Mission to the Dominican Republic
Our International Mission Team will spend over a year fundraising and preparing for 10 days of service in July of 2009 in the village of Jalonga (pronounced "Halonga") in the Dominican Republic. They will spend many weekends this year learning about another culture, growing closer to God, fundraising, learning about safety and preparing to serve. When they are in Jalonga, they will be doing manual work and leading vacation Bible school.
The Dominican Republic is a Spanish-speaking country in the Carribean. We will be serving in the Episcopal Diocese of the Dominican Republic. Many adult and youth mission teams from across the US serve in the Dominican Republic regularly. Our Maine Mission Teams served there in 2005 and 2007 and will return in 2009. We have funded a bread factory for the people of the village and worked with the children. You can find out about their diocese at www.dominicanepiscopalchurch.org. Then, click on "Mission Teams."
Who's on the team?
Leaders include Steve Young (who has led the past two mission teams to the Dominican Republic and has coordinated Happening and TEC for 10 years), Ann Chase (veteran of the 2007 mission trip) and Jeanne DiScuillo-Carpenter. Here are the names and churches of the team members:
INTERNATIONAL YOUTH MISSION TEAM 2009
Johanna Baker, St. Matthew's, Hallowell
Hillary Provencher, St. Anne's, Calais
Brian Carlton, St. Luke's, Wilton
Kelsey McGrath, St. Peter's, Portland
Eric Mitchell, St. Luke's, Wilton
Christopher Reynolds, Grace Church, Bath
Solange Carpenter, St. Ann's, Windham
Aurora Wetherill, Good Shepherd, Rangeley
Stephanie Day, St. Anne's, Calais
Chelsea-Dagmar (C.D.) Wetherill, Good Shepherd, Rangeley
Abigail Duquette, St. George's, York
Charlene Farnsworth, St. Francis, Blue Hill
Gerald Kazilionis (Jerry), Holy Cross Catholic, South Portland
Anna Marie Lee, St. Giles, Jefferson
Laura Lee, St. Giles, Jefferson
ADULTS:
Steve Young, Holy Spirit, Portland
Ann Chase, Christ Church, Gardiner
Jeanne DiScuillo-Carpenter, St. Ann's, Windham
Preparation
The team began preparing in May 2008, with an overnight focusing on team building and spiritual growth. During the summer of 2008, there will be a 4-day wilderness challenge.
In the fall, we will turn our attention to fundraising, with a goal of raising $30,000. In January, we will begin preparing for vacation bible school, which we will teach in Spanish. At our spring 2009 meetings, we will learn about culture. Our emphases on prayer and spiritual growth are ongoing.
Details
The team will fly to the Dominican Republic and be met there by one of the Snows (missionaries from the US who work for the Diocese of the D.R.) and will then prepare to travel to the village of Jalonga.
Jalonga is located about 30 minutes to the north of San Pedro de Macoris, which is a one hour drive to the east of Santo Domingo on the southern coast of the Island of Hispanola. The town itself is a sugar bate with an unemployment rate of around 90-95%. The town's population has a very sizable Haitian component, as Haitians are often brought in to work on sugar plantations. The Episcopal Mission of San Mateo is where we will live while serving in Jalonga. We will be putting on a Vacation Bible School along with lay leaders of the church. The VBS will take place on the church grounds. The VBS will last for half of the day. The other half of each day we will be working on a building project.
Please pray for this ministry!
