Jon (Kingsway): Today we had to say goodbye to the other two teams that were here with us this past week. Compass from Orangeville and Flamborough from outside Hamilton. One upside was that we had the facilities all to ourselves, the other is that we definitely got some larger pieces of avocado for lunch! Our work today was focused on completing a concrete ramp to allow
Will (Harmony): Today was quite a fun day. In contrast to the hard work we were doing on some other days, today we got to relax a bit and we visited some caves as well as go to the marketplace. The marketplace was really fun because it wasn’t a regular old marketplace. Here we had the option of bargaining and that was a lot of fun.
Jon (Kingsway): This morning we had the opportunity to visit the CBOQ School that teams built in 2013. The school goes up to grade 5 and has three classrooms. We rotated activities with each class. Recess, where we bounced basketballs, kicked soccer balls, blew bubbles, and face painted with them. We made bracelets with them, with different colour beads, each representing an aspect of what Jesus
Matthew (Kingsway): Today was our second work day, day four of our trip. The work we did today definitely felt harder for me than yesterday, however we paced ourselves well and drank lots of water, and were able to work until the end of the day, maintain our productivity. When we arrived at our worksite, the water purification plant, after lunch, we were told that we
Emmanuel (Harmony): Today was our first work day and it was fun! We went to Villa Altagracia. We were split into two groups and my group started off by shoveling dirt and debris and wheel barrowing to another room. After, we went to lay bricks but it had rained for quite awhile which cut into our work time. The thing that stood out to me the most was that
Martin (Harmony): The energy from our group today was radiant, because for most of us, it was the first sleep in 24h! Today we were greeted with an amazing sunrise. You could see the vast mountain range in layers before you. As the rest of us got up, we were greeted with the smell of pancakes and sausages, and it tasted great! Personally, I was really surprised how
Jon (Kingsway): Friday Night, our two groups met, we started to bond. Got some Spanish language training/tips and after a few snacks (eventually) got some sleep. Early morning shuttle to the airport (2am) left us all a little sleepy but a smooth ride left us in good shape at the Santo Domingo airport (shown here). With a warm reception
Day 1 Our team of 18 (9 from Harmony Road Baptist and 9 from Kingsway Baptist) met last night near Pearson Airport. They reviewed the logistics of the experience, specifically the first 18 hours from the orientation to their arrival at the Lighthouse Project. They were reminded to continuously ask themselves, "What do you God want me to notice at this moment?" (We'll see what God might reveal in
Partnering with International Teams, CBOQ Youth is returning to the Lighthouse Project in Los Alcarrizos, Dominican Republic. This community school has been a great testimony of God’s work in the area. CBOQ Youth will be sending a team of up to 30 students and leaders as they further develop the ministry. Registration information is now available. Team applications are due September 28. Fill out my online form.
Compassion means “with suffering” and it reminds us to walk alongside others in their moments. The language of “walking alongside” has impacted the way we do missions--we’re thinking more broadly and of longer-term impact. In the last few years, we've moved from the language of "short term mission trips" to "compassion experiences." For many youth ministries, their venture into compassion experiences is, for the youth and many leaders, a first-time
