Hello for the last time from the Dominican Republic...we are just getting ready for a final team dinner together on a warm and breezy night...we said goodbye to new friends this morning at our ministry site and then headed into the capital city of Santo Domingo...we visited the market and then walked in and around some of the oldest buildings in the Western hemisphere, including the National Cathedral and National Monuments of the DR...these buildings are amazing structures and are almost 500 years old!
We then drove to the coast and spent some time this afternoon enjoying a resort on the ocean...there has been good food, lots of Dominican music, and a time to relax after a very busy week for us all...in many ways, it is somewhat strange to be at a resort after being part of a community with such great physical needs during our time in the DR...you find yourself feeling somewhat guilty and somewhat resistant to what you see all around you...yet in many ways this resort represents more of who we are as blessed Americans...and the greatest challenge of this trip is yet to come in many ways...God's calling to us is not to just feel guilty and grateful...it is to live with what we have seen, experienced, and heard from God in a place of prominence in our daily lives...it is the challenge of living in our own community and culture that God has placed us in as a Christian who is compassionate, communicates about the needs of others near and far, and serves out of a heart that is full because of what God has done in Jesus for us...that's really our final task of this trip...to spend time asking God to show us specifically what our response individually and as a team will be as we come back to Cornerstone and the summer months ahead...we'd ask you to pray for us to be motivated and passionate to be advocates for the people of the DR and to help us to build a community that is focused on others and creates a mindset of service and love and character in the basketball community and other places of influence in our lives...
We are tired and yet so very blessed after our time on this missions trip...we appreciate your prayers and support more than you know...we are excited to tell stories, show pictures, and talk about what God is up to in this world when we return...don't be afraid to ask questions of us when we are back with you...
Thanks for reading this blog and giving us encouraging comments back...I've loved being with young men who I believe will indeed change the world...CHIP
p.s. If all goes well, we should arrive back at CU sometime around 1 am or so after our travel day tomorrow!
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
A Final Day in Los Alcarrizos...
We are spending our last night in the community that we feel part of now here in the DR...we were back out in the sunshine this morning pouring cement for curbs and sidewalks to help prevent floods from reaching people's homes and helping students to walk to their local community school...
The guys have really put their sweat and hearts into helping the community here...and there has been a sweet satisfaction in being tired in doing God's work on behalf of the people here...
I loved seeing some of the guys walk through the neighborhood holding the hands of kids in their school uniforms and taking pictures with children on their shoulders...they have been ambassadors of God's love to people looking to receive love from the Father through them...
After another morning of work, we headed downtown to take on our final opponent at the University of Santo Domingo...it is a massive university that serves students from all over Latin America...the guys didn't have much energy but squeaked out a final win 64-62...they finished their Dominican Tour undefeated against some of the better players and teams in this country...and they shared the message of hope found in Jesus to hundreds and hundreds of players, coaches, and fans across the nation...using basketball as a ministry tool has been a privilege and pleasure, and athletics provides a platform for service and relationships and evangelism unlike few things that cross cultural boundaries...and it has been a fantastic week participating in God's Kingdom work in this part of the world...
I have to tell you personally this has been a fantastic trip...I've taken students all over the globe and I have loved these last days in the DR...what a joy to have the privilege to watch this team serve God with a heart that loves the people, cares for these kids, and is passionate about changing the future of a community that has needs God allowed us to help meet...in many ways, you see this generation of Christ-followers at its best...and tonite I praise God for what He is doing and will do...
Tomorrow morning we will head out of our camp here and visit the historical sites of Santo Domingo (there's lots of them due to explorers like Christopher Columbus) and a quick stop in a typical Dominican market...and we will close off the trip at a Dominican resort where we will get some rest, enjoy the beach, and hang out together...
We are getting excited to head home to share our stories with you all and appreciate your prayers as we share with one another how we will seek to live differently in light of our experiences and things God has allowed us to hear and experience here away from our normal lives...
I'll close tonight with some verses we've been studying and talking about in our devotional and sharing times together:
Isaiah 58:6-10 (New Living Translation)
6 “No, this is the kind of fasting I want:
Free those who are wrongly imprisoned;
lighten the burden of those who work for you.
Let the oppressed go free,
and remove the chains that bind people.
7 Share your food with the hungry,
and give shelter to the homeless.
Give clothes to those who need them,
and do not hide from relatives who need your help.
8 “Then your salvation will come like the dawn,
and your wounds will quickly heal.
Your godliness will lead you forward,
and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind.
9 Then when you call, the Lord will answer.
‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply.
“Remove the heavy yoke of oppression.
Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors!
10 Feed the hungry,
and help those in trouble.
Then your light will shine out from the darkness,
and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.
