DR 2023! (Rod)
Hello from the Dominican Republic!
This is just a quick short post to let you know we have arrived and are settled in at the Lighthouse.
Our day started slow as it took as a painstaking hour to complete entry forms to travel to the DR. In past years it was a simple form we could complete and pass around to students to copy the needed information, but this year they required everyone to complete it on their phone and show a downloaded pdf before we could proceed to check in. Some students had to complete the for as many as 4 times due to simple errors in the process or their understanding of a question.
With that speedbump taken care of, everything else has moved pretty smoothly. We had no problems getting to our gate on time and the flight was pretty smooth. After some more line ups and questions with immigration, we collected our luggage and met with Cristian, Felix and Danerys from the Lighthouse.
Leaving the plane we got our first sample of the heat, which was, well…. hot and humid! Thankfully our bus ride to the Lighthouse was air conditioned and had pizza!
Upon arrival we found our rooms, ate some dinner, and spent some time discussing the past 24 hours. It was great going around the circle to hear the joys and challenges the students experience already. Seeing the reality of the poverty in the community as we drove in was a challenge for most of the students. In our devotional, we discussed the different cultures (hot vs cold) and how people here might think differently about what we perceive as problems, etc. We had a great dialogue about how God is already at work here and we get to join in the conversation He’s already started.
We’re currently ending our day in the pool, which were hoping will help cool everyone enough to get some sleep. Tomorrow we start with ESL (English as a Second Language) classes and get to spend some time with students…. can’t wait!
Thank you for everyone who has helped us get to this point. Your prayers & financial support is appreciated as we trust God in all that he will do in and through this team of students. As we begin engaging with work and people tomorrow, continued prayer for student who may experience some culture shock is appreciated.
Have a great night!
Rod
