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5/1/17
GROWING PAINS.
Dear family and friends of our Journey Into Hope,
I absolutely love our Journey Into Hope school! However, we do have a problem: we keep outgrowing our facility. In 2015-16, when our enrollment grew from 85 to 135 students, we were able to build an additional classroom which has been a GREAT blessing. Now, our enrollment has increased to 196 students and we are once again very, very overcrowded. We have built dividing walls in two of our classrooms to accommodate the overflow of students; but we really need to build another classroom. Fortunately, we have the space available on our property. Last year’s construction costs were $9,000; we could do that again for the same amount. We also desperately need to dig a well on our school property to have a dependable source of water for the bathrooms and for cleaning. Presently we are connected to the government water line which is totally unreliable; we are often hauling water from a neighbor’s well to use in our school. A new well, pump, and plumbing supplies will cost about $850.
Our Journey Into Hope is also experiencing growing pains as we work to completely furnish our dental clinic. We have the dental chair, X-ray machine, and sterilizer installed; the hand tools, X-ray developer and filling materials will cost $4,000. We are partnering with Dr. Rebeca Samuel on this project and we have a Dominican dentist, Dr. Yarisa Mejia, waiting for us to have the necessary equipment for her to go to work with us.
Our Journey Into Hope University Scholarship Program continues to provide tuition, fees, and books to an excellent group of 15 very deserving young adults who are pursuing degrees in medicine, dentistry, nursing, accounting, education and computer programming. Obviously, this investment in the lives of these young people comes at a cost; this year we will need to spend $18,000 to keep our scholarship program alive.
One of the great blessings that our Journey Into Hope has been able to provide is the ability to be present and available during medical crises for our Sabaneta neighbors. We have spent countless hours and days and nights at the various local hospitals helping out during medical emergencies and scheduled surgeries. This can only happen when we have the available resources to pay for X-rays, sonograms, blood tests, emergency cesareans, and a host of other expenses that occur during medical crises.
We have been so very deeply blessed to be able to be available only due to your generous donations during the past 12 years. We are again in need of your help to keep our work moving forward. Please keep us in your hearts and prayers as we strive to continue our work in Sabaneta, Dominican Republic and click here if you would like to donate.
Gratefully yours,
In His Most Holy Name,
Richard Taylor
GROWING PAINS.
Dear family and friends of our Journey Into Hope,
I absolutely love our Journey Into Hope school! However, we do have a problem: we keep outgrowing our facility. In 2015-16, when our enrollment grew from 85 to 135 students, we were able to build an additional classroom which has been a GREAT blessing. Now, our enrollment has increased to 196 students and we are once again very, very overcrowded. We have built dividing walls in two of our classrooms to accommodate the overflow of students; but we really need to build another classroom. Fortunately, we have the space available on our property. Last year’s construction costs were $9,000; we could do that again for the same amount. We also desperately need to dig a well on our school property to have a dependable source of water for the bathrooms and for cleaning. Presently we are connected to the government water line which is totally unreliable; we are often hauling water from a neighbor’s well to use in our school. A new well, pump, and plumbing supplies will cost about $850.
Our Journey Into Hope is also experiencing growing pains as we work to completely furnish our dental clinic. We have the dental chair, X-ray machine, and sterilizer installed; the hand tools, X-ray developer and filling materials will cost $4,000. We are partnering with Dr. Rebeca Samuel on this project and we have a Dominican dentist, Dr. Yarisa Mejia, waiting for us to have the necessary equipment for her to go to work with us.
Our Journey Into Hope University Scholarship Program continues to provide tuition, fees, and books to an excellent group of 15 very deserving young adults who are pursuing degrees in medicine, dentistry, nursing, accounting, education and computer programming. Obviously, this investment in the lives of these young people comes at a cost; this year we will need to spend $18,000 to keep our scholarship program alive.
One of the great blessings that our Journey Into Hope has been able to provide is the ability to be present and available during medical crises for our Sabaneta neighbors. We have spent countless hours and days and nights at the various local hospitals helping out during medical emergencies and scheduled surgeries. This can only happen when we have the available resources to pay for X-rays, sonograms, blood tests, emergency cesareans, and a host of other expenses that occur during medical crises.
We have been so very deeply blessed to be able to be available only due to your generous donations during the past 12 years. We are again in need of your help to keep our work moving forward. Please keep us in your hearts and prayers as we strive to continue our work in Sabaneta, Dominican Republic and click here if you would like to donate.
Gratefully yours,
In His Most Holy Name,
Richard Taylor
February 27, 2017
We have 2 new fundraising campaigns kicking off in 2017.
We have 2 new fundraising campaigns kicking off in 2017.
- SOUP KITCHEN One is a campaign to feed hungry tummies and hungry souls by keeping the Soup Kitchen up and running on a consistent basis. Find out more on the Soup Kitchen page.
- BUILDING HOPE There is one lot of land left on the street in Sabaneta and there happens to be just enough room to build one more house. Our goal is to raise $9,500.00 by June 30, 2017. Every penny raised goes to fund a project that provides a source of income for local laborers, as well as, giving a family a sturdy, dry home and their own source for clean water. A new and colorful 700 square foot home will be constructed and hopefully completed July 2017.(Pictures below) We have partnered with Pure Charity to raise these funds. Click purecharity.com/building-hope to donate to Building Hope.
Building Lot
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Existing house like the one we plan to build
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September 16, 2015
Meet Alan Alexis, a bright 14 year-old sophomore at Sabaneta High School. He is an excellent student and has dreams of studying to become a computer systems engineer. Alan suffers from severe scoliosis. As you can see from the x-ray, his upper spinal cord has developed into an almost perfect "S" shape. For many years he has worn a back brace and had countless physical therapy sessions; all to no avail. The only remaining hope for correcting Alan's scoliosis is surgery; and the surgeons all agree that his surgery must be done very soon while his young bones are still malleable enough to be re-shaped to their original position. The total cost for this surgery is $4,500; his family's insurance will cover half of this and his family has raised $675. We need $1575 to make this surgery happen. We had hoped to have Alan's surgery done this past summer while he was out of school, but we lacked the necessary funds. Now, as his window of opportunity to have a successful surgery is closing, there is a greater sense of urgency to do all we can to make this happen as soon as possible. Please keep Alan and his dear family in your hearts and prayers. Any help, great or small, will be greatly appreciated. Donations can be made to our www.journeyintohope.org or contact me personally for more information on how to help Alan.
Dios les bendiga. Blessings, Bondye beni ou.
