Thursday in La Romana

Good evening followers.  We hope that all of our families and friends have had a great week.  We are closing in on our return but have had a great day today and look forward to another wonderful day tomorrow.  I am still having trouble with getting pictures to post but will keep trying to see if I can get a few on so that you can see us.  

Today on the construction site, the goal of finishing our pile of rocks and dirt from the hole was accomplished with 5 minutes to spare.  We also had a group working to clean up the third floor to make it ready for more work.  As with every day, the group on the site had lots of play time with the neighborhood children who were hanging around.

The VBS team went to a batey for the first time.  They only had about 30 or so kids but also had quite a few adults around wanting to take part as well.  So many stories of amazing encounters with the children and their families.

After our work today we toured the Good Samaritan Hospital and an orphanage.  David Gray got to spend some time with the staff of the hospital and enjoyed learning and connecting with them.  The younger children were having nap time when we were at the orphanage but our group got to play basketball with some of the older girls who were hanging around.  Others of us passed around a 6 month old baby.

Tonight's group time devotion was the rest of the story from John 9 as the man who was healed from his blindness was again questioned about it.  Hopefully this trip will change each of us in a way that is noticeable to others.

God sightings from today:

Marti saw God in the kids singing one of the VBS songs

Amelia saw God in the ability of the rock moving crew to finish the task

Meredith saw God in the pastor of the batey church who spoke to them so passionately

Rachel Porter saw God in a little girl who brought her a handful of cherries.  Even though she admitted to being hungry, she wanted Rachel to have them.

Jacob saw God in Max as they ate dinner together

Grace saw God in the group as we prayed this morning for the Fletcher family

Conner saw God in the picture that showed no more dirt in a pile

Wibby saw God in the teenagers of the batey who wanted to be involved in VBS

Abby saw God in the prayers being answered for the Fletchers

Peyton saw God in the group as they played basketball at the orphanage

Alli saw God in Wibby as she has been going out of her way to greet everyone that she sees

Max saw God in the people at VBS who were listening through the gates to see what was being said.

Abby saw God in the faces of children at VBS who had never seen a marker

Sarah saw God in the team encouraging her as she didn't feel well last night (she is doing fine now) and in Peyton who cut her beaded necklace off simply because a 3 month old baby was interested in playing with it.

Peyton saw God in the old lady who loved having her picture taken with her grandchild

Wibby saw God in the children who enjoyed learning to count in English

Alli saw God in Grace Tatro as she let the kids continue to climb all over her at VBS

Kris saw God in the young woman who was signing praise songs as she did her laundry and in the woman who was so happy to have her photo taken.

Amelia saw God in herself as she feels God calling her to be part of ministries like this for a longer term

David Short saw God in the conversations that have happened between the team members that are not possible in a normal week.

Adam saw God in the little kids on the construction sight who kept wanting to help just a little bit more.

God showed up in these and many other ways today.  We have found out that after going to the beach again tomorrow afternoon that the guys will be moving into a very nice hotel (Casa de Campo a 5 star resort).  The girls will remain in their current lodging but will spend time at the guys' new place.  Lots of things left to do and to experience but we are grateful for the ways that we have already experienced the presence of God here in this place.  It seems surreal that in just over 48 hours we will be landing in Cinci.  May God bless you all as richly as we have been blessed this week.

Goodnight again from Casa Pastoral in La Romana, Domincan Republic.