Dominican Republic Mission Trip
Update
07.17.08
Greeting from the D.R.,
We played two games today, and got beat in both of them by a very good baseball team. We ran out of pitching in the second game and Coach Reid had to come in for the final three outs. After the game we had a couple of players from Hardin County share their testimony, and Scooter Kellum shared the story of Jesus with the other team. After it was all said and done we had four players stand up and accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. It was a long day of baseball, but a very successful day too.
Kendall Murphy
This week has passed much too fast. It is Friday morning, sunrise, and hot. As I reflect on the week, I am impressed at how God can use such a fun tool as baseball and such a simple message willingly shared through the mouths of big, ole strapping athletes. We fed a village the other day. That was a neat experience seeing 20 guys shopping at a grocery store and then delivering food to poor families in a sugar cane village. Watching these guys play baseball with a mob of kids and wrestling with them on the sidelines reminded me of Jesus' words: "Let the little children come to me." Probably 50-75 kids joined us for the gospel presentation of the Jesus Movie.
But the most impacting moments have come following ballgames, when our guys shared their personal relationships with Christ and then the gospel was presented to the other team. On one occasion almost an entire team was led to Christ. Never had I seen anything closely resembing God working is such a dynamic way. In the following games four more young men accepted the Lord as teams sat in the bleachers and listened to your young men share God's word.
We have had some awesome worship experiences each night in devotion as God interrupts the lives of the players. I am expectantly waiting for what God will do today!
Larry Reid
07.16.08
Greeting from the Dominican Rpublic,
Sarah Elizabeth and I have joined a group made up of teams from North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Yesterday we visited a special needs orphanage. The children there are either disabled physically or mentally. Some of the children get very excited to have visitors; others are not aware that you are even there. The head of one little boy named Ricky is the size of a basketball and weighs about 13 pounds. Ricky has already lived longer than most children with his condition. It breaks my heart to look at him and realize that if he had had medical treatment as a baby, he would be up playing like any other five year-old child. Yet he reacts when spoken to or touched. I am told that is he knows you, he may even smile. Some of the children just want to touch you or feel your hair. They want to be loved. I personally spent most of my time there playing with a little two year-old named Ava. Ava will never walk. She is crippled from birth due to a probelem with a muscle. Again, if she had been taken to a doctor as a baby, she would be running and jumping. Yesterday, Ava was angry with everyone at the orphanage and even with Veronica, who goes to see her a couple of times a week. Crude wooden braces had been put on Ava's legs, and she didn't like the braces one bit! For whatever reason, Ava decided that she wanted me to hold her. We looked out the window and played peek-a-boo most of the time that I was there.
Today, our group visited a Christian orphanage. It is so much nicer than the special needs orphanage. This orphanage is supported by professional ball players and rich businessmen. This particular orphanage is for girls. Another for the boys is run by the same lady. Recently, a businessman visited the orphanage and learned of a dream to someday build a church. He donated the funds to build a beautiful church for the children, as well as funds to fully furnish it. This church is almost complete. Taking Polaroid photos of the girls and putting the picture in foam frames was one of the girls' favorite activities! The bookmarks were a great hit, as well. One of the girls that Larry and I met last year was still at the orphanage but in school today.
Sarah and I have gone with our "adopted" team to a couple of sugarcane villages and participated in "feeding a village." We go to Jumbo, the Dominican version of Walmart, and buy several identical sacks of food. Then the mission team goes into the village, plays with the children, presents the gospel, and then gives away the bags of groceries. This afternoon, Sarah Elizabeth had several "hairdressers" working on her hair while we were interacting with the children. Tomorrow we may go to Monti Cristo, the village where Larry and I helped with VBS last year. I'm excited to go back!
Debby Reid
07.15.08
Welcome, from the Dominican Republic. What a great experience this is turning out to be not only for myself, but for everyone else on this trip as well. Today was the day where I noticed the work of God in full force, when almost the ENTIRE! Club LaNormal baseball team made the decision for Christ.
