2017 in Review- Refugee Area
As some of our followers might remember, we like to end each year with a reflection on some of our ministries and the growth they experienced during the year. Each day, we will share highlights from one aspect of ministry. We encourage anyone who served with DR Missions to join in and share your own memories using the hashtag #DRMissions2017. To start off, we are going to share about the refugee area!
This neighborhood is one that has been dear to our hearts for over a decade. Every year we see growth and positive change in the lives and hearts of the people in this community. While the poverty in this area still has a huge effect on their lives, we are seeing now more than ever that people are finding the HOPE that Christ brings!
One major highlight in the refugee area this year was our prayer walks. While some days we just walked and prayed silently, we also had many God-led encounters and opportunities to pray with the residents of this neighborhood. We saw many healings and lives changed after an encounter with the Holy Spirit. Here’s one story:
In June, a visiting youth group from North Dakota spent part of their day praying with people in the refugee area. Led by missionary Brittany Humble, one group of students prayed for an elderly lady who had pain all over her body. They were invited into her home and three students lifted her up in prayer. After a few short minutes, it was clear that the Holy Spirit was working and the lady said the pain was quickly leaving her body. She ran out of the house to find the rest of our missionaries and excitedly tell them about her experience! The students themselves were overwhelmed with emotion as they saw God work through their own hands and voices. It’s hard to say who was more impacted- the lady who was healed or the students who prayed!
Another highlight was our time spent doing house calls. These medical outreaches allow us the opportunity not only to provide needed medical care and resources, but to step into people’s homes and pray with them. Here’s one of many stories:
Santa is a precious elderly lady who needed a surgery in March 2017. The week before this surgery, she found out that she was dangerously anemic and wouldn’t be able to have the surgery until her iron levels rose. The hospital prescribed a weeks worth of daily iron infusions, an expensive and time-consuming treatment for her. Instead of traveling back and forth to the hospital each day, she reached out to DR Missions and asked if we had anyone trained in IV infusions. Callie Franca, a nurse and missionary, was able to visit Santa’s home each day for a week and sit with her through her iron infusion. This was a precious time of fellowship with a happy result- Santa successfully had her surgery in April and her health has never been better. She and Callie have formed a special friendship, and Santa still gifts us with a bag of mangos each time we see her.
One last highlight was the addition of a swing-set for all the children in the neighborhood to enjoy. A team in July was planning on fixing up the swing-set at Bread of Life and directors Rick and Carie Bernard came up with the idea of also putting a whole new swing-set in the refugee area. The team worked along Dominicans trained in welding to install the swing-set. As a fun addition, we brought along four of our older Bread of Life boys to help build it. They loved this opportunity for hands-on vocational training. As soon as it was done, we christened the swing-set and prayed over it with many adults and children from the community. This little blessing to the community has been so fun for us to be a part of. The children love the swing-set and the parents love that their kids have a safe place to play.
We have so many more highlights to share with you this week, but first, we want to hear your stories! Use the hashtag #DRMissions2017 to let us know your favorite memories from the refugee area this year!
