Final Update:  We are home!

Friends, thank you all so much for your prayers!  We are home!  We left Punta Cana yesterday at 9:00 am and finally made it back to our home at 1:30 am.  What a shock to leave 90 degree weather and to walk out of the airport into the frigid Ohio air!  We had to clear off 4 inches of snow from our car with a flashlight, since we forgot to put a scraper in our car!!  But we are home, and it was a very short night, as we were all up and moving again by 6:30 to head off to work and school and practices. Bedtime will be early tonight!

It was an amazing trip, both the mission part and the family time.  We were able to fully debrief and talk about how we saw God working in Moca with the church and Heidy and Daniel.  There is a chance our teens will be going back for a mission trip this summer with the youth, and they have both expressed a desire to return. If you have never been on a mission trip, we highly encourage you to give one a try.  Reach out to one of us to find out when those trips are happening with our church, or seek out an opportunity to join a church in your area.  God is doing amazing things all around us.

Please continue to pray for the ministries in Moca. Heidy and Daniel are missionaries who are still in need of funding to continue the great work they are doing in the schools and with the churches. If you are interested in learning more about their work and how you can help, please reach out to us.  We would love to talk to you about what God is doing through them! 

DAY 7:  Goodbye Moca and friends

Today we said our goodbyes, and it was bittersweet, especially with Daniel, Heidy, and little Daniela. We know it was a busy week in Moca, but also we shared time and got to know them a little better. We spoke a good mix of Spanglish, which was great for our kiddos to relate and understand more about what is going on.  Angie made a great breakfast with what we had  left in the kitchen (ham, cheese and egg sandwiches),  and then we finished the packing process. We decided to leave some of the food items we had purchased with Heidy and Daniel as we departed, since it would be hard travel with them. At 10:30 we left the apartment and went to their house to say goodbye to them.  After prayer and hugs, we were off on a 4 hour journey to our next destination for family time.  

We are happy to report that we made it to our location safely due to Hans' newfound aggressive driving!  Watch out Findlay, he will be back soon!  It was a beautiful but stressful drive.  We will be grateful to return to the U.S. where traffic signals not only exist but are followed. (Most of the time.)

Thank you for all of you who have been following our adventures and praying for us.  We truly appreciate it.  We may not be updating each day now, but we are hoping that we can continue to have Gospel conversations with others during our time here as a family.  This is also a time for us to spend some quality time with our kids and debrief about our trip and what is in their hearts after our experiences.  We understand there may be a slight (50 degree) difference in temperatures between us and the midwest, but we wish you a very Happy and safe Thanksgiving.  There will be no turkey here this year.  Thanksgiving dinner may be fish and shrimp by the pool!

We are grateful for your friendship, your support, and your prayers.  Many of you have helped with supplies and resources that were give to our missionaries in Moca.  Already today, Daniel and Heidy have begun delivering the school supplies and church supplies.  Rest assured they are much appreciated and will be used to the glory of God.  God bless you!

DAY 6:  El Ultimo Dia en Moca

Today was our last full day in Moca.  After a breakfast of fried plantains (a favorite of the kids), we headed to Heidy and Daniel's to pick them up.  

We drove downtown through very busy and narrow streets trying to find a free parking spot, so we decided to pull into an small mall and go be customers of a coffee shop, where we indulged in some Dominican Coffee, some pastries, and Frappuccino's for the older kids. Everywhere is decorated for Christmas and English Christmas songs were playing in the shops.  It felt very weird, since to us it feels like summer instead of Christmastime.  

After we finished our coffee, we walked a few blocks to visit some of their sites, monuments, and museums.  We went to a street they have that is painted with 3D art so when you take a picture on it, it looks like it's real.  You can see some of our pictures below.  The kids thought it was pretty cool.  Then we went to a museum about how Moca was the center for overthrowing one of the Dominican dictators.  The kids didn't understand everything, but we were able to see some very old and cool artifacts.  For lunch we went to a local pizza restaurant.  We ordered both a pepperoni pizza and a bacon pizza, and it was very good.  The kids were glad for some familiar food for a change.

