D.R. Trip Report continued

Okay, so I left you hanging at Thursday! Sorry about that :)

Friday was another medical/hearing clinic for me. We started out with about 8 people in line for hearing screenings. We started right off with the need to fit several hearing aids. We were kept busy all day with fittings as nearly everyone we tested on Friday need help. At around 10:30 in the morning or so, our power went out. Not knowing how long it would be, we began to improvise with the ear molds. Since we couldn't use the drill to buff the edges of the molds or drill the hole, work was started on doing them by hand - something new to all of us! We had one audiometer with battery backup but that didn't last too long. Finally a generator was brought in and we used it to keep the audiometers running so we could keep testing. We continued doing the molds by hand which actually proved almost easier :) Way to go, Tina!

The power did not come back on until we were nearly done for the day. What the deal is is that they randomly turn off power throughout the city. You don't know how long it's going to be off or when it's going to happen.

Saturday we started off the day by touring the Christian school that G.O. Ministries runs. It was amazing to see how they work the school, learn about the education system in the D.R. and how they get by with so few materials. After touring the school, we did some evangelism in the area of the church where we held the medical clinic. This was probably the thing I was most hesitant about doing, but it was a great experience.

Tiffany and I went from house to house with the pastor's wife. She doesn't speak English, so it took some of the pressure off us. At the first house we prayed for a lady who had swelling in her leg (I think that was the problem!). The next house we prayed for the family after the pastor's wife shared from John. We invited each family to the special service at the church that night.

After evangelism, we went to visit Hoya del Bartolo, otherwise referred to as "The Hole." The Hole is a landfill/dump where people have lived for generations now. Through the middle of The Hole is a stream/river that contains raw sewage. It's filthy! The kids there were so happy to see the Americans! We helped feed them at the feeding center the church has set up and then took a quick walking tour of The Hole.

One of my biggest regrets is that we didn't get to spend a little more time there. We felt very rushed. I'm not sure exactly why we did it the way we did, but oh well. After The Hole, it was nearly time to head up to Palo Alto ("High Sticks"). It was a mountain church where we held the VBS. The kids there were much more reserved and quiet. We did the story of Noah and had a craft for the kids. Even teenagers and adults did the craft - much to my surprise! The crowd wasn't too big - apparently a lot of them were on vacation. As they left, we gave them all beanie babies.

There wasn't any running water or electricity up there to my knowledge. There was an outhouse that I did not visit, but a couple others did. From their reports, I think it was about the worst they've ever visited!

Sunday we got to go to the church service next to the Chateau where we stayed. Of course it was in spanish, but I found it pretty easy to sing along since we could read the words on the screen. It also helped when they were songs we know in English, so we knew the tune. At the end of the service, there was a baby dedication and ordination of 2 pastors. What an exciting service!

After lunch, we headed for Sosua Bay. We stayed at an all inclusive resort for one night to finish off the trip. It was a really neat place. We stayed at the resort on Sunday and then made it to the public beach on Monday and visited all the shops. Shopping at the beach is a story in and of itself. It was somewhat stressful for me and kinda annoying! Thankfully, we were told of a couple stores that would give us good prices without haggling.

While I think everyone on the team enjoyed the beach time, most of us still felt weird having done that on the mission trip. We know we worked hard through the week, but it just seemed odd.

I'm sure some of you are wondering about what I ate on the trip and if I came home any skinnier. I ended up losing a couple pounds. Most of the meals were rice, chicken, and beans. I mostly enjoyed the peanut butter which they kept out for us. The bread was pretty decent and I did get ham sandwiches a couple times and eggs some mornings for breakfast. If I go back, I've decided to take a box of cheerios along, too! I think I only lost about 3 pounds.

One of the special things that we enjoyed were our letters from home. Our team leader had someone organize getting letters for all of us to open each day of the trip. It was cool getting letters from everyone - very special! :) Thanks to those who participated!

Thanks to everyone for your prayers and support. It was a great trip and I'm looking forward to doing the trip again. I'm not sure if it will be next year or not. I'm really hoping to be able to have Matt go along with me. It would be great to do it together!