¡Hola!
I’d like to thank everyone for staying updated throughout our Dominican journey through this blog! I can confidently affirm—our time here has been well spent and very well worth it. Hayden has already updated you on how our day was laid out, so I’ll save you the time :) One thing about today is the car ride that impacted me immensely. The moment of solitude I faced during the ride there was pure bliss; It made me realize that these were the moments we live for. The times where you’re sitting in a van with all your friends with all the windows open blasting your favourite music; these are the moments that make life worth living. We get so caught up with our activities, stress, and responsibilities that life brings, we forget to live the way God desires us to. God wants us to lead with helping, serving, and most importantly, loving others. Being on this mission trip, God has given us the opportunity to make a difference in these lives of these children. Moral of the story: don’t get so caught up with life till the point where you forget to live. Make time for the important things in life (and the important things are usually NOT a number).
Written by Mavis Kam
A highlight from today was exploring the colonial zone in Santo Domingo, and getting the opportunity to learn more about the history of the Dominican Republic. Our tour guides were all so friendly and they made our experience unforgettable. I got to learn all about how the Dominican Republic came to be, and the many values and beliefs they hold. As someone who loves history, I treasured every moment of this day. The historical sites around us were phenomenal and so beautiful. it was incredibly fun walking around with everyone and browsing through. The tour guides guided us through several museums and a very special Catholic Church letting us learn more about how the Dominican Republic came to be. We went ahead and ate a pizzeria where we all were able to get pan, fried pizza and some getting a special Dominican style pizza. Afterwards, we headed towards home where we all packed up and slept our final night where we could look ahead to one more day in the Dominican Republic.
Throughout this trip, I have lived through living conditions I would never have thought I would have to live through in Canada. Staying in the Dominican Republic help me realize how loved and cared I am by my families and friends back at home. However, even despite poor living conditions, the people of the Dominican Republic live through each day to the fullest and happy. I was so touched by passion and energy, they showed us each day that I often had to resist myself from tearing up. at home I often found myself wondering what I was living for. I was sad and unmotivated Due to the constant expectations, I held on myself. I believe that God sent me on this trip to help me realize how loved I am, and how I should cherish even the smallest things. This trip was a way for me to take a break from the bustling cities at home to just spend time with God through nature, but even more an opportunity for me to recognize that i should be patient and calm as God has plans for me in the future.
Written by Vanessa Chen
Hello World! I’ve heard that you’ve all been praying for me while I was sick. Thanks for all the support! Now, here’s a quick summary of what we did today! First, we packed our bags, said our final goodbyes to the great people who hosted us at Juan Calvino, and left to our new accommodations. this new place that we are at is really cool! It has two pools, nice and comfy rooms and even AC! As great as this sounds, it doesn’t beat the natural coziness of the rooms we had at Juan Calvino. After that we went into the town of Santo Domingo where we explored the colonial zone, learning about the history of the Dominican Republic and about Christopher Columbus. we also got to tour America’s first cathedral, which was big and really fancy! After touring at a fortress as well as a cultural artefact museum, we split into small groups and walked around the streets. There were a lot of mini markets selling things like toys, figurines, souvenirs, and much much more! We then went to have a pizza dinner and then we returned back to our accommodations. Overall, I think that the things we’ve seen and done in the Dominican Republic have been a blast, and I also really enjoy the warm and friendly culture that they have.
Now, I know that some of you are probably thinking that because of the things that I have been through during my stay here, that I would want to immediately go back to my comfy home. But this isn’t really true! Even though the weather is hot and humid, and there are a lot of mosquitoes, AND the fact that I had to get an IV at the hospital, It still does not, and cannot take away from the deep experience that I’ve had helping out at the school with the kids. I believe that it was God’s intention for me to stay strong through all this, so that I could persevere and experience the joy and love you feel from interacting with the kids and planting the seeds for a relationship with Jesus. And although it was all really hard and difficult, I truly believe that my experience and time spent here was impactful on not just me, but everyone on this experience (even the kids and the teachers!). It’s kinda sad that tomorrow is our last day here, but I’ll forever treasure the memories that I’ve made with the kids and the team around me!
Happy 4/13, and goodnight!!
Written by Hayden Shum
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