Impact of Short Teams

Missionaries all over the world host groups for one week to a month to do a variety of projects: construction, English camps, evangelism, Bible School, education, sports camps, medical and dental clinics, and more. Some have criticized these trips as little more than "feel good Christian vacations" because they often include some sightseeing and recreation. Some question whether these short visits have any lasting impact on the national church.

We welcome North American visits and desire to develop partnerships between believers across cultures for a win-win situation. We want to see the body of Christ strengthened overalll through short term trips.
We just hosted 19 people from Calvary Evangelical Free Church in Rochester, Minnesota. Calvary EFC has been bringing teams since 1991 to work with Iglesia Nueva Vida (New Life Church) in Jarbacoa, Dominican Republic. Now that's a long term relationship! This team spent two weeks doing construction projects to facilitate better ministry at two churches, assisted in Vacation Bible schools at two churches, prayed and evangelized in two communities, and visited several worship services and Bible Studies to share their testimonies of faith.

A Challenge to Grow

In El Montaña, powerful testimonies were shared as Calvary team members recalled with the congregation the building and dedication of the church building some 18 years ago and a challenge to the Dominicans to outgrow the building so that the Americans would need to come back and expand the building! For the first time ever, members of the Montaña church led the Vacation Bible School with Americans as helpers rather than vice versa. And the congregation continues a kid's club in the afternoons on their own.

Last fall the Montaña church raised money through a yard sale to purchase a basic sound board and an inverter (battery back up). This enables them to have church when it is raining (tropical rain on a tin roof can be deafening) and when there is no electricity (which is most of the time). However since purchasing the equipment, they have stored it off site as tin roofs are easily broken into. The Calvary construction team poured a cement roof over the Sunday school room and bathroom to enable the church to store the inverter (battery back up) and sound equipment safely. They had been planning to have another sale to raise the money to finish this project, but since the Calvary team poured the roof, they have decided to focus their fund raising efforts on a community project: a communal well. The community of Montaña lacks a functional water supply, so they are digging a well and need to raise $23,000 pesos (US $650) for a submersible pump. This is a great opportunity for the church to help meet community needs and for Damaso Herrera, church planting pastor, to build relationships in the community.

We were moved to tears as the team excitedly unpacked their gifts at the beginning of the trip. We had requested more copies of the Bible in One Year for Children, Bible story videos and books as well a basic doctrine book used in discipling. As you may read in another post, Dominicans in the rural churches have the chance to "earn" the children's Bible reader by memorizing 16 Bible passages. We were overwhelmed by the $1200 worth of books and over 40 Bible Story videos they unpacked. Now we have what seems like an endless resource for sharing biblical truths with families. Mind you, we do hope to run out of "Bible in One Year for Children"!

Relationships

Chet Ross has been faithfully coming to the Dominican Republic serving as construction foreman and general roustabout on the team. His tender heart for Dominicans wins friends wherever he goes. Almost every Dominican he crosses paths with gets a nickname. On this visit he spent time with
"Smiley" Vanessa (Photo to the left) and asked about her friends from years gone by. He learned that one friend, "Gabby" had recently returned to the area after living in the capital for a number of years. He tracked her down and learned she was grieving over the recent death of her mother. His heart went out to her immediately and he brought her to our farewell party so she could meet Rick and I. Vanesa is also reaching out to her in this time of grief to help strengthen her faith in God.

Vanesa Nolasco, a Dominican missionary dentist, shared her testimony recalling as a young person watching Calvary expand the main church to accommodate the growing congregation. She said God had placed in her heart to share the love of Christ and she gained experience as she helped Calvary teams over the years. When she finished her dental training and needed support to work under Students International, she said she knew her friends from Calvary would respond because they had a heart to reach the Dominican Republic for Christ. She has been faithfully working at Students International for over 8 years now.

Roy Makosky has been on all 10 of Calvary's large group mission trips (he missed a teaching trip and a medical trip). And his wife Glenna only missed one of those in 1991. They live in Minnesota but are very committed to the work here. Over the years they have built a relationship with Ramon and Denis Vargas. Ramon, an elder at Nueva Vida, is passionate about evangelism. He and his wife Denise have ministered in just about every community around Jarabacoa. And though the years, a relationship has formed. Roy and Glenna pray for Ramon and Denis. And when they return, it is always exciting to hear what God has done, what God is doing, and what are the things that need prayer.

An Invitation to Faith

Part of the group accompanied Dominicans on two afternoons to evangelize. Unlike Americans, rural Dominicans typically welcome any visitor onto their porch or into their living room for coffee and good conversation. This enabled the Dominican believers in the two neighborhoods to talk about spiritual matters and invite their neighbors to a Bible study. I think it is safe to say the team members found this a challenge as they shared their testimonies through translators.

Rick and I are involved in various Bible Studies in villages outside Jarabacoa. Some are discipleship groups, but one in particular is clearly evangelistic. It is held on Saturday nights in the local butcher's lean-to. Alex (pictured with Rick) is a butcher with a calling. He may kill animals by day, but he is brings life to souls in his off hours!