The Dominican Republic Mission
The youth from Our Lady of Perpetual Help church have been a part of this experience since July 2008. Over the years, they have affected the lives of the children in the Dominican Republic as their hearts have been touched also. Essentially, their mission is to share God’s love and bring hope to those in need. Although there is sometimes a language barrier between them, the youth still understand each other. They play sports together, tell stories, and get to know one another while food is being prepared for later. We’ve seen positive changes since 2008; the young girls are more eager to finish school than they are to get pregnant and the mothers take better responsibility for their children. This mission trip impacts the youth from our church also. As Haitians raised in America, they have realized “we are more alike than different.” Any of us could have been struggling alongside those in the Dominican Republic. We must be grateful for our parents’ decision to migrate to a first-world country such as the United States of America. However, we cannot leave our brothers and sisters behind. As followers of Christ, we must remember He said in Matthew 25:40 “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
By Lovenie Talien