Today has been a really good day. We made a lot of progress on the school today. We were able to pour concrete into the form on the top of two rooms and framed another room. Most of us had a pretty heavy coating of concrete from head to toe by day’s end. We also got another load of rebar, so tomorrow’s task will include moving the forms from the areas poured, removing lots of nails, putting forms up around the remaining room, cutting, bending, and tying more rebar, and hopefully pouring in the new forms. In other words, we’ll be as tired tomorrow night as we are tonight.
In addition, we will be going with translators throughout the community distributing New Testaments and engaging people in spiritual conversations. May God bring new children into the Kingdom!
I got to spend the morning with Pastor Juan, John Bearden, and Juan Luiz (whom Nancy has unofficially adopted). We went to Villa Real to see the site of a possible future work. This congregation meets in a small pavillion-like structure. Their congregation is not large, but they have 5,000 people living around them and 4,500 are unchurched. The fields are ripe unto harvest! Pastor Juan has a vision of a building for worship with a clean water distribution site on the property. This would provide a service for the community by selling water at a VERY reduced rate that meets safety standards. It would also build a bridge to share the good news of God’s Living Water. We’ll pray to see God’s direction in this.
Tonight we had the privilege of eating Dominican food and then worshiping with the Iglesia Evangelica Dominica in La Romana. Their praise band rocked the house! We got to sing in both Spanish and English – and most of the songs were ones we sing at Grace. The pastor’s wife then shared some slides and video of the progress on the school. It has come a long way and now educates 140 students. Keep them in your prayers.
We are all tired. Things are quiet here at the hotel with just a few hearty souls still up. Tomorrow we get up and do it all over again … and, quite frankly, we glad we can! I look forward to sharing some of our encounters with the people in the community.
Be Transformed 