On Sunday, the team was able to visit 3 churches - 2 in the morning and 1 in the evening. They also held a Leadership Seminar - David spoke and then everyone broke up into small groups for discussion. Free time on Sunday was spent going over teaching material and enjoying the lovely view from the rooftop home for the week.
Today was the big kick-off of ministry. The team worked with the students at the Mission Possible School. Everything went great. Later in the after, the team headed to one of the churches on the edge of town and held an after school program for children in the community. The students in all settings had fun playing games, learning some English, and being reminded that God loves them and nothing can separate them from his love.
Continue praying for this team as tomorrow is another full day of camps and hopefully they will get the wifi working, so some pictures can be posted as well.
March 26, 2019
Our first day of teaching flew by like a whirlwind. The children were overjoyed to have us here, and their over-the-top energy kept us on our toes. It took a couple tries for each of us to settle in to our respective stations before we were communicating efficiently, but to see the excitement from the children as they were learning was a blessing and got us excited for the day. The theme for the week is the promises of God, and each day we will be sharing a different promise from the Lord. The promise that we shared today is that God continually loves us, protects us, and walks with us each and every day guarding us from temptation. Regardless of how we act, the love of Christ is eternal and inseparable. We performed a skit as a large group to teach this, then broke it down further in each station.
It was an exciting first day, and we are all stoked to continue and see the kids again tomorrow. Our prayer for today is that we would continue to communicate effectively, and that the Lord would soften the hearts of the children and His Word would impact each and every child. He loves each and every one tremendously, and we have the opportunity to be His voice here this week.
-Armand- (Describing Monday)
The past few days that we’ve spent in the DR have far exceeded my expectations for the trip. There was some initial nervousness present because this trip was my first international experience, in terms of the process of getting here and the initial culture shock I might experience. There were a few hiccups in our travel time (barely making our connecting flight in Boston) but God was truly present in that process and everything worked out the way it was planned due to His protection.
We had the opportunity to spend time at 3 different churches on Sunday, and having spent time with the local community I have grown to be a lot more open-minded of the world around me. There was a significant language barrier and we have our differences, but the Dominicans made us feel welcome in their community. As soon as we arrived many people willingly gave up their seats for us and shook our hands and exchanged hugs afterwards. We may have cultural and language differences, but we believe in and worship the same God in strikingly similar ways.
-Kaitlyn
Since this was my first time leaving the country, let alone my first mission trip, I had no idea what to expect of the Dominican Republic. So far, every day has been an adventure! We rode a bus through Santo Domingo, shopped at Mercado Modelo, almost drank the water, attended multiple churches that spoke multiple languages, taught the kids English, and so many other amazing experiences. Living in the Dominican Republic has opened my eyes to the way other people live. It’s one thing to learn about a different culture in anthropology class, but another to visit and live in their environments; it’s a completely different experience. The way they live compared to the way we live isn’t wrong, it’s just different, and that’s alright. I found it beautiful that the people of the Dominican Republic worship the same God I do, and I can call them my brothers and sisters in Christ.
I’m so thankful to have this opportunity to grow closer to God, teach the beautiful kids of the Dominican, and have a community of believers of my own.
-Kaleb
March 27, 2019
This trip has been a new experience for me. Being in a leadership position while in-country has certainly taken more out of me than any of my prior trips. There’s a certain amount of fun that has to be withheld in the name of responsibility, and I am learning that constantly. That being said, this trip has been wildly successful and wildly encouraging for me.
There will be much processing to be done in my personal time with the Lord after this trip is over; that is what I keep coming back to. This is a time in my life where spiritual warfare is very real and ever-present within me. Keeping my eyes on the Lord and allowing him to light my path is the eternal source of my strength. This trip, if nothing else, has reinforced within me a reliance on God for everything: energy, positive attitude, sustenance, my future, my successes, etc. That list can continue on forever.
I’m blessed by my team here. It is such an amazing mixture of ages, backgrounds, talents, and personalities that any time we are all together, good times are to be had. This sounds cliché, but I say it very earnestly.
