This past summer, students had the chance to spend time with friends and family, many of whom went on vacation while others spent their days poolside, taking advantage of the California sun. While some students were taking advantage of the extra hours of sleep, others seized the opportunity to work with their church families and give up their relaxation time to help others around the world.

Over the course of two weeks, students from Bethany youth group, spent part of their summer vacation in the Dominican Republic, meeting new people and experiencing a different culture, all while sharing the gospel.

Bethany Mennonite Brethren (MB) composed a group of 18 people: 8 girls, 10 boys. They devoted their time to the youths of the Dominican Republic, focusing their attention on the children by teaching them the ABC’s and playing fun games with them. The group traveled through Students International, which has many different outreaches around the world.

Bethany youth pastor Jason Kinzle arranged the trip in order to stretch students’ world views and bring them out of their comfort zone. The trip changed many of the students’ perspective on life, he said.

“Bethany Church went to the Dominican Republic this summer to be the hands and feet of Christ,” Kinzle said. “We went to help aid missionaries who already lived in the community, so we helped with the long-term health of the community we served in simply by helping the missionaries. This trip gave many of the students a whole new perspective on life and helped shape their relationship with Christ.”

Campus seniors Jared Franz, Tynin Fries and junior Callista Fries all attended this trip. Tynin and Callista also brought their dad, David, on the trip with them. For the Fries sisters, this was their first time traveling outside the US.

“Being around a culture that is so expressive with their love for others, verbally and physically, was the biggest difference between the DR and the US,” Tynin said. “I am so thankful that my first time traveling abroad was one, with a missions trip; two, with my family; and three, to a culture that I loved.”

Once arriving on Student International’s base, the Bethany group, alongside two other churches, were divided into different site locations. Tynin and Callista served at different preschools, while Franz was placed at the men’s sport site, where they played baseball with young boys.

“Playing with the kids was the best,” Franz said. “They all beat me at baseball; they play surprisingly well. The culture and the people are so accepting, it doesn’t take much to get to know them. They are all open individuals.”

Tynin, found the culture captivating, and very distinct to that of the US. By traveling there, she was able to learn certain lessons she could bring back to America.

“The people are so verbal with their love for others, it was inspiring,” Tynin said. “It showed me that I had to be more appreciative, and loving to the people around me. The world in the DR is so different and that was a huge reality check for me.”

For Tynin, the way the culture treated time was the hardest aspect of traveling abroad. With a Type A personality, Tynin struggled at first with seemingly always being late.

“One of the most challenging things to get accustomed to was what they called ‘Dominican Time,'” Tynin said. “It basically was that they had no concept of being on time. They arrived when they arrived. If you scheduled to meet someone at noon, you could easily expect that they would be two hours late for the simple reason that they were having an important conversation. It was hard to adjust to that, since it drastically contrasted with the American way.”

For Franz, the most challenging part of the culture was the end of the trip, when he had to leave all his friends behind upon returning to Fresno.

“The most challenging thing about the trip was leaving,” Franz said. “Not only had I formed strong relationships with the other volunteers, but the kids I played baseball with. Even though my Spanish was very broken, we were still able to connect on a personal level. I still pray for Raul {Franz’s site leader} and the kids.”

Though Tynin had expected to be frustrated with the language barrier, she enjoyed being able to practice her Spanish skills that she had learned from two years of Spanish on campus. The trip actually inspired her to take another year of Spanish.

“For me, the language barrier was actually really fun,” Tynin said. “I had taken two years of Spanish, so I knew enough to get by. But I loved being able to attempt Spanish while they attempted English; both of us learning together to communicate. I signed up for Spanish III this year only because of my experience abroad.”

Cally and Tynin were set to work at the educational sites helping out with the schools and their students. Cally especially had a rememberable experience with a little boy named Ezekiel.

“At our site, in the Dominican Republic, we were able to work at a preschool for three and four year olds,” Cally said. “There was a kid named Ezekiel, his mother didn?t have interest in him, or care for him. His tongue was stuck to the bottom of his mouth, and because of it, his mom, went to go get it cut. He is unable to speak, and therefore can?t go to school.”

The impact of one kid, Ezekiel, had a lasting impact on Cally’s life. She says that she will always remember him in the years to come.

“Ezekiel was unable to learn the material,” Fries said. “He would just sit outside the school grounds and just look inside the classes. During the afternoon siesta, he would always come and join us. I wold go over to him and keep him company, and we would play games. Ezekiel was a special boy and touched my heart. He made my trip to the Dominican Republic memorable for me.”

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Editor’s note: The staff is having difficulty with uploading a Cooliris slideshow like in the past. Until we fix the problem, here is a link to The Feather’s Picasa album of the photos: Dominican Republic 2013 (19 PHOTOS).

For more features, read the Sept. 18 article, Drama gains new students, opportunities.