06/08/2026
Days 4 & 5 | Mission Trip to the Dominican Republic 🇩🇴
As usual, we began both days with prayer, just as our Lord Jesus Christ taught us; because before any service, before any visit, and before any work, we first stand before God and ask Him to guide our hearts.
These two days carried moments that are very hard to put into words.
We visited Mustard Seed Communities, a home for abandoned children with disabilities. Mustard Seed Communities began in Jamaica in 1978 through Msgr. Gregory Ramkissoon, who started this mission after seeing children with disabilities living on the streets. In 2001, the mission expanded to the Dominican Republic, establishing Hogar Immanuel in Cangrejo near Puerto Plata to provide residential care for abandoned children with disabilities.
Out of respect for the children and to preserve their dignity, we did not take pictures of them. But the images are engraved in our hearts.
No words can fully describe what we saw and experienced. We met children with severe physical and mental disabilities; many unable to speak, converse, or express themselves in the ways we are used to. Yet in those fragile bodies, we encountered precious souls loved by God.
And then came the moment that touched us all.
As soon as we began singing Christian songs, the atmosphere changed. You could feel life, joy, and grace filling the room. Some children began moving their heads. Others moved their hands. Small movements, but to us they felt like a loud hymn of praise. It was as if their spirits were joining the song in the only way their bodies allowed.
All we could do was hold their hands, move their chairs gently in circles, smile with them, and be present. But somehow, in that simple service, we received more than we gave. Holding their hands felt like touching a blessing. Spending time with them made us feel closer to Christ Himself.
“I was sick and you visited Me… Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.”
Matthew 25:36, 40
We also visited Casa Niños Felices, an orphanage in Puerto Plata serving Haitian and Dominican children. From the moment we entered, the children welcomed us with big hugs, bright smiles, and open hearts. We chanted together, shared a spiritual Bible lesson in a Sunday School style, and then began playing with them and before we knew it, time had flown by.
The connection was immediate and beautiful. Language was no longer a barrier. Love translated everything. We felt the joy of being together as members of the one Body of Christ.
These visits reminded us of the words of St. James:
“Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble” James 1:27
Alongside these visits, the service at the church continued. We had another blessed round of dental clinic work, serving the local community with care and dignity. Our deacons also held a deacons’ class with the young Dominican deacons, teaching them hymns and how to play the cymbals. Seeing the next generation learning the praises of the Church was a joy of its own.
We were also blessed with some meaningful sightseeing. We visited Fortaleza San Felipe, one of Puerto Plata’s most important historic landmarks. Built by the Spanish in the 16th century to defend the northern coast, construction was commissioned in 1564 and completed in 1577. Today, it stands as a reminder of the deep and complex history of Puerto Plata.
We also visited a Catholic nuns’ monastery. Although we were not able to meet the mothers, we were still blessed to be in a place so peaceful and full of prayer. Sometimes even silence speaks. Sometimes a place itself carries the fragrance of years of devotion.
These two days reminded us that mission is not only about what we do. It is about where Christ allows us to find Him in the child who cannot speak, in the orphan who runs to hug you, in the elderly, in the sick, in the church, in the poor, in the prayers, and in every quiet moment of grace.
Please continue to pray for us, for the children, for the orphanages, for the church community, and for every soul we encountered.