This afternoon we went to another local school near the church, and we were able to do Bible lessons with a 1st and 2nd grade class and a 3rd and 4th grade class.  At this school the kids came up and really wanted to talk with our kids, asking them all kinds of questions. Some were trying to practice English they had learned, and others wanted to know if we knew of certain states where relatives lived.  They were very curious if we had snow where we lived and how cold it was.  Many of them gave fist bumps and hugs as we left.  After that we decided to drive to the construction site for the new Baptist Church, this time to see the construction materials that were just dropped off and how they are starting to put together the metal structures that will be used for the concrete columns with rebar. There will be a person that spends the night there each night guarding the supplies.

Later in the early evening, we traveled to another location called El Soledad 2 to do a Bible lesson with a very small group of kids. It took us about 20 minutes to get to the location, and as we went, the roads began to get smaller and bumpier, and the houses were more run down.  Eventually we had to park the car and walk up to the place we were to meet.  The area is very poor, with many small shack like homes.  It is an area that has been populated by many Haitians who have come seeking refuge from their country. This is a location where they do a Tuesday night service  in the middle of the street, with the people sitting on plastic chairs and the pastor standing on a mound of dirt on the other side of the road. Motorcycles and people pass right through the service, but it continues.  There is a very small group that meets there, but they are people who may not have the mobility or transportation to get to the church.  It was humbling to see the living conditions, especially for our kids.

One cool thing about the children's lesson was that a few kids went to go round up more kids to come join us, and they were very excited to hear the story and participate in the songs.  One girl was at the school we attended today, but she came to listen again.  What was very cool is that she is a young Haitian girl, but her Spanish is very good.  She encouraged her older Haitian neighbor and young child to come down.  When we were explaining about how Jesus cleans our heart of sin, she was able to share the lesson in Creole with the young mother who didn't speak Spanish.  Through this young girl who decided to come see us again, Gospel seeds were planted.  Heidy and Daniel will continue to go and work with the people in this area weekly.

This evening we had a dinner of whatever was leftover in our refrigerator and began the packing for leaving tomorrow.  We are sad to be leaving Moca and the people here.  It is wonderful to see a church with a mindset that is very similar to ours, as they are reaching out and working the harvest.  Please continue to be in prayer for Heidy and Daniel and the Moca church as they minister to the city of Moca.  There are very few Bible teaching churches and over 160,000 people.  The harvest is ripe, and they are working. 

DAY 6:  La Bandera Dominicana

This morning after picking up Heidy and Daniel, we were at another school to work with 3 more classes.  This time we worked with kids in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade.  Our kids were much more involved this time.  They felt more comfortable than Friday, as we have been in the country for longer and they knew what to expect.  The lesson was still on Cain and Abel, but there was more discussion about the Gospel in these older grades.  This time we sang 4 songs with each class, and the kids were right up front leading and singing along!  There was also a time for games outside on a patio, which the kids also enjoyed.  Ian acted out the part of Cain and Caleb acted out the part of Abel.  Overall, it was a great experience, and we will go to one more school tomorrow with Heidy and Daniel.  

After the school, Heidy wanted to cook us the Bandera de Dominicana (a dish named after the Dominican flag due to the colors of the food) so we went to the market to purchase the supplies.  Everyone came back to our apartment, where several intense rounds of UNO were played as the cooking took place.  This traditional dish consists of beans (the red in the flag), rice (the white of the flag), and the meat (which represents the blue).  It is also accompanied by fried plantains, a salad, and avocado.  The food was soo delicious.  Ian said it was the best food we have had here so far!  

