ODCS Missions

  Hello, this is Nikkos,     This morning, after we woke up we got in the van and went 3 hrs to a boat dock. While on the way there, most of us slept because we woke up at 6 am. We then arrived at the boat dock recieved our wristbands, and  hopped on the boat at around 9:15 am. We were seated on the top of the boat. The ride was very nice, and a wavy boat ride to the island. On our way there, we got to witness whales jumping out of the water and flipping.     We  then arrived to island. We started off swimming for about an hour and then transitioned to lunch on the island. After lunch, we went back to swimming. Some of us sat out and tanned and got pretty red, while the rest swam and played in the water. We drove back home and had our last dinner of the trip. Mr. Z made tres leches with homeade wiped cream and strawberries on top. We played with the boys (Jeremiah, Matthew, and Nathan), and Daniel, Joy, and Emil left for the last time.  ...

 Hello everyone! This is Bronté!   Today we all woke up, and all ate breakfast burritos that Amylia and Owen made for us. After breakfast, we all got ready and then went upstairs for church. After praying together as a church, Lyannette used one of her great talents and sang with the other members of the worship team. Mr. Zaleski gave a message on the biblical term of "adoption," and what it means to be a part of the church family. After church, we then got to see some friends that we met at the concert the night before, exchanged Instagram handles, and took some pictures with them as well. Next, we all walked to the local mall and got to eat lunch with the whole DR team and a few members of the church. We all got some rice, beans, salad, and some variation of meat. We also got to try Dominican bubble gum and a treat called dulce de  leche. After making sure to clean up the space we used, we walked back to the church for "siesta time". Most students used th...

 HOLAA! It's Amylia mi amigos!🔥🔥 Today we started our morning bright and amazing with empanadas for breakfast with chicken, cheese, pork, and beef inside. We then headed to Brisas again to help clean the rooms, and probably told Cheo to play the song Que Lo Que about 5 times on the way there.  Once we got to Brisas, the kids were so excited to see us, and it was very heartwarming. These kids were absolutely amazing. Pastor Tito started off by reading scripture, talking about how we need to live our lives according to the scripture. He then asked Ellie and me to come up and share our testimony. Sharing how God changed our lives is such a great opportunity(y'all should do it too). The kids listened, and you could see how they were encouraged. When we finished, Patsor Tito split us up into groups for cleaning. Ellie and I, along with a few of the kids, cleaned the bathrooms while the others cleaned the backyard and the play area. It was a blast cleaning with everyone and g...

Hey there, it's Owen,     It is the fourth day of our D.R. trip, and today I am writing the blog for one of my favorite days so far. Today was not quite as early as some other days, with most of us getting up around 8 for some incredible pancakes made by Kaityand Leah. After that, we got busy cleaning up the church (as it is Friday, the designated church cleanup day). Me, Titus, Nikkos, as well as Mr. Z, worked on sweeping and washing the floor of the parking bay. Pastor Tito and Slater also helped us out, and after about an hour or two the whole church was clean. We finished a bit early and some of us were able to catch up on some much-needed rest before lunch was ready. We had hamburgers for lunch (which I thought were very good), and then we had siesta time, where I and pretty much everyone else took naps. After that, our plan was to go to Las Brisas, and Pastor Tito arranged for some of us to take a short ride on the motos (the motorcycles that are very common in the ...

Hola! This is Lyannette, and I am writing the blog for today. Today was a super fun day as we got to evangelize to others while giving them coffee and crackers. They were so willing to be prayed for, and it was so amazing to see. We went to visit Ana and Luisa, who were so welcoming and allowed us to enter their home. We shared stories and sang songs in English and in Spanish. Both visits were so emotional, seeing them so happy to just have people in their homes, and they wanted to both pray for us after we prayed for them. We also saw a man who was suffering from health issues, who is a member of Kefale, but unfortunately stopped coming due to the immense pain he is experiencing. As I was hearing his story, I couldn't help but get so emotional. Seeing him hurting, yet he still got up and made an effort to come talk to us. Today I got to translate a lot, and towards the end of the night, we went to get some ice cream, and I translated the orders of my peers, and it was so fun. Toda...

Hey everyone, it's Leah.     Today we started our day with breakfast sandwiches from Ellie and Avalise, which were splendid. After breakfast, we headed to a nursing home for women. We were celebrating some of the March birthdays,  we were talking with them and praying with them. It was a great opportunity to be able to talk with them and connect with them on a spiritual level. After that, we headed back to the church for lunch and siesta time. We played games with the little boys for a bit and then headed to the volleyball courts. We went to the courts and played volleyball for a few hours with the girls on the club team. We eventually headed back to the church for dinner and church. After church, we ate some delicioso fruit and played coyote with everyone.  Prayer Requests: -Safety -Connecting with the Dominicans -Tito, his family, and Kefale

 Hello everyone, it's Avalise.  Today was our first day down in the Dominican Republic. It started nice and early at 3:00 AM when we all met at the airport to catch our flight. We got through security and got breakfast before hopping on to our first flight to Miami. After a resful three hour flight, we arrived to Miami, where we had a three and a Half hour layover. After a much-needed nap and some food, we caught our final flight to the Dominican Republic. God blessed us with a swift journey through immigration, luckily with no line. We then met up with Cheo and Mendoza, who picked us up from the airport.  After a very scenic ride to the church, we were greeted by Pastor Tito as well as a delicious meal, Chicken, rice, and beans. We had all eaten and were feeling much better after a long day of travel. We then made our way to the grocery store, where we gathered food for the next couple of days. Our night was filled with lots of games, laughter, and fellowship. What ...