LHAC D.R. Youth Missions 2017

Hey Everyone! Just an update on my last couple of days! Jon’s wedding was amazing, the days leading up to the event were a bit stressful for the family, so we did our best as a team to make sure we were helping them as best as we can! It was an absolutely beautiful ceremony! Jon and Merary looked so nice all dressed up and the venue was spectacular! Everyone was in good for and the youth seemed like that really loved being apart of this event! God was really apart of the whole process with everything being so difficult to come together and it seemed at some points that the wedding might not happen when it would supposed to, but God worked and really blessed us with an amazing time.  Yesterday was quite good it was very fun and there was a lot of emotions. Seeing Jon and Merary get married was very nice. The wedding was beautiful and the after party was getting really crazy it turned into quite the dance party. I really enjoyed the question game and seeing everybody dance with all of

Today has been the highlight of the trip for me. Those who know me will understand there was pain that surfaced as I contemplated visiting the special needs home. God is the healer though, and he met me very powerfully as we went. The smiles of the children, their desire to dance with us and be hugged, and the light in their eyes showed the beauty of their creator. One five year old girl with a hydrocephalus had been left out of the dance party because she couldn't get out of her bed. I had the privilege of holding her and enjoying all the smiles and giggles as I talked to her and touched her deformed hands. The youth blessed me by loving the kids well, even the ones that were hard to love because they smelled bad or peed in your lap. I am thanking God for all these very special children who carry a piece of heaven here on earth, and for the patient and loving caregivers in the home.  Please pray for Jon Romano's wedding that will take place tomorrow evening.  Love Diana M

For me the highlight of today was going to the Seniors Home. Even though we didn't speak Spanish, they lit up just to see us. We smiled and communicated with body language. It was genuine. I met Isabel and Margarita. They wanted to express themselves and were willing to receive us. I felt like it was a small place (one washroom, no air conditioning) but they are happy there.  Personally, it was an answered prayer because I didn't look after my own grandmother. It's rewarding that I could have this opportunity with these seniors because I didn't even visit my grandmother before she passed away. It's not much we have just painting nails, touching hands, but it seemed like a big deal to them.  Some of the youth were uncomfortable at the beginning, but they participated and it was encouraging to see them step out of their comfort zone. God is working through it by the joy in the lives of the seniors, how they received us, and how we could communicate.  I am grateful

Welcome to the middle of the week! Today was an exciting day at the farm! The goat shelter that we have been working on for the past couple days is now finished! Luckily for the goats, they should be moving into their new abode tomorrow. However, there is always lots of work to be done at the farm so we also helped to shovel and level gravel for another job as well as collect eggs from the chicken coop. Although the weather was hot today we worked hard and accomplished a lot! Way to go team!   We had our third day at VBS today, which I heard was a success! It has been awesome to see the smiling faces of the children we have had at VBS this week. Although the numbers are small, it has been a great joy to be able to share the Gospel with these eager children. I really enjoy the opportunities we have to connect with the children at VBS. With our limited language skills, smiles and hand gestures we are able to laugh, play and teach the children! I anticipate another great day at VBS tomo

Yesterday we went to a Spanish church. It was a lot  different then the churches back home. It was an amazing experience because even though we didn't know what they were saying we were still worshipping the same God. Two days ago we went on a prayer walk and it was very eye-opening to see how much other people struggle and how we take things for granted. I really enjoyed the walk it meant a lot to me to see just how religious everyone was and there was an incredible man was so proud of his kids and it was very touching to everyone who was on the walk. The walk definitely helps me to understand how lucky I am. Liam Two days ago we went on a prayer walk. It was very eye-opening to see people that have so little than we do. It was really fun.  We got to go see the people at the dump and went to church at night It was really fun because of the worship. VBS is really fine as well and I can't can't wait for more to come.  Will

Some pics.. blog yet to come!

Today we woke up  early to go to the Romano's house for breakfast. Half of us went to construction and the rest of us went on a prayer walk. After that the people who went to the prayer walk can be to the Romanos farm to have lunch. Then we went to VBS. At construction me and the other half help build the inside of the goat pen and we stained the outside walls of the goat pen. Daniel, Rachel and Tim and I got our hands stained by the stain paint but we got some of it off.  After  VBS we drove back to the hotel to get ready for supper at the Romanos house. After that we went back to the hotel to get ready for bed. Rebecca Petch.   During the prayer walk, I was truly moved. The first person we talked to was a man named Hiero (I’m guessing how to spell that). He is a father to of three with no wife and no job. He lives near his mother and sister as well. What truly moves me is how much faith he truly has. William asked him if he felt safe there, and he said that he does because he

Today we had church around a pool then enjoyed the beach. Paul

Welcome to day 2: So before we went on this trip pastor tim was sharing with us that because our sole purpose of going to the Dominican is to serve god by serving the Romano's no matter what they need us to do we will do it no matter what it is, and so this morning what they needed to be done was cleaning. So this morning after breakfast the Ramon's mentioned at everything needed to get cleaned… so can you guess what we did to serve them, yep we cleaned. We cleaned everything from the kitchen to the bathrooms to the stairs outside. After the very refreshing cleaning we headed Down to a very nice monument/museum building where we learned about the history of the Dominican Republic and currently we are all dressed up and are heading off to dinner. Thank you for all your prayers! 

Hello everyone,   We have arrived safely in the Dominican. Flying was a new experience for me, but it was something that I don’t regret. The flight really opened my eyes to how truly beautiful the world is and how amazing God is to have created such a beautiful place. The Dominican has already shown me a couple knew things, whether that's how crazy driving can be or how hard it is to communicate with someone who doesn't speak English. After the landing and going through security, we took an hour and a half drive from Puerto Plata to Santiago. This drive was filled with ukulele playing and laughter among the group. After checking into the hotel, we headed to the Romano’s building. We got the privilege to meet the team that was here before us, who are leaving tomorrow. Then we came back to the hotel, and are currently spending time with each other as a group. Even though today has been a long day filled with travel, it has been a beautiful day for me. The Dominican is a beautifu

Boot camp!

Hi All. Here we go again. Stay tuned for updates!