Day 5: 2026 Dominican Republic
Prayer and transformation
Although our bodies are physically exhausted, our spirits are overflowing with joy! We began the day with open-ended prayer on our morning bus ride to the Mission. Prayer has shaped our trip and fueled our work and conversations throughout each day. After arriving at the Mission, we started by visiting the school. Ney, the school principal, shared the history of the school, and some students performed a dance for us! We visited classrooms, practicing our Spanish with the kids as they practiced their English with us.
After the school visit, we began a new work project: laying the foundation for an outdoor cafe at the school. As we worked, some of the kids we had seen earlier came by during recess to wave and play, pulling our younger team members into games. At the same time, other meaningful moments were happening around the Mission. Families with sponsor children were able to meet with and spend time with the child they have been sponsoring or are newly sponsoring. It was a sweet time of connection, made possible through the help of translators. Our medical volunteers were also downstairs, working diligently in the clinic, attending to patients all morning long.
In the afternoon, we packed food bags and ventured out into the community for home visits. During these visits, we shred the Gospel and blessed families with food and prayer. Today held both beautiful and sad moments. One of the clearest displays of God's glory and faithfulness came when we visited a woman who had been on her hands and knees the night before crying out to the Lord and praying for food. She had nothing to feed her children, so she went to the Lord in prayer, and he heard her! Through this ministry, he answered her! It was a powerful reminder that God’s timing is always perfect, even when it doesn’t feel like it.
Another way we saw God at work was through Principal Ney. She was up before dawn, faithfully serving the children and school. She welcomed us, gave us a tour, and worked all day, but it didn't end there! She joined us on home visits and boldly and beautifully shared the Gospel with a family in their home, walking them through Scripture and giving them a Bible. We prayed over this family and blessed them. We assumed Ney's day must finally be over, but it wasn't. That night, we gathered for church, and Ney was there with us, not just attending, but praying over the church, sharing a word, and leading worship. In our morning devotional yesterday, we read about “The Mother Theresa of Grant Park,” and we couldn't help but think that Ney, and so many other faithful women in this community, are the "Mother Theresas" of Cielo.
Wednesday night church was filled with beautiful, Spirit-led worship with every kind of instrument, dancing, singing, and rejoicing together. It felt like a glimpse of eternity! Pastor John preached a powerful sermon on Psalm 22 in English, which was translated into Spanish by Emmanuel for the congregation. John faithfully preached the Gospel of Christ! Afterward, a 15-year-old young man approached John and accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. John prayed with him, and we were able to witness a new life beginning, both physically present and spiritually transformed.
HOw we saw god at work today:
In answered prayer: God providing food for a family who cried out to him the night before
Joy and connection: Between our team and the children at the school
Sponsor families: meeting and building relationships with their children
Ney's service: Tireless leadership and bold faith
Salvation: The young man who gave his life to Christ
prayer requests:
Praise God for all that he is doing here and in and through Mission Emanuel
The young man who gave his life to Christ tonight
Our relationships with the Dominicans and Haitians—that the Lord would lead us into deep conversations and give us the words to speak