dominicantrip

The last day…so happy yet so sad. We’ve had a blast in the DR and today was a nice wrap-up to the trip.  For a change, we had our game in the morning instead of in the afternoon.  We were told that the team we played was the best in the country; they defeated all the other teams and were like national champions. We started the game off well, staying pretty even with them until the fourth quarter when we found ourselves down six.  Somehow we went on a run and ended up winning 43-39.  After the game Michele gave her testimony and our translator, Mary - Elanya spoke of how people can distinguish an athlete by the way they carry themselves and challenged both teams to carry ourselves in a way that would distinguish us for Christ.  It was a wonderful way to end the game and this week of games and testimonies.

After the game we went to a Dominican version of KFC and then Baskin Robbins for a little American treat. Then we traveled to a handicapped orphanage that housed about 20 kids. Since there were so few children, many of us got to play with one child for the entire hour that we were there. The kids were extremely glad to see us and there was a lot of laughter and playing during our stay. After the orphanage, we drove through S.C.O.R.E’s new complex that will be used for sports camps. It should be finished in a month and it is absolutely beautiful. As of right now it has the best soccer and baseball fields in the country so the government will be anxious to use the facilities in the future.

This week has been very wonderful for our team in many ways.  Not only have we grown closer to each other, but we have also grown closer to God.  We learned what it means to truly serve Him and to see Him in those that are the poorest in society; materially, physically, and spiritually.  We’ve seen so much of His creation and have learned to appreciate His wonderful gifts to His children.  We’ve been inspired, challenged, and rewarded throughout this whole experience.  We hope to continue on our spiritual journeys once we are back in the States.  We want to thank all of you who have supported us financially, emotionally, and spiritually.  Your unwavering support made much of this possible and we are very grateful for all that you have done.

In His Name,

Kay & Michele

Hola amigos and amigas,

Today we woke up early and got to witness one of God’s most beautiful natural creations; white sand beaches and palm trees. We took a boat ride to Catalina Island and before we docked we all were able to jump off the side of the boat into the crystal blue waters. We were given an hour or so to snorkel around the reef below and check out the colorful tropical fish. Once back on the boat we docked at another side of the island and we were greeted by Dominicans handing out maps of the island and free necklaces. We were then given 3 hours to shop at the many different stores along the coast, swim in the warm waters of the surf, and venture onto the nearby cliff to plunge into unknown depths.

It was altogether a beautiful day of rest for the teams and a time we could reflect and relax. Continue to keep us in your prayers. Tomorrow will be our toughest game of the week and then a long journey home that night. Also, our work here in the orphanages is not yet done.

Adios!

Julia

Hola Amigos!!! Today started with a visit to another sugarcane village. This village was a little bit different then the first one because we had a different feeling going in to it and we knew what to expect. We were able to really enjoy the experience and connect more with the kids because our fears were gone. We played many games with the kids, like wiffleball and volleyball and even duck, duck goose. The time at the village ended with testimonies and handing out some clothing and school supplies. It’s always very difficult to leave the kids because they are so much fun and are so cute!!! Later in the day we held a basketball clinic in Santo Domingo. There were many kids there and they went to different stations such as, shooting, ball handling, and dribbling and then did a defensive drill that is lots of fun!!! We handed out shirts, mini basketballs and candy to the kids. Then the guys team played and we played the game right after them. The guys lost by 2 and we won! After a long bus ride home and getting to enjoy a variety of sandwiches (esp. PBJ) we are now ready for a day at BEAUTIFUL CATALINA ISLAND!!! WOOOOHOOO!!! Everyone is doing well and is ready for the relaxing trip! See you soon!

Allison Reiner and Angie Rapchinski

Today we started off at 8:30 and went to an all girls orphanage in La Romana, the drive was about an hour long but the scenery was great. We all had an amazing time playing with the girls.They embraced us right away. Different groups of us were singing, dancing, coloring, and getting our hair done. After about two hours we had to head back to the compound to eat. It was another hard goodbye, we all hate leaving our new amigas. After lunch we lounged around in the pool for about an hour and then left for our next expedition, the handicapped orphanage. This was one of the most difficult experiences of the trip thus far. Many of the orphans were unable to do anything but lay in bed and smile at us which was enough. We brought stick on tattoos for them and they could not get enough. Some kids had 5 on each arm! Afterwards, we had our game in San Carlos against Theresa, the best player in the nation. We came out with a win! We shared testimonies after the game and headed back to the compound for the rest of the night. Another great and inspiring day in the DR. Can’t wait to see what else God has planned for us! Adios Amigas

Anna Walker

Tuesday - August 11t

Things started off a little slowly on Tuesday.  We had a schedule change that had us doing souvenir shopping in Santa Domingo at the straw market and some sightseeing that included Christopher Columbus’ house.

