Source: St. Ambrose Web Site (http://www.stambrose.us/)
Day II
Most of the group participated in a morning of reflection and team building along with a tour of the Basilica.
The core group spent the morning preparing the site and its projects.
We received the empty container which will be used for organized storage….this will make a huge difference in using all of our material efficiently.
The afternoon had the team working to dig the foundation for the new building which will house the school office, medical center, and community center (which will allow the current center to serve the chapel, believe it or not we are about 75% done with excavation as the ground is decent with soft soil).
We made progress clearing the land for the chicken coop.
We filled our first truck with garbage…more to come.
We cleaned the med center and are ready for the doctor tomorrow.
So it was a great day of getting acclimated…organized….and setting the foundation for much work tomorrow.
The reality of DR life is in full form…the bus broke down…ATA had two flat tires….and we changed one of the tires before we could get checked out of the store (meaning….we were fast…and they were well-paced).
The PBJ sandwiches are wonderfully made by two new sisters in the community.
We are making progress in meeting the Major League Baseball to pursue a grant by February 1.
For trivia…we are eating at the hotel with a fine DR cuisine.
Thanks for the prayers….Today was mightily hot…Yesterday we had floods….all in a day.)
Day III
Had a great day in the med center. A doctor from the city came and saw patients with us.
Pour floor in chicken coop and stained exterior trenched building almost done.
Packed the school kits.
Had a GREAT meeting with USAID (which can help us bring other resources to this community).
Spread 18 tons of large gravel and stone to address problem of mold which leads to disease.
Continued working n the school finalizing electricity, doing touch up work on painting and finishing touches on doors and other small details.
Continued organizing all of our supplies so we have a better idea of what we have and can keep better track of it.
God bless you…..more tomorrow. All are well as we work to care for the poorest of the poor.
Day IV
Greetings from the Dominican Republic. I am writing this on behalf of our mission team on New Year’s Eve/morning. It’s almost midnight your time. We have just finished spending the night with time for reflection and discussion at the retreat center (Mont Santa Maria), a nice dinner at Donna Carmella (thanks to the gift of a friend) and spent an hour of prayer in vigil of the New Year at the Basilica.
Today was another great day for our mission team and the Communidad of San Juan Evangelista. Some of the things we have accomplished and are working on:
We continued our progress to kill house mold and dry up the land around the houses….translate 36 tons of large gravel.
Working with Santiago al the houses will have water before we leave.
Thanks to Ron and Dale (both on the mission team) four more houses will have power (update….electricity for about four hours a day)
The trusses are being made….six today.
The excavation for the building is ready for cement tomorrow….we have 15 tons of gravel and 110 bags of cement ready to mix and pour.
The medical center was open again. We had a local doctor present who met with children who needed care. This trip we have to pay for the doctor and medicine….about $450 per day but greatly needed.
Tonight we prepared a voice message for all of the families of mission teams….sending thoughts and prayers….All is well.
I asked the group to come up with one word that describes their experience thus far. Some of the answers that represent all the answer: blessed, grateful, thankful, amazing, wonderful, inspiring, blessed….blessed…blessed.
One amazing story from the day….we made this a day of fasting….no eating between meals…to offer ourselves more completely to the Lord. Much to our surprise…in a most amazing way….lunch arrived as a feast of chicken, rice and ice cream (vs. peanut butter and jelly)….what makes this so amazing….is that it teaches us again about the patterns of God…..who desire to accept and bless our offerings….who could have guessed they would do this for us…. God is so good.
Thank you for all you do for the Mission in the DR. We are making a real difference in the lives of the team and those we are serving. Together we are changing the world.
May God bless you abundantly. We will be home on Monday.
Take care. Blessed New Year
Day V
Happy New Year from Higuey!!!
On behalf of the mission team, we hope and pray today was a wonderful day for you and your family. Our team of missionaries were hard at it taking care of the family of God in the DR.
