A SPRING BREAK TO REMEMBER

I must confess that I drove to the airport on the first day of Spring Break with a bit of reluctance. Several months ago, my son Stevie and I had agreed to go on a family missions trip to the Dominican Republic. We were going to spend the next week in a foreign country serving people we had never met who live in abject poverty. Not exactly a relaxing experience, right?

As I write these words, I am humbled by an experience that left our lives changed forever. Our group included 28 others who had signed up to be part of the inaugural TFA Family Missions Trip to the Dominican Republic where Mission Emmanuel is located. The mission has been in existence for nearly 30 years. They serve the poorest of the poor through a pediatric medical clinic, a water treatment plant, a Christian school and a home construction program.

For the entire week, we worked together and served the precious families of the Dominican Republic. Our primary project was to complete the construction of a small block home that would reunite a family. In the last hurricane, their home had been destroyed. The mother and father moved in with neighbors, so they could keep working but the house was too small for two complete families. As a result, they had to send their children to live with family members in a distant city. For over a year, they were separated.

As the week came to an end and our project was complete, we had the joy of standing in this humble home we had completed and praying a prayer of dedication over each room. The family wept and we did as well. In my comments to the family I said (through a translator), “While you may think we have been a blessing to you, I must say that being with you today at this dedication has blessed our lives far more than you could ever imagine. You have had an eternally profound impact on our lives. Thank you!”

Thank you Coach Mayberry for your leadership in planning the trip. Thank you to the families that joined Stevie and I on this wonderful adventure. Thank you Mission Emmanuel for giving us a Spring Break to remember for a lifetime!

In His Joy,

Steve D. Whitaker, Ph.D.