Buenos Aires is a small community about 10 minutes from Jarabacoa. It's a church of about 20-30 adults. About two years ago they started a ministry to supplement the education of the children living in Buenos Aires. They wanted to teach these children about the Bible as well. The idea was formed after they when house to house asking their neighbors how the church could help them. So they started the ministry and found their "bathroom" wasn't built for the use it was getting. After some discussion, plans were made for the property and they started praying for better facilities as well as other needs.
Calvary EFC in Rochester, Minnesota started coming here and helping these church in 1991. They have ministered in many ways. This past summer, a youth team came and ministered. Now they were looking for a 1-week construction opportunity that would give church better "facilities" for ministry. Building a bathroom may not be as appealing as some things but if you had used their previous bathroom, you would place it high on the priority list.
Before the team arrived, the church started working. They dug footings, poured them and had the first run of blocks laid.
Don Chucho started this church about 20 years ago.
Church members worked alongside the team. They have continued the work since the team left. Pictured above are the new bathrooms just after the ceiling was poured. In future weeks, the building will be skim coated, the floor will be poured and the fixtures installed.
Beyond construction, the team shared testimonies in services. One special night was when they attended the church service in El Montaña. They were able to share with the church a little of its history. 20 years earlier, Calvary EFC had sent a team and they built the church building. Some of the adults leaders in the church remember it. They were children at the time and they helped in the construction and attended Vacation Bible School. The team also visited homes. One woman attended Bible studies with Becky. They also brought many needed supplies. Some will be used in Buenos Aires and some in the other church plants. At times in the evening, they met with Dominicans friends and were able to catch up. Many on the team had been before and had friends they hoped to see from their past trips.
God has used Calvary EFC in significant ways. And while many of the teams "projects" have been in the area of construction, they have always been about ministering to people through relationships. They were a great blessing to us and to our churches. We praise God for them and our relationship with them.
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