Team 1
This morning our team woke up to enjoy a delicious breakfast of huge pancakes and fresh fruit before we piled into the van headed to Apocalipsís. With music blasting from the windows of the car, we were excited to spend yet another day at the school and deepen connections we had made with the kids there the day before. When we arrived, we were greeted with smiles and the kids immediately started swarming me with shouts of “caballito!!” (the spanish translation of piggyback). I don’t think I can count the amount of piggyback rides I’ve given but seeing the smiles and laughter that come from each child makes me want to stay there and just become their personal piggybacker. Later on we went into a session of worship followed by the drime and even though we were missing a few key people to lead worship and the drime today, everything fell together in the end. I remember looking up from the guitar I was holding and seeing so many eyes closed and hands clasped when we were singing the ending part of “The Blessing” and I felt so moved by the passion that the kids had. We then continued our work sifting dry concrete, plastering walls, mixing cement, and bringing up buckets of cement to the workers, and were provided a delicious meal of pork chops, morro (rice and beans), and steamed vegetables. There was lots of free time after and in between the work periods to play with the kids and make crafts, and I left with so many fun and special memories with them.
God has been speaking to me in many ways throughout the five days I’ve been in this beautiful place. I came on this trip with my heart prepared to share God’s love with others, but I never expected to receive so much love from others as well. From the sweet boy who pushed my hair out of my face when he noticed my hands were occupied from giving a piggyback ride to another girl, to the little girl who went out of her way to get me a cup of water when she noticed I was tired, today God showed me glimpses of his unconditional love for us through the kids. We were put on this earth to love and be loved by others just as He loves us, and today was a powerful reminder of this truth.
Written by Maraya So
Team 2
¡Hola!
This morning we woke up to a beautiful sunny day, and a delicious breakfast prepared for us by the kitchen staff. Thursdays at Juan Calvino are chapel days, and the principal kindly invited us to join them for their service. Worship in the Dominican is very different from worship in Canada. The students sang as loud as they could, stomping and clapping their feet in time to the music. The music was beautiful and the the joy of the students and teachers filled the room. However, after only 2 songs our team was invited up to the front to sing. This was a surprise for us because we thought we were only watching the service, not leading it. But as we began to sing, the students of Juan Calvino eagerly joined us. After four songs a few members of our team preformed a bible skit, and then. Señora Flores prayed-which brought us to the end of chapel. We had a little time after chapel to meet some of the high school students and make some new friends. I met a very nice girl named Miranda and quickly became good friends with her. She was very patient with my broken Spanish, and tried her best to talk to me in english too. Together along with some other members of my team, we played tag with the young kids, and coloured with them. The kids were so funny, and so quick to tell us how much they loved us- making hearts with their hands and pointing at us. It was so much fun, but the game came to an end when we were called to begin our work project. Today we were tasked with painting the school. Our team did an amazing job- working hard, staying positive in the heat, and singing together as we painted over the plaster. After a couple hours we paused for lunch, and then resumed painting. After about an hour we finished painting for the day, and headed down to the chapel to make bracelets with some of the high schoolers. Miranda and some of her friends came and sat with me and some of the members of my team while we taught them how to make the bracelets. We laughed and talked together for quite a while until it was time for them to go home, then my team made bracelets with the younger kids. Finally the school day was over, and the principal of Juan Calvino bought ice cream for both team one and team two. Once we finished our ice cream, most of us went on a walk to go get empanadas. They were delicious, (thanks Mr. Sijpheer)! After we got back to the school we spent the rest of the day playing volleyball with some of the kids, having yet another delicious dinner, and debriefing the day in our small groups. Finally, we ended the day with worship lead by some of the rcs students.
God has been teaching me many things during my time in the Dominican Republic, but the thing that he has been teaching me the most is how to love others. One way he’s been showing me how to love others is through the ways that it is being demonstrated to me by the students, teachers, and even by people in the streets here in the Dominican Republic. The pure joy and happiness that fills peoples faces when they see us is indescribable, and the selfless love shown to every member of our missions team is inspiring. As we are now past the halfway point of our trip, I pray that each student and leader from RCS will not only accept and learn from the ways the Domincans treat one another, but that they will begin to reciprocate that love and integrate it into everything they do during the remainder of the trip, and into their lives back home.
Written by Sophia Wilson
Comments