Long overdue Dominican Republic post

Memories that will last a lifetime!  God’s work in action.

After travelling down with the group that would split off for Haiti, this DR group bonded quickly.  With less travel to reach the place of service that  they would call home for a week, our group was settled by dinner on Sunday.  Our week was appropriately started with an evening worship service on the site of the “ARK” in Constanza.  Wheaton Football added to the worship with Garrett Meador on the guitar and our host, Kyle Bradley. translating the preacher’s words into English.

Our week revolved around this small plot of redeemed land in the heart of one of the poorest “barrios” or neighborhoods in Constanza.  Cut in two, half of this oasis is site of the Care Center sponsored by Kids Alive.  Each day close to 140 4-12 year olds eagerly await the chance to participate in the half day math and reading enrichment as well as the noon meal.  These kids apply and are accepted from the surrounding community.  One day we were able to make a visit to the homes of one of the students and saw the depth of the poverty yet the richness of their lives.  Our eyes were more in tune after that visit as to the transformation that took place in these children’s life through the Care Center. 

Our contact with the children happened as we interacted with them in games and free time but also as they were captivated by the work of the “fotball american” players.  They were mesmerized by painting and construction and the girls quickly formed a fan club.  A fan favorite was Hota  Hota (JJ  Clark) with his long flowing locks – something not seen on men in the DR.  It was on the property of the Care Center that the WORK took place. Painters spent the week transforming the front of the building with a bright blue as well as an accent of white.  John Carnegie, even with a rehabbed shoulder, tirelessly lifted the extension pole to cover the ceiling.  Austin Taylor used his height to full advantage to reach the high points while Chris Bradley and Garrett Cook kept the paint flowing.  Leaders Ward Kriegbaum and Mark Bradley deftly balanced on the scaffolding.  By the end of the week  the painting was finished and the Care Center was the locale for a quarterly birthday party for the students.   With great delight and peels of laughter, the students taught the Americans the motions to a popular Dominican children’s song.  They squealed as the guys shook their hips and imitated the motions! (Yes I have it on video )

The vision we were given at the beginning of the week was a large cement basketball court to the side of the Care Center.  This court would be used for group games for the children but especially by a Dominican version of AWANA where the gospel is openly shared with the children and discipleship happens.  What started off as rough outline of cement block,s morphed from taking random dirt out, to putting specific dirt/rock in, to laying rebar and wire, to roughing up the cement blocks to FINALLY laying the cement on the last day.  What the Dominican workers thought would take at least two days to pour was done in a day.  It thrilled my heart to see the guys rise to the challenge to form a seamless team of shoveling dirt/rock to filling wheelbarrows to navigating full wheelbarrows over narrow planks and back again.  I watched as Coach Geoff Dartt, Brannen Dorman , Kolby Kemp  and others, over and over made the exhausting  trek. Their strength was admired by the Dominicans!  JJ Clark and David Seamon tossed countless shovels full  rock into the mixer as if they actually knew what they were doing! Garrett Meador provided much needed Spanish translation onsite.   The competition was heated, they talked smack  and the only payoff was the thrill of accomplishing what did not look possible!

This week was “living the dream” as Kyle Bradley and Grant R. would often say.  To be surrounded by your teammates in a place of ministry is a great encouragement.  Part of Kyle’s dream was to have these football players challenge local Dominicans who play at a Community basketball court to a game.  Through complex multi lingual negotiations, a match was set for Friday night.  Only problem was – this was only hours after these football players had just spent grueling hours of  work to spread the concrete.  Muscles were tired to say the least!  Many fans showed up to cheer on both sides.  At half time, Kyle gathered all the spectators and players together to hear a gospel message.  Ben Hoffmeier gave a terrific short talk on God’s redeeming plan as the gathered crowd listened with complete attention.  Kyle translated Ben’s words and it was a powerful moment. 

