¡Hola! Today marked our last full day in the beautiful Dominican Republic. We spent the day on Catalina Island, right off the coast of the DR. After a relaxing boat ride, we got to snorkel in the Caribbean Sea right off the coast of Catalina- it was the first time for many of us! While we swallowed a lot of the salt water, there were no worries as we also learned how to snorkel and explore the 4000 square feet of coral reef! Afterwards, we made our way to the white sandy beaches of Catalina Island where we were treated to a buffet lunch with grilled chicken, pork, and even fresh shrimp and fish (thanks for sharing Christina and Dr. Friday).
After lunch, some of us read on the beach, lounged in the shade of the palm trees, or got massages on the beach. Others haggled in the gift shop for the best prices, strolled down the beach collecting shells and coral, and took a whole lot of pictures! An intense round of frisbee in the water also entertained us for a lot of the afternoon. We are not sure who ended up winning that game, as most of us ended up a just a little bit red and very worn out! There was also a close call with a little sea urchin, but no worries, it was caught and released into a different part of the beach to save our feet! Our afternoon was very well spent. With snorkeling, four boat rides in total, and playing on the beach, we were able to enjoy more of the beauty of God’s creation here in the DR. We also learned more of the value spent in resting as God has commanded us and living in close fellowship with other Christians. By the end of the day, we climbed into the boat exhausted, happy, and with just enough sun for a healthy glow (though some could have used more sunscreen ;)! The ride back to the main land was extremely choppy, but very exciting as it felt like a rollercoaster at times. We have been extremely blessed today and all of this week. For our dinner, we had the opportunity to enjoy a grilled dinner hosted by some of the members of Iglesia Bautista Misionario. They inspired and uplifted us as they shared their own personal testimonies with the group. We enjoyed hearing how the Lord saved a man from living for wealth to now live for the Lord and pastor two churches in the DR. It brought us full circle as we reflected on the week we’ve had. It’s been full of sharing our own personal testimonies, learning from each other, building fellowship, and bringing healing of all kinds to some of the villages we’ve had the opportunity to visit. I cannot speak for all of us, but I know this week has been humbling and inspiring. I know I will carry this week with me as I return to graduate school. Tomorrow, we ALL get to fly home as we passed our COVID tests this morning! The easiest test I’ve ever taken… ish. Some are a little more disappointed than others – I know I wouldn’t have argued with a few extra days on the beach! Our flight arrives at 6:30 PM in ATL. We cannot wait to share all of the ways we have seen God work this week and all of the amazing things we have done with our friends, families, and supporters!
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Hola! Today we visited the village of Monte Criste. Our Briarwood Fellows were able to be with numerous Haitian migrants. The majority of their time was spent going door to door to evangelize as well as provide food for those in need! The fellows were allowed to share what they call “Holy Week” via visual demonstration to share the gospel as well as share the story of David and Goliath. After completing their outreach to the community, local kids from the village came up to sing in creole and quoted Psalm 23. By the grace of God, 20-30 people were allowed to hear the good news of Christ via the “bridge of life” as a way to spread the gospel. It has been such an encouraging day, and we pray the seed the Lord has planted will begin to produce fruit. While in the village of Monte Criste, PT/OT visited a nursing home that was attached to a church. PT was allowed to set up in the church for the individuals from the community to receive therapy, while the rest of the team treated the residents in the nursing home. During this time, OT was allowed to assess how residents completed eating as well as address stroke deficits. PT was able to provide new equipment to improve functional mobility for the people of the Dominican. After lunch, the PT/OT students set up group therapy in the day room for the residents to complete exercises. The residents were excited and eager to participate! Towards the end of the exercises, various songs were sung in English and Spanish to glorify Christ. This was such a powerful moment to see how universal the love of Christ and worship can be. Spiritually, it was encouraging to pray for these individuals and share the gospel as well as witness a woman come to Christ. Being able to treat individuals physically as well as spiritually has been so humbling. We pray that we are able to carry the burdens of our sisters and brothers in the Dominican and that they were able to see our love for Christ. As for the PA students, they spent their time visiting