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| FB pics- emily and eileen |
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Another Link to DR thoughts
Passing along another link to some thoughts about the DR from our fellow teammate, Mike.
Monday, November 16, 2009
A Dominican Debrief
One of our teammates- Eileen- posted the following on her blog and thought you all might like to read!!
Click Here
More pictures to come this week!
Click Here
More pictures to come this week!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Back in the States
It is 12:05 am as I write this. We are in our vehicles headed back to Elizabeth City. Travels went well and all of our luggage made it too!
Thank you for praying. More photos will be posted this week. We will see many of you tomorrow (or should I say in a few hours?).
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Thursday, November 12, 2009
November 12, 2009 - Final post from the Dominican
Good evening!! It is Thursday night and we are headed out of San Juan de la Maguana early tomorrow morning. We spent the day painting 15 bathrooms here at Solid Rock...whew!! But, it was a project that needed to be done, so we did it. We also filled some holes in the wall with cement and cut down a few limbs from the coconut tree!
During our final DRD (Dominican Republic Debrief), we talked about what the most memorable experience of the week has been. The following are those thoughts -
We will update the blog next week with more pictures of our trip, as well as final thoughts. Thank you for praying and thank you for the sacrifice many of you made to let your spouses serve in the Dominican. See you at New Community!!
During our final DRD (Dominican Republic Debrief), we talked about what the most memorable experience of the week has been. The following are those thoughts -
- Surprised at feeling like we are leaving friends in the Dominican and amazed at such a connection with the Dominican people in such a short time.
- Thankful to be refreshed by those on the team in serving the Lord.
- Amazed at how small the world really is and how people are the same and different no matter where you are.
- Impressed with the teamwork of our group and how well we worked together.
- Surprised at how welcoming everyone was of the Americans.
- Will never forget meeting his sponsor child and what an impact that made on him.
- Will always remember the children in the village we served rice and beans to and will pray for those kids and that they will have hope for beyond what that little village holds for them.
- Amazed at the hospitality of the Domincans - the woman giving her bananas to use in gratitude, though she had no other food; the Director of the school serving us Coke in the middle of the afternoon to thank us for painting; Pastor Morales buying milk from the Mennoite farmer to serve us warm milk after dinner.
- Will always remember how welcoming and excited people were to see us.
- Thankful to share in serving the Domincan people with her friends and family and seeing how it changes the hearts of those serving.
- Will always remember the joyful interactions of the children.
- Amazed at Pastor Morales and his dedication to serving those in the Dominican, as well as his desire to learn English and see us in the United States.
- Impressed with the servant hearts of all those on the team.
- Amazed at the openess and love of the children.
We will update the blog next week with more pictures of our trip, as well as final thoughts. Thank you for praying and thank you for the sacrifice many of you made to let your spouses serve in the Dominican. See you at New Community!!
Pictures from El Cercado
Packing the Rice and Beans
Loaded in the Truck!
The Village
The ride down the mountain
Our truck
Fun times at School!!!!!
I'm losing battery power...more pics to come later!!!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
November 11, 2009
El Cercado!! Rice & Beans!! Children!! Truck adventures!!
Our day began with a walk through the city market, the “walmart” of San Juan. It was full of interesting smells and sights. There were lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, spices, chickens - both alive and ah, ‘ready to eat’, shoes and clothes. Our translator told us that a lot of the clothes and shoes they are selling are from the United States. The US sends a lot support to Haiti, including shoes and clothes, and the Haitaians then go to the border (which is about 50 miles from San Juan) and sell these items to the. Dominicans.
We headed to El Cercado and arrived around 10:30. School was in session, so many of us got to meet our sponsored children. What a huge blessing and what huge smiles we were greeted with. It was a special time. After lunch, we loaded our rice and beans into the back of a flat bed truck, as well as all 13 of us to head to the hills!!
It was an adventure, to say the least. Pictures will tell the story much better than any words. The scenery was magnificent, the people were beautiful, and the roads were bumpy, bumpy, bumpy. After an hours drive, we arrived to our destination - the furthest village in the El Cercado region. It was also the poorest village. We split into two teams and delivered 1 gallon bag of rice and 2 quart size bags of beans to each family. The people were so grateful and many gave of their own food supply to thank us. Imagine, for a moment, that you will only have enough food to cook one meal, maybe, for your family of 10 each day. Then, imagine that some visitors come and offer you some rice and beans. Now, imagine that you take part of your own precious meal and offer it to them in gratitude for their gift. It was truly a humbling experience. Again, pictures will speak volumes of our time in the village.
