As I write this, 43 members of the DR2007 team should be a few minutes away from landing at the Minneapolis airport.  They will then ride a bus back to Rochester for a much anticipated 2 am arrival at church.  Jennifer Hennes, Chet Ross and myself safely returned to Rochester at 9:15 pm.  We were on a different flight schedule than the rest of the team.  I will eagerly await the team’s arrival at church along with other family members and friends.

How do you summarize 2 weeks of ministry in the Dominican Republic?  Hopefully you have read the earlier blogs from team members, and have a sense of what God did during our time in the DR.  We went in response to God’s calling, but it is because of God’s power and faithfulness that great things were accomplished.  As Paul wrote in Ephesians 3:20 God “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.”  We found that to be true over and over again.  God exceeded our dreams and He went above and beyond in answering our prayers.

During the four Bible clubs for children, we had over 180 regular attenders (those whose came to 3 or more of the 5 sessions.)  100 indicated that they had prayed to enter into a personal relationship with Christ as their Savior.  God is great and He is good!

We also are thankful for how much was accomplished by the construction team during the two weeks, with more work being done in Boma, Los Calabazos and Jarabacoa than we could have imagined.  Team safety and health was excellent overall.

The leadership training by Pastor Dave Genberg was greatly appreciated.  We hope to expand the teaching ministry, with possible trips by teachers every four months.  This is one of Rick Mackey’s dreams as they establish their ministry in their DR.  It was a privilege for the team to be able to assist the Mackeys as they settled into their home.  Rick provided a great deal of assistance to us, in dealing with various transportation and other issues faced by our team of 46.  We will all go through withdrawal after two intensive weeks of service, but we look forward to providing future hands-on support to the Mackeys and the Dominicans as God allows.

As is tradition, we joined our Dominican friends Friday evening in celebrating God’s faithfulness.  For me the celebration farewell is always bittersweet – we rejoice together in what God has accomplished during our time there, but then we have to say good-bye.  One of my dear friends Marcio Abreu told me, “You have to leave so that you can return!”  We do hope to return, but even more so, we look forward to celebrating with all believers in heaven, where we will never have to say good-bye, and we will never exhaust our praises of God.

Thank you for allowing us to represent Calvary and to serve God as members of the DR 2007 mission team.  Paul concludes Ephesians 3:20 by acknowledging that God is able to do above and beyond what we ask or imagine because “his power … is at work within us.”  What should be our response?  Paul wrote in Ephesians 3:21 “To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!  Amen.”  As our friends in the DR say, Gloria Dios!  Glory to God!

David Henry