As we are all processing our experience, I thought perhaps we could share a few thoughts on here so you can process with us!
Today's thoughts come from Lori DeVries. She shared with our group what she wrote in her journal on Saturday night (after being home 1 day), and has graciously allowed me to share it on our blog.
"Thank you God for the gift of senses. We smelled, tasted, heard, saw and felt a whole new world that belongs to you.
Garbage, tangled wires, suffering, sadness.....but there is HOPE!
Sickness, dirty feet, ragged clothes, crying.....but there is JOY!
Crowded conditions, barbed wire, sewage, rotten smells.....but there is LOVE
Thank you God that you are in the sufferings and mess we experienced on our trip."
Monday, April 9, 2012
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Update from Joe & Alice
Today we focused on the children. We went to two churches and conducted a vacation bible school at each. In the morning we walked to Los Servidores de Dios (The Servants of God) church. All the children are off from school this week because of Semana Santa (Holy Week). We sang songs with the kids; some english and some spanish. We did songs with motions and even got Pastor Steve to do them. The kids were told a bible story and then we did some crafts of paper flowers & beaded bracelets. There was one young man who was blind that paticularly enjoyed making his own bracelet with the help of Sue.
In the afternoon we took a bus ride to Mario's church in Los Guaricanos. We walked the barrio (neighborhood) to gather the kids. The VBS was conducted on the are basketball court so we would have enough room for all the children. The numbers kept growing until there were about 100 kids. It was chaotic, but we had a great time. The singing was joyful and we were grateful we had enough craft supplies. Alice found herself writing on the paper cross "Jesus murios por mi" (Jesus died for me) over 30 times and Joe had to guard the glue sticks because all the kids wanted to take them home.
Alice, Kerry, Lori went with Yolanda Matos to visit some of the sick in the neighborhood. She has started a ministry to the poor and sick in the church neighborhood. There are many needs here. Please pray for Mario and Yolanda as they minister to the Least, the Last and the Lost.
In the afternoon we took a bus ride to Mario's church in Los Guaricanos. We walked the barrio (neighborhood) to gather the kids. The VBS was conducted on the are basketball court so we would have enough room for all the children. The numbers kept growing until there were about 100 kids. It was chaotic, but we had a great time. The singing was joyful and we were grateful we had enough craft supplies. Alice found herself writing on the paper cross "Jesus murios por mi" (Jesus died for me) over 30 times and Joe had to guard the glue sticks because all the kids wanted to take them home.
Alice, Kerry, Lori went with Yolanda Matos to visit some of the sick in the neighborhood. She has started a ministry to the poor and sick in the church neighborhood. There are many needs here. Please pray for Mario and Yolanda as they minister to the Least, the Last and the Lost.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Thoughts from Kerri
"Two things awaken our hearts to God - beauty and affliction." (Simone Well)
This week I have seen beauty all over the Dominican Republic. We see it everyday in the welcoming smiles of many of the people here, we saw it on Sunday when we visited local churches and two different ethnic groups worshiped same God together in the same language, we saw on Monday the magnificant beauty of God's creation when we visited the ocean.
Today it was more difficult to see the beauty around me. Five years ago I lived in Tegucigalpa, Honduras and in coming here I have been reminded over and over again of my experience living in Central America. The similarities between the two countries have been striking. However while living in Honduras, I wasn't often exposed to much poverty like I saw today. This morning we traveled with Mario to two bateys. Bateys were camps originally setup by the goverment to house Haitian sugarcane workers. Both bateys we visited have CRC churches and schools. Mario has developed relationships with the leaders of these churches and goes often to visit these communities to support and encourage them. When we arrived at the first batey, we stepped off our air-conditioned bus into one of the poorest communities I've ever seen. We met the principal of the school there and she shared with us her ministry in the batey. (One of the things I've enjoyed most about this trip is the many opportunities for us to sit and just listen to people tell their stories. It's powerful and I can see God at work in so many people's lives.) We walked through the batey. It was overwhelming and yet beautiful at the same time. People would come to the front of their "house" to smile and say hi. We stopped at one house so a few of us could pray with a man who had injured his leg in a motorcycle accident. Steve asked the young man if he attended the church in the batey and he replied something along the lines of, "I don't smoke or drink so I am getting close". :) As we walked through the batey we saw poverty everywhere we looked but it was also a place where I could see God working so clearly through the local church and teachers that volunteer (yes, they volunteer and most teachers often get paid so little that they have to quit and go work in the public schools in the city just so they can support their families.) Even now it's difficult to gather all my thoughts from today and put into words what the day was like. This whole week has been a reminder of God's grace and provision.
