Thirty-six leaders from the Church of the Nazarene Central Field attended a Nazarene Compassionate Ministries training Aug. 10-12 held at the Dominican Nazarene Seminary. The training focused on the importance of being a compassionate church that responds to the needs of its community. The speakers shared about disaster response as well as disaster preparation before, during and after a disaster.
The leadership encouraged the districts and countries represented to organize a Disaster Response Team to be able to respond in a rapid and objective way. The presenters shared how to create such a team. The presenters were Brandon Sipes, Dhariana Balbuena, and representatives from the Dominican Civil Defense and fire department.
“ . . . We are working and praying that each district will be able to prepare in a way that we can respond as quickly as possible to any event that merits it with the appropriate tools, “ said Paquita Bid, the NCM Coordinator in the Dominican Republic.
During the event, the district superintendents present prayed for the first Disaster Response Team. Esteban Rivera from the Dominican Republic Central District coordinates the team.
Prior to the training, from Aug. 8-9, Costa Rica North District NCM Coordinator Angie Carvajal was in the Dominican Republic and led a fingernail design training. Nine women participated in the training which will allow them have their own business and a source of income. The participants received a certification and expressed their gratefulness for the investment from NCM to help meet their needs.
Paquita Bido closed by sharing, “We give thanks to God for the chance to receive such an important training and for the chance to share with the Central Area leaders. Thank you to NCM for your help.”
Source: Paquita Bido, National NCM Coordinator, Dominican Republic
