Day 1: Travel Day

Saturday, January 2, 2016

My friend and teammate at Slippery Rock, Liz, picked me up yesterday and I spent the night at her house. We didn't sleep much though because we had to leave her house at 2:00am this morning to head towards the airport. Her dad dropped us off at the Philadelphia airport and we got our tickets and went through security. We were hungry so we stopped at Sbarro's to get a breakfast sandwich while we waited for our first flight. We boarded the flight at 4:45am and then took off. We landed in Chicago around 7:15am and luckily had no trouble finding our next terminal. While we waited for our next flight we got some coffee. We boarded the airplane and took off towards the Dominican Republic. After a long 4 hour flight we finally landed in Punta Cana. We got off the plane and took a bus to the actual airport. We had to wait in a long line to get through customs and all that fun stuff. We got through, got our bags, and headed outside. We loaded our luggage onto a cattle truck and then sat down in a bus. After a two and a half our bus ride we finally got to the compound. Unfortunately it was already around 8:00pm and it was dark out so we couldn't really see anything. We took our bags to our big dorm room which was just a big room filled with bunk beds and we claimed our beds. It was time for dinner so we all headed to the dining hall. For dinner I had fried plantations, pasta salad, rice, and a roll. After dinner we had time to make our beds and then it was time for worship. We went upstairs to the "Upper Room" and sang some songs. Many people spoke and kind of laid down the ground rules and told us what we were going to be doing tomorrow. Lights out is 11:00pm, but we were so exhausted from traveling that we went to bed right after worship.

Liz and I having some fun
on our 4 hour flight to the DR.

Beautiful view of the DR from
the airplane.

The girl's dorm room

The Upper Room

Dining Hall 

Day 2: Mountaintop Church

Sunday, January 3, 2016

At 6:00am they blew a horn and that meant it was time for everyone to get up, get ready, and do their own personal morning devotions. I got a shower and it was very cold. At 6:40am we all went up to the Upper Room and had morning worship and listened to someone speak. Then we headed back downstairs to the Dining Hall and had breakfast. I ate eggs and rice krispies. We got dressed for church and loaded into the cattle trucks. Riding in the cattle trucks was how we got everywhere. After going up and down hills and through creeks we finally got to the Mountaintop Church. The church was an open building and we sat on white, plastic yard chairs. It was actually really cool and a lot of fun.  A translator would translate the speakers so we could understand what they were saying because they spoke Spanish. Unfortunately we couldn't always understand what songs they were singing, but some songs we could pick out and we also sang some songs in English. After church we went to another open building and had juice and cookies and got to socialize with each other and some of the church members. Then we loaded back on the cattle trucks and headed back to the compound. I changed into shorts and a t-shirt and then it was time for lunch. For lunch I had rice, watermelon, salad, and a roll. After lunch, 3 of my friends and I decided to work out. We ran a mile and then did exercises in the basketball court. We went back to our dorm and got showers. Liz and I walked outside to the backyard type area in the compound and there was a little girl standing on the other side of the fence selling bracelets so we went and bought some. Later we met as a group in the Upper Room and they told us about the different ministries we could participate in every day. Then we had dinner and I had a roll, french fries, and cole slaw. After dinner a bunch of us played cards, watched a movie called "Bema Street", played with some dogs, and then went to bed.

One of the cattle trucks we
road in everyday.

Mountaintop Church

Cute Puppy #1

 

Cute Puppy #2

Day 3: Children's Ministry at Margarita

Monday, January 4, 2016

They blew the horn at 6:00am and I got up, got dressed, and did my own morning devotion. Then we all met upstairs for morning worship and a speaker. Then we went down to the Dining Hall for breakfast. For breakfast I had a roll and ham. We loaded up on the cattle trucks and headed to different villages. I did Children's Ministry and we were headed to the Margarita Village. As soon as we pulled in the kids started running towards the trucks. They were so excited to see us. We took the kids into the church and Carol-Lynn (the wonderful lady in charge of Children's Ministry for the week) introduced herself and talked to the kids a little bit. Luckily we had a couple of translators to help us interact with the kids because they spoke Spanish. We sang some songs in both English and Spanish and read some stories to them. Then we took them outside to a big field to play. It was so crazy. Some kids played different games with balls, some kids played with nail polish, and then some kids would just run and jump on you. I don't know how many kids I ran around with on my side, back, or shoulders. At one point in time I actually had two kids on me at once. It was so awesome seeing the kids smile and laugh and just have so much fun. Eventually it came time for lunch and we met up with the construction workers and had sandwiches. It was really hard to eat with the kids standing across the street. I found a cute dog to play with for a little while we waited for everyone to finish eating. After lunch we rounded the kids back up and took them back into the church for a craft and some more stories and songs. Then we went back outside and ran around some more. The kids absolutely loved looking at and playing with our phones and cameras. They really enjoyed taking pictures of themselves and other people. Some of the girls painted our nails and braided our hair. Before we knew it it was 3:30pm and it was time for us to head back to the compound. After spending all day with the kids it was really hard to leave. The one girl I spent all day with hugged me and gave me a kiss on the cheek. We said our goodbyes, loaded back on the cattle trucks, and headed back to the compound. When we got back I got a shower and it was time for dinner. For dinner I had a roll, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Then we got back on the cattle trucks and headed to the Cowboy Church. That church was a lot of fun. We sang "When the Saints Go Marching in" and marched around the inside of the church and the outside of the church. That was definitely my favorite part. After church ended we got back on the cattle trucks and traveled back to the compound. We got back, played some cards, ate some ice cream, and went to bed.

