My Week | Dylan Knibbe

For those of you that don’t know me, my name is Dylan Knibbe, and I’ve been a TA for International Block this year alongside Sierra Van Zeumeren and Greg Verkaik.

First of all, know that the group is doing well.

Secondly, know that this past week has been a blast.

I arrived last Friday, and the group was at the orphanage for the second time. They returned to the base in Santo Domingo at about 5pm, and after reconnecting with them, we had dinner. The evening was great - I arrived very excited to see the group again and to observe how they were doing in the DR. 

On Saturday we were off to Ina’s for the first time, and it was great. I won’t say too much as Billy talked about it, but fun was had.

Sunday was something that I was looking forward to: a double church day. It began like any “typical” Santo Domingo Sunday, getting up at 7:30 for breakfast, and taking public transit to the IBI. We split the group into two for going to the church, and my half had Emily and Jesse leading us. They did awesome.

We got to church, and the service was great. A lot of the group loved the worship, and although there weren’t enough translator earpieces to go around, they managed just fine. After that we began the march to the mall, and quickly dispersed to go and have lunch. I was shocked that no one had yet had teriyaki, so I convinced Josh, Shane, and Daniel to try it out. It was loved by all. Shortly afterwards, people attempted to use the wifi at the mall to communicate with family and friends at home, as the internet cafe was closed. The wifi wasn’t working very well, so many ended up going to the Blue Mall for a better connection. I went with the group that didn’t need the Blue Mall’s internet, and Rebecca and Julianna lead us back. They did well, although we were driving backwards down a road at one point to go to a gas station... So they got a nine out of ten.

That evening, we were off to the town of Haina, where we would be going to a “Dominican” church service. The service was at the school that some of you may have heard of, started up by a wonderful man named Raphael.

The service was just as much fun as I had hoped it would be. We arrived late due to several flat tires, but that was no issue. The group headed right up to the front and sat down on the floor. After a short while, we had some talent. Shane went up and rocked a guitar solo. Then the music group was up. It was their time to shine! Derek played guitar, while Alexa, Makayla, Rachel, and Sarah sang. Then the rest of the crew joined them up at the front, and we sang a few songs. Days of Elijah and Alabare were definitely highlights - we all began to dance and do the actions, running around and throughout the aisles. It was a blast, and I loved watching the group have so much fun. Who ever said that worship was boring?! 

On Monday the crew was off to rotations again, and the chaperones, myself, and the other visitors (Monica, Sam, Greg, Emily, and Zach) had the day off.

Tuesday I had the opportunity to go to Haina with Alexa, Rebecca, Josh, and Billy. I was so excited to go on rotations and see them teach! Once we arrived, Billy and Josh decided to stay and teach at the first building, and Rebecca, Alexa, and I walked to another building that is part of the school about ten minutes away. It was incredible to watch them teach. They did really well, teaching numbers, colours, shapes, animals, and much more... even “head, shoulders, knees, and toes”! They taught three classes - kindergarten, young teenagers, and teenagers. Soon enough it was lunch time, and so we went back to Josh and Billy. We all exchanged stories over lunch, and then relaxed. It’s been extremely hot this week, and so all of us were feeling pretty tired. However, Billy wanted to go for a walk, so I went out with him. We went down the road a little bit, and made some friends. Their mother/grandmother may have been upset with us... but we couldn’t understand her, so it’s okay. Soon enough, Rebecca, Josh, and Alexa joined in the fun, and so did Raphael’s kids.

Upon returning to the base later in the afternoon, the group began to plan for paintball. Each of the four rooms in the base had their own signature “uniform”, and we walked over to start up the fun. The group was extremely excited - Riley really wanted bruises.

Paintballing was a blast. Billy and Jesse took charge with organizing it. Luke planned the different rounds. Derek and Josh would climb on top of each other for a better view. Marieke was the champion of capture the flag (on her first time paintballing!) And yes, Riley got her bruises!

On Wednesday, I was off to New Creation with Rebecca, Sarah, Daniel, Hannah, and Bae (Shelby Heerema). Rebecca and Daniel taught in one classroom, and Sarah and Hannah went to another. Bae and I didn’t have to assist them or help them out at all - they had it covered. Soon enough, it was time for recess! Rebecca learned a clapping game with some girls. Daniel became friends with lots of kids, and almost every moment, “Jackie Chan” or “Diego” could be heard being chanted. Sarah and Hannah had girls sit with them and play with their hair. Each of them interacted so flawlessly and with such ease!

Then we went to Compassion. What did we find on the basketball court when we arrived? A swimming pool! You never know what to expect down here in the DR! The group headed over to one of the buildings, and began interacting with some little kids. We pulled out the blocks, and it was a ton of fun. After that we had lunch, and then went for a siesta walk to a nearby river! We looked around, played with some cows, and then had an anger management session. We threw rocks into the river, screaming. Rebecca REALLY enjoyed herself. I think it was a beneficial time for all.

In the evening, Makayla, Josh, Billy, Jason, Jesse, Brian, Shelby, Emily, and I went to Carrefour, a large grocery store. It was interesting to see how some of them reacted - there’s a LOT there. Some bought the bare minimum, and were responsible with their money. Some... not so much. Jesse bought enough to feed a family of 28 for a month.

After that was a Bible study, and the music group rocked it again.

Today, things changed up a bit for rotations. The only school that people went to was Haina, and Emily, Julianna, Hannah, Jesse were there. Makayla, Jason, Riley, Luke, Billy, Rachel, Marieke, and Daniel were here with myself, Brian, and Joey. It was a productive day in the shop: Makayla and Riley built shelves with Joey; Rachel, Billy, and Brian built a coffin for a local ministry (Rachel wants the world to know that it’s the most beautiful coffin in the world); and Marieke, Daniel, and Luke worked on repairing desks. Unfortunately Jason wasn’t feeling well today, but worry not - we’ve taken good care of him. Not as good as Mrs. Jung, but I made sure he was tucked in and that he napped.

Good things are in store for tomorrow, and then I’m off on Saturday. I’ll be sad to go, but it’s been an amazing trip. It’s been incredible to interact with the group in the DR, and to see that after all of their preparation, they are thriving. There are struggles, yes, but they are healthy and good. The group is growing daily, and they’re a blast to be around. They are striving to be better and to continue to serve in excellent ways.