Whew! What a day! I'm very exhausted and unfortunately still have some things to take care of this evening. I am surprised to think that there are 2 days left before I fly back to San Diego on Sunday.
Today we went to the COTN office in Barahona and spent the morning training the staff in Strength Finders and Displayed Thinking- two really cool things that are amazing for teams! We were supposed to have another training this afternoon but through a series of miscommunication we couldn't do that. So instead the rest of my team went to the market while I stayed behind to brainstorm with the I Love Baseball department.
It was great to be a part of this process with I Love Baseball! It really was a great opportunity for me to share the vision and the hearts of these people. I heard about a boy who traded his machete he used to fight people with for some cleats and a baseball glove. After our brainstorming I was able to go with the directors of I Love Baseball to the mayor's office and meet with the mayor about some land in the area to be used for the first COTN high school and 2 baseball fields. I also was able to talk to the USA coordinator for I Love Baseball and got some great ideas to sponsor 55-60 kids for this program and get a consistent 500 baseballs donated each year. Here is a link for an AMAZING 12 minute video that I HIGHLY encourage you to watch :) I LOVE BASEBALL video
The rest of my team was at the market buying food so that we can make an american meal for about 50 people tomorrow. We are blessed to treat the staff to a waterfall here in the Dominican that cost about 100 pesos a person, roughly about $3. This is too expensive for them to come and they were going to send us and stay here. Our team decided that isn't okay, and we are bringing all the staff to join us and treating them to a meal that we prepare for a change. I am so excited to be part of an opportunity to bless them and thank them for awesome hospitality.
I have had an amazing week. I have fallen in love here. For these people and this culture. I am so blessed. So thankful.
Join me in prayer for the Dominican staff that they would continue to spread their passion to others and that they would be blessed for their kindness and love for us. As well as continued prayer for the I Love Baseball program as they will continue to meet with the mayor in the hopes of getting donated land. And finally for the idea of creating a program for the girls here in Barahona who get pregnant so young and drop out of school, coupling with a way to encourage these young girls to not get pregnant.
Thank you for your prayers and your time. I am honored to share all of this with you!
"So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir." Galatians 4:7
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Learning and Dreaming
Today was a day of learning. I learned that painting the alphabet on the school wall isn't really that annoying. I learned that oil paint is difficult to get off your skin and that paint thinner will make your skin sting. I learned that the Dominican children are much more creative at getting oil paint off their hands, they used mud and grass and that proved much more effective.
The first part of my day was spent painting and then there was lunch and seista (rest time, woohoo!). This afternoon I was part of a team that went to 2 bateys and interviewed 2 children. The first girl, Fatima (11), was a just simply a cool kid. She carried herself with confidence and had pride in her Haitian heritage. The second was a boy whose name slips my mind. He was 17 and likes the Boston Red Sox (boo!) I tried really hard to convert him into a Yankee fan but to no avail. I will pray for him about this. haha. These interviews were fun! It was great to be able to go into their homes and see how they live and meet there family. This is an experience that I can not put into words but hope to post some footage when its available to me.
I also learned today that in Barahona $4500 will support a family of 5 comfortably for an entire year that includes education. Most families make $1300 a year... This is an insane statistic. It really puts things into perpesctive. I do not feel guilty but thankful that I am so blessed. My little tithe can help support an entire family. As I go through this time of sending out letters and raising support for this next year I think I will look at every montly donation a little differently and I will continue to feel incredibly blessed.
