We had an absolutely fantastic trip! For our first vacation we have set the standards very high! Although my Spanish speaking abilities are far from fluent, I was thrilled at the amount that came back to me from my Spanish course at T
rent. You would have been so proud Shauna! Blake even picked up a bit and we had fun trying to communicate with the staff who spoke no English. The beach was so beautiful with white sand and no sharp shells or rocks and the weather was incredible almost the entire time we were there. Blake experienced his first horseback ride and we went snorkeling in the middle of the ocean and fed and swam with tropical fish. While we lived in absolute luxury and were treated like royalty, it was quite the contrast to the reality of the people who actually live in the Dominican. Many of those who work at the resort work for 2 weeks straight to receive $150. Their families usually live 3-8 hours away and yet they are so happy to have the work. Those who speak English have the front line jobs where they are given tips by vacationers, but those who have little education work in the background and have little opportunity for extra money. During our sketchy bus ride (safety first- haha) from
the airport to the resort we had the opportunity to see some of the living accomodations of those who live there and it was pretty heart wrenching. We live in such a wealthy country! We are incredibly blessed and have so many opportunities. During our trip Blake and I were discussing how some of the people vacationing with us still didn't seem happy. We were right in the middle of what the world would deem 'paradise,' yet they still walked around with frowns on and didn't seem satisfied. It was a simple reminder to us that happiness cannot ultimately be found in trips or money or anything else. Finding, knowing and loving Jesus is the only way for true satisfaction, meaning and purpose in this life. Let's keep this in the forefront of our minds!
We are so thankful to God for the opportunity to have such a beautiful, relaxing vacation and have the opportunity to prepare for the next few steps we are taking. For those who have facebook, I have posted more of the pictures there.
rent. You would have been so proud Shauna! Blake even picked up a bit and we had fun trying to communicate with the staff who spoke no English. The beach was so beautiful with white sand and no sharp shells or rocks and the weather was incredible almost the entire time we were there. Blake experienced his first horseback ride and we went snorkeling in the middle of the ocean and fed and swam with tropical fish. While we lived in absolute luxury and were treated like royalty, it was quite the contrast to the reality of the people who actually live in the Dominican. Many of those who work at the resort work for 2 weeks straight to receive $150. Their families usually live 3-8 hours away and yet they are so happy to have the work. Those who speak English have the front line jobs where they are given tips by vacationers, but those who have little education work in the background and have little opportunity for extra money. During our sketchy bus ride (safety first- haha) from
the airport to the resort we had the opportunity to see some of the living accomodations of those who live there and it was pretty heart wrenching. We live in such a wealthy country! We are incredibly blessed and have so many opportunities. During our trip Blake and I were discussing how some of the people vacationing with us still didn't seem happy. We were right in the middle of what the world would deem 'paradise,' yet they still walked around with frowns on and didn't seem satisfied. It was a simple reminder to us that happiness cannot ultimately be found in trips or money or anything else. Finding, knowing and loving Jesus is the only way for true satisfaction, meaning and purpose in this life. Let's keep this in the forefront of our minds!
We are so thankful to God for the opportunity to have such a beautiful, relaxing vacation and have the opportunity to prepare for the next few steps we are taking. For those who have facebook, I have posted more of the pictures there.
3 comments:
Sorry I wasn't able to make the open house, had work on Saturday night. Sounds and looks like you guys had a great time! The pictures turned out incredible! (Look forward to seeing the videos too!)
Yes, ditto- we are sorry we couldn't make it to the open house either. We went up to Dennis' parents' place for the weekend.
So, you are leaving on a jet plane tomorrow. We wish you God's best as you travel off into a new phase in your life! So exciting! And remember, you are never out of His hand. :) God bless you.
Have a great time!! I will remember you in prayer!
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