Journal Entry ~ Saturday Evening, November 4th ~

     It's been a long day that started at 4am. We had to be at the airport at 5:30....departed at 7:30....switched planes in Atlanta with a 1 1/2 hour layover....and arrived in Punta Cana at 2:15pm.

     Like a herd of sheep, we picked up our bags, met out by the curb, and then crossed the parking lot to wait about 20 minutes for some of the church members and missionaries to meet us with transportation....all 24 of us, 40 suitcases, and 20 carry-ons. It had to have been a sight for the locals!!

     Upon their arrival, we piled our luggage into the back of a truck and boarded a medium sized city bus. First stop: the future site (hopefully) for the next church plant. We took a few moments to ponder the opportunities and prayed over the land. I was reminded of the land that God promised to Abram the first time he visited it. It brought a smile to my face as I considered the endless possibilities of spreading the Good News right there within blocks of our circle. God is so BIG....anything is possible!

     After a very "educational" 2 hour bus ride to LaRomana, we checked in to our hotel and spent the evening chatting up a storm with excitement, sipping coffee, and soaking in the beauty of our surroundings. Bruce was right....so far I've learned that the landscape is sadly poor and distraught in many places, and surpriseingly beautiful in others. This hotel is amazing! I can't believe we've come on a mission trip and we get to stay in the comfort of this! Randy said that he's felt after a while of leading these trips, that it's important to work hard while we're here, but to also have a shower, bed and air conditioning to enjoy after a long day in the heat.

     The people we've met so far (Victor, the church pastor here, and his wife, Uderme...some of the church members...Rick and Suzanne, the missionaries....and all the hotel staff) all seem warm, friendly, and glad that we're here. I'm so thankful to be here and pray for God's huge blessings and wonders to cover our week together. I also pray for each of our hosts and their families.

     This evening after dinner, Victor and Uderme both told their stories. I was especially moved by Uderme's. She shared that 17 of her family members gave their hearts to the Lord two weeks ago. Imagine!! I've prayed for several of my family members for 16 years myself. Maybe one day, they too will desire to have a personal relationship with Christ. I've learned that it's true...all things are possible with Him abiding in our hearts. Amen.

Because Punta Cana is home to the largest airport on the island, the tourist resorts in the area are developing at a rapid rate. People from all over the island are moving there for work. The area that we've considered to be the best place to build a new church is located right in the middle of the 900 unit apartment complex, where workers and their families will eventually live. I couldn't help but notice how hard they work at welcoming  the tourists. From the moment we got off the plane, we were serenaded with live native music, a kodak moment with two beautiful girls dressed in colorful costumes, a fairly quick entry through customs, and lots of people wanting to help you with your bags (for a small price). With a group this large, we couldn't help but be noticed. And all of us perfected our "hola's" and "no gracias's" within minutes.

When we finally got on the road to LaRomana, it didn't take long to realize that we'd left the city, and the comfort of the tourist nest. Driving from Point A to Point B in itself was CRAZY!! People tend to drive on both sides of the road until the last minute when oncoming traffic meets you. Vehicles appear to have a silent "ranking system" that goes like the bigger you are, the more power over the road you have.  Tourist buses are the top dog's, then medium city buses, small buses, trucks (usually loaded with a dozen people), mini-vans (who drive everywhere with their sliding doors wide open), cars, and lastly, motorcycles and motorscooters. The light might be red, but if no one's coming then you go across (even saw a few police do this too). It wasn't atypical to see anywhere from two to five people riding on one motorcycle. It was WACKY....unlike anything I've ever experienced on any road. It was unbelievable that we didn't see any accidents (although we heard that they do happen).

Okay, I'm going to give you a break for now  Be sure to check out the first round of pictures. And enjoy!

Blessings to You Today!

 Deborah