the life that I do. I’ve met this kid named Cristly.  He is so goofy. This trip has made me feel so much closer to the church and the people in it after everything we have done together.  I also feel closer to God after working through and for him. I’m having such an amazing time.

~Hunter

Today was another great day in the DR. The culture is very different from ours and it is very interesting to watch and learn about. The kids here are amazing.  They always want to play and find almost anything to play with. This trip has really opened my eyes on how other people live and how happy they are with very little that they have.  I have really enjoyed teaching and playing with the kids and they will be the most I miss when it’s time to go home.

                                     ~Jeremy
 

June Gateway 2nd Youth Team 2014

               Today was a great day.  It was a Sunday and the Dominicans treat their Sundays with an incredible amount of respect.  Today was a day of rest after three long, long days of travel and hard work.  We got to sleep in a little later than usual and then had a beautiful church service in the morning.  The way the Dominicans worship is like nothing you see in America. They dance, sing at the top of their lungs and wave their arms high in the air with every song.  As great as the morning service was, the real treat came at the end of the day.  After a long rest during the day and a filling lunch, we again gathered in the church for a second service.  The mood of this service was completely different. It was a party from the very start. David Rath spoke a wonderful sermon that was translated into Spanish so the entire church could enjoy.  Then, at the end of the service, the music picked up.  The entire church roared and jumped around the room. There was so much energy and excitement.  In the corner, two young men were coming up with their own dances to all of the music and enjoying every minute of it.  Graham and I spotted them from across the room and ran over to join them.  It was great to see the four of us, though we could not communicate very well, dance together and shout.  The entire church at this point was jumping up and down and screaming.  I am sure the entire neighborhood could hear us shouting and yelling these praise songs.  The songs blended together and we had no idea what the lyrics were or when it would end, but we were having a great time.  After about fifteen minutes of this, the song ended and the entire room took a deep breath. The four of us turned to each other and embraced.  We had not spoken a single word, but we had such a great time together.  Immediately after the service, they asked for a picture with us.  It was great to see our community mixing with theirs and praising God at the same time.  One of the coolest experiences I have ever had.

~Sam McGhee

 

              It is currently Day 4 of our Missions Trip and a great deal has occurred. I have made many relationships so far with some great people, regardless of the language barrier. At this point in time, I really wish that I had taken Spanish because I know I would be able to better reach the kids, but I am managing. One of my favorite kids is Cesar, he is somewhat of a “punk” when I am not looking and he is rather sneaky, but I love interacting and playing rough with him; I even taught him arm wrestling. Some of my favorite parts of the trip thus far include a pick-up basketball game with the Dominicans, Euchre with my fellow missionaries, and Sam and I’s dancing during the church sermon with Yoel and Marcenson. Tonight’s church service is definitely my favorite service of all time. I loved Dave’s message and I thoroughly enjoyed the energy that was radiating from all of the Dominicans as well as us missionaries; it is amazing how into the sermon everyone can get when it is in a different language. Another highlight of the church service was the reactions of people when the fan turned on, as well as off, it was rather comical. The trip so far has been amazing, it was rough adjusting to the long days as well as the heat, but I am adjusting and am starting to be able to take everything in.  I love the people and I love what we are doing. I can only hope that the trip continues on the same successful course.

~Graham Copus

June Gateway 2nd Youth team 2014

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Dear Americanos,

Only two days in, and it’s been a great run so far!

I watched the sunrise today. It happens at 6:18 am. Today was a cloudy one though, so the sunrise wasn’t as evident as usual, but the clouds were a blessing later as it was not over 100 degrees! There are some great sights when we stand on the roof: A girl I recognized from two years ago, named Monica, had a baby in her arms. When she saw us and waved, she brought out a pair of strap-on angel wings. Monica put the angel wings on the baby and flew him around. I’ve never laughed so hard in my life.

We all have daily chores, yesterday I cut carrots for dinner and today I swept up everyone’s tortilla chip crumbs.

The sports camp is going great for me. I have Kayla Trevino at my side…she is the basketball guru and I am merely a translator. My favorite part of teaching them sports is when my Spanish doesn’t just sound like blabber to them and they are able to follow through with the moves we’re teaching.

I’m seeing some familiar faces from two years ago, but also making other friends. Some people have remembered my name as well. Mostly, though, the children come up and ask me if I’m Derek’s sister because he was here last week! After camp I helped teach English to an older group, ages about 16-21. They wanted to know slang terms, so we exchanged “what’s up” and “just kidding” and “Mitch is a turd”.

Love, Monica

 

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Today is day three and I already feel at home again. Being here two years ago has only had me more excited to be back again for this week. When arriving I was welcomed by the overwhelming feeling of pure joy and peace from the warm sun, smiling faces, halls filled with laughter, and the occasional cool breeze. This trip has brought so many new opportunities that are always exciting to try. Today I was one of the people in charge of the bible study portion of the sports camp. Knowing little English, Mackenzie helped translate after I spoke to the group in English. Our topic was the faith that Joseph had in his life. Together we realized that having faith does not equal an easy life, but we can use our faith in times of troubles or temptations. For an activity we made shields of faith. This reminds the campers to use their shield of faith everyday against evil. On the back of the shields was the verse Hebrews 11:1 and the front of the shields were designed with finger painting. The campers had a lot of fun being creative with that part. Even the older kids got into it and worked on making the painting appealing. Not only do I get the chance to teach the kids here about the Lord through the sports camp, but they also teach me things everyday. They teach me about the Lord as we discuss things in the bible study station, they teach me how to praise the Lord with all that I am, and they teach me how to appreciate all that I have. I begin to appreciate more and more after each day that I spend here. I appreciate the lifestyle I live back home with all the things I will ever need, supportive family and friends, new opportunities each day, and most importantly a God that always watches over me. Building and strengthening relationships here is always important and fulfilling whether it is with the Dominicans, within the group of us that has traveled here together, or with God. I miss my family and friends from home very much, but I couldn’t be more excited to be here for the rest of the week and to take in all the things I can learn from this place.