I want to share with you something quite serious that God has put on my heart the last couple of days. When I spoke to Juanchi yesterday about the I Love Baseball program I asked him if there was something similar for the girls. I learned that there isn't and that it is a norm here for girls to start getting pregnant at the age of 12, at which point they drop out of school. Given my heart for young girls in general, this really had an affect on me. He told me that he would love to see a program that helps girls who do get pregnant to finish their education and learn basic parenting and life skills. My gears started working immediately and I started envisioning what this program would look like and how I can make it happen. Tomorrow I will meet with Malou and simply ask questions. I want to gain the knowledge from her about how this looks in this culture. Find out what is needed and what is started. This could easily be a project that I work on for the next few years, I do not know. I want to see these girls here (and in America for that matter) know their value, their identity in Christ, their self-worth. I want to see them date Jesus and allow him to romance them and woo them. I want to see them respect themselves and know that they do not need to be with a guy to be important and wanted and loved. I pray that God uses me in this type of ministry and that doors will be opened.
I ask that you join me in prayer on these things: that our interviews and footage will have an affect on people that read and see it; that God opens doors and direction for this girls program; and that God releases finances in my life- that I can become fully funded and be able to dedicate my time to developing programs such as this one for girls.
I know this is a bit repetitive, but I genuinely thank you for being part of this process with me. I pray that God blesses you as we continue this week!!
""Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your feilds will not drop their fruit before it is ripe," says the Lord Almighty. Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the Lord Almighty." Malachi 3:10-12
The first part of my day was spent painting and then there was lunch and seista (rest time, woohoo!). This afternoon I was part of a team that went to 2 bateys and interviewed 2 children. The first girl, Fatima (11), was a just simply a cool kid. She carried herself with confidence and had pride in her Haitian heritage. The second was a boy whose name slips my mind. He was 17 and likes the Boston Red Sox (boo!) I tried really hard to convert him into a Yankee fan but to no avail. I will pray for him about this. haha. These interviews were fun! It was great to be able to go into their homes and see how they live and meet there family. This is an experience that I can not put into words but hope to post some footage when its available to me.
I also learned today that in Barahona $4500 will support a family of 5 comfortably for an entire year that includes education. Most families make $1300 a year... This is an insane statistic. It really puts things into perpesctive. I do not feel guilty but thankful that I am so blessed. My little tithe can help support an entire family. As I go through this time of sending out letters and raising support for this next year I think I will look at every montly donation a little differently and I will continue to feel incredibly blessed.
I want to share with you something quite serious that God has put on my heart the last couple of days. When I spoke to Juanchi yesterday about the I Love Baseball program I asked him if there was something similar for the girls. I learned that there isn't and that it is a norm here for girls to start getting pregnant at the age of 12, at which point they drop out of school. Given my heart for young girls in general, this really had an affect on me. He told me that he would love to see a program that helps girls who do get pregnant to finish their education and learn basic parenting and life skills. My gears started working immediately and I started envisioning what this program would look like and how I can make it happen. Tomorrow I will meet with Malou and simply ask questions. I want to gain the knowledge from her about how this looks in this culture. Find out what is needed and what is started. This could easily be a project that I work on for the next few years, I do not know. I want to see these girls here (and in America for that matter) know their value, their identity in Christ, their self-worth. I want to see them date Jesus and allow him to romance them and woo them. I want to see them respect themselves and know that they do not need to be with a guy to be important and wanted and loved. I pray that God uses me in this type of ministry and that doors will be opened.
I ask that you join me in prayer on these things: that our interviews and footage will have an affect on people that read and see it; that God opens doors and direction for this girls program; and that God releases finances in my life- that I can become fully funded and be able to dedicate my time to developing programs such as this one for girls.
I know this is a bit repetitive, but I genuinely thank you for being part of this process with me. I pray that God blesses you as we continue this week!!
""Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your feilds will not drop their fruit before it is ripe," says the Lord Almighty. Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the Lord Almighty." Malachi 3:10-12
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Altagracia
It is amazing to me how I find myself thinking about how much I truly love this country, these people. I am in awe at the way love abounds here. These children are so sweet and though they have nothing they look at me with a smile that reaches their eyes.
