To Hato Mayor and back....

Friday started early for the Dominican Team after a short night of rest. Most of us, because we enjoyed the fellowship at church so late and still needed to pack for our overnight trip to Hato Mayor, didn’t get to bed until well after midnight. We needed to be loaded and on the road by 7am, so that meant an early morning for everyone!

The drive usually takes about two hours to this town of 80,000 people, northeast of Santo Domingo. It took a little longer because of the morning traffic, but we arrived on time. It was a beautiful drive along the coast before heading north. Even that drive is worth the scenery as you leave the urban area of Santo Domingo and get deep into farming areas, including the sugar cane fields. We arrived at the Christian school in town about 9:30am and met Heidi Van Dyke, a 1997 Northland graduate. She serves primarily at the Primera Iglesis Bautista in town, but also helps out at the Christian school as well. She had been our main contact and arranged for the opportunities for us to give the Gospel. We were quickly ushered into a large classroom and seated at a long table at the front of the room where 100-150 Jr. and Sr. High students had been assembled. Over the next hour, the girls sang a couple of songs, answered questions, Lydia and Becky gave testimonies, and I preached a brief Gospel message. We had about 15 minutes to interact before the younger children began to file into the same room. There were easily 100 or so pre-school and elementary children that came in for songs, puppets, and a missionary story from Jennifer. After this hour we spent about 30-45 minutes around the school during their lunch break. The girls played many games, including “hot potato” (the unofficial game of the 2009 DR mission team, thanks to Marcos) with the children. I was able to get involved in some 3 on 3 basketball with the guys on the outdoor court.

After this we enjoyed a wonderful Dominican lunch (rice, beans, chicken, vegetables, and plantains) with Heidi at a small restaurant in the town, and then went to the grocery store for some breakfast and lunch foods for Saturday. Because of some last minute-changes by the church, they decided to put us up in a small but new hotel in town. The rooms were very nice and provided us with hot showers and consistent running water for the first time on the trip. No one has complained at all, but it was definitely a blessing (even the spiders). We even had a couple of hours to relax before the evening service.

Friday night we were able to be a part of the opening meeting in a large outreach campaign being held by the church. They set up a platform, sound and light system, and projector at midcourt of the outdoor basketball court, and planned for everyone to sit in the 5 or 6 rows of bleachers on the one side of the court. We arrived about 7:30 for the 8:00 start, and watch as nearly 350 people filled the bleachers and the sides of the court on a clear and almost cool (by Dominican standards) evening. Our group gave testimonies, sang, and a flute trio played. The guest speaker was Pastor Jose Auguero, father of a 2006 Northland graduate Joel. He preached for overan hour, and we watched as people responded to the invitation for salvation. The service ended about 10:15, and by the time we ate our pizzas (including a new topping for me – corn) from a local place, it was almost 11. We spent a last time as a full team (Abbey and Bri fly back to the States on Saturday) sharing testimonies and singing before heading to bed around midnight.

Saturday morning we went to the gym in Hato Mayor where we had the opportunity to have a clinic with the local girls’ youth team. Much like the other meetings in the Caribbean, “youth” covers a variety of ages from teens through their 20’s. There were about 20 girls from the local team there, and we mixed them in with our team and practiced for an hour. We basically ran a normal practice complete with half court, shooting, and full-court drills. Everyone seemed to enjoy it a lot. After this, we gathered them together and I was able to give the plan of salvation to the group, as well as about 20 or so spectators that came down to the bench area. These girls listened more intently than any of the other teams so far, and we pray that God will bring fruit in His time. After I closed, the pastor of the church in Hato Mayor came over and closed, as well as invited the group out for the Saturday night open air meeting. We will be praying for that meeting for sure.

