Fearless service

​Buenos noches from the DR! Today was an amazing day filled with open hearts, big smiles and crying. It was such a joy to see the girls go into the special needs orphanage and fearlessly serve and love on the children there. Despite the majority of them being nonverbal and with severe disabilities, the girls went in as if they had been friends for years, singing with them, holding their hands, tossing a ball, or simply taking them for a walk in their chair. The pure delight on the children’s faces was a gift from above! Later that afternoon at our volleyball match, we saw more of God’s grace and love. Following the game, Caroline shared her testimony with the team and we shared several gifts with the players. Tonight, debrief was a heart wrencher and undoubtedly the strongest I have ever felt God’s presence. Read below for more details! – Coach Rachel

​Today was a very impactful day. We started off our day by going to Casa de Luz, a home for disabled children. Many of us spent our time just being with them, as they were unable to communicate. It was very emotionally draining for all of us to see them in that state, but it was also very calming to know that we were able to brighten their days. It was hard to see the kids as they were in so much pain, different than what we see in the U.S. But, it was comforting to know that we were able to help them and care for them. Today, we also played in the town of San Pedro, against the Guarionex team. We won in three sets, and after the game we were able to share the word of God with the players and give them gifts such as jerseys and volleyballs. They were all so excited to receive our gifts, and the way their faces lit up was unforgettable. Even Allie gave her shoes and Reagan gave knee pads to a player. Today, it was the beautiful Stacey’s birthday! After dinner, some girls took her to go “kill a spider” in their room while the rest of the team set up a surprise party for her. We got her a cake and a sign that said Happy Birthday. She was so happy and it was so fun to be able to surprise her and celebrate with her. Finally, after dinner we had debrief and devotionals. We had three of our girls share their testimonies, and it was very emotional for everyone. After one of the testimonies, we all just talked about our love for one another, the trip, and God. On top of that, we were asked what we missed the most back home, and we all responded with: our families. It was then we received the letters you had all written for us… we all started crying. Overall, we had a very emotional, impactful, and really fun day. We love you all so much! Thank you for supporting us on this trip. - Love, Emma W, Erin, and Julianna

p.s. we all are having a great time at our all-inclusive five star resort with tempur pedic beds and room service every morning.