This is our last day here in Santo Domingo. We will be loading on the bus to the airport at 4 a.m. and then hopefully flying out at 7 a.m. We should arrive in Kansas City around 4:30 p.m. and meet up with the rest of the group from Jamaica, then take another bus back to camp and should arrive at approximately 10:30 p.m.

Today we went to our last village to minister and hold VBS. I believe this was a village that has not been visited before so the people and children were much more curious and cautious than in previous villages. We tried to break the ice by handing out cookies first thing. Even the elderly ladies of the village came out to get cookies.  After the kids ran some races and won some events, Ari tried to pass out prizes to the winners but soon found herself in the midst of a mob (see the picture). Everyone wanted to receive a prize, and one little girl in particular LOVED her little stuffed animal (see picture). The cutest little kids were intrigued with our bus too and loved sitting on the front of it. Our HG students did a great job, as usual, with their skits and dances and held the attention of even the youngest ones. After we did our presentations, one of the SCORE staff interpreted, shared the gospel, and prayed with everyone.

In the afternoon we decided to do a service project instead of having free time. The HG students and staff helped at a local medical clinic by cleaning, sorting donations, washing out bins, and organizing everything on the shelves.  Our work was MUCH appreciated by the doctor who volunteers at the Clinic and the HG students had great attitudes through all of it . . . even though the temp felt like it was 110!!!

The HG students performed for all of the groups here at SCORE this evening so they could see what we do when go out into the villages. The groups cheered wildly for them and even learned and participated in our “Standing O.” It is great to see our HG kids so well accepted wherever we go. The SCORE interns said they were the “hipest” group they have ever had, and meant that in a good way. 

We will finalize our day with an evening at the Snack Shack with students purchasing food items they want for snacks (hamburgers, hot dogs, pop & ice cream). The proceeds for that event go to SCORE so it is for a worthwhile cause, or so we tell ourselves. I think everyone will be returning with a greater understanding of what it means to be a servant, how spoiled and blessed we are in the States, how to have a daily quiet time, and hopefully have made some lifetime friends. We look forward to seeing each of you very soon. Signing out for now, your daily correspondant, Robin 

Hola! What a wonderful day to serve the Lord! We have been blessed beyond measure today as we set out this morning to go back into Monte Cristy. We had a hard days work today at an “old-folk’s home” there in Monte Cristy. We began the morning with just some basic clean up around the small fenced-in area surrounding the building. Then, we spent the rest of the day scrubbing walls, floors, beds, etc. with bleach concentrate and some pesticide to kill any type of bugs that were there.The living conditions were quite rough in this place…as is most areas in Monte Cristy.  The home was established by a small church that is located right next door to the home.  We actually were able to work alongside an interpreter named “Shadrach” – whose father is the pastor of the church there in Monte Cristy. The students have had a wonderful time working with Shadrach…he’s hilarious to be around.

The day was exhausting…especially working in that heat…but praise the Lord that we were able to go in there and make a difference. The flies, mosquitoes, beg bugs, etc. were really bad. One of the older gentlemen that lives there was praising the Lord for us being there and cleaning the place up…He said the mosquitoes had especially been bad lately…but he praised God they were gone for a little while due to the cleaning and disinfecting. It has done us all good to be servants today…a reminder of Jesus’ humility and how we are to be more like Him.

After the work project, we had about 45 minutes before the van returned to pick us up…so we walked through the village handing out bible tracts and inviting the people to the local church…sowing the seed. Upon returning to the SCORE Complex this evening, Tammy and I had the opportunity to take a dip in the pool with Michael and Levi. All of the girls (Abi, Catherine, Kara, and Sidney) took baths and hit the bed to take a nap…Of course you must know that they were pretty worn-out…especially after the guys beat the girls in a game of ‘Password’ last night…ha ha J.

Our plans for tomorrow will take us into the capital city of Santa Domingo.  We will be walking along one of the busiest streets in the capital handing out bible tracts and the Gospel of John in Spanish. We will also have the opportunity to see some of the more historic places in the country, like Christopher Columbus’s museum and one of the oldest cathedrals in the world. Having Bob alongside of us is such a blessing because of his great historical knowledge of the Bible and Christianity. We hope to give out over a 1,000 tracts and a few hundred bibles tomorrow. Please pray that we will have the opportunities for personal evangelism tomorrow.

Hope everyone at home is doing well…until tomorrow…have a blessed evening…Adios!

