Happy Cinco de Mayo!!!!
During our morning devotion, we reflected on Psalm 60: 5-6, “Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress I will not be shaken.” This was very fitting considering the relaxing day we spent on Catalina Island, which included snorkeling, cliff jumping, receiving massages, and just soaking up God’s beautiful creation. However, our wonderful devotional leader, Rachel, pointed out that our version of relaxation is a little skewed. True rest can only be found in Christ. In this regard, it has been an extremely restful week for us because we have seen and felt God constantly. We have been humbled yet have felt empowered. We have seen an impact in our work yet have a yearning to continue the work the Lord has planned for us back home. Thank you to everyone who has prayed for us during this week… Thank you to our amazing missionary host, Score International… And a special thank you to Christina, who became aware of leading this trip just two short weeks before we left and did a phenomenal job. She kept us laughing, she constantly encouraged us in our faith, and she perfectly demonstrated God’s love to us. We’re looking forward to the journey back to the States tomorrow, and we pray that we take our experience from this week and apply it in our everyday lives. We can’t wait to get home and share more about this fantastic week!! Thanks again for keeping up with us!
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Maximum number of people seen on a motorcycle… Seven
Maximum number of people seen in a small car… Eight Average number of mosquito bites per person… Six Number of clinics served… Nine Number of Mafia games played… Fifteen and counting Daily cups of coffee consumed… Increases by the day Amount of carbs consumed… Too many to count Number of horn honks… Countless Number of butchered Spanish attempts… 427 Number of siestas… Not enough Number of walkers/crutches donated… Ten plus Number of crazy scrub tops… Seventeen Number of passionate translators… Twelve Number of amazing PT/OT trip leaders… One Number of providers’ lives changed… Ten Number of students’ lives changed… Twelve Number of Dominicans’ lives changed… We may never know! This has been an absolutely amazing week!!! We are looking forward to having a relaxing day at Catalina Island tomorrow to reflect on what God has done for all of us this past week. We look forward to bringing back all that the Lord has taught us through serving the people of the Dominican. We appreciate all the prayers and support from our followers this week!!!!! Happy hump day!!
We are blessed that the good Lord woke us up for another beautiful day, but we are sad that our time here is almost over. The Lord never fails to amaze us with his plans. After splitting up into two different teams, our morning became pretty hectic with different schedules at two different places. One team went to a rehabilitation clinic, while the other went to a hospital in Santo Domingo. Everyone greatly enjoyed being able to collaborate with the Dominican therapist. They were all eager to learn from us and discover new ways to treat their patients. The plan had been to switch places after lunch, but because of traffic and other circumstances, we actually all ended up going to an orphanage together. I truly believe we all left the orphanage with our hearts a little heavier. All the children there need therapy, but more importantly, Jesus. We all hope that they saw Jesus working through our hands and feet while we were there with them today. Although many had significant physical disabilities, to know that one day they will leave their earthly bodies and be able to run and play freely in heaven puts a smile on our faces. Thank you Jesus for another blessed and beautiful day. We ask that you pray for God to work through us in mighty ways at our last day serving the people of the Dominican, and lots of rest and energy to do so. Thank you for keeping up with us, and be sure to check back tomorrow! We didn’t hop out of bed quite as quickly when our alarms went off at 6 a.m. this morning, but our early morning worship through song livened us quickly. The music paired with our quick devotion on the fruit of the Spirit set a wonderful, uplifting tone for the rest of the day.
Today our teams split up and conquered once again. Team one went to the village of Monte Cristi, and team two went to what is known as “the dump” because of its location by the dump. Once again, a theme we all noticed was that despite the many trials and tribulations the people of the Dominican are surrounded with, they call themselves blessed because they have their Lord. Seeing the light in their eyes and the smile on their faces when they talk about their relationship with God has been extremely humbling and encouraging for all of us in our own faith. Following our treatment, we all loaded up and met at the Santo Domingo market where we scavenged for souvenirs from the Dominican locals. Some bought paintings while others opted to take home some local coffee grounds. Not everyone purchased something, but we all enjoyed seeing the Dominicans working and interacting in their natural environment. Please continue to keep us in your prayers. Pray we get another good night’s rest to energize us through another day and to enable us to give the Dominicans the best care possible. Please pray our love and faithfulness in God shines through us to all we encounter. Thanks again for keeping up with us, and you’ll hear from us again tomorrow!! Today, we put on funky colored scrubs and served the people of the Dominican.
Our day started out with a 6a.m. wake-up call for worship, pancakes, then a suspenseful drive to the people we would be serving. Our group split up into two teams; team one went to a nursing home in the village of Monte Creste, while team two went to a Iglesia Manatial en al Desierto- a small church in a local village. This morning at worship we read Philippians 2:3, “do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” And wow, today we were humbled. Despite all the physical and environmental barriers, their joyous spirit exceeded all of our expectations. Some were lost in Christ, some were unsure, but some were bold in their faith; despite sickness and current circumstances. After only day one of serving, we already know that God will see the people of the Dominican to his glory. We ask that you please continue praying for us. Pray that we will be bold in our faith, so that the people of the Dominican continue to see and know the love of Christ through us. Pray that we do not become tired throughout the day so that we can give the best care we possibly can. We are so blessed, and can’t wait to see how He will continue to use us throughout the week. Thank you for keeping up with us, and check back tomorrow! 12 hours and 44 bags later… WE MADE IT!!!! It’s been a long and eventful day, but we are so excited to be here! Our day started out with a 3 a.m. caravan to the Atlanta airport, and we made it just in time to grab the essentials - breakfast and some much-needed COFFEE! The plane ride “flew by,” unlike our migration through immigration. We were finally in the homestretch once we boarded the bus. While some may have anticipated a little snooze, the bus driver had other plans – involving the brakes. Nonetheless, we made it, and immediately scarfed down some lunch after unloading the 44 bags, crutches, walkers, 4 massage tables, etc. After a brief orientation, we finally got in that little snooze before dinner – authentic Mexican dinner. After dinner, some of the group went to the church service across the street while others ventured to the beach – just in time to catch the sunset. Now, we’re making a long day a little longer with some yummy ice cream and fellowship.
Please pray we all get a good night’s rest so our minds and hearts are ready to serve the people of the Dominican tomorrow. Pray we also deliver the best health care through therapy services, but most importantly, that we show and tell our love for Jesus and his love for us. Thanks for keeping up with us, and check back tomorrow! |
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