It was a wonderful to learn at breakfast on Friday morning that the Miami Heat had won Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunders, 100-96. When I returned to my room the night before I was searching for the channel on which it was being shown but could not find it. I realized in the morning that it was half-time at the point at which I would have searched. Hence the reason I could not find the game. Checking the stats, however, revealed that the Heat players played better in the first quarter since that was the only quarter in which they outscored the Thunders. I hope we will improve our game if we plan to be champions this year. Nevertheless, a win is a win, and I am taking it. Go Heat!

Then it was off to the church for the celebration of the Eucharist. The readings were taken from Numbers 3:1-13, Psalm 27:10-18 and Matthew 17:1-13, and read by Ron MacDonald and Erna Rappaport respectively. Erna also led the Prayers of the People.

The Medical Team headed off to the same venue of yesterday’s clinic while the VBS team remained at the church for the morning session’s festive celebrations. There were 46 children in attendance. After the lesson and activities, they were treated to a party. At the conclusion, I blessed the children, and as they left for home, gifts were given to each child.

The construction team has grown in numbers and worked fervently to complete the building of the internet café. The guys were busily painting the interior of the café and putting on the roof so that patrons can dine on the outside.Unfortunately since on Fridays, the missionaries only work half day, the members of the church would need to complete the café.

After making a couple of errands with Father Vicente, I returned to the hotel around 1:00 p.m. The team ate lunch together at 2:00 p.m. During lunch, we learned that the running of the clinic today was much smoother than yesterday. The medical team mentioned about a 7-day old baby who has lost her mother. There are also three other siblings who are without their mother. It is a very unfortunate situation and one that needs our prayers.

While some members of the team were out enjoying Bonao, I decided to stay in my hotel room until it was time to go to the dinner party at the home of Father Vicente and Nancy Pena. It was a wonderful time of socializing, fellowship, eating, singing, dancing, and exchanging of gifts. A number of the members from the church were also invited.  Among the gifts presented by Father Vicente was a plaque to Holy Sacrament Episcopal Church for ten years of missionary work in the Bonao area. The Dominicans also gave each missionaries a medallion that was designed by Father Vicente. Each missionary’s name was inscribed on the reverse side as well as a verse from 1 Corinthians 1:3-9.