Worthington Christian sends its largest contingent to the Dominican Republic.
Worthington Christian’s 23rd mission trip to the Dominican Republic marked a week of firsts for senior Emmanuel Gyapong. Prior to the trip, which ran March 19-26, Gyapong had never been
- outside the United States;
- on a beach;
- or in a place where he struggled to be understood.
“I was in a foreign place with an obvious language barrier, and the heat was killing me,” Gyapong said. “There were all these aspects that could have made the trip go wrong. We just trusted in the Lord and believed God would make it all right. That’s exactly what He did.”
The trip even had a first for high school science teacher Dawn McMahon, who was on her 11th journey to the Dominican Republic. With a team of 89 seniors, 8 teachers, 2 administrators, and 4 parents who served on the medical team, this was the largest group WC brought to the island.
“Several moments from the week will stay with me for a long time,” McMahon said. “One occurred when a ministry team was unexpectedly redirected from a school to a nursing home. Despite language barriers and an environment not suited to their prepared activities, the students adapted beautifully.
“They sat with residents, held their hands, and worshiped together across languages. It was a powerful reminder of the beauty of God’s global kingdom and the privilege of joining in His work. Our students were deeply moved by the experience.”
The mission has multiple purposes. Its primary focus is sharing the Gospel. “We want to bring joy and encouragement to remote and underserved communities,” McMahon said. “We partner with local church leaders and missionaries in their ongoing ministry.”
Students on the trip were divided into four ministry teams – blue, red, green, and yellow. Each team consisted of two student captains, two chaperones, and several student leaders. Additionally, there was a purple team of seniors who remained in Columbus and did service projects around the city.
Each DR team prepared a vacation Bible school program for the children they encountered. The program featured two skits that illustrated Bible stories, along with crafts to accompany them, as well as games and Spanish worship songs. Students also presented their personal testimonies to people of all ages.
“Our students spent much of their time simply playing with the children – dancing, laughing, playing baseball, and discovering the phrase ‘Six Seven’ is universal,” McMahon said.
Outside of the VBS roles, students worked with a group of senior parents in the medical profession to operate pop-up clinics in remote villages.
“Over the course of just three days, the team cared for hundreds of individuals,” McMahon said. “Our students were grateful to support and contribute to this meaningful work, learning a great deal from our medical team along the way.”
The teams often had to overcome language barriers. Gyapong studied French for four years—useful in places like Quebec or Luxembourg, but not in the Dominican Republic.
Gyapong said several classmates used Spanish translators, played charades with the locals, and even used the Google Translate app on their cell phones to communicate.
“The translators did a wonderful job, but when we were without them, I’d get on my phone or try to figure out what they were saying by their tone, their hand signals, and their body language,” he said.
“I remember being at the Straw Market (an outdoor market in Santo Domingo), and the only English the vendors knew was translating pesos to dollars. I was trying to buy a chain (necklace). I honestly didn’t know what the seller was trying to say, but he used hand motions and got me to turn around as he put the necklace on me.”
While sharing the Gospel was the main focus, McMahon has seen something interesting happen among the students on the DR trip over the years. “(The trip) also strengthens the unity within the senior class, and deepens each student’s personal relationship with the Lord,” she said.
Trip leaders carefully assemble each team. Students submit leadership applications and are placed with their teams to develop mentors and build new relationships outside their inner-school circle.
Gyapong, a captain for the Blue team, watched as lives were changed and people were brought together when students worshipped in the Upper Room.
“The Upper Room was a magical place, but there was nothing special about it,” Gyapong said. “It’s just a room—no special pictures or wall designs—but we all felt the Holy Spirit there. God created memories that will change our lives forever.”
As a skeptical middle schooler, Gyapong admitted he had his doubts when seniors would talk so glowingly about the trip. Now he knows better.
“I thought people were just making up their testimonies … until I actually went there,” he said, adding with a laugh. “Now my testimony sounds a lot like theirs.
“I guess I would tell someone who was going on the trip to be prepared to see things you’ve never seen before. I walked in expecting nothing new was going to happen to me. Expect the unexpected.”
For Gyapong, those firsts became something more than new experiences—they became a testimony he once doubted but now shares with himself.