We’re Back!

After a long delay in Newark and a few stomach problems, we arrived safely home.

Thanks for all your prayers and support.

Note from Casey :)

Hey everybody! I have been having such an unbelievable time. The past few days have been really great. When we went to the girls’ orphanage in La Romana on Thursday, this one particular little boy stole my heart. He ran up to me as soon as we got there, and wouldn’t let me put him down the entire time. He finally fell asleep in my arms which was precious. Then Friday was amazing. We got on the boat and headed out to Catalina Island. In the middle of the trip they stopped the boat so that people could jump off or snorkel. At first I just sat and watched everyone else jump. Finally, I got my nerve up and climbed up to the top. When I saw how high up it was I was scared, but I did it anyway and it was really really fun! I am certainly not the world’s best snorkeler though, haha. It was my first time and anybody who knows me knows that I am a little bit goofy with stuff like that, so I kept getting water up my nose and in my mouth and popping out of the water making these awful faces. When we got to the actual island, there is no way to describe how beautiful it was. I have never been anywhere like it. It looks like something out of a magazine. We laid in the sun, swam, and laughed, and it was fabulous! Today we have been to one village already, and we are going to another one this afternoon. In the village this morning, one particular little girl name Juliana stayed with me the whole time. We played and laughed and I rode her on my back like a “caballito” as she said, or little horse. I had the best time, and she cried when I left and told me she loved me. But I will never forget the great time I had here! Pray for our safety on the way home! I love and miss everybody!

More from the seniors

Hey everyone it’s courtney c! Yesterday was so much fun. When we jumped off the boat it was a little scary at first, but after the first time it was great. Snorkeling was so pretty. I saw a bunch of different fish. I did good with my sunscreen, all except around my hurt knee. I didn’t want to get too close to it with sunscreen, so I have I red circle around it. The beach was beautiful. We had so much fun. Today we went to another village. I played with this little girl who was deaf. She was so sweet. It was hard leaving because I couldn’t say anything to her. All I could do was wave. They were pretty good at volleyball there. I played with this one boy for the longest time. After we finished, my arms were black with dirt. It was a lot of fun though. After lunch were going to a new village. It will be exciting b/c it’s one that SCORE hasn’t been to before. It’s a little sad knowing that today is our last day. I have enjoyed it so much and God has shown me a lot. It will be a trip that I never forget. Thanks for all your prayers. I love yall. See you soon.
Mom, Dad, Bethnay, Lindsay-I can’t wait to see yall. I miss you. I have lots of stories to tell you. I love you guys so much.
Mrs Wynn- Thanks for all your prayers and comments. It’s great hearing from you. I can’t wait to see you. We’ll have lots of stories for our sleepover!! Love you.

More from the seniors

hey everybody its Sims! I have had such a great time here. Just seeing all the smiles on kids and adults’ faces makes us realize how much we mean to them. I am glad God allowed me to go on this trip because it is something I will remember forever and I truly believe I have been changed by it.

Laney- I miss you gurl! When I was reading your comment yesterday it took me forever trying to figure out who in the world franklin was but then I remembered it. I guess I really have been gone for a while. I still remember you telling me about our date when I get back and we better go because I am having withdrawls without sweet tea b/c they dont have any here. I love you!

Mrs. Wynn- There is a girls college basketball team here and I just had to show them my MR Ducks shirt bc some of them were just so northern, and it was really funny listening to them try to figure it out. The other comment you told me to watch out for MR Ducks well you should have told me to watch out for the birds LOL. Yesterday I was looking at necklaces and a bird pooped on me it was so gross and the security guards were laughing at me. haha. well I guess we will be coming home tomorrow, but we arent going to school until Tuesday. I will see ya then I love you!

Christopher- I love you so much and i miss you!! I miss fighting with you everyday but yesterday we were at a village and i got to play with some of the boys and they started kicking me so that made me think of you. You better be awake when I get home or i will wake you up. I love you!

Bridgette- Your mom has been trying to become my island secret lover but I had to tell her no!lol

Everyone else- I have to let others type so I will see yall when I get home. I love yall so much and trust me I have been thinking about yall.

Saturday Morning

This morning we went to another village. We played with the children for a while and then found a shady area to rest. We brought basketballs, soccer balls, jump ropes, beach balls, and balloons. Kevin was able to borrow a man’s guitar, so we sang a few songs in the shade.

