On June 25, 2008, after three years of hard manual construction, Pastor Aristides Pimentel cut the ribbon officially opening the doors of his new church in Hato del Yaque! Pastor Aristides was accompanied by Brook Brotzman (President, G.O. Ministries), Mark McKinney (Executive Pastor, Discovery Church), Scott Menefee (Board of Directors, G.O. Ministries), and many others. Estimates indicate that nearly 1,100 people were in attendance!
This event was not only a celebration of all the hard work that was put into the physical building, but an open invitation to the community to come join the church. Before this celebration, the church congregation included 300 members, of which, 200 are children.
At the inauguration, people packed into the first-floor nutrition center/dormitory area of the building for presentations and an amazing Dominican meal. G.O. Ministries' chefs cooked for more than 1,000 people and everyone had a smile on their face.
Upon entering into the amazingly decorated building, guests were greeted by a group of young ladies from the local youth group who did an interpretative 'welcome' dance. Guests also enjoyed worship music and a special video presentation of the building's history.
During the presentation ceremony, Jennifer Goodenough (G.O. Missionary in Hato del Yaque) put on a special activity for more than 200 children from the community. Meanwhile, special blessings and speeches were given by Brook Brotzman, Mark McKinney, Aristides Pimentel, Ramon Gabriel (President, G.O. Ministries Dominican), and Scott Menefee.
This project was made possible because
Discovery Church in Simi Valley, California partnered with G.O. Ministries offering building teams, financial resources, and prayer. The vision and dedication of Discovery Church is an EXCELLENT example of what can happen when people pull together to make a difference in our world!
The true accomplishment, however, is not the physical structure of this building, but the sacrifice, prayer, and hard work put into its construction. People from all across the United States joined with Discovery Church and the community of Hato del Yaque in unison.
Looking forward, this building will provide a nutrition center, education programs, safety in times of hurricanes or flooding, and, most importantly, a place to teach God's word! Construction is now underway on the second floor of the building. There is no estimated completion date at this time as additional funding is needed.
To view the Project Reports, simply click here!
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