SEED Program

Today is our last day in the Dominican. Needless to say, we are very sad because this place has become so special to us all. We were able to gather one more time and eat breakfast before heading to church this morning.

Church today was very special. We traveled to a neighborhood called “The Hole”. This part of the city has the highest rate of poverty in Santiago and it used to be a landfill. We got to walk through the community a little bit and we saw a creek littered with garbage. We were told that houses along this creek collapse when it rains heavily and families end up having to rebuild their homes. This was definitely the most troubled community we witnessed, but were moved when we walked into their church. It was bright and happy, and we instantly felt welcomed and the presence of God.

Although we couldn’t understand the songs, you could feel the passion these people have for the Lord. The sermon was also hard to follow at times, but we went through John 14:22-23, which talks about how God doesn’t show himself to the world and calls us to spread the gospel based on our love for him. Those who belong to him carry out his calling and obey his word. Today’s service was also very special because it was Dominican Mother’s Day. A group of guys who belonged to the church handed out gifts to the mothers of the church. They also shared how they have impacted their lives. It was incredible to see how loving and joyful they were.

As we sit here in the airport in Santiago about depart, we can’t help but feel so grateful. This trip has been life-changing for everyone. We learned so much about ourselves, each other, the Dominicans, but most importantly, our God who is faithful through it all. It is our prayer that we can take all that we have learned and bring it back to the States.

Thank you all so much for following us along our crazy journey. We appreciate all your prayers as we navigated through the challenges we faced. It means so much to us.

See you all soon,
Hannah, Rylee, and Paula 🙂

A crew of us woke up this morning bright and early for a beautiful sunrise. It was truly incredible to finish up our week of service with marveling in the creation of God, and truly taking in His Kingdom. Breakfast was a full buffet, and a nice little birthday surprise awaited Hannah as the staff sang and presented a cake with a candle lit. All of us loved it, except for Hannah – after all, it is NOT in fact her birthday.

The rest of the morning was spent relaxing on the beach, snorkeling, pool volleyball, and a healthy dose of water aerobics (plenty of hips included). People at the resort asked us who we were, and as we told them they were actually interested, and impressed at the work being done. It’s awesome to think that this trip is going to extend not only to the members of our team, or even the Dominicans we worked with, but to random strangers and our community at home as well. Some of us had another opportunity to interact with vendors at the beach. You can figure out who was good at bartering, who has an elephant, and who can rock braids in their hair the best when we get back…

Lunch was absolutely scrumptious. Nothing like some more burgers and American food to put our stomachs at rest. Grouper, pasta, fried pineapple, and more desserts were also present to indulge in. Shortly after we saddled up in the vans and headed for mountains to weave our way back to Santiago. Little did we know the surprise that awaited us halfway down the first mountain. The Cristo Urbano van had its second flat tire in a 24-hour span, and left half of us chillin’ on the side of the road. Luckily the Bambino (bigger van) had a spare that wasn’t quite the right size, but we were able to make work.

When we got back to home base we had siesta time. Another great opportunity to rest, journal, reflect, and pass time with one another. Card games like 31, speed, euchre, 99, golf, and uno have made many appearances on this trip, bringing oodles of joy and even temporary enemies within our group.

After a short while we ventured over the church we attended on Sunday and sat down in the classroom. Caroline then proceeded to pass out letters we had written ourselves when the whole SEED process really began back in January. After reading and reflecting on what we wrote, Brett showed us a video that Morgan and Ashley had put together of us engaging on the trip (you’ll be able to see this soon).

We walked back to Calle 2 and had a nice time of fellowship. A time of seeing how we’ve been transformed through the SEED process and the trip with GO Ministries. Letters included fears, hopes and dreams, anticipations, and prayers for a meaningful experience. Anything on those letters was so clearly addressed by God, it was crazy. Every part of every letter was touched, and that was incredibly powerful.

Our last Dominican dinner was a big pot of chicken gumbo. Yum. Needless to say most of us are happy to have our normal diets back for good, so get ready to cook again parents :). Post dinner we hung out for a bit and had our last debrief, well maybe. We’ve had about 4 by now and one seems to be expected tomorrow amidst traveling. This one was different though. This was a meeting of encouragement. We went around the circle and shared meaningful memories, words of praise, and tears of joy. These trip members are amazing, and the impact we have all had on each other, and the importance each person had to contributing to our team was inspiring.

