Well, to say the least, our trip home didn’t exactly go as planned. We ended up having to drive 10 hours home from Philadelphia Saturday night.

But, no matter what happened on the way back home from the Dominican Republic this internship will always have a major impact on my life. The other interns and the kiddos will never know the true impact that they had on my life. When going on mission trips, you always think to yourself “I’m going here to change these kids lives,” but I can honestly say these kids changed my life more then I changed their, and for that I am forever grateful.

Like I said before, little victories are what keep you going. I was on FaceTime with my mom and telling her about how much crying there was from the 3 year olds. She said, “Imagine you were three and I put you on a bus with a bunch of strangers that don’t speak your language. You would have bawled.” I started to think about that and it put into perspective how hard it must be for these moms to put their hitting and screaming three year olds on a bus with a bunch of people that they don’t know. I’m not a mom, but if I was I don’t know if I would be able to do it. I’m almost 18 and still struggling with being away from my mom, friends, and family.

But through all the kicking and screaming the kids are learning. We’re loving on them as they hit, bite, and scratch us. At 6:20, I get to go out on a bus route and pick up all the little kiddos. There’s this one little boy named Enmanuel. The first bus ride he was okay, but day two he was not having it. Sam (the only guy intern here) had to literally bear hug him to get him to sit on the bus and calm down. Enmanuel did NOT want to calm down. He called Sam the devil and bit him, but I had the joy of having Enmanuel in my group:) From seeing him that morning I thought oh no he’s not going to listen he’s going to bite me, but he was the best kid in my group. When he got back from the office after the bus, he sat down at my table and I hugged him and asked him is he was okay. He said yes and we moved on. Later that day we were singing a song and he had the biggest smile on his face. I looked at him and said, “Enmanuel thumbs up” and he looked at me and gave me two big thumbs up and said “THUMBS UP.” Enmanuel probably receives little love at home, so what he was doing on that bus route was all learned behavior. But I love that I get to have an impact on his life. He still threw a fit the next day, but he’s learning and loving doing it. His thumbs up was my little victory.

The next little victory is a kid names Dahian. He has a growing disability and a seizure disability, but at the age of 3 his mom got the courage to send him to school with us. While he wasn’t in my group, he still came through my center and it was very hard to get him engaged. When he got mad he would start to hit his head on the floor because he couldn’t control himself. There was one time that I literally had to catch his head from hitting the concrete ground and just hold him for a second. But, in my center one day we had little tykes sets out. There was a little wagon that Dahian found and he started pushing it around like it was a walker. You would have thought he won a million dollars based on the smile on his face. He LOVED that thing and that little smile was my little victory.

Of course I couldn’t get either of those things on camera, but heres some pictures of their cute faces:)

This week wasn’t quite as eventful as last week. Instead of 90 screaming 3 year olds, I had 5 calm (for the most part) missionary kids that SPOKE MY OWN LANGUAGE! I never thought I’d be so happy to have kids that spoke English. Don’t get my wrong I miss those cute three year olds, but I have all of this week to get my fill of them.
In case you didn’t know, it is very hot here. Yesterday we went on a hike at 11, the hottest part of the day. While we all had pit stains and were dripping sweat, it was one of the most beautiful sights. Gods creations are truly amazing.

Today were going to the beach!! Can’t wait for week 3. Were half way there!

This week has by FAR been the hardest week in my entire life. From Wednesday to Sunday us interns sat through back to back meeting from 7am-10pm everyday. Of course we had breaks, but that was a lot of meetings and a lot of information to digest. In these meetings, we learned that the Freedom intern mission statement is to put us in a stressful environment so we can learn to rely on the Lord with the things we do. Well… when the kiddos arrived on Monday morning, the stressful environment was just that.

On Monday June 10th, at 6:40 I went out into the batay’s to gather our 90 new preschool 3’s and 60 returning kindergartens (we had three different bus routes… I didn’t do this all by myself😂). My bus consisted of mostly preschoolers who had never ridden on a bus or even left their moms. To say the least, there was a lot of screaming, crying, snot, and even throwing up, but we made it back to the school with almost all of the kiddos… granted we were 20 minutes late, but we still made it. Tuesday we made it on time, and our bus driver even treated us with a special stop at the “Starbucks” in Ramon Santana.

School Monday was a HUGE struggle. The kids have never been disciplined and don’t speak English. Considering these two things, Monday ran pretty smoothly, but I think I can speak for all the interns when I say we had the thoughts of “I don’t think I can do this” or “I need my mom I want to go home I can’t do this.” But a team member said something to me in the most chaotic part of the day. She said, “Small victories, focus on the small victories. It’s the only way you’ll get through.” This statement really stuck with me because when you look at the big picture, these kids are three years old and have never been told to listen or had any structure in their lives. AND they were put on a bus with a bunch of white people that don’t look like them and speak a different language. The small victories make all the difference.

Tuesday ran SOOO much more smoothly. In just a day, the kiddos listen a lot better and everything ran a lot more smoothly. There were still times when it was mass chaos, but those times were shorter and less.

After school, I went to Batey Lima where my sponsor kid Genesis is. She was so excited to see me. The way the Lord is working in her life is amazing to see. There is much more to come for her, but keep her in your prayers.

Pray for the other interns and I as we finish out this week and start next week with preschool 4’s.

Until next time, Kennedy.

The song Breakthrough by Chris McCarney says:

There must be more

Beyond familiar shores

Into waters unexplored

This one desire

Stirring here in me

Deep is calling out to deep

Take me from where I’ve been

Into something new

I’m giving up control

I need a breakthrough

This is exactly what I am doing. In just 6 short days, I will be on a plane headed to the Dominican Republic until July 6th. This trip is my breakthrough.

The anticipation of this trip is hard. The longest that I have been away from my mom has been a week… two tops and now I’m leaving for 4 1/2. The goodbyes and tears started today, but I know that the Lord has more planned for me in the next month then I could possibly imagine. The song goes on to say:

All of my dreams and fears

Are crashing into you

You’re waking up my hope

You are my breakthrough

As a 17 year old going to a international airport alone and leaving my family and friends, I’m both scared and excited. This internship is what I have wanted since I first went to the Dominican in 6th grade, and I know that I will learn and grow as well as help the kids learn and grow in the Dominican.

The Lord is going to do amazing things for me in the next month and the rest of my life. This trip is an amazing way for me to grow within my Faith. Prayers and thoughts are greatly appreciated in the next month.

Follow my trip here! Lots of pictures and stories will come soon! Thank you all for your love and support.