After eating, Hans and I spent some time talking with Heidy and Daniel about the details of their ministry and their needs (which we would love to share with any of you at our return).  They are not only working with the kids in the schools, but also in charge of a couples ministry at the church, as well as helping with all the groups that come in to work with the church.  Kira and Caleb played with their daughter Daniela, who cried when it was time to leave today, even though we were going to see her in the evening. Daniel invited Hans to go to a discipleship opportunity with a family in the other side of town where he shares about the gospel this a man and his family.

After a time of rest this afternoon, we went to dinner at the Pastor (Moca's Baptist Church) Henry and his wife Juanita's house.  They barbequed chicken and ribs, which we ate with yucca, avocado, and cassava bread.  We had plenty of time for conversation and fellowship and thoroughly enjoyed the delicious food.  

Tomorrow is our last day here in Moca, and it is hard to believe we have been gone for almost a week already.  It has been an amazing time here seeing the mission work that Heidy and Daniel are doing, as well as the work of the church here in Moca.  We have felt nothing sincere love and hospitality from all our brothers and sisters, and we are sad to be leaving them on Wednesday.  We will spend our last day here with Heidy and Daniel working at the school and seeing some of the sights around town. 

Enjoy the pics of all our delicious food today! The kids enjoyed every bit of it, even Caleb, who isn't always fond of new foods.

DAY 5:  Dia de la iglesia (church)

We got up early this morning to get ready for church.   First we went to a church in a town called Salcedo, which is about 20 - 30 minutes away from Moca.  It is the church that the group of men from Living Hope helped construct a roof for last October.  The service was very small with only about 15 people there, but the worship was good.  We sang songs from a hymnal.  Caleb especially noticed that the people here sing loudly when they worship, which he says is good because they are praising to God.  Daniel preached a sermon on The Prodigal Son.  After that service was over, we drove back to the Moca church to their service.  We were invited up to the front to be introduced, and we had a good service (but very long according to the kids.)

After talking with and greeting many of the church members, we headed back to the apartment to have lunch.  Hans cooked up rice, yucca, smoked sausages, and a salad.  It was delicious, and then we all chose different ways to rest.  Caleb and Kira went to the pool for a while, Angie and Ian watched the Colts and Chiefs game, and Hans took a nap.  It was wonderful to be able to rest and spend time together as a family today.

This evening we watched a movie together, had dinner, and played cards.  Our after dinner treat was ice cream that was leftover from yesterday's meeting.  Now we are wrapping things up and heading to bed, as we are going to be up early tomorrow to head to another school with Heidy and Daniel.

One of the most wonderful things was being able to worship together despite our language barrier.  Many of our songs today were easily recognizable in English, such as Holy, Holy, Holy and Nothing but the Blood of Jesus.  Our kids did a much better job talking to people today and greeting others.  Ian even held a 5 minute conversation with another young man on his own in Spanish.  He says it's his new high score!  Overall, it was a very peaceful and relaxing day spend with brothers and sisters in Christ.

DAY 4:  Seminar day

We woke up around 9:30 am, Hans woke up thinking we were missing something but after a quick WhatsApp text with Daniel, we realized that we had the morning to ourselves. We had a nice breakfast that included sweet papaya, and then Hans left towards the grocery store at 11 am and due to terrible traffic did not return until 1 pm.  He dropped off the groceries and went to Heidy's house to pick up a homemade remedy for Angie who was struggling with a sore throat.  (Said remedy was a syrup of onions, garlic, lemon juice, and honey.  Not recommended for taste, but does work for sore throat.)

Lunch consisted of a rotisserie chicken with and plantains that Ian had hand-picked up from the store. The afternoon activities came fast enough around 3:30, we left to pick up Heidy and dropped her as well as Angie and Kira at the church for the Sunday School Seminar that Angie had prepared for. Hans picked up Daniel and Daniella (daughter), Ian and Caleb to visit the construction site for the new church, as well they drove to one of the schools they will visit next Tuesday. From there they went to get ice cream, but Hans had the brilliant idea that it would be cheaper to buy two big containers of tricolor/flavor ice-cream and bring it back to the chuch to share with everyone there as well.  It was a hit as everyone cheered - perhaps not as much as Ian and Caleb, that were hoping for ice-cream much earlier. However, they cannot complain, we stopped by a food truck and got 'empanadas' of different flavors (chicharron, chicken, pizza) and several natural fruit juices. 

