Prince of Peace Lutheran Church has supported Doulos Discovery School in Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic for many years. I've always heard about the trips taken by groups of men from our church. I'd been asked to go many times, but always had a “convenient” excuse! One Sunday afternoon, late in 2010, my cell phone rang. I looked at its face and realized that it was my friend, Jeff Marian, senior pastor at Prince Of Peace. I answered, and he said “Coontz! I'm going to the DR in February, and so are you!” I said, “I guess if you put it that way, I'm in!”

I'm not sure what I expected when I signed up for this trip. I'd heard stories from guys who had been there before. I remembered hearing about beach resorts. What I found was a third-world country, with no ocean in sight! Vans picked us up at the airport and we were off, driving up the mountain to Jarabacoa.

There are so many things to write about our week in Jarabacoa. I could tell you about the work we did – physical labor, which before I went to the DR, wasn't my thing! I could tell you about the Dominicans we met, and how warm and friendly they were. I could also tell you about the staff and leadership at Doulos Discovery School, who were some of the coolest people I've ever met, and who's dedication to the students and their families was remarkable. I could tell you about going to students homes for dinner, and the grace and humility shown by our hosts. I could go on and on about the great fellowship that was found among our group of 14 men. I could also tell you how emotionally overwhelming (in a good way!) it was to meet people who really needed our help.

If I had to pick one story to tell, it would be the one I've told the most since my return, about the Haitians we met and worked with in the DR. Most of my work that week was digging and moving dirt so that a local team of workers could build a retaining wall for a new playground. As the week went on, we began to communicate with one Haitian fellow named Nixon. He spoke some English, which made it easier to get to know him. Over the week he and I became friends. By Friday, we had told each other about our families (his brother was there working with him), taken pictures together, and eaten a meal together. Our group gathered some clothes to give to Nixon and his brother. The smiles on their faces told us that we had just helped them solve a problem, that they were too proud to make a big deal about before.

On Saturday, which was our departure day, we walked around downtown Jarabacoa, and then past the school. As we made our way back to our Villa, we passed Doulos, and heard someone call our names. We looked over and it was Nixon, and his brother Sayno. They met us at the gate and thanked us for our time together. They hugged us, and offered blessings to our families. I felt blessed to see them one more time before we went back to our lives at home. I have since heard from my friend Nixon through an E mail sent to me by one of the Doulos staff members.

I hope that everyone has the opportunity to serve God by helping others. Our relationship with Doulos Discovery School helped me to do this in ways that I will remember all my life. I can't wait to go back!

Rather than planes, trains and automobiles, travel to Africa is really about big planes, planes and buses. Starting out at the MSP airport, our first flight took us to Amsterdam. Big planes come with individual seat media options, opportunities to nap but never enough room to roam. In Amsterdam, we had a few hours to stretch our legs and get a bite to eat. The next plane took us to Kilimanjaro (we didn't even get off of this one) and then on to Dar Es Salaam, a coastal city in Tanzania on the Indian Ocean. We stayed at a very nice Pentecostal Church Retreat Center there. At that point, we were excited about flat beds and a good nights rest. After two long days of travel, we were all a bit beat.

The next morning our new rafiki, Kuwla, drove our bus from Dar Es Salaam to Iringa, our first destination. The bus ride highlights included being welcomed by many wonderful African creatures as we drove through Mikumi National Park. We saw many different animals including elephants, giraffes, baboons and zebra. It was quite a welcome! One of the little elephants was even quite close to the bus and seemed to pose for the cameras. We traveled through some beautiful mountains on our way to Iringa and we practiced some songs in Swahili along the way. We are staying at the Lutheran Center in Iringa, the accommodations are spectacular. Great rooms, great food, hot showers! We really feel spoiled. We are excited to have Chef Peter serving us delicious three-course meals.

Time in Iringa Always be prepared to wake to the beautiful Tanzania sunshine. We worshipped at the Cathedral Lutheran Church in town. It was a wonderful service that came with a youth choir, an adult choir and a brass choir! You really can not understand how quickly a 2 hour service can go by until you have worshipped in Tanzania. We were welcomed in church and had the opportunity to introduce ourselves during the service (relationships are very important in their culture).

Touring Iringa is always filled with many different highlights. In addition to touring the Iringa Diocese office and Tumaini University which was founded with the help of the St. Paul Area Synod of the ELCA, we have the opportunity to visit local merchants. Neema Crafts (neema is grace in Swahili) is an amazing ministry started by a couple from the UK in order to provide jobs for local people with disabilities. They make paper from elephant dung and sell items like journals and cards. They also weave fabrics and make glass bead jewelry. It is amazing place to witness God's grace! We also had the opportunity to visit the Humura orphanage, home to about 33 kids at the time. And finally, we visited what is called an “archaeological dig” which is actually a beautiful canyon that has been created by erosion.

