DR Winter 2025: Day 3

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Today we have two students giving the overview. Check out what Julia and Kaity have to say!

__________ 

Julia: 

Hola! As someone who has never experienced a missions trip, these past couple days have been both influential and exciting. Coming into this missions trip I was filled with nerves and anxiety, but after I came to the DR, interacted with the people, and shared my love for Jesus with others I have been filled with joy.

Today, we traveled to New Jerusalem, a rural village. We played soccer with the kids, made braclets, shared food, and sung many songs. All of these activities helped us to grow relationships and serve the community. The language barrier was something that was hard to overcome, but with the help of my group, and some members of Kefale, Joy and Cheo, I was able to communicate with the kids and grow relationships with them. My favorite moment in New Jerusalem was when one of the young girls, Darlenys, made a bracelet and gifted it to me. And this is something that I will cherish for a long time. 

Going along with this, we performed a skit about child bad behavior, coming to Christ and repentance. Although it may have seemed silly to us, the kids loved it, and truly were incaptivated with the performance.They showed lots of support and love, and even one of the kids participated in the skit with us! A lot of the things we do may seem silly or small, but they impact the children and the people we are here to serve. 

Going to New Jerusalem gave me a new mindset on many things. The people, whom don't own many materialistic things, were very content, and were so happy, although they didn't own much. They were filled with joy and the love of Jesus, and this showed me that although possessions and materialistic things are nice to possess, Jesus is the only thing that matters. Also, being able to meet new people, and learn more things about those whome I see often, but don't normally talk to, has been so fruitful. I cannot wait to see what the rest of this trip has to bring! 

Later in the day, we built relationships among ourselves and the church leaders. We played card games, basketball, and even made braclets. Bonding with the other people that you are serving with is so importanbt and will allow for you to serve others, together. After playing games, we went to eat and shared many conversations and stories, and got to grow our relationships even deeper. 

Kaity:

Hola everyone! Today was our second full day in the DR! We started off the day with pancakes cooked by Jie Jie, Kaitlynn, and Lily. 

After breakfast, we went straight to New Jerusalem to hang out with another church! We played games for hours with the kids at the church. When we first got there, there was so much fun while introducing ourselves. We even took turns sharing different songs from each culture! We had many games going including Volleyball, Soccer, Down by the Banks, and even bracelet making. 

The language barrier was not as difficult as I assumed it would be, and I learned so much more Spanish throughout the day. The kids there were so sweet. One little kid saw I had a bandaid on my finger, and kissed it better saying “it will be better tomorrow.” Everyone was so also very welcoming. They even cooked us a yummy lunch with rice and beans. 😋😋 Before we left, we ended our time there with a skit created by the team. Saying goodbye to the kids was so sweet, as many hugs and bracelets were shared.

After New Jerusalem, we grabbed some delicious ice cream on the way back. It was honestly some of the best ice cream I’ve ever had! When we got back, we had lots of time to rest, and just enjoy one another’s time together. We had more bracelet making, games of Dutch Blitz, and lots of time to hang out with each other. 

For dinner, we went to a yummy restaurant that serves sandwiches and fries. It was so fun to just hang out and enjoy one another’s presence while eating. As we continue through our trip, please continue praying for the light of the Lord to shine through us! Along with that, we ask for prayers of safety as we travel throughout the DR!!

Prayer Requests 

- Pray for perserverance, to allow us to continue to give 100%. 

- Pray that we will be able to help others see the love of Christ. 

- And pray for those who we share the gospel to. 









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