Day Fifteen in the Dominican Republic
Another good day under our belt. Once again, it's beginning to feel like we're getting into the swing of things. We had a relaxed morning around the apartment and ministry center. We spent a bunch of time reading and writing some more. We also spent some time playing outside in the small yard in the middle of the ministry center. It was a very nice way to start off the day.
After lunch, we headed over to Steve and Sandra's house for the afternoon and evening. We wanted to make sure we had all of our laundry clean before we take off to La Romana for the next week. We have no idea what will be available for us in that location. So, we headed over there to do some laundry and hang out. The girls had fun playing legos, watching some TV, and baking. Our kids love to bake and haven't had a chance to do it since we've been in the DR. So, Sandra allowed the kids to heat up her house while she helped them bake cookies. They really enjoyed the opportunity. They also really enjoyed the cookies and made sure to take a picture of the recipe.
While they were hanging out at the house, Steve and I went back to Guaricano for another planning meeting. There are a lot of moving pieces when putting together multiple VBS programs in multiple locations. So, we spent some time meeting with some more leaders, talking about what might work and what won't work. The meeting was actually pretty short and sweet. It seems like things are coming together nicely.
Once the meeting was over, we spent some more time walking around through the barrio checking in with various members from the church. It's been really cool to watch how this church is reaching out into the community. It's also been very cool to walk around and see some of the work they are doing. They have members throughout this entire barrio and make sure to drop by their homes and businesses (sometimes one and the same thing) to connect and see how they are doing.
As I walked with them through the streets and into homes, I definitely entered into another area of the barrio that I hadn't seen before. It was very poor and the homes were in pretty rough shape, mostly made of scrap steel siding/roofing materials. Many of roofs had many holes that would leak pretty severely when it rained. I didn't take many pictures of the very poor areas because it felt almost voyeuristic, or disrespectful. I just wanted to take it in.
There are different areas within Guaricano. The area we walked through today is called La Mina--The Mine. It's called this because it used to be a mine. After they stopped using the mine, people took advantage of the unoccupied space and began building houses in the hole. You can see from the above picture that these houses are all built at the bottom of a hole. Can you imagine what it looks like after a hard rain? I can't even imagine.
One of the ways this small church (the top picture of this post is a photo from inside the church) is reaching out into their community is through micro loans, or maybe even grants. Now, I'm questioning the explanation that I heard. Anyway, they are helping people get their houses in better condition. The above picture is one of those houses. They helped this family put a new roof on their house. You can see the brand new steel on the roof in the picture. We also walked by another member in the community who was doing some cement work on his house because of the help of the church. There are many more homes in this community that are being touched by the work of this faithful church body. It's pretty incredible.
After we finished up in Guaricano, Steve and I headed back to his house for supper. Like I've mentioned before, Steve and Sandra have a beautiful place. They have put a lot of time and effort into planting various types/species of plants in their yard and doing extensive landscaping. It's something they are both passionate about and skilled at. After supper, Steve took the kids up onto the roof to pick some mangos from the trees by their house. He showed them how to use his special picking tool to grab the mangos without letting them drop to the ground. We collected quite a few and gave a bunch away around the ministry center once we got back.
Tomorrow will be a busy day. Steve and I head out early in the morning for an all day workshop tomorrow in Monte Plata. Rachel and the girls will be going to church without me. Then, we'll be packing and getting ready to head to La Romana for the next week. We head for La Romana at 6am on Monday morning. We have no idea what to expect when we get there. I'm also not sure that we'll have internet there. So, the blog posts may stop for a bit. Hopefully, I'll figure out a way to make it work.
Here are some things to pray for:
We continue thanking God for:
good days and settling into a rhythm
Steve and Sandra's hospitality. Our family loves these guys :-)
the work of the church in Guaricano
plans coming together for the upcoming VBS
As we were walking through the community today, we came to the home of a woman who looked very sick. I'm not sure what was wrong, but we spent some time praying over her. I would like you to pray for her as well. I don't know her name or the details of her condition, but God knows.
Pray for the workshop we will be participating in tomorrow. Pray that the Spirit is guiding the facilitators and working in the hearts of the participants. Pray that God would bring peace.
Pray for Rachel and the girls as they attend church tomorrow without me. Sandra will be there and everyone is getting used to the way things go at church. However, it's always somewhat stressful getting four children ready for church and out the door--even with both parents present.
Pray for packing and preparations to go smoothly as we get ready to stay in La Romana next week. Also, pray for next week to go smoothly.
We continue to thank God for each and every one of you. It's such an incredible thing to realize how many people are supporting us and praying for us while we are here. It's incredible to feel the support of the Body of Christ AND it's been an incredible thing to see the Body of Christ at work here in the Dominican Republic. To God be the glory!
Buenos Noches!