Dominican Republic Mission Trip 2024
Our team of 17 will be traveling to the Dominican Republic with Mission of Hope from November 9-16! We are serving in a majority Haitian neighborhood in many ways: building a bathroom in a Haitian church, providing a sports camp for kids in the afternoons and painting a house! We also have 2 people in our crew that will serve at the Mission of Hope medical clinic! Thanks for praying for us and following along.
Christina Wetterling
11/10/2024
As we traveled down the bumpy, rainy road to the small Haitian church I can honestly say I wasn't prepared for what my first full day in the DR would hold. The rain that fell couldn't dampen the faith of the Haitian Pastor and the community of believers we came to serve. Despite worries of deportation and the heavy rain, a small but mighty community of believers gathered together to worship God and welcome us into their community.
When we arrived, the community warmly welcomed us into their church. Greetings were exchanged, which included warm handshakes and smiling eyes. The simplicity of the surroundings were immediately overtaken by songs of praise and biblical readings from leaders and parishioners. God's presence was felt as the space transcended with the prayers and songs of true believers from different cultures. One body of believers coming together from different cultures- Dominican, Haitian, and American, uniquely different but all coming together to worship the one true GOD and allow their hearts to be transformed by the Holy Spirit.
11/10/2024
As we traveled down the bumpy, rainy road to the small Haitian church I can honestly say I wasn't prepared for what my first full day in the DR would hold. The rain that fell couldn't dampen the faith of the Haitian Pastor and the community of believers we came to serve. Despite worries of deportation and the heavy rain, a small but mighty community of believers gathered together to worship God and welcome us into their community.
When we arrived, the community warmly welcomed us into their church. Greetings were exchanged, which included warm handshakes and smiling eyes. The simplicity of the surroundings were immediately overtaken by songs of praise and biblical readings from leaders and parishioners. God's presence was felt as the space transcended with the prayers and songs of true believers from different cultures. One body of believers coming together from different cultures- Dominican, Haitian, and American, uniquely different but all coming together to worship the one true GOD and allow their hearts to be transformed by the Holy Spirit.
Hannah Collins
11/10/2024
This first full day in the Dominican Republic has been full of joy and LOTS of rain! We drove for over an hour to attend a Haitian church in La Vega, and we all were amazed at the faith of their church and congregation. I was sitting in church, and Jesus kept pointing out a baby a little younger than my 1 year old, so I moved to sit near that baby and his mama. In all of her generosity, that mother let me hold her son. This sweet baby looked into my eyes, until he trusted me, and I felt him getting tired in my lap. I stroked his brow just like I do with my kids at home, and he fell asleep on my chest in the middle of church. What a privilege to experience the ways that Jesus and mothering can transcend language and culture! I am thankful. Tomorrow we will start our various work projects: building a bathroom in a Haitian church, leading a kids sports camp, and getting to know the people we are serving! 2 people in our group will also be working at Mission of Hope's medical clinic. Praise God from whom all blessings (including this large amount of rain) flow!
11/10/2024
This first full day in the Dominican Republic has been full of joy and LOTS of rain! We drove for over an hour to attend a Haitian church in La Vega, and we all were amazed at the faith of their church and congregation. I was sitting in church, and Jesus kept pointing out a baby a little younger than my 1 year old, so I moved to sit near that baby and his mama. In all of her generosity, that mother let me hold her son. This sweet baby looked into my eyes, until he trusted me, and I felt him getting tired in my lap. I stroked his brow just like I do with my kids at home, and he fell asleep on my chest in the middle of church. What a privilege to experience the ways that Jesus and mothering can transcend language and culture! I am thankful. Tomorrow we will start our various work projects: building a bathroom in a Haitian church, leading a kids sports camp, and getting to know the people we are serving! 2 people in our group will also be working at Mission of Hope's medical clinic. Praise God from whom all blessings (including this large amount of rain) flow!
Paul Wetterling
11/11/2024
So last spring we did a little fundraiser at CGLC primarily to fund the food packing event, pack 100,000 meals. Of course our generosity provided enough money to fund the packing event and provided some surplus. Well that surplus is also being put to use helping the Haitian community in the Dominican Republic. With the money raised we are renovating and adding to a very unsafe restroom. Because of your generosity several of us are spending our days working on the toilet. Well not actually sitting on the toilet but starting from ground zero with digging the trenches for the footing to add onto the church to help provide a place for people to not only be able to use the restroom but will also have shower facility.
