In April, Maranatha Volunteers International partnered with media ministry Amazing Facts International for an exciting service project in the Dominican Republic. The 148-member volunteer team included Amazing Facts employees and members of the organization’s affiliate congregation, the Granite Bay Seventh-day Adventist Church. The group’s primary objective was the construction of a church building for the Lucero del Almirante congregation in East Santo Domingo.
“It’s been wonderful to see how people are transformed while they try to be a blessing in building up the Church of God,” said Amazing Facts president and Granite Bay Hilltop senior pastor Doug Batchelor. “And doing a project like this, we’re laying block all day long. You can see how we all work together with our different gifts.”
The construction part of the project was a step outside of volunteers’ comfort zone. “None of us are brick layers. Most of us aren’t even construction workers,” explained volunteer James Koerner. Thankfully, the team had guidance from Maranatha’s in-country construction crew. “Even though we started out with minimal experience, they came around and gave us tips,” said Batchelor. “We learned very quickly, so it ended up being a very professional job.”
The Amazing Facts team didn’t limit their service to construction. They also operated free medical and dental clinics. “There in the Dominican Republic, no one has dental insurance, and so dental was by far and away the most popular service that we provided there. At the clinic there were just lines and lines,” recalled volunteer dentist Roger Chene. “It was all hands on deck, with both trained dental professionals and volunteers who raised their hand and said they would be willing to stick their hand in somebody’s mouth.”
The medical team also stayed busy, seeing more than 1,000 patients. Volunteer doctor Todd Christensen was pleased to provide physical care, but it was the group’s spiritual care that he believes was most important. “You know the real blessing too was, not just the procedures we got to do, but really a chance to introduce them to Jesus–a friend they can walk with the rest of their lives,” he said.
In addition to Vacation Bible School programs at a local public school, the Amazing Facts team had the unique opportunity to speak about Jesus’ love on a larger scale. On the last Sabbath of the project, Granite Bay Hilltop associate pastor Jëan Ross and Batchelor preached at two outdoor venues in Santo Domingo. Thanks to a prime time advertisement on a popular radio program and Amazing Facts’ international reputation, the events drew a total of 16,000 people. “We got to teach and preach and share with a great crowd of people, and that was really the highlight for us,” said Ross.
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.