Pastor Morales and his family graciously made a feast for us - chicken, beef, rice and beans, papaya, avocado, fried yucca, boiled yucca and steamed bananas, pineapple, Dominican potato salad, cabbage salad, and Coke! We were also treated to some lovely Dominican coffee…..and we drank 3 pots! After dinner, Pastor Morales invited us to his home for a after dinner drink of fresh warm milk. He had gone to a local vendor and purchased it while we were eating our dinner. The milk was ‘fresh, fresh, fresh’…only an hour from the cow!
While at Morales house, the skies opened up and it rained and rained and rained (but not quite as much as we hear you are having). We hung out in the dark (as the power had gone off already for the evening) and waited. We played with Morales children, talked among ourselves, and some even took a few catnaps! Finally, the rains let up and we headed to the worship service. This time, we had a translator and were able to understand what was going on! Clay, Josh, Michelle and Casie led us all in a few American songs and then Mike spoke briefly, all of which was translated into Spanish. It was certainly a unique experience for everyone! Pastor Morales was gracious enough to end the service early for us so that we could head back to the Mission.
It was a sweet time in El Cercado, meeting many of the folks we support from our end in the US. And, a time of encouragement for everyone. There are many stories to be told of our adventures today and be sure to ask those on the team for their adventures! Enjoy the pictures - they are but a brief glimpse into the beauty of our day.
Thank you for your prayers. Our health is well, our team dynamics continue to jive, our attitudes are enthusiastic, and our heart to serve only increases. We know this is because of the prayers of many of our friends and family back in the US. So, thank you.
El Cercado!! Rice & Beans!! Children!! Truck adventures!!
Our day began with a walk through the city market, the “walmart” of San Juan. It was full of interesting smells and sights. There were lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, spices, chickens - both alive and ah, ‘ready to eat’, shoes and clothes. Our translator told us that a lot of the clothes and shoes they are selling are from the United States. The US sends a lot support to Haiti, including shoes and clothes, and the Haitaians then go to the border (which is about 50 miles from San Juan) and sell these items to the. Dominicans.
We headed to El Cercado and arrived around 10:30. School was in session, so many of us got to meet our sponsored children. What a huge blessing and what huge smiles we were greeted with. It was a special time. After lunch, we loaded our rice and beans into the back of a flat bed truck, as well as all 13 of us to head to the hills!!
It was an adventure, to say the least. Pictures will tell the story much better than any words. The scenery was magnificent, the people were beautiful, and the roads were bumpy, bumpy, bumpy. After an hours drive, we arrived to our destination - the furthest village in the El Cercado region. It was also the poorest village. We split into two teams and delivered 1 gallon bag of rice and 2 quart size bags of beans to each family. The people were so grateful and many gave of their own food supply to thank us. Imagine, for a moment, that you will only have enough food to cook one meal, maybe, for your family of 10 each day. Then, imagine that some visitors come and offer you some rice and beans. Now, imagine that you take part of your own precious meal and offer it to them in gratitude for their gift. It was truly a humbling experience. Again, pictures will speak volumes of our time in the village.
Pastor Morales and his family graciously made a feast for us - chicken, beef, rice and beans, papaya, avocado, fried yucca, boiled yucca and steamed bananas, pineapple, Dominican potato salad, cabbage salad, and Coke! We were also treated to some lovely Dominican coffee…..and we drank 3 pots! After dinner, Pastor Morales invited us to his home for a after dinner drink of fresh warm milk. He had gone to a local vendor and purchased it while we were eating our dinner. The milk was ‘fresh, fresh, fresh’…only an hour from the cow!
While at Morales house, the skies opened up and it rained and rained and rained (but not quite as much as we hear you are having). We hung out in the dark (as the power had gone off already for the evening) and waited. We played with Morales children, talked among ourselves, and some even took a few catnaps! Finally, the rains let up and we headed to the worship service. This time, we had a translator and were able to understand what was going on! Clay, Josh, Michelle and Casie led us all in a few American songs and then Mike spoke briefly, all of which was translated into Spanish. It was certainly a unique experience for everyone! Pastor Morales was gracious enough to end the service early for us so that we could head back to the Mission.
It was a sweet time in El Cercado, meeting many of the folks we support from our end in the US. And, a time of encouragement for everyone. There are many stories to be told of our adventures today and be sure to ask those on the team for their adventures! Enjoy the pictures - they are but a brief glimpse into the beauty of our day.
