My Spirit Moment

In addition to solving the piddliest of debates by asking ChatGPT, another thread that emerged throughout my week with LuHi was "spirit questions." 

Perhaps you've heard of spirit animals, but one of the chaperones took it a step further, asking students their spirit _______ each day: Disney character, candy, cereal, vacation destination, Bible character (yes, Noah asked ChatGPT for a list of ideas on one occasion). The point is not to pick your favorite item in each category, but one which best embodies your personality - all in good fun, Native American animistic roots notwithstanding. My spirit candy, for example, might be Nerds, for obvious reasons. The ensuing discussions made for a mostly lighthearted way to make our many guagua rides go by more quickly. 

Monday's spirit question, on the way to the airport, was students' spirit moment from the trip. Answers spanned from seemingly insignificant but poignant moments, to mountaintop highlights that elicited a chorus of nods. My answer? All day Saturday. We toured a chocolate factory I scouted out a couple years ago after driving by it repeatedly, helped run an afternoon of children's programming near Iglesia Luterana Amigos de Cristo that came together in the course of about an hour on Thursday morning, squeezed in a colmado run for cold drinks, and switched dinner plans on the fly. Speaking of dinner, eight teenagers ate goat without knowing it AND liked it. Win, win, win, win, WIN. 

After a guided walkthrough of the small museum, we donned aprons, gloves, and hairnets to make our own personalized chocolate bars.

Twenty-five minutes later, they were ready while we were waiting for our lunch order. 

Sadly, the tiny ice pack and insulated lunchbox I'd brought did little to stave off the effects of several hours on a hot bus :( 

A Chocofrío is evidently chocolate milk's gourmet cousin. Cheers!

We met Rev. Lucas Elberhardt at church, then drove 1 km. to the home of Doña Maritza, a pillar of the congregation. Our first order of business was dividing into groups; some walked the neighborhood to drum up interest while others entertained the growing group of kids onsite with games in the street.

Lucas introduced the afternoon's theme: La oveja perdida. 

The team had prepared a skit that had the kids in stitches but effectively communicated that Jesus, our Good Shepherd, seeks us out when we stray. 

We continued with face painting, games, singing, and activity sheets, ending with a snack. 

We gathered on the sidewalk after the kids left to debrief the event, which morphed into real talk about the joys and challenges of ministry in a missional context. 

LuHi's last full day in-country, Sunday, didn't disappoint, either. 

The congregation at Iglesia Luterana Pan de Vida loves to receive visitors, and does it oh-so-well. 

Every now and then I have a good idea. Before releasing the team to explore the Zona Colonial at their leisure - for some, guided by part II of Erin's silly games - I saved the team a sizzling half hour walk and asked our bus driver to swing by the Obelisco de Santo Domingo on the way back from church. Noah (foreground) had done a research paper on it years ago as a student and incorporated it into his own Spanish curriculum as a teacher but never laid eyes on it.  

Me: I'd like to make a reservation for 12 at 6:30. 

Maître d': Where would you like to sit? The patio, inside, the rooftop terrace? 

Us at 6:30: ...!

The team had about an hour after everything opened on Monday morning to see/buy/do one last thing. We left for the airport at 11 am, but I've enjoyed reliving our time together through messages and video montages that continue to trickle into our WhatsApp group. I got one already Monday night presumably during their layover in Atlanta...almost certainly created with ChatGPT!

Until next time, blessings in Christ!