Dominican Republic Reflections 1

Andre
Keloke?!?! My name is Andre, and I went to the D.R. with the Q10!! God did wonderful things in this trip to everyone, but the thing that God worked on me the most was how to improvise and that my talents can be used for his glory!! Before this trip I could only do the “Puppet show” with the appropriate song and a mini stage but God taught me that I could do it pretty much anywhere, from on top of amps to benches, from the top of walls to keyboard cases, I even did the presentation with Jimmy playing the guitar!!! Another HUGE thing was that before the trip I really didn’t want to bring the puppet, when Suzie told me to bring it, I tried to come up with every excuse I could think of, but I ended up bringing it. God used the puppet so much. I hope it touched people’s hearts. God also taught me to be thankful for everything all the time, no matter what. I know God changed me in this trip; and the old Andre who refused to serve God no longer exists!! God bless everyone!

Jared
Que lo que? Me llamo Jared. Which is apparently pronounced “Halled” in Spanish? The DR was absolutely amazing! I know that I will always remember this experience for the rest of my life. My favorite part of the entire trip was when our group did our cardboard testimonies. For those of you who do not know what cardboard testimonies are, it is when you write your testimony in a short and precise way on cardboard. I really believe that our testimonies spoke to the people of the Dominican Republic. We all had our own special testimony that could touch each person in a different way. I believe that our time in the country not only change our lives but change the people of the country as well. The Dominican opened my eyes, at a point where I now see how fortunate I am for living in a country like America and how I should thank God every single day for what I have. I thank everyone who sponsored me for this trip and I thank Luc Cruse for recommending me for this trip. And I thank God for giving me this great opportunity.

Sam
Hey guys my name is Sam. While my team was in the Dominican Republic God was working through us constantly. We weren’t doing anything; it was God and only God. One experience that really affected me was when we were in Pedro Brand prayer walking. One lady invited us into her home, and I shared my testimony with her. I didn’t really think it did much, but it was sharing how God was working in my life so I didn’t really mind. Later that evening, we went to a church service at a boy named Christian’s house. The same lady that I shared with earlier that day was there that night! I was so excited when I saw her, so I went over to say hello and what not. The next day, we went back to the same area in Pedro Brand, and Itamar was talking to the lady’s daughter. She was telling Ita how my testimony really affected her mother because she had lost her parents a little while back. The lady (I didn’t catch her name) was also at the church service that night! Again I said hello and she really seemed to be enjoying the service. This experience just showed me how God uses past experiences to glorify Him and bring people closer to Him. He also brought me to realize how when we ask, He gives us the words to say that will really have an impact on those that we are speaking to. It wasn’t just luck that the lady and I had gone through the same experience that was God’s will, no doubt.

Kathy
My name is Kathy, and our trip to the Dominican Republic was life changing. The culture of the DR is so different than here in America; the genuine hospitality of people who had just met us was humbling, and so many people on the streets were happy to talk to us and hear our testimonies. God revealed himself to me more than ever on this trip. One main event that stands out to me while in the DR was a day we spent time at an orphanage. Each one of us paired up with a child to spend one-on-one time with a kid who rarely gets it. The girl I spent time with was Nicole, a girl who was nine or ten years old. The sparkle in her eyes when our team came in was unreal – she was so happy to see new people. She wouldn’t let go of my hand for the entirety of our time there, and really showed me the child-like hope and love that we all should aim for. I need to show the hopeful sparkle in my eyes that Nicole showed me, and never let go of God’s hand.

Carmen
Hi my name is Carmen and one of the things that impacted me the most from our trip to the Dominican Republic was seeing how hard the missionaries and Christians over there are working to spread the gospel. When we got there we met Rodney and Sharon and they are doing an amazing job working with the Dominican people. They introduced us to some people from their church they were extremely nice to us and you could tell that they truly loved God. Something that God taught me throughout this trip was to trust him no matter what and truly give him the first place in my life. I saw many people who were much less fortunate then myself and it made me so thankful for what my Lord has given me. I enjoyed every moment of the trip and being able to meet new people. I loved the time we got to spend with the kids at the orphanage and being able to share God’s love with them. I became very close with all the members of my team and had a great and life changing experience. God does amazing things and I have learned that he is in control of everything.

Jimmy
Que lo que? My name is Jimmy. God really showed me a lot and taught me a lot this week. He really gave me a heart for the people. We went to an orphanage one day and one kid really attached to me. His name was Roni. He was so full of life and so happy even under the circumstances of his life. I really connected with him and we had such a great time playing football, singing, and dancing together. I was just glad that God was able to put a smile on this kids face through me.