Togetherness and Volunteerism

Togetherness

One of the highlights of my year is our annual church camp, so much so that when I booked my last ticket to Dominica I made sure that I would be returning in time for camp. Apart from loving any opportunity for a good camp, I look forward to this particular one for two main reasons:
(1) I have nothing to do with the planning or execution of the camp so I can come and just enjoy the experience. Sure they may ask me to lead worship or devotions but at least I do not have to worry about the actual running of the camp
(2) There are so many opportunities to connect with people you do not normally speak to, and have deeper conversations than are possible on a regular Sunday morning

Always enjoy any time spent with these lovely ladies :)

What made this year's camp even better was that it was down south! For once I didn't have to drive up the highway on a Friday night to get to camp :) The theme for camp this year was "2gether" and the emphasis was on the value of unity in the body of Christ. The devotions and chapel sessions reminded us that we are stronger when we live in community, rather than trying to make it on our own. One of the sessions that impacted me was a drama that was done depicting how persons can make assumptions based on how others behave, without understanding the root issues influencing why the persons behaved in the manner they did. This reinforced to me the importance of making the time to discover the truth behind the masks that many times we as Christians present to each other. Another aspect of the weekend I valued was the opportunity to meet people who had been attending church for the past couple months, but whom I had never seen or spoken to before. It was great to engage with these 'new' members of my church family.

Helping a youth express his words of appreciation on our 'wall'

Another meaningful aspect of the weekend was that each person randomly selected the names of 3 persons who they had to make time to meet with over the weekend. We then wrote encouraging things about the people we met with on our 'wall'; by the last day of the camp this wall was covered with lovely tributes to members of the body of Christ. It was uplifting to read the comments and positive aspects of each person whose name was on that wall. In all it was a lovely time of fellowship and mutual edification, and all who attended left with the clear message that "2gether we're stronger!"

A church family that plays 2gether stays 2gether

Volunteerism

Earlier this year, I had tried to engage the teenagers who attend Bible Club in community service. They have been receiving so much over the years, I felt it was time that they learnt about giving back. I figured one way of doing this was taking them up to ITNAC's headquarters in St. James to help with sorting the donations of clothing that come in faster than we can sort and distribute them. They didn't seem very eager about this idea, and when the weekend in question was approaching no one wanted to go.

After returning from my last trip to Dominica, I did a presentation to the teens class at Bible Club, showing them pictures of what the damage was like, and the work that we were doing to bring relief to the persons affected by Hurricane Maria. At the end of it, I invited those who were interested to come with me the following weekend to help sort donations. Every single one of them put up their hands.

Bible Club Crew at ITNAC collection point in St. James

They started off well, helping to build back up cases of water which had burst open due to poor packaging. They also provided the manpower to move bags of sorted clothes to one central location, and to offload donations from a van that came to drop off supplies. However, after their lunch break, things started going downhill where productivity dropped and the wildness increased. They had such a good time that they are already making plans for "when next you taking us up there to help".

Working diligently to secure all loose water bottles

Stopped off at a park for some old
fashioned fun on the way back home

I pray that the impact of the pictures they saw and the time spent volunteering would help them to recognize the need to focus on the needs of others around them, and show them that even though they are young, they too can make a difference in this world.

Divine Connections

Even before departing Trinidad on my second trip to Dominica since that country was devastated by Hurricane Maria, God's favor over our efforts was clearly seen. After I shared with my Bible Study group the struggle of mothers of newborns who had lost everything in the storm, they gave me cash to purchase baby supplies. After purchasing $400 worth of baby supplies in one baby store and sharing with the owner what I was planning to do with the items, she took $300 from behind the counter and told me to use it to buy whatever else I needed! Talk about the Lord multiplying resources :)

Newborn baby supplies ready for distribution

If I could summarize this trip in two words, it would be the title of this blog - divine connections. The parish hall which served as our base in Dominica came with a generator which allowed us to have electricity once we kept it supplied with diesel. However a few days of rain at the end of October resulted in water coming in through the damaged roof and seeping into the electrical wiring so a decision was made to not use the generator again until we could repair the roof. So for the first few days we were able to empathise with the Dominicans who had been living without electricity for over a month since Hurricane Maria.

Jam jar that doubled as a candle holder

Since we could no longer use our electric kettle to heat water for our hot drinks, and we had no stove, we had to use the kitchen belonging to the parish priest next door. On the first day when I went to heat up water, I met Heather, a mother of 2 boys, one of which was a newborn. I was so happy that I had supplies that I could have given her for the baby, but it broke my heart to see his arms and legs covered with mosquito bites. They were staying in a shelter that had no electricity, and there was no way to keep the mosquitoes from devouring them every night. I committed to finding a way to help her, even though I didn't have any mosquito nets. She was encouraged by the supplies I was able to give her, and the leather slippers I gave her to replace her only pair of rubber slippers she had which burst on her way over.

