Sunday, which was also Mother’s Day, was the student’s last full day in the DR.  The group went to a local beach popular with Dominicans from the capital to enjoy the Caribbean waters, sun, and sounds.  It was a relaxing day and a last chance to soak up the rich, unique experiences of this beautiful … Keep reading »

On Friday night we celebrated an event for the students to thank their families for their hospitality.  Normally we provide the food for these events, but the families, with their overflowing hospitality, insisted on bringing the food themselves, potluck style.  Soon after the event began at 7:00, however, the electricity went out (except for a … Keep reading »

On Wednesday both teams played against the the branch campus of UAPA (Universidad Abierta Para Adultos) here in the capital, Santo Domingo.  While the basketball team came out ahead, making their record 3-1 for the trip, the softball team suffered their first loss, an narrow loss, against the best team they’ve played so far.  Their … Keep reading »

On Tuesday we did a service activity outside Santo Domingo at Jerico, a private school supported by the Christian Reformed Church.  Four months ago a mission group had laid down a concrete court, and today our job was to paint it for basketball and volleyball games.  It had rained that morning, so the first job … Keep reading »

After the softball game Saturday’s schedule in Nagua continued at a local restaurant where we had lunch with the opposing team.  To foster conversations between the players of the two teams each table had some people from each school and at least one person who could help translate. The basketball game was in a local … Keep reading »

On Saturday and Sunday we took an overnight trip to Nagua, a coastal town in the north with a campus of the Universidad Abierto Para Adultos (Open University for Adults).  The very modern and beautiful campus gave us warm welcome at every turn, making a huge impression on the students. Although they don’t offer scholarships … Keep reading »

The “lecture” time on Friday didn’t use pens and paper, but it did have notes.  A dance teacher was invited to come teach the students how to dance to bachata and other Dominican music, and the students probably enjoyed it more than a lecture on, dare we say, organic chemistry.  No one slept through this … Keep reading »

On Thursday the group took a field trip to the historical colonial center of Santo Domingo, a UNESCO World Heritage site.  It was the third settlement founded by Christopher Columbus and the only one that survived.  From here, specifically from the Royal Court that we visited, Spain’s Conquistadors got their marching orders: Hernan Cortez to … Keep reading »

Because the first scheduled game for the basketball team on Saturday had fallen through, another game, with a local club team, was scheduled for Wednesday night.  The other team came out of opening gate with an energy that caught the GC team on its heels, falling to an early 12 point deficit that took the … Keep reading »

As mentioned in yesterday’s post, on Tuesday the softball team played the Dominican team from the Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo, the first university founded in the Americas.  The Lady Leafs did a great job and racked up their second win of the trip.