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Dominican Republic

May 31st, 2010 by Stephanie

Some of our very own members of Grace Toronto traveled to the Dominican Republic for a week to help build a school, visit patients in a hospital, play with orphans in an orphanage and see life as it is in the DR.  These are some of their pictures and stories of their time there.  Thank you to all who supported, prayed and financially sent them!!

On our first day in the Dominican Republic, the team was taken on a tour of one of the villages in Sosua, to get a vision for the work that the Samaritan Foundation has been doing for the last 22 years. First, we looked at the original village where many people still live as they await new homes to be constructed. The shacks were small and poorly built with very little light or ventilation and no running water.

After touring the village, we were taken across the street to Esperanza, the 8th village under construction by the Samaritan Foundation. Row, upon row of cement brick houses greeted us. Each house had access to electricity and running water – a vast improvement over what we had seen in the shanty town.

On Monday morning, the team arrived in Villa Paraiso, our worksite for the week. We quickly arranged into teams and got to work hauling load after load of dirt into a local school that was under construction. Building had been delayed, and the school was in danger of not being completed for the original August opening. But with help from our team, the cement floor was ready to be poured by the end of the week so that construction could continue.

One of the special joys of being a part of the Dominican Republic project was the opportunity to spend time with the children in the village. Every morning when the bus arrived, the quiet village would suddenly spring to life with children running from every home to greet the team. Some wanted to help, but many just wanted to be hugged and loved.

And dinner was always something to look forward to after working so hard! It was during these times that the team was able to bond even more.

On Friday, we had the privilege of attending the dedication of one of the houses to a very deserving family. First, the team was taken on a short tour to see the shack where the family had previously been living.

Then, we watched with a mix of tears and cheers as the family was handed the keys to their new home.

With the generous support of thousands of people from across Canada, The Samaritan Foundation has been able to build over 2,500 homes in the Dominican Republic. Under the banner of “Build A House, Change A life” our group supports the work of the organization and creates opportunities for each of us to show the love of Christ to others in a very tangible way.

For more information about this project, please check out the following video.