Febuary 2009

Since the Dominican has a semi tropical climate, there is plenty of rainfall to keep everything green and growing year round. The only problem with that is the flooding that happens frequently. People live in flood plains because it is cheap. Especially in the Hole where people don't pay for electricity or water because its not supposed to be inhabited. But it is home to hundreds of families.

Pastor Felix has been working in the Hole for eight years now and has seen his share of frustrations, especially when one of the children in the Nutrition center falls into drugs or gets pregnant at 13 to 14.

In addition to drugs, prostitution and all that goes along with those issues Felix battles unsanitary conditions. The Hole is an unofficial landfill and all of the runoff water from the surrounding streets runs down into it.

When the waters rise, it carries the trash into people's homes that they generally keep very clean.

Here is Pastor Felix standing where a home was just the day before.

At the end of 2007, Hurricane Olga washed away the bridge that people use to cross the contaminated river.

What was so neat about that is that in the following months the community actually built a new one themselves. Different people pitched in with mixing concrete and welding the scrap iron together to make it so people didn't have to jump on wobbly tires or wade across. I felt proud, as did they of their work

Last month there were some heavy rains which washed away the foundation of the bridge breaking it in two and carrying away a nearby home.

Now the kids walk up and down this steep walk way over the water to come to the nutrition center and to go to school.

Life can be like that can't it. Just when you've pulled together to make things right, a big storm moves in to tear down your accomplishments.

I'm Thankful that life isn't all about accomplishment, but the lives we encounter along the way.

Despite any setbacks or discouragements Felix continues to work in the Hole. More and more people are coming together to glorify God every week, who not only builds a bridge over water, but in their lives for a cleaner life and salvation. God gives the strength to resist drugs and gives the love to care for each other.

Despite the storms, God continues to rebuild lives.

"And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint."

~Galatians 6:9

The bridge in the Hole will get built again, but more importantly lives of the people who live there will continue to be touched and offered help during the storms that come in the flood plain of life.

Thank you for being part of all this, for your partnership and encouragments.