Meet Alan Alexis, a bright 14 year-old sophomore at Sabaneta High School. He is an excellent student and has dreams of studying to become a computer systems engineer. Alan suffers from severe scoliosis. As you can see from the x-ray, his upper spinal cord has developed into an almost perfect "S" shape. For many years he has worn a back brace and had countless physical therapy sessions; all to no avail. The only remaining hope for correcting Alan's scoliosis is surgery; and the surgeons all agree that his surgery must be done very soon while his young bones are still malleable enough to be re-shaped to their original position. The total cost for this surgery is $4,500; his family's insurance will cover half of this and his family has raised $675. We need $1575 to make this surgery happen. We had hoped to have Alan's surgery done this past summer while he was out of school, but we lacked the necessary funds. Now, as his window of opportunity to have a successful surgery is closing, there is a greater sense of urgency to do all we can to make this happen as soon as possible. Please keep Alan and his dear family in your hearts and prayers. Any help, great or small, will be greatly appreciated. Donations can be made to our www.journeyintohope.org or contact me personally for more information on how to help Alan.
Dios les bendiga. Blessings, Bondye beni ou.
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September 13, 2015
Dear families and friends of our Journey Into Hope, One of the great blessings of my life with our Journey Into Hope has been to have a part in furthering the education of many very deserving young people through our scholarship program. During the past ten years we have been able to pay the tuitions for hundreds of kids and young adults as they pursue their dreams of completing high school and continuing on to study at a university. I believe with all my heart that these students will be a great force in making the Dominican Republic a better place to live. Our students are breaking new ground on many cultural, social, racial and economic levels; and they are changing the perceptions of many Dominicans and Haitians about their respective places in the world and their potential for the futures of themselves and their families. Currently we are providing 60 tuition scholarships for pre-school, elementary, middle, and high school students. We also are presently providing funds for 14 very excellent university students pursuing careers in medicine, nursing, physical therapy, accounting and computer programing. Obviously, we have been able to help these students only with the help of generous gifts from many of you reading this letter. Last year we spent $15,100 helping students in the DR pursue their educations. At the moment our scholarship fund is almost depleted, and I am writing this now with a deep sense of urgency to ask for your help to be able to continue what we have begun with these students. I dread the thought of having to tell our students that we will no longer be able to help them with their monthly tuition payments; for them, this would be the end of their dreams. Please help us continue this very important part of our Journey Into Hope. May God bless you greatly as you have blessed so many others with your generous hearts.
In His Most Holy Name, Richard Taylor
May 28, 2014
Dear family and friends of our Journey Into Hope, My little 7 year old Haitian neighbor, Marlene, arrived in the Dominican Republic more than a year ago with a broken leg; she still has not been able to have the bone graft surgery she needs. We recently took her to the only bone graft surgeon on the island and he says he can fix her leg if we purchase the bone graft material at a cost of $795 US dollars. We need to help this little girl. She is a beautiful, tough, sweet kid; she has not once complained or cried through many exams, blood analysis, x-rays, pokes and pulls by several doctors. Any donations will be greatly appreciated and can be made to our Journey Into Hope (www.journeyintohope.org). Please keep Marlene in your hearts and prayers. And please share this need with the world. We need to help this little girl.
In His Most Holy Name, Bondye beni ou.
Dios les bendiga, Richard Taylor
Dear family and friends of our Journey Into Hope, My little 7 year old Haitian neighbor, Marlene, arrived in the Dominican Republic more than a year ago with a broken leg; she still has not been able to have the bone graft surgery she needs. We recently took her to the only bone graft surgeon on the island and he says he can fix her leg if we purchase the bone graft material at a cost of $795 US dollars. We need to help this little girl. She is a beautiful, tough, sweet kid; she has not once complained or cried through many exams, blood analysis, x-rays, pokes and pulls by several doctors. Any donations will be greatly appreciated and can be made to our Journey Into Hope (www.journeyintohope.org). Please keep Marlene in your hearts and prayers. And please share this need with the world. We need to help this little girl.
In His Most Holy Name, Bondye beni ou.
Dios les bendiga, Richard Taylor
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May 6, 2014
Dear friends and family of Journey Into Hope,
It has been a very, very busy time in Sabaneta the past few weeks, mostly trying to take care of some very sick and needy (hungry) neighbors. We have been to hospitals in Santo Domingo, Moca, and Santiago, buying surgical supplies (screws, steel bars and plates, bone graft materials, etc.) to put broken bones back together. It seems almost bizarre sometimes how the government hospitals here function.....they call it “free” surgeries, but you don’t get operated on until someone comes up with the money for the surgical supplies; the consequences are often gangrene, horrible bed sores, and the worst infections you can imagine.....sometimes followed by amputations that should have never happened. So, we have been trying to help move this system forward by being available to purchase the necessary surgical supplies as soon as we learn of the needs. Bless you and our church and many friends for your prayers and your help to be able to fill a gap here; although it seems to be just a drop in a vast ocean, it is a vital drop to those we can help.
Dios les bendiga, Richard
Dear friends and family of Journey Into Hope,
It has been a very, very busy time in Sabaneta the past few weeks, mostly trying to take care of some very sick and needy (hungry) neighbors. We have been to hospitals in Santo Domingo, Moca, and Santiago, buying surgical supplies (screws, steel bars and plates, bone graft materials, etc.) to put broken bones back together. It seems almost bizarre sometimes how the government hospitals here function.....they call it “free” surgeries, but you don’t get operated on until someone comes up with the money for the surgical supplies; the consequences are often gangrene, horrible bed sores, and the worst infections you can imagine.....sometimes followed by amputations that should have never happened. So, we have been trying to help move this system forward by being available to purchase the necessary surgical supplies as soon as we learn of the needs. Bless you and our church and many friends for your prayers and your help to be able to fill a gap here; although it seems to be just a drop in a vast ocean, it is a vital drop to those we can help.
Dios les bendiga, Richard
February 25, 2014
Dear friends and family, Our Journey Into Hope will soon be blessed once again with a visit from our surgeon friend Dr. Eston Wenger and his dad Steve LeClair. They will be with us March 14-19 to perform about 15 operations, mostly hernias. PLEASE keep us all in your deepest prayers as we care for these patients during their operations and recoveries. Attached with this email are the observations of Steve LeClair of their Nov. 2013 visit to Sabaneta; his engineer’s perspective and insight into our Sabaneta neighborhood have been a great help to me in many ways. It would be impossible for me to express how very grateful I am to Eston, Steve, and their entire family for all they have given to our very poor Sabaneta neighborhood. May God bless you all.
In His Most Holy Name, Richard
Dear friends and family, Our Journey Into Hope will soon be blessed once again with a visit from our surgeon friend Dr. Eston Wenger and his dad Steve LeClair. They will be with us March 14-19 to perform about 15 operations, mostly hernias. PLEASE keep us all in your deepest prayers as we care for these patients during their operations and recoveries. Attached with this email are the observations of Steve LeClair of their Nov. 2013 visit to Sabaneta; his engineer’s perspective and insight into our Sabaneta neighborhood have been a great help to me in many ways. It would be impossible for me to express how very grateful I am to Eston, Steve, and their entire family for all they have given to our very poor Sabaneta neighborhood. May God bless you all.