When the men arrived to the church, the seminar was still in session, and we had to wait an eternity (from Ian and Caleb's perspective) - until the seminar wrapped up. Hans made sure they knew the ice cream was waiting for them to hurry up!  ;)

The seminar was for the Sunday School teachers at the church.  Angie prepared and gave a presentation all in Spanish to help them with creating lessons that are engaging and interactive, as well as strategies for teaching a mixed age classroom.  Right now there are about 10 ladies who lead the Sunday School class at the church, and their students range from ages 3 - 9.  This can make it difficult to engage all ages so strategies were taught and practiced by the women.  The women had all brought treats to share, and the guys showed up with ice cream which made everyone happy.

We finished the night inviting Daniel and Heidy to our place for dinner.  This gave Angie an opportunity to show them the school supplies and other gospel tools we brought for them to share with the church and the schools they work in.  It also allowed us to get to know them a little more as we were able to just spend time talking instead of going and doing things. We also played three rounds of UNO, and we quickly realized that Heidy is very competitive, just as Angie is. 

The kids spent the rest of the evening checking homework online and reading books. Days are going fast and are full of action, but we are enjoying being able to witness the body of Christ here in Moca.

Tomorrow will be a day of different church services, as we are visiting 2 churches in the area.  Pray for patience for our kids as they will probably not understand all that is happening during the services and for Angie's health to be restored.  She does not want to have to take more doses of the homemade remedy!

DAY 3:  My Cup Overflows

We woke up early this morning to have breakfast together and go over our plan for the day.  Our family was invited to join with Daniel and Heidy as they visited a school to share a Bible Lesson with a couple of classes.  This is one of several public schools that are allowing them to come in to share about the Bible, God, and Jesus frequently.   The majority of these children have heard of God and the Bible but it is more of a cultural thing than a true relationship with God.   The administration of the school was very welcoming and happy to have us there and accompanied us to each classroom.

Our first classroom was a group of preschoolers about age 5.  Heidy and Daniel led the students in 2 songs, teaching them with repetition and motions to help them learn.  Then Heidy told the Bible story of Cain and Abel with a focus on guarding your heart from anger and jealousy becoming sin.  The students were then taught the Bible verse Proverbs 4:23, "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." Heidy said that this lesson was very important for the students as the school had been having quite a few behavior problems with anger as a root.  After the Bible verse, we did a craft with the students.  God shows himself in funny ways.  Hans and I took some crafts down, but we were not sure if any of them would be useful.  It turns out that the Rainbow Scratch off hearts that we brought were a perfect craft for today's lesson.  We were able to tie it together for the kids explaining that the sin in our lives causes our heart to be in darkness, but that when we invite Jesus in, he gets rid of the darkness.  They had never seen the scratch art before, so it was fun to watch them experience it!

The next three classrooms were 1st graders, 2nd graders, and 3rd graders. Heidy and Daniel led the songs, but this time, Hans and I told the story, while the kids acted out the parts of Cain and Abel.  Ian, Kira, and Caleb were all part of the sharing, passing things out, acting out the Bible Story, and singing the songs with the motions. Our kids were able to learn the songs in Spanish along with the kids in the school.  One of the songs we sang included the phrase, "Si mi copa rebosa de amor" which translates to "If my cup overflows with love."  That was an perfect title for today's experience in the schools.  You could see the love Daniel and Heidy have for sharing about Jesus with these kids.  You could see the enjoyment of the kids in having them in their classroom.  Many kids recognized them as they walked by and waved or said hi, asking if they were coming to their class today.  