After visiting the batays Mario opted that we go to mall for lunch and no one argued with him. I found it extremely mind boggling that we went from visiting two of the poorest communities that most of us have ever seen to eating Pizza Hut for lunch in a nice air-conditioned mall. Things like this bug me here. I hope when I return to the States that it continues to keep bugging me and God will provide opportunites for us to see affliction in our own city and neighborhoods and be challenged to do something about it.
One last quick blurb... this afternoon after we got back from lunch, while most of our group was taking a siesta, Guillermo took Lori, Sue, Alice and I to the clinica in Los Angeles, the barrio (neighborhood) that we've been staying in. The clinic is operated through the Luke Society but the doctor who runs the clinic, Sylvia, attends the Los Angeles church and so she is connected to many of the people here. On our visit I learned that the average person who comes in for a visit pays (if they have the money), $1.25. If they have the medicine that a patient needs, they give it away to them for free. When a person comes in with an emergency, they send them to the hospital with a slip of paper to make sure they will get seen, but if they don't have money to pay for the hospital, the doctor will take them to the hospital and pay for their visit. When we asked the nurse who gave us the tour where their resources/$ comes from, her answer, "God". I was amazed again at God's provision and the trust and faith the people here have in God's faithfulness.
Ok the lights keep blinking on and off with the generator. :) Gracias for your prayers. One huge praise is that group has continued to stay healthy and we haven't left anyone behind. ;) Please continue to pray that God would continue to open our eyes. Tomorrow will be a busy last day as we are helping out with VBS in the morning and afternoon.
Buenos noches!
Kerri
This week I have seen beauty all over the Dominican Republic. We see it everyday in the welcoming smiles of many of the people here, we saw it on Sunday when we visited local churches and two different ethnic groups worshiped same God together in the same language, we saw on Monday the magnificant beauty of God's creation when we visited the ocean.
Today it was more difficult to see the beauty around me. Five years ago I lived in Tegucigalpa, Honduras and in coming here I have been reminded over and over again of my experience living in Central America. The similarities between the two countries have been striking. However while living in Honduras, I wasn't often exposed to much poverty like I saw today. This morning we traveled with Mario to two bateys. Bateys were camps originally setup by the goverment to house Haitian sugarcane workers. Both bateys we visited have CRC churches and schools. Mario has developed relationships with the leaders of these churches and goes often to visit these communities to support and encourage them. When we arrived at the first batey, we stepped off our air-conditioned bus into one of the poorest communities I've ever seen. We met the principal of the school there and she shared with us her ministry in the batey. (One of the things I've enjoyed most about this trip is the many opportunities for us to sit and just listen to people tell their stories. It's powerful and I can see God at work in so many people's lives.) We walked through the batey. It was overwhelming and yet beautiful at the same time. People would come to the front of their "house" to smile and say hi. We stopped at one house so a few of us could pray with a man who had injured his leg in a motorcycle accident. Steve asked the young man if he attended the church in the batey and he replied something along the lines of, "I don't smoke or drink so I am getting close". :) As we walked through the batey we saw poverty everywhere we looked but it was also a place where I could see God working so clearly through the local church and teachers that volunteer (yes, they volunteer and most teachers often get paid so little that they have to quit and go work in the public schools in the city just so they can support their families.) Even now it's difficult to gather all my thoughts from today and put into words what the day was like. This whole week has been a reminder of God's grace and provision.