In His Most Holy Name, Richard
December 17, 2013
(Click HERE to view the video of surgeries and most recent trip to Sabaneta)
Dear friends and family of Journey Into Hope, Our Thanksgiving surgical mission to Sabaneta, Dominican Republic, with Dr. Eston Wenger and his family was an intense and deeply emotional time for everyone involved. Dr. Wenger performed 18 surgeries, mostly hernias, in two days; all of his patients have recovered beautifully and are all feeling much better. Words cannot express my gratitude and admiration for Dr. Wenger and his entire family who gave their time, talents, and finances to provide surgeries for our Sabaneta neighbors. The word and concept of “Thanksgiving” has been completely transformed in my heart and soul; I know I will never again think of this holiday without remembering what a wonderful expression of “thanksgiving” this trip by his family truly was. My thanks also go out to my filmmaker friend, Robert Stuart, who shared his talents with us in Sabaneta. May God bless you all as you have blessed so many with your generous hearts. In His Most Holy Name,
Richard Taylor
(Click HERE to view the video of surgeries and most recent trip to Sabaneta)
Dear friends and family of Journey Into Hope, Our Thanksgiving surgical mission to Sabaneta, Dominican Republic, with Dr. Eston Wenger and his family was an intense and deeply emotional time for everyone involved. Dr. Wenger performed 18 surgeries, mostly hernias, in two days; all of his patients have recovered beautifully and are all feeling much better. Words cannot express my gratitude and admiration for Dr. Wenger and his entire family who gave their time, talents, and finances to provide surgeries for our Sabaneta neighbors. The word and concept of “Thanksgiving” has been completely transformed in my heart and soul; I know I will never again think of this holiday without remembering what a wonderful expression of “thanksgiving” this trip by his family truly was. My thanks also go out to my filmmaker friend, Robert Stuart, who shared his talents with us in Sabaneta. May God bless you all as you have blessed so many with your generous hearts. In His Most Holy Name,
Richard Taylor
July 5, 2013
Dear friends and family, Suleika Antenor is a seven year old girl in Cabarete, DR with a very deformed right foot; she needs to have her Achilles tendon lengthened followed by a series of casts, orthopedic shoes/braces and then a lift for her final shoes. Here’s the quote from CURE FOUNDATION HOSPITAL in Santo Domingo for Suleika’s foot surgery. I’m a bit shocked that it is so high; it is twice as much as the previous surgeries we paid for there. Oh well...I’ll see if I can get it lowered, but for the moment this is what I have. $43,400 pesos = $1075USD plus about $800 for travel expenses (one 2 night stay in the hospital for the initial surgery) = $1875 total. I think we should try to raise $2000USD because there are always a few extra expenses that appear during the 4 month chain of events that it takes to do this. Bondye beni ou. Siempre, Richard p.s. We (JIH) spent $100 today for the initial consultation, travel costs, and a bit of food for Suleika, her grandma, and Gelene Jean. I pray and hope we can do this!!!!!!!!! I love that kid.
Richard Taylor
Dear friends and family, Suleika Antenor is a seven year old girl in Cabarete, DR with a very deformed right foot; she needs to have her Achilles tendon lengthened followed by a series of casts, orthopedic shoes/braces and then a lift for her final shoes. Here’s the quote from CURE FOUNDATION HOSPITAL in Santo Domingo for Suleika’s foot surgery. I’m a bit shocked that it is so high; it is twice as much as the previous surgeries we paid for there. Oh well...I’ll see if I can get it lowered, but for the moment this is what I have. $43,400 pesos = $1075USD plus about $800 for travel expenses (one 2 night stay in the hospital for the initial surgery) = $1875 total. I think we should try to raise $2000USD because there are always a few extra expenses that appear during the 4 month chain of events that it takes to do this. Bondye beni ou. Siempre, Richard p.s. We (JIH) spent $100 today for the initial consultation, travel costs, and a bit of food for Suleika, her grandma, and Gelene Jean. I pray and hope we can do this!!!!!!!!! I love that kid.
Richard Taylor
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Oct. 9, 2012
Dear friends and family of Journey Into Hope, I wake up just about every morning thinking: “I cannot ask anybody else ever again to give money for anything.” But then pretty soon after the day begins, I’ll learn of another person in need, another family with nothing to eat, another kid not attending school, another medical crisis, and I hear this still, small voice say, “If they just knew, they would help out.” And then (I’m ashamed to say) I start arguing with that still, small voice telling Him how burnt out I am of asking people to help those in desperate need. And finally, just now once again, I get over my pride, and humbly, once again, bow before Our Heavenly Father and ask first for His help and then for yours. So, I’m reminded yet again, “Where your treasure is, there your heart is also.” Jesus said this right in the middle of His Sermon on the Mount. “Whatever you do for the least of these you do for me.” “Forgive others or He will not forgive you.” And on and on He preached that day. “Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are they who hunger after righteousness.” So let’s not kid ourselves: People are hungry right now because we didn’t buy rice and beans this week for the soup kitchen. Because, for whatever reasons, we decided to ignore that still, small voice that says: “Give to your brother if he is in need.” 1st John 3:18 says, “Dear children, Let us not love with words of tongue but with actions and in truth.” Isaiah 58:10 says, “And if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will become like the noonday.” Elie Wiesel says, “There is no greater sin than that of silence and indifference.” Journey Into Hope needs your help now to help our Sabaneta neighbors who are in desperate need. It’s the urgency of this need that I can never seem to get across with my requests. After you’ve seen people go hungry for days or become ill and receive no medical care for weeks, it’s the urgency of the situation that will not let you rest, at least until you’ve shared the story and let them know. In His Most Holy Name, Richard Taylor
Dear friends and family of Journey Into Hope, I wake up just about every morning thinking: “I cannot ask anybody else ever again to give money for anything.” But then pretty soon after the day begins, I’ll learn of another person in need, another family with nothing to eat, another kid not attending school, another medical crisis, and I hear this still, small voice say, “If they just knew, they would help out.” And then (I’m ashamed to say) I start arguing with that still, small voice telling Him how burnt out I am of asking people to help those in desperate need. And finally, just now once again, I get over my pride, and humbly, once again, bow before Our Heavenly Father and ask first for His help and then for yours. So, I’m reminded yet again, “Where your treasure is, there your heart is also.” Jesus said this right in the middle of His Sermon on the Mount. “Whatever you do for the least of these you do for me.” “Forgive others or He will not forgive you.” And on and on He preached that day. “Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are they who hunger after righteousness.” So let’s not kid ourselves: People are hungry right now because we didn’t buy rice and beans this week for the soup kitchen. Because, for whatever reasons, we decided to ignore that still, small voice that says: “Give to your brother if he is in need.” 1st John 3:18 says, “Dear children, Let us not love with words of tongue but with actions and in truth.” Isaiah 58:10 says, “And if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will become like the noonday.” Elie Wiesel says, “There is no greater sin than that of silence and indifference.” Journey Into Hope needs your help now to help our Sabaneta neighbors who are in desperate need. It’s the urgency of this need that I can never seem to get across with my requests. After you’ve seen people go hungry for days or become ill and receive no medical care for weeks, it’s the urgency of the situation that will not let you rest, at least until you’ve shared the story and let them know. In His Most Holy Name, Richard Taylor
October 2012
Dear family and friends, I thought I would share this news from orthopedic surgeon Dr. Dan Ruggles of the Cure Foundation Hospital in Santo Domingo. This surgery has been such a long time coming; I am so very thankful that it is done. Blessings and thanks to you all, Richard.
