DR 2023 - Nagua - Travel Day

Friday, February 17: Travel Day: A few of the team members left the hotel early to go back to the church one last time, bringing our donated items and to pick up our tools. Pastor Pierre came to the hotel and the rest of us started loading our luggage. After the rest of the group returned from the church, we all gathered for prayer with Pastor Pierre and Pastor Hanold. We said our goodbyes to Pastor Hanold and left Nagua. 

We had enough time before our flight time to go on a Ministry Tour. Our first stop was a batey (defined as a village center) near Sabanna Grande. We visited with a few church members there and gathered in their church, which was the oldest church in the CRC in the Dominican. We could see that this church was in need of some repair because of termites eating away at the wooden part of the structure. The church members told us of how the Haitians first came to the Dominican to work in the government run sugar Cain fields and saw the barracks that were built for them to live in. The government run program gave the Haitian people jobs but not enough money to support themselves and their families. We were shocked at the living conditions of some of the people in the batey as the barracks still house some of the Haitian people today. 

Next we toured one of the Christian schools in Sabanna Grande, which included preschool through high school. We could tell that the director and teachers of the school were passionate about their work and the mission of the school. We shared one last cup of Dominican coffee at the Ministry Center with Pastor Pierre as the Ministry Center is connected to the school and is where Pastor Pierre lives. 

It was then time to proceed to the airport. We made it through customs, but after finding our gate, Tristan was called back for a complete search which included dogs sniffing Tristan thoroughly! Tristan passed the search in time to board the plane with the rest of us. The rest of our travel day was uneventful and we made at back to Sioux County around 2:30 a.m. on Saturday.

Home Again:

Home again to a place where we can claim our citizenship without conflict.

Home again; where we have clean water in abundance and at our fingertips.

Home again; where our opportunities are only limited by our imaginations.

Home again to houses that are structurally sound and where we have a plethora of food.

Home again; hearts filled with the love of Christ shown to us through our newly made friends.

Home again; grateful for the opportunity to learn about the life of Haitians living in the Dominican Republic. 

Home again; thankful for a team that worked hard together, without injury, that shared food, that shared plenty of laughs and that was willing to have honest, open discussions.

Home again; changed by the experience and wondering how to best use this experience in our pampered lives. 

Thank you, Faith Church, for being a people that gives freely and sees beyond our doors providing the opportunity and means for members to go out and share the Love of Christ. 

Faith CRC 2023 DR Service and Learning Team:

Steve Boer

Henry Byl

Karla Byl

Dave Goslinga

Jodi Hulstein

Trey Hulstein

Tristan Hulstein

Scott Hulstein

Henry Kraayenbrink 

Brady Schreiner