Showing him how to take pictures

Nail painting

The Cowboy Church

Day 4: Children's Ministry in Hato Mayor

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

They blew the horn at 6:00am and I got up, got dressed, and did my morning devotion. At 6:40am we met in the Upper Room for morning worship and a speaker. We went down to the Dining Hall for breakfast and I had a roll, eggs, and some rice krispies. We loaded up on the cattle trucks and Children's Ministry headed off to a small village in Hato Mayor. We parked along the road and walked down this dirt alley to the church. Kids came running and before we knew it the small church room was filled with children of all different ages. We read them some stories and sang some songs. Then we went outside. There wasn't a big field to play in because it was in the middle of the city so we played limbo and jump rope in the alley. We had competitions and the kids loved it and were so happy to play with us. We went back inside the church room and did a craft and sang more songs. It was then time to leave to go back to the compound for lunch. When we got back the kitchen staff had sandwiches, fruit, and cookies ready for us. We finished eating, got back on the cattle trucks, and headed towards a small village just a mile away. We got there and kids started running towards us. The school was very small, but thankfully we could fit everyone in it. We sang songs and read some stories and then went outside to play since they had a big open field. The little boys kind of took over all of the balls so a big group of girls played "Pato, Pato, Gonso" which in English is "Duck, Duck, Goose". The little girl I was with didn't want to play that for long so we went off and ran around, spun in circles, and kept tickling each other. We played with nail polish and while I was painting the one little girl's nails an older girl took my pony tail out and started giving me corn rows. We went inside for a craft and then it was time to leave. The girl only got about half of my head done so we decided that she would come to the compound and finish my hair later. We got back and I got a shower and then it was time for dinner. I had a roll, salad, and pasta. Then Liz and I found the older girls and got them to finish giving us cornrows. It hurt while they did them because they had to pull our hair tight, but it looked really cool when they finished. A group of us played cards for a little and then it was time for group worship in the Upper Room. We sang a lot of great songs and then when it was over we went to bed.

Limbo

Jump Rope

Small Church in Hato Mayor

My adorable new friend

Day 5: Construction at Margarita

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

They blew the horn at 6:00am and I got up, got dressed, and did my morning devotion. Then we all met in the Upper Room at 6:40am for morning worship and a speaker. We went down to the Dining Hall for breakfast and I had a roll, ham, and eggs. Then we got on the cattle trucks and I headed back to Margarita, but this time to work with construction. When we got there we got to play with the kids for a little bit while the construction guys got everything set up. We started with doing a block line where we passed the heavy cement blocks from one person to another so the blocks were closer to where we would be building. It hurt really bad though because I didn't have gloves at first and the cement blocks were tearing up my hands and giving me blisters. Luckily this one girl wasn't a part of the block line and let me borrow her work gloves. After we finished the block line Josh had me get up on a scaffold and use a trowel to level out the concrete. It was actually a lot of fun and I wasn't too bad at it. I finished that and that got back down and moved some more blocks around. Then it was time for lunch and we went to the one building for sandwiches. The one guy brought his guitar and played and sang songs while we ate. We finished eating and went back to the construction site. We moved some more blocks and then for the rest of the time I got buckets filled with cement and concrete and carried them to the workers who needed them and then lifted them up to the guys on the scaffold. This really gave my arms and back a workout. At one point in time it just started raining, but luckily it didn't last long. Some workers were hanging out with the village kids and they went over to the sugar cane field and brought back some sugar cane for everyone to try. It actually tasted really good. Eventually we ran out of cement and it was time to head back to the compound. We finally got back and I took a long cold shower. Then we had dinner and I ate a roll and mashed potatoes. After dinner we got dressed for church, but this time we took the school bus to church because it was raining. We went to a small church in town and it was really nice. The people who sang had very nice voices. Church ended with everyone greeting and hugging each other and then we left. We got back to the compound, played some cards, and then went to bed.