After this, we played a full game with the Hato Mayor team. We actually had a loud and sizable crown gather in the gym for the contest. I would guess that there were nearly 70-80 people that gathered to watch. We knew it would be more difficult for us because of the heat, but also because we would be without Abbey and Bri. But our girls responded well and took a 6 point lead at the half. They used a half-court trap to cause us some issues, but we adjusted well. The game became more and more physical as well with little acknowledgment from the official. They tied the game at 32 towards the end of the 3^rd quarter and the crowd was pretty excited. But our girls actually appeared to be in better shape in the 4^th, and played their best quarter of the trip. We ended up pulling away down the stretch, and won 60-46. Taylor hit four or five 3-pointers, and Kate had a great game inside. It was definitely fun to win the game, but we never lost focus of the real purpose. As always, we took our time leaving the gym, making sure to talk to as many people as possible along the way.

We will be in another youth meeting at IBC in Santo Domingo Saturday night, and I look forward to posting more about that on Sunday. Thanks as always for praying! Since we weren’t able to post last night, I’ve added a few extra team member posts below. (Abbey and Bri, we miss you and trust you get home safely tonight! Praying for you – coach)

It has truly been a blessing and a wonderful privilege to come on this mission’s trip. Prior to coming to the Dominican, I had specifically prayed that the Lord would cultivate in my heart a desire to share the Gospel and that fear would not hinder me despite the language barrier; the Lord has done just that! The Lord has even convicted me of how I’m living my life. I say this with much shame, but I have wasted so much time because I have allowed my will and desire to hinder my spiritual growth and the need to further the Gospel. It has been incredible spending time with and meeting so many Dominicans in the churches that we have visited and served in, and also through the basketball games. I have walked away seeing the need to share the Gospel and to build my life around it. The only thing that matters is the Gospel and the need to love and serve people unconditionally. I pray that this will move me to serve wherever the Lord would have me because the Gospel is powerful and effective and people need to hear the truth of the Word. -Lisa

In many ways, this week has been a breath of fresh air—the weather is incredible, the land is beautiful, and the people are very welcoming. The short time here has brought back many memories of former trips to Mexico and my love for Hispanic people. But on this trip, my role has changed greatly. Instead of “being pushed”, I am the one “doing the pushing”, and rather than asking someone else “what did he say?”, I am the one doing the translating! God is continually stretching me as I attempt to translate everything from “I’d like a quarter pounder without onions” to “Christ paid the penalty for your sin through his death on the cross”. It is a comfort to know that God does not need my abilities (for they will always be insufficient), but merely a willing heart. It has been my privilege to serve alongside the Lady Pioneers and see the Lord deepen our burden for the lost, for missions, and for the cross of Jesus Christ. -Jennifer

On Friday morning we got up fairly early to be able to travel to Hato Mayor in time to be able to minister in the Christian school there. It was about a two hour drive, most of which I slept through. Hato Mayor is more country land in comparison to Santa Domingo. It’s beautiful! We were able to have two ministry times in the school that morning; one to an older group, and the other to the small children. The songs, verses, puppet show, and testimonies went well despite the many distractions that surrounded us. The biggest blessing of all, for me, came that evening when we headed back to the school after an authentic Dominican lunch at a private restaurant. Our group had the privilege of being a part of the first night of outdoor evangelistic meetings. We ministered in song and testimonies after which the evangelist for the week took over. While we could only pick up on mere words of the message that was preached it was awesome to look around and see a turnout of over three hundred people. One man out of those three hundred had the courage to go forward during the invitation. I could not help but tear up and pray for him as I witnessed that man taking his first step of faith. The gospel of Jesus Christ never loses its power! We are continuing to pray specifically that God would bless these meetings, and that the gospel would be presented clearly to the local people in Hato Mayor. -Julia

It has been such an amazing opportunity and God is really doing a work here in the Dominican. I know God has taught the team so many things. I personally have learned too many to try to name them all right now, but one thing God has been working on me about is how shallow my prayer life is. How often when I’m home back in the states do I specifically pray for the missionaries and the work they are doing? To be honest it is not very often. And when I do pray, it is very general rather than specific. When I’m here it’s very easy to pray specifically but when I’m home my prayer life should be just as fervent as it is when I am here. It’s sad that it took actually being on the mission field to see that, but I’m grateful for God’s faithfulness in teaching me many things on this trip. It has been so exciting to see the work here in the Dominican and the willingness of the people here that are sharing the love of Christ. -Taylor

Fast and furious Thursday....

