Catalina Island - Last day

We ended our more than eventful trip to the lovely Dominican Republic with a day of discovery. Not only did we discover things about this amazing country (such as the underwater wildlife and the beauty of Catalina Island), we also discovered things about each other that brought us all together as one. Although we did not technically minister to a specific group of people today, we spent the day ministering to one another and going from a basketball team to a brotherhood in the midst of God's beauty. Our trip to Catalina Island began when the boat made a stop about half way to the island to allow us to snorkel and jump from the top of the double-deck boat. The whole team spent time in the water and the highlight of the stop was the amazing shots captured by Craig, the team doctor, of players jumping from the top of the boat and posing. Christyan Devan was seen posing as a boxer with David Fernandez and even Jordan Martz took a leap from the top of the boat. After the short stop to enjoy the beautiful coral reef, the boat took us to our destination for the day, Catalina Island. We spent most of the day enjoying the beauty and playing volleyball, highlighted by an India vs. United States clash. The United States took the game in straight sets. Most of the team then went to the other side of the island to cliff dive while some stayed behind and enjoyed the sun. After a beautiful day at the beach, the boat made its way back to the mainland and we began our trek back to the Score complex for the last time. During devotions, we, as a unit, began to open up to one another and explain that this trip was one of the most beneficial things we could have done. Not only did we get to minister and impact the people of the DR, we, as a unit, also felt impacted by the people we were here to help. Many of the guys shared laughs and compassionate stories that involved the wonderful children here and just how much they had impacted us. We came here to share the word of God to these people and try and make an impact on their lives, little did we know that the people of this nation would give us all something that we could take back with us: a renewed appreciation for the God we all serve. These people have nothing, yet they are proud of everything they own and the God that they serve. We should all be so fortunate to have a mindset like the people of the Dominican Republic. The trip was beyond a success. One filled with timeless memories and moments that will define our team for a long time. We came here a basketball team and left here a band of brothers.