On July 26, 2025, Maranatha Volunteers International leaders, donors, and volunteers gathered to dedicate the Ciudad del Cielo Seventh-day Adventist Church and School in the Dominican Republic. The stunning project is dedicated to the memory of Maranatha’s late vice president of construction, Darrell Hardy. Nearly three years in the making, the Sabbath ceremony was also attended by Adventist Church leadership, including the presidents of the Adventist Church in Inter-America, the Dominican Republic, and Southeast Dominican Republic, as well as local government leaders.
“First and foremost, this is a day of joy, gratitude, and worship to God,” said Abner De los Santos, president of the Inter-American Division. “Everything that you may do in this place has to be for God’s glory and honor.”
In 2022, Adventist leadership requested Maranatha’s help in building a campus in Ciudad del Cielo, a suburb of northern Santo Domingo, to meet a need for Christian education. The area boasts 80 Adventist churches but not a single Adventist school. After confirming a site–a long effort that took months and the acquisition of 12 contiguous properties, Maranatha finally broke ground on the campus in May 2023. Since then, local crews and more than 300 volunteers have helped to build an Education and Evangelism Center with eight classrooms and an assembly space, an early education building with five classrooms, and a large church to seat 400 people.
“I’ve been to many, many dedications in the past, but I’ve never been to one where we had a church and a school on the same campus,” said Maranatha President Don Noble. “It’s a wonderful project, and for me it’s very satisfying.”
The campus’ exterior includes a kindergarten playground, parking space, a sports court, beautiful landscaping, and a large plaque in memory of Hardy. The Ciudad del Cielo school was one of the last major projects he worked on before passing away, unexpectedly, in November 2022, and now honors his dedication to stellar construction and the love he poured into each project he worked on.
“For 35 years, Darrell was our vice president for construction and he built many churches and schools all over the world, but primarily here in the Inter-American Division,” said Noble. “He actually started laying out this campus before he unexpectedly passed away. His family is here to celebrate today, and personally, he was a good friend of mine and I’m very happy that it can be dedicated to his memory.”
With families lining up to send their kids to the new school, and 11 baptisms on the first Sabbath after the dedication, the campus in the “City of Heaven” (English for “Ciudad del Cielo”) is already making a Kingdom impact. “Just remember one thing: this is not yet heaven,” De los Santos said. “But [this place] has to become a gate into heaven.”
Maranatha has a long history of working in the Dominican Republic. In 1980, after the destruction of Hurricane David, Maranatha constructed 160 houses here. In 1992, the Dominican Republic was the site of a watershed moment of growth for Maranatha, when the organization coordinated the construction of 25 churches over 70 days. Dubbed “Santo Domingo ’92,” it was the first time Maranatha concentrated on one place for multiple volunteer projects. Later efforts occurred in 2003 and 2013, and in 2022, Maranatha returned once more and has been working there since.