Thank you for your prayers. Our health is well, our team dynamics continue to jive, our attitudes are enthusiastic, and our heart to serve only increases. We know this is because of the prayers of many of our friends and family back in the US. So, thank you.
Wednesday - we are back!
Hey everyone. Short post to tell you we are back at San Juan safely! We were in El Cercado all day yesterday and arrived home at 10:30 last night. It was a great day delivering 300 pounds of rice and beans, traveling in the back of a flat bed truck, worshiping in Spanish, as well as hearing Mike's message translated into Spanish!
More later....just wanting you to know all is well!
More later....just wanting you to know all is well!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
November 10, 2009
A few notes from today -
Tomorrow we head to El Cercado to meet the children many at New Community sponsor. We will also be delivering rice and beans into the folks in the hills, as well as joining Pastor Morales and his family for dinner and then a special church worship service. I’ll be honest - I am happy to not be painting tomorrow!
We may not get back until later in the day on Wednesday, so the next post may not happen until Thursday. To tide you over….a few pics of the Great Wall and the children!
A few notes from today -
- It is kinda hot in the DR in the direct sun while painting a wall white…..3 times.
- In that same vein, it was GREAT to finish the great wall today!
- In total, we used 111 gallons of paint!
- We are still working well as a team, even when the temperatures cause our own tempers to flare!
- The medical team we are here with pulled over 40 teeth yesterday in one of the neighborhoods here in San Juan.
Tomorrow we head to El Cercado to meet the children many at New Community sponsor. We will also be delivering rice and beans into the folks in the hills, as well as joining Pastor Morales and his family for dinner and then a special church worship service. I’ll be honest - I am happy to not be painting tomorrow!
We may not get back until later in the day on Wednesday, so the next post may not happen until Thursday. To tide you over….a few pics of the Great Wall and the children!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
Paint, paint, paint! Today we painted the wall of the Christian School in San Juan that Solid Rock supports. The kids were on holiday today, so we painted the inside of the wall and the outside of the wall. 3 hours this morning and 3 hours this afternoon, with a little lunch and siesta in between! How much paint did we use? 100 gallons! Impressed? :)
Team dynamics have been going well. The spirit of teamwork that is already apparent is pretty amazing for only being together such a short time. Our team is also getting along well with the medical team that is here with us. There are a total of 40 of us serving at the same time, so our meal times are busy! Speaking of meals, we always have desserts, and I must say nothing will ever compare to Wildflour café…..but some of it comes close! The vanilla they use here is a different flavor so everything has a unique twist. And coffee….we must not forget coffee. There are 3 pots always full and I believe our team of 13 can empty the three of them in about 15 minutes, maybe 20. :)
Tomorrow is finishing painting at the school, as well as a few projects here around the mission. We have all enjoyed our time of getting to know each other better. The first night we were here, everyone was asked what was most surprising for them at their first glimpse of the Dominican? The answers included the enormous amount of people just hanging out in the streets and side of the road, the kids wandering around everywhere, seeing the vision of Solid Rock fulfilled in the community, the amazing abilities of our bus driver, the progression of women being elected to political offices, the darkness of the countryside, the amount of people selling things in the middle of the road, and the development that has occurred since we were here last.
We have also met many children - “Ah, Americanos!!!” they say from their homes as we walk or drive by. Please join us in praying for these children - David, Ruth, Annabelle, Lucy, Poppy, Roddy, Nelson, Daniel, Juan, Lola, Jennifer, JoNancy, Frederick, Josh…and so many more whose name we didn’t understand.
We are now clean, even those of us whose shower dripped water….for realsies… :) Time now for dinner and winding down from our day, and looking forward to another day serving those in the Dominican tomorrow.
Muchas Gracias mi amigos.
Personal notes - Emily said to tell her Dad that she has been putting lots of sunscreen on! Mike said the coffee is amazing. Also, we love reading any comments you leave on the blog!
