Greetings from the tropics! (Sunday, July 13)

Last night we arrived in the Dominican Republic. After a long day of travel, the group made it through customs, and then packed into a bus that would take us to the hotel. For some, it was revisiting old memories. For others, it was a new experience, as most didn't move their heads away from the windows as they observed the many new sights and sounds of Santo Domingo. We finally arrived at our hotel, got a good night's sleep, and prepared for another day of travel. This morning we woke up and had a delicious breakfast. Then we hopped on the road and headed to the guest house in San Juan. Upon arrival we were greeted by Dan and Kari. They also had a lovely lunch prepared for us. After lunch we had orientation and prepared for the week ahead. Then we had free time where we could explore the town or play around. When outside the compound we met two little boys who joined us in kicking around the soccer ball. Later on we had dinner and then headed to a church service. The means of transportation were riding in the back of pickup trucks, where our hair was blowing in the breeze. The church service was different from what we are accustomed too. They had a band and a lively service. Even though it was in Spanish, we still felt very moved by the pastor's speech. We headed back to the compound, played a game of "Identity Theft", and got ready to end the day. We are excited and prepared for what lies in store the rest of the week! - Ben Lewis, Katie Leivy, and Madison Bloomfield