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!
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