Relief - Rehabilitation - Development

I received an email recently that summarizes a few of the main points in the book by Brian Fikkert When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty without Hurting the Poor and Yourself. This is a book I’ve read a couple of times now.  I believe it's important and have been praying for wisdom and opportunities to do more development-type ministry and less relief-type ministry.

We all know the Bible talks a lot about the poor, and it clearly teaches us that we are to have compassion for them and help them.  What’s not so clear is exactly how we are to do that.

Here are a few quotes from the email that summarizes the book: 

“Have you ever been part of a mission trip?  Ever ladles soup into the bowls of the hungry?  Sent shoes to an African village or built houses in impoverished neighborhoods?

Have you ever thought about what happens to those people after you leave?  When the soup kitchen closes?  When the shoes wear out, and the villagers are still hungry?” 

Tough scenarios right?

In his book When Helping Hurts, Brian Fikkert "does not intend to discourage donations of time or money geared toward charity, but does want to help charity get better at actually helping those in need."

"When we try to help the poor, we try to make them more like us – materially rich.  But giving hand-outs can be a dangerous and vicious cycle, increasing the pride of the giver and the shame of the recipient, without ever addressing the roots of  poverty. 

"The reason that trying to fix poverty with material things doesn’t work is because material poverty is just a symptom of the root causes of poverty....

Fikkert proposes three broad ways of help the poor – relief, rehabilitation and development.

Relief is what people need right after a crisis, when they are incapable of providing for themselves.  This is the immediate, temporary aid provided in an emergency.  Relief is not a means of treating a chronic condition; if relief work is done with the situation calls for development, then people are enabled to remain unchanged.

Rehabilitation is the process of restoring people and communities to pre-crisis conditions  Material assistance could still be provided, but those in need are directly involved in the process of changing their lot; they exercise their gifts and attributes to contribute toward their own improvement.  Not only will this leave them able to provide for themselves once the aid is gone, but working is also better for people recovering from a crisis, for it gives them fulfillment, worth, and hope for the future.  Working is part of image bearing, which is part of emerging from poverty.

Development is a long-term venture.  It’s about walking with the poor into new arenas that they’ve never been in before and helping them be stewards of what they have.  This process of ongoing change moves people closer to reconciling broken relationships. 

We must reevaluate how much our efforts are helping the poor in the long-run, and how we can make adaptations to help more developmentally.  We must always work to help the poor with the goal, not of making them more like us, but of helping them realize and live out who they are in the image of God.

This information is all taken from an email I received recently from the Institute of Faith, Works and Economics.  I just thought it was important and wanted to share it.  I am praying for more opportunities to get involved with Rehabilitation and Development here in the Dominican Republic. 

Community Development - Urbano Vasquez

Pastor Urbano Vasquez is taking on the project of training an entire neighborhood to handle their trash differently.  Instead of throwing it in the gutter and letting the rainwater carry it to the river, he is raising money to purchase garbage cans, shovels and wheel barrows, and he is recruiting volunteers to carry the trash up the hill to the main road once a week where the garbage trucks can reach it and carry it away. 

Urbano explained that people throw the trash in the holes in the sidewalk.
When it rains, the water flows heavily down the hill to the river below
and carries the trash to the river

His plan is to start with a small part of the neighborhood, communicate with the people living there, showing them the garbage cans and asking them to put their garbage in the cans rather than in the gutter.  He will explain all the reasons why this will help the community be healthier, have fewer problems with rats, cockroaches, mosquitos and disease.  Children will be healthier, miss less school, it will better for the environment and make the neighborhood a more pleasant place to live. 

Urbano plans to ask the residents to pay a small fee of about 25 pesos a month, which will be used to purchase materials and pay the men who do the hauling. 

Urbano has a great vision. He’s heard about this working in other neighborhoods where the conditions are such that garbage truck can’t make it down their street - there is no street down in this valley.  With a big rain, the entire neighborhood floods and some houses are completely covered in water. 