The other aspect of our trip was interaction with the children and houseparents at the ARK which occupies the other half of the plot of “redeemed land”.  This half of the Kids Alive site is made up of 3 homes.  Each home has a set of houseparents who are shepherding a group of 10 children of different ages as a “family”.  The children here ranged from 4-14 and came to the ARK from heartbreaking situations of neglect and abandonment.  Through the expression of God’s love, the sacrifice of these houseparents and the resources of others through sponsorship, these children are growing up to be all that God intended them to be.  Our guys formed bonds with these kids through countless games of soccer, pickup games of basketball, challenging games of Dominoes and even Garrett Cook making them into a well tuned football team!  We treated them to a chicken dinner, ice cream and s’mores to celebrate recent birthdays.  They stole our hearts and it was awesome to see the new trajectory of their young lives. 

To give the guys a broader picture of Kids Alive’s work in the Dominican Republic, we all packed into a 15 passenger van (let me tell you - 15 passengers does not factor in the size of these guys) over the mountain to see the work in Jarabacoa.  They visited the elementary/middle school called ANIJA in time to play soccer with three PE/Recess periods.  They traveled to the seven ARK homes there to eat a typical rice and beans lunch with a family.  Before heading back, they stopped at the Care Center in Jarabacoa called Palo Blanca.  Here the football players were challenged to rough and tumble matches by the boys.  As Kyle was concerned that they maybe were being too rough, the Care Center director was cheering them on. She said these boys need to know that Christian men are not wimpy and sissies.  The model of tough and rough but hearts for God was the message she wanted to give the kids! 

The week passed quickly.  Routine was established from pop tart breakfasts to trips to the Colmada below Kyle’s apartment for a bright colored soda pop to a variation of rice and beans for meals to choreographed piling into the minivan (complete with the same playlist to start the day)  to loving on the Dominican kids!  To be able to come alongside and encourage Kyle, a former player, and be  immersed in local culture and see the vision of a teammate so  clearly loved by these people, was “partnership” in the truest sense of the word.  Thank you to the many who made this trip possible through prayer  and financial support.  And a huge debt of gratitude to Jeff Peltz and Gary LaVanchy for their vision on what “spring break” Wheaton football style could look like! 

Sarah Bradley

Summary of Dakar Academy 2011

Now that we are home and have become accustomed to drinking water from the faucet again, it’s only appropriate to look back on our trip and remember all that happened during our time in Senegal.

To recap, our group had 7 players and 4 adults (three former players and one wife). We were working at Dakar Academy, the only accredited school for missionary kids in West Africa. Our job consisted of a few maintenance projects at the school, but mainly focused on building relationships with these kids. It is kindergarten through 12th grade, and we had opportunities to focus on each age group throughout the week. Our guys were challenged to lead chapels for elementary school and for high school, along with youth group, and dorm devotions for the upperclassmen. If you had asked them what they’d rather be doing- sweating and working hard in the sun, shirtless (suns out, guns out, right?) or leading a devotion to an all girls dorm, I have a feeling they all would have chosen the physical labor. God knew what He was doing, though, (obviously) and these guys took the challenge and grew as leaders. It was fun to see.

During the down times, we played with the kids at recess, which was definitely a highlight of the trip. They LOVE Wheaton Football players! Whether it was basketball, ultimate frisbee, football (soccer), jump rope, swinging, or chase, they were so happy that we were there and wanted to play with them. I think it’s safe to say the feeling was mutual!

We lived in the Dakar Academy guest house, which is a block or two away from the school. In the evenings, we would have dinner with different missionaries or teachers that welcomed us into their homes. These times were awesome to learn more about the Senegalese culture and gave us an inside look at the missions world. My favorite part was after dinner, when we all came back to the guest house. Physically, we were tired (those kids have SO much energy!), but mentally, we were wide awake. God really blessed some of our conversations we had these nights, and overall, we grew a lot closer as a group.

Across the board, there were times we were uncomfortable. We were dirty. We were tired. We were sick of muscle milk and poptarts. We were stretched out of our comfort zone. But God was changing our worldview and our hearts. He taught us to lead by example, to serve, to put others before ourselves, and to sit back and be impressed by what He is doing in Senegal.

