The Fire in Barranca

Dear Friends:

I felt compelled to write. This is part of the story of my life, from last week. Some things just happen, and they change us. Thanks for reading. There are photos on my facebook page.

love,  Debbie

Feb. 2, 2015 Barranca

I am visiting a community called Barranca where nine homes burned. Is is hard to imagine living in such a tiny room.   Yolanda lost her home, but I found her on a borrowed bed, with her pots and pans all over the floor, clothes soaking in soap in a black plastic basin, her dishes in a similar one. Clothes were hanging on nails around the walls, there was a clothesline with baby girl clothes. She told me she had recently had a baby. Where was she? In the hospital still, in an incubator, because she only weighed two and a half pounds at birth. She took public transportation into La Vega every day, which is about 30 minutes from Barranca, to breastfeed the baby.

I had brought 3 bags of clothes, a blanket, sheets, towels, washcloths, little shampoos and soaps. I was happy to leave it all with Yolanda, for her other 5 children, ranging in age from 2 to 16, and her dad, a pastor. But before we left, they asked Pastor Alex from the Rails church, who had led me here, to distribute the donations to the community, so that they wouldn’t be blamed for taking too much. That was after we prayed with them all and preached to them, thanking God for sparing their lives from the midnight holocaust. Surely God has a purpose in all this?

I posted a photo that night of the fire’s damage. I didn’t sleep very well. Then I remembered we had some clothes left over from the garage sale at school. I would find that in the morning…

Next day my dear friend Irene Serrano called. She is a missionary in San Francisco de Macoris, about 45 minutes from us. She had shoes, and clothes, and new socks and panties for little girls, and could she come today? Yes! It was Thursday the 29^th, the day Liberty Ministries went home. At breakfast I showed them the photos I had taken the day before. (They had been out souvenir shopping with Mitch all day.) Their hearts went out to the fire victims and right away Jeanette Porter gave me the money to buy every family a bed, and the group took up another offering. On the way there I asked Nicolas from school to go to the bed factory and negotiate a price for 9 beds. He got back to me on time. We prayed for all the families involved, then went to see the new university ministry location and prayed there. I said good-bye to those precious 9 ladies, and set off for school. Even though it was past noon, the factory hadn’t closed for lunch, so I put in my order for the beds. They promised to have them made by Saturday.

Around 2:30 Irene and Sam came over, and after we caught up with our lives, we started sorting clothes. I had a list Alex and Charley made, so we had a bag for each boy and girl, and the women. We decided to just sort out the men’s clothing when we got there, and fit the children for the shoes. They had some groceries, so we quickly arranged them into two separate bags, and Irene bagged the rice on the way to the Rails to pick up Alex. We stopped for some viveres, and decided on plantanos to take to the families. The man at the roadside stand was happy to sell all he had.  When he said 120 we quickly rounded up the money, but we were wrong; there were 120 plantains, at 5.5 pesos each, added up to $660 RD, or $15 US. At the end of the day, Pastor Alex got a bag of rice and the yuca that Irene and Sam had brought. He has to eat, too.

We gave a bag of groceries to Yolanda for her big family, and to a pregnant mom with 2 small children. Irene got right to work with her first aid kit, bandaging up burns, infectious sores, handing out pain medication, laughing and talking and even singing in Creole. That is after she made a video with her husband filming. What a pair of missionaries! I love how we could all work together: the Haitian pastor, the teacher at his school, the Serranos, me, the clothes who

Celebrating the Dedication of the Ranchito Church Santuary

What a blessing to participate in the dedication service of the Iglesia Cristiana de la Comunidad de Ranchito.  The children's choir welcomed the 350+ members and guests that afternoon.  It was the culmination of many years of hard work and partnership for this congregation.

It was maybe 9 or ten years ago that Pastor Joselo Toribio had first invited me to minister in his church in Ranchito.  I was blessed by this congregation meeting under the tiny carport.  There were about 25 adults and children crowded under the roof and they were excited about their faith!  It reminded me of the "first love" enthusiasm of new Christians.  These humble folk, mostly rice 

Rose of Sharon Educational Center Beginnings

It was a year and a half ago when with a two thousand dollar donation we were able to help in the start of a Haitian school in La Vega.  You can see the impact of this program on the smiling faces of the forty children that regularly attend the program.  These are children who without the school would be

 either closed up in their homes while their parents worked or else out on the streets with no supervision.  Often they speak no Spanish, have no legal papers to attend public school, and cannot afford the uniforms to attend the public school. Their future would be bleak.  But they have hope now.

