Constanza, Dominican Republic (Apr 2025) - Service Trip Recap
Dates: April 12 - 20, 2025
Location: Constanza, Dominican Republic
Our team set out to serve our partners Kids Alive DR in Constanza, Dominican Republic! The team traveled during Holy Week to participate in El Tiempo de Familia (Family Camp Week), a special time when children from various Kids Alive locations came together. Throughout the week, the team supported the children by leading games, practicing English through activity books, and organizing a variety of fun and engaging activities. They built strong connections as a team and with the children they served!
Read more about the daily happenings below! ⬇️
Day 1
The team had a big day of travel before making it to the DR! After a full day of flights and a few changes, our team made it to Santiago & Puerta Plata. 🇩🇴
From there, they united and made the drive to Constanza. On the way back, they tried some delicious cappuccinos. ☕️
They got to enjoy a dinner that was prepared for them of rice, chicken, vegetables, and plantains. After that, they did reflections of the day and settled in for the night to catch up on some much-needed rest! 💤
Day 2
The team started off the morning with a tour of the safe haven houses and the school 🏫
They then headed off to a beautiful waterfall where the team members did some cliff jumping! On the way back, they got to stop for some fresh “chinola”, or passion fruit. The team had lunch and were able to attend a church service held at the school. 🙌
Diego joined the rest of the team and they went to have dinner out together. Each of the girls got to try goat for the first time, and loved it! 🍽️
They ended the night by sorting through donations and going through reflections. A great first full day to get prepared before Family Camp! 💙
Day 3
The team started the day by helping the girl's basketball team with their drills during practice. They had a few great games with them after! 🏀
Then, they helped pitch tents and get everything set up for Family Camp with Kids Alive DR! The kids even got to help too - some, by grabbing fruit for them to try! ⛺️
After lunch, they had some time for activities with the kids doing chalk, bracelet making, cards, and coloring. 🖍️
They ended the day by playing many games of volleyball, soccer, and more basketball. Following dinner, they had a long night of Bingo with all of the attendees and even had our own winner - a team captain! 🙌
Day 4
The team started off the day by joining the kids in breakout groups discussing the message from the night before, about renewal through the Word of God. They then had a full morning of playing outside with the kids and taking a hike with the older safe haven kids back to the waterfall where they got a new view from the top! ⛰️
They joined the rest of the kids back at the safe haven for a delicious lunch and spent the afternoon playing more outdoor games, multiple exciting games of volleyball and soccer, and ending with UNO and bubbles. After dinner, the team joined everyone for chapel, where the kids from each safe haven location performed Holy Week themed skits or dances and listened to a message. 🎤
Then, everyone gathered around a big bonfire where they drank hot chocolate and roasted marshmallows! The team ended the night back at the Team House with reflections and planning for the next day. 🙌
Day 5
The group played with the kids all morning in different age groups. The older ones played Capture the Flag and the younger ones learned a variety of group games. After that, there was even a competition including group leaders! 🙌
During lunch, prizes were given out to teams that had won the most games. When the celebrations ended, it was time to say goodbye to the guests from camp to go back to their home locations. 🚌
When camp was over, the team headed to a local cafe for a meeting with Kids Alive DR. They got to learn more in-depth about their programs and how they help the community. Camp was great and there were amazing connections made with the kids! 🇩🇴
Day 6
The morning after Family Camp was spent a little slower, with a visit to a nearby coffee shop! The group took the opportunity to explore the surrounding area. 🍵
Our team went to a nearby “barrio”, or neighborhood in a more poverty-stricken area, and met a local family. They brought donations and prayed with them. The family and team got to sit and learn about each other's lives. 💙
Next, they visited the 'Divino Niño' monument, a statue of Jesus on the top of a mountain. It is especially popular to visit during Holy Week and holds significant historical importance in Constanza. 🙏
The afternoon was filled with various games with the safe haven kids, English lessons using learning books, and another round of Capture the Flag. Finally, the team ended the night by going to a popular ice cream place—Bon! 🍦
Day 7
The final full day in Constanza! The team started with a morning of helping the girls' basketball team with their practice. They had a couple games after and all did great together! 🏀
Then it was time for the Easter egg hunt with all of the kids. They had a blast finding the eggs in some challenging spots. It was a fun time for everyone and they got to have some delicious treats! 🥚
Before lunch, they spent time at each of the group homes with the children. Using the activity books, they practiced English one-on-one and taught the houses how to use them. They had lunch with the families, then donated the books. It was a very helpful gift from Listos Learning and the kids loved them! 📚
After saying goodbye to the safe haven kids, it was time to wind down the day as a team. They spent some time at a strawberry field where they got to enjoy some different strawberry treats, go picking, and learn about the agricultural history in Constanza. 🍓
Day 8
The day began early as everyone loaded up their luggage and hit the road. Their first stop was Santiago, where they dropped Diego off at the airport. After heartfelt goodbyes, the group continued on to Puerto Plata to check in for the day. ✈️
Once settled, the team enjoyed lunch together with a few additional guests who joined them. It was a meaningful time of fellowship, sharing memories from the service trip week in Constanza and flipping through photos from the trip. 🩵
Later, they relaxed on the beautiful beach and soaked up some downtime at the resort before gathering again for dinner. The evening included post-trip reflections, where everyone shared their personal experiences from the journey. 🌞
To close out the day, video testimonials were filmed - and they even had a surprise guest! One of the local dogs happily tagged along, joining in on the fun with the team. 📷
We are so thankful for this team’s amazing hearts for service and the sharing of their personal gifts as they interacted with the many students this week. We hope you enjoyed the daily recaps from this wonderful week in the Dominican Republic!
