Caleigh's experience

We love it when family and friends come to visit and there is no better time than winter to escape from the snow and ice to do so. This year we had 17 visitors come...some for just a day but most for 1,2 or 3 weeks at a time. We love showing them the work the Lord has blessed us with here in the Dominican and how many lives are impacted by their generosity.

For most 1st time visitors like our niece Kathy & her daughter Caleigh, daily life amongst the poor is quite an eye opener. How awesome it is to have bananas in your own yard almost ripe for picking. Can't get them any fresher than this.Caleigh age 14:

Being in the Dominican was so much fun but such an eye opener as well. When you realize how little the people in the villages have you become really thankful for every little thing you have. When we went to different villages I was shocked at how different things were. Obviously I was expecting a different atmosphere, but not that different. The first day we were there we went to Ascension. The drive there is crazy, going on the bumpy roads with motorbikes passing us driving way over the speed limit (not like anyone really obeys the laws). On our way, we stopped at a village type place where there are people of all ages who are without food. They have homes but you couldn't really consider them 'livable'. The houses are made of found materials and there are up to six people living in a house approximately the size of your dining room and kitchen put together, or even smaller. After we gave some families food and toiletries we continued on our way. In Ascension, we helped with the Feed the Children program. This program feeds 250 children in the village. On Wednesdays & Fridays they serve a brunch to the young children, and on Mondays they serve breakfast to the mothers and babies along with the young children. The thing I find very confusing is that none of these kids complain about what they are given. In Canada if a child is given a food they don't like they simply refuse it and ask for something else. Also, everyone in the Dominican is so happy with the bare minimum whereas in Canada everyone is always complaining about not having the latest technology. I noticed how different the people there live, seeing all the tin houses compared to the brick houses in Canada is very odd. Another thing I found baffling about being there is everyone wants to be at school. Here in Canada most kids are always complaining about the workload and homework where as a kid in the Dominican would never complain about that type of thing because they know that they are so fortunate to have the opportunity to even be going to school. In general going to the Dominican made me realize how fortunate I am to live the way I do. Seeing other people live with so little and seeing how happy they are made me more grateful for everything I do have. I think it was really good for me to go there because I realized how much I take for granted and it saddens me to think of what these people would give to have half of what I and others in Canada have. I think more people should get to see what it is like for people here so that they realize how lucky they really are. This has been a once in a life time experience and I doubt I will forget it for a long time.

WHERE HAS THE TIME GONE?

Eight years ago Jim & Sue felt the call of God to pull up their roots in England and embark on a legacy of ministry here in the Dominican Republic. They discovered in many ways they were like the early pioneers as one of the first missionaries in this area. The Dominican Republic was a developing country whose infrastructure on the north coast was just emerging. It was necessary to travel 2 hours to Santiago to purchase furniture, household goods and even light bulbs. One small grocery store was found in Sosua with a limited supply of goods for sale at a premium price. Jim & Sue worked alongside Dr. Bob in Ascension village as it was being constructed to find ways to alleviate the one of the greatest needs of the people living there; hunger. It was a blessing for families to receive a modest block home from the Samaritan Foundation, but they were still poor and hungry. Enlisting the aid of out of country sponsors, a food program was started in which initially 12 families received some basic food staples three times a week to supplement their resources. The program continued to grow as more and more families were found to be in dire straits and sponsors were secured. The families were extremely grateful for the assistance especially when the sugarcane processing facility went bankrupt throwing most of the able bodied men out of work.

Sue’s heart reached out to the pregnant moms and babies to give them a healthy start in life. Their baby ministry tracked children from birth to 2 years of age which at times entailed bringing sick children into their home to nurse back to health. Many lives have been touched and changed forever including some special needs children…Junior & Martha are just 2 babies who without the caring touch of Sue would have been left to die. A hot meal feeding program was started in Feb. ’09 to address the needs of the most vulnerable: undernourished children and seniors those unable to fend for them. With startup funds provided by Journey ’09, they were able to purchase a commercial stove, freezer, and huge cooking pots that can hold 40 lbs of rice at one time.

Sadly, tragedy struck on Feb. 1, 2010 when Jim suffered a massive stroke at home which paralyzed him on his left side. Doctors reported that 85% of people would not have survived 24 hours after such a stroke. The Lord has been gracious to them and through much prayer and therapy, Jim survived and is walking again today with a cane. His wit and charm is ever present he is grateful for the opportunity to say thank you to all for your prayers and support, but mostly to his heavenly Father above. Unable to continue working in their ministry, God in his infinite wisdom already had a plan. Bill & Donna Reimer are doing a great job having taken over the daily work in providing for the hungry allowing Jim & Sue to concentrate on Jim’s recovery. Last week, for the first time since his stroke, Jim visited Ascension village to see his “family” once more before returning home. Tears of happiness and sadness were shed as good-bye was said. A chapter in their lives has ended….but we would like to wish them God’s blessings as they begin a new one with their family back home in England. You were an inspiration and will be missed greatly by your family here…both missionaries and Ascension friends. Dios les bendigas.