Missions

2025

Azua, Dominican Republic - March Update

Over the last few months we have been striving to increase the self sufficiency of the mission base. Projects with this goal in mind include building a chicken coop, establishing a vegetable garden, and setting up solar panels.

Throughout most of January we were building the chicken coop. Although it took several more weeks after finishing to actually get chicks, we are now raising 12 pullets.

Our pet project has been the garden. This has been a far more involved project than we expected when we set out. Clearing the an area to plant involved digging out far more tree stumps than we anticipated. The dirt here is largely fine gravel, and we've had to start a compost bin to get more fertile soil. So far we've started tomato, bell pepper, arugula, and basil in egg cartons. Once these seedlings are larger, we'll move them into planter boxes.

The solar panels were our primary need. The power grid in Azua is very unstable, with frequent outages and fluctuations. At some points we don't have enough power to run the fridge and freezer. Other times, surges of power will break any electronics plugged directly into an outlet. Having the stability of our own power source will allow us to support larger teams coming in, and allow us to devote the money that has been going to electricity to further ministry. This has been achieved with the support of a church from Wisconsin, U.S. who raised the money to pay the steep initial costs. They do regular outreach missions twice a year here, so when they came this winter they sent people who could help install the panels for us. After three weeks of work, we are finally off the grid.

Two woman from Germany also came to the base here as volunteers for a few weeks. They have been going to two different schools in the area teaching English.

Patricia and Sophie from Germany

2024

Azua, Dominican Republic

This is the second time we have come out to the DR thanks to Rodney at the YWAM (Youth With A Mission) base in Azua. Michael came out first at the end of July. He went back to the United States to be married in October, but now both of us are back in the Dominican Republic.

September Update

Things have been going pretty well here. It took a while to get acclimated to island life, so I'm sorry I haven't uploaded anything. But I did want to give people an update on what has been going on out here. It's been slow going here, but we are making progress. We've been fixing up the base we have here so that we will be better suited to hosting large groups of missionaries. We are cleaning up a lot and making repairs on different buildings, painting bed frames, clearing out debris, and ordering bibles for outreach opportunities. 

We have been able to do some work with the community as well. We host a children's swim class every Saturday, which has been fun. About 15 families come out here every time and hang out with us as their kids swim in the pool. Other events and church groups come out also. One had a seminar on their group and how to reach others in their community. And we enjoy building our relationships with the local pastors, which helps us have more opportunities to do outreach.

Speaking of outreach, we were able to have some of our staff go out with one of the churches to bring Spanish Bibles to a community that was very much lacking any chance of getting them. This community is poor and desperate for the word. We were pretty moved by the people there and how happy they were to receive Bibles from us. 

2022

Azua, Dominican Republic

We were fortunate to be able to join a mission team sent by our church, One Life, to a YWAM (Youth With A Mission) base in Azua. In the eight days we were there, we helped clean up the mission base, organize a wedding for five couples, assist in long term building projects, and join the ministries of the local team. On a more personal level, Alissa told the stories of David and Esther to kids at a park during one of the base's outreaches. Michael shared his testimony at a Wednesday night church service.