My heart was also overflowing today as I watched my kiddos interact and help lead the songs and activities.  It was a joy to do this together as a family, and we will be going to more schools on Monday and Tuesday to do similar things. The kids also noticed some similiarities between school here in the Dominican Republic and in Peru.  For instance, the children all wear uniforms, and they stand when greeting adults and don't sit down until the adult asks them to do so.  Also, as is common in Peru, there are not hallways, as all the classrooms open to the outside.  The kids have a small area to play and have recess, which included a small soccer field.

After dropping Heidy and Daniel back at home, we headed to have lunch as a family and then to visit Jumbo, the grocery store.  The kids enjoyed walking around and looking at all the different options.  We purchased several coconuts, which my kids love to drink the water from.  The kids also were able to choose some snacks and some different drink options.  Ian and I have discovered that we really like passion fruit juice, which they call "chinola".  The biggest thrill of the store was the avocado we purchased that was only a bit smaller than Hans' head.  It cost only 50 cents!!!  You can see it in the picture down below.

This afternoon was a time of rest.  We had been traveling for 48 hours straight and got right to work this morning, so we were exhausted by this afternoon.  The whole family ended up taking naps, most of us sleeping for 4 hours or more.  Hans went with Daniel this evening to a church service at a home group about 20 minutes across town.  This is a way for some of the people on the other side of town to gather together when they don't have the mobility to travel to the church.  The kids and I hung around the apartment this evening.  I was putting some final touches on my seminar that I am giving tomorrow afternoon for the Sunday School teachers, and the kids enjoyed some free time.  

Continue to pray for safety and blessings as we meet and talk with people who aren't used to seeing "gringos" around their town!

(PS: Hans does not think of himself as a "gringo", but he looks like one anyway, until he speaks to people.)

DAY 2:  Are we there yet? 

Today the alarm went off at 3:30 am, and it was much more difficult to get everyone up and moving.  We were checked out of the hotel, shuttled to the airport and through security by 5:00 am.  After a quick breakfast, we loaded up onto our plane for the trip to Punta Cana.  This was uneventful, and we arrived into the hot and humid Dominican by noon.  Then began the "Are we there yet?" questions.  In the long line for immigration.  As we waited for our rental car.  And as we drove on our way to Moca.

Bless Hans for successfully getting us to Moca.  It was a 4 hour journey, and I think his knuckles were white the entire time.  Hans has been driving in the US for about 20 years, but this was a whole different game.  Cars everywhere, no turn signals, motorbikes weaving in and out of traffic.  We even had to stop on a road and wait for a guy to herd about 20 cows across the road.  At one time, we had a semi, our car, another car, a motorbike, and a horse all fighting for the same lane on the road.  Let me tell you, the Semi won!  All in all, it was an interesting experience that took about 10 years off both of our lives!  The kids were so tired that they were able to sleep through some of it,  but also enjoyed seeing the ocean, the mountains, and the differences in the way of life! (Although if you ask them, they would tell you we almost died a couple of times.  So not true!)

We were able to stop along the way at a cute little restaurant and eat.  Ian enjoyed a dish of pasta with squid, octopus, and shrimp, while the rest of us enjoyed food that was a bit less exotic.

Our car finally pulled into the air bnb parking lot at about 7:15, and Hans may or may not have kissed the ground when he got out! :). Daniel (local pastor), Heidy (his wife), and little Daniela (their daughter) met us for dinner at a popular restaurant, and we enjoyed a time of fellowship, planning, and trying local cuisine.  Hans, Kira, and Caleb all ate chicharron (fried pork belly), while Ian tried the famous Moca dish of Mofongo.  Mofongo is made with unripe plantains that are fried and then smashed, shaped, mixed with a protein and covered with cheese.  Everyone tasted everything, and it was decided that chicharron was the favorite.

We did a quick stop at a grocery store (not unlike Walmart) to pick up some breakfast items for tomorrow, and then it was off to get showers and rest.  We have had 2 incredibly long days of travel, but we are excited for tomorrow morning, as we will be heading to a school to share a Bible lesson with 3 different classrooms.  