Well, like I told you this morning this would be a full day and it certainly was. We left the house at 9 am to head over to Colegio Bautista Cristiano, a Christian school of almost 400 in the city. There was a lot of excitement when we stopped by on Tuesday, but nothing like the greeting that awaited us Thursday morning. We were planning to spend some time speaking English with the students, and possibly playing a little basketball. However, little did we know that a scrimmage against their high school guys was going to be the main event of the day! They emptied the classrooms to create a great atmosphere on their undersized outdoor court. Students stood four and five deep around the perimeter to cheer for “both” teams as we played two 15-minute halves. It seems that all of the girls in the school cheered for us because we were the girls’ team, and all of the non-playing guys cheered for us because, well, we were the girls’ team! Despite it being a friendly game, it was dramatic to the end. They tied the game at 35-35 on a free- throw with eight seconds left, and we called timeout to advance the ball to half court. Jenna hit a 12-foot bank shot with three seconds left. After they called timeout, we fouled them with one second left, and held our breath as they missed both free-throws and we won 37-35. We spent about an hour after the game mingling on the court, playground and cafeteria with hundreds of students, talking, laughing, looking at pictures from the game, exchanging email addresses, and facebook names. The girls were very disappointed to leave this school, and would all vote to return if our schedule allows!

Trips across and around town are not as easy as they sound. While we enjoy a nice big bus to meet all of our travel needs, the problem is that it is a BIG BUS – and the streets are extremely narrow and crowded. This brings me to the friendship we have established with Marcos, our driver. He hasn’t left our side since our arrival Monday night. He sleeps in the bus outside the house, and will do so until he takes us to the airport on Tuesday. He will then make the three hour trip home to Santiago where he will see his wife and two children again. Although he speaks no English, he’s the 17th member of our team and we all love him and his sense of humor. His favorite team member is Jenn Renner, because of her fluency in Spanish.

In the afternoon, we made the trip across town for another game, this time against San Lazro at the San Lazro Club. The gym was pretty nice and about 25% open around the sides at the top. The team was not nearly as big as the one from Wednesday, but every bit as quick. Both teams started slowly, but we held a 12-11 lead after the first quarter. Then it began to rain harder and harder, exposing about four or five leaks in the ceiling. We all experienced our first ever “rain delay” at an indoor basketball game! After about 3o minutes, the rain slowed, the court was dried, and we continued play. We played very well in the 2nd quarter, and held a 32-28 lead at the half. They began to press more and more and took a five point lead at 37-32, but we scored the last ten points of the quarter, including a Kate Babcock 18-footer at the buzzer to lead 42-37 after three quarters. We struggled a great deal in the fourth, mostly due to pressure and the heat, and gave up the lead with a minute left, and ended up losing 58-54. It was a great effort by the team. We then took part in th emost important part of the day, the sharing of the Gospel. The girls gave tracts and I spoke for about 15 minutes through an interpreter to everyone gathered at the bench. Please pray that the seed that was sown will bring fruit. One player from the opposing team raised her hand in nee dof salvation, but didn't want to talk afterwards. We will pray the Word will not return void!

We arrived back at the house, showered, changed and raced to church. We arrived and ate our dinner in about 15 minutes, and then led the youth service at IBC. For those of you familiar with Caribbean, the youth service includes young adults into their mid or late 20's. The girls sang in Spanish (which shounds absolutely amazing, even acapella on the bus), Emily and Abbey gave testimonies, and I preached a message for Believers. We then stayed and talked with many in the youth group of 60-80 for an hour or more afterwards. We look forward to coming back here Saturday night for more fellowship.

As I mentioned earlier, we have a bittersweet couple of days ahead. We're looking forward to Hato Mayor and ministering with Northland alumnus Heidi Van Dyke, but on Saturday we will say good-bye to Abbey and Bri as they fly back to Northland for summer school! I'll try to post again on Saturday night. Thanks as always for your prayers! pw

Finally on the court....