Hey Richard! You were on my call list today. Thanks for the email.
Everything went great with Rosaura today. First of all, we got an IV started this time without too much trouble and she was stable the whole case. The surgery went according to plan with release and lengthening of her Achilles tendon (with about 3-4cm incision on each ankle). Her feet went into very good positions. She is in long leg casts right now. She didn’t have much pain after the surgery today and is doing well so will probably go home early tomorrow. The post-op plan will be to have her come back in 3 weeks to remove the casts and check her wounds. We will probably apply casts again for an additional 3 weeks, then that should be it.
She will then need to use the night shoes until she is atleast 4 years old.
The biggest concern for kids with syndromic clubfeet is recurrence, which we will have to watch closely for. We may consider using plastic braces (AFO's) to maintain the good position.
Thanks again for all your support and especially for the prayers.
Will keep in touch - Dan
Dear family and friends, I thought I would share this news from orthopedic surgeon Dr. Dan Ruggles of the Cure Foundation Hospital in Santo Domingo. This surgery has been such a long time coming; I am so very thankful that it is done. Blessings and thanks to you all, Richard.
Hey Richard! You were on my call list today. Thanks for the email.
Everything went great with Rosaura today. First of all, we got an IV started this time without too much trouble and she was stable the whole case. The surgery went according to plan with release and lengthening of her Achilles tendon (with about 3-4cm incision on each ankle). Her feet went into very good positions. She is in long leg casts right now. She didn’t have much pain after the surgery today and is doing well so will probably go home early tomorrow. The post-op plan will be to have her come back in 3 weeks to remove the casts and check her wounds. We will probably apply casts again for an additional 3 weeks, then that should be it.
She will then need to use the night shoes until she is atleast 4 years old.
The biggest concern for kids with syndromic clubfeet is recurrence, which we will have to watch closely for. We may consider using plastic braces (AFO's) to maintain the good position.
Thanks again for all your support and especially for the prayers.
Will keep in touch - Dan
October 2012
Dear friends and family, I hope all is well with you all. Just a note to let you know that we have had some medical needs in our Sabaneta neighborhood and could certainly use some financial help at this time. Our chief cook/shopper/CEO of the soup kitchen has been very sick for the past three weeks with typhoid fever and its complications; also, our little neighbor Rosaura with two club feet has had some complications with her surgery that have created a definite financial crisis for us. Any help you might send our way would be hugely appreciated. Blessings to you always, Richard Taylor
Dear friends and family, I hope all is well with you all. Just a note to let you know that we have had some medical needs in our Sabaneta neighborhood and could certainly use some financial help at this time. Our chief cook/shopper/CEO of the soup kitchen has been very sick for the past three weeks with typhoid fever and its complications; also, our little neighbor Rosaura with two club feet has had some complications with her surgery that have created a definite financial crisis for us. Any help you might send our way would be hugely appreciated. Blessings to you always, Richard Taylor
July/Aug. 2012 Thank you all for your prayers and your support for our work in Sabaneta. This summer was filled with activities in our Dominican/Haitian neighborhood. On July 5th we began construction of a small (440 sq. ft.) concrete block house; the teams from New Life Christian Church (Linden, TN) and the First Christian Church of Dyer, IN, working together with Alcides Santilus and his crew, had the metal roof on before they left on July 17th. The group from TN/IN also filled the soup kitchen with energy and action with a week full of music, devotionals, games, classes, crafts and compassion in abundance. Their presence in Sabaneta was a huge blessing for everyone they met.
At the end of July, we closed the deal on the purchase of the property adjoining our present location. This property (967 sq. meters) has much to offer: frontage on an excellent street, city water, and plenty of room for us to grow. Hopefully, we will be able to establish some income-producing activities on this property to create an economy for some of the residents in our neighborhood. Please help us to pray for the wisdom to know how to best use this property to honor Our Heavenly Father. We have improved the fence around the property and now have it planted in a 4 month crop of corn and plantains.
In Aug., we dedicated most all of our time and resources to getting kids back in school. We provided tuition for 27 students, ranging from pre-school to medical school. We also helped 67 kids with the expenses for their school uniforms and supplies. We have become more deeply involved with several families who in past years have had to choose, for financial reasons, which of their kids could attend school and which would sit out for a year. This year we were able to intervene in these situations and make sure that all the kids in several families got enrolled in school. (Usually, the remedy for this situation was a $40 school uniform.)
It is a difficult neighborhood and full of heartbreaking situations. We do what we can with what resources we have and give thanks to Our Heavenly Father for those of you who have opened your hearts and joined us in our efforts. May God bless you abundantly as you have blessed so many with your generous gifts.
In His Most Holy Name,
Richard Taylor
At the end of July, we closed the deal on the purchase of the property adjoining our present location. This property (967 sq. meters) has much to offer: frontage on an excellent street, city water, and plenty of room for us to grow. Hopefully, we will be able to establish some income-producing activities on this property to create an economy for some of the residents in our neighborhood. Please help us to pray for the wisdom to know how to best use this property to honor Our Heavenly Father. We have improved the fence around the property and now have it planted in a 4 month crop of corn and plantains.
In Aug., we dedicated most all of our time and resources to getting kids back in school. We provided tuition for 27 students, ranging from pre-school to medical school. We also helped 67 kids with the expenses for their school uniforms and supplies. We have become more deeply involved with several families who in past years have had to choose, for financial reasons, which of their kids could attend school and which would sit out for a year. This year we were able to intervene in these situations and make sure that all the kids in several families got enrolled in school. (Usually, the remedy for this situation was a $40 school uniform.)
It is a difficult neighborhood and full of heartbreaking situations. We do what we can with what resources we have and give thanks to Our Heavenly Father for those of you who have opened your hearts and joined us in our efforts. May God bless you abundantly as you have blessed so many with your generous gifts.
In His Most Holy Name,
Richard Taylor
June 25, 2012
Dear family and friends, I hope and pray all is well with you all. Thank you again for all you have have done to finance our work in the DR; I deeply appreciate your help over the past many years. I certainly don’t want to abuse our friendship by asking for more than you’re interested in giving; but at the same time, I do want you to be aware of the needs we face as they appear. As the new school year approaches, we need funds to help pay school tuitions and purchase the required school uniforms; August is always our most expensive month of the year as we try to register kids in school and keep them enrolled for another year. I believe we have always agreed on the very urgent importance of education in the struggle against the extreme poverty our Dominican/Haitian friends face on a daily basis. Last year, with $14,475, we provided funds for tuition and books for 32 students. In addition to this, we also purchased uniforms (or needed pieces of uniforms) for another 45 students. At the moment, we are about $6000 short of what we need to continue this work and provide the necessary funds for these kids and young adults. I will be in Sabaneta July 5 until August 29 doing all I possibly can to get as many kids as possible in school for another year. It would be greatly appreciated if you could help us out with this very urgent and worthwhile part of our work in Sabaneta. May God bless you as you have blessed so many.
