2015 DR Discipleship Trip Day: 5

Location: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Lazy Jessie today...I got up and Andrew and Knepps had already finished laundry and breakfast was set out and everyone was up...wow...it was weird...but nice to sleep late.

After breakfast we sing for a while then started our first (half) real study on I Thessalonians. I say half study only because it was under 2 hours long. It was very good though!! After the study we went out for lunch at Barra Payan. Best sandwiches and juices ever. Seriously.

It was here that Mr. R got a call about Jenn's tests. They've not been done in time for results to come before they would have to fly. So the likelihood of her coming is rapidly dwindling.

In the lovely humid and hot streets of Santo Domingo we walk back to our apartment and by the time we arrive we're beat. All of us ladies go to our beautifully air conditioned room and lay on the cold tile as if we were dead bodies. This sparks ideas about pranking Dominicans.

Our prank:
Run near Dominicans, drop to the ground, outline each other with chalk as a dead body, jump up, and run away to the next group of Dominicans until the city of Santo Domingo has like 20 chalk outlines.

See, the Dominicans would never do such a thing because they'd never be so shameless as to do it, it would undermine their need to appear proper and powerful.

We laid on the floor probably 45 minutes total as each went and showered as the wanted to move from the cool floor. Janie explored the house to find the toilet paper, this was very helpful to know about.

It was while we were "chilling" on the floor that Mr. R came to notify us that he would be going with Patrick and Emanuel to get 42ish pounds of coffee to bring home. Yes. 42 pounds. Of coffee. Café. 42 pounds of coffee.

When the guys came back we again broke into two groups, one went to get souvenirs and the other went to the church to have WiFi and/or practice with the church band. I was in the group that went to the church. But before we went we (me, Rogers, Knepps, Andrew, Connor, and Josh) had our own jam session.

We started with hymns, then it got silly....

Video by: Connor

After this we wanted to do something more serious...we wanted to do something more patriotic on our beloved country's birthday, so we sang our national anthem. First we sang it in a minor key, and discovered we are actually surprisingly quite good at singing minor keys with harmonies and all such nifty additions to music. So then we sang it in it's major key...then in typical American fashion we went out on our balcony and sang it like it was meant to be sung.

Happy Birthday America!

We sang in minor key,
We sang in major key,
And on the balcony.

When we finished singing it was time to head over to the church. The walk was less hot this time and since we were a smaller group it was faster...well that we didn't have as far to go was helpful too. The church looked awesome in it's new colors. It was so fun to walk in and realize that what was meant to be a blessing to the church is really a blessing to us.

Being at the church is also nice because it has WiFi, which leads to my last thought for tonight's blog post.

We are leaving Santo Domingo on Monday. This means that TOMORROW (Sunday) is the last day for the next FIVE (5) days for the team to have WiFi or get calls. So if you want to contact your kids, you must do so tonight and/or tomorrow night.

After that we'll have a chance to get wifi a bit again, but not as consistently as we have been for this first 6 days.

love,
Jessie Bear

Proverbs 16:3

"Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established."

2015 DR Discipleship Trip Day: 2

Location: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

For the first time the team is without Jenn. We quickly realize how much we’ve depended on her. Rogers and I are the first people up, and we start to explore the kitchen to make the coffee. Soon Andrew, Connor, and Janie wake up to join the party at about 7:30am. Rogers and I get the bowls, cereal, coffee, and spoons out for the team to have breakfast as they emerge from their slumber.

Since we have 8 members on the trip and only 2 of them are new, it’s easy to have moments where there are “vets” and “new peeps”. Rogers and I talked over coffee about the best ways to include Janie into the girls group in the hope that by the end of the trip she would be seamlessly adopted into the DR Discipleship family. Of everyone on the trip she is the most “new” to the group, even Connor is somewhat previously known by the group because of our meeting at Beka and Sean’s wedding. So we, Rogers and I, worked on ideas of how to get her to be a closer part of the team. Yet, even in the proposed ideas of how to do that, it was a massive blessing on us in seeing how God would brings us here and force us to grow in the perspective of getting outside of ourselves. *mindblown*

Since we’d been talking about Janie and Connor, Janie came over to talk with us. So we asked her for a bit of her background and how she arrived here with us. Her beautiful story not only captured our attention, but attracted almost everyone in the room to come over and listen to her speak of God’s Providence.

