Amigos de Jesus

As a means to reach out to people with DD and their families we have started a community-based Bible Club called, “Amigos de Jesus”. Once a month volunteers from the local community of Licey share a Bible story, play games, sing, pray, have a craft and snack. The participants and parents have so far been thrilled with the activity. The vision behind the clubs is that they are led by volunteers in the community where the children with DD live. Currently we have four leaders for the Licey Club. We meet once a month for planning and training. They became leaders knowing that they would be leading the group in the future on their own. Up to 8 children and youth plus their parents have participated in the activity and are learning about Jesus’ love for them and His plan of salvation for their lives.

Dominican Childcare, MANIDI and CONANI

Dominican Childcare and MANIDI (the Association of Mothers of Children with Disability)
We have partnered with two local Christian non-profits, Dominican Childcare and MANIDI, to help share the Word of God with children an youth with DD and their families. These two organization serve a combined total of approximately 440 families in the Santiago area. They weekly visit the homes of children and youth with DD and provide educational and rehabilitation services for them. In 2007 we worked with Dominican Childcare in providing spiritual life training to 40 members of their staff with the purpose of them sharing a Bible lesson with the children and a family member each week they visit their home.
This year in 2008, we are providing spiritual life training to the MANIDI workers to be able to do the same to the youth they visit weekly. We are also providing parents with spiritual guidance and helping to teach them how to be faith formers in the lives of their children. This is being accomplished at monthly MANIDI parent’s meetings. In sharing God’s Word with the parents and empowering them to share Jesus love and forgiveness with their own children.

CONANI
CONANI is the National Council for Children and Adolescents. CONANI has two large homes for children with DD. Unfortunately, many of these children have been abandoned at birth and there is no record of family, they have had to be taken out of abusive homes, or some families simply can not take care of their child with DD because of economic hardships. There are 140 children total in the Santiago and Santo Domingo homes. Through Bethesda Lutheran Homes and Services and IMPACT, in collaboration with CONANI, we are working to establish a pilot project of group homes and family reintegration for the children. We are still in conversation with CONANI regarding the formation of the project.

The relationships made so far in the formation of the project, have opened the doors for our church to share the Word of God with the children in the home. So far, friends and church members have just visited the children in the homes. We spend time with them and sing songs about Jesus. We hope to establish soon a regular ministry where we can more effectively teach them about Jesus and His love for them.

Developmental Disability (DD) Ministry

The developmentally disabled (DD) are a marginalized population in the Dominican Republic. There are virtually no government services for people with DD as far as orientation and trainings for family or special education for children. What services that do exist are provided by private and non-profit organizations. This marginalization is mainly due to a lack of education and understanding of the developmentally disabled. We believe that our Lutheran Church, through the training of Christian laity in outreach ministry to persons with DD, can be a catalyst and leader in bringing about an understanding of persons with DD and help to bring an integration of the person into society and, most importantly, into faith and the Body of Christ.

Blessings in Santo Domingo

In 2005, God miraculously brought together dentist Willy Gaspar and Jim Pressnell, ex ditector of Central American Lutheran Mission Society(CALMS). Gaspar and a group of friends and colleagues has seen the film "Luther". They were interested in studing Lutheran theology and wanted to participate in the formation of a Lutheran church in the Dominican Republic. On the day Rev. Walter Trescher Ries Jr. and LCMS World Mission outreach missionary Danelle putnam were installed, Gaspar and a group of 13 came to Santiago from Santo Domingo for the worship service.

Now two years later, Gaspar told the partners how they have seen the power of the Word of God manifested in their marriage and their family life.

Today, Willy is one of three men enrolled in studies with Ries to become a Lutheran pastor for the emerging Dominican Lutheran church body. Willy is envolved in his community in Las Americas (Santo Domingo), about 300 families.

In this picture is a confirms in Santo Domingo (October 2006). The first is Ramon (one of three students), Willy and his wife Santa, Yanela and pastor Ries.

Missionaries in DR

Missionary Danelle L. Putnam and Pastor Walter Ries Junior.

Danelle who served six years in Panama, has been sent by LCMS World Mission, at the request of Bethesda Lutheran Home, to serv people with developmental disabilities. Pastor Walter is a church-planting missionary sent to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil.

The first wedding in Palmar Arriba

That be a great day in Palmar Arriba. The first wedding in the church. Eduar and Yordania get married the 04-19-2008. Eduar an Yordania is a member for the Lutheran Church in Palmar. Eduar play drum and make drama for the Church. God bless both.

God in Palmar Arriba

Several years ago, St. Michael’s Lutheran Church, together with Diamela Pascasio, one of our principal partners here in Santiago, began work in a rural community called Palmar Arriba. They set out to build a Lutheran School and home for children. Today there is a very active school, a church and a soon to be home. There are approximately 120 children. I and Danelle have been doing weekly chapel on wednesday morning with the children. It has been uplifting and encouraging to us to see the response of the children as they lift their voices in praise and interact with us as we teach the Bible lessons. They are like the Word of the Lord and Jesus’ love.

Another thing we have noticed about Dominicans, and especially in Palmar Arriba, is that they all have the gift of hospitality. Now we have service in the church every wednesday in the nithg for the adult peoples the community, about 15 youth people and 20 children come regularly to the church.