Mitch. El team leader-o
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Haiti
Well Sarah palin saw Russia from her house. We see Haiti from our hotel. Beautiful, desperate, wonderful, sad. We finished the construction and painting portions of the trip. Tomorrow; KIDSsssss. Whoooohoooooo!!!
Mitch-el-team leader-o
Mitch-el-team leader-o
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Arrived dajabon
Team is here. Work day tomorrow. Going to bed soon. (short and sweet eh?)
Mitch- el-team-leader-o. ;-)
Friday, June 25, 2010
The Poor Among Us
Today was a good day of work at the MOM center. We really got our hands and shoes dirty with painting, sanding, making cement from scratch, etc. It was hot, everyone whas sweaty, and tired. It was good tired. Side note: Andy is now being judged by the amount of work he does, by the amount of sweat his shirt captures.
We also got to meet our sponosored child. You can see the pictures here. That was really cool. Words are few here as that was a humbling experience to know we are actually making a difference in their lives.
And then we did some home visits to see the slice of life of those who come to the center. I saw poverty face to face. My heart broke AGAIN for those families. They have nothing, at least, in the worlds standards. I was in tears in again today with the conviction that I have so much. But then, what do I really have? I have stuff, things, junk. That's a whole other blog.
Today...when we visited these homes, what I saw was happiness, community, pride. My heart was breaking on the inside but they don't know the difference. So I have to wonder "who is the poor amoung us". Matt 26:11 says, "For ye have the poor always with you." Let that one sink in a bit. I am looking at the the outside, and their living conditions and what shines is their attitudes, their joy. Wow...maybe I am the one who is poor.
We also got to meet our sponosored child. You can see the pictures here. That was really cool. Words are few here as that was a humbling experience to know we are actually making a difference in their lives.
And then we did some home visits to see the slice of life of those who come to the center. I saw poverty face to face. My heart broke AGAIN for those families. They have nothing, at least, in the worlds standards. I was in tears in again today with the conviction that I have so much. But then, what do I really have? I have stuff, things, junk. That's a whole other blog.
Today...when we visited these homes, what I saw was happiness, community, pride. My heart was breaking on the inside but they don't know the difference. So I have to wonder "who is the poor amoung us". Matt 26:11 says, "For ye have the poor always with you." Let that one sink in a bit. I am looking at the the outside, and their living conditions and what shines is their attitudes, their joy. Wow...maybe I am the one who is poor.
~ Janelle
I don't know where to start actually because what I am feeling right now is so overwhelming. These tears are good tears. Not really sure why I am crying except I have soooo many emotions flowing through me right now.
Today's activities were great and painful. I saw hope, I saw depravity. I saw the difference that Mission of Mercy is making in the lives of children. I saw Jesus. We visited two Mission of Mercy Child Development Centers. Upon arriving we saw work in progress inside the building and out. They have a really nice facility where offering programs for the children who live nearby. They offer them the gospel, counseling, food, companionship. Before I came here, I didn't know the living conditions of the people here. I do now.
Think of the worst living areas you have ever seen. It's worst than that. Think about the most broken of relationships, that's here. How about not having an income or a job, or going to work, doing a full days work and then wondering if you will get paid for the day and also not know if you are going to eat today. That's what people are dealing with here. It's a blessing that they don't know what kind of life is just across the sea. They are just doing life.
Not to far from here, there is a land flowing with milk and honey, literally. When I saw a slice of life from the people here, God broke my heart. It was hard to take as I now wipe away a tear. It pains me to see it. I really don't know how else to say it. I am so blessed that I am blind. It's easy to turn your head and not look. Dear God, may I always keep this picture fresh in my mind.
But the good news is that I saw hope today. Mission of Mercy is doing a phenominal job in meeting the needs of the children here. But there's more. There are people who love and care deeply for the children, their families, their future. By sponsoring a child, you really are bringing life.
Today I basically played all day. We were told there were some work projects that could be done. And they did get done, but we had the option to make relationships with the kids from the community. Guess what I did? I played of course. We played ball, tag, an intense game of Red Light, Green Light. Kids are serious about playing. But more than that, we showed them that someone cared about them. That's what they are looking for. It makes me sad that they crave it so much.
