Bienvenidos!!!!!

Hola y Bienvenidos!  (Hello and welcome!!!!) 

We have arrived safely to the DR and have had nothing short of an amazing time already!  God has been so good and so faithful.  I think that I can speak for the entire group when I say that we feel soooooo extremely blessed to be here. 

I just want to post some highlights of our trip so far, I haven't quite figured out how to post pictures from this computer, but will continue to try tomorrow. 

After arriving by plane to Santo Domingo, we were wisked off to a hotel via "the party bus," (so much fun with it's curtained and tassled windows and fiesta music.  Fun times)  At the hotel, we were treated to a pizza party by the pool deck and some much needed R&R (as some of us had been awake for something like 26+ hours) 

This morning we woke, ate a delicious breakfast (Dominican pineapple is the most amazing thing I have ever tasted.)  We then boarded the bus for an amazing adventure.  We were told we would be taking the scenic route to San Juan because of road construction. And an adventure it was!  Bottoming out on bumps and dips in the roads, where speed laws are optional, and double solid lined highways mean to honk your horn and speed around the person in front of you.  We got to see first hand some of the towns and how the people live.  Amazing!

When we arrived at the guest house, we emptied all of our donation suitcases (thanks to all of you that donated stuff for us to distribute!!!!)  and organized them according to the locations of where they would be given out.  We had a couple of hours in the afternoon to use for free time.  A group of us went outside the guesthouse to walk and explore.   (I can't wait to post some pictures for you all)

This evening after dinner, some of us attended church here. AMAZING!   And at the moment, I'm listening to the sounds of team members and some of the locals playing a game called "Spoons" It's hilarious!

I can't quite put a finger on my favorite moments from today....but what I have learned so far...at church today, it really doesn't matter if you don't understand a word of the language spoken, when the spirit of the Lord shows up, it's just as sweet and just as awesome.  Some of us learned how to travel Dominican style via the back of a truck. (This is something I will never ever ever forget!)  Others of us discovered that they really did know more Spanish than they think they did.  Speaking to some of the locals wasn't as difficult as I thought it was going to be. God is good.

Please continue to pray for our team. Tomorrow, we begin our constuction project.  Hugs to everyone!