God has given us another great day with a mixture of new and familiar experiences.
They day started off the same way we always do: breakfast and devotions. Devotions were focused on taking some time to read through Acts 2:42-47 and the way the early church functioned right after Pentecost. In particular, it was a focus on how the early church practiced FELLOWSHIP and showed HOSPITALITY. Then we took some time to think about ways we can show hospitality in our homes, school, church, and community. (As a little side note to this devotional, I spent last summer diving really deeply into the evangelistic strategies and tactics of the early church, trying to figure out how in the world it grew from a small group of around 100 people into a body of people so large it overtook the Roman Empire. Guess what one of the primary strategies was? Hospitality. Welcoming people into your home, giving them food, building relationships, and having good conversations that naturally lead to Jesus.)
After devotions we headed to the Go Ministries facilities for some soccer and volleyball practices, then had some really good empanadas for lunch. From there we took a couple of tours of various Go Ministry facilities in Santiago and spent some time walking around the city to get a better feel for the community and people who lived there. We toured the Go Ministries school and got to hear about the amazing work they’re doing in that community and the amazing number of students who are being equipped and discipled to glorify God in various professions. We also heard that they’re were recognized as one of the top four schools in Santiago for educational excellence—which is quite a big feat. We got to get a short glimpse at the Go Medical facility and hear about how they are able to offer extremely affordable healthcare to people in need because of the donations that come in. We spent some time walking through “Little Haiti” which is a little community in Santiago where many of the Haitians live. The students were able to get a feel of the differences between the Haitian and Dominican cultures. Then we spent some time at another Go Ministries location (I can’t remember the name) that had a church. We spent some time looking around the church and got to experience a couple new types of Dominican foods: Chicharron and Mufango. Most of the students were pretty skeptical about both of these dishes and did not think they looked appetizing. However, the majority of the group went out of their comfort zones and gave it a try. Some even liked it. I thought both were really good :-)
After all this we drove back to Hota del Yaque for our final sports camp of the week. It was really cool to feel the tone shift of the camps today. Maddie Springstroh said it best: “I noticed that the Dominicans stopped calling me ‘gringa’ today and started calling me ‘Maddie.’” That’s such a powerful statement that shows how we’ve been able to move beyond being some weird white person, but to someone they know and love. You could feel that shift throughout the whole campus today. The students are super comfortable interacting with the Dominicans and the Dominicans are comfortable interacting with our students. It’s been really beautiful.
After supper the students were given a couple hours of free time. Guess how the majority spent that time? Playing basketball and volleyball with the local kids—maybe even a game of tag. Our boys challenges some Dominicans to a game of basketball that got pretty competitive in a good way. It was the kind of competitiveness that develops between people who know and love each other, but aren’t going to take it easy on each other. It was fun to watch.
Once again, we wrapped up the evening by singing three worship songs with a student led worship team. We even had the opportunity to hear from a new drummer in our school—Jake Van Heerwarden. I was able to teach him the basics of playing the drum set this afternoon and he was already willing to dive in and give it a try tonight. It was a lot of fun. We spent some time debriefing and reflecting on the day then headed out to the basketball courts in groups of four to discuss and pray.
The main theme of the week is Everyday Missionaries. Each day the students have been asked to ask God who He is laying on their heart to reach out to back home with the gospel. Maybe it’s a single person, maybe it’s a group of people, maybe it’s a location. So we took some time to talk about what God has been placing on our hearts and then pray over each of those people or places. It was a really great time as a group and a great way to wrap up the day.
Well, everyone is excited about tomorrow. After playing some more soccer and volleyball, we are heading to the hotel and the beach. Guess what everyone is most excited about? They’re the most excited about the air conditioning…and maybe a little excited about the beach too. This will be a really great opportunity for the students to rest and recover from a very taxing and weary week. It will also be a great opportunity for them to draw closer to each other AND for them to experience the beauty of God’s creation in the Dominican Republic.
So for tomorrow, we’d ask for prayers for out drive to the hotel—that it would go smoothly without any vehicle issues. Pray that the students would have the opportunity to rest and enjoy the beauty of the place. Pray that God would use this time to draw the students closer to each other through this time as well. And pray that God would continue to speak to these students and reveal Himself to them AND that God would continue to reveal to them where he’s sending them into the world as Everyday Missionaries.
Thanks again for your support and prayers.
Jason Ruis