We visited Pastor Urbano who has lived and worked in the neighborhood just up the hill as a pastor and as a teacher in the school he started over 20 years ago, educating students through 6^th grade. 

Some of Urbano's students

The type of change Urbano is hoping for with the garbage cleanup project takes time, but Urbano has demonstrated that he is faithful.  He knows how to persist and persevere through the challenges that present themselves, and will reflect the love of Christ with kindness and patience along the way.  If anyone can cause change in this neighborhood, with the help of God, he can.

Urbano leading us to the neighborhood where he will be working.
Some of his students decided to join us.

In his church they’ve been praying a lot about this project, and I’m excited to see how God unites this community and brings change among them in the months and years to come.

Urbano in his church

Urbano lives on the second story.
His church is below and the school he started is just around the corner.

Urbano's church

A few of the garbage cans that have been donated for the project.

This is another nearby neighborhood that has the same problem.

Becoming Parents

How do I possibly describe this last month of our lives?

In an instant on August 25^th, everything changed.  We went from Kristin and Joselo to Mom and Dad, and we are just beginning to wrap our minds around what this really means.

 

We've been in parent boot camp this month - changing diapers, giving baths, rocking, burping and feeding, feeding, feeding.  We are learning!  We are getting to know Elliot and how to care for him, and we are getting to know a little more about ourselves and each other in the process. 

It’s incredible to look into Elliot's face and know that he is ours, and that we will spend the rest of our lives loving, teaching, serving, caring for, praying for and hoping the very best for this little person.

It’s also amazing to see ourselves in him - his eyes, nose, lips, etc., and at the same time know that he is developing his own unique personality.  



I can’t help but wonder about his future - when he will talk and walk laugh and play, what his first words will be, what his voice will sound like, the talents and interests he will have, how he will interact with others and the influence he will have in this world.  



I’m excited to watch Elliot grow and see how God will continue to glorify himself in Elliot’s life. 



Sometimes I have to slow down and remind myself that time is going to fly and that today is a special gift.  Give Elliot a few extra kisses, enjoy his whimpers, grunts and coos, snuggle a few more minutes and try to etch his sweet baby face into my mind.  I just don't want to forget or waste this special time.  



It's unbelievable how proud I can be of Elliot when all he has done is eat, sleep, poop and cry!  



This reminds me of something I heard a few years ago from Pastor  Mike Binder.  Pastor Mike was talking about Jesus’ baptism and the words God spoke from heaven about his Son.  God said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased"(Matthew 3:17). 



Pastor Mike Binder pointed out that God was saying this about Jesus before Jesus started his ministry here on earth – before any miracles, before his incredible teaching or preaching, before giving his life for us by dying on the cross.  God loved Jesus and was pleased with him just because Jesus is his son.

In the same way, God loves you and me and is pleased with us not because of anything incredible we’ve done for Him or for the bad stuff we've managed to avoid.  God loves us just because He created us, and we are his.  

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!  

And that is what we are!"
 (1 John 3:1a)

It's amazing, refreshing and freeing to rest in this simple truth, isn't it?   When the pressures and responsibilities of life, work and relationships are overwhelming, we can rest in our Father's perfect love.  We can find peace knowing that we don't have to perform and work so hard to please Him.  He already loves us and nothing we do or don't do is going to change that.   

It's a simple truth that often gets so lost in religion and man-made rules.  God says, "It is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast.'  (Ephesians 2:10-11)  



Understanding and believing in God's unconditional love is the foundation of our faith.  His love is simple -- it's perfect, but it's not always easy to receive and believe.  We have to let go of our pride, let go of our accomplishments, let go of what we know, of our strength, power and control.  



We have to become like children, take off the masks we are wearing, set down the loads we are carrying, be vulnerable, be dependent and believe that we are lovable just as we are, apart from our achievements and accomplishments -- like Jesus, like Elliot.  We are loved just because we are God's children.

