Profile of Joe Shedlock.		Our theme for the trip was "No Expectation but to serve."  I tried to go with that in mind from the time we started training til the time we got to and departed from the Dominican Republic.  From the start I wasn't sure what to expect anyway.  I felt that God truly called my wife Carie and I to go on this trip after hearing some youth speak about a trip they took to Mexico and how it changed their lives.  We found out that the place we were going to be going was San Juan de la Maguana, and that we would be helping somehow to build a church.  I applied for the chaplain position and Carie applied for the nurse position.  We were excited when we found out we were going as part of the team for sure.        From the first training session till the last with assignments Mike had given, I knew this was going to be a great experience.  I felt the presence of God and knew I was growing closer to Him, desiring more of God being the center of my life.  The people on the team would help with this of course.  We bonded in the spirit of God from the first training session on.  Even with people dropping out for personal reasons, the people that filled in the gaps filled them well and made the team just as strong if not stronger.  God is awesome, He truly blessed us with a good team.  We went to the Dominican expecting not to have much of a place to stay, and we had a 3 bedroom apartment for 13 of us with an actual shower and running water.  We were not only able to go and bless the church with the help building and buying materials but also with a VBS for the kids.  The people there through their music and love for the Lord were also a great blessing to us.  This is definitely an experience I won't forget and would highly recommend someone going on a mission trip if they ever have the opportunity.
Joe using an axe to remove a stump where the future church floor will be located.
Joe clowning around before the neighborhood outreach where twenty children were saved.
Joe showing off his collections from the trip - seashells & rocks.
Joe hanging out by pictures of Compassion International children.
Joe and Carie wading in the Rio Yoque del Sur, a major drainage river of Pico Duarte.
Joe and Carie at the worsite.