Here is a short report on a recent GO ministry trip to the DR led by Jim Whittle. I think you will enjoy it!
"When I pray at night, I ask God to not give me anything I don't need."
Rolando, a leper.
Our small team spent the month of August in the Dominican Republic working on and exploring mission opportunities for future teams. God blessed our time and confirmed that unique areas of service can be very rewarding.
Both projects originated from a 10-day trip to the Dominican Republic (DR) made earlier this year when God led us to two places where we wanted to work: a leper colony and a tennis club.
Leper Colony:
Janet, my wife, had wanted to visit the lepers for a long time, going back to when we lived in the Dominican Republic a few years ago. She asked many people if they knew where the leper colony was located. Most she asked didn't even know there was one in the DR.
On the 10-day trip she asked one of our young college friends about it. She told us her mother often visited the lepers and could take us. We made our first visit and knew we had to return.
One of the issues facing lepers is isolation. Leprosy can be a devastating disease for many who have it and people are scared of contracting it. Since we have had the opportunity to work with these kind and gentle people, we have learned a couple of things:
1)95% of the world's population is naturally immune to leprosy.
2)It takes repeated exposure and contact with body fluids to contract it, and only if you are in the 5% that can catch it.
3)People who have been through treatment are no longer contagious.
4)Leprosy is now treatable through a multi-drug therapy (MDT) of antibiotics.
What we have seen and validated is that there is a huge mission opportunity to share the hope and love of Christ through visiting (singing, talking, Bible reading, etc.), renovating/ construction on the living quarters and a security wall, and providing food and supplies for nourishment and treatment.
The lepers in this community are vulnerable to intruders who break into the rooms at night, sometimes kicking in doors, stealing from the few possessions they have. The security wall needs to be rebuilt to offer some protection.
We really believe this mission opportunity will be as much of a blessing to those who give as to those who receive.
Tennis Mission:
The tennis mission project started with a desire to provide a sports ministry that was unique to the children of the area. Recently, I met with Marcial Mota, the Director of Tennis for the Santo Domingo Tennis Club. He has a heart for the poor children living in the shadows of the club.
We led a month-long tennis clinic reaching between 30-35 children from ages 7-16. On an average day we had 20 children participating. Nine boys accepted Christ during the tennis camp.
A typical day began with a scripture reading, usually about the plan of salvation, followed by a prayer. We would then work with the children on tennis skills and end the day around lunchtime, when we passed out peanut butter sandwiches.
The first day was almost the last for the sandwiches. When I handed them out that day, the looks I got led me to believe they really didn't want them, but the children were polite and most said, "Gracias." However, everyday from then on, two or three kids would ask if they were getting a sandwich for lunch. Even the pros and staff started looking forward to a peanut butter sandwiches.
On future trips, we hope to work with young girls who are often left out of traditionally male dominated sports. We hope to use this as a way to give them an outlet for their time and energy away from drugs and alcohol, which too often lead to teenage pregnancies, abuse, and crime.
If you would like to participate on a team project to the Dominican Republic to work with the leper community or inner city children on a tennis project or if you would like to support these mission opportunities , please contact respond to this email or check our website. We would love for you to join us next summer for a great mission outreach to the leper community or tennis camp.
Thanks so much!
