Hello from the DR!

Greetings to all...I am blogging while the guys are getting in a first scrimmage on an outdoor basketball court here in the DR...

We had an easy travel trip (despite losing a night's sleep!) and arrived to sunny skies and 90 degree temps here in Santo Domingo...we arrived in the community we will be part of for the next week and had a chance to walk thru the community and see first hand what God is doing and how life is lived...

The ministry we are partnering with here is doing some extensive and remarkable things...they run a Christian school for over 1000 kids (many who have no other school option due to overcrowded public schools, have put in a water purification sysytem that provides clean water and ensures better health while also servibg as a microfinance opportunity of sorts for local pastors who serve as the distributors of the water, have built playgrounds, sidewalks and curbs, and local church buildings in the community with big dreams for doing even more! I was thrilled to see one new house for a desperately poor family occupied after we started to build the block foundation with other CU athletes just a few months ago...They are truly fulfilling their mission to share the Gospel in both proclamation and demonstration forms...

Our walk thru the local community took us through one of the poorest neighborhoods in the DR...the physical needs in terms of sanitation, housing, health care, and food are very significant...several of the guys mentioned to me that they had never seen poverty at this level personally...and yet we were welcomed by the people and children flocked to these tall "Americano" strangers as we walked the dirt path roads...seeing such real needs always reminds me that we have been blessed to then be a blessing in the lives of others God connects us to...I'm looking forward to hearing the guys reactions and reflections to this very different neighborhood walk they took today...

We ate a great Dominican dinner and are well taken care of in our new home for the next week...we will have some great opportunities for using the platform of basketball as a ministry tool and way to communicate the message and love of Christ in the next days...we will also be doing some laying of block on construction sites where new kitchens and gyms are being added to the school facility...

We love knowing you are praying for us and we look forward to traveling a few hours tomorrow for a game that has already sold over 3000 tickets in a DR community on the other side of the island...it will be a great chance to share Jesus with other players and fans...we will play again Sunday after church before returning to the Santo Domingo area Sunday night...

I'm not sure I'll be able to blog from our spot tomorrow, so it may be a few days before I get back to sending a written update...

All right, we are going to meet before we head to an early bedtime tonight...with full hearts and praise for God enabling us to come to this place with a great sense of purpose and humility for what it will mean to us and His people here,

CHIP for the Rest of the Team...