It is such an uplifting experience to work along side of and see the faith that this community has.
Thank you to all who have shared their blessings in order to help all the way down here.
11/11/2024
So last spring we did a little fundraiser at CGLC primarily to fund the food packing event, pack 100,000 meals. Of course our generosity provided enough money to fund the packing event and provided some surplus. Well that surplus is also being put to use helping the Haitian community in the Dominican Republic. With the money raised we are renovating and adding to a very unsafe restroom. Because of your generosity several of us are spending our days working on the toilet. Well not actually sitting on the toilet but starting from ground zero with digging the trenches for the footing to add onto the church to help provide a place for people to not only be able to use the restroom but will also have shower facility.
It is such an uplifting experience to work along side of and see the faith that this community has.
Thank you to all who have shared their blessings in order to help all the way down here.
Jill Macioch
11/11/2024
Love pours out in many ways and today it was in the form of sports. It all started out for me while standing next to a group of boys playing makeshift baseball. One of the players walked up and handed me the bat. That was my initiation to vertical baseball. A group of us from church played with the boys, while another girl joined in. It was essentially vertical baseball in a very narrow area with the local church on one side. What was so exciting was how we communicated with each other through the joy of sports. The kids were so excited to have us participate throughout the afternoon. This was such a powerful moment for all of us. Well, I didn't get to sit down after baseball, I was recruited to play volleyball and football (soccer). The joy that we all felt was contagious and didn't stop there!
There was plenty of coloring, singing and fun dance movements going on in the church. One of my special moments was befriending a 15 year old boy from the community that had also played baseball with us earlier. As some of our CGLC members were about to do a skit for the kids, I grabbed some coloring sheets and the Children's bible and sat down next to this boy. Our communication was the same as during the sports with a lot of pointing and hand gestures. While coloring, I opened the bible to the story of God's creation and then a picture of Jesus. He wasn't very interested at the time, but after I started coloring again, he grabbed the bible and started looking at it again and then starting talking to the girl behind him about the bible. It may be small, and I'm not sure if the seed was planted, but it made me smile to see him open up to us as a group, and being receptive to sharing this experience with him. God works in powerful ways, and even though communicating with the children was not easy, we were able to communicate through the love of sports and showing love for each other.
11/11/2024
Love pours out in many ways and today it was in the form of sports. It all started out for me while standing next to a group of boys playing makeshift baseball. One of the players walked up and handed me the bat. That was my initiation to vertical baseball. A group of us from church played with the boys, while another girl joined in. It was essentially vertical baseball in a very narrow area with the local church on one side. What was so exciting was how we communicated with each other through the joy of sports. The kids were so excited to have us participate throughout the afternoon. This was such a powerful moment for all of us. Well, I didn't get to sit down after baseball, I was recruited to play volleyball and football (soccer). The joy that we all felt was contagious and didn't stop there!
There was plenty of coloring, singing and fun dance movements going on in the church. One of my special moments was befriending a 15 year old boy from the community that had also played baseball with us earlier. As some of our CGLC members were about to do a skit for the kids, I grabbed some coloring sheets and the Children's bible and sat down next to this boy. Our communication was the same as during the sports with a lot of pointing and hand gestures. While coloring, I opened the bible to the story of God's creation and then a picture of Jesus. He wasn't very interested at the time, but after I started coloring again, he grabbed the bible and started looking at it again and then starting talking to the girl behind him about the bible. It may be small, and I'm not sure if the seed was planted, but it made me smile to see him open up to us as a group, and being receptive to sharing this experience with him. God works in powerful ways, and even though communicating with the children was not easy, we were able to communicate through the love of sports and showing love for each other.
Kids Club/Sports camp, 11/11/2024
11/12/2024
David Guardino
Praise the Lord we have had two successful mobile medical clinics in the Haitian communities with approximately 150 clinic patients seen each day diagnosing and treating each one as the Lord gave grace and wisdom. Staff consisted of a number of Mission of Hope interns, staff, and doctors. Our CGLC mission team joined these dedicated servants in triaging, testing and providing pharmaceuticals for a wide variety of ailments, together with prayer for a healthy outcome. God bless these beautiful people.