After breakfast Janie and I packed the cooler with the 11 left over sandwiches and water bottles for our trip to visit a Sugar Cane plantation. Our van was supposed to arrive at 9:30am, but we weren't ready to go till 9:50am, so it was a good thing that we were running on DRian time because our ride wasn't there. So at 10:00am we began to place bets on when the van would arrive. It was an hour late but at 10:30am the van arrived and we were unable to leave because Patrick and his aunt had left and gone somewhere. So, even with an hour extra we weren't ready. Welcome to the DR y'all. A while later Patrick returned and we got on our way.

During the ride Patrick gave us a lesson in Spanish.

Napkin - servilletas

Fork - tenedor

Knife - cuchillo

Spoon - cuchara

Cup - vaso

Plate - plato

House - casa

Face - cara

Hands - manos

Shirt - camisa

Feet - pies

Hair - cabello

Shoes - zapato

Pants - pantalón

Car - carro

Road - carretera

Food - camida

After the lesson, I wasn't feeling very well and when I would close my eyes I would see crazy colors. I didn't like admitting to myself let alone my team that I was getting a migraine. Due to crazy flights, food schedules, and the stress of traveling, I got a lovely migraine complete with the nausea. Rogers so kindly gave me a neck and head massage. Knepps gave me a painkillers and a pill to help with the nausea.

The car ride became miserable for me very quickly. I tried to sleep as much as I could just to check out of the pain and nausea. When we picked up the lady who ministers to the Haitians her spanish was so loud that sleep was impossible. When we hit dirt roads and the sound of the road changed it hurt more because it was bumpier and louder but at the same time was more comforting because it reminded me of Oklahoma. We picked up the daughters of the lady with us, and began to learn her family's vision.

The people of the Sugar Cane Plantation are considered by Mr. R as the poorest people in the DR. The plantation is staffed with men and families from Haiti, the company has an agreement that allows them to travel between the two countries for free. As soon as the people get their money from the company money lenders come and take it. The children of the people go to the burning dumpsters to find food each day.

The lady's family has a vision to preach the gospel to all those in the plantation. So far, there are THREE church plants because this family has been blessed by God to be the hands and feet of Jesus. It was very inspiring to see her work.

Unfortunately, I was too sick to get out of the van at the Plantation so Patrick stayed with me. I was sleeping and when I opened my eyes, I saw out the window the most beautiful green tree. I was reminded that even in the midst of incredible poverty and hopelessness God still provides beauty and His creation continues to display His glory.

The drive home was even more miserable, but by His grace, I made it back. By the time we were back I was starting to feeling better. We went inside and I laid down. After a while we decided to go to Barra Payan for juices. I (predictably) got chinola Ca. There was a kitten that came over that looked just like my kitties. But we can't play with the cats or dogs here in the DR. When we went home I rested again. The deal was that if when the evening study Janie would come check on me, if I was asleep she'd leave me be, if I was awake then she'd fetch me for the study.

The study was just intros to both the I Thessalonians Study and the Biblical Thinking Study. After that we went over some small rules like "please drink all the water in your water bottle before getting another one" and the like. Then we had our evening prayer with the group, then were dismissed for bed.

The girls decided that we would read I Thessalonians each night, one chapter each (and someone reads a second until Jenn arrives). We finally settled into bed at 11:00pm.

God has been so good to us so far, I know He will continue to be just as good.

Prayer Requests:

- Jenn would heal and come to the DR

- Continued health for the team

- that I would feel better

Much love from the DR,

Jessie Bear

Galatians 6:9

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."