March DR Update

Little Andrew has a new job!
Some of you may remember Little Andrew…he’s about 10 years old and used to wash car windows at the street corners. He now has a wooden shoe shine box and is shining shoes in the park. This is much safer for him. He is also at every worship service at Isidro’s church. While he’s too old to enter the Compassion-Covenant School he is doing better because of the love of some of the folks from the previous Covenant Mission Teams who have helped him with clothes and other necessities. Even though Andrew can’t be sponsored through Compassion International, we are praying for some folks to “sponsor” him through Isidro’s church. Please pray for Andrew and his family.

March Mission Team was great!
Karen Harrington along with Trey Quinn and Janell Brockett lead a mission team from Covenant Church here to the DR. They helped complete the “New Upper Room” above Isidro’s school. They also loved on kids and adults through time at Isidro’s church, Prayer Walks, and a new way of being with the Haitians in one of the batays (Migrant Camps in the sugar cane fields) where we all took 2 big pots and cooked dumplings and salami along with some of the women at the batay. We stayed for most of the day singing, sharing testimonies, preaching, and loving on the folks there. Way to go team!

Candace O’Quinn & Kristin Schoch are really learning about and doing mission here!
Wow! To be able to have two wonderful young ladies like these here with us to teach about being missionaries is a real blessing from God. They are learning a lot and doing a lot to help those in need here. They will be awesome mission leaders upon return to the US! I’m so thankful to God for their interest, passion, and loving ways among the people here. I’m learning a lot from them, too! In my opinion, this “Mission Residency Program” is tremendous success! Praise God!

We’ve moved the mission team residence site to the “New Upper Room” above Isidro’s school!
After much talk with Pastors Santiago, Isidro and Fermin Miguel (District Superintendent) we have decided to move the mission team residence site (dorm style with bunk beds, separate male/female sleeping areas) to the “New Upper Room” above Isidro’s school. We will always be grateful to God for Santiago’s church being the “mother church” that launched the mission teams into La Romana. And we are excited all of the teams we will be able to be “on-site” at Isidro’s church from here on! That gives more time to be with and love on the kids and adults there. Plus, there will be less cost for transportation. Everyone seems to be very happy about this. Thanks be to God!

Mission to Barrio George & the Haitian Batays are showing wonderful results!
We are moving from the “Popcorn” mission style to the “Relational” mission style with the folks at the Batays. We are doing this by taking big pots and cooking meals there with them now. It is so fulfilling to see Dominicans from Isidro’s church, Haitians from the Batays, and folks from Covenant Church cooking, eating, singing, and sharing together at the Batays. We now stay for most of the day with them and share stories about who they are who we are…getting to know them better. And, the training that Isidro and I have been doing with some of the Haitians in the Batays is really working. Now, there are a handful of Haitians living in the Batays who walk for 1-2 hours to other Batays where they start Bible Studies, preach, and teach about Jesus as Lord and Savior! We are helping them to see themselves as missionaries, too…and they are living this out among their fellow Haitian brothers and sisters! God is good!

Please continue to support us with your prayers and generosity!
We could not fulfill the call of Jesus to be in mission here in the DR without you! If interested in supporting us financially, please contact Amy Bissette at bissettea@ecu.edu . If you’re interested in coming here on a mission team or living here with us to learn to become a missionary through our “Mission Residence Program” please contact Donna Sheets at donna@connect2covenant.com .

We love you all and are so thankful to God for you! Until next time…remember to follow Jesus…step by step. Marcos, Mey, John, Perla, Candace, Kristin, and the rest of your DR family.