Dominican Republic.. Day 4

The last day in the Dominican proved to be fruitful. We ended the day at our worksight and left saddened that we had to leave the locals behind. Many were even asking us when we would return and even if they could fly home with us.  Going to the United States is a dream  the Haitians living in the DR can not even fathom. This put many things into perspective for me. I never realized the basic necessities I took for granted before taking this trip. The children wanted the simple toys such as a ball or coloring books. These basic toys were a novelty to them. 

A couple in our mission group brought down a soccer ball for all of us to play. This is one of the most memorable experiences I have ever had. This bonded our group with the locals and allowed us to laugh and play together. 

            

The Haitians are in the DR because many years ago they harvested sugar cane. The country allowed them to stay because then the country did not have to pay Haiti each year the workers returned. When the sugarcane industry went under these Haitians were left unemployed and usually homeless. In this country there is much racial tension between the native born Dominicans and the Haitians. One of the jobs that many Haitians sought out after the sugarcane industry was spreading the word of Christ. This resulted in our mission group building a home for one of the pastors. This particular pastor walked to the church everyday and routinely got robbed when he would go home. He just recently acquired some land behind the church and allowed for us to help build there. 

                 

Here is the pastor and his family standing in the home when we left. Our group leader will return next week to help finish the roof and floor. The pastor was so grateful for the work we did. He said he had been praying to God for a change in his circumstances for years. He told us we were a reminder to him the God cares about him and his family. God is using us as his hands to shed light on this small community in Santo Domingo. The joy this brought us was overwhelming. 

                 

We left with the Haitians wanting us to return. I hope to visit them in the future and continue to spread the word of Christ to them. Throughout my time in the DR the locals and I had many conversations about being a Christian. Even amongst all their pain and the feeling of worthlessness, they know that God cares about them. 

I am so thankful to have taken this trip and learned about a new culture. I am thankful to have this experience to use my Spanish all while conversing about God. Thank you God for allowing our group to spread the news of you. 

                       

                                            Santo Domingo Mission Trip 2016

I will sing of the LORD's great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself. -Psalm 89:1-2

The organization I traveled with is the Dispatch Project. Check it out. www.dispatchproject.com

Lots of Love,

Dominican Republic.. Day 3

Hello friends and family,

I am so glad I am able to share my experience with you through social media and try to share what I've learned day to day. 

Yesterday we returned to the work sight to continue building the house for the pastor. We made a lot of progress with brick laying and pouring columns. 

We use concrete and rocks to make their concrete here. We pour it in the columns which are the parts covered in wood  in the above picture. Our goal was to finish everything we could on the house besides the roof. Due to our lack of time the roof was left unfinished, but  we trained the locals on how to complete it. 

We left the work site early to tour some of the capital city. We toured the center square and looked at some of the tourist shops. Our group was able to use Pesos and learn how the local currency worked. I enjoyed this part of our trip very much. 

This is a tomb were the important people in the DR's history are buried. Some that are buried here are the first teacher, one of the first leaders and many soldiers.

This is equivalent of the guard to the tomb of the unknown solider in the U.S.. He works 24/7 to protect the tombs. 

We got to visit the Caribbean Sea and take in the bright blue water. The waves were extremely high and white caps were not a rarity.

We ended the day with a nice meal in the town square. I ate spaghetti, which is a common food here in the DR. I was satisfied with my food choice after the many days of Dominican food. 

I am sad my trip has come to an end, but I am glad to have made a small difference in the community here. The locals were so thankful for what we were doing for their community. Thank you God and USF for this opportunity. 

Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of Hosts is with us. -Psalm 46:10–11

Lots of Love,

Dominican Republic.. Day 2

Well after very stressful flights I officially made it to the Dominican to spread the word of Christ. Three days late, but God got me here safe and that's all I can ask.

Officially landed in Santo Domingo

The culture here is extremely different and I'm enjoying getting to know the locals and their children. They have made some tasty, tasty, tasty food and love to interact, even with language barriers. 

Our current job is to build a house for a local pastor. There are many requirements for the locals to meet for us to actually start to build. In this case the pastor has met all the requirements and stipulations that our local ministry requires. They do this so the locals take some responsibility for their home.

Here is what got accomplished Monday. The beginnings of the house began to form. The great thing about this project is that we get to work alongside the locals. We are all working together with one goal in mind. I got to enjoy the time building while also making some friends. 

The ministry we are staying at loves to have us here helping their country. Americans don't have necessarily the best rap in the Dominican due to the tourism and entitlement the locals see. We are here trying to make a difference in the way they perceive Americans. 

