Monday Monday!

Today has been good so far.
We have been working hard, trying to finish the church for the dedication on Wednesday and the rest are working hard to get all the photos of the kids taken so we can send them down in March. The kids look forward to getting a school picture! A few of us also had the opportunity to give out the sponsor gifts from folks back home.

Breakfast program in action.

Little guy digging through his gifts! He was ecstatic!

Sponsor gifts!

We brought some snow to the DR.

1st graders getting ready for their class picture.

I made some friends while we were waiting between classes.

Amigas!

It was fun watching the Seniors play in the littles' playground. =)

Things are still going well for everyone. No more spider-sightings.
We look forward to the rest of the week and all that it will bring. God has been good through this entire trip!

Great Day in the DR!

Today was a great day in the Dominican.
We went into the city to attend the Iglesia Cristiana de la Comunidad, which is the church that will be taking over the Open Walls Church we are working on this week. We got to witness 11 baptisms and then enjoy a service with a translated message and awesome worship. (By the way, Chris Tomlin is sang here too. Just in Spanish...)

Following church, we came back to camp and enjoyed an afternoon relaxing and hanging out, having conversations with each other. It was nice.

This afternoon, we went around the community to hand out bags of necessities, including rice & beans to families that struggle to find things to eat. It was a very humbling experience, as we were invited into homes and prayed over people in three groups.

Tonight, we had our devotionals as a team, and are now hanging out and enjoying card games and conversation.

Thank you for your continued prayers. We are all well and having a great time as we serve and lean into the Lord. I know I am growing and learning so much more about Who God is and how He is working in my life.

Saturday in the DR

Our team did a lot of work on the church this morning, painting, welding, and working on other random pieces of it.
In the afternoon, some went to do a VBS program with the community kids at the church. They learned about snow and how God washes our sons white as snow.
This evening a few took the opportunity to experience a Dominican baseball game. The rest stayed back and enjoyed fellowship in our team devotions and worship with guitar.
Now we're wrapping up our evening playing some cards and enjoying each other's company.

First Day Successes

Our first day was a good one. We began painting and sanding the church. We are looking forward to a dedication of the church later this week. 

Some of us started taking pictures of the kids at the school. We will continue that Monday. 

Tomorrow we're looking forward to more work and leading a program for the kids at the church. 

Great evening of devotions as a team. 

We're all having a great time and doing well! Thanks for the prayers!

Bienvenidos to the Dominican!

We have made it safe and sound! Settling in and well fed! 

God is already moving and we are looking forward to seeing Him move throughout the next 8 days! Thanks for the continued prayers!

Detroit!

Most of the team has made it to Detroit and we're resting our heads briefly at a hotel tonight, and catching our flight in the morning.
Waiting on a couple more car loads to roll in tonight with our late-workers, so continued prayers for safe travels!
The rest of us are settling in for the night. Stay here for more updates!

1 Week and Counting...

WOW!
It is hard to believe that we are coming down to the wire on sending another team to Los Alcarrizos! January 11, 32 people will be heading to Detroit and flying out January 12. We are asking for prayers as we prepare, pack, organize, and stay sane!
Also, please, please, please be in prayer for our team as they battle colds, dodge flu season, and try to stay healthy as we come to take-off time.
Be in prayer for our families as they prepare to have their kids, spouses, parents, grandparents, etc. leave for a week.
Pray for the people we will encounter. From pit stops on the way to Detroit. To the people working the hotel desk we'll be staying at. To the folks in the airport we'll pass by. To the people we'll be working alongside of in the Dominican. Pray for hearts. Pray for good examples of Jesus. Pray for faith to grow.
Be in prayer for safety, as many on our team will be working on the church building, and just safety as we walk around the community and around the camp.
Pray for traveling mercies.
Pray for common sense.
Pray for our youth going without their parents.
Pray for our parents going without their youth. (I'm having mom issues leaving my daughter.)
Pray for our God to be the biggest focus the entire time. Pray for His will to be done. Pray that we can be open to His leading and guiding.
Pray for our devotional time as a team that hearts will be stirred and souls inspired to thirst for an all-satisfying God.
Just pray.

We look forward to sending back updates throughout the trip, so be sure to check back here for more!
Thank you all for your prayers, support and kind words as we prepare!