Would I go back?  In a heartbeat.

Haiti and Dominican Rep.groups together

I have not been able to get the time to write an update but want you to know all is well.  There are a few stomach issues, me being one of them, but overall I just have tho say the groups have impressed me again.  The mixture of work and play with the children, the interaction within the culture, the ability to bring smiles to faces, all this while being somewhat out of their comfort zone physically and just daily living.  The difference of life in these places and what we have been blessed with, the questions of stewardship, the encouragement towards each other – for me this is so fun to hear the stories each has been living out throughout the week.  Jim Elliot said, “Wherever you are be all there, live to the hilt.”  These boys have done that.  I  pray that they will be intentional about telling their respective stories to you when they return.  I thank you for your prayers and thoughts during the weeks.  There is no doubt in my mind that that is the defining factor in safety, and the overall dynamics of these trips.  It is so encouraging to get your notes of prayer and scripture and words.  Travel home tomorrow – pray we have a safe trip home.  Haiti and DR will arrive approx. 9:30pm back in wheaton.

Make your life a mission, not an intermission.  Coach Peltz

Senegal – Le Banlieue

We hadn’t heard much from the group working with Amet and Alexia Fall in Le banlieue (the peri-urban area surrounding Dakar).  Today I visited the men and found that they have blessed those around them.  Amet and Alexia report that the guys have been an encouragement to them personally.  The Falls have been hosting the five WFMP participants and have enjoyed their company.

The guys worked hard at the community school in a poor and underprivileged part of the outskirts of the city.  The school needs a lot of repair.  Jeff, Brady, Sam, Kyle,  and James knocked out chipped and weak cement so to allow new cement to repair the cracking walls.  They engaged the young children during their breaks and were appreciated by the school’s director and the neighborhood leaders.  The trips to and from the school in taxis provided adventure and stories to tell.

The school leaders noted that the guys were able to work hard but also able to interact with the children and make them feel important.  What  a gift that is for these school  children for whom school has not been easy.

They started the day with prayer and ended it the same way.  One aspect of the Fall’s vision is to empower the community to teach and provide education for their own children.  The task of repairing the walls in four of the classrooms in a school will allow that vision to move forward in God’s timing.

Thanks for praying for this team in Le Banlieue.  The Lord used them to share his love.

rod duttweiler

Senegal – DA, Koalack, Phare

Hello everyone and thank you for your prayers.   I was able to see three of the four groups today and I can say that they are very much appreciated in their respective ministry sites.

At Dakar Academy (DA) I was able to talk with three of the dorm parents who had the guys in their dorms.  The players were paired up and each pair went to a different dorm to lead a devotional time. The guys did a fantastic job.  One dorm father shared that the players communicated clearly and that they did a great job relating to the dorm students.   They were going to lead the High School chapel service and the youth group meetings today. The work of painting the outside multi-purpose sports area was moving along well.

The Koalack group worked in Dakar today serving the missionaries, Guy and Jane Penney.  The Penney’s lead two large ministries.  One is to the street children called “talibe”, the other is to deaf children in a school they have established.  The guys worked from morning to night transporting equipment, furniture and supplies from the former school building to the new school building.  The new facilities will allow the ministry to the deaf children and to the “talibe” to be conducted in the same place.  They played with the kids and interacted with them in between loads of the moving truck.  They were carrying the items down three flights of stairs in the old building and back up four flights of stairs in the new building.   They return tomorrow to the same area to have a soccer game with the “talibe” kids.

The Phare group got after it today as they made progress on the wall.   The masons were amazed at the speed at which the guys worked.  There were groups of players mixing cement, digging the trench, and carrying block.  The Senegalese nationals with whom they worked called them all “jambaar” which means “warrior”.  So, they have demonstrated what kind of workers they are.  A smaller break away groups were able to serve at another “talibe” center in Ouakam.  A second break away group went to the English Language Center run by local missionaries and helped in their ministry to college students.  There, they engaged in conversations about various topics and integrated their faith whenever they could.