Brad

The food and medical equipment were delivered yesterday afternoon. We had plenty of help unloading. I don’t know how we got the X-Ray machine off without someone being hurt; I believe it weighs close to 1600 pounds. God knows our needs. We will have a meeting with the pastors Saturday morning to start the distribution process.  We anticipate a 4 month distribution to over 2,000 people in the poorest villages (550 families). This food will be a nutritional supplement to what they now eat. The government sent an inspector out with the truck to check and make sure our operation was legitimate and that we weren’t going to sell the food. All is clear.

Timothy F. Wolfe
The world needs a savior.
http://www.scoreinternational.org/contact/missionaries
http://scoremedicalmission.spaces.live.com/

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

Everyone was excited for today as we knew we would be going back to the orphanage again.  We started the day by going to another Sugarcane village.  This village was unique in that they actually had people working there.  There were men rounding up cattle into a stall while riding a horse and swinging a lasso(never thought we’d see actual cowboys over here), there were men driving trucks to haul stuff and a factory of some sort (probably coal) with lots of activity going on around it.  Some of it was pretty distracting for the games and such with the kids, but at least we knew the people did sometimes work.  We were able to do a few different things with this village as SCORE allowed us to take some items that had been donated to use as carnival prizes. The kids really loved that and crowds always gathered around the prize area.  We were also able to give away some diapers and baby clothes, and they were much needed.  There was a 17 yr. old girl there with a 2 month old baby and she let everyone hold the baby.  Many of the mothers in the villages look to be very young teenagers, so we were hoping that our sin box skit might get through to some of the people.

Then in the afternoon we went back to the orphanage and the kids were ready and waiting for us.  They couldn’t wait to do the “Get Loose” dance with the HG students again and spent hours perfecting it.  We also did carnival games with them and gave away prizes, let them draw with chalk on the sidewalks, played many games with them, did crafts and just loved on all of them.  One of the main things they asked of us this time was to paint a part of their wall inside with a mural of some sort. Someone had previously done some great paintings on the walls but this particular part was blank.  So our artistic students and counselors planned out what they would paint, bought the paint and then spent hours completing it while everyone else played. They did a great job and the mural looked great.  Hope you are able to see the picture of it.

Hola!  Wow…What a day in the DR. We all got a good night’s rest before rising early this morning for some quiet time with the Lord and breakfast. We then loaded up the two vans with all of the equipment and medication needed to set up the medical clinic. We traveled to a very large sugarcane village (appx. population of 75,000) in Consquelo. This area has been hit hard with poverty due to the primary sugarcane factory closing down a few years ago. This has left literally thousands of Dominicans without employment. We teamed up with a local Dominican Pastor who has planted churches in Consquelo to reach them for Jesus Christ. We were able to share the Gospel and provide medical assistance to approximately 70 people today, including men, women and children. We are thankful to the Lord for being able to share the Good News…and to be the salt and light. We do not know how many decisions were made today…but the seeds were certainly sown. We will pray and know the Lord will give the increase. 

The mission team did a great job…Levi was the ‘bouncer’ at the door directing traffic and keeping the peace, Sidney & Kara worked the triage taking blood pressures and temperatures, Abi & Catherine worked directly alongside Bob providing medical attention, and Tammy, Michael and I worked the pharmacy…wow…don’t tell everyone that the associate pastor and his wife were giving out drugs all day…ha ha!! We completed the medical clinic around 4:00 pm and then traveled a few miles to Monte Cristi, where we assisted a missionary baseball team (from FCA and Global Baseball) unload a tractor trailer full of food that was shipped in a container from a group out of West Virginia. The food will go to feed the village for about 3 months…praise God for His provision.

The weather was beautiful today…yet extremely hot…and HUMID. We are now settling down for the evening at the Score Complex…just had dinner actually. We’ll be doing a devotion together here shortly…then it’s time to turn in for the evening…we are all exhausted.

We miss all of you…please continue to pray for us…we’ll send another update tomorrow evening…ADIOS and good night!

Brad

Sunday followed a long night of much needed sleep.  We rolled out of bed at 7 am (some of even before 6 am) today to get ready & head downstairs for breakfast.  After that we headed back to our rooms to prepare for church.  The buses arrived to take us to Quisqueya, a small town approx. 20 minutes from the SCORE Complex.  This was our first “official” trip into the country to minister to (& with) the people of the Dominican.  Quisqueya is the hometown of Major League Baseball All-Star, Alfonso Soriano.  (Coincidentally, Pastor John’s favorite player!)