In His Most Holy Name,
Richard
May 31, 2012
Hola, I’m forwarding this exchange between me and sandy to you because I know you know Patrice and have prayed for him. You may or may not know that Sandy Davis and her family have been providing funds to get Patrice in school (for the first time ever) and keep him there. The Director of the neighborhood school where Patrice attends, Carmen Martinez, is a saint...the most patient and loving teacher I’ve ever seen. Blessings to you all, In His Most Holy Name, Richard
Dear Richard,
I'm weeping tears of joy. Your email is such wonderful news. Please tell Patrice that we're al so proud of his advancement which is the result of his hard work and diligence. He should be very proud. Does he know that our 4 children, their spouses and our 7 grandchildren pray for him daily. When you speak to him again, send/give him our love, hugs and kisses.
Thank you, brother, for the uplifting news.
God is Good!
Sandy
holabonjour, There are miracles in my life.....I’ve just talked w/ Directora Carmen and she says Patrice has been doing “muy muy bien en el colegio” She says he’s been learning a lot and this week has graduated up to the next level; she sounded totally happy, then passed the phone to Patrice who also sounded very happy as he told me that he had been doing his homework every day. So, THANK YOU and your family from the very bottom of my heart for picking this kid up after he had fallen through so very many cracks. May God bless you as you have blessed so many; you are changing the world!!! Dios te bendiga.Bondye beni ou. Richard
Hola, I’m forwarding this exchange between me and sandy to you because I know you know Patrice and have prayed for him. You may or may not know that Sandy Davis and her family have been providing funds to get Patrice in school (for the first time ever) and keep him there. The Director of the neighborhood school where Patrice attends, Carmen Martinez, is a saint...the most patient and loving teacher I’ve ever seen. Blessings to you all, In His Most Holy Name, Richard
Dear Richard,
I'm weeping tears of joy. Your email is such wonderful news. Please tell Patrice that we're al so proud of his advancement which is the result of his hard work and diligence. He should be very proud. Does he know that our 4 children, their spouses and our 7 grandchildren pray for him daily. When you speak to him again, send/give him our love, hugs and kisses.
Thank you, brother, for the uplifting news.
God is Good!
Sandy
holabonjour, There are miracles in my life.....I’ve just talked w/ Directora Carmen and she says Patrice has been doing “muy muy bien en el colegio” She says he’s been learning a lot and this week has graduated up to the next level; she sounded totally happy, then passed the phone to Patrice who also sounded very happy as he told me that he had been doing his homework every day. So, THANK YOU and your family from the very bottom of my heart for picking this kid up after he had fallen through so very many cracks. May God bless you as you have blessed so many; you are changing the world!!! Dios te bendiga.Bondye beni ou. Richard
February 06, 2012
To one and all dear friends,
Due to the encouragement of several friends of our efforts in Sabaneta, I have had several conversations with Raul Ruiz Garcia, the owner of a property that joins our current lots. Several of you have suggested new projects, which include chicken coops, a bakery, small apartments, and/or a pre-school, to be added to our present work. In order to do anything, obviously we have to have a place to do it. The property that adjoins our present lots is 1020 sq. meters, faces an excellent street on the side opposite our property, and can be bought for the “asking price” of $20 per sq. meter = $20,000. Of course, I told Raul that the price was much more than I had anticipated, and he said we could “negotiate” when I get there. The property we purchased in 2007 cost $14.30 per meter, which all my Dominican advisors said was a very good deal; so, I’m thinking, perhaps optimistically, that we could purchase this property for around $17,000. If we are going to move forward and develop anything new, we will need to pursue this or another tract somewhere else; due to its size and location, this would be the perfect site. Please let me know if you are interested in pursuing this. I believe it would a great addition to our work in Sabaneta; and it would provide us a large enough space to do many, many great and important things for many years to come.
Prayerfully and gratefully yours, In His Most Holy Name,
Richard Taylor
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January 4, 2012
Dear family and friends,
Here’s our baby Jessica whose mom passed away last week. She is SOOOO beautiful! Since her mom had AIDS, she was born by cesarean to lessen the chances of her being born w/ AIDS; and she was not... and she seems to be very healthy so far. I do plan on having her tested again as soon as I get to Sabaneta.
Love to you all,
Richard
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November 01, 2011
Dear family and friends,
Hola a everyone, My dear friend, Odette Thomas of Sabaneta, passed away this evening about 7 p.m. from complications with her dialysis. PLEASE keep her family and friends in your prayers.
May God bless each of you.
In His Most Holy Name,
Richard Taylor
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June 06, 2011
Dear family and friends,
Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we travel to Sabaneta for the second half of June. A team from the First Christian Church of Dyer, IN will be in Sabaneta building, teaching, preaching and sharing their lives with our Haitian/Dominican brothers and sisters. Please keep my friend Odette Thomas in your prayers as she goes through the difficult time of dialysis. Thanks to all of you who have blessed us in so very many ways.
Dios les bendiga. In His Most Holy Name,
Richard
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May 28, 2011
Dear friends and family,
Please pray for our Dominican friend Odette Thomas. She has begun twice-weekly dialysis and is in need of a kidney transplant as soon as possible; her blood type is A positive.
In His Most Holy Name,
Richard
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May 7, 2011
Dear friends,
I'm writing to share with you the news of our dear friend Odette Thomas, the heart and soul of the Sabaneta Christmas parties in the Fambroyan barrio and my long-time advisor and counselor from the Ladies Social Action Group of the Sabaneta Evangelical church. Odette has been told that she needs to begin dialysis within the next two weeks; she has had hepatitis C and several other medical problems for the past few years. Obviously, she is very upset over this turn of events and my heart is broken with hers. There are many costs involved with this treatment and I would like to begin some sort of fund to channel some financial aid to her. Would/could you and your church be able to help Odette with this? PLEASE share this with your friends and church families and let me know if you can think of any way to help Odette as she goes through this very difficult time. May God bless you always.
In His Most Holy Name,
Richard
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May 4, 2011
Hola,
Just a brief note of thanks for your prayers and offerings for my friend Diana Delsol of the Fambroyan barrio in Sabaneta, who yesterday had her healthy baby boy (delivered in the car near Sosua as she was heading for the Puerto Plata hospital). Many of you will remember her as the lady we thought was going to have an emergency cesarean in March; we took up an offering for her one day at lunch and sent her on to the hospital in Santiago, where she stayed 5 days and got her blood sugar/diabetes somewhat under control and returned home. What a blessing that she was able to carry her baby to full term and have a quick, uncomplicated delivery on her way to the hospital! Thank you all so very much for your caring hearts and generous help for this young lady.