As we wrap up this trip we continue to think of all the experiences we’ve had here, we are anxious to share all that happened individually with our family, friends, and even strangers. Pray for safe travels, good health, and that what we have all learned affects us in a divine way, so that we can continue to live intentional, missional lives.

All the Best,
Keon, Bryce, and Jordan

Hola friends and family! As our week here in the Dominican Republic is beginning to wind down, today was a beautiful opportunity to unwind and reflect. We woke up at full strength and were well rested for the day ahead. After breakfast we had our last daily devotional of the week and headed to the Go Ministries LDC to watch some baseball.

Over the course of this week, we have really gotten to know a lot of the players very well so it was really fun to watch them compete. The field does not have bleacher seating, so many of us were mingling with the players on the bench and around the field. It was also a great way to wrap up our week of work with them, and our time together because we got to watch them do what they all love. We have spent a lot of time with the players in their English classes, and one of the easiest things for them to talk about has been their love for baseball and how it has opened doors for them in their lives.

After the game, we also had the chance to demonstrate the Sawyer water filters to members of the GO ministries community. IG, one of the pastors for GO and the director of church planting, was present. As GO seeks to plant 1,000 churches in the next 10 years, we hope these filters can be a blessing to the local communities.

The message incorporated with the filter is that the dirty water is representative of us; impure and imperfect. The filter then represents a life with Jesus Christ at the center, which is the only way to cleanse ourselves of our imperfections. The clean water that comes out of the bottom is a clear depiction of how we can all be cleansed by Jesus. After the demonstration, the cup was passed around and everyone shared a drink of the clean water.

Before we headed to the beach, one of our vans got a flat-tire which left just enough time for Joey to get an authentic Dominican haircut.

After miles of winding roads through the mountainous terrain and beautiful countryside, we finally landed at the resort. We ate lunch as a team, and then headed to la playa (beach)!! The weather was beautiful as we played frisbee, swam in the ocean, played volleyball in the pool, and Audrey and Rose got their hair braided on the beach. We are definitely starting to feel like locals. After a fun day in the sun, we gathered again for a very nice buffet dinner. With the sundown, we headed to the beach once more to reflect on the week and share what has been on our minds throughout this trip. We talked a lot about perspective and how we see God working in our own lives. From helping us with doubt and adding faith to every part of our lives, to helping us get through tough times and being missional wherever we are, we hope to bring everything we have learned back to the States.

Thanks for reading!

XOXO

Joey, Audrey, and MeKenna

Today once again started with a great breakfast of eggs, Dominican sausage and fruit prepared by the cooks that have served us so intently this week.  After breakfast, we sat down as a group for devotions.  Today’s devotion followed the theme that we have been discussing this week of being ‘Outsiders’ within the church.  We discussed how, just as Jesus communicated to his disciples that his salvation is not limited to any one exclusive group of people, that it is further the responsibility of those who believe in the power of Jesus Christ to go into the world and spread the gospel to all people in all nations.  We closed with prayer and prepared to head to the Go Ministries property (the LDC) to continue helping with the batting cages project that has been ongoing throughout the week.

As we continued to work alongside some of the Go baseball players while working on the batting cages, several of us have discussed how each day has become more and more enjoyable because of the continued growth of relationships with these young men.  We have all grown to be connected to these guys while attempting to have conversation in a cross between English and Spanish.  It is also worth mentioning that today was exceptionally hot, and some of us didn’t make it terribly long while continuing to work in the heat.  However, with consistent water breaks and group accountability and encouragement, the cages were completed, and we walked away alive and very sweaty.

Upon finishing the cages, we headed inside once again to join some of the guys in the intermediate-level English class.  In class today, we primarily had conversation about jobs and occupations, and how each of the players viewed their future and desired careers.  Throughout the week, we have had multiple opportunities to converse with and get to know many of the players and coaches at Go, and today’s class was no exception.  Many of us would agree that hearing the stories and aspirations of these players is truly inspiring.