David Guardino
Praise the Lord we have had two successful mobile medical clinics in the Haitian communities with approximately 150 clinic patients seen each day diagnosing and treating each one as the Lord gave grace and wisdom. Staff consisted of a number of Mission of Hope interns, staff, and doctors. Our CGLC mission team joined these dedicated servants in triaging, testing and providing pharmaceuticals for a wide variety of ailments, together with prayer for a healthy outcome. God bless these beautiful people.
11/12/2024
Michelle Sherman
Imagine moving most of the pews out of the church, along with the desks that students use during the week, into the dirt and mud outside of the building in order to setup a health care clinic for the community. That is exactly what happened today as we returned to the church in La Vega to serve the community through medical care. We then assisted the Mission of Hope staff in setting up tables for stations of registration, triage, lab work, vision, dental supplies, medical provider care, and pharmacy.
God equipped us all to take on responsibilities that were new to us. For me, I assisted in triage, learning to take vital signs, and working with an amazing interpreter to document the primary needs for patients young and old. One woman that I helped had very high blood pressure, and it took multiple attempts to get a reliable second reading. She remained so joyful throughout our interaction, and when I saw her later as she was getting ready to leave, she came over and gave me a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. I cherished this interaction with her, and it was a beautiful exchange of Jesus's love between us.
Michelle Sherman
Imagine moving most of the pews out of the church, along with the desks that students use during the week, into the dirt and mud outside of the building in order to setup a health care clinic for the community. That is exactly what happened today as we returned to the church in La Vega to serve the community through medical care. We then assisted the Mission of Hope staff in setting up tables for stations of registration, triage, lab work, vision, dental supplies, medical provider care, and pharmacy.
God equipped us all to take on responsibilities that were new to us. For me, I assisted in triage, learning to take vital signs, and working with an amazing interpreter to document the primary needs for patients young and old. One woman that I helped had very high blood pressure, and it took multiple attempts to get a reliable second reading. She remained so joyful throughout our interaction, and when I saw her later as she was getting ready to leave, she came over and gave me a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. I cherished this interaction with her, and it was a beautiful exchange of Jesus's love between us.
11/12/2024
Donna Aske
Today was a great day in Pinar Quemado for the medical team. The church had adequate room for the triage team, providers, lab station, and the eyeglass station. The pharmacy station was outside under a tent. We started the day in prayer with thanksgiving and praise for the opportunity for us to be servants in this Dominican community. People of all ages came to be assessed by staff and sent home with instructions of care and medications as needed. There were four home visits in the community from staff that had visited them last year which brought joy to the medical team and residents alike. Praise the Lord for a very gratifying day.
Donna Aske
Today was a great day in Pinar Quemado for the medical team. The church had adequate room for the triage team, providers, lab station, and the eyeglass station. The pharmacy station was outside under a tent. We started the day in prayer with thanksgiving and praise for the opportunity for us to be servants in this Dominican community. People of all ages came to be assessed by staff and sent home with instructions of care and medications as needed. There were four home visits in the community from staff that had visited them last year which brought joy to the medical team and residents alike. Praise the Lord for a very gratifying day.
11/13/2024
Mark Beckers
Today, we had the beautiful opportunity to spend time in the village of La Vega. The kiddos are amazing and very responsive and surprising easily to interact with us. It was fun to hold them, make sounds, and attempt to communicate between our english, Spanish, Creole and some french. They were very tuned into watching cartoons like "Tom & Jerry" and "Bear Necessity" on the parents devices.
Later I was interacting with another group of kiddos by placing each other hands one on top of the other four to six high calling out 1, 2 and 3 throwing up all our hands in the air and shouting yea!!!!
What really amazed me was how well they shared and spent time together with me. I felt the parent really trusted me with their kiddos.
