SOSUA BY THE SEA

I am one of those who would gladly live on the seashore, given half a chance.  Walking the beach. Snorkeling.  Hunting for shells.  Listening to the waves.  Enjoying seafood.

So these past five days were fully therapeutic.  We joined all the other OMS missionaries for a retreat in the town of Sosua along the northern coast of the Dominican Republic.  It took the better part of a day to get there and the better part of a day to get back, but the three days in between were so incredibly sweet.

We traveled in the large van with the Aberles and their kids.  It took Sam just an hour and a half or so to get us to the border, but then it seemed to take forever to work out all the details for our group to actually get from the Haitian side to the Dominican.

But once across, Sam made a beeline for the nearest ice cream shop. It turns out there are a lot of things you can get in the DR that you just can't find in Haiti, including reasonably priced ice cream.

Back on the road, Cammie had the unenviable job of holding Hannah's laptop in the right position for the kids to watch a movie - we still had several hours to go yet.

Once we arrived at the hotel, we quickly determined that the view alone would make the trip worth every minute of travel.

But when we saw the buffet, it was LOVE.  And EVERY MEAL was a buffet.

 
ALL of the missionaries enjoyed the buffet.  I can't tell you how many hours in an average week our family spends in fixing meals (where everything is made from scratch) and then hand-washing every plate, glass, pan and fork afterwards.  To have food cooked by someone else and then to be cleaned up after - it was a beautiful and refreshing part of the retreat.





Not to mention the fact that the buffet often included pans FULL of foods we just can't get easily (or at all) from week to week back home. 

Here's Ethan's first serving of bacon on Sunday morning.  He even wore his special bacon-eating shirt for the occasion.

Each morning and afternoon the adults gathered in one room for discussions led by some friends of OMS who came just to minister to us for a few days.  We were blessed by Craig and Deb coming to share their insight and counsel.



And while the adults met in one room, the kids enjoyed lessons and crafts and games with new friends Bex and Elisa in another room.

They had a blast.

 

 

The kids were especially excited about the part where they got to make their own tie-dyed shirts.

 

 

 

When we weren't eating or in a session, there were plenty of other things to do.

 

Like Swimming in the pool.

 

 

Or playing in the waves.

 



 

Or just soaking in the beauty of God's creation.

 

 

 

 

 

There are other aspects of our retreat I could go on and on about - air conditioned rooms, "Banana Mama" drinks, and a store "like a Wal-Mart" - but you get the idea.  It was a wonderful few days all the way around and we returned home feeling rejuvenated. 

With the strength God provides, we are eagerly anticipating the next few months.  March will bring our first visitors. (Yay!) April will bring a small team from our church. (Yahoo!) And May will bring the end of the school year.  (!!)

Early in June, God  willing, we will be back in the States.  We are hoping to fill up our summer calendar with visits and preaching and sharing our experiences.  Please let us know if you or your church would be willing to put us on YOUR calendar! (Email me at steve_gross@juno.com or track us down on Facebook.)