Day 1 from the DR

Our 1st full day was spent in San Cristobal near the capital with some old Quest friends and some new ones! We connected with Sharon (Coleman) and Juana, the pastor's wife who, along with her husband, are ministering to the young people of the neighborhood. We went to a new neighborhood the govt just finished building for a group of people who have always lived in makeshift homes by the river. The people are transitioning to their permanent cement homes but have encountered increasing crime and restlessness with the adjustment. Juana and her husband want to be able to showcase that God through the cross of Christ can supply the much deeper need for hope!
The first part of the day was spent connecting with the local kids through games and with local teenagers through rap and music. Later on, the guys and girls split up- the guys went on to play basketball with those same teens and with our Dominican brothers (Jochy, Fernando, Cristian, Vic, Hans and Arturo). They also continued to connect through rap and song- even "battling" (in a good way!) In 2 languages! The language barrier didn't interfere with sharing a message of hope and forgiveness through the raps. The girls spent the day making bracelets and connecting with the local kids.
A crowd gathered as both guys and girls got together to share some songs, testimonies, a puppet show and the team's cardboard testimonies right there on the street. We praise God and continue to pray that our words, actions and testimonies glorify God in all that we do, see and experience. Despite not having water for a bit, some scheduling setbacks, mosquito bites, and language barriers the team is focused and without complaint. Your prayers back home are not in vain! Please continue to pray that we would worship with thankful hearts and always be led by Him. Tomorrow, we will be connecting with Antonio here in Santo Domingo (past Quest teams may remember him and efforts to reach his neighborhood and with construction projects), then we head off to San Francisco to work with Pastor Gabriel! Much more to come! Con Amor, the DR team.