Time in Ilambo Karibu sana – you are most warmly welcomed. That is what we heard and how we felt. Pastor Gideon and Pastor Israel (both fluent in English and Swahili) traveled with us so that we always had an interpreter. We also brought our own cook as a group our size would be overwhelming in the best of kitchens. We have quite a journey through the African mountains. We travel in multiple jeeps and take advantage of prayer time as rutted dirt roads and periodic boulders are the pathway to our destination. But our hearts are so full and our mouths speechless as we received the most joyous welcome that you can imagine. Men, women, children and babies welcomed us with joyous song and dance waving reeds. True joy is really indescribable! And if you can believe it, our experience went up from there.

Ilambo projects included work on the church sanctuary, Vacation Bible School (VBS) with the village children and assisting the village Doctor. We spent a bit of time helping cement the inside walls of the church sanctuary. Too few tools and mixing cement by hand after gathering the sand and water limited progress. But we all got to try “flinging” the cement onto the brick wall which actually takes some skill. About 1/4-1/3 of the church walls were completed during our visit. VBS was such an answered prayer. We learned just before we left Iringa that we could expect about 200 rather than the 50-75 kids that we had originally planned for. We had 2 afternoons with the kids and shared 6 bible stories – the creation story, Noah and the ark, the Good Samaritan, the lost sheep, David and Goliath and Jesus feeds the 5000. The kids were so well behaved that it was easy to manage the two story stations and outside play! We had crafts, soccer (balls, balls and more balls!), a parachute, frisbees – and not to forget the good old Hokey Pokey (which took a little modeling – but they got it and thought that it was a little funny). A few nurses worked all 3 days with the Doctor in the village clinic. They helped the Doctor with the patients who came to see him and helped with the eye glass donations that we had brought. They were thrilled with the medicines and medical equipment donations that we brought as well.

We also visited one of the current 4 preaching points (smaller village congregations) covered by Pastor Pascal. We had a wonderful greeting and a tour to a fresh spring that they use for water. Some of us got to hike through the mountain paths that are taken by the children in Magunga every day to the school in Ilambo. It was a spectacular sight and a neat experience to be hiking through the beautiful mountains!

Worship on Sunday morning before we left the village was another experience that only God can create. Our sisters and brothers in Ilambo really know how to worship. If you have never heard their harmonious voices and seen their joyous dancing, you are missing out. Eric spoke for us and Pastor Claire gave an amazing sermon. We had honorary places toward the front of the church and the people just kept coming and coming to worship with us. It truly touched all of our hearts when they gave the men shirts and placed skirts around the women. They were making sure that we knew that we are one village – we became people from the village of Ilambo!

These things we have learned from our brothers and sisters in Christ in Ilambo -

• Three half slices of bread with some butter is better than no food at all for breakfast. If you eat it, you might get some scrumptious pineapple for lunch.
• It is good to hold hands with your friends.
• All work needs to stop so that you can grieve when a friend dies.
• When we all harmonize and sing together, it sounds better.
• Singing praise to God while standing high on a rock in the mountains feels good.
• You cannot say Karibu too many times.
• A bottle of pop after lunch tastes good.
• With Jesus in your heart, you will be warm even when the cold wind is blowing and your clothing is torn.
• A little bit of dust never hurt anybody.
• To share your house with friends is a gift.
• Joy shines through when you dance your heart out for God.
• Balls are made for playing – playing really, really hard.
• God made so many stars to shine over Ilambo that it is a wonder that anyone else sees one.
• If you wait patiently, you WILL be taken care of.
• Soccer is a great game to share with friends and you always need a good Goalkeeper.
• Logs can be slippery and sometimes your shoe goes in muddy water.
• We are all family, blessed children of God who need each other!
• Mungu aku bariki – God bless you!

Time on Safari It would not be Africa if there was not a safari. The animals started welcoming us right away into Mwagusi Safari Camp. It is an amazing place in which we sleep in the most amazing “tents” that you have ever seen. They come with a built in patio and bathroom equipped with western plumbing. We were treated extremely well in the food, service and safari experiences including tea and cake each day at 4 pm (the owners are British). Elliott the elephant came to meet us in our camp. Really. The experience was topped by dinner outside under the stars by the fire on a dry river bed complete with candlelight and gourmet food.

Now the animals! What didn't we see? We didn't see the lion kill the giraffe but we saw so many lions (and lionesses) with full bellies after enjoying the fruits of the kill. There were several prides of lions near this camp that were just awesome to see. We saw so many beautiful birds, elephants, giraffes, zebras, impalas, baboons, warthogs, hippos and crocodiles. The pinnacle spottings were the leopard cub and mother and a few ostrich. God's creatures are truly amazing. We rested, relaxed and enjoyed 3 different safari rides.