Needing a breaking after having endless fun I stepped outside only to find a young girl of about 5 years. She was bouncing a soccer ball. I motioned for her to throw it to me and we spent the hour interacting by tossing, bouncing and spinning the ball together. Other kiddos would join in and share the time with us. This whole experience was fun, exciting and pure joy being here and interacting everyone. Thank you! See y'all soon!!! Senior Mark
Mark Beckers
Today, we had the beautiful opportunity to spend time in the village of La Vega. The kiddos are amazing and very responsive and surprising easily to interact with us. It was fun to hold them, make sounds, and attempt to communicate between our english, Spanish, Creole and some french. They were very tuned into watching cartoons like "Tom & Jerry" and "Bear Necessity" on the parents devices.
Later I was interacting with another group of kiddos by placing each other hands one on top of the other four to six high calling out 1, 2 and 3 throwing up all our hands in the air and shouting yea!!!!
What really amazed me was how well they shared and spent time together with me. I felt the parent really trusted me with their kiddos.
Needing a breaking after having endless fun I stepped outside only to find a young girl of about 5 years. She was bouncing a soccer ball. I motioned for her to throw it to me and we spent the hour interacting by tossing, bouncing and spinning the ball together. Other kiddos would join in and share the time with us. This whole experience was fun, exciting and pure joy being here and interacting everyone. Thank you! See y'all soon!!! Senior Mark
11/13/2024
Tod Sherman
It appears that the best way to know the heart and soul of our little town in La Vega, DR is to play baseball with the children. On day one we were playing ball and a kind man driving by in a motorcycle tossed a small pack of wafers to one of the players. The player opened the package and offered me some. I thanked him and nabbed a wee bit of the wafer. He looked at me as if I were a daft sort and then he gave me half his wafer. I came to realize that these sweet children that have so little are insistent on sharing what they do come across. This incredible kindness was humbling. Playing ball with the little children will absolutely melt your heart. Five year old Ohmi could combine intensity with joy like no other. The three year old daughter of a joyful man we met earlier could not stop smiling after learning that she could throw a baseball a good 10 yards. Baseball played with trust, joy, goodness, and love cannot be beat. NABULE!
Tod Sherman
It appears that the best way to know the heart and soul of our little town in La Vega, DR is to play baseball with the children. On day one we were playing ball and a kind man driving by in a motorcycle tossed a small pack of wafers to one of the players. The player opened the package and offered me some. I thanked him and nabbed a wee bit of the wafer. He looked at me as if I were a daft sort and then he gave me half his wafer. I came to realize that these sweet children that have so little are insistent on sharing what they do come across. This incredible kindness was humbling. Playing ball with the little children will absolutely melt your heart. Five year old Ohmi could combine intensity with joy like no other. The three year old daughter of a joyful man we met earlier could not stop smiling after learning that she could throw a baseball a good 10 yards. Baseball played with trust, joy, goodness, and love cannot be beat. NABULE!
11/14/2024
Chris Lepoutre
Never did I think that painting would lead me to such a profound experience. God has such special ways to talk to us. We had a blast painting all together with our team from CGLC and three of the pastors kids! Our mission trip today was to paint the house of one of the pastors. At the end of the day, we were all covered with white paint. The pastor gave us a bucket of water so we could rinse. The daughter of this pastor was also covered in white paint, as she had been helping us all day! I first proposed to try to get the paint out of her beautiful, dark, long hair, and her arms and legs. eventually she put one of her feet in the bucket and I started to rub the paint off of her feet. Taking care of her feet brought to me a wave of love for her. I felt at this time we belong to the same family built on Godâs love. It gave me a profound sense of what Jesus did at the last supper with His disciples. Bending to a brother or a sisterâs foot is a great way to pour out our love and our desire to articulate, âyou mean so much to me.â
Chris Lepoutre
Never did I think that painting would lead me to such a profound experience. God has such special ways to talk to us. We had a blast painting all together with our team from CGLC and three of the pastors kids! Our mission trip today was to paint the house of one of the pastors. At the end of the day, we were all covered with white paint. The pastor gave us a bucket of water so we could rinse. The daughter of this pastor was also covered in white paint, as she had been helping us all day! I first proposed to try to get the paint out of her beautiful, dark, long hair, and her arms and legs. eventually she put one of her feet in the bucket and I started to rub the paint off of her feet. Taking care of her feet brought to me a wave of love for her. I felt at this time we belong to the same family built on Godâs love. It gave me a profound sense of what Jesus did at the last supper with His disciples. Bending to a brother or a sisterâs foot is a great way to pour out our love and our desire to articulate, âyou mean so much to me.â
11/14/2024
Gary Moen
We have been working on a construction project of providing a bathroom for a community Haitian church, which has been an experience of learning to communicate with the local Haitian workers through interpreters and much pointing with thumbs up and smiles. Doing a project the âHaitianâ way with at times minimal tools can be challenging but at the same time rewarding to connect in a common cause to provide proper bathroom facilities to a community in great need.
