Summer = Full Steam AHEAD!

We have just completed our third full week of the MVA summer program, and it has been packed full of good times alongside two incoming mission teams who landed on the Escuela Caribe campus: Kingdom Builders Ministries and Sungrove Youth Group!  Wow, what a blessing these two teams have been to the Escuela Caribe staff and students!  They poured into us as we have walked out our first few weeks of summer.  The pictures below are just a snapshot of a few of the summer highlights! 

For the summer, the students begin each day with a little hike (10 minute walk) at 6 a.m. to do group devotions at a beautiful spot that overlooks Jarabacoa.

I don't think that this photo does the devo location justice, but you get the picture.  

During the first week of MVA, Kingdom Builders Ministries (KBM) led a special youth group for the students complete with a time of testimonies, singing, praising and coke floats.  It was a beautiful thing to watch the college aged, discipleship students of KBM interact with, pray for and touch the heart of our students in a powerful way.  We ate together, talked together, wrestled together and prayed together.

Wrestler Justin Wren (and Kingdom Builder Ministry student) getting ready to school Alex in some wrestling maneuvers and then tie them into his testimony about his own wrestling with the Lord.  Good times.

Food and fellowship is always a good start!

The power of prayer . . .

The Sungrove Church Youth Group came midweek and immediately jumped into putting on a Vacation Bible School for local, Dominican children with the aid of the Escuela Caribe students - also a beautiful thing!  Behold:

What happens when an incoming mission team (like Sungrove Youth Group) breaks out the face paint during VBS for local Dominican Children!

Or when face paint is handed to Marcel!

Sungrove preparing to get a game going.

A community movie night for the local Dominican community (kids, shoeshine boys who work in town, etc) happened on the first Friday night. The students and staff served our Dominican guests popcorn and juice and provided transportation to and from the school for those who lived in town.  It was chaotic, loud, and a learning experience (and hopefully a blessing to our guests!)

She found her seat in the middle of Dominican children and staff children.

Dominican Shoe Shine Boys Ronnie and Jesus before the movie started.

We had around 100 people with the mission groups, Escuela Caribe and local Dominicans!

Emily, pretty as a picture, with the Geyers at the movie night.

During the second week of MVA, the Escuela Caribe students led a youth group for Escuela Caribe, Sungrove, and KBM.  Let me just tell you, the Escuela Caribe students did AWESOME!  Their hearts were to serve the other teams who had both poured into them so much.  Jay was the MC for the evening and did a fabulous job of keeping things moving, introducing speakers, and keeping everything light-hearted.  Many of the students, Nina, Nancy, Lauren P., Melanie, Cody and Marcel, chose to share their testimonies, which was HUGE for many of them.  Their stories were such a blessing to the group and many of the visiting team members commented on how touched they were.  It was an amazing night!
Unfortunately, I didn't take any photos on this night.  I did take a video on my ipod from the casita road in front of my house where you could hear praises ringing from the inside of my house, but I can't get it to load right now!!! What you need to know is that this night was a VERY SPECIAL night!

During that same week, Escuela Caribe staff and students along with the Sungrove youth group headed off to San Cristobal, where we served a local church by cleaning up and painting for them in their conference center.  It was very hot and tiring, but our students did amazingly well!

We painted one of several dormitory areas for the conference center.

Sarah found her "happy place" in the conference center kitchen.

Lauren and company on their way to deep clean an outdoor kitchen.

Emily and Sam take a break from the rakes!

What happens when you paint in close proximity to a large group of people all in the same area . . . 

 We also visited a Haitian batey, which involved lots of playing, piggy back rides, etc. for Haitian children.

Volunteer Iris Bock and new friend.

Sarah Geyer and her friend :)

Melanie and Cody and their new friend?  Might I add that they were totally amused that they could lift that pigs ear up and it would just sit there?

Mr. Raposa being very Raposa like along with Nancy and Lauren.

Grant Anderson and friend

Actions can often overcome language barriers, as displayed by Steve and Leah Cofield.

Sungrove Youth Group and Escuela Caribe walking thru the batey.

After that we headed to a local beach, Playa Palenque, where we enjoyed some big waves and good times in the caribbean!

Built in bench on the Playa Palenque beach outside of San Cristobal

On the last day of the trip, we visited one of the former Dominican dictator's (Rafael Trujilo) castles/homes.

The boys in the parking lot of the Trujilo home.

There is a very good reason why Sarah Geyer has a disturbed look on her face.  There were several parts of this tour that were hard to swallow.

For more information on who the Mirabal sisters were, click here.

Wow.  The paintings on the walls were incredibly detailed and authentic.

The view from the top was of all of San Cristobal and Santo Domingo in the background.

It was really bright up there!  This is everyone from Escuela Caribe who was on the trip to San Cristobal.

Ms. Hundley and Ms. Wittrig

Lauren  

Jay really wanted me to take this photo to look like he was escaping from the Trujilo fortress.

We had an interesting tour and were reminded of how freely we have lived.  Click here if you would like to know more about Trujilo.

