Day 3 - Sunday
In the morning we traveled to a small Haitian village on the outskirts of Santo Domingo. When we arrived, some of the church ladies had prepared lunch for us. Rice with beans, chicken, fresh pineapple and avocado. It was so good! The food here is very flavorful and full of spices. It isn't spicy or hot at all, just very good.
After lunch we split into two groups and went to pass out tracts. As we visited the houses near the church we also gave out tickets. Each house got one ticket. If they came to church and stayed through the service, we gave them a bag with rice, beans and oil. We had wonderful services there in the village with the local people.
One of our team members praying for a local woman.
Our drive to the village took three hours. However, on the drive home there was some sort of incident and we were stuck in traffic for a considerable amount of time. The driving situation here still shocks me. It seems like it would be so dangerous but we haven't seen any wrecks!
Because of the hold up with the traffic, we got dinner when we made it back to Santo Domingo and went back to the hotel for some sleep.
Day 4 - Monday
Monday morning we loaded up and started the journey from Santo Domingo to Santiago. Along the way we stopped at a market to shop for souvenirs, and also at Los Tres Ojos natural limestone cave. It was BEAUTIFUL! It's a 50 foot limestone cave with three fingers or small caves off to each side. It was ridiculously humid down there but so pretty.
After our visit to the caves we continued on to Santiago and checked into our hotel. At the beginning of the trip Bro. Wilhelm told us about "The 5 Finger Rule." He said if we saw him put his hand up and wiggle his fingers remember "We're not in America anymore!" As we were checking each room in, Sis. Reinking came down and held her hand up and said "Just remember...." as she wiggled her fingers.
The rooms were actually not that bad, but we were spoiled from the first hotel we stayed in. Nonetheless, we had beds, showers, and cold air (once it got going) so I wasn't going to complain!
That evening we had pizza brought in. We ate out on the hotel lawn and started to play games. Bro. Wilhelm told us we were going to have a quick devotional and then we could get back to our games.
One of our team members, Josias, gave a great devotional about not letting things of the moment affect your long term attitude.
After he was finished Bro. Wilhelm started to lead us in prayer. God's presence swept over the lawn and our entire team was saturated with his glory. We had a powerful prayer meeting right there outside our hotel. God brought our hearts and minds together and prepared us for the next few days.
Day 5 - Tuesday
Tuesday morning after breakfast Sis. Reinking gave a great devotion about our paths in life. It perfectly mirrored what Josias had said, and even what some of the team members had been discussing. God is allowing some beautiful friendships to form during this time and we are being blessed by each other's testimonies.
After devotion we set off for the village of Barrio Balaguer. We visited the local Iglesia Pentecostal Unida and then split into groups to evangelize the area and pass out tracts.
This was probably my favorite day so far. The people here are SO friendly and most of them will invite you into their homes. We have quite a few Spanish speaking team members, so they were translating and communicating for us. As we went house to house, many people asked us to pray for them. We would join hands and pray peace over their homes, safety, health and anything else they asked us to pray about. One family in particular really touched me. It was a mother and teenage daughter. She graciously asked us into her home and we began to talk to her. She said she was a Christian but she wanted to be a better Christian. We began to pray with her and her daughter, and God swept into that tiny little house with dirt floors. The mother began to weep and shake. God was moving so powerfully over her. We prayed with them for awhile before we said goodbye. I just know God is going to lead her into the full truth!
After we had visited quite a few homes we met back at the church. A group of local ministers was with us and they began to sing and play drums as we all came back in. We had a fun time listening to them singing and playing. It was so cool! Their music is so lively and upbeat. It automatically makes you feel the joy of The Lord.
That evening we had another youth rally in Santiago. One of our team members, Nick, preached a powerful message about the name of Jesus.
God moved again in a supernatural way. I just know he's preparing us for the days we will be at the youth camp.
Day 6 - Wednesday
Wednesday was another fun day. We started off by traveling the coast of Puerto Plata to visit a 2500 foot mountain. We rode cable cars all the way to the top to explore.
It was an absolutely beautiful site seeing all of Puerto Plata and the Atlantic Ocean. Truly breathtaking.
I was pretty terrified when I saw the cables swaying back and forth and the cable cars zooming past, but it really wasn't scary at all. The cars only traveled about 7mph.
That afternoon we visited Cofresi Beach. It had been a long day for our team and seeing even more of God's beauty was relaxing and just what we needed. We walked around collecting sea shells and splashing our feet in the water, then went to eat at a WONDERFUL Mexican restaurant right on the beach. The food was delicious and the owners were gracious hosts to our big group.
Today our team is traveling to the camp site for Youth Camp! I know God is going to work miracles, provide strength and healing and show us his power.
I'm ready for it!
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