SENIOR TRIP -- Days 1 & 2

DAY ONE -- Jax to the Dominican Republic Two AM. an odd time to leave for a senior trip, but 24 seniors and five chaperones rolled into UC loaded and ready. We were all excited to be heading out on an adventure, but God bless bus driver Mr. Tom Orr! He drove us to Orlando in the middle of the night through pouring rain, and then had to drive back by himself. Several first time fliers were a tad nervous, but alas, there was nothing to fear. Brandon Myers, who had been stressing about flying, fell asleep as soon as we took off, and didn't even wake up when we landed in Miami! The flight into the DR was pleasant, and we all enjoyed seeing the blue water and guessing which islands we were passing over. We made it through customs with no problems and enjoyed a nice lunch at the airport. It was also our first taste of the language and money barrier. You'd think a Burger King is a Burger King everywhere, but not when the workers only speak Spanish! But we finally got our Whoppers and fries for about sx American dollars. At the resort, some of the rooms weren't quite ready, so we explored the scenery and the amenities. The resort is as beautiful as the pictures! Tomorrow is beach day, and we can't wait for that! Dinner is served buffet style in an open-air pavilion overlooking the ocean. There are no less than a dozen stations with fruits, vegetables, meats, pasta, and anything else you could want. And oh, the desserts! Cakes, custards, pies, crepes and ice cream! Many of us had been up for more than 36 hours straight, and with very full tummies, we all called it an early night. Pastor Frank led devotions with a question: if you could share what you value most; give it away but still keep it, whether abstract or concrete, what would you give and to whom? It was a thought-provoking question, that resulted in an interesting discussion. Curfew was set for 10:30, but many of the kids went on to bed then, knowing that the morning call was early. DAY TWO After another sumptuous meal, we loaded the bus and went to San Pedro de Macoris. That town should sound familiar to baseball fans, as it is known for producing many major leaguers, especially shortstops. But we were headed to the Ls Palmas Educacion Bilingue Cristocentrica, or the las Palmas Bilingual Christian School. The school has only been in existence for three years, and has grown from just over thirty to more than 200 students in that short time. The school runs from PreK to 6th grade, and they are adding a grade every year. The school building is a large renovated house, with several outbuildings and even a swimming pool! The school is operated by Gary and Ally Hale. Gary is the pastor of the church, and Ally is the principal of the school. There are also other missionaries at the school as teachers, and classes are conducted in English and Spanish. In the morning, the Seniors did reading groups with the students, reading to them and listening to them read in English. It was awesome to watch how quickly the Americanos bonded with the estudiantes. I was struck at how similar the school was to UC in many ways. The uniforms look a lot like ours, and though the classrooms are much smaller, they still reminded me a lot of Miss Dowling's or Mrs. Robinson's rooms! Soon it was time for recess and that's when the real fun began! A big game of kickball broke out on the field, while a cutthroat game of Duck Duck Goose was going on in the yard. Meanwhile others were learning some fun new variations of Rock/Paper/Scissors. It was so cool to watch the kids playing together. Many of the Las Palmas students are fairly fluent in English, which enabled lots of conversations! But you did not want to get between the kids and the snack bar when snack time came! Drinks, candy and all kinds of stacks were available, including some yummy garlic crackers! Then it was time for more reading groups, and soon it was time to head back to the resort for lunch. The kids at Las Palmas have a home-cooked meal before school ends at 1:30. I don't know what they had, but the smells coming from the kitchen were heavenly! We went back to resort for lunch and a short siesta before returning to the school to do some work. Our students helped the librarian sort and move boxes of donated books and cleaned out a storage shed, while others planted trees around the property. The seniors did themselves, their parents and UC proud, working really hard without slacking or complaining. This is such a good group of kids. As their teacher, I know them pretty well, but it's always great to see them out of the school environment. Parents, you can be very proud of these kids. I would take them anywhere. I'm writing this as I sit in the principal's office. The school isn't air-conditioned, but the cross breezes through the windows make it very pleasant, although outside in the sun it is quite hot and humid. This is my third foreign mission trip, and I am always amazed wherever I go at how at home I feel. It truly is a small world. One of the best perks of the Christian life, I think, is being part of the family of God. Whenever you meet people and you join with them to do ministry, there is instant fellowship, and instant friendships. It's been a great first day, and I can't wait to see how God shows up and shows off the rest of the week! Working to make HIM famous, Leisha Cowart, on behalf of the UC CLASS OF 2012

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12:28:00 PM

by LeishaC

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