Spring Break in Heaven

I love college students. I loved being a college student myself and maybe that's why I love them so much. They're fun, easy-going, and jump in with both feet. So to be able to spend two weeks (one for Justin) of their spring break with them was amazing.

First came three groups: Wake Forest University, Salem State College, and college students and twenty-somethings from Florida. It was great to be with some old friends and many new. It was similar to a homecoming for me because mine and Justin's first trip to the DR in 2004 was with Emmaus, the college ministry of First Pres Church in Winston-Salem. As great as it was to see my Winston friends, I was elated to have 4 of my fellow Bostonians on the trip. With Sean, Shawna, Nicole, and Becky coming as first-timers, it was evidence of how far God has brought us in such a short time. Becky is in seminary with Justin and started a college ministry here on the North Shore. Sean, Nicole, and Shawna are students at Salem State and participate in the ministry that is only in its second year. Seeing the four of them in the DR confirmed in my heart the reason we moved up here in the first place. It was never just about seminary. It was also about college students. But that's a whole other subject.

Back on track...the second week brought a small group of 18 from Ohio State. They aptly named their trip "Spring Break in Heaven" because of the name of the community being Cielo meaning "heaven" in Spanish. Only three of them had been to the DR before, two of them being the adults who were asked to accompany the students since so many of them were new. As soon as they stepped on the ground, their excitement was contagious. They worked hard everyday and played even harder. I loved watching the children in the community as they embraced them with open arms (which is usually the case, but there's something different about the way they relate to college students).

As I type, I'm thinking of so many stories that I could write about our time there, but I'm afraid it will get lost in the length of this post. So, instead, I think I'll commit to writing one of the stories everyday until I run out. For now, you can enjoy the pictures I took from the two weeks.


(Click here to go directly to the album)