The local ministry center also caters to a private Christan School. One difference here is that the schools run by the government are called escuela. The private schools are coliego, which tend to better schooling that give the children a better chance at life. One interesting observation is that all these students attend a private Christian school, but many will not claim to be a Christian. 

Yesterdays project consisted of building up the house more in hopes that we can finish it by the time we leave. The progress is looking really good!! Today I also colored with the children and took pictures of Pete the Cat with the children. Today was a lot of fun teaching the children English as they taught me more Spanish. 

I have much love for Santo Domingo and its locals! I can't wait to me you know about the rest of my trip!!

Go everywhere in the world and tell everyone the good news. -Mark 16:15

Lots of Love,

Dominican Republic.. Day 1

Hello friends,

I am on my way to the Dominican Republic! Due to the Jonas snowstorm our flights were canceled and pushed back a few days. Nevertheless we are en route to spread the word of Christ! I can't wait to keep you all updated about my trip and give you the inside scoop! Be prepared to see many pictures each day! 

Please pray for our success and safety! 

Our first flight sat on the runway for about half and hour to de-ice. While it was only a short flight we were all antsy in hopes of still trying to catch our connecting flight due to the delay. 

Unfortunately we did not make our connecting flight so we had to go and see what the other flight options were. The flight attendants ended up splitting up our group. Two of us went to JFK and two of us went to Laguardia. Nevertheless we all ended up in the same airport eventually. The adventure has already begun and we haven't even arrived in the Dominican yet. 

   

Throughout the past couple days we have faced many challenges... two days of delays, another delay for fog, another for deicing, a missed flight, an hour and a half  in a NY taxi line which ended sooner than we thought because of a kind old man who advocated for us to be moved up in the line because he loved that we were spreading the word of Christ.

 This resulted in a one hour taxi trip with a taxi driver who was less then helpful. He began screaming expletives at other cab personal and screamed many other things including our personal favorite "I'm gonna poop on your head" in broken English. We finally arrived at JFK to make it through security and to the gate were our flight was delayed to only be told we would not be able to board while the rest of the group was waiting for us on the plane. So another flight was missed and we were left stranded in NYC. Then an interesting trip to the hotel to only end in a declined bank card and over half an hour trying to check in. 

So today is a new day and we hope to join the group today. 

God has a funny sense of humor and I'm just thankful he has kept us safe. I am excited to spread the word of God, but uber ready to come back to the Midwest were people are always nice. I don't think I could ever live in the city where people are aggressive and only think about themselves. I truly do love the Midwest and all the adventures it has offered me. Thank you God for everything you have blessed me with. Please pray for our success today. 

Go everywhere in the world and tell the good news to everyone. -Mark 16:15

Lots of Love,

Sand Cloud

Hello all!!

I wanted to let you know about this new company I have partnered with! This company is called Sand Cloud! They sell towels, water bottles, bags and many other accessories! The best and my personal favorite reason to buy from this company is because when you purchase Sand Cloud products, you are helping to preserve and protect beaches, oceans, and marine life. 10% of their net profits are donated to organizations that share their mission. Living in the Midwest, I believe we tend to forget about our costal friends! As a college student, I want to raise awareness to many companies that are doing exceptional work for our Earth! My passion lies with animals and children cancer research. I believe this company is making an impact on marine wildlife. Raising awareness for those who can not speak for themselves is important to me. If you are looking to make a purchase from Sand Cloud  you can use my code AllieT25 to receive 25% of your order! You #savethefishies with every purchase! 

                            

Aren't these towels just beautiful? Whether you use it as a towel or tapestry is still just as lovely! 

                         

Checkout their Facebook Page and Instagram Page!

                        

Click HERE to begin your purchase and checkout how to become an ambassador! 

Thank you for checking out this amazing company! If you are willing to make a purchase to help support marine animals click HERE and use the code AllieT25 to get 25% off your order!

So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kinds. And God saw that is was good. -Genesis 1:21

Lots of Love,

Bucket List

A new year calls for new experiences. I have always had the traditional ol' "bucket list" and always strive to create new life challenges for me. I am posting my challenges for the world to see in hopes of accomplishing more of these this year and years to come. I hope for this to be ever changing and new goals being added as I complete old ones.

