We've been enjoying the warmth- the weather but mostly the people and the incredible hospitality.
Internet is VERY spotty but we will try to post pics soon!
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DR team has landed, rested, had brief orientations and spent the afternoon prayerwalking, telling children's stories at a preschool, and spending 2.5 hours in traffic! God has been good as we've been challenged from James 1 this morning and stepping out of our comfort zones.
We've been enjoying the warmth- the weather but mostly the people and the incredible hospitality. Internet is VERY spotty but we will try to post pics soon!
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Choosing to be a part of Quest is one of the best decisions I've ever made and also one that I'm sure I didn't make myself. God chose me to go to the DR and He was the one that provided the money for me to go, and to me it's obvious why He did. While I was there I saw God in a way that I had never seen him before. I saw a God that had carefully created the gorgeous forests and beaches of the DR. A God that with the same powerful voice that had carved mountains, created every single living person on earth. And as I realized that, He let me see humans for who they are, a masterpiece more beautiful than all of creation and it blew my mind away. God let me visit the DR and see the beautiful views He had planned for me. He let me throw a baseball with and hug the children that needed those small moments of love the most. God also gave me the opportunity to grow closer to the friends that He brought there with me. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to go to the DR and see God in a new perspective. A lot of people see the fact that I went to the DR as just a trip, but that couldn't be further from the truth. From the moment I arrived, I was forced entirely out of my comfort zone by having to speak Spanish in an entirely new context, trying new foods, and being in really close contact with kids in 90 degree heat. But for some reason that I can't explain, other than by God's strength, none of that mattered. This new culture that I was experiencing was no longer uncomfortable, but absolutely exciting. And I began to see the beautiful kids that I had the privilege to meet as children of God, and absolutely cherished being able to hug them and love on them despite the heat. This experience gave me a new perspective; to see people through the eyes of God and the strength to love them the way He does, regardless of their background or anything they can do for me. I also formed unbreakable bonds with those on my team, and now feel that I have a new family that accepts me unconditionally. I wouldn't trade this experience or the many things God taught me for anything. Hannah M This trip it changed my point of view on life completely! When we got there I saw little kids with little to no possessions but with big smiles . But here in the U. S. we ask for so many things and yet never seem to become satisfied. In one of the villages we went to we learned that one latrine was to be used by seven families and that took me by surprise. There were little girls singing to us in Spanish and they were showing us their love they have for God . They showed us so much loved even they didn't know nothing anything about us . God gave us this great opportunity to talk to others and to pray for them and talk about the word . I was also able to use my Spanish for the goodness of the Lord. I am thankful God gave me the privilege to see how people with so little give so much love. I will never forget them or the trip. Juliet I went into this quest trip very undecided. Not sure if i really had a purpose on that team, & confused if God was going to use me at all. But as the days went on God slowly revealed to me that we don't understand his plan. He has is planed to be perfect and glorifying to him. He showed me that i did belong on that team and that he has coordinated us to work fluently. Romans 8:28 says "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." over all this trip has helped me to trust God more and let him do his wonders. Curtis This trip without a doubt was life changing. God showed and taught me so many things in those few days I couldn't believe it. God showed me how we could have absolutely nothing at all but if we are close to God and are strong spiritually we don't need anything else to be happy. I've never seen people so happy and grateful in my life. We worked together with people from the village and together worked hard to achieve something they really needed. I learned that none of us are worthless, that all of us through God can work hard to achieve great things and help each other out in life. God provided all of us with another family where everyone one was caring and excepting . I will never forget how amazing it was to get close and relate to my team. Nicholas It wasn't just an experience in the Dominican Republic, it was way more than that. God showed me so much more than i ever thought or could imagine. it wasn't about the culture in the DR, or the scenery. it was the one on one relationships and interactions that I encountered with its people. It was amazing to see that the Christians in the Dominican Republic worship the same God that we do in different ways, and that God works in their lives the same way he works in ours. For a couple months now, i have been praying that God would break my heart for the unsaved, because I have seemed to be desensitized of that fact. well i was there i just stopped and realized the millions of people in cities like Santo Domingo and San Francisco, and even the small villages that we went to. also, there was a celebration that we passed on the way to our hotel where the people seemed to be doing every dis pleasing thing. And it really just broke my heart realizing that all these people didn't know Jesus. I thank God so much for this life changing opportunity that he allowed me to go on. -Rachel P. Neither pictures nor words can describe how life-changing and incredible my experience was in the Dominican. The whole week overall was very humbling. I began the trip expecting to go the Dominican Republic to teach children about God and show the people there His love and yet ultimately, I learned more about God's love and his character from the people there. Their strong faith in God through tough situations and their love for others around them and their constant joy was such an inspiration for me. I also learned to not take for granted the unity we have in Christ (Eph 4). Having that basis can lead to deep relationships with people you've just met, and more, as I've experienced on this trip. I feel truly blessed by God to have been able to serve him in the DR. All glory goes to Him, "es fiel, siempre fiel". Marina I would like to say that this trip was definitely a life changing experience. I learned what it meant to serve others and was able to see people and love them as God does. I was able to see a view that can only be seen on a mountain top and learned that the closer we are to God the more we see and appreciate things the way He does. I learned to be more patient and to be more open. I saw how a group of strangers can become closer than family and this family has God in the center of it because He is our glue. I learned to step out and get out of my comfort zone. I learned to see God in the little things and appreciate them. Leidiane The DR teams have arrived safely. They have spent the afternoon resting, eating and trying to stay warm. |
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February 2016
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