After lunch at Dominoes we went to an area of Santo Domingo to put on a basketball clinic.  We had about 80 players in attendance.  The men’s team took the high school kids and we took the younger players.  Michelle gave her testimony and than we bought the participants ice cream cones.

We than went to university to play their team.  We were able to eek out a 46-45 OT victory.  All of the players played well.  After our game Kay and Angie gave their testimonies and their was a player from the opposing team that accepted Christ!!

We stayed and watched the men play.  We did not return to the Score Complex until 10:00.  We had a taco salad dinner and a team devotional before lights out at 11:00 PM.  All in all we had a 14 hour day.  Needless to say we were ready for bed.

We have a full day on Wednesday.  We will travel and hour to go to an orphanage, than travel back and go into Santo Domingo to visit a handicapped orphanage.  We will conclude our day playing one of the professional teams in the city.

Please continue your prayers for us.  The trip has been challenging for many of us.

Sincerely,

Coach Miller

The alarm went off at 7:20 this morning, and we all couldn’t wait to see what the day would bring. After breakfast we went to the Sugarcane village, which was basically a small group of homes in a huge field. We were told by our translator that the people in that village did not have any income because the sugarcane plantation closed down about 10 years ago. So when we arrived the bus driver honked the horn and all the kids came running to the bus. They crowded around the door and grabbed us as we got off.  When I stepped off the bus for the first time, I could barely find enough room to stand! Before I knew it, this little girl grabbed my hand, smiled at me, took the baseball cards I had, and we went running to play in the field!! We played hand clapping games, just skipped around, sat in the shade, and she even did my hair! It was so fun interacting with all the kids and watching my teammate have such a good time! I was surprised how well we could communicate with them, despite the language barrier! Hugs and smiles go a long way! Theres so much I could say about this experience but we need to leave a little suspense for you! After the sugarcane village we came back and relaxed at the pool, ate lunch, and took a nap. Then we left for the game. It went well. We won! On the other team, there was a really great player who played in the PAN AM games years ago. Overall, this day was so great- filled with many new experiences that I will never forget! Everyone is having a great time and our team is getting closer already!Can’t wait for tomorrow - shopping and a bball clinic!

Hello everyone,

First, I want to thank you for the constant prayers and your constant support for our missions trip. Although it’s the first day we can see how God is already going to be working through us. We started our day off by leaving for the airport at 2am, it was tough to wake up but we all managed to do it with smiles on our faces. The flight went well and we had a layover in Miami where we met up with coach Noble, Callus, and Amy Reed who just finished a missions trip in Haiti. Then we left for Dominican and now we are here! It took a while to get here but we made it and we cannot wait to see what God has in store for us throughout this week.

After arriving in the Dominican, we unpacked and went right off to a beautiful beach. While we were there we were able to relax on the beach and swim in the clear blue water. The beach was a great time for bonding with everyone and just having a chance to relax since we had been up for about 11 hours at this point. After the beach we had a spaghetti dinner where we were able to fellowship a little bit with the other athletes who are here. Following dinner we had a great devotion lead by Coach Miller. He helped the team to really feel at ease going into the activities we have planned for the rest of the week. We talked about what we were excited about and also a little nervous about, however, we are convinced that God will lead us into the right direction and we will all come out of this experience changed.

I know I can speak for the team when I say that we are all very excited to be here and cant wait to see what is to come! Please continue the prayers, I know that they are helping!
- Lena Szolack 2012
Ps. Norma, Michael, Taylor- Coach is doing fine, he misses you but you dont need to worry we will take good care of him!

Dear Friends,
It is Saturday morning and I am getting ready for our 2:00 AM departure tonight.  We are all excited and anxious about our upcoming trip.  My family and Coach Sassaman’s family just returned late last night from vacation.  The team will be meeting at my home at 5:30.  We will be flying out of Reagan Airport at 6:05 AM.  On Thursday I received our final itinerary for the trip.  As you can see we have a very full schedule.
Sunday:  Orientation and recovery

Monday:  Ministry - Sugar cane village and Play, contest vs a national team, debrief

Tuesday: Ministry - Sugar cane village, visit handicap orphanage, BB Clinic, contest vs national team and Score led devotions

Wednesday: visist girl’s orphanage, Shopping , contest vs. a national team, debrief

Thursday: Sugar cane village, BBall Clinic, contest vs a national team, Score led devotions

Friday: Catalina Island and debrief
Saturday: Contest vs a National team, visit orphanage and debrief

Sunday:  5:00 AM Start traveling home

Thank you for your support and interest in our program.  Please continue to pray for  the impact we hope to achieve under Score’s mission and the health and safety for our party.

As we get access I will be having our players blog throughout the week.

Sincerely,

Coach Miller

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