FORO Follow-Up

And just like that, my first DR FORO is in the books. Last Thursday's early morning grocery run was the beginning of a marathon day. Danelle, James, and I got to Santo Domingo just in time for the 7:00 pm Bible study at Las Américas, had a fashionably late dinner of Venezuelan cachapas, and only then started making Friday's sack lunches and doing some prep work for lunch on Sunday. One of the seminarians had seen a recipe for "brookies" (a mash-up of chocolate chip cookies and brownies) on Facebook but had no idea how to bake, so I got to give him a tutorial.

Friday morning, we picked up the two collaborators that flew into Santo Domingo on Thursday for a cultural excursion followed by a visit to Kilómetro 28.

Our initial plan was to go to the Faro a Colón (Columbus Lighthouse), a monument built in honor of the 500th anniversary of the discovery of the Americas. Instead of focusing on European imperialism, it celebrates the spread of Christianity - the light of the Gospel - to the New World. The Pope came for the occasion (in the Pope-mobile parked out front) and gave a moving speech, which is inscribed on the stone panels that flank one of the side entrances. 

BUT...it's closed for renovations until November, so we went to the Catedral Primada de América, the first cathedral in the New World, instead. 

From the Zona Colonial (Colonial Zone), we drove to Kilómetro 28, where we were joined by a van-load of missionaries from Santiago for a Bible story (Jesus Calms a Storm) at the Happy Angels Home and a tour of the Social-Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center. It was essentially the same thing a similar group of us had done during on-field orientation, and I was thankful I knew what to expect.  

Shout out to the LAC Communications team for this awesome photo of Juan & I!

Saturday's setup looked like this:

We began and ended with Matins and Vespers, with reports from the various churches, schools, and team leaders sandwiched in between. Each shared updates, stories, photos, and needs. It was as much a show-and-tell for the collaborators, all four of whom were present, as it was for fellow DR-based personnel. 

I got to report on Short-Term Teams!

Conversations like these between missionaries and collaborators over breaks and lunch are equally, if not more, valuable than the agenda items in moving the mission of the DRLM forward. 

FORO collaborator Rev. Ron York with seminarian Elvis Carrera, from Peru. 

Sunday it was back to Santo Domingo for Divine Service at Las Américas. Danelle and I left Santiago around 5:45 am so we'd get there with enough time to finish prepping things for lunch. After worship, FORO collaborators, missionaries, and guests enjoyed lunch and an introduction to the DRLM's church plant in the Ensanche Ozama neighborhood. A nearby public school and a Zumba class that meets in the park across the street from the church building represent just a fraction of the outreach potential that the Santo Domingo team has for outreach in Ozama. The director of the school and the Zumba instructor joined us for worship and lunch! From my perspective, two short-term teams are slated to support the Ozama church plant in 2019; the first is already booked for March. Oh, and the brookies got rave reviews. 

Monday, a smaller group of FORO collaborators and team leaders regrouped for a deeper dive into the budget and selected other matters. Small numbers allowed for intimate discussions and frank, honest sharing that might not have happened otherwise. 

The remaining collaborators left on Tuesday, and the DR team...came together for our regularly scheduled monthly team meeting, Bible study, Divine Service, and potluck! No rest for the weary. The meeting was first and foremost a debrief of the FORO. Some of the positives we observed were

• Visits are happening intentionally and regularly in all 5 churches/church plants. 
• As noted above, Ozama has some truly exciting, near-term ministry potential. 
• Relationships and mission go hand in hand (i.e. agreements between the seminary and partner church bodies, the Mercy Center collaborating with outside agencies to offer conferences, and short-term teams being encouraged to engage in the long-term work of the DRLM). 
• Our churches and schools are becoming increasingly self-sufficient and responsible. 
• The work of the DRLM is truly multicultural. 
• Conversions and Baptisms happen regularly in our churches and bring great joy. 
• The teamwork in each church and school is to be noted and applauded. 

I won't say everything went off without a hitch, but for my first blush at coordinating myriad moving parts in a country I've lived in for 2 months, in my 2nd language, I'm calling it a success. It certainly would not have happened without the tiresome work of so many of my missionary colleagues, particularly when it comes to rides - me included! I'm hoping to do a bit of car shopping this evening, so it's highly likely that by the next go-round (a group of Venezuelan pastors that arrive 10/22), I'll have wheels. 

Until next time, blessings!