Team of pastors from Kansas, Maryland, and Indiana

 

Pastor Eric Rochester helps to feed children

 

 Pastor Steve Mayner, Berman, Chris Murphy

  

 

As many of you know, my passion for the people in the Dominican Republic is unsurpassed.  I am so honored to serve as a small part in God's big story (blessing others is what I live for - literally!).  One of my favorite parts of being a missionary is the opportunity to introduce others to the mission work we do in the Dominican Republic.

 

This month I had the pleasure of hosting a team of 7 pastors/elders.  Together we explored various aspects of our ministry in the Dominican Republic including: several nutrition centers, construction projects, and even a drug/alcohol rehabilitation center.

 

Over the course of our trip, I was able to get to know each person and building what I believe will be life-long relationships.  I was also blown away (this happens a lot as a missionary) by the servant hearts these men showed during their trip.

 

You see, this trip wasn't about showing people how impressive our ministry is, or how in-need the people of the Dominican are.  No, this trip was about building a bridge.  That bridge, from the United States to the Dominican Republic, will allow for many people to come to the island and serve.

 

It never fails that when people finally "get it" and decide to reach out globally to invest in others, it's a win-win for everyone.  I have yet to meet a person who has spent a week-long mission trip in the Dominican Republic that has not only impacted someone's life here, but gone home with their life changed.

 

For the people of the Dominican Republic, the reality of life is often overwhelming, disappointing, and difficult.  Extreme poverty and lack of general resources (clean water & electricity, for example) often work to rob hope from these people.  BUT, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY!

 

I have seen, first-hand, what it looks like after a child receives a warm, healthy meal.  I have seen what happens when a family receives medical/dental attention by doctors/dentists who come on a short-term mission trip.  I have seen what happens when children receive a decent education by our private school...and YOU can too!

 

Please think about taking ONE WEEK out of your busy schedule to spend time serving the people of the Dominican Republic.  Like these 7 men, I urge you to step out of your comfort zone and give back some of the blessings you have in your life.

 
In closing, I ask...Do YOU invest in Things or People?

Tropical Storm Fay & Gustav pounded Hispaniola

 

A police officer rides through the flooded streets of

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

 

Marisol (our cook) and I mop up after Fay

As part of living on a tropical island in the Caribbean, you learn to accept that each year, during hurricane season, heavy rain and floods are imminent.
 
For the people living on the island of Hispaniola (shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti), storms, rain, flooding, and death are just a way of life.  Most of the people living in adjunct poverty in little wooden shacks located in low-lying areas.  Often communities sprout up in trash dumps, arroyos, or holes where land can be acquired by squatter's rights.
 
It is these areas that are inevitable hit the hardest when hurricane season begins.  Often, small homes are flooded to the ceiling as swift waters pour through and many times someone in these communities is bound to face death.
 
Tropical Storms Fay and Gustav both hit the island very hard.  Landing within just two weeks of each other, many people did not have time to recover from Fay before they were terrorized by Gustav.
 
Is There Any Good News?
 
Yes!  Thanks to the generous partnership of people who support me and the work of G.O. Ministries, we are able to build strong community centers that provide a safe refuge during these storms.  These community centers also offer feeding programs, education, clothes, and church services.
 
Currently there are 2 completed community centers on the island with 4 more in the final stages of construction.  Each facility is strategically located in highly impoverished, low-lying areas and serves the communities with the greatest need.
 
To see the progress on the construction, visit the "Project Update" section of this newsletter below.