Paint, paint, paint! Today we painted the wall of the Christian School in San Juan that Solid Rock supports. The kids were on holiday today, so we painted the inside of the wall and the outside of the wall. 3 hours this morning and 3 hours this afternoon, with a little lunch and siesta in between! How much paint did we use? 100 gallons! Impressed? :)
Team dynamics have been going well. The spirit of teamwork that is already apparent is pretty amazing for only being together such a short time. Our team is also getting along well with the medical team that is here with us. There are a total of 40 of us serving at the same time, so our meal times are busy! Speaking of meals, we always have desserts, and I must say nothing will ever compare to Wildflour café…..but some of it comes close! The vanilla they use here is a different flavor so everything has a unique twist. And coffee….we must not forget coffee. There are 3 pots always full and I believe our team of 13 can empty the three of them in about 15 minutes, maybe 20. :)
Tomorrow is finishing painting at the school, as well as a few projects here around the mission. We have all enjoyed our time of getting to know each other better. The first night we were here, everyone was asked what was most surprising for them at their first glimpse of the Dominican? The answers included the enormous amount of people just hanging out in the streets and side of the road, the kids wandering around everywhere, seeing the vision of Solid Rock fulfilled in the community, the amazing abilities of our bus driver, the progression of women being elected to political offices, the darkness of the countryside, the amount of people selling things in the middle of the road, and the development that has occurred since we were here last.
We have also met many children - “Ah, Americanos!!!” they say from their homes as we walk or drive by. Please join us in praying for these children - David, Ruth, Annabelle, Lucy, Poppy, Roddy, Nelson, Daniel, Juan, Lola, Jennifer, JoNancy, Frederick, Josh…and so many more whose name we didn’t understand.
We are now clean, even those of us whose shower dripped water….for realsies… :) Time now for dinner and winding down from our day, and looking forward to another day serving those in the Dominican tomorrow.
Muchas Gracias mi amigos.
Personal notes - Emily said to tell her Dad that she has been putting lots of sunscreen on! Mike said the coffee is amazing. Also, we love reading any comments you leave on the blog!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Sunday, November 8, 2009
November 8, 2009
We slept to the sound of the Dominican - roosters, motorcyles, loud radios! For most of us, the exhaustion won and sleep came. For others, it was a bit of a long night.
We went to church this morning at a local church here in San Juan. The setting looked quite familiar - stage with stand, drums and guitars, and 2 screens on each side! We listened and attempted to understand a 2 hour service in Spanish with some familiar songs in Spanish, and then a sermon in Spanish! After the service, we enjoyed a lunch of the normal Domincan fare - rice and beans, plus a bit of beef and fried chicken!
Our afternoon was spent loving on the kids at the orphanage. There are about 60 boys and 7 girls and they LOVED the soccer balls that Colony Tire donated. For the kids, though, it wasn’t just a “fotball”. It was also a volleyball, a basketball, and a baseball!! We had a lot of fun running and playing, reading and hugging. Our time ended there with a downpour, as well as finding a new friend - the baby tarantula!
Thank you for your prayers today. Enjoy the snapshots. Each has a story to tell and I know you’ll hear many many stories when we return. Tomorrow we begin a project here for Solid Rock, so it’ll be a great day of working and serving alongside the Dominicans. Hope it was a great Sunday for you as well.
A few shout outs to folks reading - Josh says "hi" to Missy; Michelle conquered a huge fear of spiders; and someone is having a special anniversary tomorrow and Eileen wants to say happy anniversary!!!!!
Saturday, November 7, 2009
We are Here!!!
November 7, 2009
Today was the day of many travels - 17 hours of driving, waiting and flying, to be exact!. We left Elizabeth City at 2:30 am for our 5:25 flight to Atlanta. Sleepy sleepy, but excited! When we arrived at the airport, we were surprised by the elders. They had come to wish us well, and also pray for us. What a wonderful way to start our adventure.
Both flights were fine, with the standard turbulence and “just a few more minutes ladies and gentlemen before we pull away from the gate.” We arrived in Santo Domingo around 3 and were greeted with all of our luggage intact and 90 degree temperatures! Woo hoo!!
We are now headed an additional 4 hours to the Solid Rock mission in San Juan de la Maguana. As we ride the bus from the bustling city of Santo Domingo to San Juan de la Maguana, we go from traffic 1 inch from crashing, horns honking, people everywhere, old and new buildings, and motorcycles zooming in and out between the vehicles. It is certainly an exciting ride. As we head out of town, the people are less, the houses not quite as nice, but the honking and the motorcycles continue.
It is certainly a place we are not used to. Quickly we recognize the value of a sanitation system in the US as well as the traffic system we adhere too. But, one thing is the same. The people. They may speak another language and they may look a little different, but they are people created by God, in His image and are loved by Him. People still long for hope, whether living on the streets of Santo Domingo, in the newer condos as you head out of town, or in the hillside shacks that grace the hills as we travel to San Juan de la Maguana. And so we are here to serve as our Lord would have us, and share with those the hope that is within each of us.
