Dominican Republic Mission Trip

Thornapple has a group of 11 people who went to the Dominican Republic February 27 through March 6, 2010 where they served at an orphanage run by Kids Alive International.

SCROLL DOWN FOR THE TEAM JOURNAL.

The team includes:

Gretchen Worcester, Ashley Shoemaker, Gail Evans, LeAnne Daglow, Bruce Wynalda, Terry Shoemaker, Bob VanStright, Gary and Nicholas Roth, Jeff Wilterink, and Greg Orr.

To connect to the teams photo album, click here

One extra bonus for the week was that the team was with our own Brian Veen. Brian, a member of Thornapple, recently began full time work for Kids Alive in Jarabacoa in the DR. During the week our team was in Constanza, Brian was able to come to Constanza and work with them. Brian has a blog with details about his work. If you go there you will not only learn about Brian's ministry in the DR, but there is also a video of Bruce Wynalda playing with the kids at the Ark. To go there now, click on this link: http://www.onelifeshared.blogspot.com.  

TEAM JOURNAL

Day 1 - Arrival - Saturday, February 27

We’ve arrived in Constanza! The hardest part of the trip so far was the drive between GR and Detroit. Jim Hill did a great job of getting us there. For me it was the first case on our trip of just letting go and see what God has in mind. I generally like more control of my life situations.

Due to the bad weather Friday night, there were many flights cancelled. It was a crowded day at the airport this morning. We were told the lines were shorter if we checked in outside. So, we checked in outside. It was shorter but cold. Then we got to Santiago and it was hot! I feel a bit like Goldilocks. However, all travel arrangements went thru with no difficulties.

It is a beautiful country here. Many new and unusual sights! Being a passenger from the airport to Constanza was another experience in trust. The traffic here has unusual rules! I was not in my comfort zone but I think that is part of this trip. I hope I move out of my comfort zone and am able to experience a different culture and how Christ is honored in that culture. I feel like I have so much “aprender” (to learn). That is a word I asked to have translated for me as I think I will need it often during this trip.

I was very intrigued today with a young teen I saw walking his chicken down the road. It was such a homey site. Then I found out that cock fighting is quite popular! So much aprender! It is a very different culture here. I pray for all of us to be open for the Lord’s teaching.

Leanne

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Day 2 - Sunday, February 28:

Greetings,

Woke up to a beautiful sunny morning. As I opened my Bible to John 13 to do a little of my Bible study, there was a rooster crowing in the distance. There I was reading about Peter when he told Jesus he would lay down his life for Him, but in his overconfidence Jesus rebukes Peter. The rooster reminds me not to rely on my own understanding and skills, but let the Holy Spirit guide me.

After a nice breakfast provided to us by Craig & Libby Rowley, we walked to a church in Constanza and even though there was a language barrier, we could feel God’s presence expressed through the faces of the children and their parents. An hour into the service there was this big Hug-A-Thon where everyone hugged each other (like a seventh inning stretch.) Then the pastor began preaching for another hour. It was very funny when his cell phone rang in the middle of his sermon!

After lunch Craig drove us up to a beautiful waterfall called Aguas Blancas. It was a long, bumpy ride in the back of his truck, but well worth it. A few of us brave souls climbed all the way to the top. What an awesome view!

As we were traveling up to the waterfall, I had to ask Libby what the sermon was all about. When she said it was about Peter, I said WOW, what a God thing! ☺

We are getting ready for dinner now so I have to go. Now when that pesky rooster crows tomorrow morning, he is going to remind me that we can’t be overly confident and rely on our own skills, but we need the Holy Spirit to provide our team with whatever we need for this week in order to serve Him and the kids from Kids Alive.

Jeff

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Day 3 - Monday, March 1:

God met us in the barrio this afternoon. He didn’t come speaking in the actions of a specific person, the words of a wise comment, the insight of an appropriate Bible verse or teaching. Rather God walked us down a narrow, crowded street filled with children, dogs and motor bikes. We turned left into a two-foot wide alley lined with broken Brugal rum bottles and smelling alternately of food and urine. We were led across the packed dirt “patio” into the back door of Juana’s humble home. She invited us in to crowd around a small table and chairs that totally filled up her 6 x 10 foot dining room. There were no lights on in the house but we had no trouble seeing by light filtering in from the various holes in the room and the ample spacing between the boards that defined the walls of the house. She talked to us about the Kids Alive Care Center where her son Antonio attends each morning. She told us about the caring staff, the fact that he has begun to read since attending the center and the fact that he lines up each morning well before the gates open because he is so excited to attend. It was interesting and inspiring. But, for me, it was most significant to look around in Juana’s little room and try to imagine what it is like to live day in and day out within those walls, to raise a child and to think about a future. I kept the tears under control until, when talking through the experience at dinner, I heard God asking the question about that cup of cold water. Suddenly the excess of our daily existence seems grotesque and insensitive. Yet, God showed us smiles in the faces of those children. We were offered Juana’s hospitality with grape soda. We learned that Juana’s prayer request for her family is much the same as the prayers that we have for our families; for health for her son and opportunity for him to grow up. This morning we started the day with the beatitudes and the question, “What does it mean to be blessed”. I thank God that we could be blessed today by Juana and Antonio. (Take a look at their picture in our album for the day.)

