Tonawanda Indian Baptist Church - Monday
Palm Trees. The sight of palm trees puts a smile on our faces. If you’re looking at a palm tree, odds are you’re no where near the snow-laden surroundings of Western New York. There are many, many palm trees here…& that makes us happy!
Monday started in a hurry…like a mad dash of horses down the stretch at the Kentucky Derby. This morning we were “off & running” by 7:00 am & “on the road (again) by 8:30 am to head out to one of the sugarcane villages. Today was our first experience working with the children in the villages. Many were a little apprehensive at first, but the children were very friendly & approached us without hesitation. (Once again demonstrating the warmth & love of the Dominican people.) While in the village, we played with kickballs, footballs, frisbees, & fingernail polish– some of the children even painted OUR nails (& hands… & arms, etc.) But the biggest draw was a
GI-NORMOUS rainbow-colored parachute. The children absolutely loved running under it! We also used it to play (invent) a few games. Overall it was quite the ruckus! Chris, Jake, & Shaunna shared their testimonies in between a couple of dramatic presentations. Pastor John then presented the Gospel message while Andres interpreted. At the end, Andres gave an alter call & we immediately saw God bring in a harvest. Several children (& adults) trusted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior for the first time! What a humbling experience to be involved in God’s work!
After lunch, we returned to the “fields” to work in another village. On our first stop of the day, we ministered to the families of hard-working sugarcane workers while in the afternoon we drove a few miles down the road from the SCORE Complex. The town was closer to the beach & definitely more “developed.” The people of this area primarily worked on or near some of the local resorts. While there we were able to minister to the children through games, skits, & crafts. After playing some basketball & playing with the parachute (a favorite with the children), we gathered the children together to make beaded Salvation Necklaces. The children enjoyed working with their hands & the Gospel was presented. Following the craft we performed a mix of fun & serious skits. Then, Jeff gave the Gospel message. \During the altar call, many children raised their hands to accept Jesus, along with a couple of adults who took interest in the presentation. Before loading the bus, God allowed us the opportunity to pass out some Gospel literature to many of the adults waiting for the children to finish. What a privilege it was to see the Lord at work!
We wrapped up the day with a little group bonding time in the pool before gathering together to share what God has shown us through our experiences today. There were laughs, there were tears, there were hearts pouring out– it was a great time of prayer & encouragement. It is safe to say that God is at work in the Dominican…in the lives of the people & in our lives as well. It is our prayer that we grow closer together as we grow closer to God as a group!
Stay tuned…tomorrow we head out early to do a work project in one of the villages. We will be rebuilding an outdoor “bathroom/shower” for a 19 year-old handicapped believer who is being discipled by our local missionary Andres, as well as playing & sharing the gospel with the children of the village
