In America you are defined by what kind of car you drive, how big or small your house is, and how rich your children can be. In the Dominican Republic, no one cares if you have any money at all. Everyone welcomes everyone because here, everyone is family.
As we began our ministry in a village outside of town we quickly realized that Dominicans are a very open people. Everyone’s door is open-literally- and people just walk in and out as they please. Since there is no air-conditioning, most of the day is spent under the shade in their yard. At each house we visited, the people would see us coming and immediately grab extra chairs and welcome us to sit down and ask if we would like some coffee or fruit.
The people here live on roughly $2.00 USD a day, but even that is probably a high estimate for some areas. The average family has the father working in the rice fields while the mother takes care of the children or runs a small corner store from their house. These families consist of at least 4 children but sometimes as many as 13 and they all live on the same budget for food and water. Some families might have a few vegetables in their yard to cook with, but every family lives off of rice and beans each and every day.
Imagine you’re walking down a street in New York City and trying to have a conversation with a complete stranger. No one does it, but why? I wish I had a good answer, but I do not. Our society is so closed off to one-on-one conversations. Just think of all those awkward elevator rides you have taken in your life. In the Dominican Republic you say hello to everyone and they greet you back with a smile and ask how you are doing. When my team goes out to the “colonies,” as they are called, and engage in conversation, these people immediately open up. There is no question that they would find offensive, especially when talking about God and Jesus. The passion they have for the Lord despite their living conditions is truly inspiring.
For example, I met a middle aged man on our second day here who could not see out of any of his eyes, but he was still so positive towards life and knew that God was and is always a good God. I was legally blind without corrective lenses until an 8 minute long surgery gave me perfect vision. This man has been relying on one eye for many years and was still more positive on life and Gods plan for him than I have ever been. I have full use of both eyes and it just goes to show that you can have all the money or resources that you want, but if you don’t have faith in God it will all still leave you missing something inside.
The people of El Cercado might not have much, but their outlook on life and their faith in God gives them more wealth than the entire United States. In America we continue to strive to buy more things and yet we are continually unsatisfied with our possessions. People here are living proof that you do not need materials to have a full and joyful life.
You can see the Glacial history even in the Dominican Republic!! (all those snake like valleys in the mountain, yupp those are millions of years old, God does some pretty cool things huh?)
Side note: I still need another $7,000 to continue on this journey sharing God’s love with the nations. To help, the best way would be to mail a check wirtter to: Adventures in Missions with MY NAME in the memo box and mail it to:
Adventures in Missions
P.O. Box 534470
Atlanta, Ga 30353-4470
Thank you for your time and consideration reading my post! Stay tuned for a wicked fun blog coming up!! 😉
