Outdoor education is a special experience for the students at Doulos Discovery School. Every student who attends Doulos from Pre K-3 to 12th grade will have spent around 900 hours of their education in the Outdoors of the D.R. Over the last couple of weeks, I was able to go on two trips: one with the Eleventh Grade and another with the Sixth grade. Aside from enjoying the smores, mosquitoes, mud, waterfalls and many games, I was able to see first-hand how the Lord used many aspects of our time to create gospel opportunities.
Awareness of our World
Each semester of every grade is tied to a specific expedition topic. Through this, we challenge our students to critically think about the multiple, complex issues of a topic, all run through a gospel lens. This semester, the eleventh grade expedition topic is Cafecito (Cup of coffee). One of the strands of this expedition is studying coffee’s journey from it’s branches in the mountains of the D.R. (see right) to the cup of coffee that many of you are enjoying this very second. Our students were able to spend two days in the fields, experiencing the initial process that takes place on a 400 acre coffee plantation. Our students were able to interact with the workers, hearing their stories as they picked coffee beans alongside them. These women described their plight of making hardly any money, and working difficult hours, yet through that all, they were content with their life because at least it was something.
These experiences brought a new perspective for all of our students. Some students who live in their own poverty situations met individuals for the first time that had even less than them. Teachers and students discussed how the brokenness of this world allows such a discrepancy between living conditions, and how amidst a life with little to no hope, these women were still content. We also talked about why God allows the “hard” of this world and how hope does not come from better working conditions or a fair pay, but with Christ and Christ alone.
Relational Building
One of the aspects that many of our teachers credit as their favorite parts of Outdoor Education is getting to engage students outside of their normal element. Playing games until 11:00, T.P.ing the boy’s cabin with some of the girls (allegedly), hikes, dish duty, and rat attacks at three o’clock in the morning are all a part of the bonding and memories from time in the wilderness at Outdoor Education trips. For myself and the rest of the staff at Doulos, building relationships is not just about getting to know students and having a fun time, but is about carving pathways to bring students to God’s kingdom and helping students navigate life as a Seeker of Christ. One way that I was able to do it was with a 6th grader named Selina. Selina, “Hates nature, hates hiking, hates mosquitoes, and only wanted her bed, Netflix, and Takis.” Knowing that she would take forever to hike if left to her own devices, I made sure she was my “personal hiking buddy” for every part of the trip that was more than 8 steps in the woods.
All together, we got to spend about six hours together talking about everything and anything that would be on a sixth graders mind: How “The floor is Lava” can actually be made into an entire Netflix series, the best Cheesecake in Jarabacoa, Bad Bunny v/s Daddy Yankee, why numbers should not have letters like X and Y, and many other topics. Through that though, I was able to pipe in some deep heart conversations: where her walk with the Lord is, how she is dealing with difficult family situations, which friends are being Godly influences on her, which ones are not, the intentionality of God in his creation of nature, and other topics. This is one of the many ways that God provided opportunities for myself, and other Doulos leaders, to speak into the lives of numerous students and pour out the love of Christ into them.
Captive Audiences Immersed in His Beauty
God perfectly uses special times of sharing to powerfully speak into the lives of people. I was able to witness this through the staff-led devotions for both groups. During our time with the 11th graders, all the leaders gave a powerful round-table discussion on the importance of being equally yoked and the beauty that comes from having a significant other and eventually a spouse that shares the same Christian beliefs and values, and in contrast, the struggles that come with falling in love with someone with contrasting values. In the D.R., deep relational talks are rarely had amongst families, even in Christian circles. Many high schoolers have said that the only message they get from their parents is how to stay strong WHEN your spouse leaves you or cheats on you. So to have a group of four adults, all in Christ-Centered marriages, speaking about God’s design for marriage was a beautiful thing.
With the sixth graders, our topic was “Beautifully Made.” I was able to lead a bible devotion (see campfire above) on Jeremiah 1. I focused on how God’s calling with Jeremiah was:
- Intentional– God knew him in the womb and before he was born, he was consecrated to be a prophet to the nations.
- While he was a youth– Jeremiah was unsure because he was only a youth.
- Certain despite Jeremiah’s uncertainty of his abilities– The first words out of Jeremiah’s mouth were doubts.
- Full of God’s grace and guidance through the tough– Jeremiah 1 ends with God stating how the path of God will be tough, but the Lord is with Jeremiah and the Lord will deliver him.
I ended the talk with the realization that for those that have accepted Christ, his calling on your life has already started; you don’t get to wait until you are 18. And for those that had not accepted Christ, I stressed that there is no benefit to waiting, that life with Jesus is above anything they could imagine, and if they have not accepted Jesus, find a trusted adult to talk to about what questions or strongholds they had.
Outdoor Education week is a truly powerful time for all Doulos students. Getting to explore nature provides so many pathways for the Gospel to be real, and for the Lord to work in the hearts of the students we came to serve. The four of us feel blessed to get to participate in this special aspect of ministry here in the D.R. and we are immensely grateful, as always, that your partnership allows us to be a conduit of His love and His hands and feet here in Jarabacoa.