Day two recap lets gooo!! Today was nothing short of incredible, as predicted. Deanna, our leader from One More Child, gave us the opportunity to sleep in a little bit this morning, and I think the extra hour was appreciated by all. We enjoyed a yummy breakfast, followed by a powerful morning devo led by Jimmy, Deanna’s husband. This was a great way to start the day that had us all heading out of the apartments ready for God’s work. As the group stepped off the bus, we were greeted with open hearts and open arms by some of the children from Villa Esparanza, the community we will be working in for the rest of the week. Each child claimed a “gringo”, as they call us, dragging us through the streets as we were led on a tour of la communidad. Each home is painted a different bright color, most of them accompanied by a beautiful garden in the front yard. We were lucky enough to have double worship, one provided by our team and one by theirs. It was so moving to see the language barrier  broken down by the intense power of worship. Pastor Jose of their church gave a wonderful message translated by our own Pastor Mike. He spoke about how everything in our lives belongs to God, and that everything we do should be for his glory, and in his name. I thought this was very fitting for this week, as we are here in the DR to be God’s hands and feet. Spending some time with these kids and families gave everyone an extra dose of excitement for the rest of the week. After, we headed over to a resort on the beach for some rest and relaxation. They served us a traditional Dominican lunch and I think its safe to say that all of us LOVED it. The view was breathtaking with the palm trees, bright blue water, and mountains in the background. Fun was had by all, and later in the afternoon we headed home. The rest of the night so far has been filled with preparation for tomorrow, football, card games, “WOW!! time”,  and homemade empanadas prepared by our awesome chef, Ivelisse. During WOW!! time, everyone shared special moments from their day that really made them sit and say “wow God”. It was beautiful to hear all the experiences everyone has had so far, and I’m sure you are like me, and can’t wait to hear the stories from the rest of the week. I’m signing off now to go join in a game of Uno, but someone else will pick back up tomorrow to keep everyone at home updated. We are so grateful for everyone who made this trip possible for us and is supporting us back home in the States.
xoxo,
Ella Almaguer
10th Grade Girl