Health/Fitness Goals

• Run a 5k *Summer 2012
• Run a marathon
• Run a half marathon
• Hike a mountain
• Box in an official round
• Learn Yoga

Habit Goals

• Have a tech-free day

Skills Goals

• Give 100 compliments in one day
• Learn something new *June 23rd, 2014-June 27th, 2014
• Take an archery lesson *May 4th, 2014
• Learn to snowboard

Insane Goals

• Ride in a helicopter
• Snorkeling
• Go Ziplining *June 20th, 2015
• Go Parasailing
• Ride a Segway
• Go Skydiving
• Play in a human hamster ball *September 12th, 2015
• Go Hunting
• Go Dog Sledding
• Go on a cruise *June 22nd, 2015
• Bungee Jump
• Shoot a gun *October 13th, 2013
• Participate in a polar plunge *April 27th, 2014

Travel Goals

• Visit 9/11 memorial
• Backpack through another country
• Visit the Statue of Liberty
• Go to all 50 states
• States I have completed- Alaska, California,  District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming
• Go to a vineyard
• See the Grand Canyon
• Visit 3 different countries
• Completed Countries- 
• Canada *August 2010, June 26th, 2015
• Puerto Rico (U.S. Territory) *July 29th, 2012
• Dominican Republic*January 26th-January 30th 2016
• Visit the capital *April 25th, 2012
• Visit the "Full House" house in San Fransisco
• Visit Australia
• Float in the Dead Sea
• Shop in New York City
• Visit Boston
• Swimming with wild pigs in Exumas, Bahamas
• Visit New Orleans
• Visit Natchez

Random Goals

• Sleep on a trampoline
• Take cute pictures in a photo booth *October 23rd, 2015
• Watch the sunset at the beach
• Go stargazing *August 11th, 2014
• Sleep under the Christmas tree
• Own a functional typewriter
• Get a caricature done *August 21st, 2015
• Slow dance in the rain
• Go on a carnival date
• Build a giant sand castle
• Write a letter to myself and open it in 10 years *January 12th, 2014

Events to attend

• Go to the Kentucky Derby
• Get tickets to the Ellen DeGeneres show
• Go to Carlos Bakery Shop

Life Goals

• Graduate High School *May 2015
• Graduate College
• Become fluent in Spanish
• Own my own business
• Become a teacher

Reading Goals

• Read every novel by Nicholas Sparks
• Leave a note in a library book
• Read the entire Bible

Volunteer Goals

• Volunteer at a Wildlife Sanctuary
• Volunteer in all 50 states
• Pay a strangers tab *December 6th, 2014
• Volunteer in 3 different countries
• Puerto Rico *July 29th, 2012
• Dominican Republic*January 26th-January 30th 2016
• Send a present to a solider *July 27th, 2015
• Personally thank a solider*June 7th, 2014
• Personally thank a 9/11 firefighter 
• Bake cookies for a nursing home
• Donate Blood *March 17th, 2014
• Leave a $100 tip 

vfrdd

Have you completed any of these challenges? If so let me know! What else should I add to my challenge list?

Be still, and know I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of Hosts is with us. -Psalm 46:10-11

Lots of Love,

Reflection on 2015*

Another year has flown by... 2015 was good to me and offered multiple last, but an equal number of firsts. This time last year I was entering my last semester of high school, going to prom, planning graduation and deciding were I wanted to attend college. Now fast forward and I have completed my first semester of college with flying colors and I am confident in my major. I successfully managed to keep 4 of my 5 new years resolutions.

I wanted to dedicate my first post of 2016 to reflect on what all God has blessed me with this past year.

• Made a new best friend

       

• Attended Prom

• Decided on a college

•  Graduated High School

• Attended HOBY as a junior facilitator

• Road tripped to Alaska

• Zip lined

• Road tripped to Texas

• My boy graduated from BMT and Tech School

• Moved into college

• Lost my two beloved Great Danes

• God needed my Papa as his farmer and angel

•  Received my 3rd beautiful niece

• Met many wonderful friends in college

And many many many more wonderful experiences and learning opportunities. These experiences all proved to have their hardships, but more importantly brought me closer to God. All of my successes are because of him and his almighty power, for this I could not be more grateful.

I also want to thank my three wonderful parents for the constant support and love they have offered me through this period of transition and new life. They are the people who keep me grounded. They truly have been my biggest support system since the day I entered this world. Even when we don't always agree they support me in every life decision and I know will continue to support me in 2016.

I want to thank my high school teachers for preparing me for the school work in college and for keeping in touch with me. I also want to thank my many best friends who keep my head leveled and support me no matter what I do, they help me every step of the way. Thank you for also providing comical relief in my stressful situations. Last, but not least thank you to my boyfriend for putting up with me for another year. I am truly blessed and thankful to have all of these wonderful people in my life. So thankful to be surrounded by my family and friends, new and old. Thankful to God for waking me up to a new day of life and  I am blessed to be living a life devoted to him. I am excited for the new encounters with God I will be having in this year to come including a mission trip, new resolutions and more accomplishments off my bucket list. Thank you God for another wonderful year.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. -Psalm 32:8

Lots of Love,