For the beginning of the third week, Escuela Caribe took a trip to Sosua beach, meeting the Sungrove youth group there.  Lots of vitamin D was received and everyone seemed to enjoy fun in the sun.

Ready to snorkel!

Eventually she concocted a special raft for her arm so that she could float around worry free!

Sungrove Youth Group led the last youth group this past week right before their departure.  Games were played.

The Sungrove team left us with encouraging words and bible verses that were especially significant to them during their time in the D.R.  They lifted us up in prayer and loved on us!

Thanks Sungrove Youth Group!  We heart you!

Only a few weeks into the summer, the staff and students of Escuela Caribe have already experienced so much!  In fact, each of these events could and should be their own separate post! (My apologies for letting the activities build up and then having to smush them into one gigantic post!)

Boys' Pico Departure Pics

Hello Dear Parents!  I apologize for the long gap in blog posts.  I have been hosting groups and traveling with students on some of the trips.  I have a L-O-N-G post headed your way about the first three weeks of summer, but first I wanted to give you some pictures of the boys' getting ready to load up for Pico Duarte.

Ready for the climb or has he just received his snack bag from his house mom?

Jay-vy, Jay-vy Crocket!

Last minute load up of goods for the climb.

The safety whistle talk prior to the safety whistle hand out and safety whistle test.

Ready.

Set.

Set.

Go!  (That's my 6 year old who is going on the trip!)

Adios guys!

Today (Tuesday) is their longest hike of the trip.  They will be hiking all day long.  The weather as of noon today is slightly overcast and breezy.  There are several new students who just arrived in time for this trip, and wow, what an introduction to the Dominican Republic will they get.  Meanwhile, the female students are headed out for a fun afternoon at a Salon getting their hairs done.  However, this time next week, they will be in the great outdoors!

New summer program photos are here

check out the web site to see our new summer photos of all the kids.
They are amazing.

--
Cindy Hundley MA, EMT
Escuela Caribe Medical Services Manager
Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic, West Indies

Weekend Review June 4, 5

The weekends at Escuela Caribe have been shortened by one day for the summer program, which officially began today.  Not to worry, in place of 1 free day a week, the students will have MANY opportunities for service projects, exploring the island, etc.

In a future blog, I will highlight more information about the summer program, but for now, let's review the most recent weekend.

Saturday Night Family Unity:

Lance house girls grilled steaks and watched the movie "Remember the Dogmen."

TKB boys played a game where they dressed up like someone on campus and put on a skit until the other house mates guessed the mystery person. They also played hide -n- go seek in the dark, and "vegged" out on banana peanut butter cake and snickerdoodles.

Sunday Afternoon:

Lance house played basketball and later in the evening played cards.

TKB boys had a Corn Hole tournament. (The Championship game is to be played tomorrow night between The Cofield's and Brian and Cody). They boys helped to make Mall Pretzels for a snack, followed by board games and chill time.

Weekend Review May 28, 29, 30

Saturday Night Family Unity:

The girls at Lance house enjoyed another fabulous Dominican meal, beef guisado take 2,  prepared by Nina!  After wards, the Geyers and dinner guests, Grant Anderson and Jessica Sullivan, taught the girls how to play the card game pinnacle. 

TKB played Cranium with 2 teams and "stuffed our faces with desserts (mini cheesecakes, banana wafer pudding, and popcorn), " according to housemom Leah Cofield.


Sunday afternoon:

Lance house continued with their card playing frenzy and played spades, gin, pinnacle and various other card games.

TKB boys played basketball, hockey and ping-pong. 

Monday free day:

Lance house worked in the garden, played cards, went into town for lunch at a Dominican restaurant called Rico NeNe's.  In the evening, Mr. Anderson came for dinner again and everyone enjoyed orange chicken.  Most nights the girls have been doing group devotionals in which they study the bible  together and have a discussion.

TKB got to sleep in and lounge in their PJ's. They had a big brunch (blueberry muffins, peach braid, pancakes, bacon, fruit) and then caramel popcorn while they watched G-Force. Later, some of the boys worked out, while others played board games. They also went into town so they could shop, then had a corn hole tournament, which Brian and Cody won.

Last week all of the students worked really hard doing projects around the Escuela Caribe campus during work week. They scrubbed and painted the outside of many of the buildings on lower campus, and worked in the flowerbeds pulling weeds and beautifying the lower campus.  Here are some photos I snapped of some of them as they were walking by (transferring loads of banana bread for incoming mission teams to another freezer) as I was pulling out of the parking lot :) (Yes, you can think of me as the Escuela Caribe Papparazi!  I pop out of unexpected places with my camera ready to photograph the students!)

And now, full steam ahead for summer!  The summer program officially begins on Monday.  In the near future, I will highlight some of the upcoming activities, which are focused on serving Dominicans and those around us, understanding and appreciating the host culture through various kinds of interactions, working alongside incoming, short term mission teams and learning about and enjoying many of the sights this island has to offer.  It should be a glorious time of growth for all involved!