As you all know we are constantly starting new projects to reach the people in the Dominican Republic.  We are also always constructing new buildings and renovating old ones.

This year we are concentrating our construction efforts at the private school, Colegio Cuerpo de Cristo.  The school is bringing in most of the income that is going to pay our pastors and the classrooms are filled to capacity.  Just this year the school started to have afternoon as well as morning classes.  Saying all this, there is a partially finished building on the property that was originally meant to be an auditorium.  The Dominican board of directors have decided to try and finish this building so that it can be used for more classroom space.  The more students in the school, the more income it brings in, and the better we can pay our pastors.  We need help doing this.  When totally finished this building will provide  seven more class rooms.  With 30 kids in each class, this will allow around 200 more students to be able to attend the Colegio.  The whole cost of finishing this entire building, I am told, is around $35,000, which seems like a lot, but it will provide much more income for the mission and its pastors, which is the whole purpose of the school and camp.  There is also some work to be done at the camp, but we are hoping to concentrate more on the school this year.

Pastor Nelson

We are sure you are aware that drinking water in 3rd world countries has to come from a bottle.  Regular tap water is not safe to drink on account of the bacteria and lack of purification.  Over the past three years the mission has received two water purification systems, thanks tothe Illinois groups.  Both the water system in Las Canoas and the one at Camp Canaan were purchased through New Life International based in Indiana.  Their website is www.waterfortheworld.com. Basically it’s a large water tank and a tubing system that purifies river water using salt.  After all of the parts are purchased it is virtually costless (the parts typically average 2,500.)  The water cycle takes 2 hours to filter water but then it is safe to drink.  The system in Las Canoas is hanging from a tree and runs into a large holding tank in Nelson’s back yard.  Community members may come to Nelson, the pastor in Las Canoas, for purified drinking and cooking water to help prevent illness and disease caused by parasidic water.

We also have several feeding programs going on within our churches.  There are two in San Francisco and with the help of Servant’s Heart Ministries, there is a new feeding program in Esperanza.  These programs are reaching hundreds of children and their parents every week with food, both physical and spiritual.