Trip to Dominican Republic

      About 3 weeks ago, I had a chance to go on a mission trip to Dominican Republic with my Senior class. It was an amazing experience, you know, what that we call "God is opening our eyes". I really am touched by their hospitality and how blessed we are to get to know them! Leah (one of my classmates and best friend) and I stayed with a host family who took us in. Us, strangers to them yet I can't help but feel like that too is my home. They let us sleep in a big room with air conditioner and a bathroom inside. It was so awesome! The weather was hot yet we have air conditioner, it is what one can ever ask for (if you're in a place where its cold and went somewhere that is very very HOT, you'll know what I'm talking about). They give us food and make sure we have a lot of jugos (Spanish word for juice). The jugo they have is so delicious!! 

      Throughout the week, we did some ministry and visiting different parts of Santo Domingo (the biggest city in Dominican Rebublic, I believe). We visit beta (about 1-4 hours from the city) and visit some schools. One that stuck to me is an orphanage. Christi and I met this girl name Idiana (I think that's how it spelled) whom live there for 7 years. She is 11 years old, so that means she was 4 years old when she came to the orphanage. She spoke English very well and she showed us where she lived. She lived with other boys and girls in a yellow house, 4 people in one room. I asked her what she want to be when she grow up and she said "an actress". She is very cool and I admire her very much. But I just can't help but think that she is very strong. She's been through a lot yet she can still smile. Best of all, she loves God and gives her heart to him.

      I am glad that we went to Dominican Republic. I want to take this time to thank you everyone that made it possible. Can you believe it? We have like 2 months to get all the money but somehow, God made it possible. Thank you God for your grace and blessing. Thank you for opening our eyes!

Ps. I also was the trip's photographer. So here you go.  ^_^ 

 We went on a small plane from Minneapolis to Newark, New Jersey. Then we took a bigger plane to Santo Dimingo

 Good bye, Minnesota! See you in a week!

 Leah and I gets to sit next to each other so we decided to take some pictures. 

 Merhawi (he's in my class) said he loves Dominican Republic before he even set his foot on it! So yeah, it was so green and the sun setting is very beautiful. Already, we could feel the warmness that we looked forward to!

 He spoke English very little but he tried his best. He has awesome jokes too.

 This is on Sunday morning. We went to Church and met some new friends.

 Mr. Ferguson is Leah's (one on the right). 

 This little baby, Abigail and her mum. So sweet!

 Leah and Ashley (also in my class and best friend). I told them to do a happy face and this is what I got. He-he.

 Christi (my best friend ever!) and I took some pictures. She is a cutie, like a blooming peach (inside joke alert, HAHAHAHA).

 Mrs. Austin, Leah, Kelly (she is my best friend too) and Mr. Calcote.

 Start from the inside, Alex, Gio (my best friend), Merhawi and Freddie. They are in my class too. And yes Caleb, we missed you.

 Christi and I ate some rice and meat. The little soup thinigie for rice and the reason that our rice is different is because her rice is brown rice and mine is white rice. 

 The chicken is seasoned with, what I think it is, curry. It has that spicy and creamy taste.

 I saw the apartment and it was cool. The ones with the flower pots reminds me that one day, I would like to have my own garden.

 A little girl at Church likes my camera. She often draw on it (there's a drawing program) and tries to talk to me in Spanish, in which I could only say si and bien.

 We went to visit the beta and played with the kids. In here, Gio is trying to dance something with the kids. 

 The kids were very shy at first but it only took them some times to open up to us.

 A cute smile.

 They were very sweet.

 Merhawi, the Sunday teachers, Mrs. Vilma (our Spanish teacher) and Gio.

 Kelly doesn't like pictures that much but oh well. :)

 Ashley, she is also one of my best friends.

 Alex got the most tan out of all of us.

The people of the Church.

 The street where we walked to visit the village.

 I was on a small hill to take this amazing pictures. God is so good.

 The boys. Can you guess who's who?

 I walked slow and was at the end of the line.

 We took pictures of the kids.

 Gio took this picture. I don't know how he did the effect thing but it looks very good.

 We had a fruit "competition", which means whoever eats the most wins! 

 We visit another school and serve lunch for the kids.

 Christi want this picture to be deleted but I think she looks cute in this one. Won't you agree?

 I tried some chicken fingers. They taste like chicken flavored jello (my apologies for those who are eating right now).

 We went to visit a baseball field.

 The Senior class at the beach!! (Alyssa and Caleb could not come, we missed you!)

 Christi hated the salting water. Well, its the ocean, duh. 

 We found an empty coconut by the beach.

 Gio and Christi, my very best friends.

 We weren't allow to sit on those chairs because it needed to be paid first. But we sneaked and took some pictures. Oh, Gio took this picture, the credit goes to him.

 Before we have to go back, I ran and took this awesome picture of the sunset. 

 The next day we visited some villages.

 We prayed for them and have a little chitchat.

 When we went back to the Church in the village, they had a banquet for us. Everything was very nice and it was one of the best meal we had all week. 

 We had this blessing notes and this one is from Christi.

 I like taking pictures of the flower. So pretty.

 A boy in an orphanage has this beautiful eyes so I decided to take a pic. 

 Marie and her son were very nice to us. They open their home and took us in. An example of the kindness? I get hungry, all the time. And every night after dinner at the Church, I still get hungry and when we got home, she gave us some snacks and jugos. She is so sweet to us. She would wake us up early in the morning and when we come downstairs, there would be some breakfast for us. And when we got done with the ministry, she would come pick us up. She was so very nice and we felt so blessed.

 A week passed so fast! I wish I could stay longer! Good bye Dominican Republic! I will miss you!

And we are back in Minnesota again. Ah, home sweet home.