Northern Division The opportunity to share the Gospel Message and to give aid to others in the Dominican Republic has been one of the greatest experiences and blessings in my life. This past February (16th-23rd) I made my ninth mission trip over the past twelve years. I have been invited to share with you briefly about this experience. The Dominican Republic (population 10.4 million) is a nation on the Island of Hispaniola, which encompasses two-thirds of the eastern portion of the island (about the size of New Hampshire and Vermont combined). Hispaniola shares the island with the nation of Haiti, the western third of the island. Most of my, and the mission team, travels have been in and around the capital city of Santo Domingo (population 1 million) and also around the south central region of the country. Our realm of ministry projects and work have been in both urban and rural settings; including construction of churches and multipurpose facilities, aid drives providing clothing, health, hygiene and school supplies, as well as Vacation Bible School sessions for children and youth. This year was the second part of a two-part, two-year project to complete a multipurpose church and hurricane shelter for the congregation and community. We also took school and hygiene supplies for the children, and conducted Vacation Bible School during our stay for the children. June 2016 Sharon Fleck- Southern Division 2 the congregation and community. We also took school and hygiene supplies for the children and conducted Vacation Bible School during our stay. It is very difficult to express how profoundly I have been both humbled and blessed over the years. We have taken part in the construction of four structures and provided various forms of aid to hundreds of children and adults. We have visited numerous churches and communities situated in such unimaginable poverty and hardship, beyond our comprehension in the United States. I have seen squatter communities, families of ten to twelve people living in countless dark, dank, ten by ten foot abandoned cells; families barely able to eke out a living on sugar cane plantations in conditions beyond our belief. We even visited and worshiped at a leper colony. “I have seen the beauty of people, Americans, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans and Haitians working together in these settings together galvanized by a tie that binds.”
