H.E.P. Party: Adult Friends and Family Welcome - Friday, May 20, 2016 at 6:00 PM at the Yarbrough's Barn - 4700 Skipper Bridge Road. Please mark your calendar and plan to come and enjoy the evening.  Please note this is an Adults Only Party (no children). Bring a hors d'oeuvre.

Vacation Bible School has been scheduled for Monday, June 13 through Thursday, June 16th from 9:00 a.m. till noon.  

Six of the eight missioners on the team sponsored by Christ Church (Valdosta) returned from Santo Domingo to their homes on Monday, May 16, after a productive week-long mission trip to the Episcopal conference center in the village of El Pedregal operated by the Diocese of the Dominican Republic. The two other missioners, Julia and Julius Ariail, went from Santo Domingo to Ponce, Puerto Rico, to represent the Diocese of Georgia and the Dominican Development Group at the annual conference of the Global Episcopal Mission Network. Julia and Julius are the current chairs of the Diocese of Georgia's Companion Diocese Commission. For information on our Diocese's work in the DR, go here.

 

While at the Episcopal center, the missioners installed 12 ceiling fans in the classrooms of the K-8 Episcopal school on the grounds of the center and 4 fans in a large meeting room in one of the dormitory buildings. They sanded and repainted a metal swing set and benches, and installed new climbing ropes on nearby tree branches. The school's middle grade students took part in two environmental awareness classes, and decorated an altar frontal with scenes of the local landscape and wildlife that was presented to the local Episcopal Church on Pentecost Sunday. Other items presented to the church were a Spanish lectionary altar book and a handmade embroidered fair linen. The veterinarian on the team successfully vaccinated 49 village dogs and cats for rabies, with the help of local community leaders who spread the word about the event. The team had earlier raised funds for the camp to install insect screening for the open-sided dining hall, and observed local contractors installing the framework and the initial delivery of screens. This screening work will be completed in about a week. They continued this team's traditional activity of sponsoring a "splash party" for about 160 children from the school and the community with wading pools, slip and slides, and hot dogs, cookies, cake and ice cream. Finally, they presented a certificate for 50 full scholarships for children in the Episcopal school for the 2016-17 academic year. These scholarship funds (US$350/child) were donated by members of Holy Nativity, Dothan, AL; Trinity, Statesboro, GA; Christ Church, Valdosta, GA; and other friends, family, and former missioners.

 

There were repeated visits with residents in their homes in the community, at the medical clinic, and during a farewell party sponsored by the clergy and staff of the Episcopal camp. The missioners even had time for a hike to the river near the camp and later to a local waterfall about four miles away, as well as for a shopping expedition into the nearby city of Jarabacoa. On their final full day in the Dominican Republic, they enjoyed an afternoon and evening of sightseeing, shopping, and dinner in a rooftop restaurant in Santo Domingo.

The missioners on the GO Team send profound thanks to all of the members of the HOME Team for their prayers, contributions, and other support that made this 2016 trip so successful. After a month or so to reflect on this trip and to write our final report, we'll start planning the 2017 trip. Watch this space for news about 2017 just as soon as planning begins.

The new articles in the Vineyard this week are: Sermon, May 15, 2016. Older articles are available at the Online Vineyard.