Just a few weeks ago we were starting to let friends and supporters know that we were looking for some land where we could move the current Haitian school, and start a Dominican church. The building is on a very small plot of land.  Pastor Juan Ortiz, the director of the school, found a great property to move to in Barrio Inco.  That very Monday we made a commitment to buy the property within the week with only half the funds on hand, and if need be, to finance the rest with the owner.  But by that Friday all the funds we needed had come in and we closed on the 
property at 6:00 PM that evening.  It was amazing how the exact amount of money we needed was provided at the last minute.   Now we have purchased the land and we are praying for teams and finances to put up the new building.  As you can see in the photo below, 

the current wooden building needs some help.   It will continue to serve the 40 + children, until the new building is built. Missionary Ryan Pauly (his name is the link) on his blog did a great job of sharing some of the history of this project. I invite you to visit his site.  He has become an integral part in the process of the development of this school. 

. One of our La Vega Christian School (LVCS) graduates is studying architecture at the university and has made some concept drawings for us of the new school.  He was a sponsored child at LVCS, and of course we are quite proud of him. Below is one of his renderings of the future school. The new building will have an industrial kitchen, a large dining area where church services can be held, and four classrooms with the potential of caring for 100 students, with a nice playground area outside.

Aside from the facility serving for the formation of a Dominican Church in the area, we are looking at the possibility of developing an after-school remedial learning program to help Dominican children keep up with their studies.  There is an almost 40% drop out rate after 6th grade in the public school system.  Already $5000.00 has been pledged towards the building.  Estimates are that the 50’ by 80’ building will only cost $48,000.00 to complete the first phase. We are counting on construction teams from the U.S. to help us with this project. We are amazed with how quickly the Lord has been supplying funds for this project. We believe that with God's help it will be built very soon.  

We carefully move forward, trying to be sensitive to what God is doing, and what He wants to do in this community.  It is in a very needy low income area of the city of La Vega. Christianity is about helping people spiritually and also in tangible physical ways.  Good works help to qualify the message of hope in Christ that we bring.

If you feel led to help with this project call us at 1-863-248-1119 (US Vonage phone), and we will be glad to help answer your questions.  Or email me at mitch@dominicanmissions.org . 

College Students and Missions: Who will go?

With 3,500 university age attendees and 300 plus missionaries on hand, the December 2012 World Missions Summit in Fort Worth, Texas was awesome!  On December 28th-31st we attended the conference. We were invited to be host missionaries to represent the Caribbean area..

December 2012 World Missions Summit

It wasn't the numbers that made this three day conference great, it was the openness and response of the young people.  On Sunday morning, out of that mass assembly, 951 young people made their way to the platform (see this link) to say yes to the "Go for a year, pray about a lifetime" challenge. They went right up to the stage and shared where they felt God was asking them to go, or at least that they were committed to go wherever God would lead for a year.

On hand were displays dealing/w human trafficking, sex slavery, social issues.

My eyes teared up.  The missions baton was being passed on to a new generation.    My mind went back to the wonderful missions chapels at Southeastern University (Lakeland, FL),  where in response to a challenge to missions, I would find myself going forward and kneeling again and again in commitment to Christ.  In the midst of so much materialism and self-absorption that we see abounding in society today, here was a group of representatives from the younger generation saying they were willing to sacrifice and to take up this cause of world missions.  What was the cause?  There are two billion people in this world who have not heard a clear presentation on the importance of faith in Jesus Christ, because there are no Christian workers near them. Who will go to these dark regions of the world? I am convinced that man is a spiritual and emotional being,

Best Practices and "Free" Medical Clinics

In poor rural areas, where income is very low, often those who are sick will try home remedies, teas, and herbs, before considering a visit to a doctor.  If there is a pharmacy nearby, they will prescribe their own medicine as in this country you don't need a doctor's prescription for most medicines. Neighbors will volunteer the names of medicines that have helped them with similar ailments.  Antibiotics, steroids, viagra, are all sold across the counter without a prescription.  The danger though is that they will misdiagnose their problem and hurt themselves.  They usually continue this home remedy treatment until they can't stand the pain anymore

The Pharmacy for a clinic at a church.

and are forced to go into the big town where there is a public hospital. Now that I think about it, in the U.S. we have people that put off seeing a doctor, but not because they can't afford it (though I think this is happening also), but because they have a fear of doctors and hospitals.  La Vega, where we live is one of these towns with a big public hospital. Treatment is free, conditions are poor, and families are expected to spend the day and night with the patient to make sure  the prescribed medicines are bought, and that the patient is well taken care of. I won't write about the waiting lists for operations that are common.  Considering the resources on hand the medical community is doing the very best they can.

All this was said to help you understand the impact a visiting missions medical team can have on spotting potential problems early.   And how by their directing the patients to the proper care they need, they may head off worse health conditions. Sometimes though we are not able to use to the fullest advantage these team visits.

