College students from First Presbyterian and Young Life College joined forces on a mission trip to the
Dominican Republic in 2011. Here the entire team is shown at the first cathedral established in the Americas, in Santo Domingo.

During Spring Break First Pres sent 40 students to serve God in the Dominican Republic, joining in the work of Children of the Nations on a variety of construction projects, infrastructure improvements, and interaction with local children. Below are some of their stories:

This trip has been a monumental experience in my college career. Before coming to U of M I prayed for community like this with tears streaming down my face and God as blessed me beyond what I could imagine with the community that we have built here in the DR. God has touched all of our sols here and I know that this beautiful community will continue to flourish back in Ann Arbor. – Lindsey Etterbeek

While I cannot pick one specific moment or story, I can tell you where Ii have seen the face of God this week. In the medical team, I have seen hearts that genuinely care about the healing of complete strangers and treat each child as if their own. I have witnessed my peers struggle time and time again with the language barrier, but willingly do so on a daily basis because their persistent hearts want nothing more than to have an intimate connection with the very people that do not even share a common language. My hope and prayer for myself and the people I have shared this experience with is that we seek the face of God in our community and strive to be the face of God to everyone we encounter. – Michael Gariepy

I want to thank God for Evan and the rest of my group. Without them I would have been helpless. After the first day, we all felt really discouraged because the Dominicans had such big dreams that they wanted us to fulfill. With much prayer and several hours of preparation we were able to put together lesson plans that provided the Dominicans with the basics of starting and running a business. On the last day they were all very grateful of our work and said they learned a lot! – Matt Drake

Learning some of the history of the DR and Haiti from the translators has helped me to better understand the impact leaders have on real, living, breathing people. I feel so grateful to have had the opportunity to see how deep the ripples of oppression and discrimination reach. My prayer now is that as I continue to reflect and digest, God will show me how I can be part of the healing that so many groups of people around the world need. With great privilege comes great responsibility. – Katie Miller

One of the biggest things I will take away from this trip will be the friendship I have made. Each and every person on this trip has shown me something new and inspires me to be a better person. The experiences we have shared, the people we have met, the work we have done… all of these things are irreplaceable and I will remember them for the rest of my life. I am so unbelievably thankful to have had this opportunity and I really do appreciate all of your prayers and support. – Mallory Missad

The joy that I have seen through these kids has reminded me of the simplicity of love. God’s love for us and the ability to love others is radical. –Tanner Rowe

It’s been a blessing to be a part of something so much greater than myself. God answered my prayers of providing me a group and community that I can grow spiritually with and learn from. I am encouraged to build on this community and share what he has done in my life with all those I encounter. – Kristin Kingma

I feel so blessed to have been given the opportunity to travel and work with such a dynamic group of individuals. Never did I expect to feel so connected to a completely different culture. Having faith and trusting God is what truly unites us to others. – Blaine Sims

• Hospitality of COTN staff – drivers, translators, etc. and hotel staff – all Dominican people in general – their intense praise to us, thankfulness, and appreciation just for us being here
• Community among so many different people – genuine desire to know each other and love each other well
• The people here are really no different than us in their struggles – we are all a suffering people – broken and lost, But God is present everywhere too. God is there in the midst of all the struggles. – Shelly Hilger

Looking at the shining eyes of a beautiful Haitian boy and seeing the face of God: seeing laughter among teenage girls and knowing God made them the exact same as He made me; being able to use my own voice, my own Spanish, to tell someone how I love them. – Jenny Wood

Students on the Conversational English Team with their conversation partners.

This entire trip was amazing. (1) The people I met here and have come to know will also was hold a special place in my heart. We had the honor of growing together, and were able to see first hand the unity of God’s kingdom. (2) DR children are some of the most beautiful, and I loved being able to use my Spanish skills to communicate with them. If I never speak Spanish again, that was enough. – Michelle Abro

The most rewarding experience was seeing the joy God brings to the lives of these people though they have very little. We so often take for granted our blessings and long for material goods whereas they couldn’t be happier living out their faith even though they hardly have enough to get by. – Shari McDonald

Before I came to the DR I knew I had love for people and for speaking Spanish. But this week, God really opened my eyes and my heart to the idea of spending a few years after graduation, living in a Spanish speaking country, serving people and showing them God’s love. I have been so blessed in my life and I want to give something back – and I believe this is what God is calling me to do. – Chantel Jennings