After visiting the batays Mario opted that we go to mall for lunch and no one argued with him. I found it extremely mind boggling that we went from visiting two of the poorest communities that most of us have ever seen to eating Pizza Hut for lunch in a nice air-conditioned mall. Things like this bug me here. I hope when I return to the States that it continues to keep bugging me and God will provide opportunites for us to see affliction in our own city and neighborhoods and be challenged to do something about it.
One last quick blurb... this afternoon after we got back from lunch, while most of our group was taking a siesta, Guillermo took Lori, Sue, Alice and I to the clinica in Los Angeles, the barrio (neighborhood) that we've been staying in. The clinic is operated through the Luke Society but the doctor who runs the clinic, Sylvia, attends the Los Angeles church and so she is connected to many of the people here. On our visit I learned that the average person who comes in for a visit pays (if they have the money), $1.25. If they have the medicine that a patient needs, they give it away to them for free. When a person comes in with an emergency, they send them to the hospital with a slip of paper to make sure they will get seen, but if they don't have money to pay for the hospital, the doctor will take them to the hospital and pay for their visit. When we asked the nurse who gave us the tour where their resources/$ comes from, her answer, "God". I was amazed again at God's provision and the trust and faith the people here have in God's faithfulness.
Ok the lights keep blinking on and off with the generator. :) Gracias for your prayers. One huge praise is that group has continued to stay healthy and we haven't left anyone behind. ;) Please continue to pray that God would continue to open our eyes. Tomorrow will be a busy last day as we are helping out with VBS in the morning and afternoon.
Buenos noches!
Kerri
Thoughts from Marc
Today we went to two Bateys. These are very poor and poverty-stricken areas. Famous baseball players like Sammi Sosa, Pedro Martinez, David Ortiz, and Vladimir Guererro came out of similar bateys. Baseball is one of three options to leave a life of poverty in a batey; the lottery is another and the word "banca" is seen very frequently. The last option is education. In both Mojarra and Fao, we met with the local school's principal, in each case a woman. They each told of the difficulties of trying to educate children of extreme poverty. In Mojarra, the principal told us that many children live on their own for most of the young part of their lives. There are a large number of single mothers and they usually go to work in the city as maids and housekeepers, leaving behind their children during the week to fend for themselves. Their children are cared for by neighbors or relatives some of whom are as young as 12. Mario, who grew up in a batey, told us how he lost a year of education because he would leave his house each morning, without breakfast because there was no food, and go work on the streets to earn a little money or food. He would leave his house in the morning hungry and come home at lunch, only to find no food waiting for him. He could tell when he got home if there was food by the state of the kitchen. If it was dirty, pots and pans were out, and there was smoke and coals, there was a good chance there was food that had been cooked. If the kitchen was clean, and it very often was, he would burst into tears.
The schools were once fully funded by CRWM (?) through a partnership with COCREF, but have switched to receiving approximately 15% support and relying on tuition. Parents pay 50 pesos a month, the equivalent of $1.25, ($12.50/yr) and most are unable or unwilling to pay that amount. Christian schools in West Michigan charge approximately +/- $5,987.50 more per student. Assuming the subsidies are the same (and they're not, but both are subsidized), U.S. Christian schools charge 4,80% more per student. Subsequently, the school have next to no resources, desks that are in terrible states of disrepair, and have greatly exceeded their capacity. To provide some context, I have probably the smallest classroom at WMC and I have 20-24 desks in it. I was told by an administrator that I could not have class in there because it was too cramped for space. My class room dimensions at WMC would be the equivalent of 2 classrooms here and each classroom here "accommodates" 40 students. Granted, they are elementary school students, but 40 students in a 15' x 15' room is way too much...especially by WMC standards! Many children stop going to school or ask to leave in the middle of class because they are so hungry and want to go home and see if there is food. In America, I am always concerned if my students got their homework done on time or how their relationships with their friends are going after reading their status of Facebook; in the D.R., teacher wonder if their students have eaten that week.
