Month one was all squad month, which means all 31 of us world racers plus our two alumni squad leaders, James and LeAnn, and even our squad mentor, Grace, lived together for the entire month. We partnered with H.O.P.E. Dominican Republic, and our hosts were Vicki and Reuben Dominguez and their family.
We lived on their property, which consisted of a hilly terrain full of jungle-like trees and vegetation with a panoramic view of the mountains. The breeze was comforting and warm, the smell of mangoes and Dominican coffee made by our cook, Margo, filled the air on most days; and it was hot, day and night. There were two rooms stacked on top of each other that the girls slept in; 13 in each room. We had bunk beds and one bathroom per room that offered a refreshing cold shower after a long day of manual labor out in the sun or to wake you up in the mornings. The guys slept in a little building of their own down near the bottom patio where we had meals, played pool and dumped/burned garbage.
Ministry consisted of manual labor which included emptying out sand and rocks from the clogged natural waterfall, carving out steps in the side of the mountain on the path to the cows they owned, painting and cleaning out the missionary housing and common areas, and even helping to build a house for a man named, Nani, and his family just down the road by mixing concrete and carrying out loads of dirt for the foundation to be placed. We also taught English and Bible stories at a nearby elementary school, painted bright and cheerful murals on the walls off the school buildings, did housekeeping tasks around the property to better serve one another and our hosts, and completed some administrative tasks for the ministry’s website.
Another major component of ministry this month was intercessory prayer. Our first few days spent on the mountain were filled with nothing but prayer as the family faced some health issues that kept them at the hospital during this time. We prayed for the country, the local community, the family, the ministry, each other, our race, and so much more. Our biggest answer to prayer was for rain to come pour down on the country as it had been facing a four month drought that was threatening the crops which meant no food and no income for many families. Once it started raining, it didn’t stop. Every day on the mountain we were blessed with a rainstorm, usually in the afternoons, to cool us off from the heat of the day and remind us that God’s promises are yes and amen.
Between bouts of ministry, which usually lasted from 8am until 4pm, we had lunch followed by a siesta where most of us spent time lounging in our hammocks up on the rooftop, swimming in the pool, or running up to the nearest colmado (or convenience store) to get a cold coke and a bag of chips.
A majority of our meals were oatmeal, boiled eggs, spongy cakes, rice and beans, bread and hot chocolate. Other memorable food was fresh mangoes and avocados from the property, handmade arepas topped with Nutella, and plantains served mashed or fried.
We did our laundry by hand in buckets and strung them out on the lines behind the house. This was my first time doing laundry by hand, and I can’t tell you how humbling and exhausting it was for me the first few times.
To get wifi, we would walk up to a colmado and buy a wifi card, either for 10 hours or 24 hours, and accessed it by standing at the end of the driveway catching intermittent signals to our devices to check in with friends and family.
Our off days consisted of trips to the beach, jumping off waterfalls, or shopping at the Santiago mall. We had an epic talent show at the end of the month where a majority of our squad and even members of our host family participated in showing off their talents through music, poetry, dancing, or acting out a skit!
. . .
I’ll miss quiet mornings on the rooftop as the sun rose reading the Word and praying as a squad.
I’ll miss worship sessions in the evenings as a squad and sending out praises and declarations of God’s goodness into the mountain air.
I’ll miss looking up at the night sky and seeing it filled with thousands of stars and knowing God calls them each by name and put them in their place.
I’ll miss the view of the mountains and seeing the afternoon rain storm’s clouds roll in above the peaks.
I’ll miss seeing all the farm animals roaming around and petting the host family’s dogs: Chiquito and Sandy.
I’ll miss team times in the pool or on the porch.
I’ll miss the feeling of anticipation I had knowing this was only the first month of many that I’d be living in God’s beautiful creation using the gifts He’s blessed me with to serve and love His children outside of the United States.
Songs that make me think of this month are:
- Yes and Amen by Housefires
- I Surrender by Ryan Ellis
- The Greatest Show by Hugh Jackman
- Pieces by Amanda Cook
- Build My Life by Pat Barret
Want to know more? Ask me about:
- The story of the cow
- The revelation God gave to me about being the salt of the earth
- The upper room
- Losing my grandmother in the first month of the race