We were informed that despite some of the professional (baseball) success of a few of its natives, the town is greatly oppressed & deep into Satanic ritual & practice.  The church was located right in the middle of the neighborhood & was nothing more than a concrete building.  Even though we were obviously outsiders & couldn’t speak their language, few of us have ever been so welcomed as we were at this church.  The people were very warm & excepting, but it was the children of the church that especially touched our hearts (& our cameras…just ask us to show you when we return!) Afterwards most of us went back to the Complex for lunch while Jeff & Andres (our “Missionary for the Week”) led Jake, John, & Eric to another village to take estimates & measurements for a work project we’ll be doing on Tuesday.  While riding in the back of the pick-up truck, we were able to get a clearer picture of what “Third World” meant while traveling through the heart of the sugarcane villages.

The rest of the day was ours to catch-up on some much needed rest.  While some napped, others took the time to fellowship & “fry” on the beach.  Later on, Heaven, Samantha, Theresa, Amy, Katie, & Eric went for a horseback ride around the neighborhood.  We then met back up for dinner, had a time of devotions (from Luke Chapter 9), & practiced our skits for the week.  (We also took the time to sort through an assortment of donated goods that we brought to distribute to the people. So far, the Dominican is hard to explain: the sun is so much hotter, the people so much warmer, & the moths are so much LARGER!  But how many of the thousands of tourists who come through here will ever see the world that we have only yet begun to see?  Beyond the beaches & resorts are a loving people who need Christ in their lives.  Pray for them & us.

P.S., Thanks for your continued prayer support…Heaven is feeling 110% better today!

Hola!  Today has been a blessed day from the Lord indeed.  This is the first opportunity I have had since we arrived to give you an update…but over the course of the next few days, please check back at this website for daily updates on our mission trip. We had a wonderful experience flying down Saturday.  The non-stop flight to the Dominican Republic (DR) was excellent…thanks Tina for hooking us up on the non-stop!  We flew Delta and had a lot of fun watching Michael, Kara, and Levi…it was their first time ever flying.  But we are here…praise God for the traveling mercy.  Bob and Anna greeted us at the airport in the DR.  After loading the bus full of luggage, we drove to the SCORE Complex for a quick layover, before going on to the Embassy Suites just down the road.  SCORE is extremely busy this week and has many groups here.  There was not enough room “in the inn” for the Pumpkinheads on Saturday night, so we were so graciously put up in three suites for the first evening’s stay.  The rooms were unbelievable…the Lord blessed us richly for our first night…Tammy and I certainly enjoyed the accommodations and the refreshing rest for the first evening.

This morning we got up fairly early for some breakfast at the Embassy Suites, then Bob picked us up as we headed into San Pedro for church.  This is the third time Tammy and I have been able to worship with these Dominican believers in San Pedro, and it was once again a blessing to be in the service with our DR brothers and sisters in Christ.  Pastor Tollentino was so gracious – as was the church members.  The students had the opportunity to do a drama to “the Potter’s Hand” before the church– they did an awesome job.  Bob translated for us during the service…the message was wonderful.  The Pastor preached out of 1 Timothy on the subject of the love of money.

No work takes place on Sundays out of SCORE…so after church, we have just been settling in our rooms at the SCORE Complex (we checked out of the Embassy) and resting for a week full of ministry opportunities.  In the morning, we will be traveling to one of the largest sugarcane villages in the DR and setting up a medical clinic.  We will be there all day.  Please pray for us as we will have the opportunity to share the Gospel in the morning and in the afternoon before anyone receives any medical attention.

Please check back at this website every day for updates of our trip…I will be updating each evening.  God bless you and thank you all for making this trip possible.

Brad

Today, the Lord’s Day, the HG family joined a local body and worshipped with them. There was also another SCORE group who attended so the visitors far outweighed the members. Thank goodness for our SCORE interpreter or most of us would’ve been lost as to what was even going on. It was a great service and an inspiring sermon. The pastor preached about the fact that we Christians are in a battle and we are the target that the enemy is after. Therefore, we need to be prepared for the battle by using the armor of God as our protection and weapon. The HG girls also performed their praise dance and it was well received.