Today was a information, both intellectual and sensory, to begin processing. Words and phrases are becoming increasingly inefficient at articulating the heart and mind.
The schools were once fully funded by CRWM (?) through a partnership with COCREF, but have switched to receiving approximately 15% support and relying on tuition. Parents pay 50 pesos a month, the equivalent of $1.25, ($12.50/yr) and most are unable or unwilling to pay that amount. Christian schools in West Michigan charge approximately +/- $5,987.50 more per student. Assuming the subsidies are the same (and they're not, but both are subsidized), U.S. Christian schools charge 4,80% more per student. Subsequently, the school have next to no resources, desks that are in terrible states of disrepair, and have greatly exceeded their capacity. To provide some context, I have probably the smallest classroom at WMC and I have 20-24 desks in it. I was told by an administrator that I could not have class in there because it was too cramped for space. My class room dimensions at WMC would be the equivalent of 2 classrooms here and each classroom here "accommodates" 40 students. Granted, they are elementary school students, but 40 students in a 15' x 15' room is way too much...especially by WMC standards! Many children stop going to school or ask to leave in the middle of class because they are so hungry and want to go home and see if there is food. In America, I am always concerned if my students got their homework done on time or how their relationships with their friends are going after reading their status of Facebook; in the D.R., teacher wonder if their students have eaten that week.
Today was a information, both intellectual and sensory, to begin processing. Words and phrases are becoming increasingly inefficient at articulating the heart and mind.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Another update from Bea and Tom
We began our day at 7am reading from James where it talks about how faith without works is dead. Today we got to put our faith into action by going to a small CRC church in a Haitian community and paint both the inside and the outside - twice. The first coat was the primer and then the final coat. The high school girls got to work right away. They were amazing! They didn't quit until it was all done. They had so much fun painting with the all children that came from the community to help paint. At one time I think there were more children painting than people from PHCRC. The outside of the church went from concrete gray to a beautiful peachy color in one morning. Everyone worked very hard despite the intense heat of the day. When we were done with the church we moved on to build some beds for a woman, Seledonia, who has a rehab ministry. Steve, Charlie and Eric were already there and had most of the work done by the time we got there. We then heard the woman's incredible story of drug addicts she has helped in the last 17 years that she has done this. I hope you not picturing a modern day rehab center. This place is down a bumpy dirt road in a very rural area and her home is made out of cardboard and tin. It is what she loves to do and will continue to do. We praise God for her and her ministry. Please pray for her. The prayer requests she asked us to pray for are these:1. Pray for her continued strength and vision for the ministry. She does not sleep well because many of the women have such deep and intense spiritual issues that Seledonia spends most of her night in prayer for them. She averages 2-3 hours of sleep a night.
2. Pray for the Lord to provide all the resources that this ministry needs - food, money, clothing, etc.
3. Seledonia would love for us to pray for a nicer home for the ministry. She would love for a little more beauty and comfort for those she serves.
Tuesday Update From Nathan!!
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| Before we started painting for the day |
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| Yup, Gretchen won! |
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| After our day of painting |
Monday, April 2, 2012
Monday update from Gabe!
