February 7-16, 2016
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
Mark 16:15
We claim Hispaniola for Christ! Hispaniola is an island in the Caribbean Sea that is shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The Dominican Republic covers two-thirds of the island and Haiti covers one-third. We now work in both countries helping Haitians. Haitians make up the largest immigrant population in the Dominican Republic.
We have been coming into the Dominican Republic for six years and reaching out to many Haitians braceros (manual laborers) that live here. They work in the sugarcane fields and live in dilapidated communities called bateyes (sugarcane camps).
In the bateyes of the Dominican Republic, millions of Haitians have lived and worked in the sugarcane fields of government-run or large US-owned plantations that are backed by large corporate sugar companies in the US since the early 20th century. They work in low-wage jobs in agriculture and construction, but they are often subjected to discrimination and oppression—a dire refugee crisis looms in their future.
Most of the workers living in the local bateyes are Haitians who have been coming here to work since the 1930s. They were recruited by the Dominican government, and they have since raised their families with no legal status–and no country. These Haitian workers are slaves in the sugar industry. They live in squalid conditions with little money, no education and no place to worship. They have no one to speak for them in times of crisis and they live under constant fear of deportation back to Haiti— for many, a country they do not know, and a language they do not speak.
We started coming to the Dominican Republic after the earthquake in 2010. Carlos Silvestre, a native of the Dominican Republic, knew the area, the people and their needs. He has been sharing Christ in his “home country” for the last six years.
Our first Outreach Program in the Dominican Republic started in November 2011 with a Feeding Program for the cane cutters and their families.
In a very short time, the Feeding Program became essential for the poor Haitians and Dominicans that live in the bateyes.
As we began to visit many of the bateyes located on the sugar plantations, we started to get more volunteers helping us, and we were able to serve more people. Over the next couple of years, we grew our Feeding Program across the area.
In 2012, we held our first crusade, bringing many Haitians and Dominicans to the Lord. We had finally opened the door to the Lord for the people in the Dominican Republic.
Our Feeding Program continued to grow, reaching out to Haitians and Dominicans alike.
By 2013, Love A Child was joined by David George and his partners, and the magic started happening… Donations started coming in for school supplies, clothing and David George and Pastor Randy Landis sponsored a playground too.
We found that the people living in the Dominican Republic, whether Dominican or Haitian, are crazy about sports. This was a wonderful opportunity for Carlos, and his dear friend Pastor Carmela Gomez, to bring children together and develop a Youth Outreach program.
In the Dominican Republic, baseball is their passion, and we are so grateful for the donation of baseball gear for the Youth Outreach program.
We also brought in our first Mobile Medical Clinic Team with Joyce Meyer Ministries–Hand of Hope.
They did an amazing job, bringing medical care to hundreds of poor Haitian workers and their families that live in the bateyes.
In 2014, we saw our programs grow to include more bateyes in the area and Carlos also established a Prison Outreach program.
We are so thankful to all our partners and the many organizations that help support our Outreach Programs here. We thank all of you who have supported Love A Child’s outreach to the poor and suffering workers and their children in the bateyes like this group here.
In just this past year we have made great strides reaching out to the Haitian braceros and their families. For Pastor Carmela Gomez in Villa Hermosa, this has been an exceptional year. She is a shining light in the darkness. She has long struggled with the issues of supporting a Christian flock in the midst of poverty and corruption in a poor, rural, and underdeveloped country, and without a church. Now, with the help of Love A Child, Carlos, David George and his partners, her prayers have been answered. This is the first Love A Child Church in the Dominican Republic.
It was a wonderful start to the new year when Pastor Randy Landis and his Life Church Team partnered with Love A Child to provide Mobile Medical Clinics for poor Haitians living in the bateyes. We provided hot nourishing meals for the poor while the Life Church team conducted Mobile Medical Clinics. The team also shared Jesus!
This was a huge blessing for the poor children there as they received gifts, food and lots of hope and love. This amazing team distributed candy and toys to 350 children, fed them meals and gave out shoes from World Vision and much more! Look at those smiles!
We had a very successful outreach to many Haitian and Dominican children living in Dajabon in the Dominican Republic. We also sponsored 28 very poor college students so they could earn their degrees. This summer, three will be receiving college degrees. “Love A Child is changing one life at a time.”
The Joyce Meyer Ministries–Hand of Hope team visited the Dominican Republic holding another Mobile Medical Clinic in a very poor area that we have never visited before. May God bless them! Laura is the Joyce Meyer Ministries–Hand of Hope team leader. Thank you Carlos and John Beasley for hosting the team and all you do to make this outreach possible.
“Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.” Matthew 5:15 — On Sunday July 12th, we dedicated our first church in the Dominican Republic. Pastor Gomez has been praying and believing the Lord for many years! She is so sweet and what a woman of God! Thank you David George and your partners for sponsoring this project. You are a prince among the poor!
The church is in a very, very poor area of La Romana in the Dominican Republic. The population is around 80 percent Haitian and 20 percent Dominicans. The church will be the light of Jesus in this area, especially for many of the young people.
In August, we hosted the annual father and son youth Little League baseball team to play the Dominicans, share the Word and feed the hungry in the Haitian sugarcane fields where they work so hard. God bless Jesse Ostrander and his Sports Missions International Team partnering with Love A Child. Mark and Evie Ostrander were also a part of this great volunteer team.
As we closed out 2015, we had another wonderful Christmas outreach for Haitians in several bateyes. So many poor children had such great joy receiving their gifts. A Christian movie was shown and many people came to Christ and received the best gift of all! God bless David George, Angie George and Carlos for making this possible. Love is something you do!
A message from David George: “What an incredible, incredible day at the new Love A Child Church in La Romana. Hundreds of children were fed and given toys. I preached about what Christmas is really about – THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST. Once again Carlos and his team were amazing. Pastor Carmela (THE WOW PASTOR) and her daughter in-law Lily Gomez were precious. My friends, I am so honored by God to spread the love of God and the real and genuine Christmas spirit. God bless!”
We started 2016 with some wonderful news! We just signed the papers for land in the Dominican Republic for a future project by faith! Thank you David and Angie George along with your partners for the purchase of the land in the Dominican Republic.
These are our preliminary conceptual plans for our next project, by faith! Love A Child plans to build a community center for the young people in Villa Hermosa, in the Dominican Republic. There are both Haitians and Dominicans living here, and it is a very poor area. Crime is so bad in this area that the youth need the direction of the Lord in their lives. Thank you, David George and your partners for purchasing the land for the community center. Thank you, Pastor Randy Landis of Life Church, for your pledge of a new playground and basketball court!!
We will be working on the design, and trying to get the price down. Faith doesn’t know we don’t have the money! Love is something you do! If you want to be a part of a new building project in the Dominican Republic, please call 239-210-6107 and tell a staff member that you want to help.
God bless you,
Sherry