Today we went to the final Batey here in the Dominican Republic, Altagracia. Once again, we were swarmed with children upon arrival. This time was a bit different for me. I had a little boy come up to me and I held him for a long time. I did not learn his name as he wouldn't speak to me or anyone and the teachers were all busy. But he held my neck and just cuddled. He was so precious, snotty nose and everything. After a while he got down and hid from me. I don't know why but every time I went to him he hid somewhere else. This wasn't like a hide-and-seek thing either. All I wanted was to hold him again and talk to him and love on him. Eventually he came to me and I was filled with joy; I was so happy! I have spent sometime reflecting on this and I think about how often we act like this boy to our Father. He holds us and loves us through our dirtiness and snotty noses. We so often hide from him for one reason or another and all he wants is to be with us. This boy, who I hope to meet again, has reminded me of the Lord's love for my heart and his desire for relationship with me.
We walked around the community of Altagracia today and it seemed to me to be the poorest I've seen so far, although our translator, Juanchi, just wold me this was incorrect. My eyes took in the "kitchens" that were really a fire out front with a pot over it. Most of the children were not clothed. They walked with us around with no shoes on and they giggled as we swung them from our arms over the muddy parts of the "road". Such sweet, precious children these were. This was the first time when we left we had to pry children off of us. They just wanted to play and spend time with Americanas. I love that my presence here means so much to them and they know we love them.
We spent some time with the I Love Baseball program. Baseball is a huge sport here and many boys want to be professional baseball players. So this programs allows them to pursue baseball while also staying in school and learning about Christ. If they quit school they are kicked out of the I Love Baseball program. It's a huge deal for many boys to stay in school and have an education to fall back on if they don't make it as a pro ball player. They don't abandon their life with this program here. I learned that a cheap baseball here is about $14. This may not seem like a big deal but I'm gonna do what I can to ship a case of baseballs over.
We will spend the afternoon doing staff planning, as our trip has changed from not going into Haiti. We are going to plan out a couple training days for the staff here in the DR, painting one of the buildings that acts as the school in Altagracia, and a way we can bless the staff here at the Casa and thank them for all the hard work they do. We have been treated beautifully here- they clean our room each day, did some laundry for us, fed us GOOD food (not just beans and rice). I am so blessed to be here.
How you can pray: I am trying to find words.... I can't, pray as God leads you.
Once again, I thank you with all of my heart in sharing this experience with me.
May the Lord bless you!!
The lighting isn't great, but this is Karen and Katarina :)
Today we went to the final Batey here in the Dominican Republic, Altagracia. Once again, we were swarmed with children upon arrival. This time was a bit different for me. I had a little boy come up to me and I held him for a long time. I did not learn his name as he wouldn't speak to me or anyone and the teachers were all busy. But he held my neck and just cuddled. He was so precious, snotty nose and everything. After a while he got down and hid from me. I don't know why but every time I went to him he hid somewhere else. This wasn't like a hide-and-seek thing either. All I wanted was to hold him again and talk to him and love on him. Eventually he came to me and I was filled with joy; I was so happy! I have spent sometime reflecting on this and I think about how often we act like this boy to our Father. He holds us and loves us through our dirtiness and snotty noses. We so often hide from him for one reason or another and all he wants is to be with us. This boy, who I hope to meet again, has reminded me of the Lord's love for my heart and his desire for relationship with me.
We walked around the community of Altagracia today and it seemed to me to be the poorest I've seen so far, although our translator, Juanchi, just wold me this was incorrect. My eyes took in the "kitchens" that were really a fire out front with a pot over it. Most of the children were not clothed. They walked with us around with no shoes on and they giggled as we swung them from our arms over the muddy parts of the "road". Such sweet, precious children these were. This was the first time when we left we had to pry children off of us. They just wanted to play and spend time with Americanas. I love that my presence here means so much to them and they know we love them.
We spent some time with the I Love Baseball program. Baseball is a huge sport here and many boys want to be professional baseball players. So this programs allows them to pursue baseball while also staying in school and learning about Christ. If they quit school they are kicked out of the I Love Baseball program. It's a huge deal for many boys to stay in school and have an education to fall back on if they don't make it as a pro ball player. They don't abandon their life with this program here. I learned that a cheap baseball here is about $14. This may not seem like a big deal but I'm gonna do what I can to ship a case of baseballs over.
