What an amazing experience we had with our team in the Dominican Republic! It seems hard to believe that tomorrow we will have been back a week already. I so many ways my mind and my heart are still there!
I can’t say enough about our team. It was my 9th mission trip, and the first one that was completely without any drama or conflict of any kind. All week the team had a sweet spirit of unity and Christlike love not only for the people of the DR but for each other as well. They also had a great work ethic. Our team was small, but we worked intensely hard on the construction that was assigned to us the first three days. We did so well that the local foremen left us by ourselves to work on days 2 and 3, something that our guides said almost never happens! Even on Sunday afternoon when our team could have opted for a recreational activity, they asked instead to be able to visit two more communities where G.O. sponsored pastors are working.
I was especially impressed with the young people we had on the trip. Even though it was not part of the mission profile, in the evenings when the “more mature” group of us was exhausted and ready to crash, they went out into the streets next to our quarters and made connections with some teens that were hanging out on the street corners. They really made an impact, and three of them came to church with us on Sunday at the request of our group. Even when violence between the locals broke out and some of our team was caught in the middle of it, they were not deterred to go back the next day and continue reaching out to these locals. It was amazing to watch and be a part of. I couldn’t be more proud!
For three days we mixed concrete and splattered it all over the walls of two houses that were under construction. The technique has a Spanish name that sounded to us like “frog watching,”, so that’s what we called it all week! It’s a lot harder than it looked watching the locals do it. But, our team persevered and learned how to do it. It was really cool to see how each person had their own niche in the process… some were really good at the lower walls, some at the upper… some could mix concrete really well while others made sure those who really got the technique down were constantly resupplied with buckets of concrete and water to drink. Our team was small, but mighty in spirit and in output!
Two of our team members pulled special duty in addition to construction. One member who is an RN worked in the clinic for two days. Another who works as a hair stylist taught a hair cutting and styling class to the local mothers. She also did coloring and hair styles for some of the local G.O. staff who were extremely appreciative, as such things are not readily available in Santiago!
We also had the opportunity to visit one of the areas near an old dumping ground where G.O. has partnered with a local pastor and helped build a church/nutrition center. The team helped feed about 60 children their one meal for the day. They eat one decent meal six days a week. The thing they seemed to crave more than the food was the love and attention from our team. Our folks did not disappoint them, as many spent time in one or more team members’ arms during the visit.
On Saturday the team presented a two hour mini “VBS”, first at a small village up in the mountains, and then again back in Santiago at our host church. Once again, the different skills of each team member came together, and everyone played a part. Some sang, some did motions (a few extremely talented ones did both at the same time), some read scripture, and others did interactive teaching with the kids. Everyone connected with the kids during art time. Our guide said she had seen 7 or 8 teams do VBS this summer, and ours was definitely the best in terms of preparation, execution, and the variety of things we did with the kids.
Sunday we joined our local hosts for worship in two different churches. I had the privilege of teaching the message at both services. God used my testimony to reach several people who came up to me afterwards to share their own stories. I’m continuing to work on helping one family who is in a crisis that directly relates to my own experience. I hope God can give me some wisdom to share with them and some intel on local resources in country where they can get professional help.
Monday was a day at the beach… an opportunity for the team to relax and unwind before the trip back. It was a much needed and well deserved reward for an amazing job well done.
Thanks to everyone who supported us through prayer, finances, and other means. We could not have done this without you. We were the ones physically there, but it was a success for the entire Emmanuel family and for the kingdom. Hopefully we can take many more next year! Stay tuned!
If you want to see some photos from our trip, check out the album on my Facebook page at the following link: http://www.facebook.com/stevemayner?ref=profile&__a=1#/album.php?aid=95880&id=504224269.
Pastor Steve
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