Monica Easter, a Richmond Hill housewife and mother, talks about her experience as a missionary in the Dominican Republic:

Q: Who encouraged you to get involved in mission work?
A: My husband, family and church.  
Q: What prompted you to join in and help?
A: I’ve always wanted to share the love of God with others and help those in need.
Q: Where have you traveled?
A: Dominican Republic
Q:  What was the travel experience like?
A: I traveled a lot growing up, so traveling to a foreign country was not too difficult. The hardest part was the language barrier. I grew up in a Spanish-speaking home but was never required to speak Spanish. However, I understood when others spoke because I heard my parents speaking it in the home. It’s amazing what we can learn from different cultures.
Q:  What were some duties you had upon arriving?
A: We painted a student-housing facility, shoveled rock to make a driveway and cleared the land of boulders to make way for a new building. We also led a one-day vacation Bible school to about 150 kids. As a group, we ministered to people in the streets and took much-needed supplies to a couple who take in abandoned children.
Q:  What was your initial reaction to the conditions of the people you were exposed to?
A: Shocking and sad. There was great poverty everywhere.
Q: How greatly did the work you put in help those people?
A: I feel the work at the mission base was crucial in helping the missionaries living abroad to advance projects. It truly enabled them to be equipped to host more missionaries. The work done outside of the mission base was mainly praying for people and providing items for a couple who took in orphans into their home.
Q:  Do you still have contact with anyone whom you met while working in the mission field?
A: Yes
Q: What is the biggest obstacle when deciding to travel for missions?
A: Being educated on customs is one of the biggest obstacles, and coming up with the money can be trying. It’s not cheap to go on a mission trip.
Q:  What is the biggest reward you gained from being involved in missions?
A: That I could bless others who are not as fortunate as I am and seeing the gratitude in their faces.
Q:  What has been the biggest lesson you’ve learned through your experiences?
A: I’ve learned that I am truly blessed beyond measure and to not take for granted all that I have been blessed with.
Q: Do you have any future trips planned?
A: I am hoping to plan a trip to Israel in the next year.