Gary Moen
We have been working on a construction project of providing a bathroom for a community Haitian church, which has been an experience of learning to communicate with the local Haitian workers through interpreters and much pointing with thumbs up and smiles. Doing a project the âHaitianâ way with at times minimal tools can be challenging but at the same time rewarding to connect in a common cause to provide proper bathroom facilities to a community in great need.
There was additional time to visit two community residences near the church. Three of us and an interpreter first went to visit Florence. We asked questions and discussed life here in this community. As we were holding hands and praying, I held her hand tightâŚ. She held my hand tighter ... .God is in this moment!
Florence told us we needed to visit Suzanne's home nearby. Suzanne shared with us her family members and her situation here. Suzanne had not heard from her husband for the past 30 days and had no idea if he was dead, alive, or in jail. Suzanne told us she had a hard time sleeping and eating, feeling very down. At the end of our time we each prayed for her needs and especially her husband's safety and for Suzanne to get information of what his current situation is. As the interpreter finished praying Suzanne's daughter came from inside the house to scream âIT'S DAD!â on the phone. Suzanne raised her hands and shouted PRAISE GOD, neighbors came from all sides. God was in this momentâŚ.. Praise God! My sweating face from a hard day's work soon turned to joyful tears!
11/14/2024
Cherrie Schmura
Are you familiar with SMT? I certainly wasnât. It's short for Strategic Ministry Time. Itâs the acronym they give for relational ministry. Those were some pretty scary words to me - talking about Jesus and ministering to people I donât even know. I really didnât know if I could do it. After spending the last few days actually doing this - I have grown to love it. We have been met with open arms in the homes of people we donât even know. They have shared stories of their lives that have brought us to tears. We have said long prayers with them, talked of the love of Jesus, and shared heartfelt hugs as we said farewell. During two visits we had yesterday, we learned of one family with a teenage daughter who experienced a life ending tumor, was given three months to live, and today is alive and well. Her doctors have called it a miracle! In the next home, we learned of a grandmother who lost her 11-year-old granddaughter, and continues to grieve her, still keeping some of her clothes to remember her. (This brought our translator to tears before she could share it with us.) I was struck by the amount of loss and grief experienced by these families. It made me wonder if there is this much loss and grief in the people that I live near, with the people in my church, with the people who I see every day in my comings and goings. During this time in the Dominican, I have spent time thinking about how these experiences will change the person I am. Family and friends told me I would come home as a changed person. I wondered who that person would be. After the last few days, I think I know. She will be someone who will take more time to connect with people. Instead of racing by with a quick "how are you?", she will pause more and listen more closely. She will work harder to be in relationship with the people around her. This is the way that Jesus intended us to live â in close relationship with him and with each other. He has made that message clear to me here in the Dominican.
Cherrie Schmura
Are you familiar with SMT? I certainly wasnât. It's short for Strategic Ministry Time. Itâs the acronym they give for relational ministry. Those were some pretty scary words to me - talking about Jesus and ministering to people I donât even know. I really didnât know if I could do it. After spending the last few days actually doing this - I have grown to love it. We have been met with open arms in the homes of people we donât even know. They have shared stories of their lives that have brought us to tears. We have said long prayers with them, talked of the love of Jesus, and shared heartfelt hugs as we said farewell. During two visits we had yesterday, we learned of one family with a teenage daughter who experienced a life ending tumor, was given three months to live, and today is alive and well. Her doctors have called it a miracle! In the next home, we learned of a grandmother who lost her 11-year-old granddaughter, and continues to grieve her, still keeping some of her clothes to remember her. (This brought our translator to tears before she could share it with us.) I was struck by the amount of loss and grief experienced by these families. It made me wonder if there is this much loss and grief in the people that I live near, with the people in my church, with the people who I see every day in my comings and goings. During this time in the Dominican, I have spent time thinking about how these experiences will change the person I am. Family and friends told me I would come home as a changed person. I wondered who that person would be. After the last few days, I think I know. She will be someone who will take more time to connect with people. Instead of racing by with a quick "how are you?", she will pause more and listen more closely. She will work harder to be in relationship with the people around her. This is the way that Jesus intended us to live â in close relationship with him and with each other. He has made that message clear to me here in the Dominican.
