The Dominican Republic was an incredible, eye opening experience. We saw the city of Gualey where most people lived.

We saw the “downstairs” portion of the city where the people live in extreme poverty with dirt for their floors and metal sheets for the walls and roofs.

We saw where everyone gathers for school and the water filtration system that they have.

The one thing we didn’t see were the husbands.

We heard stories of the damaging effects the husbands have towards their families. The husbands often have many children with their wives and then choose to leave. If the husbands are still around, they are often abusive.

Amidst the family struggles created from the lack of positive husband involvement, the women and children we visited had so much joy. The amount of joy they had was overwhelming. I couldn’t remember the last time I had seen someone so joyful when going through tough circumstances. It makes my day to day struggles seem so small.

With all the joy those families had, imagine how much different they would be with a good male figure in their lives. In a small way I think BTI360 has stepped up to the plate in this area. One of our DR teammates MJ, had an amazing experience where he was told by his sponsor child’s mother that MJ was his hero.

BTI360 has done a great job so far sponsoring kids, and going to the Dominican Republic to visit the families to build relationships with them. I challenge you to get involved; whether it’s by donating supplies, sponsoring a child, or going on a trip. The impact we have is huge and will continue to grow.