Our trip to the DR was an unbelievably eye opening experience. Going into these “bateyes” (villages) and seeing the severe destitution and poverty these people are stricken with, yet their complete happiness through it all was so incredibly humbling. It see how much joy a simple game of “Duck Duck Goose” brought to these kids taught me so much about appreciating the simple things in life and the relationships that are developed through these. I will leave with a new and profound sense of appreciation for the value of education, service and relationships far more than success in life. I have realized that there is so much more to this world than my tiny little corner of Ann Arbor, and seen the extent of God’s love and His plan. This trip was an amazing blessing and will continue to affect my life far after I’ve left the DR. – Gayle Campbell

It’s hard to explain my experience in the DR. Seeing the joy in people here has changed my perspective on life greatly. We had a wonderful team and have all made lifelong friendships! – Kate McTaggart

It’s a bit difficult for me to pick one “favorite experience”; it really has been the progression of events that made this trip truly incredible. The best way I can say it is that I fell in love with the people, especially the kids. The joy seen in the eyes of the children taught me more than I feel I could have taught the children. I suppose its easiest to describe the bond as family-like – there was no stronger. Ever. This trip brought me the great opportunity to re-focus my life perspective – I still are able my grades and activities, but I again see that people are the most important thing on this planet. Loving hem, caring for them, doing anything for them without reason – love should be a reaction, a subconscious action not an effort. I will miss these kids. – Ben Landes

While in the DR I was moved by the amount of unconditional love I experienced and saw. A perfect example of this love without conditions was when the little girl who befriend me kept asking for things I couldn’t give her and kept having to hear the same “no puedo” form me over again, yet she still help my hand throughout the whole week. I think this world needs more of that unconditional love, and I plan on giving it. – Dayna LaPlante

After this amazing trip I have learned so many things. The most amazing think is that such simple living people would be so happy living the way they do. I came trying to bring smiles to these peoples faces but I realized they were already smiling and enthusiastic about life. – Steve Watson

One of many experiences sticks out in my mind, it happened during the Vacation Bible School. There were kids everywhere. Once they all circled around me and I fell to the ground. Then 20 kids began carrying me across the ground. I saw all the smiles and heard kids laughing. – Tucker Rossmaessler

Serving in the DR was an experience that brought me closer to my friends, closer to new people, and most importantly closer to God. It was an amazing trip of growth, learning, and fun. – Michael Munch

The way in which our team went into the school and village to just love kids regardless of their reputation or status among their peers was just like God’s love. This reminded me that there is no barrier on God’s love regardless of how we view ourselves or how other people view us. – Kara Brown

My favorite experience form this adventure in the DR is when God told me that “the people are everything.” He laid on my heart the fact that everything apart from God’s people is meaningless. The realization is exciting and freeing. – Jack Cramton

Its incredible to see and experience a group of 41 students, who had never known each other before this trip, come together and become close friends in a few days and work in unity toward our goals. – Greg Hockenbrocht

The most moving thing I experienced down here was the value these people place on learning. The Lord made himself visible through their raised hands, their heated debates, and their attentive nature. Despite all of the poverty, these people are just so grateful and excited to learn new things. – Meg Bucha

My greatest experience on this trip in the DR was the opportunity to speak to teens about staying pure. It was amazing to be able to be used as encouragement to struggling teens. I was moved by the Lord and also by the teens that I was able to talk to. – Jordan Reilly

The best experience for me was coming together with a community of other Christian peers to do God’s work. At school and in my daily life, I find myself forgetting to talk to God and thinking that I can do everything on my own. Coming here and seeing God in the face of the Dominicans an in my peers made me realize that a stronger relationship with God is what has been missing in my life recently. – Katie Westra

I am so thankful that God led me to the DR with this awesome group of people. I have met some amazing friends – both in the group and the natives. It’s been an unforgettable experience. – Andrea Yates

We learned what it truly means to love with a servant’s spirit. I cannot communicate the amount of understanding, peace, and growth I have encountered on this trip. –Marin Drouillard

The most important thing I learned on this trip is that a strong community joined together by God is the strongest bond possible. We worked, slept, ate and lived together for Christ, and it was the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done. – Joshua Polazczyk

Greg, the human jungle gym!