Wednesday began with another beautiful morning, providing a great time of personal devotions in the garden and pool area. There is something especially nice about being able to spend time with the Lord in the outdoors. After breakfast, we loaded up the bus to take in one of the favorite hobbies of the Lady Pioneers – shopping! Pastor Robert, youth pastor at IBC, and his cousins were our tour guides as we visited the big market in downtown Santo Domingo. After a brief orientation of the do’s and don’ts of shopping – Dominican style – the girls went out in groups to see who could come back with bragging rights and win the first competition of the trip! After a couple of hours of bartering and begging, there was still no clear-cut winner with everyone returning with great souvenirs. We were also able to talk to several vendors about Christ, leaving many of them with Spanish Bridge tracts with the Gospel.

The afternoon brought our much awaited first game. Unlike scheduling our games in the states, down here another organization does it and therefore we have no idea what kind of competition we will be playing against. Let’s just say that the club team from the Teresa League was by far the best team we’ve played in my years associated with the Lady Pioneers. When we arrived at the Mauricio Baez Club, we encountered 18 players dressed out for the game, including six that were taller than 6’2”, and a center that was at least 6’5”! They were also a very fast team, and that proved to be the catalyst for their quick 19-4 lead after the first quarter. We played much better in the 2^nd quarter, only being outscored by 1, but trailed 36-20 at the half. It was at halftime that we were able to give the Gospel individually to the players with a tract and t-shirt, and then I spoke to everyone including the 30 or so fans that came out to watch. It really was an incredible opportunity. Teresa League led 61-35 after the 3^rd, and finished with a 79-53 win over our exhausted and weary team. As their coach for three years, it was interesting for me to see, and hear them discuss later the difference in playing a game like today. As much as we knew we needed to play hard for respect and the glory of God, our real focus from the opening tip was the condition of the souls of those ladies in the other uniforms. We pray God will use the Gospel seed that was sown today to bring fruit in His time.

Thursday will be our busiest day yet. We will begin the day by ministering at a school in the area, helping with speaking English in several classes. We will also scrimmage a team from the school, as well as play another Club team from the Dominican. We then join the youth of IBC for their mid-week study and fellowship time. Thanks for praying for us! (Because we leave for our overnight visit to Hato Mayor early Friday morning, it is unlikely we will be able to post an update until sometime Saturday night or Sunday. But check back when you can!)

My time in the Dominican so far has been exactly what the Lord has planned it to be, which means it has been for my good and His Glory! Our first game was yesterday—and I didn’t know what exactly to expect. When I first saw the gym (which reminded me of the old school Indiana basketball gyms from home) and the Dominican girls team (which included multiple ladies with height exceeding our tallest player), I prayed that God would use us to have an impact for the Gospel, no matter what the outcome of the game. We were able to share the Gospel at half time through a translator, and I know that God’s word will never return void. A lot of the kids watching the game were asking questions about the Gospel—and we praise the Lord for those opportunities. Before we left the states, I prayed with a friend that God would cultivate in me a passion for sharing the Gospel, and He has. I can’t see these sights and meet these Dominicans without remembering the most important thing—they too must hear the truth and accept it if they are to bring glory to their creator! There is so much more to come…and I can’t wait to see what the Lord has in store for us! - Jenna

I have been on a few missions trip before, even some that were based around sports, but this trip to the Dominican Republic has been different than all those other trips. Even though we came down here to play basketball, the focus has never been put on the game itself. Basketball is not the thing that is trying to be communicated; Jesus Christ is. Wednesday we had the opportunity to play a club team here in Santo Domingo. I was a little nervous because I did not know what to expect. We started off really slow, which was a little discouraging because we wanted to compete. During halftime Coach Whitt was able to share the gospel (through an interpreter). The gospel was clearly presented and tracts were distributed throughout their entire team. Before the game my focus was on playing well and showing these girls that we could play just like them, but after halftime all I wanted to show them was the joy I had in Christ and that my main goal in life was to honor and glorify Him in everything I do. It was not about winning. It should never be about winning. God has given me the ability to play sports and I desire not to use my abilities for myself or my teammates, but for the honor and glory of my Savior. –Abbey