Wednesday - El Cercado

Good evening to our friends in the US! Last night we hosted a Fiesta here at the mission and got to meet the children sponsored by folks in Elizabeth City. The children the church sponsors are Kiarya and Hector. The other two children sponsored by the Steven's are Jeovanny (girl) and Soni (boy). It was such an awesome thing to meet these children, play with these children and their families, and just see how a small amount of US money is having such a major impact on their lives.

This morning we headed over to the school that Solid Rock started and now supports. The school, CCED, has over 1300 students of which many are sponsored by folks in the US and abroad. We intereacted with the kids and then watched the flag raising ceremony. The children were very respectful toward the anthem and they all had smiles for us as they walked by in a straight line on their way to the classroom. As we were standing there, it was pretty incredible to see past the one child and see the person/persons who are sponsoring them in the US, as well as see the whole family that is represented by that child. For many, education is the only way out of poverty in the Domincan and for us to play a small part in the success of not only a child, but also of a family, is rather overwhelming.

We headed out to El Cercado, which is about an hour from the mission in San Juan. El Cercado is located in the moutains/hills of Dominican and the landscape is beautiful. We arrived at the school/medical compound that Pastor Morales and his church support. The school and clinic have been built in the past 5 years by teams who have come through Solid Rock Missions. What an awesome awesome sight to see how the hands of many coming from the US to serve have now accomplished a clinic and school for the children of El Cercado.

We met Pastor Morales and then went "door to door" delivering rice and beans to those in the poorer areas. I must say this was probably our first experience into back areas of the communities we have been serving. It was humbling to see how little many people live on, and also very rewarding to be able serve them by giving them rice and beans and the Gospel of John. Our time delivering the food was also one of our first 'real'adventures in the back of a pick up truck over bumpy roads, pot holes, running streams, and narrow dirt roads that very few Americans have ever been seen on! We heard "Gringos" and "Americanos" several times as we drove by. Each of us has stories to tell about delivering the rice and beans and the many special people we met - all of whom are God's creation, His workmanship, and known by Him.

Tomorrow we are back in El Cercado for the day helping paint the clinic. We will once again have supper with Pastor Morales and his family and then are headed to a church service in El Cercado.

Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for your comments. We are truly being the hands and feet of Christ in this community and look forward to sharing with you the things we have learned, the things the Lord has taught us, and the vision we want to share with you about serving the people of the Domincian.