Posted on February 5, 2016
Salados (Greetings) from the DR!
by Charlie Goeke, Vanguard Program Manager
We are into our second full day of being in our outreach sites and Vanguards are getting plenty of opportunities to learn, serve and experience life in the DR.
Photographer extraordinaire Axel exploring the Los Higos Education site.
Seth, Axel and myself are on the media team which means that a big part of our role here is going around to the other outreach sites and documenting the work they are doing as well as learning from out Site leaders, Micheal and Mateo. Each day we travel to 3 or 4 of the sites, take photos and video and get short glimpses of what the other Vanguards are up to.
Julianna talking with a child on during a walk around the community she is working with at the Women’s Social Work site.
In addition to spending our days in the outreach sites, we have had the opportunity go explore the area around the Students International (SI) Base via afternoon hikes, learn about Dominican culture from the SI staff, and study the Sermon on the mount (Matt. 5-7) during morning devotions.
During our initial team time last night, many shared about the challenges of the language barrier and being out of their comfort zone given the Dominican context. It was very encouraging for me to hear as the leader as a big part of the build up to the trip and prayers for what the trip would look like for Vanguards were centered around the desire for this to be a trip that challenged assumptions, stretched Vanguards to see Christ in a new light, and experience poverty in a new light.
Sarah L. working with Special Education students as they have P.E.
Thanks Charlie and Axel- looking forward to seeing more pictures.