Today is the day that we usually do not look forward to during any mission week. Especially after coming off the highs of completing such a successful project. It’s “Strategic Village Time”.
After beginning our day with the morning rosary, we prepare to say goodbye to our team members Tim and Stephanie Reis, who must leave early to attend the funeral of a lifelong friend. We drop them off at the airport on our way to the community we have been serving all week. It was a sad farewell to say the least.
Upon arriving in the community, we set out on foot to visit the homes of local residents. During these visits we have the opportunity to get to know the families. Their lives, their hopes, their dreams and their faith journey. This community is a blend of both Haitian and Dominican people. Haitians speak Creole and Dominicans speak Spanish. We were able to communicate effectively with the help of our translators. The families were extremely welcoming and answered our questions without any sense of intrusion. We had great discussions with them and shared our mutual love of Jesus. We prayed for each other and formed immediate friendships.
After lunch, we held sports camp at the local sports center. What started with only a couple of children quickly became a spirited crowd of over forty. Ages ranged from toddlers to teenagers. Dave Berg gave a wonderful rendition of the David and Goliath bible story. The kids were enthralled with his story telling. Snacks were served before saying our final farewells to the community where we had served the entire week.
Heading back to our mission campus we realized how happy we were to witness the blending of the Haitian and Dominican people. We all feel there is much hope for the next generations of these two peoples that inhabit the same island. God has certainly been working on softening the hearts of His people.
We are so grateful to Mission of Hope for the opportunity to spread the Gospel through our words and actions.
Looking forward to next year!
Tom and Judy Schramer
