This past week was one of the most refreshing and exhausting weeks I have had in the DR. I spent it touring with a Medical Team from Colorado, visiting 5 VTI projects to perform medical “well-checks” and teach basic hygiene classes to over 300 children. Our schedule was the following:
Monday: Herrera
Tuesday: Traveled to a small country town on the southern Haitian border called Elias Piña
Wednesday:
a.m.: La Represa-one very poor country village about 1/2 hour outside of Santo
p.m.: Ensancha Altagracia- located only 15 min. away from our Herrera school
Thursday: we traveled 2 hours north to a rural village called Cotui
Friday: more time in Herrera before seeing some historical sights in Santo Domingo.
It was extremely difficult and at first, a little discouraging, to see the poverty in which so many people all over the country live. The lack of resources and education result in the malnutrition of many children and parents that our “general check-up” team could not do anything about. Even if it were legal to bring antibiotics to the DR to distribute, sicknesses such as parasites and fungus would only be cured momentarily, for their little consumption of nutritious food, as well as their consumption of polluted water, would only bring them to illness once again within a month or two.
After the initial shock of what could have appeared hopeless, God once again showed His awesome hope working. For two of the projects, La Represa and Ensancha Alt., this was their first time receiving any American team, medical or other. The fact that God is now starting to bring medical, dental, other help through the sponsorship program brings great hope and answer to prayer to the school teachers and staff. Each project is associated with a church in their community, and is run by Christian teachers. The love and hope of Jesus is taught to all the children there and God is bringing many people to their side to provide for the needs that they cannot supply on their own.
The thing that has touched my heart and continues to inspire me today, is the beauty of God’s work here. Similar to the way the Herrera school was started, the women who run these schools in the country teach for free in poor, falling apart buildings, with MANY children who come from all sorts of despairing situations. They started these schools to minister to children in places where the name Jesus is not widely worshipped, and where many basic human needs are often neglected due to poverty. These people obeyed God’s call on their life to minister to their communities without knowing how they would pay for it. And because of that obedience, God is now bringing them support through VisionTrust and many others in the States, in order to bring education, health, and the love of God to their communities. I am truly blessed to witness the hand of God moving in these projects, and I am honored to be able to share in their work in some small way.
Another awesome part of the trip was seeing the team-members meet their sponsored children. It was so beautiful to see the faces of our team members when they recognized their sponsored children from the crowd of children around us, and to see how joyful they are to support them. The kids loved visiting with their sponsors as well and spent hours playing with them and sitting in their laps. Words cannot describe what was felt during that special time, but I hope that reading my description here gives you a glimpse.
The more I learn about the ministry that God is doing through these schools, the more I am touched to continue working with it in some way. Although you cannot experience it completely the way that I am experiencing it, I pray and hope that you will consider joining us in our work by
- praying for the projects and its staff
- coming on a short-term mission team yourself
- or even sponsoring one of these beautiful children, to further the work that is taking place right now
God Bless you all and keep you,
Casey Scheberl
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