Dios les bendiga siempre, In His Most Holy Name, Love,
Richard
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April 20, 2011
Calle de Guen Pan
Sabaneta, Dominican Republic,
Thanks so much for your many thoughts and prayers during the past few months as we have built a new sanctuary in the Guen Pan barrio of Sabaneta. The church dedication on March 27 was an absolutely wonderful event. Pastor Sammuel Exanor organized the service with great music and an excellent sermon by Rev. David Shaller. Thanks to Philiene Kercivil and her crew from the soup kitchen and to the mission team from Faith Presbyterian Church of Horseshoe Bend, AR, lunch was served to more than 260 hungry folks. It was a heavenly day as the Iglesia Cristiana Nueva Vida (Legliz Kreten Lavi Nef/New Life Christian Church) was dedicated to the service of Our Heavenly Father.
Over the past several years we have been incredibly, amazingly blessed with sufficient resources to build our soup kitchen, our clinic, our church and our houses. Our challenge now is to sustain the very solid infrastructure we have created by providing the essentials, most basically rice and beans, medicines, and scholarships. In a way, building the infrastructure for the continuing daily work of Journey Into Hope has been the easy part; the Third World is scattered with abandoned buildings, many of them very beautiful and expensive, built by well-meaning individuals, churches, non-profits, or civic-minded clubs and organizations. But once the initial excitement of the building process has come and gone, the real work of sustaining the vision begins. A clinic without medicine and electricity changes quickly from a dream to a nightmare full of sickness and suffering. A soup kitchen without rice and beans and cooking gas is just another building surrounded by hungry kids looking for something to eat and finding nothing; hunger comes around about every six hours whether we cook or not. Babies will be born to hungry and sick mothers whether we can help provide groceries and milk for them or not.
In this neighborhood there is a very, very fragile line between survival and death. My Haitian friends often tell me, “Life for us is cheap,” which is a simple, real-life translation of the fact that the average life span for Haitians is 54 years, the lowest in the Western Hemisphere. Lack of proper nutrition and lack of decent healthcare and medicines are two of the most blatant causes for this unusually brief lifespan. I believe it is our responsibility as human beings to do all we can to help our brothers and sisters increase the value of their lives; indeed, for those of us who dare to call ourselves Christians, we are commanded to do just that.
Sustaining the work of Journey Into Hope is a huge undertaking; it’s a community effort of many caring hearts and many caring churches. I ask each of you to pray for our work in Sabaneta and to help us help those whose “lives are cheap.”
In His Most Holy Name,
Richard
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April 8, 2011
Pastor Sammuel singing from the Bible before the three baptisms in the Sabaneta River; a very HOLY MOMENT....
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April 7, 2011
Pastor Samuel Exanor preparing Communion at the NLCC Sabaneta on Sunday morning March 27, 2011.
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April 2, 2011
My pal Naroli Sanchez getting fitted into her new custom-made wheelchair. This effort by several members of the PA Presbyterian mission team is a most beautiful example of what can be accomplished when people decide to work together. Thanks to everyone who had a part in this excellent act of grace and kindness.
Dios les bendiga.
Richard
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April 1, 2011
Thanks to the team from Faith Presbyterian Church, Horseshoe Bend, AR for providing the groceries to cook for the 260+ who attended the dedication of the New Life Christian Church in Sabaneta, Dominican Republic.
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January 10, 2011
Dear friends and family,
I hope my thoughts find you well, surviving the winter snows. I want to thank you all for your generous support of our efforts in Sabaneta during 2010. The construction and establishment of the "clinik chemen espwa" (Journey Into Hope Clinic) in the fall of 2010 is a work that is already blessing hundreds of people in the Sabaneta area. The efforts of the mission teams from AR, TN, IN, OH and PA in the spring of 2010 made a huge and unforgettable impression on the lives of our Sabaneta brothers and sisters. Thanks to all of you who participated by going, by giving, by praying. I will be traveling Jan. 24 to Sabaneta to begin construction of the Iglesia Nueva Vida (New Life Christian Church); hopefully we can complete the building by the end of March. Several of you have expressed an interest in helping our financially with the construction costs of the church building; please let me encourage you do that asap so we can have the necessary funds on hand as we begin this project. As many of you know, the "church body" has been meeting twice a week at the soup kitchen; they had a revival there the week before Christmas and our first wedding was held there the week after Christmas. Please keep us all in your prayers as we begin this project.
In His Most Holy Name,
Richard
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December 20, 2010
News from Around the Journey Into Hope Clinic by Dr. Magarette Aubourg
In the name of the Haitian people in Sabaneta de Yasica, Dominican Republic, I thank first Jesus because He is the author of all good deeds, Richard Taylor, nurse Patricia Gill and her church, everyone who helped in the construction of the Journey Into Hope Clinic (“clinik chemen espwa”) in this country. At the Journey Into Hope Clinic we give medical consultations and distribute medicines free of charge when we have them. Our work here is very important for three reasons: (1) there are very few jobs for Haitian people in Sabaneta de Yasica, they cannot buy their medicines when they are sick; (2) The Dominican government cannot satisfy the Dominicans’ and the Haitians’ needs; (3) Many Haitian people don’t speak Spanish, so they cannot explain their symptoms to the Dominican doctors. I see approximately 350 patients monthly, of whom 80 are Dominicans and 270 are Haitians. This project is possible because we purchase medicines cheaply at the pharmacy of the Dominican government, called “the peoples pharmacy” (farmacia del pueblo) located at the Puerto Plata Hospital. However, at this pharmacy there are few medicines available for children under one year old; so we have to buy these locally and they are very expensive. From my experience working in this area, I estimate that we need around $2,750. monthly to most effectively make our clinic be all that it can be.
I hope that this project can be in other places in the Dominican Republic where there are many Haitian people and few jobs for them. May God bless everyone who will help us.
Sincerely,
Dr. Magarette Aubourg, M.D.
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Nov 16, 2010
Dear family and friends,
For several years many of us at New Life Christian Church in Linden, TN, have talked about the idea of building a church in the Dominican Republic. In the meantime, we have built houses, a soup kitchen pavilion, and most recently, a clinic; but the necessary groundwork of creating a church body with a strong leadership has been illusive, until now. Presently, there is a group of about 30 Christian believers meeting on Tuesday and Friday evenings at the soup kitchen; among this group, we have had many long discussions about the possibility and the benefits of building a church on the Journey Into Hope property. There is just enough space left on our property to build a church between the soup kitchen and the clinic. Hopefully, the church building could also become the home of a pre-school program for the neighborhood kids.
Providing food, housing, health care, education and spiritual nourishment seems like the perfect mix for the use of our property in Sabaneta. We do not have enough funds to complete this project; the estimated cost of the unfurnised building is $12,000. Simply stated, we need your financial support to build this church. If you have followed our "journey into hope" in Sabaneta and believe in what we are doing there, please help us now to complete this building project. I believe with all my heart that the work we are doing in the Sabaneta community will endure and have a positive impact for generations to come. I invite you to join with us in accomplishing this phase of our efforts. The idea of building a house of prayer and praise and worship is very, very exciting to all of us in the Calle de Buen Pan neighborhood. I pray that you will want to be a part of this project.