"I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you maybe filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."  (Ephesians 3:17b-19)

The Arrival of Elliot David

Elliot's Birth

Elliot's due date was August 22nd.  It was Sunday, August 24th before I felt any type of contractions. At 2am we called the doctor and went to the hospital because I was having contractions.  When we got to the hospital, however, the contractions stopped.  We sat in the parking lot for a while trying to decide if we should turn around and go home.  We thought it was a false alarm.  

We finally called the doctor as she instructed us to do when we got to the hospital.  She lives just 5 minutes away.  We explained that we thought maybe it was a false alarm, but she said to go in anyway.  That they were waiting for us inside.  

When the doctor arrived, she hooked up a machine to measure the contractions and Elliot's heart rate. She confirmed what I thought.  I was not in labor.  I expected her to send us home and felt a little silly for waking her up in the middle of the night.  She came back in the room, however, and surprised us when she said she'd like for us to stay the night.  

When she hooked up the machine, she discovered Elliot's heart rate was alarmingly low, and thought it would be best for us to stay.  

Around 7am, the doctor returned.  She wanted to do an ultrasound before sending us home or making any decisions about how to proceed.  In the ultrasound, they discovered the umbilical cord wrapped pretty snuggly around Elliot's neck.  And, because we were past our due date, the amniotic fluid was diminishing.  It would be safe to induce labor with the umbilical cord in this way, and it wasn't a good idea to wait since the fluid was so low.  

The doctor scheduled a C-Section for that afternoon, and Elliot was born around 3pm, strong and healthy.  We praise God that everything happened the way it did.  We also thank God for the doctors we had, for their care, wisdom and the fact that they were seeking wisdom from God through it all.  The anesthesiologist even prayed over us right there on the operating table before they started the surgery!  I really felt peace, and that God was with us through it all.  

An extra special bonus was that Brenda Land, one of the pastors of the church we are attending, came to be with us in the hospital.  She arrived before the surgery and stayed until we had Elliot with us afterwards.  What a blessing!!

It was a little scary there for a while, and things were happening pretty quickly.  It was great to have her there.  She had had two children by C-Section and was able to prep us a bit before surgery.  It was just great in general to have a friend around.

Here are a few pictures of us in the hospital.

Before surgery.  Nervous and excited to meet our baby.

Elliot David making his grand entrance!

Praise God for a healthy baby boy!

Meeting Elliot for the first time!  

Holding Elliot for the first time after surgery.

Dad talking to his son.

Elliot catching some ZZZZZsss and making funny faces.

Meeting Grandma

Meeting Grandpa

Meeting Grandma Amarili

Meeting Grandma Cecilia

Meeting our friend Jessica.

We are also thankful for the way God provided financially for us through a good and generous friend.   We were able to deliver in a good hospital with quality doctors and pediatricians.  We are very thankful for that.  

Though I could have gone to the US to deliver Elliot, as just about everyone advised me to do, I thought it was more important for all of us to be together.  We are still waiting for Joselo's VISA and are praying that we can all come to the US in December and January.  

Elliot has been declared and has his Dominican birth certificate.  We are now working on the paperwork and preparing to go to the Embassy, so that Elliot will also have American citizenship and his US passport.  

Thanks again for your prayers, gifts and words of encouragement.  We love you, and can't wait to personally introduce you to Elliot when we get back to the US.  God bless!

What else have we been doing??

Apart from preparing for and hosting the Inverted Arts Camp which you can read about in the next post, Joselo and I have been working on a variety of things this month.  We are still building relationships and getting to know new people here in Santo Domingo and the surrounding area.  Investing our time and talents in a variety of ways as God leads us.

UNEV-MOTE-Bethel

We are still visiting some of the students from the class at the University, seeing them in action and getting to know more about the projects they have started in their communities through this class.

Leonza is one of the students from the class.
This picture is taken in front of her church in Consuelo.