Thank you for your prayers.
Today was the day of many travels - 17 hours of driving, waiting and flying, to be exact!. We left Elizabeth City at 2:30 am for our 5:25 flight to Atlanta. Sleepy sleepy, but excited! When we arrived at the airport, we were surprised by the elders. They had come to wish us well, and also pray for us. What a wonderful way to start our adventure.
Both flights were fine, with the standard turbulence and “just a few more minutes ladies and gentlemen before we pull away from the gate.” We arrived in Santo Domingo around 3 and were greeted with all of our luggage intact and 90 degree temperatures! Woo hoo!!
We are now headed an additional 4 hours to the Solid Rock mission in San Juan de la Maguana. As we ride the bus from the bustling city of Santo Domingo to San Juan de la Maguana, we go from traffic 1 inch from crashing, horns honking, people everywhere, old and new buildings, and motorcycles zooming in and out between the vehicles. It is certainly an exciting ride. As we head out of town, the people are less, the houses not quite as nice, but the honking and the motorcycles continue.
It is certainly a place we are not used to. Quickly we recognize the value of a sanitation system in the US as well as the traffic system we adhere too. But, one thing is the same. The people. They may speak another language and they may look a little different, but they are people created by God, in His image and are loved by Him. People still long for hope, whether living on the streets of Santo Domingo, in the newer condos as you head out of town, or in the hillside shacks that grace the hills as we travel to San Juan de la Maguana. And so we are here to serve as our Lord would have us, and share with those the hope that is within each of us.
Thank you for your prayers.
Safe in the DR!
We made it safely to the Dominican Republic! Our communal phone is not fully up yet, so we wont be able to call out yet to the spouses, but we should have more info tonight to post. Thank you for all your prayers. We now have a 5 hour drive ahead of us.
Posting from the Plane
The elements
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Bags!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
A surprise at the airport
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Thursday, November 5, 2009
32 hours and counting....
We are 32 hours from leaving Elizabeth City as I write this post. Below are the notes from our final team meeting. It gives you a little glimpse into who we are!
We hope you enjoy adventuring with us as you follow along on the blog! We appreciate your prayers and your encouragement via blog comments. Physcially there may be 13 of us representing New Community Church, however we know there are many many more just as present through their prayers.
Final Dominican Team Meeting - October 18, 2009
So, who is going on this trip?
Michelle - a 2nd timer to the DR, expert painter.
Josh - another 2nd timer to the DR whose expertise is making sure we have enough coffee for the journey.
Eileen - ready for this new journey, ready to step out of her comfort zone.
Emily - also ready to simply help and take a break from school!
Steve - anxious to start this journey with his daughter and son-in-law in tow, as well as perfect his Spanish.
Jonathan - ready to begin an adventure to the DR with his father in-law and wife!
Stephanie - a veteran traveler and also fluent Spanish speaker…woo hoo!
Casie -a 2nd timer to the DR who can’t wait to serve in some sunshine!
Clay - another 2nd timer to the DR, ready to play with a few tarantulas.
Mike -is looking forward to meeting Pastor Morales.
Keith- Can’t wait to serve alongside some Dominicans and explore a new part of the world.
Chris- a 2nd timer, ready to play with some kids, talk with some new folks and serve.
Meredith - can’t wait to converse with some Hispanics and enjoy serving those around her.
We hope you enjoy adventuring with us as you follow along on the blog! We appreciate your prayers and your encouragement via blog comments. Physcially there may be 13 of us representing New Community Church, however we know there are many many more just as present through their prayers.
Friday, October 23, 2009
The Closing of DR 08 and the opening of DR 09'
The time has come to prepare the blog for our 2009 trip! Before the next DR adventure begins, I'd like to give a final shout out to those who went to the Dominican Republic in November of 2008. You were the first adult mission trip of New Community Church. You served, painted, scraped, delivered rice and beans, laughed, worshipped in Spanish, learned of the presidential election results while hiking through the hills of the Dominican, slept to the sound of motorcycles and chickens, and returned to Elizabeth City to challenge those left behind to support our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ in the Dominican Republic. You have left an example that will be a challenge to follow for those going in 2009. Thank you Judy Barnett, Greg Bleyer, Michelle Burk, Traci Gonzalez, Larry Johnson, Chris Mattix, Casie Stevens, Clay Stevens, & Josh Turmel.
The 2009 team has added a few more folks and they'll all be introduced soon as we make final preparations to head out on November 7, 2009!
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