Love, Michaela Long

June Gateway 2nd Youth team 2014

Hello fellow Americans,

            This is Mitch, finally writing on the blog. Sorry Mom!

So I have been here at the Ebenezer school since June 4^th, and I have experienced so much in that time. The first group was mostly made up of newbies to this kind of trip, so it was so great to see how being here impacted them. Running this camp is a lot of work. Every one of them did a good job, and I know that this trip will impact their lives forever. I know for me, every day I see more and more accounts of God’s love.

            Today we started our first day of basketball at the camp. Last week I was pretty sure the kids were going to enjoy basketball when they found a way to shoot baskets when I was teaching them how to set a volleyball, or head a soccer ball. Anyways, the new team did really well with the kids today. We had a station for Bible study, passing, shooting, defense/rebounding, and I worked with the kids on dribbling. The hardest part for me isn’t the language barrier- it’s just the fact that I’m working with hyper kids and basketballs... it would be just as difficult at home. I just have to remember that the real reason I’m here is to be God’s light. With this, I just make sure not to get frustrated, but to let them all have a good time. The other day, the girls in one group weren’t getting anything accomplished with their lack of interest in passing volleyballs, so instead we did handstands and yoga! I think they liked that a lot better.

            Well I will see you all soon! Hasta pasta.

-Mitch

 

Hola Americanos,

We have been here for 9 days now, and so much has been accomplished. Even though teaching the kids how to play different sports has been fun, it’s been even greater to see the lifelong impact the relationships we are making will have. Our main jobs have consisted of translating, teaching sports, and teaching a bible lesson. –The Bible lesson today was one of my (Shelby’s) personal favorites. Most of the kids were open to talk about problems in their lives and how to persevere through them. We also played a fun game of them having to blow Styrofoam eggs into a circle, which they seemed to really enjoy. I love their energy and competitiveness!

-To those of you who know me (Mackenzie), sports are definitely my forte. So, being able to coach everyone how to do things in soccer, volleyball, and basketball has been interesting;) But seriously, I love being able to speak the language and (sorry Mom and Dad) I could live here forever.

This trip has been so impactful thus far and we can’t wait to tell you all about it in person!

See you soon,
Mackenzie and Shelby

June Gateway 2nd Youth Team 2014

Team arrived safe and sound.  Getting ready for basketball camp tomorrow along with Bible Time.  Prayers appreciated.

June Gateway Youth Team 2014

I have liked it here and it is fun.  My favorite thing is being a group leader and helping with the sports camp.  I don’t love Dominican lunches, but I like the food we cook.  I really liked going to the ocean and playing with my own playdoh.  Hi grandpa and grandma.

~Jaxon Rath

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I have been in the Dominican Republic for 1 week and I think it’s fun.  We have had volleyball and soccer camp and I want basketball camp to start.  I really liked going to the track field and soccer field and the ocean.  At the ocean we found a log and I rode it.  I have tried the Dominican lunches and they aren’t too bad.  My favorite was the chicken and rice. 

~ Ian Rath

 
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This is my 2^nd time to Barahona.  It is still hot here and cold showers at night still feel good.  During the day my favorite parts of camp are being a group leader and a doing VBS because it went very fast and it was fun.  I really enjoyed the beach. I had a lot of fun with the kids and Daniel.

                                  ~Keaton Rath

 
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It’s been awesome. No other words to describe it.

The kids are awesome (I say kids, but I really mean just all the campers). Having the opportunity to teach them about sports, while also giving them an outlet for Jesus is amazing. You see the kids playing and they’re just so happy to have an inflated ball to kick, or a goal to score in.  Yesterday, before the older group started, there was a group of guys who were playing soccer with an empty Gatorade bottle, and they were getting into it!  They made-do with what they had, and had a lot of fun.  In America, when we want to play a game, we take like twenty minutes to break into teams, set up goals, and go over the rules.  Down here, they just got a bottle, of all things, and started playing.

The camp is awesome. The kids love sports and they enjoy getting better at them and learning.  Just the other day, we played soccer at an old Pan-American Games stadium. The game got pretty intense, but it was awesome to see the players playing the game, despite the language barrier between us. 

            The first missions team was awesome too, so the second group has a lot to live up to.

            And the food, well… its ok…

~ Owen Rath

 
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Hola, me llamo Griffin.  This trip has been unlike any of the other three I’ve been on. I had to actually be reliable with my Spanish ability.  I mean yes, I’ve had conversations with people the last couple, but this time was different since I was actually considered “a translator”.   When I first came here it was the summer before my 8^th grade year and I didn't have an ounce of Spanish in me.  Now, 4 years later, I am responsible with instructing the campers in what drills they should be doing and how to do them correctly.  I was able to sit in on youth services and the Sunday church services and actually understand the message.  Given, I definitely did not understand every word or even half of them, but I did understand the points pastor Moise was trying to get across without any help.  That change is crazy to me… It’s the most exciting form of crazy possible but crazy nonetheless.  Well that’s about all I have to report on my end. See you in 9 more days America!

~Griffin Rath