We will spend the afternoon doing staff planning, as our trip has changed from not going into Haiti. We are going to plan out a couple training days for the staff here in the DR, painting one of the buildings that acts as the school in Altagracia, and a way we can bless the staff here at the Casa and thank them for all the hard work they do. We have been treated beautifully here- they clean our room each day, did some laundry for us, fed us GOOD food (not just beans and rice). I am so blessed to be here.
How you can pray: I am trying to find words.... I can't, pray as God leads you.
Once again, I thank you with all of my heart in sharing this experience with me.
May the Lord bless you!!
The lighting isn't great, but this is Karen and Katarina :)
Monday, March 28, 2011
My heart is filled with love today.
This morning we went the the national COTN office for the Dominican Republic, toured the medical clinic and met with the staff- this brought me such joy. It was so amazing to hear people through a translator tell us how much it means to them for us to be here, and to hear them bless us and love us.
We also toured two Bateys and two villages, learning how the education program works and being able to see first hand how these people live. Each time the van pulls into the neighborhoods all the children surround us chanting "Americanas! Americanas!" Each time we step out of the van we immediately have several children clinging to us. And each time our hearts are overwhelmed and falling in love.
At our 4th stop one little girl, Karen, clung to me, constantly in smiles. She grabbed my heart. I asked the director of this Batey if she was sponsored, when he said "no" I knew I wanted her to be part of my life and child sponorship was a great way for me to be part of hers as well. The director told me she had a twin sister who also wasn't sponsored, I met Katarina and I heard myself tell him "I'll take her too". I knew coming here I wanted to find a child to sponsor and with a little sacrafice on my end I can be used to help Karen and Katarina, making a difference in their lives. (pictures of these 5 year old sweethearts to come)
I have learned today through friends and the lack voice than our actions can speak so much louder than words. Hugging these children and playing with them speak so much more than my words can. I do not need to speak to matter to these people. I have learned that much of what I would say in really not that important anyway. I am inspired to spend more time in my life being intentionally quiet. Allowing myself to hear the Lord more clearly, not battling with the noises of life; allowing myself to be challenged in acting love instead of speaking it; allowing myself to grow, stretch, and change.
This just in, the elections that took place in Haiti on the 20th have not had a great outcome. Both candidates say that they won. This has caused a 5:00pm curfew and rioting during the day. Even the Dominicans are not going over because it is so unsafe. So our team will not be going into Haiti, instead we will stay in the Dominican Republic and do as the Lord leads.
If you can continue to pray for team unity, that we would be united in Christ with one mind and one mouth. Also that the Lord would continue to open our eyes and hears and our hearts to take in what he wants us to see and learn.
I thank the Lord for his guidance and for this opportunity to share his heart for these people.
"Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations." Psalm 100
"Aclamen alegres al Señor, habitantes de toda la tierra; adoren al Señor con regocijo. Preséntense ante él con cánticos de júbilo. Reconozcan que el Señor es Dios; él nos hizo, y somos suyos. Somos su pueblo, ovejas de su prado. Entren por sus *puertas con acción de gracias; vengan a sus atrios con himnos de alabanza; denle gracias, alaben su *nombre. Porque el Señor es bueno y su gran amor es eterno; su fidelidad permanece para siempre." Salmos 100
This morning we went the the national COTN office for the Dominican Republic, toured the medical clinic and met with the staff- this brought me such joy. It was so amazing to hear people through a translator tell us how much it means to them for us to be here, and to hear them bless us and love us.
We also toured two Bateys and two villages, learning how the education program works and being able to see first hand how these people live. Each time the van pulls into the neighborhoods all the children surround us chanting "Americanas! Americanas!" Each time we step out of the van we immediately have several children clinging to us. And each time our hearts are overwhelmed and falling in love.
