This spring break, I had an amazing opportunity to serve in Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic with 20 others and I want to share with you some pieces in hopes that you will get a little insight into what a powerful and inspiring experience this was for myself and the rest of my group.
I had been invited on this trip this past July by my brother who was already planning to go. I graciously said yes, not really knowing what I was agreeing to, but I was still beyond excited. We go to the same school and attend a bible study as part of a group called Fellowship of Christian Athletes, which was mostly who would be going. I knew a couple other people that would be on the trip but outside those few, I really had no clue. As the trip neared I got more excited, but also anxious. I am a pretty anxious person and it didn't help that I really didn't know what to expect, what it would be like not knowing everyone, what to pack or much else really.
But the one thing I focused on was that I was supposed to go. I knew this experience would be life-changing the moment I accepted that invitation so I had to trust in the fact that God would make everything work out. Saying that God made everything work out is an understatement looking back. The fact that I was even nervous about the 20 people I would be serving with is crazy to think about. We spent seven days together, which in terms of the scheme of life or forming a friendship, isn't all that long. However, I can honestly say those 20 people inspired me in ways that I didn't know was possible. In less than a week, they helped me think, challenge and understand myself in ways that some people I have known my whole life have barely touched. God knew that I needed people like them, no, He knew I needed specifically them in my life to guide me and increase my passion for my faith and my relationship with God. As I continue to type, I'm trying to think what I can say that will help all of you understand how or why our connection was so powerful, but it is difficult. It's hard to put what we shared into words because it was all about the experience. It's the where, the when, the why and the how behind it all that made the experience so strong.
Beyond the people, what we did played a strong role into how meaningful this week was for me. When it came to the physical aspect, we nailed it. Our group was composed of mostly athletes and the rest were still pretty fit and strong so we were up for a challenge. Before we went down we knew we would be making a basketball court in the center of a small town on a mountain. Although I think the word hill had been used to describe where the village was located and that does not nearly describe where we hiked each day to do our work, but it only made us stronger!
One of the biggest components of our trip was the basketball court, which included gathering and transporting the components for the cement on our court. We knew we would need sand and gravel to mix with the concrete mix. What we didn't know was that the sand we needed was in the river, at the bottom to be more specific. Rather than buying bags of sand, for three or four hours we scooped sand into buckets while in the river and passed them to shore to be dumped. They would then be dumped into sacks which were placed on the backs of donkeys, yes donkeys, to be carried to our site up the mountain. This was more impactful for us than we had thought. In the US, we would have ran to the store and bought the needed materials no problem, but rather we used what God has given us to find the materials around us. Similarly, we used gravel from on the hills and on the banks of the river and handmade a backboard out of wood and added fiberglass to the top. While these tasks seem minor and basic, they really had an impact on us because it made us think about the work we were doing and what this community needed from us in a way we couldn't have imagined.
As we neared the end of our flight on the way to the Dominican Republic, a flight attendant found out we were going on a mission trip to help the local communities. He offered us the leftover sandwiches to give to people down there because they were just going to throw them away so we graciously accepted. When he came back he spoke to one of us and told her to go look at this verse because that's what he was reading. He said that it was fitting for us and we truly exemplified what we would be doing in the coming week. He thanked us for what we were doing for the people of Jarabacoa and wished us safety and luck on our way. I want to share this verse that he gave us that became our verse of the week. "Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it." -Hebrews 13:2
Looking back on this week, I am thankful for all of it. Each component of the week, no matter how big or small made it what it was, made it as amazing as it was. From the juicy, sweet pineapple and the best, no exaggeration, best coffee I have ever tasted, to the daily devotionals and discussions. Every little element led to the perfect week. Although we came out with some minor bumps and bruises, a dozen stitches for my brother, bronchitis for another, thousands of bug bites and some klutzy falls, we survived and are better for it.
I will never forget the conversations I had, in Spanish or English, with Dominicans, CMA & Crosswinds students and staff and of course my amazing group. I have never had a week where I grew such much in my own faith and come home more confident and excited about my relationship with God. I am overjoyed with happiness about the realtionships I formed, the steps I took in my faith, the lessons I learned and the love and support I have received. God truly knew what was in store by leading me to Jaraboca with such an outstanding group of people. I am so blessed to have shared a week with 20 others serving God in a way I will never forget.
