More from Dominican!

One of the sweet girls we met at the orphanage on Monday afternoon!

The past few days have gone by quickly and we can’t believe our trip is almost over. There is no way I can ever put into words everything I’ve learned and experienced so I will do my best to give some highlights. On Sunday, we attended church in a village (roosters, dogs, ducks and all) and then went to a park for an outdoor event for the community. The rooster crowed during the service…it was awesome. The Dominican people are so friendly, hospitable and happy regardless of their situation. The church service and the people were such a blessing!

Monday we went back to the village to do another VBS and some of the girls had fun braiding Cody’s hair (which looked ridiculous). We ended the day on Monday by spending a few hours playing with beautiful girls at an orphanage. We colored, did their hair, jumped rope, took pictures and shared lots of giggles. They were amazing! One of the girls who quickly became my friend was deaf but she had absolutely no problem expressing herself!! It was easier for me to communicate with her than it has been to communicate with the other Dominican people! No need for a translator…just use your hands, facial expressions and eyes! Anyone who knows me realizes this is not a problem for me!

Today we spent the entire day in Santo Domingo! We spent a few hours in the morning at the market shopping for souvenirs and Cody was pleased we were able to leave with only one purchase…a photo album to commemorate our trip. In the afternoon we stopped at another handicap orphanage to love on the kids. Words cannot begin to describe the sites we saw. There were 107 children in this orphanage and many of the kids were tied to their beds or tied in actual cages (due to their unstable mental state). Many of the children had minor disabilities and with the right medical attention and one-on-one care, they could possibly live normal, healthy lives. I left feeling powerless but also, thanking God that these children (unlike the others in the previous handicap orphanage) could talk, walk, smile, laugh and express themselves.

We ended the day with Charlie (a cute 7 year old on our team) getting baptized in the ocean. It’s amazing how the kids on our trip are already allowing God to use them to make a huge difference. I’m off to bed and pumped about feeding the village tomorrow!