Pirates in the Dominican

Well, in order for me to access my old blog, I need to be able to access my old bethel account which I no longer have access to, so I will now be posting new blogs here. If you wish to check any old blogs...  http://jessg8s.blogspot.com

Well, its Friday! My favorite part of this past weekend was going to a birthday party with my best friends here.  We all dressed up as pirates.  On our way home, we drove through the park (the cool place to be on a Sunday night) and blasted “Friday” by Glee.  We are so cool.  The grand finale was all putting our arms out the window and as Maggie chanted UP! DOWN! UP! DOWN! we actually lifted the car off the ground and flew home.  Great times in the DR.  Below is a pic of my roomates (minus one).  I love them so much. 

Besides defying gravity, there is some other news.  Our team is now officially in the process of getting ready to go to the states in the summer of 2012.  But before continuing, let me tell you why we are doing this trip. 

Unfortunate Truth About Most Dominican Girls:

Most girls here around 16, drop out of school and move in with their boyfriend.  Within a couple years, they begin to have kids of their own.  They are willing to abandon their education, family, everything because they think that’s all life has for them. That’s what their mom did. 

Our Goal: Open their eyes to other options

I have selected 10 girls who show the most potential to succeed in school and volleyball if given the right opportunities. This team will take a one-month trip to the states during the summer of 2012.   The team will have the opportunity to play against other high school teams as well as visit numerous college campuses and possibly get recruited.  In order to “prepare”  for the trip the girls will take a year of intense English classes,  train harder and play against teams around the country. 

Here is a pic of the spring varsity team. We have added two new players.  Pics soon to come! 

For each athlete, we need to raise about two thousand dollars.  If you are interested in sponsoring one of these girls monthly or giving a one time donation (or just want more info), please send me an email at jessgatesdr@gmail.com and I will send you the brochure for the trip.  Please join us in praying for this trip. It is a big task, but we can change the lives of these girls forever when we make it happen!