Dominican Republic
Hurricane Noel devastated the Dominican Republic in November 2007, leaving in its wake damage that will take years to repair.
As always, the poorest of the poor are the hardest hit. Crucial needs are food, medicine, and help with clean up and rebuilding
- Over 16,000 homes were destroyed, leaving more than 78,000 people displaced
- Floods and mudslides have affected 80 percent of the country
- 95 percent of the plantain, banana, and tomato plantations have been damaged
- 40 percent of the water-supply distribution has suffered severe damage
- Many cases of water-borne diseases and rat infestations have been reported
STEM’s partner in the DR, the network of Harvest churches, is working hard to relieve suffering, but the needs are overwhelming. STEM is sending a series of relief teams to assist our Dominican partners.
1. Join one of our seven summer relief teams to the DR
Join by yourself or go with your group. These teams require flexibility with the schedule and the projects as we partner with Dominican churches which are planting other churches in very poor villages. Be ready to serve in practical ways, such as helping build latrines, pour cement floors in houses with only dirt floors, or repair houses that are in serious disrepair. You may also participate in distributing food and medicine, cleaning, and in ministry to children, youth, and adults. As always, you’ll serve alongside members of your Dominican host church. STEM provides interpreters; you don’t need to speak Spanish.
Here are the dates. . .
- #616 Jun 7–Jun 17, 2008 (11 days)
- #617 Jun 19–Jun 26, 2008 (8 days)
- #618 Jun 28–Jul 8, 2008 (11 days)
- #619 Jul 10–Jul 17, 2008 (8 days)
- #620 Jul 19–Jul 29, 2008 (11 days)
- #621 Jul 31–Aug 7, 2008 (8 days)
- #622 Aug 9–Aug 19, 2008 (11 days)
Your outreach can be
- 11 days / 10 nights ($900 team fee, plus $75 registration fee and airfare), or
- 8 days / 7 nights ($825 team fee, plus $75 registration fee and airfare)
The team fee covers
- Pre-field preparation materials
- Location-specific training materials
- On-field leadership
- On-field meals, housing, and transportation
- Interpreters
- Emergency medical travel insurance
- Construction materials
- Daily journal
- Offerings
- STEM administrative costs
- Post-field debriefing and materials
- Follow-up materials, such as Mission Maker Magazine
For more information on joining one of these outreaches, email us or call toll-free at 877.783.6646.
To begin the registration process for joining one of these seven teams simply
Download and complete the Registration Packet
Mail in your Registration Packet, along with the $75 Registration fee
2. Form a relief team to go to the Dominican Republic in 2008
If your group of 12 or more wants to serve on dates different from those listed above, just let us know. Email us or call toll-free at 1-877-STEM-646.
These teams require flexibility with the schedule and the projects. Be ready to serve in practical ways, such as distributing food and medicine, cleaning, and rebuilding. As always, you’ll serve alongside members of your Dominican host church. STEM provides interpreters; you don’t need to speak Spanish.
3. Give a financial donation towards desperately needed supplies
If you are unable to go, you can send money to buy food, drinking water, and medical supplies. Our partner churches are unable to meet many of these simple needs of their people because they don’t have the funds. They are in desperate need of resources, which will be used to minister to the poorest of the poor in Jesus’ name. Funds should be sent to:
STEM Ministries
PO Box 386001
Minneapolis, MN 55438
You must specify in a note that the funds are for the “Dominican Republic: Disaster Relief.”
FIELD FACILITATOR
Ricci Paulino
Future Outreach Activities
- Due to the widespread damage caused by Hurricane Noel, we’re sending only relief teams to the DR at present.
- Once the country has begun to recover, we will send teams to
minister alongside our Dominican partner churches. A normal STEM
outreach to the DR usually includes:
- Going door-to-door with Dominican Christians to share the Gospel
- Reaching children through Vacation Bible School
- Using sports and music as a bridge to Dominican youth
- Visiting hospitals, orphanages, or prisons
- Serving the Dominican church through construction projects
Ministry outreach locations
Harvest-member churches throughout the country.
Location
The DR forms the Eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola; Haiti forms the Western one-third.
Population
7,915,000; Annual growth rate of 2.0%
Peoples
- Afro-Caribbean - 69.0%
- Euro-American - 14.0%
- Haitian - 16%
- Other - 1.0%
Language
Official Language is Spanish.
CapitAl
Santo Domingo: 2,411,000.
Economy
The global economic slowdown has impacted the DR’s growth rate in recent years. A wide gap separates the wealthy from the poor, with over 40% of the population living below the poverty line.
Politics
The DR is one of the more stable and democratic countries in the Caribbean. The Catholic church wields great political power.
Haitian immigrants form a large under-class in the DR, and face discrimination and exploitation.
Religion
Catholicism is the official religion, but there is freedom for other religions.
- Roman Catholic: 95%
- Half the population is estimated to be involved in occult practices