If it wasn't for Mission of Mercy, where would they go? The alternative is not pretty. We also so the inner workings of a center where we were shown the accountability process of the children that come. This is no fly by night operation here. If you want to get involved with people who's passion is people, then Mission of Mercy should be your pick. The dollars that are sent to support goes towards just that, supporting a child in their needs, whatever the needs. Most of all though, MOM shows the love of Christ.
The impact of the MOM is far reaching and is making a huge difference. No doubt. But that's not all. We need more people to join in the effort. I was told today that there are 40,000 kids that are sponsored with MOM. That's great, but there are 8,000 still needing a sponosor. I have done my part, what about you?
Today's activities were great and painful. I saw hope, I saw depravity. I saw the difference that Mission of Mercy is making in the lives of children. I saw Jesus. We visited two Mission of Mercy Child Development Centers. Upon arriving we saw work in progress inside the building and out. They have a really nice facility where offering programs for the children who live nearby. They offer them the gospel, counseling, food, companionship. Before I came here, I didn't know the living conditions of the people here. I do now.
Think of the worst living areas you have ever seen. It's worst than that. Think about the most broken of relationships, that's here. How about not having an income or a job, or going to work, doing a full days work and then wondering if you will get paid for the day and also not know if you are going to eat today. That's what people are dealing with here. It's a blessing that they don't know what kind of life is just across the sea. They are just doing life.
Not to far from here, there is a land flowing with milk and honey, literally. When I saw a slice of life from the people here, God broke my heart. It was hard to take as I now wipe away a tear. It pains me to see it. I really don't know how else to say it. I am so blessed that I am blind. It's easy to turn your head and not look. Dear God, may I always keep this picture fresh in my mind.
But the good news is that I saw hope today. Mission of Mercy is doing a phenominal job in meeting the needs of the children here. But there's more. There are people who love and care deeply for the children, their families, their future. By sponsoring a child, you really are bringing life.
Today I basically played all day. We were told there were some work projects that could be done. And they did get done, but we had the option to make relationships with the kids from the community. Guess what I did? I played of course. We played ball, tag, an intense game of Red Light, Green Light. Kids are serious about playing. But more than that, we showed them that someone cared about them. That's what they are looking for. It makes me sad that they crave it so much.
If it wasn't for Mission of Mercy, where would they go? The alternative is not pretty. We also so the inner workings of a center where we were shown the accountability process of the children that come. This is no fly by night operation here. If you want to get involved with people who's passion is people, then Mission of Mercy should be your pick. The dollars that are sent to support goes towards just that, supporting a child in their needs, whatever the needs. Most of all though, MOM shows the love of Christ.
The impact of the MOM is far reaching and is making a huge difference. No doubt. But that's not all. We need more people to join in the effort. I was told today that there are 40,000 kids that are sponsored with MOM. That's great, but there are 8,000 still needing a sponosor. I have done my part, what about you?
~Janelle
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Day 1 on the ground
A small pickup game of baseball, soccer, even basketball as we arrived at the Field of Dreams. The inside of the building is where we started today, and will continue tomorrow. Sanding the concrete walls to smooth them out and prep them for paint(sandpaper and stones rubbed on the walls)
The start of an emotional journey for many of our team. We toured a low income area next to a different Child Development center. Small homes stacked ontop of each other, stray wires pulled from the local electrical line, raw sewage running down the streets, and smiles on children’s faces as wide as can be. The children and their families have already made an impact on our team. Questions of “how do they stay so clean” “why are they so happy-they have nothing” “can I take this one home” J have been popping up all day.
Child sponsorship is making a HUGE difference here in the Dominican Republic. We have seen these past 4 years, neighborhoods transformed, our church partners growing and seeing record attendances, and children who are no longer malnourished and are now doing well in school. You may not be able to solve the whole problem, but YOU can make a difference in the life of ONE child. ONE CHILD MATTERS!!
Mitch –Team Leader- Mission DR2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
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