Hilton Head Family Trip
12-22-2009 Hilton Head Family Trip – Day 7
While today we did not have any scheduled ministry and was a day to “see some sights,” we certainly had plenty of opportunities to share the love of Christ. This, of course, the call we all have each and every day, whether we’re in a foreign country, on a specific missions trip or, most normally, simply living life and trying to love God and love those around us.
That is the challenge that these kinds of trips renew in us each time we go. Live out the Gospel each day and look for opportunities, divine appointments, for the Lord to work in us and through us to know Him and love Him and to further His Kingdom.
We tried to do that today, as we made every effort to bless those we came across that were/are less fortunate and to show the love of Christ during each and every human interaction. As we walk out and live out our faith and calling, we hope and pray that through the day, we drew closer to our Heavenly Father, pointed to Him for others to see Him as the One True Source of life and, in the areas we fell short, that He made up the difference.
Please keep the Dominican SCORE community in your prayers as they learned today that one of the leaders of the music ministry here suffered a severe heart attack at the young age of 31. We are getting mixed reports of what his exact status is, as he is visiting family in Kansas. So please pray for him, his wife and two young children. Thank you.
While we’ll certainly miss our extended Dominican family and hope for a return visit soon, we look forward to getting home. But, Lord, please don’t ever let us forget what our daily calling is, whether at home or abroad, and continue to give us the will, opportunity and means to live it out – to love you, Lord, and those around us. Amen.
12-21-2009 Hilton Head Family Trip – Day 6 We had another great day together. The Valdez family (Dominican nationals and missionaries to their people – Giovanny, Carolina, Giancarlo – 8, and Gianssen- 2) led us, as they have all week.
We started with shopping at Jumbo, and then we drove to the La Romana Girls Orphanage. We played, colored in books, played music, and sang songs. The girls were very well educated. A number of them could speak English well. They wrote us love letters with our names spelled correctly. We took 4 of the older girls with us. As we got to know them better, they told us of their plans to be doctors and nurses. I have no doubt in my mind – they will work hard to make their plans come true. They said they don’t care about the money that they might make; they just want to help others.
We all next picked up the Bethsaida kids (9 orphan boys and 1 orphan girl) and went out to a nice chicken lunch. After a lot of talking and playing, we took everyone back to their respective orphanages. We went shopping at Jumbo again and headed to the Village of Angelina. (Sarah Larkin just told me to tell all of you that she “had a blessed day” and “I love you.” — she spelled I love you by herself ) At Angelina, we played baseball, played other games, sang Christmas songs in Spanish, had an adult “church” service, had a children’s service, and distributed food to eighty families. Angelina was a sugarcane village of thousands. It has always been one of our favorite places. The government has not provided any work or food for these families in over 3 years. Now they harvest the sugarcane with big combines and do not need the laborers. At evening devotions, Caleb played the guitar and we sang. He is very talented. Tommy spoke to us about how we can share the love of God everyday of our lives – by being connected daily to the True Vine (John 15).
We saw two bad motorcycle / car accidents today. God have been so faithful in caring for each of us. We have all been safe and in excellent health, the entire week. We have all been so blessed every minute of this trip.
Tomorrow we don’t have any “scheduled” ministry, but please pray that we would be aware of the many opportunities the Lord provides for us everyday.
– Dennis
12-20-2009 Hilton Head Family Trip – Day 5
We started today with a special church service at the SCORE complex. There were over 140 local kids and adults in attendance. There was an inspiring message form a Dominican national missionary named Eddie Hill. It was followed with Christmas songs and skits by the youth group. They displayed through comedy how NOT to celebrate Christmas (worldly focus on Santa Claus, presents and partying vs. the true celebration of Christmas, the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ).
We had a good time serving them lunch and giving them Christmas gifts – everyday staples given as gifts to families and children in need. The afternoon was spent at the beach.
Caleb and I led music and song at the evening devotional. Then I spoke about the importance of spoken words, using Matthew 12:36-37 and Matthew 21:18-22. We all feel like family and friendships are growing everyday. God has been very faithful and good to all of us.
Continue praying for us.
Love, Dennis
12-19-2009 Hilton Head Family Trip – Day 4
Another life changing day in the Dominican Republic. The Lewis family led us in another great day of ministry. We headed to Jumbo grocery store and bought food and balls for the small village of Palo Viejo. We went to the village and did our usual!!!!! Everything went very well. A 6o year old blind man sang us a very moving song about his love of Jesus. It was 4 verses long and 4 other men joined in to sing parts of the song. His love was so evident. (We have set into motion to arrange for his cataract surgery.)
