Worshipping Together

The Sunday we spent in the Dominican was probably one of the best Sundays of my life. We were able to attend two worship services, one with a new Haitian church and one with Franklin's church. Franklin is the pastor of the church we partnered with in the DR. Worshipping with the people was incredible! Here is a little video Justin made.

Dominican Republic :: day tres from North Monroe on Vimeo.

This was the Haitian church. As you can see it was very small and there was no air conditioning. Most of us didn't have a chair to sit in, but it was a sweet time worshiping our Heavenly Father together.

At the end of the service we handed out stuffed animals, bread, and t-shirts to the children. They were so excited to receive this simple gift.
We ended the day with worship at Franklin's church. As we were waiting for services to begin, I turned around, saw this, and said " Holy Cow." This isn't something I normally see while I am attending church.
We were able to teach the children during both services. I couldn't help, but think about our children's building back at home. We take the things we have for granted every day.
We were able to worship again on our last night in Barahona. The picture below shows two of my new friends from the trip. Mrs. Evelyn is a sweet lady who traveled with our team to the Dominican. I am thankful I was able to get to know her. Sarah is a sweet mother of 3 who we visited with all week. I really didn't get to know her as well as I wish. On this last night, I was standing behind her and I noticed her wiping a tear from her face. I went up to her and put my arm around her. We then shared a hug and some tears for several minutes. It was such a beautiful and special moment. We weren't able to communicate verbally, but we shared a special bond as daughters of the King and mothers who want nothing but the best for the children He has entrusted to us.
I hope I never forget what it felt like to worship with these beautiful people. We don't speak the same language. The churches we attend look completely different on the outside. We may look very different, but as believers we are all the same. We are all sinners, saved only by God's grace. We all strive to love the Lord in this fallen world.