Hey everyone, happy to be reporting back to you!
My time in the Dominican Republic was so sweet. The second we got there, it felt like we were home. I had a feeling it would be similar to Guatemala, where everyone was inviting and kind. When we pulled up to our host’s home, I was filled with so much joy and felt like I was right at home. It really took me back to our first month on the race when we were in Chicaman.
If you’ve read some of my past blogs, you would know my team and I worked with an organization called Until They Know (UTK). They felt like family and gave me an opportunity to grow in my faith. UTK, whether they knew it or not, helped build my confidence in my ability to share the Good News. I want to share and give an overview of what a week looked like for me while I was in the Dominican Republic.
Monday:
I woke up and spent time with the L*rd, then my team lead and I would do a Murph. This is a workout normally done every Memorial Day, but we do Murph Mondays. Then, I’d make breakfast, spend more time with the Father, and meet with my team. We would go over what the day would look like and assign different roles for programs we planned. Then, we would head to our first community to do a children’s program in Magiolo. This consisted of a dance, many games, and teaching English words or a lesson. Around 11 we would head back for lunch and some down time. We either spent time with the L*rd, rested, did team time, whatever we felt led to do or had the time for. Around 2, we headed to Loma de la Bestia, another community, to lead a study with a group of women. My team did Beauty For Ashes, which is a women’s program through AIM. I was able to share my testimony, and my teammates were able to share teachings or their stories as well. We loved going every Monday to encourage and love them. After the study, we would either head to the store or back home to start dinner.
Tuesday:
Mornings everyday were similar: quiet time, workout, breakfast, more time with the Father, and a team meeting. Then we would have a zoom meeting with Brad (the founder of UTK). We would go through an update of what was going on with the ministry and our personal walks. Our calls would also consist of some vision casting and Brad would encourage us, then pr@y for requests that we gave him. After our calls, we moved into a time of pr@yer as a team and sometimes were joined by the rest of UTK staff there. Rice and beans were always on the menu for lunch, which was followed by our break before jumping into ministry. 2 would roll around and we headed to La Treinta, another community, for either a children’s program or Beauty For Ashes. Tuesday afternoons varied and were led by what the Father wanted us to do that day. One of my favorite Tuesday’s was when we met Alexander. More on that story in my post,Throwing Out The Crack Pipe.
Wednesday:
After my morning routine, followed by our team meeting, my team headed to Munos. We split and three of us stayed to do our children’s program and the other half went to lead a study for the teens and women. I was in the study group, I started us with an ice breaker, Jenn led a teaching, and Antoinette closed us out. The women there were also engaged and eager to jump into the teachings. Throughout our time more and more women showed up, I loved interacting with two of the high school students. It took me back to leading youth groups and watching high schoolers grow. It was a huge blessing to step into that again. Afternoons were normally the same: lunch and a break. Then, we headed to the same community where we had the first women’s Bible study. Here we met with some of the community and the UTK staff led a few songs and teachings. Wednesday’s were some of my favorite days. Nights for us were also relatively the same, we would stop at the store or head home. As a team we alternated cooking and cleaning, then finished with team time.
Thursday:
Thursdays were similar to Tuesdays, but instead of a meeting, we did a study with Brad and UTK. We would head to La Treinta after our meditation time as a team, lunch, and a break. Here we also did more BFA activities or walked around and met with community members. Depending on the day we would also do BFA events, kids programs, or just walked around letting the father lead us. You guessed it, we headed back for dinner and team time. Team time consisted either of p, testimonies, watching The Chosen, or whatever the person leading it felt like doing. We also did feedback, this is a time we call each other higher, whether that’s positive or just pointing out a blind spot.
Friday:
Around 9, we would head to Blanco’s School. I wrote a blog about our time there in my post, I Took School For Granted. Lunch time came soon after our time there, and after our break, we headed to Munos for more BFA studies or ATL. Through these different studies and programs we created as a team, we allowed the L*rd to move through us. Each encounter with the community was so special and times I will cherish forever.
Saturday:
As a team we used Saturdays as our sabbath. This looked different for everyone, and depending on the day, we didn’t come together as a team until dinner. Sometimes we would watch movies together, but for the most part, I would spend time with the Lord, nap, or read. Saturdays often looked different each week though. One Saturday, we hiked some waterfalls as a team. While another Saturday, some of us went to a baseball game. It just depended on what was restful for that day and person!
Sunday:
On Sundays, we went to Le Treinta for a morning teaching, and on our way home grabbed coconut water from a stand on the side of the road. We utilized Sundays as catch up days for our different roles. In the afternoon we would all work on things we couldn’t get done during the week. I am a storyteller, so I would work on blogs or editing. Lynneal is our treasurer and would work on receipts. Victoria our team leader would catch up on emails and communication. The rest of our team would blog or work on personal things. Sundays always looked a little different, and some of them, we would use that time to see more of the D.R. One Sunday we went snorkeling and made some special memories as a team.
My time in the Dominican Republic was so sweet and I loved our ministry. Although our team did the same programs and went to the same communities each week, it never felt like we were going through a script or through the motions. I loved that, even though it seemed like we were doing the same thing over and over, it never felt that way. We were able to see the L*rd in all of it and how He encounters everyone so differently. It was definitely bittersweet leaving, but I know I always have a place whenever I go back. My faith was stretched and I grew in boldness and gained more confidence. As a team we were able to be unified and encourage each other as we stepped out in more faith. Thank you, UTK, for welcoming us into your family and making our time with you so sweet.
It was fun to read about your week in DR. The flow and rhythm of daily life on the field. ox
It’s crazy being in ATL and remembering we used to have a schedule! Thank you for reading!