Where did the week go?

Here we are at the end of day 6. We spent 3 days at the Monte Rojo church doing two sessions of Bible School each day. Whew!!!! The guys...Bud Edholm, Rob Kittridge, Gene Albert and Missionary Gordon Graner walked 1/2 mile down the road each morning to paint the parsonage, back up the road for lunch and sometimes a siesta, then back for painting and drag back up the Hill to catch the safari truck back to town. That was a five day routine with the exception of Friday. No work. We had a presentation to make to the church as our team brought two sets of communion stainless plates and tiny cups.


Gordon translate for Pastor Freddie regarding the love gift
of the 2 sets of communion serving pieces in appreciation
for the hospitality, great food and loving welcome our
team experienced. 

We were invited to an unfinished lodge in the area, of course up a steep drive, to enjoy an amazing view of the Atlantic Ocean. Some good selfies were taken. Then back down the bumpy road to the church for a farewell dance. And dance it was. In the hot sun continuous motion for an hour and a half.  The entire community had come to say goodbye. Even the local church members who had been painting with our guys all week went home and cleaned to come to the dance.  Video did get attached but not exactly in the place I wanted it!!!

The served us some homemade bread and 7-up as we departed for the last time. For Thursday and Friday the VBS team had sessions each morning one at a Chapel outside of Samana and another Chapel beyond Monte Rojo.  The pastor of Monte Rojo is also responsible for several Chapels. These are new church plants and children's education is one of things parishioners provide weekly. We had lots of fun with about 190 children throughout the week. We are coming home tired but lifted high from the hospitality of the community of Monte Rojo. I think we may have break tradition and plan to return in 2016. We now have a family waiting to see us and we are anxious to be with them.

We've had such a wonderful team. I hope that we can find an opportunity to share with the church what we have experienced here in Dominican Rebublic. Please ask our youth Francesca Pupilla, Mackenzie Trott, Rob McBride, Ryan McBride, and Robert Kittridge for a 90 second sound bite about their mission journey.