Thursday, July 9th

We started the day as usual with breakfast, team devotions, and then a personal time of reflection and prayer. Today's focus was on having a heart for the poor. We were challenged to think through how we can make a difference.

In the morning we continued our work on the foundation walls of the orphanage. With the promise of going to the beach in the late afternoon, we worked our tails off under the burning sun. It was good, hard work.

After lunch we traveled to a small community about 25 minutes outside of Barahona called Paulo Alto. This suburb is not a batay but neverthless it has its problems with the teens--alcohol and violence. We split up into two teams and walked the streets knocking on doors and asking families if we could pray for them. Each of us took turns praying for their needs. Then we invited them to come to the local church for our dramas and for a time of spontaneous fun playing baseball, football, and volleyball (the latter with a make shift pole held on both ends by two team members).

We then went to a nearby beach and swam in the Carribean Sea. We negotiated coral reefs and enjoyed pockets of cool water springing up from the ocean bottom. The surroundings were absolutely beautiful. All of us were refreshed.

We closed out our evening after supper with an evening worship and a hands-on devotional project to help us develop a more authentic relationship with God. It was a full and rewarding day.

Until tomorrow, your CCGF Dom Rep Mission Team.