When someone in the Dominican Republic says “Que lo que?” – the local way to say “What’s up? How are you?” – an appropriate response is “tranqui” (trahn-key), which we gathered was short for tranquilo, tranquil … chill. It’s the DR way. There’d been one little hitch in our arrival: No transport van to take us to the hotel when we arrived. No offense to the Islands or Latin America, but I honestly didn’t expect everything to happen according to plan. I’d already talked to the team about being flexible because things just don’t operate as smoothly or quickly as our U.S. norm. We made it to the hotel after only a short delay, and it was gorgeous! I downed the iced juice they offered almost instantly at check-in. “Didn’t you tell us not to drink anything with ice?” my fellow travelers asked- so clearly I’m a do-what-i-say-not-what-i-do kind of leader. Hey, everyone was together & safely at our destination. I’ll worry about bacteria & parasites in a little bit.

Already the trip was turning out to be a perfect learning experience. There were LOTS of questions, and I realized my go-to answer was usually “Just sit still & I’ll let you know what to do next.” That works great for your own family, but not as well for a group of adults. Fortunately, because our connection went beyond this trip, I didn’t feel badly about saying, “I don’t know, but we’ll figure it out.” I didn’t want to be a dictator, making every little decision for the whole group, but I also needed to provide structure and boundaries to keep everyone together, safe, and on mission. I didn’t have all the answers, and I hoped that that didn’t elicit fear or anxiety.

The DR Compassion hosts were amazing, as anticipated! One of my favorite moments was watching our 19 year old Compassion host cutting up pizza for one of the little kids, then “correcting” one of the others as he ran off into a wet, taped-off play area. I asked if he had little siblings, assuming he’d had lots of practice with little ones. No. Wow, he was a natural with kids, they all were. Not only were they bilingual, being able to serve as our translators, but their passion for what they do was palpable. They really seemed to enjoy both sides of their work, playing with the children & engaging the sponsors. On each of my trips with Compassion, the hosts inspire me so much. We picked their brains, learned local slang, and I even got to dance a little merengue (thanks to Jose)! I’ll never forget my first ever Half Birthday surprise celebration as we ate Dominican food on the ocean front.

More than anything I was most blessed by getting to see my new friends dive into this new experience, watching the bonds between sponsor and child grow, and sharing together what God was teaching us on this trip. For me it was a dream come to life, an answered prayer. Before we knew it we were on our way home. Everything had gone so well that I truly felt like God had cleared the path, making sure this first time leading would not be my last. Then unexpectedly, in the Miami airport I received news that our pending adoption of a little boy from China was likely not going to happen. I had not thought much about the surprises God had for me on this trip. I’d been too busy enjoying everyone else’s gifts. But even with this crushing news, I could clearly see how He had surrounded me with support. One friend in particular was my surprise gift, perfectly prepared to love in word and action. I’m so thankful that she was there. Although it was not the ideal ending, it was a unforgettable moment at the finish of a life-changing trip.