11/16/2024
Damien Lepoutre
I did know that we all shared the same call to be disciples of Jesus at CGLC, and I could see so much grace in our community.
But I couldnât dream about friends so mindful and sensitive of the others and with such huge hearts.
How good it was to get to know them better and deepen our friendship through this mission!
I was happy with this opportunity offered by Mission of Hope to serve and spend time with Dominicans and Haitians that were different from me in so many ways. I knew I would learn something from them for my faith journey and I hoped to bring something to them in their sometimes difficult life conditions.
We provided financial resources to pay for material and offered our manpower to help paint a pastorâs house and build bathrooms for a church.
But everything else was to go "their wayâ. It was not for us to organize the work despite the numerous skills and experience that existed in our team: it is their place and their project, and I learned humility and patience the hard way to accept what I felt were inefficiencies.
Luckily, the work with the kids was different when they were authorized to participate: they so much wanted to learn and spend the energy of their small bodies in some hard work like carrying sand and gravel. Such a team work and friendship development that ended with playing basketball, sharing my sandwich, and them inviting me to clean all the accumulated mud in their home. Verbal communication whether in English, French or my poor Spanish was very difficult, so connections and exchanges were only through sharing activities and exchanging smiles, hugs, laughs and signs.
I am so used to talk ask question and listen to get to know each other, that I was very surprised to feel so much pain and sorrow at the end of this short journey together ; stronger pain also because no way to share words, feelings and ideas apart from signs and hugs with these kids. I know almost nothing about who they are, their past and present life, but patience and time helped be more attentive to reactions and signs and hence develop bonds and feelings in a different in-depth friendship. So hard to leave the lovely people and feel I will very probably only see them in our next life!It was a week of slowly âbeing withâ, and I could feel the spirit of Jesus floating around.
This spirit was also so very present during the evening celebrations: I was moved to see interns so much carried and driven by their deep faith that burst into their song and prayers.
So much beauty of God in the faces and smiles of these kids and interns that I can carry with me now!
Damien Lepoutre
I did know that we all shared the same call to be disciples of Jesus at CGLC, and I could see so much grace in our community.
But I couldnât dream about friends so mindful and sensitive of the others and with such huge hearts.
How good it was to get to know them better and deepen our friendship through this mission!
I was happy with this opportunity offered by Mission of Hope to serve and spend time with Dominicans and Haitians that were different from me in so many ways. I knew I would learn something from them for my faith journey and I hoped to bring something to them in their sometimes difficult life conditions.
We provided financial resources to pay for material and offered our manpower to help paint a pastorâs house and build bathrooms for a church.
But everything else was to go "their wayâ. It was not for us to organize the work despite the numerous skills and experience that existed in our team: it is their place and their project, and I learned humility and patience the hard way to accept what I felt were inefficiencies.
Luckily, the work with the kids was different when they were authorized to participate: they so much wanted to learn and spend the energy of their small bodies in some hard work like carrying sand and gravel. Such a team work and friendship development that ended with playing basketball, sharing my sandwich, and them inviting me to clean all the accumulated mud in their home. Verbal communication whether in English, French or my poor Spanish was very difficult, so connections and exchanges were only through sharing activities and exchanging smiles, hugs, laughs and signs.
