Teacher Reflection
by Mr. Henry Lammers
International Block is a program at LCH that focuses on social equity and justice issues. It includes a six-week trip to the Dominican Republic. The program is done with students from LCH and Toronto District Christian High. We partner with Edu-Deo whose mission is to advance Christ-centred education for children worldwide. We also partner with Sinergia which is an organization in the Dominican Republic that serves often-overlooked people in batey (Haitian immigrant) communities.
A focus for International Block is poverty alleviation. Most North Americans view poverty materially. Based on the concepts from the book, When Helping Hurts, poverty in this program is defined as broken relationships with God, ourselves, others, and the creation. With this definition students realize that we are all rich in ways and poor in other ways. Poverty alleviation in this context involves restoring or building relationships. So, our goal for our time in the Dominican was to build relationships and do things with the Dominican people not for them. For six weeks, 8 students from LCH, 4 students from TDCH and leaders, my wife Yvonne and I, lived together in the Dominican Republic. We immersed ourselves into the culture. Students built strong relationships with Dominicans of all ages. The Dominican Republic is a very warm and hospitable culture. They also worship God freely and passionately. In these ways our students experienced that they are rich. We spent time at Renacer, a Christian school in the Dominican that is supported by both Edu-Deo and Sinergia. We observed classes, taught English and learnt Spanish, shared stories about our respective cultures, and just spent time together. Also, slower paced culture created space for us to spend time with God individually and as a group. We also became aware that they struggle with systemic problems like police corruption, pollution, and racism towards Haitian people. So, we helped by working with Dominicans on construction projects on schools attended by Haitian children.
Students loved their time in the Dominican Republic, and the experience changed their perspectives and broadened their view of the world. Thank-you to all those who supported the program financially and with your prayers.
Student Reflection
by Evelyn Dam
I had the amazing opportunity to participate in International Block this year. I was initially interested in the trip because I thought that it sounded like a really great opportunity to experience another culture and it sounded like a pretty unique experience, which I think we would all agree it was. I had an amazing time and I know that the people I met, the lessons I learned, and the perspectives I gained will stay with me for the rest of my life. Some of the highlights for me were hanging out on the roof of our compound and getting to know our team, building friendships with some of the Dominican students at a local high school we visited, and leading and participating in worship at some of the local churches. One of the biggest challenges we faced was seeing people living in bad situations and not knowing how to help. It’s hard seeing that and not being able to do more to help. The trip was also really impactful to my faith journey. Going to church was one of my favourite parts of the week, because the way that Dominican people worship is so inspiring. They are so passionate about their worship it’s amazing to be a part of. When we were leading music, we would start singing in English, and they would join in in Spanish, and it was really cool to know that we were singing the same song, worshiping the same God, just in different languages. You can see God so clearly in that, and also in the kindness and hospitality of the people there. I would definitely recommend this trip to anyone who is considering it, it’s the opportunity of a lifetime.
