We got here safely on Saturday afternoon. Thank God! We were picked up by our host family at evening. My host parents are super sweeeet and they have two daughters and two sons, most in college and one in high school.
On Sunday we all dressed up and went to church early in the morning. Praising and worshipping God through Spanish songs reminded me of Urbana 2012, the mission-oriented Christian conference for college students. The music at church was overwhelmingly exciting. I really enjoyed clapping my hands and moving around. Although I did not understand Spanish, I was able to read off the powerful of the Spanish version of some familiar Christian songs, such as How Great Thou Art! :)
Later on in the afternoon we went to visit the original colonial site. It was like the Quincy Market in Boston. There were many historical buildings, memorials for Dominican heroes who fought for Independence , and many modern commercialized shops. After nearly two hours of walking around and photo taking, we went to a friend's house and sat on the rooftop to have dinner and discussion on what we observed at the colonial site. We talked about the relationships between the Natives and the Spainard, as well as the important role of history writer in regards to what actually happened. The day ended with us singing praise songs in Spanish, Creleo, English along with some sign language on the local bus.
When my friend Brenda and I got back to the host family's home, one of the brothers asked me what my favorite bible verse was. I told him Jeremiah 29:11 and I shared my personal testimony of God's story in my life. I am normally the one translating for others, but being at DR requires others to translate for me. I thank my friend's patience so much! Also, not knowing the language allowed me to keep quiet and listen more, something that I am always bad at. Everday is a good opportunity for me to learn to listen well and be more patient. Good stuff! I was able to use my love of photography to serve the family by taking family photos for them! It was so much fun!!!
On Monday, we stayed in the church for most of the day. We did bible study on Luke 3:1-20 and focused Jesus not only bringing salvation to the Jews but everyone as John the Baptist prepares the way. We had discussion about it afterward. We also went over the basics of the Gospel. After lunch at the new mall, we did more preparation on cross-cultural interactions. Eventually, we all took a nap for 30 minutes at the church because we were all tired. We ended the afternoon session with us sharing team covenant to Christ, to each other, and to the people around us during the trip.
The night spent with the host family was very lovely. We had lots of laughters trying to figure out what each other was trying to say, sharing funny stories, and semi-cooking. The second Brother eventually took out his bible and started to share favorite bible verse again. Not only that, we also got to share about our experience at DR and with the host family. We got to read Psalm 46 in Spanish and English. I was so surprised when I read the line "be still and know that I am God" it was exactly the line that I put on the photo I posted in facebook before I depart Boston! God indeed works in His own wonderful ways, constantly reminding me of His love and His promises!
It is getting late (12:22am) and we have to wake up early (5am!) in the morning to catch a bus to head to Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. We will be working with Haiti Partners, the organization that the donation was for. I can not wait to see what God has prepared for me and my group. Please keep my group and me in your prayers and thoughts as we take the 6 hour long bus from DR to Haiti. In addition, we heard there might be a strike in Haiti, please pray for our safety and the country's stability!
P.S. I've been taking lots of photos and keeping up with my journal. When I return to the states, I will share more in short stories along with photos!!! That would be the fulfillment iof my photojournalist dream and my gift for you all! 😊
