The last few days have been pretty fantastic. Yesterday, on the way to our church, we stopped off at the Haitian church which was started/supported by Mission Emanuel. We took our group in to visit, because they financially support this church in huge ways. We only stayed for about twenty minutes, but it was an amazing time of worship with them. All of the members of the church stood up to sing some songs for us, and they were INCREDIBLE. All of the participants were singing and worshipping with such passion, and the music was so overwhelming and beautiful. They had tambourines, wooden blocks, and cowbells, and were making quite a joyful noise. It was impossible not to cry and be overwhelmed with thankfulness for these people.

One thing that made that time at the Haitian church so powerful has a lot to do with the social structure of the DR. Here, Haitians are definitely hated and looked down on by many of the Dominicans. It has taken a lot of work on the part of Mission Emanuel to try to change the stigma against the Haitians in Cielo and Nazaret. These people are forced to the margins because they are immigrants in search of a better life. Last week, I was carrying a Haitian girl through Cielo and kids were running up to call her Chocolate because of her dark skin, and an adult man even came over to me to make fun of her. (Don't worry...he heard some words from me!) Mission Emanuel has made a big difference in this community and has done a great deal to help Haitians in the area, as well as working to show the Dominicans how important it is to love the Haitians and set an example for others in the community. As I stood in the church on Sunday, it was such a blessing to see that these people who have to suffer so much because of their nationality have a place to gather together in worship, and not be chastised because of who they are. It was a powerful experience, and one I am so thankful to have had. Before we left, the Haitians asked if they could pray for us. Wow. All at once, around 50 of them started praying outloud for us, and it was such a peaceful feeling to have all of those prayers wash over us. It was so unexpected that they would ask to pray for us, and really blew me away. More often, I feel the need to ask to pray for them, rather than receive their prayers. It was a glorious morning with them!

Today, I was invited to lunch at my friend Emmanuel's house (his picture is in the previous post). He is an amazing man of God who is serving on our summer staff. He works with us on the construction sites, interprets for us, and also has recently become the leader of Vida Joven, which is Dominican Young Life. He is doing a great job of building relationships with local teenagers who are not a part of the church, and is truly a blessing to what Mission Emanuel is doing as they partner with Vida Joven. Emmanuel invited 4 of us over for lunch, to meet his mother and spend time with his family. It was an incredible meal! She made us what they call the Dominican flag (rice, beans, and chicken). We sat for several hours talking to her, answering questions about what keeps bringing us back to the DR, and learning about her own childhood in the northern part of the DR. It is always such a blessing to be invited into someone's home for a meal, but for some reason, this invitation seemed extra special. Emmanuel's dad asked if he could pray for us before he left, and he said such beautiful words as he prayed over us and the work we are doing here. Emmanuel's mom even asked if I would come back to visit again tomorrow, because her mother is arriving in town from New Jersey! It made my day to meet her because of the strong friendship I have developed with her son, and I am so excited to visit her again tomorrow!! 

Thanks for your prayers...I only have about 1 week left, and am going to be extremely sad to leave. I have had such an amazing time here, and can't believe how blessed I am to have been given the opportunity to return here. Thanks for all of your support!!