I’m loving it here and do not look forward to returning to the States and to schoolwork. :(
With love,
Griffin
I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect out of this week in the Dominican Republic. I’ve been on many missions trips before, but I’ve never done one that included such an abundance of time with children. I have to be honest, I don’t tend to think I’m particularly “good with kids” and so I was quite nervous. I was afraid I wouldn’t have enough energy or excitement or grace for all the silliness and curiosity and, let’s be frank: chaos that accompanies large groups of kids. Once I found out we’d have 6 hours of teaching the kids at Ebenezer school plus an extra couple hours with kids at the churches we visited Sunday each evening, I was even more unsure that I would be able to maintain an ability to teach and stay positive all week.
All that said, it has been a truly wonderful time so far. Not only has God answered my prayers and provided the energy to sustain me, but I have been encouraged in a way that has totally surpassed my expectations. There are too many specific moments to recount here, but the most exciting one so far was to hear reports from fellow team members today that the kids really, truly are absorbing everything we’re teaching. Whether it’s the 5th graders practicing the English greetings we taught them Monday or the 2nd graders saying they want to be civil engineers after they built marshmallow-tooth pick towers, it’s exciting to know they’re getting it, even within our short time with them! I’ve even been tempted to think that I could see myself teaching elementary-age kids full time…but then I come to my senses and realize that’s not for me (here’s a shout out to those full-time teachers out there. I don’t know how you do it).
Please pray with me for all these kids. They have wonderful teachers and pastors here with them and I am earnestly praying for God’s protection over them all. Pray that God would protect their hearts and minds and that our time with them this week would be nothing but an encouragement: that we would leave them only with more faith in God and knowledge that they are cared for.
~Lauren
March 28, 2019
As we landed in Santo Domingo on Friday evening, I realized that I had not really prepared myself for this trip spiritually. I was so aware of what was difficult at home that I wanted God to radically flip my life around on this trip. As God does, he knew better than to choose my plan. I wanted to go fast and to drag myself close to God. Through the joy of the kids and the little moments like singing on the roof or laughing with the team, He reminded me that He is right here and that I can just exist in His presence.
My girlfriend, Sydney, gave me a notecard for each day we were gone. On each she had written out a prayer for certain aspects of the trip and for the team. God worked through these, to get my heart attuned to His. He reminded me that this team was put together for a purpose and that He has made me for community. One of the cards prayed that we would be unified as a team and would look to glorify God even in the difficult moments on the trip. That prayer was answered, God is moving here. Another one prayed for confidence. This team has stepped into a space where they did not know the language very well and were working on a tight and energetic schedule. We have trusted God and He has truly sustained us. When we make agreement with the Word of God instead of the lies and fears of the enemy, our perspectives and lives change radically. I am so thankful for this trip, this team, and our wonderful God.
- Luke
This trip has been a much needed break from “reality”. Prepping for it was not easy as my two week prior were very busy. I worked the night shift (7pm-7am) the night before we left, so I had to pack days ahead of time to be able to sleep after work and leave immediately for the airport. I came to the Dominican with little expectation, except that I was excited to work with the children here. I think that mindset along with being flexible has been a blessing for me in the best way! I’m more excited for each twist and turn we’ve gotten to take here. I feel proud that we got asked to do an extra group time one evening and that the children are just like little sponges – learning all that we have been teaching them. It has been fairly exhausting, but I feel accomplished and happy that I was able to pick up more Spanish than I thought and somewhat communicate with the kids. A sweet moment happened today when we told our rowdy fourth graders we wouldn’t be coming to teach them again. They swarmed me all while “crying” and saying, “Aye, no! Dos mas semanas!!” I pray that these children received and felt the love of Jesus because of our time here. I will miss these cute little faces, but not the cold showers!
-Kayla
March 29, 2019
Big Shout out to this H2O Kent State Crew and the time they spent with our schools and churches in the Dominican Republic. Your flexibility, open hearts and compassion was evident during every part of this trip. Thanks for serving and we pray God continues to move in your hearts each and everyday!