Today was a beautiful day. Rather quiet as just about everything shuts down. We had to scramble to find ice and water for the team.
We started to see real progress in our projects:
The playground set received a great coat of stain.
The chicken coop was stained outside and the inside is coming together in amazing ways….chicken condos!!!! One chicken already tried it out!!!
The containers got a coat of green paint to blend in….wonderful!!!
We sorted and are ready to distribute the wonderful collection of shoes and clothes we received from Advent collections.
The school doors are up and painted.
The foundation of the new building is just about done….finish tomorrow.
We ended the day with PIZZA…..very happy moment for the teens!!!
We then made our way to the Basilica for Mass on the Feast of the Solemnity of Mary. Father Andy gave us good food for thought about the perfect example that Mary gives to us as we work to make our ‘yes to the Lord.
We have been doing a daily Bible School for the young people…it’s been a great experience…..praise God.
The Med Center was up and running for a third day in a row.
Overall we are doing great….we are making great progress…it’s a large group and we are all getting along and doing good things together….thanks for your prayers.
I will try to send a couple of pics…easier said then done….home on Monday. Take care. God bless you in this new year!
Day VI
Today was another wonderful and blessed day for the mission team. God’s abundant goodness rained down…literally…for most of the afternoon. This did not deter or stop the mission team from continuing to do great things for those most in need.
The foundation for the med center/school office and community center is done. The ground is leveled and ready for a crew in April to come and set the block.
Gravel is like gold here…..its precious and used wisely….this trip we purchased and spread about 50 tons of gravel to help control the water…dirt and especially the mold problem….Wait til you here the stories from your family members about the gratitude and awareness of this most precious gift….yes…gravel.
The school has doors….complete electric…and is clean!!!
The Med Center had a bit of a melt down today as they cared for and treated a child that they know is dying. The team did the best they could and offered the care they had available with the doctor. After the mother and child left, in an understandable way, really felt ‘overwhelmed’ by the needs in this community and the limitations of our time/resources. Please pray for the child and the family and the team.
The chicken coop is amazing. The Bishop of Higuey came by today and when he saw the coop….he simple said, “it’s beautiful.” Wonderful way to help the community as we start taking steps to self-sufficiency.
Today was an amazing day in terms of community development. We have been working with a group of ‘hombres’ to start making decisions for the community. Today they discussed many issues for about an hour…and even voted to start charging $100 RD (about $3. US) a month for water so they can care for the water system (well, pump, etc) A GREAT day….more than you will ever know. They are ‘getting it’ and we are helping take another step to self-sufficiency.
Lastly, we distributed all the shoes and clothes today. Simply put….thank God for all those who participated in collections over Advent.
Sunday is the big push to finish the projects….we are on target and should make the mark. Before writing this (Saturday at 11 pm) I spent about an hour with about fifteen of the teens hearing their thoughts about how this experience has left its mark on them. They have a profound realization (at least for tonight) about what matters most….faith…family…love. They realize they are so blessed in so many ways and so grateful for this opportunity. At the end of the conversation, we talked about what they (and all of us) really need…simply genuine love. The children are so filled with love. Wait till you see the pics. They children have little but have everything they need – love. I challenged them tomorrow…when they will be tempted to give things – to trust that the gift of true love (a smile, a kind word, a hug) generously given, is always the perfect gift and is sufficient and always enough.
It’s been a great day. Thanks for your prayers. We will be home on Monday around 5 pm. Jake is confirming flight times (since it’s a charter plane (USA3000) they only confirm flight times 24 hours in advance….you will receive an email and call once confirmed.
God bless you. Thank you for helping making the mission possible.
(Our Lady of Mount Carmel church bulletin 1-10-2010)
Wow! I am more inspired than ever to want to go on a mission trip.I'm glad I could read about your experience and feel as if I was there through your stories!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment Candice! It was definitely a worthwhile trip, one that I wanted to realistically capture through words and pictures. I hope that everyone has a chance to experience something like this in their lifetime.
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