February 2011

Forest Hill Church went on a medical mission trip to work alongside our partner and friends, one of the church plants in Puerto Plata, which is in the north of the Dominican Republic. We served alongside Pastor Tomas Cabrera in the community of Sabana Grande. It was an intense week of collaboration between two friends – short term FH missionaries, Dominican lay leaders, Dominican physicians, interpreters, pastors, school administrators and this allowed us to consult over 4000 patients in the areas of dentistry, general medicine, eye, and pediatrics. We did laboratory diagnostics for those that needed them done and treated some metabolic syndrome diseases as well. A street value of over $300,000.00 meds were dispensed. We were able to strengthen relationships with those we did not know before and rebirth some others. The gospel was proclaimed and lives were touched and changed. It is never amazing to see God’s work in all areas of our work. He is Sovereign. How does God work in simpler forms – to see someone who comes in with a tooth that is bothering them. After pulling it off, they get relief from it and start praising God and/or are opened to hear the gospel and pray. Many more accept the Lord for the first time. We reach, serve and meet the physical needs of the people where they are and they are ready to hear the gospel. We pray for their physical needs, for God to work on their hearts and they can know Him just as they are.

Traveling from Santo Domingo to Puerto Plata gave the team the opportunity to see the countryside (Sto Dgo Norte, Villa Altagracia, Bonao, La Vega, Santiago, Altamira,…), a different terrain than that which we have seen in the eastern part of Dominican Republic.

The opportunity to worship in Pastor Tomas’ Church in Puerto Plata was gratifying and allowed us to see a young church growing little by little. The keynote speaker was the Eminence Bishop of the Evangelical Free Methodist Church.

It is sad to see work come to an end. We have to go back home. Travel back to Santo Domingo, worship in Pastor Mario’s church and finally a ride back to the airport for a voyage to America.

Thanks to the leadership of the team for a job well done. This team made sure that we were safe and understood all the implications of travel abroad while enjoying the beauty of the scenery in a foreign country and enjoyed our time together.

Debrief the trip. How do we feel? Where are we?