At our 4th stop one little girl, Karen, clung to me, constantly in smiles. She grabbed my heart. I asked the director of this Batey if she was sponsored, when he said "no" I knew I wanted her to be part of my life and child sponorship was a great way for me to be part of hers as well. The director told me she had a twin sister who also wasn't sponsored, I met Katarina and I heard myself tell him "I'll take her too". I knew coming here I wanted to find a child to sponsor and with a little sacrafice on my end I can be used to help Karen and Katarina, making a difference in their lives. (pictures of these 5 year old sweethearts to come)
I have learned today through friends and the lack voice than our actions can speak so much louder than words. Hugging these children and playing with them speak so much more than my words can. I do not need to speak to matter to these people. I have learned that much of what I would say in really not that important anyway. I am inspired to spend more time in my life being intentionally quiet. Allowing myself to hear the Lord more clearly, not battling with the noises of life; allowing myself to be challenged in acting love instead of speaking it; allowing myself to grow, stretch, and change.
This just in, the elections that took place in Haiti on the 20th have not had a great outcome. Both candidates say that they won. This has caused a 5:00pm curfew and rioting during the day. Even the Dominicans are not going over because it is so unsafe. So our team will not be going into Haiti, instead we will stay in the Dominican Republic and do as the Lord leads.
If you can continue to pray for team unity, that we would be united in Christ with one mind and one mouth. Also that the Lord would continue to open our eyes and hears and our hearts to take in what he wants us to see and learn.
I thank the Lord for his guidance and for this opportunity to share his heart for these people.
"Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations." Psalm 100
"Aclamen alegres al Señor, habitantes de toda la tierra; adoren al Señor con regocijo. Preséntense ante él con cánticos de júbilo. Reconozcan que el Señor es Dios; él nos hizo, y somos suyos. Somos su pueblo, ovejas de su prado. Entren por sus *puertas con acción de gracias; vengan a sus atrios con himnos de alabanza; denle gracias, alaben su *nombre. Porque el Señor es bueno y su gran amor es eterno; su fidelidad permanece para siempre." Salmos 100
Sunday, March 27, 2011
The Journey Begins
Hola Amigos!! Well, I've been in the Dominican Republic for a very interesting 5 days now. I have learned to communicate with people who know very little (if any) English, only to end this day with Larangitis. Yep, its true; this loud, fast, New York talker can't say a peep. I believe my family will be amused by this news as I've always been told my "mouth runs faster than a whipperwills butt", whatever that is. :) On a serious note, I praise the Lord because I started off sick and God has been good, I feel completely healthy now, just voiceless. I think this is intentional and I am excited to know the possible purpose behind this and continue learning and stretching myself outside of my comfort zone.
In the past five days I have been able to experience the Dominican Republic in many areas: the city, the people, the beach, the food, the language, the rooster that kakadoodledos all night long. It's been fun and its been tough. The second night here we heard American music and ate at a Burger King. Oh the joy this brought me. Today, however, we left Santo Damingo and the rooster (who I've named Geoffery) and met our team at the airport, where we then hopped on a school bus for four hours and have made it safely to Barahona. Barahona is home to Casa Bethesda, the COTN site that houses teams who come on trips like hours. Casa Bethesda, the Casa for short, is very cool. The staff are AWESOME! So friendly and welcoming. I am looking forward to spending this week with them.
I would love for your prayers this week! I will mention at the end of each post how you can specifically be praying for me, our team, and the works of COTN. Current prayer needs are restoration to my voice, team unity, and the Lord's clear direction (we still do not know if we are 100% going into Haiti).
Thank you for staying with me this week, I can't wait to experience COTN in country and to be able to share that experience with you! Praise Jesus!