We then returned to Calle 2 for lunch which today was rice, beans and beef which was a change of pace from chicken.  We then had about an hour of down time where many of us played cards and a few people took a quick nap before heading to girls’ basketball practice.  While playing cards, we seem to have quickly worked our way through two massive bags of candy in the past twenty-four hours…

At practice today, we had the opportunity to run a few stations of ball handling, shooting and passing.  The first session consisted of a younger age group, where we ended up slitting into girls and a few young boys who showed up to practice which seemed to not be out of the ordinary.  The second group was girls who were a bit older, and we were able to have three groups where we followed a similar format while joining and playing alongside them.  We finished with a game of lightning/knockout and then stayed to watch a little of the boys’ high school-age basketball practice before heading back for dinner.

Dinner tonight was tacos with several Dominican vegetables and authentic cheese sauce served with pineapple.  This once again was delicious and served as a reminder of how spoiled we have been to have the Go cooks taking care of us all week.  After dinner, several of us played a game of cards before heading to get some ice cream at Bon, the same ice cream shop that we went to our first night here.  We then headed home for debrief where we shared some concluding reflections before wrapping up the night with a time of journaling, reflection and card playing.  Overall, today was another great day, where we had the opportunity to serve and learn about the glory of God and the extensive beauty of his creation.

Thanks again for reading,

Sending lots of love from the Island in the big Mexican Gulf,
Rose, Sally and Brady

We woke up to a great breakfast as the cooks had prepared omelets with fruit. Our devotions for the morning that Brett lead were on the passage of Luke 4:14-30, which talked about how God wanted to save all people, and not use Jesus as a politician for the Jews. He wants to save all, insiders and outsiders, no matter who you are.

We then left to tour Go Ministries, where we went to the Go Seminary and met with Jeff who was one of the lead professors. He gave us a 30-minute summary of what he teaches on as “The Culture of the Broken World” and “The Culture of the Kingdom of God”. It pointed out the differences in the two and how we change the culture of the broken world into the culture of the kingdom of God. This is done by evangelizing through love and joy. Three main points are belonging, behavior, and believing. First, is to give an individual a sense of belonging, not by making people follow a set of rules before they can join the Church. Then, by the example of the church, the individual’s behavior will change for the better and will hopefully lead to them believing in Jesus Christ as their Savior. Another key point was that the Church is the people not the building itself.

On our way back from the seminary, Brett told us the history of Go Ministries. A quick summary of the start of Go: A pastor started preaching in a church on Sundays and sold insurance full time to support his family. Then, an American came along and saw what good he was doing and wanted him to do it full time, so he got his church to give him just over $200 a month. Soon after, the pastor became called to do more and more and Go Ministries grew into Go Sports, and Go Medical, and several other areas of impact.

We then were taken to the Go Medical clinic, a giant clinic for the community which provides extremely affordable healthcare. The medical center and staff are relatively new, but the community is being impacted significantly. Go saw the need and pursued it.

We also had the opportunity to go to class with some of the baseball players in their advanced English class. This class is completely optional for them. Brett lead the class and we shared our stories/testimonies in small one-on-one groups. The players also shared their stories with us. This was a really cool experience and we got to personally connect with them and hear about their dreams and what they want to pursue. A few of them will be going to school and playing baseball in the States next year and it is cool how Go has helped them with this opportunity. We talked about the importance of education and the pursuit of our goals.

Girls’ and boys’ soccer practice was tonight and our group got to help out with both. The guys from our team helped out with the boy’s practice and the girls helped with the girl’s soccer practice. The guys in our group lead the practice for the boys and played different fun games with them and had a blast. The girls followed the lead from Coach Kelsey and were assigned a team of girls to coach and encourage. At the end of practice Hannah and Rylee shared a little bit about their story and about what they have learned about God through their sport.

After soccer we went back and the Dominican intern coaches, Junior, Randy, Misheal, and Alan, who are our age shared their testimonies. Each of them shared their struggles of growing up and becoming baseball players, and all of them had dreams to make it big but all ended up becoming coaches for Go. This was very powerful because they all have a very deep love for the Lord and for bringing up the kids the way they were brought up through Go. Each of them also talked about how previous coaches had impacted their faith and put them where they are today. We enjoyed great fellowship with them and they are having a truly incredible impact on their community on the island.