Baby John sleeping under a mosquito net

Although we had shipped up some building supplies from Trinidad, the galvanize needed to fix the roof of the parish hall was not the regular type we had - they used the new wave sheeting, which has a different shape than regular galvanize. One of our team members had noticed this new wave galvanize on the port, and found out that it belonged to an international organization called IOM. Our team leader set up a meeting with the head of this organization, and after hearing about ITNAC and the work we were doing, he gladly approved our request for 8 sheets of new wave galvanize so we could repair the roof of the parish hall. He probably was not used to giving aid in such small quantities so he asked, "Is that all? Is there anything else we can do for you?" Well, like we say in Trinidad, who tell he say dat?! It turns out they had a lot of supplies in stock, but were limited in the manpower on the ground needed to distribute it to the persons who were most in need. This was the beginning of a wonderful partnership with IOM, who were able to supply us with galvanize, lumber, mattresses and water filters which we were happy to distribute to the communities we visited. Best of all, they had a baby bed complete with a mosquito net that I was able to get for baby John!

No more mosquito bites for this baby!

With the galvanize and lumber provided by IOM, we were able to help a family consisting of a single father and his 3 children who were living in a shelter. Their wooden home had been totally destroyed by the hurricane, leaving only the concrete foundation intact. Our construction engineer was able to design a simple structure that could be completed in just 2 days, and together with the church which served as the shelter where he stayed, we were able to start construction on his new home. His children were so excited when they found out that their daddy was building them a new house, and they would soon be able to move out of the shelter.

Framing up the new house

Happy that they would be in their own home soon

Thanks to our new partners IOM, we were also able to provide mattresses to persons who were sleeping on the ground or on soiled mattresses. We were also promised water filters, which will help to make water safe for drinking. Although 60% of the country now has access to pipe borne water, every time the rain falls, the water in the pipes are brown, due to the mud that washes down with the river. With the water filters, households would now be able to purify this water and make it safe for drinking. We were also able to get solar lamps, which are much appreciated in a country where over 90% of the homes are still without a power supply.

Joseph was so happy with his new mattress

We visited the maternity ward of the hospital to distribute baby supplies to the mothers who were there. They were all very grateful for the donations they received. One mother was being visited by her cousin. When she realized what our group was doing, she asked if she could volunteer with us. Her workplace had been severely damaged by the hurricane so she had lots of free time until they got in back in order. She joined our team and worked diligently along side us, packing boxes of groceries, and sorting and drying clothes, not asking for anything in return even though her house in Point Michelle had been swept away by the river during the storm.

Always happy when we get local volunteers to work alongside us

We had shipped up some clothes from Trinidad a couple weeks ago, but unfortunately they got wet on the way over. We found out later that the container where the clothes were being stored had a leak, so almost all the clothes got wet, even those which were not wet before. We were not happy about having the extra work of having to dry and sort the clothing instead of just distributing them, but even in this there was purpose. While we were engaged in this activity, many persons who passed by asked if they could get clothes, because they had lost everything in the storm. They were even prepared to take clothes which were wet and wash and dry them for themselves. We were glad that we were able to facilitate them, while we dried and repacked clothing to be distributed in other communities that needed them.

"Shopping" for clothes at our outdoor market :)

One of the highlights of this trip was being able to celebrate Dominica's Independence Day. They were determined to mark this special occasion, despite the devastation they suffered from the storm. There was a parade in the stadium involving the military from the different countries stationed in Dominica. The program began with a time of worship and thanksgiving, and then there were cultural performances involving songs, stories and dances. This was followed by a parade through the streets of Roseau. It was encouraging seeing the national pride as Dominicans came out in their numbers to celebrate. Later that day, we were invited to a river lime by a Trinidadian woman who had contacted us earlier that week for food stuff for the persons in her community. She and her husband ensured that we had a great time at the river, and in the sulfur springs.

Military parade

Loving the refreshing water

Getting a glimpse of the beauty that was Dominica before the storm

The day after Independence was Dominica's Community Clean up day. We joined with the Trinidad and Tobago regiment to help clean the streets in the village where we lived. It was hard work in the hot sun, but it was good to see the community coming out to help clean the drains which were clogged and the debris which remained at the side of the road. This partnership with the regiment also extended to us helping to distribute supplies which were shipped from Trinidad. Thanks to the generosity of the donations received by schools and government agencies in Trinidad, we were able to take supplies to a remote community, impacting over 300 families. The road to these communities is badly damaged in some places, so not much aid gets there, and they were very grateful for the help we were able to deliver.

Offloading a truckload of supplies

The outreach to the children continued on Sundays, and they thoroughly enjoyed our time together, especially since many of them still have not resumed school. It was a joy to hear them repeating their memory verses and singing the songs we taught they while they colored afterwards. They were so grateful to receive the toys which were donated, and were eager to play with the games they were given. One morning a little boy came upstairs and told me it was his birthday; all I had to give him was an iced goodie and he was so happy to receive it. Simple things make such a difference in situation like these.

Making a swing with the wire that
got stuck in a tree

Showing off his new toys

Happy birthday to me

Thanks so much for those who gave and who prayed and who supported in whatever way. There is still a long way to go, but the progress was seen and hope remains that Dominica will rise again!

Saying goodbye to my babies from the shelter downstairs