We returned from the Dominican Republic a little mosquito-bitten, a little sun burnt, and a little tired.  But while these outside marks will fade and disappear over the next few weeks, the marks that those children made on our hearts will remain there forever.

Every morning, we went to a church in Jaibon (the city we were in) to teach a Bible School for the kids.  It was a small two room church – the sanctuary downstairs and another room upstairs – with no air-conditioning or fans.  While the building was small, the congregation and their enthusiasm for what we were doing were certainly not.  Nearly 100 kids came to learn English and a Bible story, do arts and crafts, sing, and play games.  We also had some adults from the community join in the English classes and games.  Each day, the kids were so energetic, excited, and attentive!  It was truly amazing to see how hard they worked to memorize the week’s Bible verse and to learn to count to ten in English.  It did not matter if you spoke Spanish or not, the kids would climb into your lap and just chat away – all you had to do was smile and nod, and they were satisfied.  One little boy found Hannah and wanted her to spin him around in circles for about 20 minutes straight.  On Thursday, we walked in to the room and all of the kids erupted with cheers and clapping because they were so excited for the day to come.  There was so much energy and excitement that you couldn’t help but smile.  Even as we left, the kids were so animated that each one wanted a hug and a high-five.  One little girl in a bright red shirt ran beside the bus until we turned the corner.  It was truly an amazing experience to see the difference that two hours a day made in the lives of that community

Later that week, Tia, the woman who has been caring for the boys at the orphanage for 35 years, spoke to the group of volunteers.  As she finished, everyone began clapping for her.  She joined in and said (in Spanish), “That applause was for God.  He is ultimately the one who provides the food, clothes, and love that those boys need.”

One afternoon, we went to the Batey Libertad, which is a company-owned town where farm workers live in extremely poor conditions.  We brought chalk, crayons and coloring books, footballs and Frisbees, and many other things to play games with the kids.  I sat down and started helping a little boy color a picture from the Disney movie The Aristocats.  I helped him to color three more pictures, all without saying one word to each other.  While we were coloring, a girl sat down behind me and started braiding my hair.  Again, we talked minimally.  But, words were unimportant.  All those kids wanted was someone to spend time with them, to let them know that they matter, that they are loved.  As I hugged them goodbye, I remember thinking that I have never seen bigger smiles in my life.

I had never before been on a mission trip where the point is to build relationships, not a house.  But, this was one of the most rewarding mission trips that I have been on.  Everyone who went on this trip has similar stories to share, and I know that they would be willing to share them with you all!

Reflecting back on our work together so far this summer, I am reminded of a phrase that one of my swim coaches used to say at practice before seemingly impossible sets.  (For all of you non-swimmers, a set is basically an hour of agonizing and strenuous swimming.)  He said, “When we get to Nationals, you are going to stand on the block and think, ‘This is the set that made all the difference.’”  Of course, he said that almost everyday, so by the time we actually got to Nationals, we had months’ worth of sets to reflect on.  But he was right.  Each of those “insurmountable” sets made a difference, not only in our strength, but also in our attitudes.  We enjoyed doing sets that were hard because we knew that they would make a difference in the long run, even though our progress was not necessarily tangible, and sometimes we even seemed to take a step backward.

This summer, through the Summer of Service and the Garden Ministry, we have accomplished so much.  We have made hygiene kits for Church World Service and kits for the men at the Servant Center.  We have cooked meals, weeded, and picked vegetables…a lot of vegetables.  We may not have gotten to see the immediate results of our service, but we know that it will “make all the difference.”  The hygiene kits that we sent to Church World Service might make all the difference to a child in Haiti.  The fresh vegetables picked and delivered to the Servant Center may make all the difference to a family that cannot get fresh vegetables any other way.  The meals that we cooked for members of our own congregation make all the difference to the people who receive them and know that we appreciate them.  Each act we have performed with others in mind will “make all the difference” to someone, somewhere.  And that is what serving is all about, right?  Making a difference.  As our summer continues, I challenge you to think about this phrase and know that you can make all the difference.

Today was our culture and fun day. We headed out at 8:00am for the 70 minute bus ride to the orphanage at Monti Christi. After a brief tour, meeting the kids, and getting eaten alive (the mosquitos are much worse there than in Jaibon), we went into the town and toured the English Institute that is operated by Orphanage Outreach. We also visited some
historical sites and shopped for souvenirs before heading to a gorgeous beach for some well earned R and R. After a stop for ice cream, we headed back to Jaibon for dinner and our final night.

