Mission Trip Report Day Two:

After a good nights sleep it was time for the first full day on the ground and "in-country". This really has a double meaning because there are cows that free-range all over the area, grazing and meandering, with the occasional, appropriately timed bellow.
As we were having our morning orientation and devotional, there were several of these interruptions. One of our leaders, who reports to have been given the gift of interpretation, confidently reports that these outburst are, roughly translated (because these are Dominican cows and it has to be translated from "bovinese" into Spanish, and then transliterated into English), "Amen, preach it!" and "Halleluuuuujah". I guess the spirit can moooove in cows too.

After the orientation we were witness to the drama skit that some of the team are doing. Using the international language of mime, they depicted the creation of the world, the creation of man, the fall of man as he chases after happiness in drugs and booze, fortune, and "female company" (tastefully depicted) and finally the redemption of man through the death of Christ and his resurrection - all in less than 10 minutes.

Once we were dismissed to our assignments, we began to sort , organize, and prepare for an afternoon of work in the areas of construction/maintenance, medical clinics, and street ministry. We came back to the hotel for lunch and then hit it hard for four hours (although it really seemed like only two at the most).

We are blessed to have several medical doctors with us, and they used their talents and gifts to perform several outpatient surgical procedures, and to see several sick children and adults with various maladies.

Although I am under oath to stay positive on this trip, I must digress and rant about something that really got me hot. Over the years the clinic has been gifted with maybe two dozen or thirty glucometers (the things that take a drop of blood and measure the sugar content). Sadly, they are useless without the test strips that plug into the test device and receive the actual blood droplet. And, as I discovered today, every device uses a unique strip. There is no such thing as "generic". Even different models made by the same company require their own unique strips. I think that is stupid! If you would like to donate strips to go in the meters the clinic has, or meters to go with the strips that the clinic has, send me an e-mail at this address: kb4kbs(at)gmail.com. I will get for you the mailing address of the clinic and you can be a missionary angel without getting your passport stamped!

I hope that wasn't too negative. Thank you for your indulgence, I feel much better now. We are back at the hotel for dinner now and while I type, others are feasting... I much prefer feasting so this is the end of the entry for today.

Please pray for:
Two small boys (brothers) who both have pneumonia. They were seen by our doctors today an given some medicines.

The continued health of the team. With nearly sixty folks, the odds favor someone getting something. Lets pray so that we tilt the odds in God's favor.

The continued safety of the team.

The outreach of the team to the community. In addition to the natives there are a large number of "ex-pats", ex-patriots of other countries, primarily the US and Canada, who are living here in the Sosua area. We have "English Church" tomorrow, and while most of the attendees are regulars, pray for the curious and the seeking whom God directs our way.

More firmly in His grip that I have ever been before,

Scott