Asia Woodson of Toledo Serves in Dominican Republic over Christmas Break

2013 Jan 4

Asia Woodson of Toledo spent part of Christmas break serving in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic as part of a mission trip taken by the Ohio Christian University Women's Basketball Team. The trip involved holding a youth basketball clinic and ministering to local children.

The team visited a girls orphanage, a three-bedroom house with 28 girls, where they had a chance to worship with the girls and drop-off items such as toys, nail-polish and make-up to bring a little Christmas cheer. At Emmanuel's House, a Christian school and day care for under-privileged children, they helped with some paint work and visited and played with the children. There they had a chance to see a few homes to witness the poor living conditions of the children there. Many live in an overcrowded shack with no running water or electricity. The team also visited children in a village outside of Juan Dolio and Josiah's House, an all-boys home where the team played soccer and ran races with the boys.

A few other highlights from the trip were being able to play a couple basketball games, including one against a women's professional team, and attending a bi-lingual church service.

The team ended each event (basketball clinic, games, and all of the visits with the children) with a member of the team sharing the Gospel and another sharing their story of how they came to know Christ and what their relationship with Him is all about.

Head Coach Mandy Wray said, "It was truly a life-changing trip for all of us. We went there hoping to be a blessing to the people there and witness to them about Jesus, and we did that. But I don't think any of us expected to learn so much from the people there. This trip really put our lives in perspective and showed us how truly blessed we are. It was very humbling to see people living with close to nothing, yet they were happy and content with what they had. We also learned first-hand that the best gift you can ever give or receive isn't money or material things, but it is love."

As of Fall 2012, more than 3300 students attend Ohio Christian University, making OCU one of the fastest-growing universities in the nation. OCU is committed to offering a complete education that develops students intellectually, professionally and spiritually. OCU offers degree programs for traditional undergraduate students, graduate students, and adult and online students. Additionally, the Trailblazer Academy, OCU's Dual Enrollment/Post Secondary Enrollment Options Program, allows high school students to complete college classes on campus or online. All programs are designed to equip students to become leaders in their careers, communities, families, and the world.