Three of the groups visited Goree Island on Wednesday.  It is one of the famous islands where many Africans were sold as slaves. It was a moving experience for the players as they were told the stories of what happened.  Then they saw the door out of which many slaves stepped never to see their homeland again called the “door of no return”.  Many of the guys were struck by the reality of that time and place like never before.  It was a good break in the week and an important visit for them all.  The time on Goree evoked many emotions.

Tomorrow, Friday,  is our last work day here in Senegal.  Saturday will be a fun day with the students at DA for all the groups.  They they head to a debrief time for two days before returning to Wheaton.

Thank you for your faithful prayer for the guys and the group.  We are grateful for your partnership.

rod duttweiler

 

 

Haiti-thursday

Wednesday, we made a 2 hour trek to Saline Mayett, an orphanage of about 150 children.  Another orphanage run by Northwest Haiti Christian Mission.  From the baby to the high school age, as we walked off the bus (which is trip for another story on these roads), 2-4 would instantly grab hands, legs and necks.  This was a same day birthday party for the entire group.  I was told that their is no history on some of the children, so a history is either made up or pieced together for them as they are growing up.  They were excited, ladies of the mission had made pan cakes for all the crew and then presents were given based on the age group.  Seth Gibson had a small boy crawl up into his lap and fall asleep, which he held for quit awhile.  A lot of stories from the brief time we were there.  The drive back was no less exciting, taking a bus over the terrain we travelled, it was like have a land rover bus.  To describe it would be very hard, but it was like driving thru a dried up river bed with a ton of rocks over pretty steep hills at times.  Once the bus even bottomed out, and another time we did not make it up the hill, so we backed up and then took a running start.  We were al pushing the seats in front of us to help, (joke).  Inside the bus would best be described as being, thoroughly shook up.

Last night we had a great time of discussion about the day.  Great questions and emotions, thoughts.  Proud of the energy each brings to the day.  We sleep pretty well at night.

Today, back to work with adding mores benched and concrete work on the soccer field, work up at the orphanage with laying conduit and epoxying floors for the dorms, and other duties as assigned,

 

wednesday – Haiti

Well, a lot to talk about, little time as we keep moving onward.  We left the Mission on Monday but not until our luggage arrived after lunch.  So with all of Grant “Rosco’s” things all of our luggage and all 15, plus grant, plus 3 interpreters we loaded on a big truck but it was very cramped and hot.  Traveling the 8 miles or so back to  Port au Paix, we got 2 flat tires on the truck, sat and waited at a corner shop to get them fixed for about 1 1/2 hours, watched a little of a mardi gras parade go by, ( these are not organized at all), picked up food at a couple of places, adding to our load, drove thru a river, to get to the other side and still had about 1 hour to drive.  The last sentence was long and I am sure grammatically incorrect, but is what the 4 hour drive was like.  This is the heat of the day.  We made it for dinner, exhausted.  We set up tents on the roof, where the breeze is awesome and slept.

We have such a great view from our house top of the surrounding landscape and community.  At 4:30am, the outdoor choir starts; from the roosters, which crow way too early, the donkeys braying, the dogs getting after each other, a catholic church choir practicing, and the sea gulls calling.  What a beautiful mix.

Our project today is to clean up, widen a soccer field, build concrete supports for benches.  There was a lot of brush, rocks etc…  There were a lot of observers, it was very hot, and our group kept pressing on.  There is a big soccer tournament going on and we had to be ready for the semifinals tonight.  The whole town seemingly came to watch as 2 youth soccer teams battled it out.  It was awesome to see the immediate result of our efforts of that day being used.  We also took a nice swim in the bay to cool off which was a great reward.  All is good.  All are healthy.  Thanks for your prayers.

Today we be an all day affair.  We will travel in the back of a truck again, to an orphanage 2 hours away, to celebrate everyone’s birthday giving gifts and having cake.  Most of these children have no idea when the birthday is, so they celebrate on 1 day.  We will get to play, bring smiles and have our hearts touched.  God is so good.