Still in the making

I just got back from a missions trip to the Dominican Republic. I spent 8 days on this island. Most people go there to vacation, but I spent my time ministering to people and witnessing this island in a manner that most people don't even consider. This trip was coordinated through McLean Bible Church. I went down there with the purpose of stepping. Everyone kept saying that it would change my life but I didn't expect how much.

I went with a group of people two days ahead to work at a camp. Literally, we got off the plane and headed straight to the camp. After stepping, the camp held workshops and we taught the kids how to step. They were too excited to learn the steps! Every spare moment that they got, they would come up to us to show what they picked up or learned!


On Sunday the rest of the group got in and on Monday, the hard work began. When I say, it was long days, it was long days! But all worth it. On our first day, we went to Hondorous and stepped. It was a bit frustrating at first because as soon as the Word came forth, the people began to scatter. But you had to keep going. After the program was done, we played and interacted with the people there. It was hard because there were a limited number of translators. So you wanted to say so much more but were limited by the language barrier. Communication had to become inventive to say the least!








On Wednesday, we went to a Dayschool and stepped for the children. As soon as we walked through the gates, they just ran up to you and hugged you. That action alone made me smile from ear to ear. After stepping, Dale Sutherland, the youth pastor at McLean, asked us to go with him into one of the villages. We were going to see one of the homes of the children at the Dayschool and possibly step for the people in the village. However, walking through the village, stepping was the furthest thing from my mind. One of the little boys that we met at the school was ten years old, but because of malnutrition looked like he was 6 or 7. He had a men's clothing, so was swimming in them. And his home...a small shack.



My heart just ached. They just "replaced" their roof and even the replacement had holes in it. So when it rained, the inside of their home got wet. Their floor was the dirt ground, so water and the dirt...not a good mix. We went into a couple other homes in that same village. It would be a large room, separated by sheets. You would have two beds for 8 people living in that home. This was how they survived and yet we complain because our mattress is a bit lumpy. That was an emotionally heavy day for me.

On Thursday we went to Jackie's House, an orphanage. Unfortunately, I wasn't feeling too well that day so I couldn't interact with the kids as much as I wanted. But all of them were so excited and active. There was this one little girl there, Pearla. She had gotten to the house around 3am that morning after getting surgery on her trachea. You would not have known it! She was bouncing all around that place. And then I met Rosemary. Her mother gave birth to her in the Dump. Literally, the place where the trashmen dump all of the garbage. Her mother and twin sister died.



At the end of the visit we all gathered around the kids to pray. And Israel prayed. Israel was one of the first kids I met when I got there. Mike Kelsey had told me about him and sent some things for him. So I went to give it to him and was just radically encouraged by his testimony. They asked Israel to pray for us and when he began to pray, with the kids repeating his prayer, the entire place was moved. It brought me to tears. Israel wants to spread the gospel and go wherever he leads him to go. How can you not be inspired by that?



After leaving Jackie's House, we went to the Dump. All these kids and adults from the village piled into this church to see the program. It was hot, flies everywhere, and this was how they lived.



Friday was our last day there. That afternoon there was a bit of a mixup and we ended up at one of the construction sites. We had heard about this house all week. It sat on a hill and had dirt floors. When it rained, the floors in the home turned into mud and water ran through their house. The little boy that lived in the home had to have a worm irrigated from his ear because he would sleep on the dirt floor.


For about an hour and a half we sat with some of the people in this village and just talked about God, about their living conditions, how they survive. Despite all of that, they said that Jesus is what sustains them. They can take solace in God despite their situations and yet we complain to God and feel that He owes us more. They say, "God has kept me." We face issues and say, "God how could you?" How selfish are we? After our conversations with them we headed for the bus. I turned around and saw this...their backyard.






The night ended with us throwing a party for some of the kids from one of the orphanages. They came to the hotel for the party. As we lined up waiting for them, someone came in and said, "They are taking a while because they have never seen an elevator and they all want to ride up in one." They came in and we cheered. We stepped for them and then we presented the workers of the orphanages with some rewards and gifts.








Then we presented all of the kids with backpacks full of stuff and a new outfit.




I was completely humbled by this trip. It really made me take a hard look at myself. It made me want to do more. While I don't feel the call to be in the field, I need to find out what I can do from here. Whether that is supporting a local organization or just talking to others about what they can do. I left asking, "God, what next?" I don't want to be on this high and then forget my whole experience. I don't want it to be a waste.


You can check out the rest of the pictures of my trip on Facebook.