For the CU HOOPS team in the DR,
CHIP
The guys have really put their sweat and hearts into helping the community here...and there has been a sweet satisfaction in being tired in doing God's work on behalf of the people here...
I loved seeing some of the guys walk through the neighborhood holding the hands of kids in their school uniforms and taking pictures with children on their shoulders...they have been ambassadors of God's love to people looking to receive love from the Father through them...
After another morning of work, we headed downtown to take on our final opponent at the University of Santo Domingo...it is a massive university that serves students from all over Latin America...the guys didn't have much energy but squeaked out a final win 64-62...they finished their Dominican Tour undefeated against some of the better players and teams in this country...and they shared the message of hope found in Jesus to hundreds and hundreds of players, coaches, and fans across the nation...using basketball as a ministry tool has been a privilege and pleasure, and athletics provides a platform for service and relationships and evangelism unlike few things that cross cultural boundaries...and it has been a fantastic week participating in God's Kingdom work in this part of the world...
I have to tell you personally this has been a fantastic trip...I've taken students all over the globe and I have loved these last days in the DR...what a joy to have the privilege to watch this team serve God with a heart that loves the people, cares for these kids, and is passionate about changing the future of a community that has needs God allowed us to help meet...in many ways, you see this generation of Christ-followers at its best...and tonite I praise God for what He is doing and will do...
Tomorrow morning we will head out of our camp here and visit the historical sites of Santo Domingo (there's lots of them due to explorers like Christopher Columbus) and a quick stop in a typical Dominican market...and we will close off the trip at a Dominican resort where we will get some rest, enjoy the beach, and hang out together...
We are getting excited to head home to share our stories with you all and appreciate your prayers as we share with one another how we will seek to live differently in light of our experiences and things God has allowed us to hear and experience here away from our normal lives...
I'll close tonight with some verses we've been studying and talking about in our devotional and sharing times together:
Isaiah 58:6-10 (New Living Translation)
6 “No, this is the kind of fasting I want:
Free those who are wrongly imprisoned;
lighten the burden of those who work for you.
Let the oppressed go free,
and remove the chains that bind people.
7 Share your food with the hungry,
and give shelter to the homeless.
Give clothes to those who need them,
and do not hide from relatives who need your help.
8 “Then your salvation will come like the dawn,
and your wounds will quickly heal.
Your godliness will lead you forward,
and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind.
9 Then when you call, the Lord will answer.
‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply.
“Remove the heavy yoke of oppression.
Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors!
10 Feed the hungry,
and help those in trouble.
Then your light will shine out from the darkness,
and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.
For the CU HOOPS team in the DR,
CHIP
another blogsite to check in on...
Just a reminder that you can also check out some video clips, pictures, and trip moments at a blogsite hosted by Greg, the director of the mission we are working with here...the web address is:
http://untoincorg.blogspot.com/
http://untoincorg.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
A word from our post player and guest blogger for the night...
The days continue to fly by here in the DR...tomorrow is our last day in the community here...the heat is turned up and we are exctied to serve thru work and witness and relationship here...guys were sharing how they will see things differently as a result of this trip, and our final challenge is to see how we translate what God has been speaking to us and showing us as we come back to the world where the Lord has placed us...the team is loving sharing this experience as a team and continues to play great team ball here in the DR with another 116-97 win in the nation's capital tonight...one of the guys on the team has been here several times before and loves the people and community deeply...it's been great to watch Dan be so at home in this community and culture this week...here's his blog about the day that is coming to an end:
Today was an early one! Waking up and getting to work at 7 was pretty refreshing, but at the same time it made the day seem like an extra long one, even though it started only an hour and a half earlier then usual. We worked on building the stairs for the new weight room at the school, which was nice because all of us were in the same area, and the work place is always a good place for bonding. I personally spent most of the morning up on top of the building bending over and picking up buckets of cement with a couple other teammates...it wasn't easy on the back, but at the same time a good work out.
The afternoon was spent resting, swimming, talking about our response to the needs of others in this world, and getting ready for our game in Santo Domingo, which we ended up tipping off about 7:30. It was sweet to play in the big arena that we played in, even though there weren't too many fans, but there were enough to make it fun and exciting. Coach has been doing a great job along with some of the other players at sharing their testimonies to the other teams before games and at halftime. You never really do know who that testimony is going to get through to, but thats not for us to always understand and know; we just have to do what were supposed to do and God ALWAYS does the rest, even if we don't see it. Tomorrow should be another good one, as we'll be back to work, seeing kids, and playing our final basketball game.
For the rest of the team,
Daniel Possehl
PS. Bryce Semple led the way with 24 points tonight out on the floor!
