This summer we took a team from Liberty Baptist Church to the Dominican Republic. Our goal was to Learn and to Serve.

Here are some of the lessons I took away from ministering in the boys home:

• “We call it a ‘home’ not an ‘orphanage’ because we are a family.”
• Love for the widow and orphans is pure religion (James 1:27).
• “Those who come to help in our boys home must know how to give in order to not harden the boys’ hearts.” Pastor Ramón
• “The best thing you can give to these boys is to give of yourself – not money.” Pastor Ramón
• Time, interest, and laughter are some of the best things you can share with children.
• Raising a child is as much about discipleship as it is about shelter.

This summer we took a team from Liberty Baptist Church to the Dominican Republic. Our goal was to Learn and to Serve.

Here are some of the lessons I took away from the local churches there:

• Love for others is what motivates and continues ministry, not money.
• To keep a church healthy they must always be looking to grow and multiply.
• Singing is not something you do with just your voice but with your heart, your face, and your hands.
• Making more money is not worth as much as serving God in a way you love.
• North American churches have much to learn from our brothers in the Caribbean.

A Church Plant An Evangelistic Service in someone’s yard Tanzen’s Special Music

This summer we took a team from Liberty Baptist Church to the Dominican Republic. Our goal was to Learn and to Serve. We partnered with a national pastor, Ramón Castro, in the city of La Romana. We were able to learn from the national leaders and churches in a variety of ways. Some of the ministries we observed and participated in were:

Church Services

Kids’ Clubs

Home for Boys

Christian School

Preparing for a ministry trip in the Dominican Republic, a group from Liberty Baptist is reading through this insightful little book by Sarah Lanier – Foreign to Familiar; A Guide to Understanding Hot- and Cold- Climate Cultures 

I will be adding to the thought questions for each chapter over the next few weeks.

Introduction:

• What is one reason why we should take time to think about how different cultures communicate?

Chapter 1:

• Looking at your immediate family, which culture do you think it would best fit into?
• Have you ever run into conflict with the opposing culture? What did it look like?

Chapter 2:

• What are some things that are important to hot climate cultures?
• What are some things that are important to cold climate cultures?

Chapter 3:

• Would living in a hot culture like some she described be frustrating to you or relaxing for you? Why would you say that?
• Can you think of certain people with whom you respond in a warm culture way rather than a cold culture way?

Chapter 4:

• While reading this chapter, were there any times that you thought, “I can’t believe they think that way!?” When?
• Can you think of any ways that individualism can be an inferior mentality?
• Are there any times in the Bible when believers are called to think in a group-oriented manner?

Chapter 5:

• When would a hot culture’s view of possessions be enjoyable? When would it not?
• With your close friends do you see a different culture emerge? How so?

Chapter 6:

• Comment on the quote: “Sarah…They won’t drop everything to sit in a formal living room with you.”

Chapter 7:

• List one thing that stuck out to you about dress and greetings in low and high context cultures.

Chapter 8:

• What do you plan on telling yourself when those in the DR run on a different time than us?

Chapter 9:

• Have you ever thought about re-entry as being difficult? Why do you think that may be?

Chapter 10:

• Thinking back over this book, what is one thing that stuck out to you?

This portion is meant to be a brief overview of the country of Spain so as to better understand the work going on there. _____________________________________

Spain gives every visitor a history lesson. Walking the streets, sitting in the plaza, and surveying the countryside all point to a history that is deep, a history that continues to shape the people today.

The first main civilization that left a permanent and widespread mark on the country was that of the Romans. Rome ruled the Iberian Peninsula, which they called Hispania, for more than six centuries (218 BC to AD 409) (Williams, 2009). You can see their handiwork in nearly every direction.

Aqueducts

The aqueduct in Segovia was ordered in the first century by Emperor Domitian (AD 81-96, about the time Matthew was being written). It is part of the canal process used to bring water from the Fuente Fria river into the city, about 20 miles. At its highest point it is over 93 feet high.

Bridges

This bridge crossing the river next to Salamanca is still in use. Of its arches, fifteen are Roman of the 1st century AD.

Walls

Many of the large cities in Spain still have portions of their city walls still standing, and some have the entire wall (Avila). These walls were not all built by the Romans, but their engineering can be seen quite clearly.

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Spain’s history is not merely a thing of the past. It is a crucial element in the lives of the people today. In order to better understand them, one must seek to understand their roots.

This portion is meant to be a brief overview of the country of Spain so as to better understand the work going on there. _____________________________________

What the cities look like

Large capital cities and small pueblos appear throughout the country. We spent most of our time in the large capitals because that is where the majority of the populous lives, and therefore the greatest ministry opportunities are found.

The cities are tightly packed and built upwards. Many of them still contain walls from the Roman times which limit the sprawl. For this reason, most people live in apartments.

A common feature among nearly every large city is the Plaza. It is affectionately called, “The City’s Living Room.” This is where to go to meet people, hang out, take a stroll, buy dinner, or just watch people. Everything flows out of the center square. The one in Salamanca, that you see above, was where they filmed the movie, “Vantage Point.”

The streets are often times tight and and incredibly “un-grid-like.” Imagine a wheel with the center being the Plaza and the protruding spokes being the streets. Major avenues often run around the city like the tire.