The rest of the day was an “off” day (they let their bus drivers and some of their staff have the day off) so after lunch half the group went horseback riding, and the other half went to the beach to tackle the Caribbean Sea again. For some of the kids, this was their very first horse ride, and everyone seemed to enjoy it. We only had one little drama . . . One of our girls’ horse decided they were going to go their own way and the particular girl didn’t understand how to make the horse go the way it should, so she ended up going down the wrong road and then into a field. The trail boss went galloping after her and after several minutes rescued her and brought her back. No harm done, although she was scared for a few minutes. It was quite an experience having 10 people on horses with 2 men, neither of them spoke any English. So we all pretty much communicated by sign language, or they would say, “Hey, lady, hey lady” until we figured out what they meant.

Then the evening was spent preparing skits, crafts, games and an art mural that will be painted at the orphanage we are returning to tomorrow. Everyone is holding up great and attitudes are still fantastic. Parents, thanks for sharing your kids with us for these two weeks. We are truly blessed.

Well, Day One is officially in the books…& what a long day it was, indeed!  After several long hours “flapping our wings”, we were ready to collapse…then we got slapped in the face with a heat wave unfamiliar to the friendly (yet chilly) confines of Western New York. After “touching down” in the Dominican Republic, & winding our way through the customs lines, we were driven to the SCORE Complex to “settle-in” & make ourselves familiar with our new home-away-from-home.  Naturally, the first thing we did once we unloaded our belongings was to either, (a) head for the pool or, (b) head for the bed…for a little siesta!

After enjoying a home-cooked spaghetti dinner & fellowship with our fellow “partners in Christ” from all over the United States (& beyond), we headed to the shores of the Caribbean Sea for devotions.  We were challenged to “see things through the eyes of Christ” — always making ourselves available to Him & always being aware of the situations & people He places in front of us…& all around us.  We know that God has BIG things in store!  Sometimes it takes getting past ourselves & moving where God is moving!

We are anxious to get started with the work that God has prepared for us.  We pray that God will use all of our unique talents & abilities to “reach one more” for His Kingdom.  We ask that you pray for each & every one of us as God moves us out of our little “comfort zones!”  Also, pray for Heaven– who was not feeling well after all of our extensive traveling.  With a good night’s rest she’ll be ready to go in the morning!  Right now, I think it’s safe to say, we could all use a good night’s rest (& the AC cranked up all the way!)

Stay tuned…God’s ready to do a mighty work!

Today was probably the best day the HG students have had yet.  We started the day by going to the store to pick up more supplies.  We ended up losing all of the bubbles, jump ropes, and most other things we had so we had to replenish our supplies.  We decided to try a few new things in the village today.  We bought shaving cream, razors and balloons and had the kids shave the cream off of the balloons without popping the balloons.  That ended up being more fun to wear the shaving cream so even our HG kids got into smearing it all over each other.  We also bought balloon party favors that made sounds so the whole place sounded like ducks . . . and even the adults were having fun blowing on those.

We went to another orphanage, in the afternoon, and there were tons of kids there at that orphanage. They were sweet, kind and fun children, and there were some great dancers.  They loved watching our HG kids do their dances and a couple of the girls were even able to do the dances along with them, only by watching as they went along. They were amazingly quick at picking up dance moves.  We had so much fun with them that we are going back again on Monday and will also paint a mural on the wall inside the orphanage. 

We experienced our 1st flat tire on this trip. The bus driver noticed the tire was down and next thing you knew it was flat.  So that was exciting.  We were able to make it right in front of a tire place and they fixed it right there on the street.  Of course, our HG students brought lots of attention as they danced and goofed around. Everyone wanted to watch them. Then in the evening we had a snack party and let everyone order hamburgers or ice cream at the complex.  It was a great day for all and everyone is getting more and more opportunities to witness, even on the street corners when we break down.  We’re so proud of these kids!!!!

Hola from the Dominican Republic for the last time!! We decided to spend our last day in the DR at Catalina Island with 2 other church groups and our SCORE Intern, Josh. After an hour bus ride and a forty-five minute boat ride and some snorkeling, we reached the island. We spent the afternoon sun bathing, jumping waves, cliff jumping, eating at an all-you-can-eat buffet, bartering in the shops and running from horseflies. The highlights of our afternoon were watching Caitlin and Katie work up the nerve to jump off the cliff, Aaron catching a sea urchant while snorkeling, being disappointed to find out the monkeys we hoped to find were really non-existent (false advertising), David getting excited when the salesman claimed that he was going to give our group alone a 40% discount today only (40% discount actually means a 50% raise in price) and the hike that came to an abrupt end due to  the attack of cacti and horseflies.