Up on the scaffold

After a long, busy day of construction

The third church we visited

Day 6: Children's Ministry in Village 35

Thursday, January 7, 2016

At 6:00am they blew the horn and I got up, got dressed, did my morning devotion, and then went to the Upper Room for morning worship and a speaker. Then we went downstairs to the dining hall for breakfast and I had a roll and eggs. We loaded up in the school bus this time and headed to Village 35 for children's ministry. When we got there I saw tons of dogs and of course had to pet some of them. The kids had school today so we actually got to go inside their classroom and help teach them. We read them some stories and sang some songs and did a craft. Then we went outside across the seat to a big open field. We played soccer, volleyball, jump rope, and "Pato, Pato, Ganso" for a while and then the villagers found out that the medical ministry was right down the street so they all took their kids and went to it. A group of us decided to play a couple games of volleyball while we waited for them to come back. Then we ate sandwiches on the bus and by the time we finished eating the kids were back. We took them back inside to do some more coloring, listen to more stories, and sing some more songs. Then we went back outside to the big field to play some more. Some kids and I passed the volleyball back and forth and it was a lot of fun. Eventually it came time for us to leave so we said our goodbyes and got on the bus. On the way home it started raining and a beautiful double rainbow appeared in the sky. We got back to the compound and I got a shower and then it was time for dinner. I had chicken and some salad. After dinner we had evening worship upstairs and sang some great songs. Some friends and I hung out in the Upper Room after worship and talked for a while. Then we went back downstairs, played some card games, and went to bed.

Cute little puppy

Puppies

School room in Village 35

He was so happy to sit on my lap

Group picture

Double rainbow

Day 7: Food/Clothing Distribution in Village 14

Friday, January 8, 2016

I got up at 6:00am when they blew the horn, got dressed, and did my morning devotion. We met in the Upper Room for morning worship and a speaker.Then we went down to the dining hall for breakfast and I had eggs. Today was like a free day and a lot of people went to the beach. I really wanted to go to the beach, but then our leader for Children's Ministry, Carol-Lynn, came up with a great idea. The one village we visited, Village 14, was very poor. Carol-Lynn had money that was donated from her church so she and some other people went to the store and bought food and rice and we had a lot of donated clothing. So we went back to Village 14 and went to each house (there was a total of 30) and gave each family a garbage bag of food, a garbage bag of clothing, and 20 pounds of rice. Then we prayed with the families. The villagers were so appreciative for the food, clothing, and prayer. Afterwards we had enough time to play with the kids. We played soccer, we played volleyball, we painted nails, we read stories, we sang songs. It was so much fun. Eventually it came time to leave, but you could tell nobody wanted to leave. I had these two little boys with me and when I told them we had to leave they got so sad. Saying goodbye to the kids for the last time was very difficult, but the ride home was fun. My friend Liz and I decided to not hold on to anything on the way home and try to "surf" on the cattle truck. It was really hard and we fell into people sometimes, but we had a lot of fun. We got back to the compound and I got a shower. Then at 3:30pm a ton of ladies from neighboring villages came and set up stuff they made in the dining hall for us to buy. I bought a lot of cool things like jars, carved elephants, a bag, and bracelets. After they left we had dinner and I had rice. Some of us went for a walk and then we had a sharing time in the Upper Room for people to talk about what they experienced this week and what they learned. It was really interesting to hear about what other people experienced in all of the different ministries (baseball, medical, construction, women's, children's). When that ended we went down to the dining hall and played slap jack and dutch blitz. Eventually we went to bed.

Praying with the villagers

They didn't want us to leave

The kids told us we could take this
puppy home. It was really tempting.

Cattle truck selfie

Day 8: Goodbye DR

Saturday, January 9, 2016

I got up at 6:00am when they blew the horn, got dressed, and did my morning devotion. Then we all met upstairs in the Upper Room for one last morning worship and speaker. We went downstairs for breakfast and I had eggs. Then we had to pack all of our stuff up and bring everything outside so some guys could load it up on the cattle trucks. We had a lot of free time so we kind of just hangout and talked and played cards. Liz and I went on a walk and these girls from one of the villages came up to us and we talked to them for a little. Then they asked us if we were getting ready to leave and if we had any shoes we didn't want because they really needed some. Liz and I went to our stuff and pulled out some shoes to give to the girls. They were very thankful. Eventually it came time for us to leave, but first we all circled up and held hands and prayed. Then we got on buses and headed to the airport. We checked our bags in and made it through security. We said our goodbyes to the people who weren't on our flight and then boarded our airplane. Luckily I got to sit with the new friends I made and we had a lot of fun the whole flight to Atlanta. It made the three and a half hour flight go by very fast. We made it to Atlanta and had to go through customs, get our bags, and go through security again. We got some food and hung out in one of the terminals where most of the people were leaving from because they were all flying into Pittsburgh. Me and two of my friends were flying into Philadelphia so we had to leave from a different terminal. We said our goodbyes and boarded our plane to Philly. Finally we landed and we met my dad at the baggage claim. We got our bags, drove to Lancaster to drop my friend off, and then drove home. We got to my house around 2:00am Sunday morning.

Waiting to fly out of the DR

We made it to Atlanta!

Philly here we come