Love and Blessings,
Rylee and MeKenna

 

When we woke up this morning, we were lucky enough to wake up to the sound of the water truck, and soon after the smell of pancakes and bacon.  After we had finished eating breakfast, we circled up as a group to work through day two of the Revision devotional that we’re working through this week. The purpose of today’s devotional was centralized around the concept of the cruciality of forgiveness for others and more importantly for oneself in the context of a Christian life.  Ultimately, God’s forgiveness towards us is unmatchable, unrepayable and unending.  We talked about a few stories in the book of Matthew where often times human beings fail to grant forgiveness and mercy towards others and towards ourselves.  This draws into context how truly undeserving we are of the forgiveness we receive from our heavenly father, at a level far beyond what we can ever experience in human life.

We started the day continuing with our service project working with Go Ministries baseball players on their batting cages.  We picked up where we left off the day before, sifting and mixing sand that could be spread on the floor of the cages.  Similar to yesterday, we were working alongside some of the Go Ministry baseball players and staff, many of whom we met and talked to in English class the day before.  Throughout our time working, we had the opportunity to strengthen the relationships that were formed the previous day through working, conversation, and challenging them with their understanding and ability to speak the English they have been learning.

After working for a few hours on the batting cages project, we headed back to dorm building to enjoy lunch our incredible cooks had prepared for us.  After eating, a few of us did the dishes, and spent the next couple of hours bonding as a team, playing games, and resting up for the activities to come in the afternoon.  Most of us joined in a collective game of cards, which further allowed for conversation and relationship building within our team.

Around 2:30pm, we made our way over to the Go Ministries basketball court before practice, intending to get there early enough to play with each other and get warmed up in preparation for the kids to join.  However, several players were already shooting around when we got there, so we jumped straight in before the official start of practice.  When the coaches arrived, we were divided up into three groups in combination with the kids to progress through three different stations.  Let’s just say this was one of the hardest practices any of us have experienced, which is saying a lot considering that we are all college athletes. J These three stations were composed of ladder footwork drills, a dribbling station and a jump shot/shooting station.  We finished with a game of lightning (or knockout depending on where you’re from) where the true athleticism and competitiveness of our group combined with the players to make the game extremely entertaining.  Following practice, we circled up with the boys, and Bryce shared a part of his testimony with the group.  We then closed with prayer led by one of the players.

After about an hour with the boys at practice, we proceeded with a practice with the Go Ministry girls’ team.  A few of our team members were given the task of putting together a few drills and games to get the girls excited about practice.  We were pretty dedicated to bringing the energy, and a few of us might have some issues with our voices tomorrow from cheering so loud.  We then finished practice with another game of lightning where a few of boys who had lingered around after practice once again joined in.  This was a great opportunity for us to be able to interact with some of the young girls that Go Ministries has built a foundation to make an impact on their lives.  To close practice, we again circled up for a time of sharing and prayer, where two of our group members, Hannah and Mekenna shared a few things with the girls.  One of the girls then closed in prayer before we had to rush off to serve dinner at the nutrition center established by one of the churches associated with Go Ministries.

As soon as we got to the church, we were immediately greeted by smiling children who didn’t hesitate to say hello and jump all over us.  We played with the kids for a while before serving them dinner.  We gave them piggy-back rides, ran around with them and threw them in the air.  Soon after we were all called inside, and after prayer lead by one of the children, proceeded to serve them dinner.  After dinner, we circled up outside of the church to have the opportunity for Kyle, one of the leaders of Go Ministries, to share about the history and current state of the church in what is a very impoverished area.  We heard from the current pastor of this church who provided a very inspiring insight into the work that God currently and will continue to do in this area.  We then continued to play and run around with the kids for a while, putting them on our shoulders, playing tag and being surrounded by screams and laughter. Rylee, one of our football players, continued with what will become an infamous exclamation ‘Mas Niños’ which means ‘More Kids,’ while proceeding to be jumped on while carrying three children at a time.   Needless to say, the kids were sad to see us go, but we all left with smiles and were so glad we had this opportunity.

After, headed back to our building for dinner of authentic pork chops, pashed potatoes, peas, and ‘squeaky cheese’ a classic Dominican food.  We had the opportunity to hear the testimonies of Brett, Kyle and Dariana, the primitive leaders of Go, and how God has called them to where they are.  Their stories were especially moving, and it was inspiring to see how God’s plan is carried out in each of us, whether that aligns with our initial plans or not. We closed the day with a quick debrief, journaling and team bonding before heading to bed, looking forward to a busy day tomorrow.

