Day 8 - Going home

On the plane in Chicago heading to Sioux City.

A lot of our families met us at the airport in Sioux City. It was awesome seeing everyone there with their families.

Day 7

Last night we had a meeting with Mario Matos who is President of the board on Center of Transformation Missions in both Dominican Republic and Haiti. He grew up in the Batays and almost died of starvation as a child. Very interesting life story.

We then played cards to close our night.

 Today was a great day but it started a little slow. The van stalled on us again as we were heading out. Here you can see a mechanic working on it. He ended up taking the fuel pump and the starter out. We did get it working a couple hours later.

 Ryan spent his time pitching a bottle cap to a local while waiting for the van.

 Those white legs under the van are George's. The farmer in him needed to get dirty somehow.

 George cleaning up after the van started back up.

This was our last full day in the DR so it was our day off. We went to the beach and it was packed since today is the Dominican Republic's Independence Day. 

 Notice the Cargo Ship in the background.

Later in the day we went back to the church to celebrate with everyone the first church service in the new church. 

 They got the shutters and the doors in already. But did not take down all the forms yet. 

 This is Antonio, he was one of the helpers all week with us and a super nice guy. He is the one always wearing the yellow soccer jersey in any of the other day's pictures. Here he is holding his grandson. He is only 43 years old, so we were quite surprised that he had grandchildren. His wife had passed away from Lupas. 

This is at the end of the service when the pastor was handing out the New Testament Bibles that we brought down for them.

We had a great time. This last time at the church was a great experience to meet everyone in the congregation and to see what our little help can do. We were sad to leave them, but we know God has a plan for them.

Day 6

We didn't start off the day real great today. The Van stalled on us in the parking lot when we left. At least it didn't do that going down the highway. We pushed it a few times to try and pop the clutch, but that didn't work. We ended up taking two other vehicles to the site in the morning. The van was back up and running by afternoon though. 

 This is where we ended up with the van, at the bottom of the hill right on top of some sewer water.

It didn't smell too great right there.

 It's Domincan Republic's Independence Day tomorrow and the school kids are doing a parade for it later today. They are dressed up in suits and dresses.

 We finished putting up the tin roof this morning.

 We put up the bracing for the facade in the morning and poured the cement in the afternoon.

 Here is the pastor in the pink shirt.

 This is the infamous one and only ladder we had as the site. BUENO!

 Checkout this scaffolding that the locals whipped up for us. 

 The locals were helping finish the holes in the floor.