Coming down to the DR has opened my eyes to stop thinking about what I don’t have, but about what I am lucky to have in my life – faith, community, and love. The children from the DR have poured their love onto each and every one of us unselfishly. I hope that we can remember that their willingness and smiles in our day-to-day lives by giving ourselves freely to one another. – Melissa Yousif

What can I say about our trip to the DR? That it was great? An amazing experience? I could say that and much more but it still wouldn’t do it justice. This trip has changed my life in more ways that I could imagine. I have met some of the most amazing people and the DR but I was impressed meeting the people who were working right beside me. This group of students, men and women of Christ, have become a family to me, the dearest friends I could ever wish for. To see them working and dedicating their time it help to LOVE, people they’ve never met is one of the most rewarding experiencing I’ve ever had. I have seen God for the first time, in the eyes, the smiles, and the actions of those around me. What can I say about our trip t the DR? It cannot be fairly described. Only lived. – Max Smith

Working in such an unfamiliar and poor area really brought at the best in our group. We realized that our complaining and superficial wants were completely meaningless compared to what the people in Barahona are facing. They were always smiling and that kept us smiling while also putting things into our perspective. – Jakki Dominski

In the DR I have learned how possible, tangible, and fulfilling community is. Despite not knowing many of the people on the trip 3 months ago, we all came together and formed community that provided strength, encouragement, laughter, support, and love. And, we learned so much about community from the Dominicans – that despite boundaries, language, age and race, a mutually loving and open community is possible quickly if both people are willing to enter it. – Emily Golen

Ever since I came to college I’ve been searching for a core group of Christian peers – for friendship, fellowship, worship, comfort and accountability – and for a year and a half I haven’t been able to find that until this trip. Yes, this was a wonderful experience and an opportunity to save God and His people, but it was also so helpful for myself in my walk with God because He finally answered my prayer and provided me with a Christian community, a new family and that’s the best thing I got out of this DR experience. – Julie Yang

We have little to nothing in common with these people living in the Barahona bateys; we don’t share the same favorite things we like to do in our free time or similar family life, and if we do have anything in common, we probably wouldn’t know because of the language barrier. But God’s love for all of us united us, and I realized we actually have something very important in common. So through God we could laugh and play together. – Alex Jendrusch

Abre mis ojos oh Christo, Abre mis ojos senor, yo quiero verte. Yo quiero verte. Y contemplar tu majestad, y el respladore de tu Gloria. Derrame tu amor y poder, cuando cantamos Santo, Santo, Santo. Santo, Santo, Santo. This song means so much to me. I’ve sang it in English a million times but never really listened to the words. The song represented how hard I worked to learn their culture and the Spanish language, which in turn tells me how much I’ve learned and accomplished. But what’s unique is that I really understand this song. When I left for this trip, I was longing for God. I have not made enough time for Him recently, and I wanted this trip to change everything. It definitely did. When I was translating the Spanish words, I understood that I wanted God to open my eyes. I wanted to Him to let me see Him. And I did. – Elizabeth Britt

I found it truly amazing to see how close I became to the children. We talk 2 separate languages but were able to bond through smiles, laughs, and having fun. I became extremely close to a 12-year-old boy named Ezequel. He reminded me a lot of myself when I was younger. He was extremely loving and responsible child that showed love and passion in everything he was doing. On day two he noticed my necklace with a cross and said how much he loved God. Later in the day he approached me and grabbed my necklace and then grabbed under his shirt to pull out a necklace of his own. Ezekiel made a necklace out of a string and had a piece of paper strung on it with a cross drawn on it. He then said “we are the same!” My heart melted. He didn’t need a gold cross to show his love for Jesus; he was showing it through the way he was living at such a young age being happy with what he had been given. I told Ezekiel that I would be back to visit him and give him a couple gifts. I learned a lot more from him than he learned from me this week. – Ryan Meyers

Getting off the bus at the villages children just came running to us wanting to play and get hugs and affection I was just amazed at how trusting these children were with me and how much they wanted to be loved. This then made me think of what is my right to share the gospel with these children and love them. Why did God send me here and why am I worthy of this? I feel as if God has shown me that I am not worthy and that is exactly why he wants to use me. I am not any better than these children who have nothing and that’s why the Lord wants to use me to spread His message and love to all of his children. – Amy Roberts
God worked miracles in this group and through this group. In Los Robles this village we worked in all week was the poorest village I’ve ever seen, but the kids and us just hung out and enjoyed God despite of the poverty and the language barrier. God is moving. - Tim Bergsma

Look for more stories and photos about this trip in the April First Press newsletter, and still more photos right now on http://ylcdr09.shutterfly.com/