DR Team 2015 - Day 6

Meeting Baby Emma

This year marks St. Anne's 15th mission trip to the Dominican Republic. In 2000, we had teams in Jarabacoa and San Francisco de Macoris. Our first trip to Santiago was in 2001 when we were at  San Lucas with Father Hipólito. Our first trip to Cristo Salvador, following Father Hipólito from San Lucas, was in 2004.  During that these years, more than 100 members of St. Anne's, and several people from other congregations, have traveled here with DR Mission Teams. 

Learning a new game

One of Father Jim's lessons in mission work is that we are building more than a construction site, we're building a relationship. As I looked around on Thursday, I saw evidence of that relationship. Lazarus (owner of the Santiago hotel where we stay) and his staff know us well; they ask about our families with genuine interest. We miss Victor this year, Lazarus' father is visiting grandchildren. But we do get to see Lazarus' son who is a teenager now. The St. Anne's teens who are part of our team this year are working with teens from Cristo Salvador who were in elementary school when the first of them attended VBS with us. Ercilia, who stopped by to see us on Monday, was not even in seminary when we first met her in 2001. She is now the priest in Haina, in charge of two congregations and a big school. Our percussionists at VBS this afternoon included Bob's godchildren and Esmeralda's 3-year-old son Elian, big brother of 10-day-old Emma. 

The Percussion Section

Butterflies

More butterflies!

Our day ended with a trip to the Monument. With us were Pamela and Laura, Ana's daughters who we met as children, now confident young women who were delighted to be our tour guides.

The buildings stand: San Lucas, the school at Cristo Salvador, the houses we helped rebuild and probably the footing on the fence that we installed in 2000 at the Campamento in Jarabacoa. The relationships are strengthened year by year.

We miss Poly and Lilian and Lilian Maria and Rosanna and Gabriel. With their teaching over the years, VBS carries on and we know our Dominican family stays with us, thanks to the Holy Spirit.

View from the Monumento