"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. "Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. "For My yoke is easy, and My load is light." -- Matthew 11:28-30
"Vengan a mí todos ustedes que están cansados y agobiados, y yo les daré descanso. Carguen con mi yugo y aprendan de mí, pues yo soy apacible y humilde de corazón, y encontrarán descanso para su alma. Porque mi yugo es suave y mi carga es liviana." -- Mateo 11:28-30
In the past five days I have been able to experience the Dominican Republic in many areas: the city, the people, the beach, the food, the language, the rooster that kakadoodledos all night long. It's been fun and its been tough. The second night here we heard American music and ate at a Burger King. Oh the joy this brought me. Today, however, we left Santo Damingo and the rooster (who I've named Geoffery) and met our team at the airport, where we then hopped on a school bus for four hours and have made it safely to Barahona. Barahona is home to Casa Bethesda, the COTN site that houses teams who come on trips like hours. Casa Bethesda, the Casa for short, is very cool. The staff are AWESOME! So friendly and welcoming. I am looking forward to spending this week with them.
I would love for your prayers this week! I will mention at the end of each post how you can specifically be praying for me, our team, and the works of COTN. Current prayer needs are restoration to my voice, team unity, and the Lord's clear direction (we still do not know if we are 100% going into Haiti).
Thank you for staying with me this week, I can't wait to experience COTN in country and to be able to share that experience with you! Praise Jesus!
"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. "Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. "For My yoke is easy, and My load is light." -- Matthew 11:28-30
"Vengan a mí todos ustedes que están cansados y agobiados, y yo les daré descanso. Carguen con mi yugo y aprendan de mí, pues yo soy apacible y humilde de corazón, y encontrarán descanso para su alma. Porque mi yugo es suave y mi carga es liviana." -- Mateo 11:28-30
Sunday, March 20, 2011
48 hours
Well, in 48 short hours I'll be on my way to the Dominican Republic with Children of the Nations (COTN). I am so excited! I believe God has some really great things in store for me to learn on this trip and be blessed.
I am committing to updating this blog with pictures and stories from each day of our trip from Mar 26 - Apr 3, 2011.
* I am going down 3 days early before the actual trip start time on the 26th, during these four days I'll be with two other team members collecting silent auction items to help us raise money for COTN-San Diego as well as detailing our plans for our team and our purposes.
Our team is functioning with three purposes:
COTN’s ministry in the Dominican Republic began in the summer of 1997 when we first came alongside the village of Algodon—a Haitian batey (pronounced BAH-tay). Abatey (plural bateyes) is a shanty-town camp where sugarcane cutters live. Bateyes are found only in Cuba and the Dominican Republic.
Our ministry in the Dominican Republic is centered around our Village Partnership Program which ministers to Haitian bateyes (Algodon, Los Robles and Altagracia) and poor Dominican villages (Don Bosco and Pueblo Nuevo). On the surface, Haitianbateyes appear very similar to poor Dominican villages. To understand the real differences, one must understand how and why bateyes came into existence.
The Dominican Republic shares the Caribbean island of Hispaniola with Haiti, but the two neighboring countries might as well be across the globe from each other. Dominicans are Latin and pride themselves on their Spanish roots, whereas Haitians speak Creole and are largely descendents of freed African slaves.
In the early 1900s, Haitian sugarcane cutters, lured by the promise of work, began the seasonal migration to the Dominican Republic. The Haitians were willing to do this low-wage, back-breaking work whereas most Dominicans were not. Over the decades, many of these sugarcane workers did not return to Haiti at season end, and thus created a large, permanent population of Haitians in the Dominican Republic—a population that was not welcomed.
Every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before. – James Buckham
I am committing to updating this blog with pictures and stories from each day of our trip from Mar 26 - Apr 3, 2011.
* I am going down 3 days early before the actual trip start time on the 26th, during these four days I'll be with two other team members collecting silent auction items to help us raise money for COTN-San Diego as well as detailing our plans for our team and our purposes.
Our team is functioning with three purposes:
- The first is to expose all of the new San Diego COTN staff to the work we do in country.