Once we arrived back at the SCORE Complex this evening, most of us decided to take a quick dip in the pool before dinner and we actually convinced Danny to jump in with us for the first time all week. After dinner we decided to take a walk down the beach to watch the sun set, our last sunset in the DR. Mr. Roy stayed back and met up with Dan Weber, the youth pastor of Harbor City Baptist Church, who was actually born in the Dominican Republic and just arrived with his brother’s church group. He spoke very highly of Colonel and Miss Lee.  A little bit later this evening, we will have our last night in the DR singing worship songs with some other believers staying at the Complex and of course singing our National Anthem.

During our first few days in the DR, it seemed as if time had slowed down and the day of our return to the U.S. was far in the distance, but as we are wrapping up our trip we are reminiscing on the time we have had and wishing we had more. More time to play with the children who captured our hearts, more time to love the people who taught us so well what a loving stranger really means, more time to learn to speak the language of our new-found friends, more time to share the Good News that we came to proclaim, more time to see the Harvest and more time to grow clsoer to each other and closer to God.

This was a week that will have a lasting impact on our lives. For some, it may have been the spark igniting a passion for the ministry work that God has planned for their lives. For others, it may simply have been the experience that opened our eyes to a hell-bound world in need of Christ’s love. But for all of us, in some way or another, it was life changing. Thank you all for all your prayers and support throughout this past week (and year, for that matter). God has been working and is continuing His work through SCORE and others being sent by Him (like Harbor City Baptist). So, please keep praying for the DR. This was our first time in the Dominican Republic but Lord willing it won’t be our last!!  - Chappy

Today we started our day by visiting the Conani Orphanage.  For some this was the first time visiting an orphanage, let alone one for disabled children.  It opened the eyes and hearts of the youth.  As tears of sorrow mixed with compassion streamed down faces, our minor issues did not matter any more.  We took hold of the promises of God that He will transform our bodies when He returns.  Although we could only spend 30 minutes with these children, we embraced the moment when we would soon see them whole and complete. We also had our free time day today and went sightseeing and shopping.  Christopher Columbus set up a fort and home in Santo Domingo so we saw some of those sites.  We also saw a church from the 1500’s.  Shopping was a whole new experience for many of the youth as they were able to barter for their goods.  Many got some great deals, and several were too scared to ask for less.  We tried our best to help everyone get the best deal possible and our translators were indispensible in this process.  The hard thing to handle was EVERY shop you went into, if you even looked at anything, they immediately started pulling out things to show you and tried to pressure you into buying.  Many of the youth learned how to say NO THANK YOU and really mean it!!

And have we mentioned the driving here?  If you haven’t been to another country and experienced their driving, then you don’t know the meaning of road rage.  Almost everyone has dents, knocked out headlights, bashes and crunches all over their cars.  No one really obeys stop signs or stop lights, they just honk through the intersections and the biggest vehicle pushes its way through.  Notice the picture of the police car . . . that is one of the better ones.

It was a bittersweet moment when we pulled up to our last village today. Our translator, Andres, told us that we would be the first SCORE group to visit this village. Once the bus arrived there were no kids to be seen but once they found out Americans were around they rushed over. The sun was brutal but the kids didn’t seem to mind, but we were dying!! We had to improvise most of our program (our CD player was broken and there was no stage or platform for us to speak from). After we finished Andres finished the meeting by telling the Dominicans of Jesus’ love for them. After a week of seeing no one accept Christ, we saw God save the souls of twenty-five Dominican children and adults. God is amazing!! It has been exciting to see what He has done and we cannot wait to see what He willl do as we go to our first and only work project. After we finished, Danny promised us an evening at an Italian restaurant.

In the afternoon we went to SCORE’s camp for Dominican children to do a work project. We ended up splitting up to do different forms of yard work. Danny and Ricky were hauling cinder blocks, the girls were raking the baseball fields and everyone was doing a good job. We got to meet the Director of Word of Life for the Dominican Republic and he thanked us very much for the work we did. As a reward we were given cold bottles of Dominican cola. It was the best soda that we have ever had. Tonight we were treated to a night out at a local restaurant called  El Sueno. It was a much aprreciated alternative to our now-typical (but very good) rice and beans. All in all it has been an amazing week and tomorrow we will be spending the day at Catalina Island. Danny says he is going to jump off a small cliff into the ocean but after avoiding the pool all week I’m not too sure!! Thanks for all the prayers and support and we are all looking forward to seeing you all when we get back. God Bless!! David