In between there was a flurry of activity: digging, pounding, hauling and much more. Much, much more than a 50-something guy who sits in an office all day is used to. I would suggest that you look at the pictures to get more information about that.

Please continue to pray for us; for strength to continue the work that is put before us, for safety and most of all for open eyes to continue to see God and learn all that he has prepared for us on this trip.

Bob

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Day 4 - Tuesday, March 2:

Mescala, mescala, mescala…  aka concrete, concrete, concrete. No, there is no big concrete truck that rumbles down the dusty roads here in Constanza.  We make concrete the old fashioned way…  throw in 8 gallons of water, 80 pounds of cement, 19 heaping shovels of gravel and 21 heaping shovels of sand, mix in a generator run mixing barrel and poof…  concrete to be poured into wheel barrels and pushed to the area to be filled in.  The area then has to be smoothed out and covered up for the night.  Preparing the areas to pour the concrete into consumed much of the morning and the afternoon was spent actually pouring the concrete…  a long day of labor, filled with much laughter and sunshine.  Tomorrow’s forecast will be much of the same!

Several of us spent some time at the Care Center doing crafts with 3 classes of children.  The first class was 4 year olds, the 2^nd class was 5 year olds and the last class was 12 year olds.  We all had a blast creating designs on cloth book bags and coloring pictures to be placed into acrylic drinking cup inserts.  We were treated to the kids singing us songs, led by the Director, Alfredo…it was a joy to spend time with all of them!

Since we arrived, we have had some issues at the team house with no water, trickling water, leaking water, water pressure, etc.  The plumber arrived today to see if he could work on the water issues.  Most of us expect a plumber to show up at our house in a big truck, equipped with all sorts of tools…  not this plumber.  He zoomed up to the house on his motorcycle with 3 tools in hand, appraised the issues, fixed the issues and off he went.

On behalf of our team, I want to thank you for your continued prayers…  everyone has stayed healthy, no accidents, much work has been completed and we have had an incredible camaraderie among the team members.  We still have 3 long days of work ahead of us, including painting Navidad’s house that was built last year.

Adios!

Gail

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Day 5 - Wednesday, March 3:

Today was a day of varied activities as the group split up to do several different work projects. The intense concrete work continued as some of the group mixed, wheelbarrowed, and poured enough to complete half of a walkway in front of the Care Center. The other half will be completed tomorrow. The work was slowed – but not stopped – when the cement mixer broke down. With no time to waste, we simply switched over to the old fashioned way of mixing it by hand. Meanwhile, a couple of the guys were able to replace the faulty belt, so the machine will be up and running when we get back to that project in the morning.

Another activity this morning for some of the women was making crafts again with three more classes at the Care Center. The colorful cups and book bags that we brought for the kids to decorate have been a big hit for all ages! We loved working with the kids, and only wish that we had room in our suitcases to bring a few of them home with us!

A special treat today was being invited to eat lunch with the kids at the Care Center. They are provided a hot lunch every day, which is much more than most would get at home. So we enjoyed another traditional Dominican meal of rice and beans with beef gravy. Delicious! (At this point I will add that last night our Dominican cooks at the team house provided us with what they called an “American” meal. As a switch from rice and beans, we had “goulash” – macaroni noodles with beef, corn and other vegetables in a tomato sauce – along with homemade rolls and a cucumber salad. But the dish that looked like sausage or brats surprised some people’s taste buds when it turned out to be fried plantain! So maybe not everything in the meal was typically American!)

This afternoon’s projects switched from concrete work to the painting of some grill-work security gates. Several of us can now attest to the fact that oil-based paint is very hard to get out of clothes, and paint thinner on the skin burns!

Some of the team members also took a walk into town this afternoon to explore the open produce market. The sights, sounds, and smells were somewhat different from our local D&W! Several of the vegetables were unfamiliar-looking, and the carrots were so huge that we had to ask if that’s what they really were! The biggest source of interest was the caged chickens next to the bloody chopping block. Somebody’s dinner tonight, no doubt! We then hit the local grocery store to fill our bags with Dominican coffee and vanilla to bring home.

Now we’re off to the Rowley’s house (the missionaries) for our second meal out today. We’re looking forward to some relaxed time with Craig and Libby in their lovely home.

