Home sweet home.

I am typing this from the comfort of my own bed at the Wilderness House in Orange City. We made it back safely! It was interesting to talk to the Nicaragua team and swap stories and share experiences. Please ask us questions about our trip when you see us. Keep us in your prayers as we process our whole trip and as we may experience reverse culture shock back at home. Thank you for caring and praying for us while we were in the DR. God Bless!

Our awesome bus driver, Willie, who drove us everywhere!

Group Photo with our driver and our leaders included.

Homaha.

We just landed in Omaha. The Nicaragua team is still in flight, when they arrive we will hop on a school bus and trek on home to Orange City. Allie's parents made a surprise visit to the airport here. What a lovely surprise!

Leaving on a jet plane.

Hey friends! The rest of our trip went well, a little difficult to process, just ask about it if you get the chance. Sorry I wasn't able to update. The place that we were staying did not have free WiFi. Right now we are in the airport waiting to depart the DR for Newark. Boarding in 20 minutes. Pray that our flights go without a hitch!

BBarcelo Capella or BUST!

In about an hour we are leaving La Romana and heading to Barcelo Capella in Juan Dilio - a nice resort by Santa Domingo. We are all interested to experience a different culture of the DR, but still a little hesitant. It is hard to justify going to a resort for our day off after being emersed in such poverty and meeting such beautiful, humble people. Our leaders from HOPE international told us to get rid of the guilt that is building up in our hearts and use the time to get rejuvenated and to reflect before returning home to NWC. So, let's throw our our guilt, be happy for the memories made, the people met, the lessons learned and be free to enjoy God's beautiful beach! Please be praying for us that we will be mindful of our time to reflect and deeply think about the lessons God has taught us and the changes He wants to make in our lives and in our hearts.

Please also pray for healing on our team. Many of us are sick with colds, sore throats, the runs, and nausea. Pray that the sick can find rest this weekend and find strength in God.

These are are leaders from HOPE (left: Claire; right: Liz) They are some pretty sweet ladies.

Olouine. By Kristen Menchaca

Eyes are tired. Muscles hurt. Skin is ouchy-tingly. Ankle starting to swell. And my heart is... full. Overflowing with love for these people and their country! Oh, the things we have been taught and are now still trying to grasp and process. It is challenging; poverty is a heavy-on-your-heart topic that can be really discouraging, and while our group has caught glimpses of the sadness it brings, we have also experienced hope! Lives are being changed by HOPE International here. This week we were able to witness this first-hand. What a privilege!

In one of the rural communities we visited, my team met one woman named Olouine in her home. She has taken out several loans now with HOPE, which has helped her expand her humble business of selling items like shoes, underwear, and food to people in the community. She is married and has 2 little girls.

Oh my goodness, people, this woman was just the happiest girl I had ever seen! Her dark skin was glowing, her white teeth flashing when she smiled big and, she threw her head back as she laughed. She was just radiating JOY! She offered us seats as we walked into her tiny living room- about the size of a typical American bathroom. We asked her questions about her life: her business, family, experience with HOPE, spiritual life, etc. Halfway through our interview, I asked her what the source of her joy was--as it was just so evident on her face and in her sweet Spanish voice. Olouine responded, "God is in my life! I am joyful because He he has provided for me and my family." She then proceeded to tell us, with a huge smile the whole time, how the Lord had worked a miracle just a couple weeks ago. Her baby came down with cholera--a sickness that commonly takes the lives of children in this community in about 3 days. But Olouine and her husband prayed and prayed for a week as their baby struggled, and now the little girl was running around like normal! We saw her ourselves! This woman praised God again and again. She gave Him all the glory. After this time with Olouine I could not stop smiling myself... :)

I am overjoyed to report that Christ is alive and working in the Dominican Republic! Even in the poorest of communities, He is there. I have seen it. I have felt it.

Well, what now?

This is the end of our time working in the communities in the DR. We have done a lot this past week: become educated on poverty, microfinancing, HOPE international, etc; attend bank meetings and interview clients; play with kids, paint fingernails, and take LOTS of photos; sift sand, lift bricks, lay cement, plaster walls, and get dirty. We have asked ourselves and our teammates tough questions with notsoeasy answers, sometimes nonexistent answers. One of those questions is "Well, what now?" Life in the DR is so different than our lives in northwest Iowa. We are so comfortable in our lives that it will be easy to ease back in and forget about our experiences, or we will find it extremely difficult to merge the two worlds and we will experience reverse culture shock. How will we respond? What actions will we take based on our experiences and our newly formed beliefs? We are trying to figure out some way to effectively share out clients' stories and encourage our friends and family to live their lives with a purpose, with thought, and going with the calling of God. Be sure to ask us for details about our trip, and ask us about what are newly formed thoughts and beliefs are - especially related to poverty and charity and community development. Maybe even ask us about our thoughts on the Pentacostal church... although we probably will just shake our heads and not be able to give you an answer.

Heart Breakers - By Laura Stralow

Yesterday we got to spend the day in one of the communities outside of La Romana.  We went to a bank meeting that was held outside in the community.  I was sitting in the back row with Kristen and Tommy and during the meeting tons of the children surrounded us.  They kept asking us for money and also for anything that we were wearing.  It broke my heart because they could have my headband because  I have plenty of them but so we don't instill the idea that Gringos will leave things with them we had to say no.  It is hard to see how little the people of the these communities have when we have so much compared to them.  At the same time though they are some of the most compassionate people I have ever met.  I know we all have stories like this from time here already and will continue to have stories over the next couple of days while we are here.  To leave you on a happier note yesterday in the same community I was talking to one of the little boys from a distance. I said Hola and motion for him to come over and  try to talk to him so more.  Instead he ran and jumped into my arms and gave me one of  the biggest hugs ever.  We then played with his toy car in the school while he was waiting to color in school.