- The second is to do some training with our COTN-DR staff. We will be working on a concept called Displayed Thinking and Strengths Finders 2.0
- The third is to travel into Haiti to continue the work that has been started by COTN Founder, Chris Clark and Flood Church. They were in Haiti last week and began the process of identifying land for our first COTN village partnership. We will be taking the next steps in that process.
While everyone knows the need in Haiti due to the earthquake and the incredible amount of orphaned and destitute children, the story of the Dominican children is not as well known, so to begin this blog, I wanted to tell you the story of the children that we are helping in the Dominican Republic.
The History of the Dominican Batey:
The Dominican Republic consists of a mixed population of native Dominicans and Haitian refugees. Since Venture participants will be working with both Dominicans and Haitians in impoverished Dominican villages as well as Haitian bateyes, it is important to understand a bit of the history.
The Dominican Republic consists of a mixed population of native Dominicans and Haitian refugees. Since Venture participants will be working with both Dominicans and Haitians in impoverished Dominican villages as well as Haitian bateyes, it is important to understand a bit of the history.
COTN’s ministry in the Dominican Republic began in the summer of 1997 when we first came alongside the village of Algodon—a Haitian batey (pronounced BAH-tay). Abatey (plural bateyes) is a shanty-town camp where sugarcane cutters live. Bateyes are found only in Cuba and the Dominican Republic.
Our ministry in the Dominican Republic is centered around our Village Partnership Program which ministers to Haitian bateyes (Algodon, Los Robles and Altagracia) and poor Dominican villages (Don Bosco and Pueblo Nuevo). On the surface, Haitianbateyes appear very similar to poor Dominican villages. To understand the real differences, one must understand how and why bateyes came into existence.
The Dominican Republic shares the Caribbean island of Hispaniola with Haiti, but the two neighboring countries might as well be across the globe from each other. Dominicans are Latin and pride themselves on their Spanish roots, whereas Haitians speak Creole and are largely descendents of freed African slaves.
In the early 1900s, Haitian sugarcane cutters, lured by the promise of work, began the seasonal migration to the Dominican Republic. The Haitians were willing to do this low-wage, back-breaking work whereas most Dominicans were not. Over the decades, many of these sugarcane workers did not return to Haiti at season end, and thus created a large, permanent population of Haitians in the Dominican Republic—a population that was not welcomed.
There has historically been a clash of cultures between the Dominican Republic and Haiti, but under the anti-Haitian regime of Rafael Trujillo (1930–1961), animosity, prejudice, and racial tension toward Haitians reached horrific levels, culminating in Trujillo’s brutal order of a Haitian massacre (where more than 25,000 Haitians found outside the sugar plantations were killed) and ultimately Trujillo’s assassination in 1961. During this time, Dominicans harbored a growing fear of a “Haitian invasion” (much the same way some Americans today fear the effects of the illegal immigration of Mexicans in the Southwest). In the mid-1960s, in an effort to stop this growing Haitian immigration from diluting the Dominican culture, the government proposed a solution—the batey. Bateyes were company-owned towns (consisting of nothing more than crude barracks surrounded by fencing) erected by the government on the outskirts of sugarcane plantations.
Throughout the late 1960s, ‘70s, and ‘80s (the heyday of the Dominican Republic’s sugar economy), Haitian sugarcane cutters were confined to these bateyes (i.e. “work camps”) under the watchful eye of armed government soldiers. Their belongings were confiscated and they were trucked back and forth from the fields, often working from sun up to sun down. The daily wage was barely enough to buy one meal a day—oftentimes the cane cutters and their families had nothing to eat but the very cane they cut. The bateyes had no running water, no electricity, no cooking facilities, and no bathrooms. The shanty homes consisted of slatted wood walls, tin roofs, dirt floors and often housed up to eight or more people. The Haitians were not allowed to leave thebateyes under the threat of deportation, except to work in the fields. By the 1990s, thebateyes had become home to hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children—second- and third-generation Haitians born in the Dominican Republic, but with no legal citizenship status to be there and with no ties to their “homeland” Haiti. They basically became a people without a country.
