Dominican Republic Mission Trip ~ Trip Summary with Pictures

The last week of January I had the privilege to lead a group of Sonrise members and Mission University biblical counseling and missions students to the Dominican Republic. While I spoke at the Gracia Iglesia Bautista annual biblical counseling conference, the team primarily served at Fundacion Red de Misericordia, the Mercy Network Foundation, an orphanage for Dominican children. Started by Senora Olga Arocha, in its twelfth year, the foundation serves over 100 children. What a great joy to spend the 8 days together serving Christ, the children, and our dear brothers and sisters in the Dominican Republic.

The Papillion House

The group stayed at the Papillion House, a beautiful and safe place just across the street from the Foundation where volunteers who work at the Foundation stay. Along with our hostesses Adriana and Perla, the great ladies who served here provided excellent meals, a clean place to stay, and a place to meet, study, and reflect.

Serving the Orphanage

Throughout the week, our group served the children through Bible lessons, crafts, and game time. With the new school that has been built specifically for these children, our group was able to serve in the school each morning, while some also served in the Foundation on projects. One team each day served the smallest of the children in the nursery. Each afternoon, we were able to spend the entire afternoon with the children doing activities and crafts. Our group enjoyed getting to know the children and serving them.

On three days, I was able to do in-service training for the staff at the Foundation. The principles of biblical counseling are grafted into the DNA of this organization. From daily training to discipline, the Foundation teaches a robust view of sanctification. They use David Powlison’s Three Tree Model of sanctification. Throughout the orphanage, nice posters remind the children and workers of his sanctification model as well as Ken Sande’s diagrams from Peacemaker. It was a joy to teach them more about this model, which I teach in the seminary, and how to deal with a highly sexualized culture, as many of the children have been sinned against in this way.

In addition, we were able to view the new Vision of Hope. In this residential facility, they serve young girls (primarily teenagers) who have become pregnant through incest. They take care of the young mother during pregnancy and then her and her baby after the birth. This facility teaches the gospel as well as occupational skills, vocational skills, and how to care for a baby and home.

We were also blessed to serve VIDA, which is a pregnancy care center located in one of the poorest areas of town.

Serving the Church

For the third time, I had the privilege of being the speaker at their annual biblical counseling conference. This year they asked me to teach on Restoring Fallen Brothers. I spoke five times alongside another speaker. I appreciate their trust and consider it an incredible privilege to serve them.

While I was speaking on Saturday, the team slipped off to the beach for some fun.

Serving for Christ

In sum, our trip turned out fantastic! We served and were served. These brothers and sisters sacrificially serve those who can’t do anything for them in return. We were challenged by the incredible sacrifice of those who serve the children in the orphanage every day. We recognize how the love of Christ, love of His Word, and love of others motivate them.

Have you ever considered how much work and resources it takes to serve over 100 children each day, twenty-four hours per day, seven days a week?

These people live out what Jesus’ half brother James calls pure religion.

If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. (James 1:26-27)

You Can Help

As I wrote earlier, it takes incredible work and resources to serve these children. If you have any desire to help serve these children, feel free to check out the Foundation’s website. There is a donation button. You can support a child monthly or just give a one-time gift. If you would prefer to send support to Sonrise and keep your donation stateside, we would be happy to pass all donations, alongside our own support, to them. You can donate here.