You know those days when you sit around and do nothing all day? That was not today. We got up normal time, ate breakfast and shot out ready for an eventful day. First things first- the market. I personally, along with most of the other females at least, had a long list of people to shop for, and we were not going to waste our time. The hardest part about buying things there was the fact that if you don't bargain, you get ripped off. They purposely make their prices extremely high so that "stupid americanos" might give them some extra cash in their pockets. For me, it is not easy to turn someone down, to say no gracias and walk away, or to bargain until i get to the price that is acceptable to me. That is not the case for Gretchen. After ten seconds of helping me bargain for my brother's painting, she brought the cost down over 2000 pesos! Pretty cool. Even with the language barrier and the shyness, we had a very successful morning walking away with our hands full. After the market, we headed out to the beach for the afternoon. Describing how wonderful the water was would be impossible. We were greeted by many smiles, stares and Dominicans trying out their English. Carley, Emma, Jenny, Emily and I plus some of the adults got our hair braided, and even Alice got a five dollar pedicure. It was incredible. The water was incredible, the people incredible. Our group had a wonderful time bounding when we went out the an island pretty far away. Charlie even caught a miniature jellyfish in his hand! Besides for all the sunburns we got, the trip to the beach was fancastico. I honestly think the best part of our day though came next when we ventured to Mario's house. They treated us with pizza and coke, and we got to hear the story of Gretchen and mark which brought our group even closer together. We got our God glimpse though, and our glimpse of poverty when Mario told us about his childhood and how he got to where he is today. His story is inspiring. He grew up with nothing, literally, but because of his determination and the Lord, he is now helping people to live with hope. Today was so breathtaking... Which has also made us so tired, but in a good day. I think we are all excited for tomorrow where we get to really start serving the lord and the community. Please continue to pray for us in the days to come.
Hitting the hay- Gabe Feddema
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Sunday Update from Jenny and Emily
Happy Palm Sunday!
We had the privilege of worshiping in a traditional Haitian church this morning. The only language they spoke was Spanish, so it was very hard to listen to and understand. We got to sing two songs in Spanish with them (Oh how good is Christ the Lord and Ala-bare)Mario preached about Jesus coming in on the donkey, he was very passionate and even though we couldn't understand his words, it was easy to see how much the people loved God and how they wanted to hear the amazing story. When we walked in, they were singing and shouting and praising God. Some people were crying. It was very clear how excited they were to worship God. Jenny, Gabe, and Gretchen sang 'Were You There' and Emily played the flute. The music was upbeat and very beautiful. Men and women sat on different sides of the room, the children sat in the back and were constantly smiling and looking at us. After the service, everyone came and shook our hands and gave hugs. The children loved to see new people and some greeted us in English. One boy wanted his picture taken with us and then all the kids came and joined him.
Last night, we joined the small community of Casa Joven and it was a great experience. The music was loud and we even recognized 'Open the Eyes of My Heart' Everywhere we go, we are greeted with people smiling and saying "God Bless You!" It is refreshing to meet new people and have God challenge us to interact with other believers in this part of the World.
Tonight, we are going to Mario's church here in the neighborhood.
We look forward to showing pictures of our worship times in the churches and with each other. Thank you for continuing to pray for us. It's amazing to see God working in the lives of the people here.
We had the privilege of worshiping in a traditional Haitian church this morning. The only language they spoke was Spanish, so it was very hard to listen to and understand. We got to sing two songs in Spanish with them (Oh how good is Christ the Lord and Ala-bare)Mario preached about Jesus coming in on the donkey, he was very passionate and even though we couldn't understand his words, it was easy to see how much the people loved God and how they wanted to hear the amazing story. When we walked in, they were singing and shouting and praising God. Some people were crying. It was very clear how excited they were to worship God. Jenny, Gabe, and Gretchen sang 'Were You There' and Emily played the flute. The music was upbeat and very beautiful. Men and women sat on different sides of the room, the children sat in the back and were constantly smiling and looking at us. After the service, everyone came and shook our hands and gave hugs. The children loved to see new people and some greeted us in English. One boy wanted his picture taken with us and then all the kids came and joined him.
Last night, we joined the small community of Casa Joven and it was a great experience. The music was loud and we even recognized 'Open the Eyes of My Heart' Everywhere we go, we are greeted with people smiling and saying "God Bless You!" It is refreshing to meet new people and have God challenge us to interact with other believers in this part of the World.
Tonight, we are going to Mario's church here in the neighborhood.
We look forward to showing pictures of our worship times in the churches and with each other. Thank you for continuing to pray for us. It's amazing to see God working in the lives of the people here.
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