the nursing home residents in their room and were able to treat a severe sacral wound for a non-ambulatory man. Additionally, the PA students gave steroid injections in the knee of the pastor and first lady of the church. It was encouraging to be able to serve their community as well as pray that they continued to spread the good news of Christ. Today was our last day in clinic, and while our time has been short, it has been a blessing to be the hands and feet of Jesus. He has given us the ability to love the people of the Dominican and be vulnerable in so many ways that we never imagined. We pray that we continue to carry these same sentiments when we return to the U.S. We are thankful for the translators who worked alongside us and they will be missed tremendously. Although our days at the clinic have ended, we look forward to a day of fellowship tomorrow at Catalina Island! ¡Hola! Today we visited the village of Consuelo. The people were as inviting as ever and welcomed us into their beautiful community. Our group here with us from the Briarwood Fellows program spent some time in the morning buying a plentiful amount- like, 400 pounds- of rice and other goods so that they can distribute it to the community that we are visiting tomorrow. In the afternoon, door-to-door evangelism occurred where it was inspiring not only to share our faith in Jesus Christ with the community, but to hear our team mates tell the Good News and remind ourselves of the Gospel again and again. May we never grow tired of hearing the Gospel! The OT/PT students and clinicians set up in a church where, for the first time, we were not in one large room- it gave a more intimate feel to the day where we could engage and be even more intentional. Spiritually, it was encouraging to have so many patients today that had personal relationships with Christ already that were an encouragement to us. Getting to pray for them and hear about their families was a blessing. When you took the time to really look them in the eyes, you could see the love and gratefulness. Clinically, it was amazing to have patients so engaged. Many of the patients reported relief of some of their symptoms and engaged in asking about what more they could do at home to keep treating their pain themselves. Our licensed therapists performed many skills to better the lives of the people of Consuelo in the moment- such as performing a skilled manipulation to realign a patient’s pelvis or fitting an assistive device to another patient and donating it to them to continue using. For our PA students, they were again running around through the town! Well, maybe walking… it’s too hot down here to be running around all day. They visited many houses where they got to create a make-shift sling for an older woman who had dislocated her shoulder and was experiencing a lot of pain. With a different older woman, they had an emotional experience where they got to involve music and worship through song played by one of our translators. Overall, the PA students had an incredible time using their skills to make clinical decisions in a way that showed their patients their genuine care and love, rooted in Christ. Part of what has been most amazing on this trip, including today, is the community and fellowship built between our three groups as we become one during meals and free time playing games and conversing. It has been inspiring to hear the Word of the Lord spoken about on such numerous occasions- almost everything is woven back to how the Lord is teaching us something on this trip. It has inspired many of us carry over these purposeful conversations when we get back to “normal life” when we get home. ¡Hola! Today we visited the village of Paloma for another great day. PT and OT had a clinic in the church. We had a great turn out! We were able to help many Dominicans with various physical needs. We were also able to pray for them and heal them spiritually as well. A prayer was definitely answered when a man in the village gave his life to Christ! Many others eventually transitioned to having ongoing conversations with the church’s pastor. The Lord is at work here- we have been blessed to learn a different culture and be able to see their love for God. One highlight of the day was when the Dominican translators broke out into worship, and it didn’t take long before the whole team gathered around and sang praises to JesuChristo! While some of the songs were in Spanish and some were in English, both languages were glorifying our God. The biggest smiles of the days came from the crazy kids at the clinic. The fellows led them through different activities such as making balloons, playing tag, and shared the story of Jesus. The kids were very attentive and willing. They were able to share the gospel three times throughout the day. The kids treated Dr. Friday (D-fry) like he was Santa Claus! His balloons were definitely a hit. The PA group also had an incredible day of house visits. We were able to go into the village and administer several injections and medications to the sick and elderly. George did a great job of explaining the