Every year we decide between several projects to work on while we are there. Our first year we able to help rebuild part of a church that provided a place for community meals and a school for children. This still provides a place for all the missionaries with Pathway Dominicana to have a meal and meet and hang out with others in the village.

Our second year we helped Anna. She is a single mom that works hard to support her sons and we were able to give her a safe home to live in after the hurricane and provide resources for her to work as well.

Every year we have worked closely with Felecia, Dio’s niece. She is the mom of the sweetest little boy and her husband works in the hotel industry and works onsite 12 days and then returns home for two. Felecia works as a translator for the groups that come in as well as handles so many behind the scenes details. She handles all the emails, pricing, contracts and puts up with Dio!

We just found out that Felecia’s living conditions are not great. She is this amazing missionary with a great family and has never spoken up for herself- always serving others. She lives in a government house, think Habitat for Humanity, her house that she can work on and owns but she was helped to get in. This is a two room cinderblock home that is attached to several others in a row.

Her current bathroom is shared with the community. The toilet is down a path, which makes it 1. public 2. dangerous as a single woman 12 days at a time with a young son at home.

The shower is public as well, and offers even less privacy when you consider that you are typically naked!

Since her house is only two room she has become very efficient with her space in creating a kitchen for her family out of the corner of the back room of her home.

So- as a group we have decided that we will be working on Felecia’s house this year. We are hoping to put an addition on the back of her house that will include, water, a small kitchen and bathroom. We are thrilled to be able to help someone who has helped so many others and has been so sacrificial to her own community. Can’t wait to keep you updated in January with how the projects go.