In His Most Holy Name,
Richard
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Nov 15, 2010
Dear friends and family,
The Journey Into Hope Clinic ("Clinik Chemen Espwa" in Haitian creole) is alive and well, with Dr. Magarette Aubourg seeing patients and distributing meds from 9-12 a.m. and 2-4 p.m. Monday-Friday. Thanks to all of you for making this dream a reality! We had a beautiful and very touching prayer service and opening-day gathering on Monday Nov. 8. The great acapella ladies group from the Semillero Haitian church came and sang several songs, Dr. Magarette sang a song from her new cd, and the neighborhood kids sang a very rockin' (i.e. LOUD) version of "Todopoderoso." Nurse Gelene read from the Psalms, Alcides translated from Creole to Spanish, and Pastor Samuel closed with a beautiful prayer of dedication. This is a very appreciative group of folks to work with; I was so very blessed and deeply touched by their heart-felt prayers for the new clinic and our other efforts in the neighborhood. All in all, it was a most holy evening. May God bless each of you abundantly for the help and support you have offered to create the "Clinik Chemen Espwa."
In His Most Holy Name,
Richard
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Oct 20, 2010
Dear loved ones, friends, family, church families, and supporters of Journey Into Hope,
Thank you all so much for your love, your thoughts, your prayers and your constant faith in and support of our efforts in Sabaneta, Dominican Republic. The "back-to-school crunch" was a very intense time that really stretched our resources and opened up several new areas where we were able to get kids in school by providing the required uniforms. Thanks to my "Dominican daugher" and next-door neighbor Nena Altagracia Matias we have been able to begin providing uniforms for kids at the public school. Nena is a teacher there and she has totally taken charge of finding out who needs what and how to best make it happen. She negotiated a better deal on the blue shirts and kaki pants and skirts, and has been shopping with at least 15 kids who would otherwise not be in school. We now have a presence in 4 schools in the Sabaneta area and have been able to provide tuition fees, school supplies, and uniforms for kids at the Christian Colegio, the public school "Gregorio Luperon," the "CADIM" school in Islabon, and the Colegio Catolico Laura de Carmen Vicuna en el barrio de Buen Pan. Also importantly, as we've watched the Sabaneta kids grow up, we've been blessed to be able to help several of them pursue their college dreams; we're now providing 8 "tuition-and-book scholarships" for these exceptional and very deserving young adults, most of whom attend classes on Saturdays in Puerto Plata or Santiago.
On Aug. 25 we began construction of a small clinic to serve the residents of the Buen Pan barrio and the surrounding area. This is a very poor neighborhood in much need of the most basic health care. Dr. Magarette Aubourg continues to see patients at the soup kitchen pavilion from 9 a.m until noon Mon.-Fri. while the clinic facility nears completion. The doors and windows were installed last week and the electrician is there today. The establishment of the clinic represents an even deeper commitment to our work in Sabaneta. The search for high quality, wholesale medicines will be a constant companion in this endeavor. We are working closely with Dr.Olga Brito at the Rural Clinic of Sabaneta and sharing our resources with our friends there.
I will be returning to Sabanta on Oct. 25th to begin furnishing the clinic and help Dr. Magarette get moved in. This is a very exciting and demanding time for all of us! We did receive a tax exemption from the city council of Sabaneta as they expressed their appreciation of our efforts to serve the community.
As our presence in the Sabaneta area increases, we have been so deeply blessed by so many of you. We have been able to show God's love-in-action by providing food, medicine, clothes and education to our neighbors who struggle daily with hunger, malnutrition, sickness and illiteracy. It is a small area that we serve, but I believe with all my heart that we are making a positive difference in the lives of many.
Thank you all so much for making this possible.
In His Most Holy Name, Dios les bendiga,
Richard
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May 24, 2010
Dear family, church families, friends, and all who have prayed for and supported Journey Into Hope,
It’s with a sense of deep gratitude and appreciation that I write to you to thank you for your support of our efforts to better the lives of those less privileged than ourselves. Our work in Sabaneta, Dominican Republic continues this summer at an accelerated pace as we are preparing to create a week-long “Intensive English Language Academy” at a small school located just down the street from our soup kitchen. We have a group of 15 volunteers from churches in TN, IN, and MO who will be with us in Sabaneta from June 21-28. We also have planed a construction project to help rebuild a small house that has fallen over, and several “VBS type” activities to take place in the soup kitchen pavilion. Please keep this group in your prayers.
In August/September I’ll be returning to Sabaneta to help get kids back in school by providing school uniforms and scholarships. This is always an especially busy time as we provide essential uniforms and funds for so many kids who would otherwise not be able to attend school. We have been providing scholarship funds for tuition and books for 15 kids and university students; hopefully, we will be able to continue to provide this financial aid to these very exceptional and extremely needy students.
Our soup kitchen continues to function as the center of daily activities for many in the “Buen Pan” neighborhood. Lunch at noon is always a very exciting time. During the past year, all of the families living in the three houses we built have become Christian families and have begun a relationship with Our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ. We are now having church services for the neighborhood on Tuesday nights at the soup kitchen pavilion, with my Haitian friend Pastor Lucien Alcena leading the services.
All of these things are happening because all of you have prayed for and provided funds for them to happen. That’s why I’m sending this note of gratitude and thanks to you and why I want to encourage you to continue to support our efforts in Sabaneta.
Que Dios les bendiga grandemente. May God Bless each of you abundantly.
In His Most Holy Name,
Richard
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Feb 15, 2010
Dear Family, Church Families, Friends of Journey Into Hope,
I've just returned from Sabaneta where there are new arrivals to our soup kitchen nearly every day. Survivors of the earthquake are arriving to Sabaneta to take refuge with their families. As you can imagine, they arrive very hungry and very stressed; most have spent the past few weeks losing what few material possessions they may have had, grieving lost family members, living outside in parks or tents, and being detained at the Dominican border until arrangements could be made to go get them. Please keep these folks in your prayers.
In His Most Holy Name,
Richard
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Sep 28, 2009
For the past month, I’ve had lunch six days a week with 45 to 55 kids at the Journey Into Hope soup kitchen in Sabaneta, on the north coast of the Dominican Republic. We had beans and rice and chicken every day, with a side of spaghetti on Mondays and Thursdays. The food is excellent, prepared by some of the folks who live in the homes we have built over the past few years.
Every few days a kid I have not seen before will appear and quietly take a seat; and then I will be shocked at the depth and intensity of the hunger in these little bodies as they devour their plates of food quicker than I would have thought humanly possible. They don’t leave until the chicken bones have been sucked down to nothing. I am constantly reminded of how blessed we are to know nothing of this kind of hunger. The attached photos are of two of the most hungry kids I’ve ever had the privilege of sharing a meal with. It takes my breath away and breaks my heart to share the photos with you all. It makes me even more appreciative of the help and support and prayers you all have offered as we continue to serve Our Heavenly Father by feeding His children.
Dios les bendiga siempre. May God bless you always.
