February 20, 2010

Dear Eastern Gate Ministries Intl.

I just wanted to send a quick note to say THANK YOU for your support in my trip.  I had a fabulous time.  There were 21 of us who went.  Our first full day there we painted the inside and outside of a local church.  We got to see a new M.O.M center that has started to provide services to that area of La Vega, Dominican Republic.

Friday we got to go to the center where we would be working.  We met the kids from the center.  We played, held activities and just got to love on them.  These kids ages range from 5-13 (mainly).  We fed them some of our lunch;  it was heartbreaking to see how fast some of them ate.  There were kids who came day after day in the same clothes while we were working.  Even on days the center was closed for us to work, kids hung outside the gates for hours if not all day with no food or drinks.  We fed them pineapples, plantains, and twice we bought out the local Ice cream truck (biker) to give them a treat.

We were able to paint the inside of the center’s function hall as well as the outside.  Hired guys built the walls to the second story prior to our arrival.  They had one side done so we painted the rooms.  One of the lady’s church raised funds to provide computers and others provided sewing machines to go in 2 of the rooms.  Now the older children will be able to learn computers and sewing.  Our goal is to provide other rooms with trades that the kids can learn to help them to better provide as adults. 

We were able to see the area and the living conditions of the neighboorhoods.  We were also able to give food baskets to about 40 different families.  My heart just cried looking at some of their houses or should I say shacks that the slightest wind could knock down.  To see children covered in dirt, barefoot, hungry and bathing in brown water littered with trash.  

So again I just want to say Thank You.  If you would like to see pictures from our trip you can go to http://picasaweb.google.com/nnedmissiontrip09  There you can see the pics that each person took.

Love ya,  Thanks again.