iReach Dominican Republic

Hello Brothers and Sisters!!!

Jeff, Caleb, and me (Ben) have arrived in the Dominican Republic today to spy out the land. We have had a hard travel period, followed by a full day of exploring the city, and then ending with dinner at a local missionary couple’s house. It was a full and wonderful day!

For those who do not know, the Dominican Republic (DR) has a very large Russian population. They move in the area as a stepping stone to move out of Russia into the U.S. or other countries. Since Jeff and Caleb spent 13 years in Russia and speak fluent Russian, we thought it good to go and spy out the land with Mike Williams, a local missionary who knows the city intimately. We left Pocatello ID at 6:30pm on Tuesday. We flew all night and arrived in the DR the following day at 1:30pm. None of us slept well, and we are very tired. Pray for us!

Mike picked us up from the airport and we started driving around the town. We looked at the church project that Mike is starting. We also saw some other churches that are already ministering to the community. We stopped by and prayed for a Pastor that recently donated his house to a Haitian Church. We prayed because he has an inoperable brain tumor. It was clear that he had a peace that passed all human understanding. We watched a group of kids play a spirited game of baseball (using a doll’s head as the ball). We visited a carpenter’s shop and saw the work he did for the community. We also saw the adult education program and could see how it benefited the community. The Lord is working mightily here. On our way back to the house, we connected with a young Russian couple and gave them a ride to their house. They blessed us with their company, and we got their contact information.

We finished the night by eating at a local couple’s house. They are missionaries in Sosua (the town we are at). They blessed us and encouraged us! It was truly awesome! Please keep praying for us. We will update you soon!