Dominican Republic Trip Update

Hello Redemption Family!

My name is Kaylee Wallentine and I have been a member at Redemption for about two years. Some of you might know me from the group that I am a part of -- the Trinity Women's Soccer team. I just wanted to share with all of you about the missions trip I went on during the end of my summer with my team.

Along with 10 other teammates and 4 coaches, I had the opportunity to serve on a short term missions trip in the Dominican Republic. We played soccer, coached soccer, and loved the local people like Christ. We partnered with this program called GO Ministries, which enabled us to utilize our skills and talents through soccer to reach the community and testify to the God we serve. Within our time in the DR, we got to play competitive games against local teams, and host a three day soccer camp. Our group of 15 coached 70 young girls -- ages ranging from 7-19. Because soccer isn't a prominent sport within the DR, and because of the male-dominant culture, women don't have as many opportunities to play sports or have as many after school activities. Through GO Ministries, my team was able to provide a fun and safe space for the girls to learn soccer, but also experience unconditional love.

One of my favorite memories from the trip had nothing to do with soccer, however. We had just finished our 3 day camp with the girls and we served them all ice cream. My group was instructed with one simple task: sit with the girls and interact with them. Now, I don't speak spanish at all, so this was a fun time trying to communicate with them. I felt God prompting me to sit at a table where none of my teammates were, so I did, and I was a bit nervous. Though I needed a translator a few times, I learned that a simple smile and attempting spanish can go a long way. Service isn't just about going to a place of poverty and painting a house or donating materials to meet a need. I learned that simply loving on people is a greater service. And even when I was the one who was supposed to love on these girls, I was loved in return. I didn't expect to be impacted so much by their love. This trip taught me so many things. My biggest takeaway is that language barriers are no match for unconditional love.

Thank you for your prayers and support! We praise God for the impact He made in the lives of those we encountered, and for the impact He made within our soccer team.

Kaylee