This is our final posting, as we head home tomorrow with an ETA of 12:30am Sunday morning at FCC. You can, and should, be proud of our kids. They really made an impact this week. Also this is not an easy place to be, but there has not been one complaint about conditions. But we will be glad to get home! Thanks to everyone whose contributions made this trip possible. We look forward to sharing much more about it at a Third Wednesday Fellowship Dinner later this year.

Today was the final day of morning camp and we were greeted with cheers as we arrived.  The kids were so excited today that it was a challenge just to get them to sit still.  We all got lots of hugs when it was time to say goodbye and the children asked for our handwritten name tags as a keepsake.

Then this afternoon we went to a nearby batey, which is a camp for transient Haitian workers who are brought in to harvest sugar cane by the sugar companies.  This was our real eye opener for the week.  Extreme poverty, squalid conditions, and children who have absolutely nothing.

They were thrilled to be given something as simple as a piece of chalk to keep. We spent the afternoon reading to them, coloring with them, playing ball with them, blowing bubbles with them and just holding them.  They are literally starving for attention; some appear better cared for than others, but there is definitely evidence of malnourishment.  And the Haitian girls love to braid hair – as Alison, Jennifer and Hannah found out!

Tomorrow we will get to visit the orphanage at Monti Christi, which was the first one established by Orphanage Outreach and the one April has worked at in the past.  And we also get some beach time!

Last night we watched a moving film about the DR concerning the reign of Trujillo and the Maribel sisters.  We had a couple of Tarantula sightings, April had a rat join her in the shower, and April, Jane and Jennifer’s tent leaked – other than that, fairly uneventful. Rain continued on and off through the night but the morning dawned bright and clear.  At breakfast we learned that a RN in the Arizona group had noticed an infant at the Batey on Monday that did not look well, so she and her husband along with Orphanage Outreach staff are in route there this morning to take it to a clinic.  Our group did 2 camps, adding a new church in the afternoon.

Conditions were cramped and hot, but the kids were so glad to see us and so full of enthusiasm that we left more inspired than tired.  Tonight is movie night with the boys.

Canning Class: July 25
Coming up on July 25 at 6:00 P.M., Dawn Benbow will be leading a canning class at the church.  The jars will be provided, as will the tomatoes.  Don’t miss this very fun and interesting experience!

Summer of Service Work Day: July 31
Our next Summer of Service day is on July 31.  It will begin at 9:00 A.M. and end at 12:00 P.M. with refreshments.  We will be clearing trails at Kopper Top, a non-profit organization that provides therapeutic horseback riding and animal-assisted therapy for individuals with disabilities.  (Because Kopper Top is located at a farm, we will have to drive about 25 minutes to get there, so we should not expect to be finished early, like we were on the July 10 Summer of Service day.)  We will also be building a greenhouse at the Community Garden and cooking for members of our congregation.  Kids will paint artwork to hang in patients’ rooms at Beacon Place.

Ten Thousand Villages Work Project: August 2
On August 2 at 4:40 P.M. we will be painting fixtures in the Ten Thousand Villages store, a fair trade organization.  We will meet at the church and drive over together.  If you are unable to be there at 4:40, you are welcome to join us later!  We will be finished by 8:00 P.M.

Summer of Service Work Day: August 14
During our August 14 Summer of Service workday, we will be hosting a back-to-school party for 40-60 kids and their families at Glen Haven.  Many of these families are newly arrived refugees and will greatly benefit from this.  To prepare for this party, we are collecting backpacks and school supplies to be distributed to the kids.  These donations may be put in the donations box in the narthex and monetary donations may be labeled Summer of Service and placed in the offering trays.

All of these will be wonderful experiences and we hope you will join us for them!  You can sign up by e-mailing Alison at outreach@fccgreensboro.org.

Following a breakfast of French toast and fresh fruit, we set out for the church in Jaibon for Day 2 of Bible Camp, where we acted out Daniel in the Lion’s Den, starring Sam as Daniel, Alison as King Darius, Hannah as the evil governor, and all the kids as the lions.  Marci and Rheagan taught the parts of the body in English, Holly and Annah helped with crafts and April and Jane organized games.

Teaching English

The food is really phenomenal here – we would all gain weight if we stayed for long.  It is Dominican Republic home cooking, everything fresh and seasoned with herbs chopped by hand.  Lunch was followed by heavy rain, which continued through the afternoon and washed out our planned trip to a Batey, which is a transient camp located in close proximity to farms and fields.  Instead we stayed and hung out with the boys.  Tonight we get a Dominican Republic history lesson.