Guest Post from Nicole Picciotto!!
Nicole, take it away...
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Just over a week ago we spent a week in the Dominican Republic. We left May 19th and returned the 26th. The purpose of out trip/mission was to visit a family we support financially - Hugo and Sarah Liborio and their 18 month old son Mattis. I had never met any of them before - Matt had served on Mercy Ships with Hugo and Sarah 6 years ago...and maintained on and off contact with Sarah. So for our anniversary we set out to spend a week with our missionaries.
When we arrived in Santo Domingo, Hugo and Sarah were quick find us - or rather I spotted them from a distance. I recognized them from their photo. Hugo was excited to show us around the area they live and served in. So he and Sarah took us for a driving tour of the Rawlings Sports complex before taking us to the first of the hotels we would be staying at, the Embassy Suites hotel less than 5 minute from the SCORE International Hotel. We spent 2 nights at the Embassy, considered the “overflow” hotel for SCORE when their facility is fully booked. The rest of the nights were spent at the SCORE Hotel.
We devoted some of our time to serving our missionary family. We had brought bath toys for Mattis and dimmer switches and some other things they needed. Mattis loved his toys, Matt was able to get the dimmer switches to work and they were able to put the items we brought them to use.
Sarah and Hugo were also moving and we were able help them with that. With some help from a few of the other missionaries there, Hugo, Sarah, Matt and I were able to complete their move to there new apartment. Just around the corner from their old one.
Some of our time was spent going out with teams; we visited two orphanages and helped a team from West Virginia start building a church in a remote village. The church there currently meets in a school building.
The remaining time was spent enjoying our vacation and getting to know our missionaries and the organization they serve with.
SCORE International hosts missionary teams to the DR, providing hotel and transportation as well as the very necessary translators for visiting teams.
Matt and I were also able to see some of the ministries that SCORE has. They do a lot of sports outreaches to the the youth in the area. Visiting orphanages seemed popular with some of the teams we worked with. They also have a medical clinic stocked with supplies and medications that the medical teams take out to remote villages. Some teams even save up/bring extra money to "Feed a village". For about 15 US Dollars per family the "feed a village" program allows a family to eat for 4 days. There is also a strong church planting ministry. In addition, they offer day trips to the capital and other tourist activities for teams to do on “vacation days”.
Visiting teams are blessed by the number of choice in areas to serve. You can spend each day doing something different.
We had a wonderful time down there. God blessed us with wonderful fellowship and a vision for future trips down to the DR, (with serving our missionaries as our main mission.) I am glad we went and hope to return one day. It is also my prayer that Hugo, Sarah and Mattis were as blessed by us as We were blessed by them.
Nicole Picciotto
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4 comments:
From Kathryn L: I was so blessed to read about the way you went to such extremes to care for the missionaries you support. I just thought that was so special, and it really touched my heart. I know that those missionaries were so blessed by your visit and your encouragement.
Thanks for your comment. We were so blessed in going. Best vacation ever!
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