How My Faith Grew Through DR Mission
by Jade-Ashley Lindo
https://thetablet.org/how-my-faith-grew-through-dr-mission/
My recent mission trip to the Dominican Republic not only strengthened my faith but changed the way I view the world and those around me. I learned that serving others is about being present, listening, praying, and showing people that they are loved. One experience from the weeklong trip that stands out was visiting the bateyes, where people lived in poverty and faced hardships every day. It was inspiring to witness their faith. We prayed with them, and those moments will stay with me forever.
I remember praying for one man who believed that God no longer cared about him because of the sins he had committed, and as a result, he stopped going to church. It made me realize how easy it is for people to lose hope, and I prayed that he would come to understand that God’s love and mercy never leave.
We prayed for another man who wanted friends to encourage him, help him move forward in life, and bring him happiness. Those conversations reminded me that they don’t need materialistic things; they just need someone to listen and pray with them.
We also spent time digging the foundation for a future community center. It was tiring, but every shovel of dirt reminded me that we were helping build something that would serve the community for years to come, which made the hard work worth it.
Another one of my favorite parts of the trip was helping with the kids’ ministry. Even though we didn’t speak the same language, we still laughed together and connected. They reminded me that love doesn’t always need words. Just showing up and giving the kids attention is all they needed to feel content.
One of the most meaningful experiences was installing water filters in families’ homes. We explained in Spanish and Creole how to use and clean them, and then we prayed over the filter, the family, and their home. It amazed me that something as simple as a water filter could have such a huge impact on someone’s daily life.
While serving others was the main purpose of the trip, some of the moments that changed me most happened within our own group. Every morning, we celebrated Mass together. Every night, we met in small “family groups” of about five people to read Scripture, reflect on our relationship with Christ, and talk honestly about our feelings.
Those conversations made me feel heard in a way I hadn’t expected. Being vulnerable wasn’t always easy, but hearing everyone else’s experiences helped me realize that we all struggle, grow, and need God’s guidance in different ways.
We also spent time together at the hotel, swimming in the pool, sharing meals, laughing, and getting to know one another. Those simple moments turned our group into a family.
This trip taught me that faith is not just something we talk about, but it is something we live. I learned to be more grateful for the blessings in my life, like clean water, a safe home, and a supportive family.
Most importantly, I learned that even when we cannot solve every problem, we can still make a difference by showing compassion, offering hope, and trusting in God.
I came home with a stronger relationship with Christ, unforgettable memories, and a heart forever changed by the people I met in the Dominican Republic.
Jade-Ashley Lindo is a member of the Youth Leadership Ambassador Program of the Diocese of Brooklyn’s Vicariate of Black Catholic Concerns.
Brooklyn Youth Reflect on Dominican Republic Mission Trip
By Katie Vasquez
https://netny.tv/episodes/currents/brooklyn-youth-reflect-on-dominican-republic-mission-trip/
Less than a week after returning from a mission trip to the Dominican Republic, three members of the Vicariate of Black Catholic Concerns Youth Leadership Ambassador Program continue praying for the people they served.
“Their house is like half of a regular room,” said Christelle Couloute, a VBCC ambassador. “They would have a small kitchen, sometimes a pot, maybe not. They would have to cook outside.”
“I think when you really get to see firsthand what was going on, it really touches you,” added fellow ambassador Bryan Maitland-Jones.
Eighteen ambassadors and eight chaperones traveled to a batey, a community where workers from a sugar cane plantation live. Many of the residents are Haitian migrants who came to the Dominican Republic after being promised a better life as Haiti continues to face gang violence.
Father Dwayne Davis, executive director of the VBCC Ambassador Program, said the reality was far different.
“It seemed to me like modern-day slavery,” Father Davis said. “These people from Haiti were promised these wonderful things. And really, they come, and what they’re living in is like a little shanty town, living in shacks.”
During the mission trip, the group helped dig the foundation for a community center, installed water filters, played with children and ministered to residents.
“We did a lot of digging, we worked with the kids, but we also worked on our hearts,” Father Davis said. “I think a relationship with Jesus Christ is an experience that you can never get anywhere else.”
Several ambassadors spoke Spanish and Haitian Creole, allowing them to communicate more easily with residents.
For Christelle Couloute and Christian Lafontant, both of whom were born in Haiti before moving to New York as children, the experience was especially personal.
“That kind of broke my heart because I’m like, ‘Oh, my people, they don’t catch a break,’” Couloute said. “So that really touched me. I was just praying that God would help them.”
“It shocked me the most because that, in the realest sense, could have been my life,” said Christian Lafontent, a VBCC ambassador alumnus. “In another life, if I didn’t come to America, that was me.”
Despite the hardships they witnessed, the ambassadors said they were inspired by the faith of the people they met.
“It was good to see the people’s faith,” Father Davis said. “They had hope, they had joy.”
“I believe with God, if they walk with God, walk with Christ, that hope will come,” Maitland-Jones said. “I pray that every single day.”
The ambassadors said they will carry the lessons of the mission trip with them as they continue their faith journey.
Next year, the group plans to follow the Selma-to-Montgomery trail, tracing the path of the Civil Rights Movement.