Native drums, Mountainous roads, and nope… i don't hear banjo's! This isn’t deliverance!
A Sunday morning run starts the day bright and early at 6am! There is nothing like watching the sun rise over the Dominican mountains while jogging the semi empty roads side. Pigs tied here and there, a couple locals butchering a cow, huts, shanties, and motorbikes are scattered along side the roadway. A few miles later and i’m back at the house. Devotion time with the team, breakfast, and out the door.
We heard we were going to be traveling a short distance into the mountains near the Haitian border to speak at a village church, and do a few songs for them as well. I was nominated to do the speaking, which i gladly took and ran with, and Claire and I played two songs with help from Gene, that we learned the choruses in spanish so the locals could understand and feel apart. But let me back up a little first…
The short ride was in an OLD ford truck powered by propane and started out with about 10 of us in the back. What was a short ride into the mountains turned into about two hours of the roughest, bumpiest, and beautiful roads we have been on, with i believe i counted 21 of in the back at one point. We kept picking up people walking up the road and dropping them off at random places. Everyone is so friendly here and apparently if you need a ride, there is always room for one more! So wonderful!!!
We arrive at the church, native music already sounding, just amazing made rugged hand drums and about 15 women and men singing there hearts out to Jesus and i cant understand a word… But it was so awesome! A man that was with us in the truck got up and preached a bit, then it was out turn to play a lil tune or two. We got up, did our thing, and they couldn’t understand a word we said, but they loved it! We sat, listened to a sermon, that once again we couldn’t understand (Thank you Horlyn [our translator] for helping us along with that) but still was so awesome to see the community praise the way they do. It was awesome! Afterwards they played a few more songs and the service was over.
I then approached one of the young men playing one of the drums and motioned for me to play one. Yes i said motioned. As mentioned he can’t understand me and i cant understand him so our motioning is working out well! As i motioned for him to play we both started in, then another guy grabbed the 3rd drum and before we knew it the whole “choir” started singing in what was just glory to me cause i couldn’t comprehend a single word.
The long, bumpy, hot ride home was sooo good! We joked around, ate a few cookies, and talked about how great the morning was! I am so blessed to be here in the Dominican. I cant wait to see what the next ten months brings!