This afternoon, we are going to have our last ministry. We are going to a village that Andres has never been to. He found it while fishing yesterday. We are going to tell Bible stories and give out our coloring books.

After that, we are going to come home, clean up, and go to the Hilton for our final dinner here in the D.R. We will then come home have our devotions, sign the puzzle and get ready to pack up.

This may be my last post because I have to start packing up the computer. Thanks for all your prayers. I  now all you parents will be happy to see your sons and daugthers. Don’t be surprised if they come back a little changed.

Friday Pictures

Pictures of Catalina Island on Friday and the girl’s orphanage on Thursday.

Kevin’s Update

So today was pretty awesome. We got to go snorkeling and such. It kinda makes me sad that we only have one more day here. This week has flown by so fast. It seems like we just got here yesterday. We miss you guys, but not beacuse we’re ready to come home…it’s more that we wish you were here with us. This is an awesome experience and we wish all of you could be here too. The joy you can see in these kids faces by giving them something as simple as a picture and a crayon or just playing a game with them is indescribable. All of you juniors should definitely go on your classes trip. You may think it won’t be fun, but it is definitely worth it.

Blake - I hope everything goes well tomorrow with the show. Try not to mess up

Billy Jack - Sing good today. There was a girl here from Idaho on a missions trip that was talking about Southern accents that we told about you lol.

Josh - Try not to get caught by JD. Have fun tomorrow.

Justin - me and Casey really do miss having you with us at meals. we talk about you alot…in a good way…mostly haha…your fake laugh and such

Sierra - You’re finally off restriction now! Sorry about that. I’ll try to call you sometime when I get back lol….and yeah, I do remember to comment you more than Casey does

Lauren - Sorry to hear about you and Tyler lol. I hear there’s a Hannah Montana concert coming up soon haha….maybe she’ll do my favorite song lol.

Mrs. Miller - I’ve been wearing my sunscreen and drinking my water like you told me to, but I still managed to get burned a little. I’m trying to remember to remind Casey to do that stuff too lol.

Chelsea - G;ad to see you miss our arguments…I’ll try to start one when I get back.

Mom and Dad - Sorry I didn’t write to you guys the first time. I figured the phone calls would take the place of that. Anyway, I miss you guys. Tell Mark I said hey, and quit driving my mustang lol.

Notes From Robert

whoa! - *sizzle* *sizzle* i believe i almost lost the battle against the Dom… 2day - we went to Catalina island & went snorkeln’ - fun fun you question

me - well, why yes it was fun, how thoughful of you to ask - oh man, i got my hair braided at the island & oh my gewdness it really wasn’t a fun

experience…i kinda enjoy blinking - it hurt gettn’ em’ in & takn’ em out - not fun you question me - why yes it was not fun, yur really readn’

comprehension is oh so gewd… you should feel proud of yurself - anywhosies…hehehe - we’ve really been havn’ a blast down here - yesterday we went

to an orphanage & yes…you guessed it, it was fun - i really hated leavn’ & afterwards, we went to a sugar cane village & played w/ the children -

there’s really so much to talk about but you really can’t put this experience into words, it just has to be experienced - this trip has really made me

grateful for what i have - & now it’s time for…some small messages to people very important to me — hey mom & dad, i know i called yall & evrythngs

but i really didn’t have much time to talk but i really don’t thnk that there’s much i can say…this really just can’t be put into words, it’s all almost like a

dream that frightens you, you understand it completely, but you just can’t explain it to anyone - i truly miss yall & i’m glad evrythngs goin so well up

there…haha of course it’s goin gewd, i’m not there - lol - yall have really been great parents & i wouldn’t trade havn’ yall in my lives for anything,

evrythng yall’ve done has made me who i am 2day, i don’t know if yall are so proud of me but i know i’m glad to be the person i am 2day, so i definately

have to thank yall — Miss Becky…oh my gewdness wut does it I have to say to you lil’ grl - i’m so sorry i missed yur dance recital 2night, but yur just

gonna have to watch the DVD w/ me - i love you baby girl…oh i mean big girl, accident - i hope yur knee is doin alot better & gets well soon; i’m so proud

of you bein such a big girl about gettn’ stitches - well, take care of yurself & look out for those mean ole’ bubbles — AyA, hmmm…now wut does it I

