The Adventures of Bethany and Emily: On Air! :)

As we near our last week in the Dominican Republic (sooo sad to think about- I'm not completely sure I am going to get on the plane next week :), we are having lots of new experiences. Wednesday was praise team practice as usual and it is always a joy to have such a talented group of musicians in the apartment :) Especially because their talents are being used to praise the Lord! Yesterday, Bethany and I were supposed to accompany Elizabeth (the wonderful lady who does the children's ministry in Boca Chica) to a medical outreach in one of the poorer areas of Santo Domingo to help entertain children while their parents were treated by the doctors. Unfortunately, this was canceled. However, there was still a lot of work to be done planning the English church mission trip to Jimani (hee-man-ee) and Duverge (Doo-bur-hay) in Independencia next week :) Along side Bill, Peg, Juanito, and Alix (the English church mission director) we have been planning children's events, a trip to the orphanage in Jimani, dramas for church, and many other activities. The trip has a wonderful team of 10 people and I am sooo excited! We are leaving very early Monday morning and returning Wednesday afternoon. Please pray that the team will be able to effectively share the gospel and spread Christ's love the people in Independecia.
Last night, we took a break from our planning to go to a conference that is being held in Santo Domingo this weekend. Inglesia Jesu Cristo Fuente de Amor holds a large conference every summer involving all of the Fuente de Amor churches from Mexico, Florida, Puerto Rico, and many other places. Although I could not understand much of what was being said at the conference (they speak too fast for me) it was a neat experience. I personally enjoy the energy of the church and how you can tell that everyone is putting everything they have, all of their attention and focus into the service. The music is loud and energetic, the dancers up front are singing their hearts out while dancing for Jesus, the people in the crowd are jumping, and everyone is excited to praise Jesus. Unlike the United States, people are not quiet during the sermon as well. They shout "amen" or "Yes, Lord" or "He Lives" during the entire message and you can tell that everyone is genuinely and wholeheartedly involved in what the preacher is saying. I wish our church had more of that kind of energy and dedication on Sunday mornings :)
This morning, Bethany and I got up early to accompany Bill and Carolina (his assistant) to a local radio station where the English church has a show. It plays on Radio Ven (1200 a.m.) every Sunday at 5:30 (4:30 Omaha time). Bill and Carolina recorded two shows set to air for the last two weeks of August and then were planning on interviewing us for the August 4th show. After recording our interview for August 4th, Bill decided he wanted to continue our interview for the August 11th show. This was definitely a new experience for both of us, but I believe it went well :) If you are interested in listening to Bill's show, you can listen online at www.radioven.com .
Later this afternoon, we had the chance to do a little bit of shopping and site seeing. Bill dropped Bethany, Peg, Greggory, Laura and I off at Zona Colonial and we had a great time going into the first Cathedral in the Americas and walking through the streets and little shops along the way. The Dominican Republic is a beautiful place and it was nice to see some of the historical aspects of the country. After Bill picked us up, he dropped us off at McDonalds for a meeting and for dinner. It is definitely strange eating at McDonalds here :) It was a very busy but great week and I can not wait to see what God is going to do on the mission trip next week. Thank-you for your prays so far and please pray for our team this coming week. God bless!
-Emily