Meeting people where they are at brings about a special type of connection and knowledge. You get to see the beauty of another person’s life.
This has been of the sweetest things about month one. I had been out of the country before, but I had never been out of the country like this. I thought I had seen a little bit of the culture when I traveled before. However, through this experience (even just on the first day) I see just how westernized tourist spots are to make us (Americans) comfortable. But oh my goodness, how beautiful it has been to meet the Dominican community where they are.
I know very, very (very) little Spanish. So interactions were hard. I wanted them to feel appreciated and loved, but I couldn’t speak Spanish very well so there I was.
The people there are so, so loving and extremely hospitable. We were in a smaller village in the mountains and so we took walks on the main roads where we met the locals.
I want to share with you some stories of the locals that we had the privilege of being a part of their life. (Names have been changed)
•Jasmine: a group of us were taking a walk through our little community while the rest of the squad participated in adventure day early in the month. We noticed a woman carrying several bags from one of the colmados. We asked if we could help her and soon found out she was the mother of one of the workers for the campus we were staying at. She invited us into her home and made us sit for a while. She shared some stories with us about herself and family. She gave us tea that she makes and sells out of her home. Different members of the squad were able to form a beautiful relationship with her throughout the month and talked to her about Jesus.
•Joshua and Catherine: On a walk with a different group of people we ran into people that one of us knew. We were quickly invited into their home where Joshua and his daughter, Miranda, showed us around. We talked about the pictures on the walls and were asked to sit in the living room. Joshua and his wife, Catherine, sat and talked with us for a few hours, making coffee and giving us biscuits, and showed us their backyard that housed trees full of mangos and avocados. Going back into their house, Joshua and Miranda washed the mud off our shoes and cut up a mango for us to share.
•Mr. Anderson: he owns a restaurant on the mountain and invited a group of us for coffee on him the day we left. So we walked in the morning to go see him. When we got there we met his wife and sat down to have coffee with the two of them, prayed for his restaurant and for the two of them to prosper in the community and continue to follow God’s plan for them.
•Tucker: we ran into him on the street on the way back to our compound before we left. He interaction one of us had with him was so sweet. He lit up when he saw her from their previous interactions. I couldn’t tell what they were saying but he was so humble in the way he spoke to her and constantly smiled with so much joy. He gave her a fruit from his bag that he had picked to sell. When she tried to give it back he refused to take it saying how much he wanted her to have it. She got to pray for him before we had to walk away and they said goodbye. Walking away, I knew both of them were better for knowing each other, even for the brief time we were there.
•Teachers from the local school: a few teacher from the school that we taught at for a week (granted each team only taught one day), saw a group of us walking and invited us into their home. They were so excited to be able to extend that to us but unfortunately we weren’t able to but their excitement meant just as much to us.
All of them shared something uncommon. Their hospitality was beautiful and not something we typically experience in the US. They welcomed us with open arms and happy hearts, eager to share a piece of their life with us. Though a lot of these new friends of ours had little, they had so much joy and kindness in their hearts that overflowed into our interactions with them.
Meet people where they are
Meeting people where they are at brings about a special type of connection and knowledge. You get to see the beauty of another person’s life.
This has been of the sweetest things about month one. I had been out of the country before, but I had never been out of the country like this. I thought I had seen a little bit of the culture when I traveled before. However, through this experience (even just on the first day) I see just how westernized tourist spots are to make us (Americans) comfortable. But oh my goodness, how beautiful it has been to meet the Dominican community where they are.
I know very, very (very) little Spanish. So interactions were hard. I wanted them to feel appreciated and loved, but I couldn’t speak Spanish very well so there I was.
The people there are so, so loving and extremely hospitable. We were in a smaller village in the mountains and so we took walks on the main roads where we met the locals.
I want to share with you some stories of the locals that we had the privilege of being a part of their life. (Names have been changed)
•Jasmine: a group of us were taking a walk through our little community while the rest of the squad participated in adventure day early in the month. We noticed a woman carrying several bags from one of the colmados. We asked if we could help her and soon found out she was the mother of one of the workers for the campus we were staying at. She invited us into her home and made us sit for a while. She shared some stories with us about herself and family. She gave us tea that she makes and sells out of her home. Different members of the squad were able to form a beautiful relationship with her throughout the month and talked to her about Jesus.
•Joshua and Catherine: On a walk with a different group of people we ran into people that one of us knew. We were quickly invited into their home where Joshua and his daughter, Miranda, showed us around. We talked about the pictures on the walls and were asked to sit in the living room. Joshua and his wife, Catherine, sat and talked with us for a few hours, making coffee and giving us biscuits, and showed us their backyard that housed trees full of mangos and avocados. Going back into their house, Joshua and Miranda washed the mud off our shoes and cut up a mango for us to share.
•Mr. Anderson: he owns a restaurant on the mountain and invited a group of us for coffee on him the day we left. So we walked in the morning to go see him. When we got there we met his wife and sat down to have coffee with the two of them, prayed for his restaurant and for the two of them to prosper in the community and continue to follow God’s plan for them.
•Tucker: we ran into him on the street on the way back to our compound before we left. He interaction one of us had with him was so sweet. He lit up when he saw her from their previous interactions. I couldn’t tell what they were saying but he was so humble in the way he spoke to her and constantly smiled with so much joy. He gave her a fruit from his bag that he had picked to sell. When she tried to give it back he refused to take it saying how much he wanted her to have it. She got to pray for him before we had to walk away and they said goodbye. Walking away, I knew both of them were better for knowing each other, even for the brief time we were there.
•Teachers from the local school: a few teacher from the school that we taught at for a week (granted each team only taught one day), saw a group of us walking and invited us into their home. They were so excited to be able to extend that to us but unfortunately we weren’t able to but their excitement meant just as much to us.
All of them shared something in common. Their hospitality was beautiful and not something we typically experience in the US. They welcomed us with open arms and happy hearts, eager to share a piece of their life with us. Though a lot of these new friends of ours had little, they had so much joy and kindness in their hearts that overflowed into our interactions with them. These interactions were just one sign that we got last month that God is not done working. He’s not down working in the DR and in these mountain villages, and He’s not done with anywhere else.
