A Work & Witness team from Westerville Church of the Nazarene in Westerville, Ohio, arrived in the Dominican Republic on Tuesday, July 29th. The team consisted of 25 members, mostly teenagers and young adults. After flying into Santo Domingo, the group immediately traveled to the city of Bonao where most of their work and ministry throughout the week was located. The group stayed at Bonao 1st Church of the Nazarene and were hosted by Pastors Lázaro and Milagros there. The week was filled with God’s blessings and the team was able to serve several communities in the name of Jesus.
The group was involved in the construction of Bonao 1st Church of the Nazarene during their stay. Work consisted of painting, mixing and pouring cement for the floor in the upstairs balcony and sound room, electrical work in the sanctuary, and construction in the bathrooms. The team did church construction work all day on Wednesday, July 30th, and Thursday, July 31st. Wednesday evening the team participated in a church service at Bonao 1st and shared songs and testimonies.
On Friday, August 1st, the team did construction work in the morning and in the afternoon traveled to the community where Bonao II Church of the Nazarene is located to attend a special ceremony for the children at Bonao II who were graduating from discipleship training. Bonao II facilitates a Child Development Center (CDC) as a compassion project under the leadership of Pastor Denise. Last summer this same team was involved in working and ministering at the CDC, and they help support Pastor Denise and the project there. Several members of the Westerville church sponsor children from Bonao II through Nazarene Compassionate Ministries. It was a blessing for them to be able to return there and see the children and the church once again and how God is working in the community through the church.
The group did construction work again at Bonao 1st during the morning of Saturday, August 2nd. In the afternoon the group hiked to the river with Dominican volunteers and church members for a special time of fellowship and relaxation. In the evening the group participated in a youth service at Bonao 1st.
On Sunday, August 3rd, the team participated in the Sunday morning Thanksgiving Service at Bonao 1st. They led several worship songs with the congregation and shared testimonies that glorified God. In the afternoon, the group packed up and headed back to Santo Domingo to participate in sports ministry at a basketball court in Los Alcarrizos. Several young people in the group are very good at basketball and helped out during practice with a team of young Dominicans who are just starting to learn how to play. One youth from the group shared his testimony with the boys and encouraged them to glorify God with every part of their lives, including playing basketball. Later in the afternoon another Dominican team consisting of older, experienced players met at the courts to play a game with the Ohio group. It was a great game full of competition and fun. Before the game and during halftime, more young men from the Westerville team shared their testimonies. They talked about how even though they love basketball, God is most important in their lives and that they follow Him above all else. We are praying that God is working in the hearts of those who heard these testimonies and that they too will have a desire to begin a relationship with Him. We give glory to God for the opportunity He gave this team to make an eternal impact through sports. After the basketball activities, the team traveled to the Work & Witness house in western Santo Domingo where they spent the night.
On Monday, August 4th, the Westerville team headed to the tourist market to shop for souvenirs. In the evening they had the opportunity to spend time at the resort for a time of relaxation and debriefing. In the morning of Tuesday, August 5th, the team flew back to Ohio.
We thank God for this team and their willingness to serve God through DR Work & Witness. They impacted several communities for Christ throughout the week. God used this team to help support the church at Bonao 1st, to help further the construction of their beautiful sanctuary, and to develop relationships with the congregation there. Also during their time in the DR, God laid on their hearts the desire to continue to help support Pastor Denise’s family at Bonao II Church of the Nazarene. Through a generous offering, the team raised funds to help her family with their house rent. This is a huge blessing because Pastor Denise and her family can now focus more time and energy on their ministries and serving their community. The team participated in sports ministry and shared the Gospel with some of the young people in Los Alcarrizos. All glory is given to God through the work He has done this week through the lives of this special group from Westerville, Ohio!
Beverly Brown, Volunteer, Work & Witness, Dominican Republic.
