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2-14-2007 By MICHELLE MILLER Staff Writer The team traveled to Yaguita del Pastor, a barrio located near Santiago, and worked at Igelsia Cristo Salvador, a two-story church that was started in 1994 and completed in 1996. According to a press release sent by the church, it is the second mission outpost Christ Church has built from the ground up in the Republica Dominicana. The mission outpost is now used for church services, Sunday school, bible study, sewing classes for the community, quarterly medical care for the community, and as refuge for people in need during hurricanes and other natural disasters. According to Mike Page, one of the members of the mission team, members of Cooperstown Christ Episcopal Church travel to the Dominican Republic every five years, and the purpose of this year's mission trip was to transform part of the second story of Igelsia Cristo Salvador into a youth center and meeting place for the church and the community to use. Seventeen-year-old Anna Snell said she has been on three mission trips to the Dominican Republic. Snell said this trip was a little different from the first two because the team worked in the northern part of the country. The trips are typically taken to the southern part of the country in San Pedro de Macoris, said Snell. Snell also said this trip was different from past trips because instead of staying in a hotel, team members stayed with families. "This gave us a different view of the culture," said Snell. "They share a different kind of bond than we do with our families." Snell said it was "neat" getting to see people she had met there in the past. "It allowed me to see how we have been able to impact their lives," said Snell. According to Snell, many members traveled to the Dominican Republic with two suitcases and came back with one. She said they left behind a lot of their older clothes. "The people there showed us that there are so many little things we take for granted here in the U.S.," said Snell. For example, she said kids in the Dominican Republic can be content and happy throwing a ball around the house for hours. It was 17-year-old Kelly Segit's second time traveling to the Dominican Republic. Segit said the people there have so little compared to people in the U.S., so they are happy to get anything. She said they do not have things like Xboxes, so they are happy playing hours with something as simple as a marble. Segit said she brought a pad of paper along with her and she was amazed that the kids were happy with just one piece of it. "They don't worry so much about money, it's more about family and friends," said Segit. Segit said she got a kick out of a shirt a woman was wearing that said, "Life with money is really good," and on the bottom said, "But life without love is nothing." Segit said all the girls who went on the trip had the task of painting. She said they painted a few rooms and the outside of the church. "Our most important project was making a Noah's Arc mural because it was the most appreciated," said Segit. "I think that is really what made the trip worth while," she said. Seventeen-year-old Lilly Tillapaugh said her first visit to the Dominican Republic opened her eyes to their world. She said she also found that the people there were grateful with so little. "The people were just so thankful," said Tillapaugh. "I would love to go back." Jonathan Birch made a video of the time spent in the Dominican Republic that was shown Sunday morning. As he narrated the video, he said, "They were so grateful for the work we did. It was very nice to see how thankful they were for our help." The mission team left Jan. 6 and returned Jan. 14. |
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