This blog is a way of showing what a day in The Dominican Republic (DR) looks like for me, through pictures. During my second month I was staying with my entire squad of 42 people. It was a little crowded at times but it was wonderful to have everyone together. The main language in the DR is Spanish. Our days were always filled a little differently. Our ministry hosts for the month; Ruben and Vicki Dominguez, have two children’s centers, where local children can get a meal and have various activities and learning. On this day we went out to one of the centers to help out. Throughout the day I took a photo at every hour starting at 8 am until 8 pm that night.
8 AM:
The air smells of flowers and fresh rain. There is the sound of birds singing in the trees that cover the mountain all around me. I sit with my legs dangling from the third story of our tree house that we are living in this month. My Bible, notebook, and pens sit beside me. I look out over the valleys on the mountain and see so many trees, vines, flowers and bushes covering the landscape. I watch as a green lizard scurries up a nearby palm tree. I can’t help but revel in the magnificence and beauty of God’s creation. This is a time I can meet with God in the quiet and stillness.
9 AM:
The bell rings and I run down the stairs to the Pavilion, where breakfast is being served. This morning we are having a cinnamon cornmeal mash. We add a little banana to make it fancy!
10 AM:
By 10 am, my team (Team Scraps), along with another team (Team Oasis) on my squad are on our way to the children’s center along with Selina Dominguez.
11 AM:
At the Center, I am helping kids with arts and crafts. Today we are making animal masks out of paper plates. Thanks to my Spanish Teacher Mrs. Whitney, I can still remember the Spanish words for different animals, which is very useful today.
12 PM:
It’s lunch time! At the center we are having seasoned rice, sliced hot dog, bits of mystery meat and a cornmeal patty.
1 PM:
After lunch, we head out into the community to talk and pray with some of the families of the kids that are enrolled at the centers. This family let us into their home and shared that they are expecting a new baby soon!
2 PM:
By 2pm, we are heading back to the center to help out for the afternoon kids group.
3 PM:
After performing our rendition of the Good Samaritan, Selina helps us translate it into Spanish for the kids.
4 PM:
On our way home to Hope Mountain, we go around many winding roads through the mountains. As we go along I look out the bus window to take in the lovely scenery as we pass by.
5 PM:
My team and I head out for a prayer walk around the local community. It rains quite often on the mountain, so it is always a good idea to bring a raincoat along, just in case.
6 PM:
Around 6 pm, I pull out my laptop, listen to some epic music and get down to editing and creating a video.
7 PM:
After dinner, various games are pulled out of our big packs. A very popular game among our squad is Banana Grams!
8PM:
The golden moon has risen over the horizon and it’s time to start getting ready for lights out! Good night mountain!
Thanks again for sharing your adventures with many of us. This is a time in your life you will never forget!