Quarry Mission Team Feb/Mar 2018

On February 23rd, a team of 15 people from Quarry Community Church in Monticello came to the Dominican Republic for their first adult mission trip.

I was elated that a team from our home church in Monticello and pastors who have been great friends and mentors to me were coming to see what we do and meet the people here who we have come to love so much.   I was so excited just to get to spend several days with them in a row!

While the Quarry team was here, they participated in children's ministry, ministry to single mothers, built a home with and for a family in need, participated in care ministry in two hospitals, attended church services and visited homes.  Many people were blessed and encouraged by their presence.

One Dominican pastor who has worked with many mission teams over the years commented to me one day during lunch, "This team is different."  He saw something special in this group of people - how they were focused on relationships instead of worried about accomplishing tasks, willing to be flexible and remain joyful even when things didn't go according to our plans, and saw the way the team members loved and served one another so well.  It was refreshing and a true blessing just to get to be around these people.

Pastor Michael summed it up well in the DR Reporting Service a few Sundays back at the Quarry, "Something really special happens when a group of people set aside time to seek God through prayer and His Word every day for 10+ days in a row, and then set out to give of themselves, love and serve others wherever they go."

A lot of special things did happen.  Here are a few highlights:

Ministry with our youth team in Hato Mayor.  Time of fellowship, Bible study with the Hato Mayor team members, and then dividing into three teams to go to three different communities to minister to the children.

 Building a home with a family in need.

Before

After

Ministry to single mothers

House Visits - Prayer and Evangelism

Hospital Care Ministry

 Church Services and Fellowship

  

On our free day, we went to Samana to go whale watching.  For a few months out of the year, whales from around the world, come to the bay in Samana to have their babies.  I had never taken the whale watching tour and was excited to finally get to see the whales.  I imagined what it might be like to see these giant, magnificent animals jumping out of the water and couldn't wait for the experience.

Unfortunately, Joselo and I both were so sea-sick we didn't see much of anything except the inside of our eye-lids.  Others did see some whales, but I was told that there was no jumping out of the water.