Today was marked by two major things, worship, and a trip to the cuevas de las marvillas.
We were welcomed very warmly by a mostly full San Esteban church this morning for worship at 9:30 a.m.
Becky Nickels read the second lesson in English and I read the Gospel in English, translated the sermon, and helped with communion. Fr. Sandino used the group from Michigan as an example of following God´s call and being obedient.
The service lasted nearly two hours and had lots of announcements. For many of our team it was a learning experience to see church last so long. It was also good to talk to a lot of the church members who are planning on helping us with the VBS and even with our painting project.
After church we gathered back at the Centro, had hamburgers and fries (not the most Dominican food, but well received by many members of the team) and then worked on our VBS crafts. We only found out yesterday that we needed to have nearly an hour's worth of craft activities each day for VBS (double what we expected). So today involved getting craft supplies ready and brainstorming what supplies we will use for what day.
At 2:00 p.m., seven of us (all of the younger members) went to the Cueva de Las Marvillas which is about 30 minutes away from San Pedro. It is a nearly kilometer long cave with incredible natural formations in it. It also has hundreds of cave paintings from the native Taino Indians who were wiped out during the Spanish invasion.
On our way back from the caves we drove into the countryside and saw a very old sugar mill town which has crumbled into ruins in the past 7 years because the sugar mill has closed. Nearly 60% of the population has left Consuelo (the home of Pedro Martinez and Sammy Sosa). It was an eye-opening and troubling sight.
Tomorrow we will start painting at 8:30 a.m. followed by VBS from 2:00 until 4:30 p.m. Each day two to three members of our team will travel with the Dohns throughout the town to see some of their medical projects and get a better feel for the community.
Que Dios les bendiga,
Peter Swarr+
Peace in Christ,
The Very Rev. Peter Swarr
Associate Rector, St. John's, Plymouth
www.stjohnsplymouth.org
Dean, Trinity Deanery
We were welcomed very warmly by a mostly full San Esteban church this morning for worship at 9:30 a.m.
Becky Nickels read the second lesson in English and I read the Gospel in English, translated the sermon, and helped with communion. Fr. Sandino used the group from Michigan as an example of following God´s call and being obedient.
The service lasted nearly two hours and had lots of announcements. For many of our team it was a learning experience to see church last so long. It was also good to talk to a lot of the church members who are planning on helping us with the VBS and even with our painting project.
After church we gathered back at the Centro, had hamburgers and fries (not the most Dominican food, but well received by many members of the team) and then worked on our VBS crafts. We only found out yesterday that we needed to have nearly an hour's worth of craft activities each day for VBS (double what we expected). So today involved getting craft supplies ready and brainstorming what supplies we will use for what day.
At 2:00 p.m., seven of us (all of the younger members) went to the Cueva de Las Marvillas which is about 30 minutes away from San Pedro. It is a nearly kilometer long cave with incredible natural formations in it. It also has hundreds of cave paintings from the native Taino Indians who were wiped out during the Spanish invasion.
On our way back from the caves we drove into the countryside and saw a very old sugar mill town which has crumbled into ruins in the past 7 years because the sugar mill has closed. Nearly 60% of the population has left Consuelo (the home of Pedro Martinez and Sammy Sosa). It was an eye-opening and troubling sight.
Tomorrow we will start painting at 8:30 a.m. followed by VBS from 2:00 until 4:30 p.m. Each day two to three members of our team will travel with the Dohns throughout the town to see some of their medical projects and get a better feel for the community.
Que Dios les bendiga,
Peter Swarr+
Peace in Christ,
The Very Rev. Peter Swarr
Associate Rector, St. John's, Plymouth
www.stjohnsplymouth.org
Dean, Trinity Deanery