In the mid-1990s, the bateyes drew the attention of humanitarian organizations, calling for action to address the “deplorable treatment” of Haitian families and children living in the bateyes. Most of the 400+ bateyes in the Dominican Republic had not changed much since they were originally erected—they still had no running water, no electricity, no cooking facilities, no bathrooms, no schools for the children, and no medical facilities. And since the Constitution of the Dominican Republic does not extend citizenship to children born to non-naturalized Haitian parents, these children born in the Dominican Republic did not have birth certificates or identity papers of any kind. This lack of documentation made it nearly impossible for children of Haitian descent to attend school or benefit from any other social services. These families and children were denied access to medical, social, and educational facilities. Just as the generations that preceded them, these families faced a dead-end life—with no way out of the batey. Essentially, what the Dominican Republic had done was to create a permanent underclass—a category of individuals that, in the eyes of the law, doesn’t exist—they have no right to own property, no right to an education, no access to healthcare, and no right to vote. In essence, a class of people condemned to poverty.
A little over a decade ago, when the world markets (particularly the US) switched to high-fructose corn syrup and away from cane sugar, the Dominican government was forced to privatize the sugar industry and closed many of the struggling sugarcane plantations. Without cane to cut, the Haitian workers were no longer needed. Essentially, the economy of the batey (sparse though it was) completely dried up. Not long after the Haitians’ only means of support disappeared, so did the armed government guards and the fences that once kept them prisoner. All that remained in the bateyes were crying babies, bored and uneducated mothers, and unemployed men who were no longer able to even meagerly provide for their families.
But the Dominican’s privatization efforts were not without consequence—much to their dismay, it forced the Haitians from the bateyes into the cities in search of work. Starting in the late 1990s, the women, ineligible for legal jobs, took positions in the homes of Dominicans as nannies and maids, or worse, entered into the sex trades. The men found under-the-table work in construction and farming. They also took to the streets as vendors. But in a country where unemployment is already high, competition for jobs was tough. And with this increased visibility and competition came a backlash—government officials and the media began to blame the Haitians for increased violence, social problems, and poverty, causing them to become, yet again, the target of Dominican frustration and racial prejudice.
Today, the bateyes remain with little change, except those brought about through humanitarian and non-governmental organizations. An estimated 500,000 residents—7% of the population of the Dominican Republic—live in more than 400 bateyes. Most still do not have latrines. Potable water is rare. Electricity is virtually non-existent. Primitive dirt roads carved through ever-encroaching jungles become muddy lakes when it rains, cutting off entire bateyes from the outside world (including food and water) for days at a time. Inside the bateyes, education and healthcare remain almost non-existent. Where these services are available, they generally have been built and are operated by humanitarian organizations, not the government. And when natural disaster strikes (like Tropical Storm Noel that made a direct hit in October of 2007, washing away homes, furnishings, and livelihoods), the bateyes are the last in line to receive assistance from the government, if they receive any at all.
Yet there is hope. Children of the Nations is making a visible and lasting difference in the lives of these families and children by investing in these communities through our Village Partnership Program—building schools and churches, operating feeding programs, providing medical services—providing hope where there once was none. Our local Dominican Staff are devoted Christian men and women who are called by God to minister to the needs of their Haitian-Dominican neighbors. COTN is investing in children who will grow up and transform their own nations. We seek to end the dead-end cycle of poverty and give these precious children a chance at a life far different from the one they have—a chance to make a difference in their own communities.
Please pray with us and keep up to date on our team progress. Allow God to reveal to you how you may be able to partner with us in this endeavor.
Please pray with us and keep up to date on our team progress. Allow God to reveal to you how you may be able to partner with us in this endeavor.
“The Devil will try to thwart us from praying for he has no power over those who desire to give themselves to God.” – Teresa of Ávila
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