by Becca Cheeks, Halle Hughes and Camryn Grant
Today we started off the morning with an intense game of some Dominican basketball! Regardless of the outcome (which happened to be a Lady Flames victory), our team has gotten the opportunity to reflect on how two different cultures can come together and connect through a shared love of a game. No matter our differences, we are all connected through the love of Christ. Following the game, we were able to speak that truth to our opponents through Halle's testimony and personal interactions with players on the Dominican team.Â
Later that afternoon, we were incredibly blessed to visit the Casa de Luz Handicapped Orphanage. This was such a heartwarming, eye-opening experience. Some of the children were limited in their walking abilities, while most were confined to their beds. Many of these children were unable to speak in any way. Therefore, in these special moments, our team was able to hold their hands and pray with them in replacement of carrying on a conversation. During this part of our day, our girls were constantly reminded how much we take for granted the little things in life and were able to take a step back in thankfulness.Â
While these children had extreme physical limitations, they were beyond joyful and welcoming to our team. Our favorite memory of today was shared with a little boy who was unable to move out of his bed. The thing that was the most remarkable about this kid was his huge smile when you walked up to say hello. His favorite activity to participate in was saying his vowels in Spanish. He wanted each of us to say them first, so he could repeat the sounds back to us. The joy in this kid's heart was unbelievable and inspired us in a way that left our team speechless.Â
Our team ended the day with a SPLASH of pool therapy. We got to bond with some swimming races, handstand contests, and singing competitions. Today was a day we will never forget and we can't wait to see what the rest of our trip has in store for us.Â
