Cornerstone C2C Update: Let’s Get It On!

Up until now we’ve been at the travel and recovery game. It was time to really get with the business of what we came for. Getting to build relationships, encouraging the community, and serving in what small ways we can. It became a full and busy day in which each of our team members shone in service and their particular abilities and gifting. God blessed us so greatly.

We began the morning with a devotion out of Philippians 2:13 being encouraged to work hard today satisfied in the knowledge that the results belong to the Lord. Everyone had great opportunities to work hard in different ways and we were blessed by so much today.

After breakfast we split into 2 groups 5 of us to construction and 5 to home visits. 8 of us came from Cornerstone but our translators and facilitators Nathan and Heidy are full members of our team. So Dan, Lori, Holden, Austin and Nathan went to the construction site. While Bob, Lisa, Julia, Greg and Heidy headed out to visit some different households in the community.

Julito and Matilda and their son Diego, on a home visit.

The first home we stopped at is the home of Goyjita, she was caring for her 12 year old grandson Ramelfy. Ramelfy has special needs and it was a great opportunity for Lisa to share with her about some of the Reib’s experience with their son Moses, and to invite her to what we are calling the Special Needs Forum. In the afternoon (more on that very exciting time later). After praying with her we visited a number of other homes where we visited for a time with mothers and fathers and prayed for them and their families. It was such a blessing to be warmly welcomed by each place and treated like honored guests.

In one home in particular we spoke with Jo-Annie she was there with her adorable three year old twin son and daughter. When we asked what we could pray for her for, she started to cry. She asked if we would pray for her older daughters in 4^th and 5^th grade. Her husband had left when the twins were 2 months old, and the older girls are feeling like they were the reason their father left, because he didn’t love them anymore. Please keep this family in your prayers.

Work on the top of the wall.

The crew ready to help

The team at construction joined a group of men from the community, some on vacation time from work and others who had the day off. The work projects on our visits here the first years were mostly our team with FH staff directing us. Now we have transitioned to the situations that local folks are taking the lead on the projects and we are just kind of helpers. So the skilled labor was limited to the local guys and our group became the grunt labor carrying blocks from one location to another and occasionally helping haul some buckets of cement. But the team was able to focus on building relationships with the other men there and some folks nearby. One of the gentlemen helping is, buy profession, a chef in Santo Domingo, but is on a week of vacation. Our presence and financial gift for materials has gotten the project moving again.

Enjoying Lunch

Lunch was an incredible meal prepared for us by the local women led by FH staff member Taina. We feasted on rice and habituelas (red beans) with chicken and fresh avocado and fresh fruit.

Packed house at the Forum

Things really got going after lunch. Bob, Lori, and Austin headed out to visit their sponsored kids. While Lisa and Dan led a forum for Parents of Kids with Special Needs. Their experiences from their own children really translated across to those who joined us. There were mothers and/or grandmothers from 5 different families with special needs kids and all together 20 adults gathered to hear about special needs children. Dan and Lisa shared their individual stories and the impact and heartache and joys that they have faced in being blessed with children that are not like others. There were many tears of compassion and joy shared among those there. We prayed for them and dreamed about the new community center possibly providing some services to these families who get no support or programs from the schools or government. This was such a connecting and impacting event to all involved and really showed how similar our cultures are in struggles and challenges.

Parents and Special needs kids with our presenters.

Lori and Sponsored Child Enerfries and his dad

Bob and Austin with Sponsored Child Paquita and her family

The sponsored children visits were an excellent time of connecting with lots of excitement and energy. Austin broke out his Spanish and communicated directly with kids he has been praying for since he was 7, there was a real spark in his eye as he spoke of how real these relationships have become now that he has met them in person. Another exciting thing seen on these visits was that 2 of the fathers who we haven’t met in 7 years were at home caring for kids and one of them was helping at the construction project. These relationships are real indicators of the community development over our time here. So many of these kids were in single digits and have blossomed into mature young men and women.

Leading VBS Games

VBS followed all of this. We had a ton of kids show up and hear a lesson about creation, which was presented with lots of energy by Lisa. We sang some kids songs and then Holden led the kids in games.

After dinner tonight we enjoyed some time sharing about our day and then worshiped together in song.

Tomorrow is going to be a busy day as well. Thank you for your continual prayers and encouragement.

Special Needs Family Pictures