Clinic and Feeding a Village

 We have been in the Dominican Republic for around a day and a half now, and it is amazing to hear and see the work and transformations God has done in so many people’s lives. I couldn't ask for a better group of guys to be down here with. God is good, and has provided the whole way for us. This is my third time in the Dominican Republic to serve in missions, and each year I learn so many new things from SCORE, as well as the Dominicans. Their fulfillment doesn't come from material things, or big lifestyles. They are content and fully satisfied with the provisions God has given them. I have learned that poverty is not defined by what you have or don’t have. Poverty is a state of mind. It’s up to you to choose whether or not you would like to hope on greater things. However, if the foundation of your hope is not God, then there is no true hope. All of us can have a different definition of poverty or big living, but when we trust in the Lord we are all equal. 

Blessings from the DR,

Kam 

Today was our first full day in the Dominic Republic and it was fun and exciting.  We started off the day heading to a local beat up baseball field in the middle of a village.  As we started the clinics I we were given a group to guide though the stations; I found myself able to bond with these amazing kids.  After a gospel message we packed up and headed to a nearby school.  There were tons of kids playing and just having a good time.  One of the children approached me and simply said “caballo” and gestured to my back.  For the next 30 min myself and all of my fellow missionaries were giving horse back rides to these kids.  We were running and spinning and laughing around with them on our backs and it was so much fun!  This was not the end of our day so we had to leave.  The team headed to the grocery store and we were able to shop for 25 bags worth of staple foods.  As we headed to the village it rained but the Lord held it off allowing us to continue.  There was a service and worship we were able the be a part of, that was all A cappella and it was truly powerful.  After, each of the missionaries were able to hand out a bag of food and pray for the family that it went to.  It could not have been a better day.

Blessings from the DR,

Kiernan

Today we went to a village named, La Cubana (Little Cuba). When we first arrived, one of the Score staff went and started telling people to come to the church. We then gathered and some people from our homeschool group shared testimonies with the people. We sang a song together, and then each of the boys took a bag of food to give to a family and then went to pray for them. I during this time was not able to give out a bag of food, for I had a precious little girl come sit in my lap and want me to hold her. Her name was Diana.

We then proceeded outside to walk around and see their village. Diana was attached to my hip the whole time. During this time she kept on trying to say something to me. She kept on stroking my face softly, looking at me with so much love and adoration, speaking so softly and lovingly, but I couldn’t understand her. Never in my life have I been so sad that I couldn’t communicate with someone. 

Soon more children started to crowd around me, wanting me to hold them. I then had two children, one attached to each hip, walking around the village. Man how I wished I had at least four arms, so I could just love and hold all of them.

I think one thing that surprised me the most during this time, was how all the children just ran about with no parents or older siblings watching over them. And the state of their homes was just horrible. You saw rocks sitting on tin roofs to keep them down, people throwing buckets of water out of their homes because it was flooding, and some of the children were even shoeless. They also don’t have any running water. How we take for granted the things we have in America today. 

Thank you to everyone who have been praying for us, and the donations. Keep us in your prayers, and expect more great things throughout the week! Dios te bendiga! 

                                                                                     

                                                                                                                               ~Raven Warren