LIFT Missions Trips: Education & Recreation

Each morning Yocasta, Elizabeth, and Kasey unlock the gate to the school building and the students from the community are eagerly waiting outside with smiles on their faces, hanging on the gate railings, and catching fish from the canal waiting for class to begin. The Students International Education Center is located in Quinigua, Santiago and provides tutoring, preschool, and meals for children in the community. Yocasta and Elizabeth are both local Dominicans who teach the classes and Kasey is a Global Bridge student working alongside them for the year.

Students International seeks to support the community and share the gospel in multifaceted ways through the Education Center. They provide Children in the community with breakfast and lunch. Yocasta emphasized to us the importance of providing these meals. She told us that sometimes the children arrive at school fighting and angry because of their hunger and as soon as they eat, they settle down and act like themselves again. There are public schools in the community, but students only go for half of the day, because the government does not have enough money to fund whole days. Elizabeth, who teaches the older kids, supplements their education by tutoring the students in reading and writing skills. This additional education will have a long-term impact on their ability to communicate and provide for themselves and families. Teaching provides many opportunities to share the gospel and the heart of Jesus with a focused scripture passage through song, reading, and crafts. The missionaries are also able to earn the trust of families in the community as the family sees their genuine care and love for their children.

A group of us LIFT students have gotten to be a part of the Education Center this week. At the end of each day, we sing and dance to “Cristo es mi superhero” (Jesus is my Superhero), and then listen to "Way Maker" in Spanish. As we listen to the music and the kids sing along, the children know to line up at the back of the room, and all of us form a tunnel, and we silently pray for each of them and put a hand on their shoulders, and they slowly walk through the prayer tunnel. This time of prayer, though simple, has been such a reminder to me of God’s heart that longs to show His grace to each of us. As each child passes, I have simply been praying that they would know their savior, Jesus. Not only does this time of prayer reflect the missionaries genuine work and love unto the Lord, but it also seems to symbolize their dependence and trust in the Lord. Recognizing God’s deep love for these children and sending them home in prayer and trust, not in their own work, but in God’s protection and salvation.

Julia Haynes

LIFT on their day off (Saturday) experienced the fun thrills of canyoneering in the Damajagua River Gorge, followed with a scrumptious lunch buffet.