Last Day - Reflections

As we lift off from Atlanta,  headed to Charlotte and back to our...can I say "normal" lives?... there is much excitement and anticipation im the group. Everyone is talking about what they want to do first. From missed favorite foods (look out Wing King,  WCCS is coming), to a hot shower,  our own bed, Netflix, and countless other first-world benefits that we perhaps will take a little less for granted.

But at the same time we reflect back on the friendships made, the lessons learned, and the treasured memories.  While there are countless stories and observations I could share,  I will encourage you to seek out the team members and ask them to tell you about their own thoughts and experiences.  But I will complete my attempt at journaling the trip with a couple of final thoughts:

Your kids are amazing
Heat and humidity that makes SC in late summer seem relatively mild rarely slowed down their efforts in whatever projects they tackled. The sleeping , bathing, and bathroom conditions, while not too extreme, weren't nearly what they are accustomed to. Through these tough conditions they always seemed to have the ability to interact with the Dominican people with a love and passion that  humbled me.  Their love for each other was also evident in many ways - look back through the pictures at the smiles and laughter to get an idea of how much they enjoyed this experience together. 

The food
It wasn't nearly as bad as I expected.  In fact, much of it was quite good, and the experience of new dishes and flavors added to the trip as an unexpected bonus.  The ladies that prepared our meals were terrific and I owe them much gratitude for opening my eyes to the Domican coffee.

The Dominican people
When you head out for your first mission experience in another country,  all sorts of thoughts go through your head...how will they accept you and what you are hoping to do, how to act so as not to offend or make them uncomfortable,  and mostly, how to be open to be the conduit Jesus wants you to be. There was no need to worry or be concerned - the Dominican people are some of the most gracious,  joyful,  appreciative people I have ever met. They went out of their way to be helpful and to accommodate us. They showed Jesus to us in ways that we can all learn from. Their joy and laughter is infectious and it's hard to not be happy around them. The most amazing aspect of their joy,  their love, their testimony, and their work is that it is done effortlessly in conditions that most of us would find it very hard to be cheerful in.

As I head to the gracious blessings God has generously given me, I am more thankful than ever.  Not just for the simple things like air conditioning,  but for the importance of how we need to treat and help each other. The memories of your children and of the Dominican people will always be living examples to help guide me.  Thanks for allowing me to share the experience with them!

Day 10 - Reward

The group that organizes the details of our trip,  Partners In Christ, always plans an outing on the final day to visit one of the popular Dominican beaches. I thought it would be a quick stop to simply see the the beautiful water....boy, was I surprised.  They had planned a full day at a very nice all-inclusive resort where we could sit under the palm trees, swim in the crystal blue water or one of the 3 pools. It was an awesome day of fun with several of our Dominican friends with all the frozen drinks, sodas, and food the kids could take in. The buildings and grounds of the resort were amazing and our time there was invigorating and relaxing at the same time. Imagine a comfortable chaise lounge in the shade of the palm trees with a steady cool breeze. I'm typically not much of a beach person,  but I could get used to this. The pictures don't do the scenery justice.

The bus ride was around 2 hours through some crazy Santo Domingo traffic. There is only one traffic rule here - the biggest and most aggressive wins.  Lanes and right of ways are irrelevant.  Luckily we had an awesome bus and driver who knew how to maneuver through the madness - he did a perfect job of keeping us safe.

We arrived back around 7:30 and after a light supper of soup and bread, we gathered with the Dominicans one last time to share the blessings we had received from our work,  the people we encountered, and from each other. Kara played her guitar and we sang several songs. Since it was his final trip here, Billy Fisher was honored with a wonderful gift from the leaders of the school and church.

I can see a little sadness setting in from both groups as we all begin to realize the separation that is soon to come.  Facebook and email addresses were shared and the relationships built here should insure continued interactions. As we go off to our bunks, I can see and hear the laughter and tears of true brothers and sisters in Christ - It solidifies everything I have seen, heard,  and felt this week.

Day Nine - Last push & local flavor

Today we took on one additional project in the morning - painting the home of another single Mom with 2 girls and 3 boys, 4 of which started attending the school last year (the youngest is not quite old enough). The 2 youngest boys are sponsored to attend the school by Amelia Campbell. Sponsors pay 1/3 of the cost (around $20/ mo.), while the parents pay the remainder. In fact, several of our team are sponsoring students....this place and these people have that kind of impact on you. Please be sure and ask one of our group if you are interested.

We also took a quick walk over the house we had worked on earlier in the week so that the entire team could see the completed project. After a quick lunch and shower, we boarded buses for a trip into the market area, a tour of the historic district, and a pizza and ice crream dinner. (Yes!)

The market was similar to one of our flea markets, but the Dominicans are bit more aggressive than our typical Saturday vendor. We were in small groups of 5 or 6 with at least 1 or 2 of our Domincan friends along with each group to help with translation and negotiations. Jewelry, hand made purses, hats, scarves, artwork, amd more were typically haggled down to half of original price or better.

There was also a coffee distributor just down the street where they roasted the beans on site and sold it for 165 pesos per pound. ($3.80) I cannot descibe how wonderfull the aroma was... the rich, dark beans of the Dominican coffee will turn even the most serious of coffee drinker's nose. I hope all your kids are bringing you some of this Dominican staple. (Yes dear, like Jack, I loaded the backpack with 5 lbs of the amazing beans)

Leaving the market we headed to the port, where the original Santo Domingo city and fort are, to learn about the history of the city, its discovery and development. It seems that Columbus was not a very good guy to the natives... There was also a Latin American festival going on and the port had tall masted ships docked from many countries that allowed us on to tour (very cool). Gracious officers and sailors tried to explain their vessels as best as they could with all the language barriers, but the ships were nonetheless very impressive.

We left the historical city for a short bus ride to a pizzaria, where we had our first taste of the American world since we landed. The way it was devoured, you would think it had been months instead of days. And yes, everything they say about the Coca-Cola being better here due to the sugar cane here is true....at least I think it is, it may also have something to do with only water and fresh juice for 9 days. Just saying...

After pizza, we walked 2 doors down to a really good ice cream shop for another treat we have missed like Americans. A walk over to the seawall ended our night with the smell of salt air soothing our tired spirits as we laughed and talked with our Dominican brothers and sisters. The A/C on the bus ride back makes for a fine end to a terrific day. As I wrap up today's thoughts, I am listening to the passionate chatter of the young Dominican men that stay in the adjacent cabin. They are a loud, boisterious bunch....and I love it.