The morning began like every other morning. Everyone ate a nice breakfast, except for everyone in my room. We, on the other hand, were still putting on clothes while trying to get on the bus at the same time. The group saw more of the country today, including Baseball City. Baseball City is a huge piece of land in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but Major League Academies. Clubs like the Twins, Cubs, White Sox, and Diamondbacks, all have academies for upcoming professional prospects. Each organization had a dorm and mulitple fields. Once an organization signs the rights to these young men, they are moved from their village and into the academies, where all they do is play baseball. There is no telling how many future stars we saw today.
We returned to the complex to eat lunch, and then it was back on the road again to play our 3rd game of the trip. We drove through the majority of the city of Santo Domingo (which is huge by the way), and saw a lot of great scenery. Things began to seem out of the ordinary, when we began to drive through what looked like the middle of nowhere. This went on for a great amount of time, until out of nowhere, a beautiful field appreared. The field was once used by the St. Louis Cardinals here in the Dominican Republic and these young men have kept it up. The game was in our favor the entire time, as we ended up winning our 3rd game down here. However, the ultimate win, was when 14 decisions were made in God's favor. Grey Falanga did a tremendous job sharing the gospel and God instantly began working in the Dominican athletes. It was an amazing sight and an awesome experience. God has a plan for these 14 young men and they will definately have a greater impact on the village than we would.
I ask that the members of the church continue to pray for us that are on this trip for the next 3 days. Pray for our safety, but most of all, pray for the impact that we can make on these people.
Andy Timmons
07.14.08
Today, our baseball team played two games against local Dominicans in tremendous heat. The first game was won against the Mendoza Club by a score of 15-7, led by a 3 run homer by Jordan Gurley. Jason Foley of Adamsville picked up the win for the Americans. After the game, we shared the Gospel with the opposing team, as well as the spectators. I started by sharing my testimony, and Grey Falanga followed by preaching an awesome message to young Dominicans.
Game two was won in a slugfest score of 15-13 against a powerful Trenitario Club. Once again, our team hit the baseball very well. After game two, Andy Timmons shared his testimony with Scooter Kellum preaching after. The Dominicans are so interested in learning about Jesus. It's funny when you get on base and talk to the players; the little Spanish we have learned in school really helps. I asked the players how old they are, and they range from 15 to 19. The conditions they live in are unbelievable. The places these people live in would literally be considered a dump in Corinth.
The most impressive aspect of the Dominican Republic is the driving, total chaos! There are three and four lane roads with no dotted lines for designated lanes. There might as well not be a speed limit. People driving their vehicles inches away is nerve racking when you are used to the driving conditions we have. I have seen more motorcycles in 3 days than in my entire life. They zigzag in and out of traffic. If we were playing them in a driving game and not a baseball game, I think we'd be 0-2 and not 2-0.
God Bless,
Ben Woodhouse
07.13.08
The SCORE complex was a site for sore eyes when we arrived to clean rooms with air conditioning yesterday afternoon! The complex hosts locals in the kitchen, but the food is extremely Americanized. The entire complex is protected day and night by private security guards.
After much needed rest from the long night and day of traveling on Saturday, we arrived early this morning at Amarosa Church for worship. We took in at least an hour of rapid and elaborate Spanish when a translator from SCORE stepped up to translate the sermon for us. And, as the locals sang joyous songs to the Lord, we simply clapped and worshiped in our own ways. Though the language barrier may be vast, we are comforted in knowing we worship the same Mighty God.
Our trip to the church was an adventure in itself. We sat closely on a small bus while the driver weaved in and out of busy traffic at that felt like at least 80 MPH. With the Caribbean Sea on our left and local businesses on our right, we were amazed at the beauty of this place. Don't get me wrong, we didn't pass large resorts or elaborate homes, but we saw how the Dominicans truly live-simply.
Our team practiced this afternoon at SCORE's new sports facility and returned to our complex excited about the two games that await them tomorrow. Thank you for all your prayers. Visit
www.scoreinternational.org for more details on our trip.
We arrived yesterday unable to anticipate exactly how the Lord would use us in the Dominican Republic this week. And today, we've yet to find out. In fact, we may never know all the reasons we were called to this place for this time in our lives. But through worship and group devotions, we have learned this: that we serve a God who knew before we were born that this uniquely designed group would be placed in the Dominican this week.
Sarah Elizabeth Falanga