have to say to AyA… i just can’t thnk of anything to say to miss AyA - nah, i’m just kiddn’ - i’ve been missn’ it talkn’ to AyA while i’ve been down

here…you & all yur craziness - & i’ve let you down AyA… the evil lord of the sun has left his mark upon me… he’s branded me & i’ve turned red like an

apple…oh haha yes i know some apples are green, iight - thankyou miss smart triscuits - i really didn’t know that - hey hey…you got yur passport…yea i

know that’s old news but i want you dance and jump around like a lil’ school boy who just found out that he doesn’t have to go to europe anymore cus’

he wants to stay in the wonderful world of SC & hang out wid robkun -lol - yea that’s right i want you to jump around, come on… & if you hurt yurself

doin so, i’m sorry that i caused you to do that but i’ll just have to talk to you some later & tell you some more about my trip but i’m just lettn’ you know

that i miss you & i’ll talk to you soon — rachel, hey there missy - how’s it been rolln’ - it’s been awhile since i talked to you & i hope you’ve been stayn’

chill & outa trouble - which i know is’t true cus’ neither are you chill or any gewds at stayn’ outa trouble - lol - i’m just playn’ - don’t get all purple pants

on me - we’re gewd - i miss talkn’ to you & i can’t wait to tell you some more about my trip to the Dom. but i reckon it’ll have to waits - i talk to you just

as soon as i can - i really miss our long phone calls & it’s one of the thngs i’m lookn’ forward to when i come back - & come on…just count to five like THE

COUNT for me iight - i’m not even on the phone wid you…it’s fun - pssshh - lol - i can just picture you doin that & you look like such a silly lil’ grl - haha -

anyways - i’ll prolly talk to you monday, laters — CASEY pLUMMER no one finds yur remarks funny, iight - just chill - i’m sorry but i don’t appreciate yur

lude & vulgurness - lol - you can keep it, i’m gewd - & i hopes yall just been keepn’ the school rockn’ while i’ve been away - yall just can’t let em’ get to

comfortable w/ me gone - they don’t get to enjoy that until next year - whoop whoop we’re graduatn’ G - & then they ain’t gots to worry bouts us no

more - ily & miss evryone there - laters — Mal Mal what in the world are you talkn’ about - & don’t be dissn’ on my khakis iight - they are kewl & it’s

hot out hur…iight? - so leave it - & i’m not emo & if you listen to hannah montana yur just weirder than i thought you were but how am i surprised - lol -

ily grl & keep em’ all in check out thur - Karen…grrrr…aggravatn’ but i find myself enjoyn’ havn’ to deal wid - & yes i’m just havn’ a blast down here &

for as far as you know, no i am not burned so let it alone & i’ll deal wid you when i get back - oh & btw i hope you just have bunches & bunches of fun

after me, casey, & chase graduate - lol - CHASE bro’ wut’s ^ - & yes i did get the truck thankyou for telln’ me - hahaha - who’s the joke on now joker! -

when i get back man, we so have to go to indigo joes & where ever will says has gewd philly cheese cus’ i’m missn’ it, i am so havn’ philly cheese

withdrawls out hur but omg the food is really gewd, i mean really gewd - 2night we had these noodles that the cooks down here made & they are like

one of my favorite thngs in the world now - so yea they’re definately feedn’ me well but i’ll talk wids you again later - &&& if there’s anyone i missed

i’m sorry but i’ll make it up to when i get back but i really gotta end this thng cus’ it’s like super long - happy MAY 16 - haha i had to look at the date on

the computer cus’ i had no idea wut it was or wut day it is - totally lost track of the days down here -

Friday

Today was a day that was totally set aside for relaxation. We went to Catalina Island. I will let some of the students describe their experiences. Everyone is doing well. We had a little sunburn but nothing bad. We were all very careful because we remembered what happened to last years class. We are not really that tired. We have all slept well and the heat doesn’t seem to bad down here right now. There is almost always a cool breeze and the humidity has not been bad.

We are looking forward to being home soon. Keep up your prayers. I wil try to post some tonight and again tomorrow morning. We have some groups just coming and some leaving tonight, so right now there are a lot of people here that are sharing one internet connection and one phone.

More Thursday Pictures

Playing at the baseball field

Fresh coconut milk for the ride home

At the orphanage

Checking out the comments at the computer