A Day In the Life of An IYI Team

- Julia Battle, July 2008 -

It's 7:30 a.m. and time for the team to wake up in anticipation for a full day of ministry. An authentic Dominican breakfast consisting of scrambled eggs, salami, mangu, and a tropical fruit salad is served at 8:00 a.m. This morning the team has been invited byIYI Youth Workers David and Josefina Tavarez (featured in last month’s newsletter) to host a baseball clinic in their community, Los Tres Brazos. They have been at Iglesia Metodista Libre Los Tres Brazos for three years and have been youth workers in the Dominican Republic for over fifteen years. The team arrives at the baseball field at 9:00 a.m. and is greeted by Justos De La Cruz, an older gentleman who has been coaching boys there for 41 years. His passion for the game of baseball is contagious and even more so his love for Jesus. He introduces himself and explains to the team how important baseball is in the Dominican Republic. Society teaches boys from a very young age that baseball is the one sure way to escape a life doomed with poverty...if they can just somehow make it to the majors. "First and foremost I am a spiritual coach to the boys, and then a baseball coach" De La Cruz said. "Life without Jesus is not life at all. It is more important to have Jesus and have less, than to make it to the majors, have lots of money, and be without Jesus."

The field is filled with dozens of young men of all ages practicing hard. Coach De La Cruz informs our team that we will be working with ages 8-13. Rather than teaching the boys the game, we are there to teach them the fundamentals, which often times get overlooked and as a result, the players end up with poor fielding habits. Keith explains the importance of thinking of the baseball as an egg and handling the ball with very light hands while scooping it up and pulling the arms and hands into the body, making sure the body is behind the ball. Next we move into the outfield because we were told that some of the boys need the infield for some serious practice because they are expecting a scout from the Pittsburg Pirates at any moment. The next step is teaching them how to catch fly balls properly, making sure they are getting under the ball and using two hands to catch the baseball. The skills of the young men are unbelievable. The group huddles with the boys after the clinic and spend time talking about baseball, life, and Christ. "I'll never forget the passion these boys have for the game in the Dominican Republic," Bill Stafferi, youth pastor of Beachpoint said. It's an amazing opportunity to be out on the field with them and share Christ with them." The group then piles onto the bus at 11:30 a.m. toreturn to the house for lunch, praying for electricity which powers the sistern so that showers are available! This particular day, we are in luck - showers and then lunch. The team doesn't waste any time filling their plates with Dominican seasoned chicken, rice with corn, beans, fried plaintains, and fresh salad.

Before long, the team is back on the bus heading for Hospital Infantil Dr. Robert Reid Cabral, Santo Domingo's children's hospital, to put on a presentation for the sick and injured children. The team will put on the presentation on the fifth floor, which is essentially the roof of the hospital with a chain link fence guarding the edges of the roof. As the team gets set up for the afternoon, the nurses begin bringing the young patients in, most of them in wheelchairs. They are hospitalized for various reasons including cancer, burns, disease, malnutrition, lung problems etc. One adorable little boy, about seven years old, had most of the right side of his body bandaged up because he awoke in the night to his house on fire. Another little boy obviously had some form of cancer because his hair had fallen out from chemo. Most of the kids have their IV bags in hand because they have been temporarily disconnected because of our activity.

Our program consists of a puppet show, dramas, the story of Noah, including the team impersonating animals, and songs. As the program concludes with songs, a young boy who looks like he is about nine or ten asks if he can sing a song. He is wheeled to the front and sits with microphone in hand. As he begins to sing, there is complete silence in the room except for his angelic voice that soothes the hearts of every person in attendance; a moment not to be forgotten. In a matter of moments, almost everyone is in tears... our group ,the nurses, other patients, and the parents of the children. His voice is perfect pitch, has a high tone, so smooth and calming and he sings of the blood of Jesus, and the hope for peace after the storm. This young boy is literally skin and bones, obviously very malnutritioned and we are told he also has a lung disease. As he sings, it's as if the world stops. The presence of God is intense and a peace that passed ALL understanding saturates the roof. "My favorite part of the mission trip was the children's hospital," Daniel Hefferman, eighteen, said. "Even with serious wounds and sickness the children still have hope. Their hope is motivating and it has caused me to realize that material things aren't important. Those kids have more faith thanI do." As we pack up to leave, our group is solomn, teary eyed, and still. We spend some time in prayer on the bus ride home and the normally roundy bus is unusually quiet.

We arrive home at 2:30 p.m. with just enough time to prepare forty sandwiches for dinner, which we take with us on the rode to eat it picnic style. Tonights ministry is in Capotillo, the drug and gang capital of the Dominican Republic. IYI youth worker Nestor Ortega explains to the group that selling drugs in this community provides an escape from poverty for many of the youth. It's IYI's hope to come into the community and give the youth a reason to stay away from the street life. IYI is excited to open the doors of the new youth center, El Refugio (The Refuge), directed by Nestor Ortega. Nestor has made a long-term committment with IYI to run the youth center, evangelizing and discipling youth as well as facilitating programs community enrichment. Much more information about El Refugio will be included in next months newsletter.

The group arrives in Capotillo about 3:30 p.m. and is bombarded with joyful, smiling children, very excited to see everyone. We begin the afternoon with children's ministry by unloading the sports equipment. The girls grab the jump ropes and begin several games of jump rope while another group of children throw frisbees. Two different groups of kids crowd the street to play wiffle ball baseball in the middle of the main intersection in the neighborhood. Today the kids have the unique privilege of using a real plastic bat and ball instead of a broomstick and a bottle cap. They played the game with such incredible passion and had such a great time.

Following the sports ministry, the team begins set-up for the children's program in the street. The program opens with a puppet show, Ivan the Terrible Liar, which teaches the kids about lying and the importance of telling the truth. The puppet show is followed by a time of music on the guitar and singing. Then one of the team members tells a story including the message of salvation and shares a bible verse with the children. The children's program concludes with a craft. The children divide up into groups and make bracelets with beads and macaroni with the word "gozo", meaning "joy" written on them. It is obvious that Christ has enabled the IYI group to bring joy to all of these children today. "My favorite part of my time here was in Capotillo," Kimberly Constable, 18, said. "We were able to go there several times and really get to know the kids and youth in the community. I see I.Y.I having a big impact in this community. I sense that they respect and trust us, which isn't always common between foreigners and nationals".

The time has now arrived to open up the doors of the El Refugio for the first time! Excitement is in the air as Keith and Nestor raise the two doors open. The youth program, designed for ages 13-25, starts out withseveral fun and entertaining games. The crowd then settles down for a testimony from one of the IYI students. Following the testimony, the crowd gets excited as Nestor Ortega performs two of his songs. After his performance, Keith introduces the youth center to the youth and shares with them his vision. Next, three youth are chosen from the audience to participate in a freestyle rap competition. The first night at the youth center closes with a word about Christ and a call to salvation. During the prayer, several youth raise their hands as the invitation to Jesus is given. God's presence has been felt in Capotillo today! "IYI is having such a big impact in Capotillo," Daniel Hefferman said. "They are providing children and youth a safe place to go, getting them off the street, and teaching them about Jesus."

And this is just one day in the life of an IYI Global Team.

Ministry Site Opportunities

What Would An IYI Global Team Look Like?

Taking A Team Through IYI Global Teams

Planning Now for Long-Term Impact