In the afternoon we went to Ole (another grocery store). We got supplies and food. The rest of the afternoon, we spent at Casa de Luz, a handicapped orphanage (this means ‘house of light’). We prayed, sang, and ministered.
This evening we had a very special Christmas youth group dinner, contest, and party. Over 50 youth had a wonderful time. Of course, we were more blessed than they were. Come to think of it, they are still here and I must get back to the activities.
God Bless, Dennis
p.s. Missionaries in training, David and Marianella have been with us all week. They are from Uruguay and are going to head up a new SCORE outpost in Panama. They have been teaching us Spanish, while we teach them English. God is going to use them mightily!!! They are so sweet and talented. (Marianella preformed a solo skit about the birth of Jesus that was exceptional.)
12-18-2009 Hilton Head Family Trip – Day 3
We had another great, fun filled day today. We got food for 70 families from Jumbo. Then we drove to the village of La Cubana. We played games, sang songs, told the Christmas story, and I was able to give my testimony, using an interpreter. The village people were so nice and so willing to listen to everything we had to say. This village, like many of the villages SCORE works with, has a village pastor and church building. And what a difference that makes. The whole spirit of the place is different – I suppose that figures…
In the afternoon will went back to Jumbo and got food for 65 families. Blanco, our good friend and bus driver, took us to his town, Quisqueya, and one of the sugar cane villages literally next door, Village Verde. We met his family and go to know them better. We next gave out food, sang songs in Spanish, did a Christmas skit, and played. There were over 200 children. It was great to see many of the children we had played with last February. One child had on the same clothes she was wearing in February. Another girl was wearing a skirt (Sue Mills) that we had brought last trip.
Giovanny gave a good talk about love at evening devotions. We all had a big day and are going to bed.
God bless, Dennis
p.s. – Michael made the only run in our village baseball game and he led us in English Christmas carols all day on the bus. We sang them in Spanish at the villages.
12-17-2009 Hilton Head Family Trip – Day 2
We had a wonderful scrambled eggs and watermelon for breakfast this morning. First, we picked up the Bethsaida orphanage kids at school. There were 9 boys and one girl. The school was a very nice private, Christian school. Next we took the very well behaved children to their orphanage to change out of their uniforms and into play clothes. Next, we all rode together on the bus to Jumbo (similar to Super Wal-Mart). We bought food to take back to the orphanage. Next we got to treat these 6 to 10 year old children to something they had never ever done before. Each child could pick out any toy in the store they wanted. (Through the generosity of some of the folks that couldn’t make the trip, we have more cash than a group our size would normally have.) They got remote control race cars, helicopters, and electric keyboards. They were so calm and well mannered. Before we took the wonderful children back to their orphanage, we all stopped for pizza. Several of these very small boys ate 5 slices of pizza. They had perfect manners and a wonderful time was had by all. A Christian lady started this orphanage 5 years ago and is doing a wonderful job. She doesn’t get any help from the government, but says God provides everything.
La Laura sugarcane village was our afternoon destination. So another stop at Jumbo was needed. We loaded up a half dozen shopping carts with rice, beans, tuna, cooking oil, tang, salt, and chicken broth. We divided the food into 80 bags, one for each family. The people in La Laura had nothing!! They would sometimes go for 4 days between meals. The poverty was overwhelming, but Gods grace was greater. We played ball, sang songs, played music, and had an impromptu worship service. The village people greeted us so warmly. The kindness and joy was unbelievable. We received so many blessings from them. I am sure anyone in our group would say that, this one day alone was well worth the trip. We had chicken, potatoes, and salad for dinner at the SCORE complex. Next Caleb played several songs on his guitar, while we all sang for joy. Next, Michael gave us a great 30 minute sermon, about God having a divine plan for each of our lives. He gave wisdom on how each of us can reach our full potential in Christ.
Pray for the Gospel to be clearly presented tomorrow, as we take food to La Cubana Village and the Monte Cristy Village.
God Bless, Dennis
12-16-2009 Hilton Head Family Trip – Day 1
We arrived safely. Everyone clapped and cheered when the plane touched ground. Several families could not come due to family business and family illness. (They did send generous gifts for the sugar cane villages. We pray that God will bless them for being so faithful.) The Word shared tonight during devotions came from passages in/around Matthew 7:21, Matthew 22:37 and Genesis 14:18. The Lewis Family, Michael, and I will be heading out to an orphanage and sugar cane village in the morning. We are going to bed.
God Bless, Dennis
