Posted on Mar 24, 2009
I wanted to post this earlier but misplaced my copy of it when traveling back to the U.S. It was written by one of our missionaries while in the Dominican Republic.
Sweet Dominica
By: Susan Herrmann, written while on the recent mission trip to the Dominican Republic
The early morning sweet music of prayer songs
The sweet fragrance drifting in the still air
The sweet faces of the children
The sweet innocence of our hearts as they begin to open
The sweet evening rain resting on the weary spirits
The sweet birds and chickens as they grace the lawns and trees
The sweetness of the spirit of a young nation that is slowly learning to crawl, walk and stretch its wings
The sweetness of the faces that greet us along the way and share so openly of their lives
The sweetness of this time to share and grow with our fellow missionaries
The sweet thoughts and prayers as we remember our loved ones at home
We thank you, Lord for this sweet time of labor, stillness, openness and love.
Your faithful journeyers
March 2009
Posted on Mar 10, 2009
I wanted to blog yesterday but did not feel that I had the energy to process everything. It has been an adjustment for me as I am sure it has been for everyone on the trip. When I last blogged it was Wednesday and we had two days of work left. We were able to work both days even though the rain tried to change our plans.
Thursday was a mix of sun and clouds in the morning but the afternoon was a different story. We probably had our heaviest rain that afternoon but we worked through it. Working in the rain for me was my favorite time and my spirits were pretty high but I do believe that it was a low point for many others but we all perserved.
Friday we worked a half day so that we could catch our bus to the coast for hot showers and a little beach time. We were able to finish a lot of what we started which was enabled by fair weather. At about two pm we took a bus down to the coast and checked into a resort.
Saturday many people went there own ways. We enjoyed each other but we all needed a little time away from the group. Stephen and I ventured out into Cabarete where we did a little exploring and bartering.
Sunday we celebrated Holy Eucharist with the beach in the background and headed off to the airport. After a long day of travel we finally arrived in Wilmington around two am.
All in all it was a great trip. I am still processing a lot of things and will probably be doing so for the days and weeks to come. We will put up pictures of our trip on this site after we hold a picture slide show and forum Sunday March 22 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the Parish Hall. A few folks from St. James will be joining us as well for this presentation.
Peace
Mark+
Posted on Mar 04, 2009
Sorry for the delay. Internet is difficult to access. Today is day three of working on two different sites.
Saturday when we arrived we took a one hour crowded bus ride up into the mountains. When we arrived we had time to relax and unpack before dinner. Following dinner we had a little orientation and then off to bed.
Sunday we celebrated Holy Eucharist in the morning with our group and toured our work sites during the afternoon. Sunday is a day to relax and enjoy family and friends so no work was done.
Monday was our first day at the works sites. One group from SAOTS and St. James went to a site to continue building a community center. The other group worked at a nearby church where we worked on building bathrooms and a fence.
Tuesday the two groups had to work together at the church because we could not access the community center because of an overflowing river. It is our first day with rain.
Wednesday, today, we were only able to work in the morning due to the rain. There are still a few folks working this afternoon but they are working inside out of the rain. With our group of twenty-five we decided to give half the group the afternoon off to relax our sore muscles.
Overall spirits seem to be great and our group seems to be adjusting to the culture and language barrier. I will try and update the blog again with more details in a few days.
Blessings
Mark+