Leonza is the pastor of this church.  Her husband lives in Puerto Rico.
She has been pastoring this church for 8 years.

Leonza regularly ministers to the children and youth in this community.
For Sunday School the church is packed with children.  Even though their parents may not come to church with them,
the children love to come to Sunday School and learn about the Jesus.

For this project, Leonza wanted to reach out to the adolescents and youth who spend much of their free time at or near the colmados where there is often drinking, loud music and a lot of adult language and behaviors.  It's an environment that's just not good for kids.  On Friday afternoons/evenings, she gathers the kids in the neighborhood instead to have a Bible lesson, play games and share a snack.

She asked Joselo and I to prepare a lesson or activity for the kids.

We found that even though the activity was intended for adolescents and youth,
many small children attended as well.

Joselo sang with them and shared a short message too.

Some of the older participants helped prepare the snack.
They were responsible for planning the meal, making the grocery list, purchasing and preparing the food.

Teaching Sunday School at Mundo de Fe

We were asked to fill in for the regular Sunday School teacher at the church we've been attending for the next two months.  We've been having fun getting to know the kids and their parents at our new church.  

Last Sunday we celebrated Father's Day here in the Dominican Republic.
This craft is a trophy that says "#1 Dad."
The kids were very excited to make them and give them as gifts to their fathers.

Investing in the Youth Leaders from Hato Mayor

We are also still spending time investing in the youth leaders from Hato Mayor.  These three young men stayed at our house for a week with the Inverted Arts team.  They worked closely with the Inverted Arts team members to learn more about how they do art camp.  They spent extra time in devotionals each morning, learning about how to use art to share the gospel with others.  They learned about the challenges and important topics for directing a group of youth in making a video, and they got hands on experience in the editing of the videos.  Taking the raw footage and making it into a great movie.  This team has hopes of doing a video camp of their own in Hato Mayor soon.

We also continue to meet regularly with the leaders of the ministry in Hato Mayor, supporting them as they make decisions and guide this team of young adults.  They have two weeks left of their summer classes before school starts in the fall.

This fall things could look differently for the children's ministry because schools all over the country are changing their schedules.  Instead of attending school in either the morning OR the afternoon, students will start to go to school all day.  Though it will be an adjustment for everyone, this seems like a very positive change for students and the educational system here in the Dominican Republic.

Another thing we did this month with the youth leaders from Hato Mayor was invite them to one of the classes at the University to share with the pastors and leaders about their ministry and their experiences working together as a team.

I wasn't sure how this was going to go, but the pastors and leaders LOVED their presentation.  They were so impressed with the ministry that these youth have established, and the way they are working together to serve God and their community in such practical ways--AND AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE the pastors said over and over again.  They were in awe.

In this class, we've been talking lately about how to build teams, work together, share responsibilities and include different members from the body of Christ in ministry to community members.  This was a practical example of a ministry team in action, serving the community.

It was really encouraging for the youth to share about their mission and have such a positive response from other pastors and leaders.  And, the pastors and leaders were inspired to continue investing in their teams and working hard to develop the ministries they've started through the project requirements of this class.

It was a great experience -- edifying to all of us!

Inverted Arts Camp

In preparing for and hosting the Inverted Arts Camp we've also had opportunities to get to know the youth from the church Mundo de Fe in our neighborhood here in Santo Domingo a little more.  One day before the camp, we went around the neighborhood looking for other young adults who are not currently attending church who might like to participate in the video camp, too.

Getting Ready to have a baby!

In between all of the ministry responsibilities and Joselo's classes, we have also been preparing for the big day when we will welcome a baby into this world! 

Joselo's favorite baby shirt!  :)

We are getting closer.  It still feels like there are a lot of important things to do before the big day.  We are doing the best we can to prepare but also trying to maintain a balance, staying rested and healthy.  We  are very excited to meet our baby and appreciate all your prayers.