Dr. Michael Snow - Senior Minister Bachelor of Arts, Judson College, Elgin, IL Master of Divinity, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, KY Doctor of Ministry, Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, Lombard, IL

From Cornfields to Canefields

After less than two days from returning from our mission trip to La Romana in the Dominican Republic I am still dealing with a bit of fatigue and considerable culture shock.  While it is good to return to air conditioning, hot showers, reliable electricity and a soft bed, the images of the Bateys and sugarcane fields surrounding La Romana are still very vivid in my heart and mind.               

A Batey is a small village or camp where the workers and families of the sugarcane fields live. The living conditions vary from one Batey to the next but all are extremely poor.  Few of the Bateys have running water and none have electricity or adequate sanitation.  The men of the Bateys work long hours out in the fields, being paid by the ton for the sugarcane that they cut. Even the youngest and strongest are only able to cut enough to make $8 - $10 dollars a day.               

Even in such challenging circumstances the people of the Bateys find joy in life.  The men of the village play dominoes under the shade of a tree.  The children create toys and games from bottle caps, milk cartons and discarded motorcycle tires. On Sunday we were able to attend church in one of the villages and, though few from our team could understand what was said, their joy in the Lord and exuberant praise was contagious as we experienced our common bond through the Spirit of Christ.               

In the few short days of our trip we were able to visit eight of the Bateys sharing love gifts of rice, beans, pasta, sardine tomato paste and cooking oil to over 500 homes. Drs. Khin and Lily Laij taught proper dental hygiene and tooth brushes and toothpaste were given to each child.  We were also able to provide toys, candy and some items of clothing with the children and their families. In each village the message of the gospel was shared with the children through songs, puppet shows and games. And in every village an invitation was given and many children prayed to receive Christ as their Savior and Lord.                                

In addition to our ministry in the Bateys we were able to visit the Good Samaritan Hospital and the Christian Children’s Orphanage.  We also learned of a new opportunity for future ministry through the construction of water filtration systems that are being made for the homes of the Bateys. On our final night we attended the Sunday Evening service of the Maranatha Baptist Church. (The church was packed, the service lasted 3 hours and the music was tremendous!)                           

What a wonderful blessing it was to witness and share in the ministry of our American Baptist Missionary Kristie Engel and our mission partners of the Maranatha Church and the Good Samaritan Hospital.  We want to thank our First Baptist family for the privilege of serving in mission on your behalf.  And on behalf of the church and the mission team we want to express our deep appreciation to Rex and Becky Cooper for their planning and leadership of the trip. We encourage your continued prayers and support for the ministry of La Romana and invite you to join us as we make plans to return in June of 2009.             

Dios Les Bendiga!!  

Pastor Mike