Peace and Blessings,

Baller Bryce, Rose aka ‘SUPAGIRL’ and DJ Paula

We woke up this morning and yup, it was already hot. Met up in our little bungalow for breakfast and were pleasantly surprised with a steamy pot of hot chocolate. Yum. After hanging around the breakfast table for a bit we circled up for some Devo time. Brett lead us this morning as we jumped around Genesis and the idea of sin and how it separates us from His Kingdom. One thing that really stood out to us was in Genesis 6:6, “The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on earth, and his heart was deeply troubled.” This is completely opposite to the God we see through Jesus, and as the week progresses, we are encouraged to see how the Lord is inviting us into a relationship with him, and not regretting having made us as we continue to glorify Him.

Post-devo time is when the day really got going. We loaded up vans and ventured back to the Academy (LDR). After meeting some incredible staff members, we were put to work. Mixing, digging, hacking, moving, smoothing, and sifting dirt to lay a new foundation/floor for the batting cages. What was so cool during this was our opportunity to interact with the baseball players. They got to help build the facility they will use on a daily basis. And, some of their stories were incredible. One young man in particular could speak English as good as any of us it seemed, and we later found out that he had only started taking lessons a year ago. He pursues learning the language on his own, and shows us how willing these students are to work for their dreams, and work for the Lord. Crazy.

We then transitioned inside and got to sit in on a beginner English class with the baseball students. Sra. Almonte arrived and started playing music as an introduction to class, it threw us off, but we were jamming. Right from the get go, we could tell just how passionate she was about making sure all the students were engaged and truly learning. Her patience seemed unlimited. She got us involved by pairing up students with us “Americanos” and talking about different furniture you could find in various rooms of the house. We walked through each room and identified seemingly every piece of furniture you could think of. It was kind of nuts how excited we all got when someone would say refrigerator correctly. At the end of class, we all got to have a one-on-one conversation and get to know a student on a deeper level.

Tummies grumbling after a lot of hard work and studying, we came back to our home base for some lunch. The meal was an authentic Dominican dish comprising of chicken, rice, beans, pickled broccoli, and the ripest pineapple on this earth. After a short siesta time, we headed back to the Academy for soccer practice. Of course, Jordan and I were thrilled because we love soccer. Before training, the coach spoke some really amazing truths over the group. He talked about the importance of having Jesus at the center of your life. Sports will end, we can win, but God’s love for us is limitless and forever. The coach then led us in a warmup that put most of us out of breath. We divided into four teams and mixed our group with the academy players. This was another super cool way to interact and get to know more kids.

Got back home and found out the water was out after a long day of sweating and being gross. But don’t worry, there’s buckets of water graciously awaiting us in the shower to throw on us with little plastic cups. Dinner was scrumptious as usual, and we were pumped when we found out we were going to Dominican Walmart. After picking out some snacks and munching on some churros, we finally got back home and debriefed.

It is crazy just how easy it is for all of us to witness God in every aspect of what’s going on here. In the leaders, in the students, in the teachers, in the weather, in the team itself, and in the mountains that surround us, it’s just all too easy to see Him. As you think about us, we ask that you pray for good health, continued energy, strength, and some water – both to drink and to bathe in, or you might be in for a great surprise when we get home 🙂

Peace and Blessings,
Hannah and Jordan

Our day started at 8:00 this morning. After we ate, we changed and went to a Bible study at one of the missionary’s homes with other missionaries and the volleyball team from Wheaton College. We discussed Luke chapters 11 and 12. If you are interested in hearing some of the topics we talked about, you can check out the podcast “Gringlish Fellowship” on iTunes. After Bible study, we attended a local church service. We worshipped with the Dominicans to the tune of some pretty lively music, including “Oceans” in Spanish. We participated in communion and attempted to understand the sermon spoken in Spanish.

We returned for lunch and were able to rest up for the big day ahead of us. We headed to Go Ministries Leadership Development Complex, which is about 15 minutes away from where we are staying. While driving there, we were able to see the community surrounding it. We passed a cigar factory, and learned that this region produces 75% of the world’s cigars and employs most of the city.  We were also treated to a beautiful view of God’s green Earth. We saw mountains, palm trees, and plenty of sunshine.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by about a hundred kids, eager to play with us. We took out the sports equipment that we brought along with us, and dove in. Everywhere we looked, the kids were engaged and having a really good time. We played football, volleyball, soccer, had relay races, and even had a water balloon fight. One of the biggest challenges for our group was a language barrier. Although most of the group does not speak Spanish, we were still able to communicate through our sports and keep the kids involved. Despite our differences, we all had fun just the same.