gospel with several of his patients, and they seemed very responsive to the love of Christ. While many physical health needs were addressed, more importantly spiritual needs were met with many patients. One story that comes to mind was with one of the older ladies who was having major stomach pain and limited mobility. After an extensive diagnosis, the team concluded that the patient was undergoing a lot of depression and stress which led to her physical pain. George felt as though the answer to this problem was restoration between the patient and her family. We then discussed ways the mother and the daughter can better communicate to relieve some of the stress that was causing some of her stomach pain. With prayer and some creativity, we were able to get smiles and laughs from both, and it was evident that physically and spiritual healing was already manifesting. Today we visited the village of Los Montones. O.T and P.T set up a clinic in the church, while P.A attended to a few house calls in the surrounding area. The Briarwood Fellows went door to door sharing the gospel and evangelized to the children and patients of the clinic. O.T and P.T had a busy morning with patients that had various needs such as stroke rehabilitation, back pain, knee pain, and neck pain and we were able to minister to them both physically and spiritually. We were amazed that something as simple as joint mobilizations and exercises would make a patient stand up and immediately declare they felt better already. We are sure with continued exercises and prayer they will continue to improve. We were moved by the eagerness of the patients to share what Christ meant to them, even with a language barrier. Our translators helped us communicate, and we heard beautiful testimonies that renewed our passion and energy. The PA students began their day with Dr. George at a beautiful and colorful home seeing a stroke patient who was bedridden for 12 years. He and his wife were a Christian couple and allowed the team to pray with and over them. One of the PT providers who specializes in neuro rehab later visited the couple to provide more care. They moved on to the other homes and helped, prayed, and connected with multiple families while spreading the goodness of Jesus.
The Briarwood Fellows spent the morning going door to door evangelizing to different people in the village. We connected with one of the leaders of the church who sent us to the houses that he knew had at least one person in their home that was not a Christian. Even though none of our conversations led to an immediate conversion, we were encouraged by how easy it was to connect with the people that we evangelized to. Seeds were planted today, and we are full of hope and prayer that the gospel will impact the individuals we connected with. After door-to-door evangelism, we went out and played games with children and had an opportunity to share bible stories with at least 30 children. They were very engaged and at the end of our time, many prayed to receive Christ in their own life! Overall, today was an amazing day that impacted all of us just as much as we impacted the village. This morning we went to Iglesia Bautista Missionario (the church down the street from Score International) for an enriching time of fellowship, teaching, and worship with our Dominican brothers and sisters in Christ. Even when the power went out cutting off the music, the church never stopped singing. We might have been singing a different language, “Jesucristo basta”, yet we were still worshipping the same God who is always enough even in our weakness and depravity. We also heard a sermon on Acts 3 where Peter heals a lame man outside of Solomon’s portico. While Peter did heal the man’s physical needs, he points to the man’s ultimate spiritual need- the saving work of Jesus Christ. In this passage, Peter says to the man, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” This is the motivation behind our work this week- healing physical needs while pointing our patients to the hope found in Christ’s life, death, and resurrection.
Despite the rain after church, our spirits couldn’t be dampened and we made our way to the beach this afternoon. We spent the afternoon swimming, reading, throwing a frisbee, and building a community with the locals through beach volleyball. Our small game with some friends we made this morning at church from Climb (a gap year program for students), turned into a crowded competition with the locals joining both teams. You could hear the crescendo of noise across the beach. It was incredible building a community with the locals even when we couldn’t speak the same language. It gave us a lot of hope for the upcoming week as we venture into other communities. Our evening ended with worship, sharing testimonies, and building relationships among our team and with our new friends at Climb. We look forward to serving the communities’ physical and spiritual needs. We’ll be sure to add pictures from the beach to tomorrow’s blog- for now, it’s off to prepare for our week! |
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