In a week’s time, Lil and I will be in the Dominican Republic. I’ve been going to the DR with Calvary for about a decade (with a few years missed due to baseball), but this is Lil’s first trip. She’s heard all the stories, seen all the pictures, and prayed for loads of children there by name. We’ve sponsored a child in school there, sent Christmas gifts in June, and even thought about sending Levi to live there! Just kidding about Levi, although he’d love it. He went with me last year.
Kim and I are committed to exposing our kids to other cultures, and want them to see how we can be a blessing to people in other countries firsthand. We sponsor a child through Compassion International (Saul is Levi’s age, and lives in Peru), but the opportunity to visit our friends at the Rose of Sharon Orphanage in San Juan de la Maguana, DR is something altogether different. We know the children who live and go to school there. We know the men and women who are taking care of those boys and girls. Our dollars buy them clothes, food, and school supplies. Our sweat-equity has helped make the place they live brighter and more productive. We’ve built real relationships with those folks–they have a special place in our hearts. It crushes us when we learn that certain boys leave/are removed from the orphanage, like Isaac was last March (he violated the “no stealing” rule more than once.) And we rejoice to learn that others are doing well, getting an education, growing in their faith, and learning valuable skills that will lead to employment.
Lilly’s small group is holding a car wash to help raise funds for her trip. If you’d like to get your car washed by a lovely group of 6th grade girls (and who wouldn’t?), swing by 1250 University Dr this Saturday. We’ll be out there slinging the soap suds and having a blast.
I posted the question on FB a while back, but one of the newest developments at the orphanage is the school of music. There are some gifted young men (and ladies, possibly) at the orphanage who have a knack for music. I usually take my guitar down, and we spend time each day worshiping together. This year I get the chance to teach some of them to play some simple chords in the hopes that they’ll be able to lead worship at the church.
If you have an acoustic guitar that you would like to donate to the young people at the orphanage, contact me this week. I know that there are some of you who have a guitar sitting in your closet, gathering dust, untouched for years. You always meant to learn to play, I know. But let’s face it; that guitar will mean more in the hands of a young man (or woman) in the Dominican Republic than it will in your closet, or under your bed, or wherever you stuck it years ago. So shoot me an email or leave me a comment, and I will gladly take your acoustic to places that it will learn to sing and get to experience life.
If you’d like to support us on our trip, you can do any of the following:
Pray for:
- hearts of the boys and girls to be open to the Good News of Jesus
- our hearts to be shaped by Jesus in the process of serving
- guitars to be donated (and travel safely to the DR!)
- unity on the team
- financial needs to be met
Give: your donations are greatly appreciated, and will help us buy materials that we will use in our work projects while we’re at the orphanage. In the past couple of years, we’ve planted a grove of fruit trees, sealed/painted the roofs of the buildings, painted the interior of the orphanage, built a dorm for the girls to live in, and built a wall around the girls’ property to keep unwanted animals out! You can send you check to Calvary. All the donations go in a common pot, but so they can keep track of who raises how much money for the trip, please indicate that it’s for the Sublett trip.
Calvary Baptist Church
Missions Team
PO Box 775
Boalsburg, PA 16827
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