Today was an early one! Waking up and getting to work at 7 was pretty refreshing, but at the same time it made the day seem like an extra long one, even though it started only an hour and a half earlier then usual. We worked on building the stairs for the new weight room at the school, which was nice because all of us were in the same area, and the work place is always a good place for bonding. I personally spent most of the morning up on top of the building bending over and picking up buckets of cement with a couple other teammates...it wasn't easy on the back, but at the same time a good work out.
The afternoon was spent resting, swimming, talking about our response to the needs of others in this world, and getting ready for our game in Santo Domingo, which we ended up tipping off about 7:30. It was sweet to play in the big arena that we played in, even though there weren't too many fans, but there were enough to make it fun and exciting. Coach has been doing a great job along with some of the other players at sharing their testimonies to the other teams before games and at halftime. You never really do know who that testimony is going to get through to, but thats not for us to always understand and know; we just have to do what were supposed to do and God ALWAYS does the rest, even if we don't see it. Tomorrow should be another good one, as we'll be back to work, seeing kids, and playing our final basketball game.
For the rest of the team,
Daniel Possehl
PS. Bryce Semple led the way with 24 points tonight out on the floor!
Monday, May 10, 2010
Quite the Day in the DR...A Guest Blogger/Point Guard Writes!
It is late and we are pretty tired...but full of energy and experiences from a unique Monday...it was a day filled with hard work in helping to build a kitchen that will feed hundreds of children before they attend school each day, helping young coaches impact the next generation of Dominican athletes, and sharing the story of Jesus with hundreds of folks gathered to watch night time basketball in a typical Dominican community...these are good days, and it has been an absolute ball for us to enjoy serving Christ together here...I've got a guest blogger tonight to tell you more...here's a recap of our day from point guard Dominic Allen:
Today was a wild day. The whole trip has been an outstanding experience for all of us, and today may have been the most exciting. We began the day early out at the school filling huge pillars with cement. Cement work is extremely difficult stuff, but we had a good time doing it. The sun actually was covered by clouds and that was a huge break for us (even though about half of us got burnt,including me). We worked until early afternoon and then got the opportunity to jump in the camp pool which was really refreshing. At about 2 o clock a group of coaches assembled and Coach E put on a clinic for them; it was great for us to teach the coaches because they can in turn teach their players and we can reach many more people. We basically went through an abbreviated practice and showed them some of our set plays we run. After this was over we ate dinner and headed to tonight's game.
One thing about these games is going in we have no idea what we are getting into. We knew the game was on an outdoor court but that's it. We arrived at the court and we were just wowed for about half an hour; the court was walled in with barbed wire along the top (most of us have pictures of it and this is something you definitely want to see). The place was jammed packed...kids were all over us, and of course we were passing out candy, t-shirts, and basketballs...and they loved us! That was so amazing to just see how happy the kids were to be around us. When the game finally started (an hour late, of course) we had no idea what to expect from the team. Come to find out they were good, very good. We led most of the game until the third quarter and they went on a huge run and took an 11 point lead. We definitely didn't want to lose, and we responded by having a great 4th quarter and won by 12 points, 115-103.
This time in the DR has been life changing for all of us and we have had the opportunity to experience so many things that most of us never thought we would be able to...we are all excited to see what the next few days have in store for us here in the DR...All of you reading this are missed and are on our minds. God bless you all and good night from the DR!
Today was a wild day. The whole trip has been an outstanding experience for all of us, and today may have been the most exciting. We began the day early out at the school filling huge pillars with cement. Cement work is extremely difficult stuff, but we had a good time doing it. The sun actually was covered by clouds and that was a huge break for us (even though about half of us got burnt,including me). We worked until early afternoon and then got the opportunity to jump in the camp pool which was really refreshing. At about 2 o clock a group of coaches assembled and Coach E put on a clinic for them; it was great for us to teach the coaches because they can in turn teach their players and we can reach many more people. We basically went through an abbreviated practice and showed them some of our set plays we run. After this was over we ate dinner and headed to tonight's game.
One thing about these games is going in we have no idea what we are getting into. We knew the game was on an outdoor court but that's it. We arrived at the court and we were just wowed for about half an hour; the court was walled in with barbed wire along the top (most of us have pictures of it and this is something you definitely want to see). The place was jammed packed...kids were all over us, and of course we were passing out candy, t-shirts, and basketballs...and they loved us! That was so amazing to just see how happy the kids were to be around us. When the game finally started (an hour late, of course) we had no idea what to expect from the team. Come to find out they were good, very good. We led most of the game until the third quarter and they went on a huge run and took an 11 point lead. We definitely didn't want to lose, and we responded by having a great 4th quarter and won by 12 points, 115-103.
This time in the DR has been life changing for all of us and we have had the opportunity to experience so many things that most of us never thought we would be able to...we are all excited to see what the next few days have in store for us here in the DR...All of you reading this are missed and are on our minds. God bless you all and good night from the DR!
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