I am so used to talk ask question and listen to get to know each other, that I was very surprised to feel so much pain and sorrow at the end of this short journey together ; stronger pain also because no way to share words, feelings and ideas apart from signs and hugs with these kids. I know almost nothing about who they are, their past and present life, but patience and time helped be more attentive to reactions and signs and hence develop bonds and feelings in a different in-depth friendship. So hard to leave the lovely people and feel I will very probably only see them in our next life!It was a week of slowly âbeing withâ, and I could feel the spirit of Jesus floating around.
This spirit was also so very present during the evening celebrations: I was moved to see interns so much carried and driven by their deep faith that burst into their song and prayers.
So much beauty of God in the faces and smiles of these kids and interns that I can carry with me now!
11/16/2024
Andy Collins
Ok. So we knew going into this that we we're supposed to 'build a bathroom'. Right away the questions started coming.
In four days?
So the four/five of us, all with varying degrees of skills are all gung ho to start. Let's just say, we thought we were going to try and complete it, but this was not to be. To avoid going into any details which would be finger pointing, we worked together to find out what the plan was, who was in charge, where materials were and when they were coming, who knows what/and how to build a Dominican addition from the ground up.
We all put on our patience hats, pulled up our work boots and dug in. We asked questions of the locals and with the help of an interpreter we started, a couple of times. There was some good team building for our work crew, made some friends with the local laborers, got the footings dug, rebar assembled and installed, and footings poured.
It wasn't what we set out to do, but it never was about the projects. We had down times to build relationships with the locals, play with the kids, worked with local laborers, and got done what we did. They were very grateful, we were stretched by the situation but we grew together as a team.
Give thanks in all circumstances. If we really give our lives to God, we have to trust Him that He is in charge. Look for where God is working.........not us.
Andy Collins
Ok. So we knew going into this that we we're supposed to 'build a bathroom'. Right away the questions started coming.
In four days?
So the four/five of us, all with varying degrees of skills are all gung ho to start. Let's just say, we thought we were going to try and complete it, but this was not to be. To avoid going into any details which would be finger pointing, we worked together to find out what the plan was, who was in charge, where materials were and when they were coming, who knows what/and how to build a Dominican addition from the ground up.
We all put on our patience hats, pulled up our work boots and dug in. We asked questions of the locals and with the help of an interpreter we started, a couple of times. There was some good team building for our work crew, made some friends with the local laborers, got the footings dug, rebar assembled and installed, and footings poured.
It wasn't what we set out to do, but it never was about the projects. We had down times to build relationships with the locals, play with the kids, worked with local laborers, and got done what we did. They were very grateful, we were stretched by the situation but we grew together as a team.
Give thanks in all circumstances. If we really give our lives to God, we have to trust Him that He is in charge. Look for where God is working.........not us.
11/17.2024
Casey Carlson
Hi, Iâm Casey, and Iâve had the privilege of serving as the photographer and videographer for Community of Grace on what is now my third mission trip abroad with the church. Each trip has been unique for me, but one constant remains: the powerful blend of service, connection, and the lessons learned from stepping into another culture with humility and intention.
As the one tasked with visually documenting the mission, my role offers a special vantage point in being part of everythingâconstruction projects, Strategic Ministry Time, Mobile Medical clinics, kicking a football around with kids, and impromptu teaching moments when curious kids want to try out my camera. (Spoiler: some of them are on their way to being better at it than I am.) The picture you see of me here was taken by one of the kids we were playing with this week!
Having now visited both Haiti and the Dominican Republic, Iâm struck by how two nations sharing the same island of Hispaniola feel worlds apart. The contrasts in landscape, governance, and daily life are stark. The Dominican Republicâs lush greenery and more developed infrastructure stand in sharp difference to Haitiâs challenges. Yet, despite these differences, what unites them is far more profound:
The hospitality of the people.
âHospitableâ doesnât begin to capture the warmth and generosity we encountered throughout the week. Whether in a church service, during construction work, or simply sharing a meal, the people we served alongside embodied a sense of community and care that I try to take home with me on every trip. I watched as members of our congregation worked shoulder to shoulder with locals, overcoming language barriers and measurement systems with smiles, and a shared purpose to build a bathroom for a churchâa space that will also serve the wider community. I witnessed for the first time the power of our mobile medical clinic, doctors distributing medicine and answers to those who lacked access to even basic healthcare. And I saw pure, unfiltered joy as we sang âDum-Dum-Dadaâ with a group of children, their laughter reminding me of singing that same song in the basement of CGLC as a child twenty years ago.
