A week ago I had the opportunity to visit Christian Light School's satellite school in Cornillon. My travel companions were Edmond (the driver), Travis, Sherrie, and Madsen (Cornillon school director). Cornillon is a small town in the mountains close to the Dominican Republic border. The school is actually about an hour or so past the small town of Cornillon, depending on driving conditions. A majority of the roads we needed to use to get to our destination were narrow and carved out of the sides of mountains. I'm not afraid of heights, but it turns out I am afraid of driving off of cliffs! I think I was the most relieved person when we were finally able to park the truck. After vacating the truck we had about a 45 minute hike through a dry riverbed, and a steep incline up a mountain to where Madsen's family lives. The hike reminded Travis, Edmond, and I that we were all out of shape. Sherrie got to ride a mule. This wasn't her first time taking this trip.
The mountainside where Madsen's family lives, and where the school is located, is beautiful! Madsen's family have two simple houses and an outside kitchen that looks more like a shed. It's quite remote so any structures are a major blessing. The remoteness makes it difficult and expensive to get materials for building. The church/school consists of a metal and tarp roof, and walls made out of mostly banana leaves and parts of trees. It's a very primitive structure, but it's all we have been able to afford so far. The kids sit on small benches. There are no desks. The kids looked healthier than most kids in the city. It's a good thing, because Madsen only has enough money to feed them once a week, if that. When he does feed them he normally uses money from his own pay, which isn't much to begin with.
Cornillon definitely captured my heart in the short time I spent there. I loved the cooler temperatures, the fresh air, the ultra fresh produce, and most of all--the wonderful people! I felt more alive than I have in awhile. It rekindled my passion for mission work. It gave me hope for humanity. In that remote area I experienced a simpler way of living. The way life was intended to be. An illustration of the simplistic way our faith is meant to be lived out.
I will post some pictures sometime in the near future. One thing I know for sure is that pictures and words fall incredibly short of describing that adventure. Some things in life you have to experience in order to get a full understanding.
Great report - thanks for sharing. I'm glad to hear you received that spiritual refreshment while you were there.
ReplyDeleteAnd marriage does that to you - the out of shape part, but you'll figure it out eventually :) Until kids. I don't know how people with little kids stay in shape.