After the kids took the bus home, Kyle and Brett took us on a tour of the facility. Currently the Leadership Development Complex is located on a 24-acre plot of land, and contains basketball courts, a baseball field, batting cages, and an educational facility used for English and Bible classes. They shared with us their vision for the next five years, which includes building four more baseball fields, a volleyball complex, another education building, a multipurpose facility, a cafeteria, soccer fields, a seminary building, and a missionary building.

The educational facilities will also someday serve as dorms, and will be able to house up to 48 students each. Brett and Kyle shared with us that some of their biggest challenges include funding and staffing enough coaches and teachers for the growing programs, but they are already doing amazing work for the kids in the community.

One cool thing about our hosts is their desire to show us as much of the community and the culture as possible. They brought us to an empanada restaurant, where we were able to try various types of the delicious Dominican dish. After dinner, we returned to our dorm for a time of debriefing and reflection. We discussed ways that we saw God’s influence today and moments that opened our eyes and stretched us out of our comfort zones.

We learned a lot today about the culture of the Dominican Republic and observed similarities in the way that people praise God all over the world. We were able to witness His love for the people during the church service and through the way that Go Ministries has been blessed to make an impact on the community here. One prayer request for today is to ask that Go Ministries continues to find funding and loving people to join their team and serve God.

From the Dominican with love,

Keon, Sally, and Joey

Hey bloggerz!!! Good news—we made it. We started the morning off by meeting at DeVos at 3:30am and landed in the DR at 1:45pm. Yes, we’re very tired, but still thriving. At the airport Go Ministries picked us up and took us in vans to our home for the week. When we got here, we were served sandwiches and delicious pineapple then had siesta time.

After a good nap, we explored the local streets of DR. We realized quickly that they like their music loud and don’t necessarily watch out for you walking down the street, particularly the people driving motorcycles. The driving age isn’t quite like it is in the US as we saw what looked like to be 10-year old’s driving motorcycles. Needless to say, we stay close to the side of the road.

We met our first couple friends hanging out outside their homes. We brought plenty of energy and sports equipment to supply them with an hour of fun. Soon enough our couple friends grew, as many local kids quickly realized what was going on. Through frisbee tossing, football throwing, and bubble blowing, we all became connected through sport. Although none of the kids spoke English, we found our own ways to communicate and quickly felt God’s presence. Even though we played with these kids for just an hour, they were already asking “Manana?” and giving us big hugs as we left. The joy they received from us messing around with them for just an hour was super fulfilling.

We grouped up for dinner and met our cooks for the week. The nice ladies prepared us rice, ground beef, chips, avocados, and pineapple. As dinner was finishing up, the power went out. The cooks then insisted on washing our dishes for us because us Americans would use too much drinking water to do it. As everything got cleaned up we hopped in vans and drove to go get ice cream from a local ice cream shop. The shop had many flavors such as birthday cake, café, and rum raisin (still wondering why Jordan got that). Brett and Kyle, our Go Ministry leaders, paid the bill and continue to show us what it means to serve. Kyle has been in the DR for 10 years serving with Go Ministries and Brett has been with Go Ministries for a couple of months. Fun fact, our home for the week is placed on the street where Go Ministries all started.

Our home is a three-story place used for mission workers like ourselves to help in the local communities. There are bunkbeds three beds high for both boys and girls, and then an upstairs kitchen and gathering area to eat and hangout that is all outside.

As the night winded down we came together to express how we saw God throughout our day today. There was everything from reducing anxiety on the way here to seeing smiles on the faces of kids who in our eyes don’t have a lot. We’ve come to realize the locals here might not be rich in materials but are rich in love, and happiness.

Overall, we had no complications traveling and are blessed to have made it here safely. We still have many questions going into tomorrow, but are continuing to keep an open mind. Thanks for checking in J.

Audrey and Brady

P.S. Check out Go Sports on Facebook for some additional pictures and updates from the week!