Walk to the River

After church, we walked down through the narrow streets of Simon Bolivar to the river.  

Here, the houses are crowded on the hillside, making way to the homes closest to the river that are patched together with whatever materials could be found. 

At the riverside, we came across Davidcito, a man Kevin met on his first trip to DR two years ago.  We were also greeted by a very large pig!

It was an unforgettable walk with Naomi and Johnathan.  A couple years ago, we toured the headquarters for Compassion International in Colorado Springs.  In it, there was a replica of a home that is typical for a Compassion child.  But here, our kids were able to walk among real homes of real people, including the homes of kids who attend the Compassion center in Simon Bolivar.  

On our way back to the church, the pastor invited us to into the small home of a couple from their chruch.  When he introduced us, we found out they were able to make improvements to the their tiny cinder block house with the help of funds sent from our church.  It was a privilege to pray with them and a blessing to have an ongoing relationship with families here.

Sunday Afternoon

Back at the hotel in Santo Domingo, it is Sunday afternoon and we are wiped out!  Time for a nap!

Church in Simon Bolivar

Sunday morning we were up before dawn to drive back to Santo Domingo so we could attend church at Iglesia Envangelica, in Simon Bolivar.

Andrew and Vanessa shared their testimonies during the service.

Naomi joined in singing a few worship songs in Spanish.

And Johnathan once again shared his testimony, the gospel, and prayed for the kids at the church.

Kevin shared a short message, and we enjoyed fellowship with the people who packed into the tiny church building in the crowded nighborhood of Simon Bolivar.

Divine Design

Saturday evening was the big night of the marriage conference, held in the courtyard of Caritas Felices.  Kevin spoke about God's design for marriage, while Mark and I each shared a session specifically for men and women.

Naomi and Johnathan loved helping serve dinner to everyone.

At the end of the conference, we joined hands to pray, and several couples rededicated their relationship to the Lord.  It was humbling to be a part of what God is doing here in Barahona.

More Smiling Faces

On our way back from Lake Enriquillo, we stopped for a short, steep hike up the hillside to see some Taino Indian petroglyphs carved into the limestone outcroppings.

The view from the top of the trail of the lake was breathtaking.

I asked if archaeologists know what the petroglyphs mean, and Pedro said it was probably that the people were happy.  Looks like a good guess to me!

Iguanas Meet You in the Parking Lot

We told Naomi and Johnathan before we left that flexibility is an important trait on a missions trip, and Saturday we certainly got to practice it.  When the marriage conference we planned needed to be moved to the evening, we found ourselves with an open day, so Mesa and his son-in-law Pedro took us to Lake Enriquillo, a salt-water lake below sea level that is close to the border of Haiti.  We were told the national park had a lot of iguanas, but we didn't know they would form a greeting committee and come running when we pulled into the parking lot!  

The park is home to hundreds of rare iguanas, as well as the American crocodile, so we took a boat ride and were treated to lots of crocodile sightings and birds of all kinds.

Basketball in the Batey

Basketball in the Batey, a Haitian community near the sugar refinery in Barahona, became legendary the last time Kevin came.  I've heard the story of how he fell off the raised court from the perspective of others on the team that went last November.  This afternoon we loaded up on tracts and bought a new basketball and pulled up to find a crowd of boys already playing... with the same ball that the team gave them last year!

While Kevin and Andrew did their work on the court, the rest of us attempted to visit with the kids gathered around.

And after the games, Mesa and Andrew shared the gospel with the crowd that had gathered.

I won't soon forget the way the smoke from the sugar refinery burned our eyes, Johnathan's determination to make sure every kid got a gospel tract, or the exuberant kids who asked us to "Come back manyana!"