La Republica Dominicana

Some thoughts. Key points. Quite a bit has been left out.

It was the most impacting trip I have been on. Ever.

My heart grew. I could feel it expanding.

For my Joshua classmates. For the elementary students and teenage girls we played volleyball with. For the culture. For our site leader (who is one of the most inspiring people I have ever met).

We ate oatmeal and rice and fried plantain bananas nearly every day. “Safe” and delicious.

I learned about the fundamentals of volleyball. I learned about the Dominican lifestyle. I learned about myself—who I am and the way I see things and that I am not necessarily right (but I am not necessarily wrong, either). I learned about God—who He is and what He does and that “He is not just American”. And I learned—I am learning—how all those aspects correlate together.

And they ways my class has been impacted by this trip is incredible. The way we interact as a community has made considerable progress. And the individual stories are significant. I would like you to hear about them…

Finally, none of this was supposed to happen. I was supposed to be sick. I wasn’t supposed to be physically able to do anything. But I spent two weeks in the Dominican Republic playing sports every day. And I felt consistently and consecutively better than I have in all this time at Joshua, and even in some time prior.

It makes no sense. None at all.

The Lord provided.

And I am thankful.

Gloria a Dios.