 For instance, I remember hosting a medical team that brought in medicine and doctors and volunteers to help with a free medical clinic in a rural area.  It went great except that it was almost a madhouse.  Every

Property Ownership and Missions Giving

Why the issue of property ownership can affect missions giving?  Part I

     A missionary has to deal with the property issue every time they are involved with a construction project.  Why? Because as missionaries we are often responsible for missions monies directed towards the project.  We have a responsibility to protect the interests of the donors.  But even greater is the responsibility we have to the Lord and His kingdom.   This investment of missions funds, just like any donation to a church, demands accountability.  Often the missionary serves as a conduit to meet the needs.

Securing ministry properties is a must.  Recently, I had to talk to a local pastor who is running  a school for Haitian children. In our country the Haitian community is very marginalized.  Many are illegally in the country, or with lapsed legal papers.  Very few of their children are in the public school system.  They don't speak Spanish, they don't have legal birth certificates, they may not have the income for the public school

Debbie and Ryan Pauly Visit the Haitian School

uniforms.   That is why we have become involved in helping this school reach out to the Haitian children.   Without an education, their chances of breaking the poverty cycle is slim.

We have served as channels in one way or another to provide nearly $5000.00 US for this project.  The lastest expense was a hand dug well on the property.  Their building is made of what we would consider scrap lumber in the United States.   We donated some used student desks to help and some sports equipment. Funds paid for the floors, walls, bathrooms, and roof of the building.  The donors were thrilled that they could make a difference in these young lives.  As humble as the surroundings are, there is a sense of peace and joy in the school.  The children look happy. The pastor and his small staff are providing a good education to about 60 children, who would otherwise have no education.

The problem is that the school is functioning on a piece of property that belongs to the pastor's daughter.  We would love to help provide a better facility for this school.  But when approaching churches in the US for help, there is always the question of who owns the land.  There is a risk that one day the daughter will sell the

Extreme Home Makeover in the Rails?

VIDEO TS mp4-YouTube sharing from Elias Castillo on Vimeo.

How did this all start?  Debbie shares in her own words::

I took Scott Steelman of Global Effect by Jennifer’s house in the Rails, to see the 2 beds we had bought for her family after the floods.  Josefina, her mom, was so thankful and sweet. On his way back from visiting Miguelina, Josefina pulled him aside and mentioned she didn’t have a stove. He called me that afternoon and asked if we could get her a stove maybe instead of painting the house. But I had my heart set on painting her house.

Jennifer, her mom, and 4 siblings

I asked the ministry team of 12 young people from Glad Tidings AG, Reading, PA to help us with an Extreme Home Makeover. They thought Ty was coming with the bus….(from the TV show).  But I said no, you will be doing the EHM. They loved the idea, and later on, told me it was the favorite part of their trip. The team filmed and edited the EHM video.We arrived around 9:20 a.m. on Wed. June 20, 2012. We took some photos and video footage, saw that Josefina had cleaned the house, and then sent her packing to her mom’s house. Then we applied base paint to the inside and outside of the house. The pastor had his crew of young people from the church, including Ranel, Anthony and Ezequiel, digging a trench to keep the water from flooding again. A team of girls picked up 12 big bags of trash. Elias came to plant moringa trees and some flowering shrubs. Then we 

Rains Continue as the Church nears Completion

Floor is in, but kitchen still needs some work!

We want to thank the many that have sent funds to help with the relief efforts and with the construction of the church addition.  We believe that within a month or two this project will be done and we will be in condition to give proper care to any flood affected families.  We will have a fully functioning soup kitchen, a dining area that can accommodate about 150 people, we will have two

New Flooding in the Rieles

Video UPDATE! Flooding continues to affect the Rieles Community:

The call came in this morning, the Rieles community area was flooding again.  Pastor Gemuel was calling to let us know that between four and five this morning many families awoke to two feet of water in their homes.  The waters were now receding and people were busy trying to salvage their belongings, and cleaning their

Flooding and Frustration

The Rieles area has flooded again.  How much frustration can you put up with?  How much frustration can families in Los Rieles put up with?  It has been 5 years since tropical storms Olga and Noel hit this community.  See this link where our media team (Elias Castillo and myself) posted a video of the event. It is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IklcwXCef2E These families should have moved elsewhere.  They didn't because they couldn't afford anything else.  Only a very few moved away to a better area.

Yesterday at about 10PM we became aware that because of torrential rains, some of the church kids from the Rieles area had decided to spend the night in the new sanctuary.  However, after our van waded through hubcap deep waters to get to the church.   We had brought with us seven mattresses, some sheets and blankets, and some clothing.  We discovered that there were actually 21 families spending the night on the floor in the church.  Our Sunday school addition has not been finished yet and so there are still no bathrooms  working in the facility. No floors down yet either in the new kitchen and dining area, or for that matter in the four classrooms.  For a lack of $8000.00 US, we were not ready for this emergency. That was a little frustrating.  I had hoped that by now the project would be finished. The need was