Guest Post: Roger Sylvestre

I have been blessed by the opportunity to be part of this wonderful mission experience. You cannot be part of something like this and come back the same.

Let me begin with an observation. All to often today we characterize our young people as entitled and lazy with their focus on Smart Phones, electronics, video games, dirt bikes and the like. On this trip I was blessed to witness an amazing group of young people who took on the mission of God’s work. They did so with a positive attitude and an energy that amazed me. I want to thank all of them for restoring my confidence in the younger generation and giving me renewed hope for future generations.

I was also struck by the pure innocence and joy of the children at the Joe Hartman School and at the Bateys. While they know very little about the world we are blessed to live in, they appreciate all that is done for them and their face lights up with a hug or a smile or the simple act of passing a tennis ball back and forth.

I was also blessed to be a part of such a wonderful group of people who volunteered for this trip. Whether it was the first time going (like me) or the 26th trip, I have made a new group of friends who came together for a common goal. Regardless of whether you were involved in Medical, Teaching, Evangelism, Food distribution, or one of the Construction efforts, the spirit and enthusiasm were overwhelming and contagious.

I remain in awe of what has been accomplished over the course of the last 26 years. The lifeline that has been established such as the Good Samaritan Hospital, The Joe Hartman School, the massive food distribution efforts, the Medical teams that make such an impact. While you can see the pictures and videos and get a sense of what it is like, for me there is nothing so impactful as actually being there to appreciate what has been done and what still needs to be done.

Finally, we had the opportunity to visit Batey 105 as an example of what Batey 50 looked like before the rebuilding process took place. It is difficult to understand how people actually live in conditions such as this. To understand that so many people, so many Bateys exist with these type of conditions is emotionally striking. It brings home the realization that God has put before us a tremendous opportunity.

Come with us on the next DRMT trip…….you will come back a changed person.