Parent-Child Activity in Villa Vilorio

On Friday last week we all went to one of the communities where we've been working with the children for some special activities.  In the morning we split up into small groups and went around to talk with some of the parents and visit the children we've been working with in their homes. 

We really want to take more time to get to know the parents and allow them to get to know us, so we can work together and support them more as they raise their children.  Some of the parents were home, some were working, some are Christians, some are not. 

We're going to start doing this once a month in each of the communities to start building these relationships as much as we can.

Then, in the afternoon, we invited all the parents to come to a special activity in which we shared a little bit more about the ministry...what we do, where and why we are doing it. 

Some of the kids prepared a special song doing actions.  They call it a pantomime.

The youth of the community prepared a drama.  This is one thing we are excited about in this community.  There is a large number of youth that have been really helpful and have been participating a lot with the children's classes.  We are looking for ways to engage and empower them even more as leaders and role models in their community.

The youth of our ministry prepared a special drama as well.  If you haven't noticed, it's really popular and effective to communicate through dramas in the Dominican Republic.  It seems you can communicate a strong message without even using words that is really impactful to those who see it.

The church was full.  There were some parents and grandparents.  We're hoping that each time we do it, more and more of the parents will come.

Afterwards thanks to a donation from Resurrection Lutheran Church, we were able to bless each family with a bag of groceries.

Here are some pictures of the team leaders preparing the food the day before.  They did a good job planning the activity.  They had a budget to work with and thought through all the details: how many people might attend, what groceries to purchase and where to find the best deals, transportation, etc.   

They did a really good job and will only get better as we go along.  We've done this in one community and have three more to go!

Each of the bags had rice, beans, oatmeal, spaghetti, salt, oil, sugar, two types of flour, chicken-flavored seasoning, tomtato sauce and salami.  All of these are very typical ingredientes for dominican meals.

Thanks Resurrection Lutheran Church for the donation for the food!

English Classes & Ministry House Improvements

English Classes in Hato Mayor

Here are some pictures of the English class we started in Hato Mayor.  The students have been in class just over one month now.  There are 19 students, age 14 through adult.  They are an enthusiastic bunch, excited to learn and practice speaking English!

This is their teacher Mario.  It's a tight squeeze in the ministry house.  Two of the students sit in the entrance to the hallway. 

They do lots of partnerwork so they can practice saying the words outloud and having basic conversations.

The class has been such a hit.  There are several more who would like to enroll but we just can't fit anymore in the house.  We are working on starting a new session from 5-7pm.  We'll see if we can fill that one up too! 

Here's a group of the students after class.  Those in this photo happen to all be members of the ministry as well.

Left to Right:  Oscar, Yanibel, Kenia, Neftali and Yahson.

Improvements to the Ministry House

You may recognize some of these pictures from several months ago when we first moved to the new house we are renting for ministry.  This was the land next to the house that was covered in garbage. 

We worked together to tackle the majority of it right away.  Joselo and a few others have been chipping away on some of the smaller items, sorting the rocks from the garbage, putting it in sacks and finding a way to get rid of it over the last few months. 

Here is a current picture of the land.  We've come a long way!!!!  They've even planted a few guandules (pea plants) that have started to grow.  There still more work to do to get it in excellent condition, but we're making progress a little at a time.  The next step, they tell me, is to pull out of the old stumps.

Iron

We also worked with the home owner to get an iron door and window coverings for the gallery area.  It's entirely closed in now.  Just another layer of protection from theft, just in case.  We want to take good care of the house and all of the things we use for ministry.  Venisa also stays in the house overnight every once in a while when she comes from Prudencio for meetings or the tv program and can't get back before dark.  We want her to feel safe there as well.  We're excited about the changes.  Things are coming together.  God is good!

Resurrection Lutheran Church - Retreat & Camp

We are ONE team

 We started the week with prayer, Bible study a game to get to know one another's names and by washing one another's feet.  From the beginning it was important that everyone know and believe that we were one team working together to know, love and serve God and others.

Day 2 - Youth Retreat - Working as a Team

On the second day, we all went to Camp Shalom where we continued seeking God together, building our team and learning to work together.  We participated in powerful teachings and discussions about the disciples and how God used this group of ordinary young people (mostly teenagers!) to change the world.  

In the late afternoon, we worked together to plan and communicate about the parent-child camp that we would be hosting the next day.  Everyone had an important role to play, and we were ready to be used by God to bless these families, loving and serving them in Jesus' name.

Finishing the night with a bonfire!

Day 3 - Serving Together

We all got up early the next day to set up and finish any last-minute details before the parents and children arrived.  It was a wonderful day with lots of fun activities for the kids and their parents - singing, kickball, musical chairs, three-legged race, gunny sack races, crafts, puppets, a drama of the Prodigal Son and more. 

It was a special day for parents and their children and for all of us.  Praise God for bringing us together and making it all possible.  

At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality,

2 Corinthians 8:14

Other Resurrection Highlights

Visiting a Hospital in El Valle

On Monday about half the team travelled to El Valle to a small hospital in a rural area that has a lot of need.  Among the members of Resurrection team were a doctor and two nurses who worked together ahead of time with a local doctor here in the Dominican to learn about some of the needs in this hospital.  With the connections they had back home, they were able to find some things that would be a real blessing to the doctors and nurses and all of the patients they see in this hospital. 



The operating room.



The Post-Partum Room - Where moms and
their babies stay after giving birth.

 Leonel's House

The team also had the privilege of helping Leonel and his family 

A very happy Leonel!

finish the construction of their home.  Leonel's wife recently gave birth to twin girls who were several months premature.  Have a home of their own instead of having topay rent each month is going to help this family in a big way with all of the new expenses that come with having children.    

Praying for families in Km 16 & Playing with Kids

On Sunday afternoon the team decided to take a trip to Km 16 to minister to the children and families there.  They broke into two groups and took turns praying for the families while the other group played with the children.  The families gratefully received the blessing of specific and personal prayer and the children never get tired of playing!

Visiting an Orphanage in Guerra

On the last day of their trip, the team had the opportunity to visit a girls'

orphanage in Guerra where they spent time playing with the children, singing songs, sharing Bible stories and doing crafts.  They were able to bless the orphanage with the funds to purchase a much needed stove.  Here is a picture of how they had been cooking the majority of their meals.

Making new connections in Batey Mamey

Their last stop for ministry was in Batey Mamey where they met a new pastor Rober and got to know a new community that also has a lot of need.  It was both a blessing and overwhelming to see and come to realize that there are so many people all over the island living in such conditions - going hungry and lacking very basic resources that  many of us take for granted every day.  Give us wisdom, Lord, and courage to respond to these people and their needs as you would respond.

For those who are interested there is a very good book available for free this month on Christian Audio called "When Helping Hurts."  Feel free to follow the link and download the book for your own personal study.  Go to http://www.christianaudio.com/