Hola from the Dominican Republic!

It’s been a full day of adjusting to culture, language, heat, humidity, our camp, - in sum, our total surroundings.  Plus we all just needed to rest up after our marathon Saturday, which started with us meeting at church at 2:30 a.m. and getting to bed about midnight.

In the morning we had a breakfast of scrambled eggs, sliced cheese (which looked like slightly hardened cream cheese slices), boiled yucca, sub type rolls, and corn flakes.  Then it was off to church for a wonderful worship time with our Dominican brothers and sisters.  We sang all the songs in Spanish, but the sermon was translated for us into English.  After church it was back to camp for a light lunch.

After lunch Rick and Becky Mackey gave us an overview of Dominican culture – Dominicans value relationships over accomplishments, believe that their destiny is fixed rather than through hard work they can do anything, as well as other major differences.  We also went through the 18 bags of donated ministry items.  Rick and Becky were overwhelmed by all the things we brought down to help them in their ministry.  Thank you to all who donated things!

After supper which included rice and beans (of course) we went back to church to share American and Dominican ways.  We Americans and the Dominicans who came each brought snacks to share with each other.  We brought goldfish, oreo cookies, beef jerky, Swedish fish, red and black licorice, crunch and munch, mini snickers, peanut butter cups, dried blueberries, sweet pickle slices and mountain dew (the last 2 things the Mackey’s provided.)  The Dominicans provided fried yucca, bananas, cake, and Red Rock orange pop.  We learned many interesting facts about each other including who stays up the latest (A Dominican young man who goes to bed around 4:30 a.m. was the winner) and the earliest up in the morning (another Dominican man who gets up about 4:30 in the morning won in that category!)  Once we get back, ask how Dominicans point with their mouths and wrinkle their noses when they don’t understand something.

This evening while I’m writing this, many of the group is sitting in the porch chairs, sharing with each other.  One by one, the group is dwindling as group mates are wandering off to bed.  We’re anticipating starting our work project at the main church tomorrow morning while the VBS members will travel to Montana to meet with the church ladies there who will be leading the VBS.  A few more craft items need to be made as well.  In the afternoon others will go with Rick Mackey and do a prayer walk around an area where the church wants to start a ministry.  A few prayer requests:

• Two of our team members are “under the weather” – Mike Jacobson is fighting the flu or a cold (fever and chills) and Dan Schmidt has a problem with numbness in his wrist and hand.
• For safety on the construction site where our first project is pouring a cement pad on the roof of the church so a water tank can be placed there to provide water pressure even when the electricity is off.
• For final plans for the VBS programs and strength and confidence for the Dominican women who will be leading it (the first time for all these ladies).
• That God will bless each team member and that they will learn what He wants them to learn.