Bauer Tales from the RV Trails: Compassion Artist Trip

Jon and I have the opportunity to travel to Dominican Republic to view the work of Compassion. IN the past we have solely worked with World Vision but have sponsored 2 little children with Compassion now for a while. When we received the invitation we felt God directing us to become more involved with this ministry as well. Leaving the kids with Grandma & Grandpa Bauer we packed up our bags and 4 plane rides later arrived in this beautiful country, which happens to be our third time now.

This morning our team leader encouraged each participant on this trip with the word EMBRACE. This word was the perfect word for what I had been praying for. He encouraged us to just embrace each moment as it comes – embrace the poverty, embrace the communities, embrace the children that we meet. What a great message and reminder – instead of becoming overwhelmed with the great need out there - to take in each opportunity we have this week and continually ask God what He wants to show us through it.

Our team consists of various Artists from across Canada together with a couple of Compassion staff from Alberta and Ontario. Our day started off with a breakfast together and we all headed off to a local church here in Santo Domingo that Compassion has partnered with. We enjoyed a great service and the sermon was even translated which we do not always come across on these types of trips. After the church service we had a lunch on the rooftop with about 50 sponsored children from that area of Santo Domingo. We sat across from two adorable boys and an 11 year old girl – even though my limited Spanish ran out after about 4 questions we still had fun just smiling at each other from across the table. Following lunch we toured the small school where the sponsored children attend throughout the week as part of their biblical studies. We had the opportunity to hand out gifts from stuffed animals to small candies to each of the children and watch the pure joy on their faces through this small act of kindness.

Our next visit took us to one of the poorest parts within the city of Santo Domingo, about a 15 minute walk from the church. It was an interesting perspective, having the pastor join our group and observe how the community embraced him as we walked to our home visit. When we finally arrived I think it was the smallest home, if you can call it that, that we had come across throughout our walk through the slums. We stepped over garbage and pools of dirty water in a small dirt floor courtyard and into a small room barely larger than my back entry way where four sets of small eyes peered out at us and a young mom obviously pregnant with her sixth child stood.

We gathered five of us just inside the doorway as we heard pieces of this amazing mom of only 28 and her hardships she endures each day. Compassion and the local church has helped with putting a divider wall up between the bathroom and small one room of the house barely large enough to hold the double mattress. The mattress was grey and stained with no sight of a blanket or pillow anywhere. She sleeps there with her 5 children and her husband rarely shows up. Her one son is a sponsor child through compassion and her 2 year old daughter and unborn baby (due this month) are apart of the Child Survival Program which provides expectant mothers with prenatal and postnatal care and education.

This woman who had us all captivated, Wendy, showed us the bible books her son has received through the sponsorship program and was thankful for the box of groceries we came bearing and her meager home that has been fixed up since she moved in a short while ago. What a humbling experience to see living conditions like this and I think I have experienced this in a whole new way now having children of my own to relate to. A great start to the week and we are looking forward to learning more about this ministry – tomorrow is our meeting with little Yordy, one of our sponsor children!