A couple of weeks ago, I returned home from one of the most life-changing trips I’ve ever experienced. I went on my first missions trip with my church to the Dominican Republic. We are connected with, and support, a Hope Center in Puerto Plata. God was in every single moment of this trip. He was in all the preparation leading up to it, whether through the daily devotionals we did as a group or the significant fundraising we took part in, as well as in the traveling itself and the five days we spent with the people in the Dominican.
A few days before we arrived, the town of Montellano was devastated by a flood that came on too quickly for people to save their belongings. In a country where many already have so little, to lose everything is devastating. We spent a lot of time helping the Hope Center there get cleaned up (mud was everywhere!) as well as helping distribute meals to the community one night. We were able to connect with the kids at our Hope Center in Puerto Plata and simply love on them. Many people in our church sponsor a child through that center, and we had the privilege of delivering carts of groceries to the families of those children. The gratitude from these families was unreal. You can tell how much it truly meant to them to be cared for in that way. I had no idea just how much our church meant to that Hope Center. I’m so excited to be able to start sponsoring a child now. Seeing it first hand? You can’t help but want to do everything you can to help.
I witnessed one of the most powerful prayers ever prayed over us. We encountered God in a way that transcends language and culture during a church service. We prayed over the city. And somewhere in all of it, we grew deeply close to each other, and even closer to God. Spending time in the Word each morning on the roof of our missions house as the sun rose was something I’ll never forget.
One thing that absolutely blew me away was the pure joy of the people we met. Their kindness and compassion, in spite of having so little, is something I still can’t quite put into words. You can’t help but come home changed by it, with a new perspective and a deep sense of gratitude. We really do have it so good here in the United States. And the photographer in me loved how much the kids wanted their photos taken. It was so stinking sweet!
I have so many thoughts and feelings that I don’t think I’ll ever be able to articulate them fully. I’m grateful for the team I traveled with (especially getting to experience it with my bestie), our leadership, the women I roomed with (the endless ab-hurting laughter every night was unreal and the absolute best), our guide in Agape (truly one of the kindest souls), meeting Pastor Virginia (a literal angel on earth), and even the R&R day we got to have at a local resort at the end (Brittany and I fully committed to finding sea glass, and we did).
We worked so hard on this entire trip, and it still feels like we could’ve done more. But nothing is wasted in God’s Kingdom. What an absolute blessing this trip was. It will stay with me forever.
Linda is a Portland-based photographer specializing in weddings and creating family legacies from Portland to Boston and across New England. You can see more of her work online at lindabarryphotography.com, on Instagram, or on Facebook. If you want to reach out directly: linda@lindabarryphotography.com.
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