Thank you for all of your prayers.  Please keep them coming!  Pray that we will not get sick, that Hans continues to drive well and without accident, and that the hearts of the children will be open to hear the Bible story tomorrow!  Goodnight from Moca, where it is a balmy 75 degress, but feels like 88.  Thank goodness we have AC in our rooms!

DAY 1:  Let the Journey Begin!  

Today the alarm went off at 3:00 am, and none of us was particularly excited to wake up.  However, the idea of being in the Dominican by the late afternoon got us all moving.  We were out the door and on our way by 4:00 am.  Our trip to Columbus was uneventful, and we made it easily through check in and security.  After grabbing a quick (but expensive) breakfast, we discovered that our flight was delayed due to mechanical issues.  At first, it didn't seem to be a problem because it was only a few minutes, but then it became an hour, and then two.  This meant that we would not be able to make our connecting flight in Miami to fly to Punta Cana.  

We quickly hopped in line for help, and we were met by the same lady that helped us check in!  Laila did everything she could for us, but we will not be making it to the Dominican Republic today.  Instead, she rerouted us to Charlotte, where we will spend the night at a hotel and fly out early tomorrow morning for Punta Cana.  Since we were planning to stay there tonight anyway, we should still be arriving in Moca tomorrow at about the same time we were planning.  (Lord willing.)

Hans and I have done enough mission trips and traveling to know better than to pray for no problems to arrive.  Instead, as we left on our journey this morning, Ian prayed for us in the car, and we asked that all problems that arise would be easily solved.  We have been able to see God's hand in our trip through this speed bump.  Having Laila up at desk to help us both when checking in and when changing our flights was wonderful.  It is not easy to find empty seats on flights that are usually overbooked for even 1 person, let along our family of 5.  She was very patient and kind with us, and we were able to share with her a bit about our mission work.  She had mentioned that she was having a lot of pain today, so we assured her that we would pray for her.  She was grateful for this.

Another way we see God at work is that despite the plane being delayed, our flights are being changed for free, and we are receiving a voucher for a hotel tonight, as the delay was due to mechanical issues.  Had it been delayed for weather, we would have been on our own.  We are also quite lucky in that we were able to adjust our plans in Punta Cana and not be out too much for the night we were supposed to stay there.  

Hans also has a friend in Charlotte who used to work with him at Marathon, and we are meeting up with him tonight for dinner (Peruvian Restaurant) and a tour of downtown.

All in all, this isn't quite the start we had planned, but it is the start that God has given us.  Continue to pray that we are able to stay flexible and open to His will. (and for our plane tomorrow not have anymore delays!). 

Late update: We made it to Charlotte (NC) and we were able to connect with Hans' dear friend and former work colleague (Rick Moore) - we had a great dinner together at a Peruvian restaurant called (Viva Chicken).

BACKGROUND:

The Vargas Family (Hans, Angie, Ian , Kira, and Caleb) are traveling this November to the Dominican Republic as part of their family 2025 mission trip. Hans was part of the 2024 October trip to Moca  as part of a contruction men's crew.

This time the Vargas will be working in Moca with the local Church reaching out to 5 local public schools to share gospel-centered activities, working along side with the church leaders there. Angie was also asked to conduct a training for church ladies who lead Sunday school classes. The kids will be participating along side in all activities and practicing their Spanish.

DO YOU WANT TO HELP?

• Any financial support will be exclusively used for supporting the needs and supplies of the local ministry with schools and sunday school (the Vargas family has already taken care of their own travel expenses).

• The Moca team has expressed their desire to have a printer, a tablet, and a projector for their work with the schools. This is besides the materials we will needs for the activities with the school children.

  •  For that reason, if you would like to donate money, please contact us about sending a check,cash, or Venmo; we will report back during and after the trip via this blog. 

  • Contact Angie Vargas via text: 765.242.4081, email: angievargas1981@gmail.com, or Venmo: @angievargas1981