Watching the members of our congregation connect and grow in their faith over the past week has been truly inspiring. Itâs no small thing to take the leap required to be hereâstepping away from family, investing time and resources, and putting themselves in unfamiliar situationsâto serve people we may meet only briefly and perhaps never see again. This leap is not easy, but itâs impact is immeasurable.
Iâm often asked, âWhat do you hope to accomplish on a mission trip like this? Whatâs the point?â Itâs a fair question, especially in a world that demands measurable outcomes. My answer, though, is simple: We may not be making a big difference. But even if we do make a small difference, it is still a difference worth making.
Casey Carlson
Hi, Iâm Casey, and Iâve had the privilege of serving as the photographer and videographer for Community of Grace on what is now my third mission trip abroad with the church. Each trip has been unique for me, but one constant remains: the powerful blend of service, connection, and the lessons learned from stepping into another culture with humility and intention.
As the one tasked with visually documenting the mission, my role offers a special vantage point in being part of everythingâconstruction projects, Strategic Ministry Time, Mobile Medical clinics, kicking a football around with kids, and impromptu teaching moments when curious kids want to try out my camera. (Spoiler: some of them are on their way to being better at it than I am.) The picture you see of me here was taken by one of the kids we were playing with this week!
Having now visited both Haiti and the Dominican Republic, Iâm struck by how two nations sharing the same island of Hispaniola feel worlds apart. The contrasts in landscape, governance, and daily life are stark. The Dominican Republicâs lush greenery and more developed infrastructure stand in sharp difference to Haitiâs challenges. Yet, despite these differences, what unites them is far more profound:
The hospitality of the people.
âHospitableâ doesnât begin to capture the warmth and generosity we encountered throughout the week. Whether in a church service, during construction work, or simply sharing a meal, the people we served alongside embodied a sense of community and care that I try to take home with me on every trip. I watched as members of our congregation worked shoulder to shoulder with locals, overcoming language barriers and measurement systems with smiles, and a shared purpose to build a bathroom for a churchâa space that will also serve the wider community. I witnessed for the first time the power of our mobile medical clinic, doctors distributing medicine and answers to those who lacked access to even basic healthcare. And I saw pure, unfiltered joy as we sang âDum-Dum-Dadaâ with a group of children, their laughter reminding me of singing that same song in the basement of CGLC as a child twenty years ago.
Watching the members of our congregation connect and grow in their faith over the past week has been truly inspiring. Itâs no small thing to take the leap required to be hereâstepping away from family, investing time and resources, and putting themselves in unfamiliar situationsâto serve people we may meet only briefly and perhaps never see again. This leap is not easy, but itâs impact is immeasurable.
Iâm often asked, âWhat do you hope to accomplish on a mission trip like this? Whatâs the point?â Itâs a fair question, especially in a world that demands measurable outcomes. My answer, though, is simple: We may not be making a big difference. But even if we do make a small difference, it is still a difference worth making.
Meet our friend, Reggie! Reggie served with our team for the entire week when we were in the DR. He grew up in Haiti, and when he was 11 a group of Christian Missionaries came into his town and shared the Good News with him. He has been a follower of Jesus ever since, and this also made him realize his call to be a missionary as well. Reggie shares the gospel in many ways on the island of Hispanola, one of them being bringing water filters across the border from the DR to provide clean drinking water to the people of Haiti. He is able to share as he provides the filters that Jesus cleanses us from our sin and offers us a new life of freedom by His grace! When we were in the DR, Reggie shared with us that he was going to be traveling with water filters to a village in Haiti called Trou D'Argent, where the people leave at 2 am every day to walk to get clean drinking water and do not return home until 11 am. I asked him how many filters he would desire if God provided everything he would want to bring them, and he told me he would hope to bring 25 filters. He said he already had 10. Because of our church's generosity in giving to the people of Haiti, we were able to send 15 water filters to Reggie and he will be bringing them to the people in Trou D'Argent, Haiti on December 20th! Thank you, church family!
-Hannah
-Hannah