Gretchen

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Day 6 - Thursday, March 4:

I can’t start today’s update with out mentioning our night as dinner guests at the Rowley’s last night. We had a wonderful meal followed by Libby explaining the sponsorship program at Kids Alive. It is amazing how much good can be done for a child in Christ’s name for $35.00 per month. After dinner was over there were four over grown kids in our group (who for this part shall remain nameless) that decided it would be a lot of fun to play light saber tag in the Rowleys back yard with Gabe and Isaiah after dark. I would have loved to have had this yard as a kid as it is filled with trees like lime, banana, mango etc… And I mean it is so thick I couldn’t see a thing in the dark (well I guess one of us just got named).  The game goes something like this. We pick teams and run off to hide and then try to find the opposing team and kill them before they kill us, pretty simple concept. Ashley was a master at stealth and that includes hiding in the lime trees waiting to strike from above (very effective).  Bruce could hide pretty well but he had a big advantage with his long reach. Nick had the most energy but us old guys were able to take him out with out to much trouble (so much for staying nameless). I am not sure who had the most fun, the Rowleys or us although I am pretty sure it was us as I felt like a teenager again - well at least a thirty something. What a great night!

Today we rocked or at least Craig said we did. Some of our group started with pouring the balance of the side walk which we finished in half the time as yesterday while the balance of the group painted the new Gazebo. After lunch we went up to the barrio to paint the house that we built last year although we have to go back tomorrow to finish the trim.  It was a great way to close out a project we started a year ago. We painted the house siding yellow and we will paint the trim pink (sounds like every other house back home).

I think the thing that touched me the most today had nothing to do with the work we did. It was towards the end of the day and some of the group were in the process of cleaning the brushes. The rest of us were wandering around the campus and Bruce, Brian and Leann were playing with the kids at the care center when we started to hear lots of kids laughing and shouting.  When I turned around I saw Bruce sitting on the edge of the block wall with several children trying to touch his face as Bruce would start to rumble and shake like he was building up pressure and he would lunge forward and bowl the children over. He did this over and over again. It made me think of Mathew 19:14 “Let the little children come to me and don’t hinder them” I can’t put in words the joy of those children but we can let you witness this for yourself by following this link to Brian’s blog and click on the video there: www.onelifeshared.blogspot.com.  I think that we sometimes get a little to focused on our work projects and forget how much more effective we can be by letting Christ pick the moment to work through us!

Terry

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Day 7 - Friday, March 5:

It rained today – all day.  Those of us who have come here for four years realized that this is the first rain we’ve experienced here.  It made us thankful for the blessing of beautiful weather for all our other days of outside work.  When we woke up to the rain and clouds that shrouded the mountains (indicating that it wouldn’t be ending any time soon) we knew that painting Navidad’s house was obviously not going to be an option today.  So Craig pulled out his LONG to-do list to find other opportunities for us.  What he came up with were a couple of projects that could be worked on under cover – pulling wires to bring electricity to the new gazebo, and building a form for a cement light post.  Jeff and Bob were also willing to work in the rain and mud to form up what will become a new cement pad at the entrance to the playground.  Another activity that Libby suggested was for the women to help her hang curtains in the team house.  It was much more challenging than it sounds, trying to fit curtains from the previous team house onto different sized windows in the new team house.  Thanks especially to LeAnne, the project was completed and future teams will now enjoy a much brighter-looking and homier living space.

For lunch today, we were invited to split up and eat with the kids and houseparents in each of the three orphanage homes.  With the help of an interpreter in each group – Craig, Brian, and Greg (who has surprised us this week with his Spanish ability!) – we all enjoyed a delicious meal and some play time with the kids before they left for school after lunch. 

This evening we’re looking forward to a special treat for our last night – watching a movie with the kids.  The Rowley boys sorted through their home collection and chose “Kicking and Screaming” (in Spanish with English subtitles.)  It should be fun!

As we close out this week, we want to say thank you to the many people who have faithfully prayed for us.  We have seen and experienced God’s answers throughout the week.  We have been kept safe in some unsafe situations and have stayed healthy despite being exposed to lots of foreign bacteria. Work-wise, the orphanage and Care Center have benefited from our work for decades to come, and Craig is very happy.  We have also grown closer as a group and feel that we have made new friends within our team.  As we reflect on our week, we have SO MUCH to be thankful for!   

Gretchen

P.S. (from Bob) Well, the movie didn’t happen.  As we drove through the barrio on the way to campus we watched a transformer short out above us and all of Constanza that we could see went into darkness except for a scattering of lights powered by alternate power sources.  Obviously, without power the movie scratched and we gathered in “the green house” with both children and team members wondering whether there would be an alternative or if this would simply be a short visit.  I’m happy to report that the alternative was a sort of Bible story charades with individuals or small groups acting out a story that the others had to guess.  With the help of Gabe Rowley’s translating, the language barrier melted away and we spent the next hour laughing together in a way that never would have happened had the power been on and the movie progressed as scheduled.  The game was topped off with cake, hot chocolate, singing and sharing.  For me, the climax was the ending prayer led not by any of the adults in the room, but by two of the children.  Although the prayers were in Spanish and I don’t know what was said, I am very sure that they reached the Throne of God and He smilled.  As the seventeen of us piled into the Rowley’s Toyota van to return to our house, Libby appropriately noted, “It’s too bad that all of Constanza had to do without power tonight so God could provide to us this special treat.

Bob

Note:  The team returned home safely on March 6.