There is nothing like getting back into the swing of work and hitting the ground running…..literally just a few short days after our return.
It has been an extremely busy winter season with 10 teams arriving in the past two months to work in the beautiful sunshine with moderate temperatures, no humidity …. and just a trace of no rain …. with the added bonus of also escaping winter’s wrath at home for a short time. Can life get any better?
Please forgive us for not updating our blog sooner but as you can imagine….life has been pleasantly busy (hectic) lately. We are very thankful for each and every team that has come down to help enrich the lives of the poor through the Samaritan Foundation. It doesn’t end here. More teams are scheduled to arrive shortly and we look forward to working together with them too.
Recently, 50 homes were dedicated and given to families, more than 2,000 lunches have been prepared for school children & 725 food hampers to feed a family for a week were given out in 5 different villages. Tickets were distributed the day before by the pastor which was then redeemed for a bag of food.
Women’s programs were taught; 40 eager ladies learned how to crochet,
movie afternoons were held for the children, playgrounds revitalized,
visit made to patients in the public hospital
and lots of construction has taken place on 4 different work sites.
On Sundays most teams were treated to a Dominican or Haitian service while still others participated in the “Church in the woods” service which takes place each Friday morning in a high place located near Los Algodones.
On February 27th, Independence Day parades were held throughout town marking the 167th anniversary of the Dominicans independence from Haiti’s rule over the island. School children everywhere including those in villa Paraiso and Nazareth marched to the beat of the band’s drum waving their flags. ….what an awesome sight this was to see.
Highlights:After the house dedication for 2 senior men, the team moved them into our newest type of home: a duplex,
and then proceeded to tear down their former shack they called home.Being part of the whole process from painting and installing the windows and doors, to moving their meager possessions and then tearing down was an emotional but rewarding experience for them.
Having the ability to change individual lives and seeing the joy and gratitude on their faces was “the best feeling ever” for some of the participants.
We visited an old man for whom part of the donation money was intended to fix his termite riddled home with, after waiting patiently for a neighbour to come dress him and help him to a chair in his front room. Our hearts ached to see the dismal conditions he lived in but were lifted knowing that would soon change. Directly across the road was the warehouse where the lady stored her purses but when searching through her stock were disappointed to discover there were no more. 
However, during our walk, Sandra’s friend Chaves showed us her purse she had “purchased” on credit with the hope of paying a little bit each week. She kindly offered to sell me her treasure and made it a point to get the saleslady to come right away so the money could be exchanged and her debt relieved. This day was truly special since not only was a treasure exchanged but a friendship was forged. 
As we walked back to our car, 2 little girls came up behind us and tucked their hands in ours as we shared their walk to school. Thank you Lord for friends, and for putting little blessings into our lives.
This event took place in villa Paraiso with much pomp and ceremony and it was unknown until the last moment of presentation who would receive this special home. Unlike all other homes built, this one had the finish coat of cement or parching on both the outside and inside of the house. A mission team from Green Valley Equipment in Manitoba painted not only the windows and doors but also the inside and out and a special plaque commemorating this milestone affixed by the front door. 
Hundreds of visitors witnessed this special event including all the board members of the Samaritan Foundation Canada, local dignitaries, missionaries and families already living in villa Paraiso. John presented Mr. Medina, president of the Foundation with a plaque of appreciation for his over 20 years of commitment helping the poor with the Samaritan Foundation. 
The humbleness of God’s servant Elio was evident in his speech giving all glory and praise to God for the great deeds that have been accomplished.
The January Spruceland team left their mark once again in villa Paraiso. For the past two weeks they strapped and nailed the tin on the roofs of 23 new homes. They smashed the previous record of 18 homes. However, even while working hard,they also had time to build relationships with many of the people. The families who received a home last year from this same team were eager to show how they have made their houses into home. 
Bag lunches were also distributed to all the students in villa Paraiso school just before their recess, which gave us an opportunity to spend time chatting, hugging and loving the children.
Another milestone will be reached next week Tuesday, February 8th, where in a special ceremony…the president of the Samaritan Foundation will present the 1,000th home to a poor and needy family. This community has rallied together to clean their entire village in anticipation of the many guests scheduled to attend this grand celebration. 
With a team from Thanks Living Lutheran Church in Nebraska, we visited Sandra to decipher where the greatest needs were in her community and how we can help. As we carefully watched our step to avoid stepping in the black (sewage) water, we followed Sandra on a tour, and saw the love of Christ in her to all the folks she encountered. Greeting each person by name, tousling the heads of children and even picking up a small boy who had fallen and scraped his knees….
Can we say the same for ourselves? Where is our focus ... on pleasing our own self interests & desires ... or serving others? Jesus offers rather a fresh and much-needed invitation to our "me-first" generation. Jesus says, in effect, "Be a servant . . . give to others!" (Mark 10:45).
But how? By regarding others as more important than yourself. Look for ways to support, encourage, build up, and stimulate the other person. This requires an attitude that would rather give than receive. 
Lo and behold....after the services the area received a lot of heavy, wet snow. Is this really happening in TEXAS? Yes, indeed.
