DR Winter Trip 2025: Day 2

Welcome to Day 2! Check out the update from Byrn below:

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    Hi everyone! Today was our first full day here in the DR! We started the day with a delicious breakfast of eggs and toast prepared by Kaity and Jie Jie! After breakfast, we hung out and played "Taco, Cat, Goat, Cheese, Pizza"  (thanks Kaitlyn!!) which definitely got intense, but fun!

     Fridays here at Kefale are cleaning days which means cleaning the church building inside and out. The boys headed outside to sweep the streets while the girls split the upstairs and downstairs to sweep and mop. My group tackled the downstairs floors; it was a job that called for us to roll our skirts and pants up! A sister of the church was instructing us on what needed to be done. We started by sweeping the floors and then we dumped buckets of water on the floor and used brooms to then sweep the water out of the door. Some of the people at the church asked me if I liked cleaning and honestly, today made me realize how peaceful cleaning can be. The sun was shining, and it was very relaxing to be having conversations with new people and just enjoy being present with others. 

    As we were about to start on another cleaning task at church, we were spontaneously given the opportunity to go and clean Frandy's grandmother's house a few blocks away. It was a unique opportunity that humbled me in a way I had never experienced before. Abuela Ana had the strongest faith for the Lord. Even though lower back pain makes it difficult for her to take even just a few steps, she still makes a point to attend Kefale Church every Sunday, even walking up the stairs to the sanctuary! That is definitely a testament to me and her faithfulness to the Lord! Her happiness was contageous, and I couldn't help but smile at the way she loves the Lord. 

    My job in her house was to clean the bathroom, and Kaitlyn and Julia also volunteered to work on the bathroom. If I'm being honest, this job did not smell good at all. It was an extremely humbling experience, and it was easy for me to begin complaining. I listened to Kaitlyn continually be positive and not complain at all, which made me feel the humility of the Lord work through me in that moment. Kaitlyn's continual acts of humility definitely impact our team!

    After lunch and siesta time in the afternoon at the church, we walked to a nearby basketball court where we picked up trash and played sports with local kids. As you might know, I am not a volleyball player, but I was asked to play volleyball... was it embarrassing, yes, but it was also so worth it because I was able to connect with the kids there who played volleyball. It was an exciting time spending times with local kids and learning more about the culture. 

    Closing the night, we practiced our skit to get ready to head to New Jerusalem tomorrow where we will perform it for the kids! As we continue our trip, please continue praying for safety, as well as the humility of the Lord to shine through us. Please also continue to pray for hearts of service and love for the all the people we come in contact with. We are all very thankful for this opportunity and continue to see the work of Christ in everything!