In His Most Holy Name,
Richard
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Aug 10, 2009
Journey Into Hope 501(c)(3) is now officially classified as a public charity under code section 170 (b) (1) (A) (vi). Our effective date of exemption is Nov. 24, 2008. Contributions to Journey Into Hope, Inc. are tax deductible under section 170 of the Internal Revenue Code; we are also qualified to receive tax deductible bequests, devises, transfers or gifts under section 2055, 2106 or 2522 of the Code. Thanks to all of you who have supported our efforts to improve the lives of those so much less fortunate than ourselves. May God bless each of you as we continue to serve Him.
In His Most Holy Name,
Richard
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May 13, 2009
“If you build it, they will come.” In Sabaneta, on the north coast of the Dominican Republic, “…if you build it and then cook in it, they will REALLY come.” Thanks to all of you, our soup kitchen is a very, very busy place. Kids begin showing up around 10 a.m. for a hot lunch of beans and rice that is served at noon. We’re serving lunch to between 35 and 40 kids 4 or 5 days a week. The soup kitchen is definitely a work-in-progress and a work-in-constant-motion; lunchtime moves quickly, and in about 40 minutes, 20 pounds of rice and beans have disappeared into the hungry mouths of the neighborhood kids. When we serve chicken with the beans and rice, the kids don’t leave until they’ve sucked all there is to be sucked out of the chicken bones.
In the afternoons, the soup kitchen pavilion is being used as a classroom for a remedial after school program, helping kids with their math and language skills. Hopefully, we will soon begin to use the facility to show public health films to the neighborhood residents.
Our shelter for the homeless continues to bless those in need. Many of you have asked about Crissman: she has returned to Haiti with her youngest child and is staying with her mom until she feels stronger; her other 4 kids remain in Sabaneta, staying with various relatives and friends. Currently in our home for the homeless is a family of 5: Mireya Mate and her 4 kids are deeply grateful to have a place to call home. The medical team came from PA for the week of April 18-25 and did a great job of seeing patients, distributing medicines, working at the Christian school, helping build new classrooms, and generally spreading good will and God’s love and grace wherever they went. They also left behind a much-needed supply of medicines for the local clinic. I went with Tina Nesbitt, the physical therapist, to get a new wheel chair for Jessica Thomas; Dr. Olga Brito, of the Rural Clinic of Sabaneta, also gave Jessica a toilet wheel chair that was much needed and put into immediate use by the Thomas family.
As always, we were able to purchase some school supplies and uniforms to get some kids back in school. We provided groceries for several families in need of food; and, we provided funds for medicines for several folks in health crises. The basic survival needs in the poorer parts of Sabaneta are huge, and food and medicine remain unaffordable luxuries to many.
Thanks to you all for your constant prayers, encouragement and support. I’ve posted recent photos of our efforts on my Facebook page.
Dios les bendiga siempre. May God bless you always.
In His Most Holy Name,
Richard
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February 16, 2009
Nearly always, the story of my time in Sabaneta is best told by telling the story of someone whose path has crossed with mine. As I was walking one afternoon the few blocks from my house to check on the construction of the soup kitchen, from out of a small alley appeared a very frail and sick-looking Haitian lady. She gently touched my arm and, in an almost inaudible voice, asked me if I had any medicine that would help her. That was my introduction to Crisman Pierre Louis. There was something very obviously wrong with Crisman; nearly all her hair had fallen out, her lips were hugely swollen sores, she had countless infected sores covering both her legs, and she had many fungus-looking black splotches all over her body. After talking with her for a while and recovering a bit from the shock of such an abrupt meeting with such a sick lady, I told her I would try to get some medical help for her. The next morning at church I asked my friend, nurse Sandy Davis, if she would go with me to meet and take a look at Crisman. After church, Sandy graciously walked with me and very compassionately gave Crisman an examination and encouraged me to get Crisman to Dr. Olga’s clinic as soon as possible. So, on Monday morning, Crisman and I went to meet Dr. Olga. Dr. Olga gave Crisman some anti-biotic creams for her lips and legs, and sent us over to Floripe’s medical lab for blood tests. I picked up the lab results the next morning and Floripe told me that Crisman had syphilis and the worst case of anemia she had ever seen. We returned to Dr. Olga the next day and Olga began a series of anti-biotic injections, which she says will heal Crisman’s illness.
In the meantime, Crisman’s landlord had evicted her. He had arrived early that morning and removed the door and window from her little shack, telling her that she and her 5 kids had to get out. He did not want such a sick lady living on his property. Fortunately, at the same time that her eviction was occurring, we were moving a family of 7 into one of our houses; so I knew that the place where they had been living was empty. I immediately rented their old place for $14.28 per month and told Crisman that she and her kids could move into it until we figured out a better option for them. There is some irony here: the newly rented property had once been a brothel, and it is really no more than a large shell divided into 10 small rooms. Within two hours of having rented the place, two more homeless families appeared and asked if they could stay there; so, since that seemed acceptable to everyone involved, before the sun went down that day there were 21 people in their new home. It’s a bit rough: the roof leaks and there’s no running water, but these ladies and their kids are very thankful and grateful to have a place to sleep. Renting the place seemed like a no-brainer…..there were sick, homeless people and there was an empty house…..what better use of $500 Dominican pesos (US$14.28)? I paid two months in advance.
May God bless you. Thanks for your many prayers and continued support of our efforts in the Sabaneta region of the Dominican Republic.
In His Most Holy Name,
Richard
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Sabaneta Prayer,
It seems like these days, for better or for worse, God gets the credit or the blame for so much of what goes on. How often do we hear, “God told me to do it,” or “God spoke to me and said for me to………..” From the most benevolent acts of kindness to the craziest of the crazy, God often gets the blame for some very bizarre stuff. I am really offended by much of this, and, hopefully, I will never do that. I live in a state of awe of the vastness and power of Our Heavenly Father; so much so that I can sometimes hardly even whisper His Holy Name without trembling.
So let me just tell you a simple story about my prayers for the past several months. Since April, I have prayed a lot about how best to continue our work with the poor in Sabaneta; and for months I’ve felt like my prayers weren’t reaching any higher than the ceiling of my house. On Aug. 24, the first Sunday I was back in Sabaneta, I went to a little Dominican church and sat on the back row. Attendance was way down that day and there were maybe 25 people up toward the front; so I just slipped into the back row of pews and knelt and prayed to Our Heavenly Father about how to best continue our work. Almost instantly, I began to have images of the many hungry kids in my Dominican/Haitian neighborhood flow through my mind. And then these words began to repeat themselves over and over: “These are my children and you will feed them.”
I was startled, and still am, by the clarity of these words. It was not, “You will feed them if you can find the money,” or “Would you please feed my children?” Nor was it a command, “You WILL feed my children.” It was just a simple statement, “You will feed my children.”
And that’s what I believe with all my heart we must do. These words now seemed carved into my heart: “These are my children and you will feed them.”
In His Most Holy Name, Amen
Richard
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September 26, 2008
Dear friends, family, church families, and friends of JourneyIntoHope,
The beginning of the school year in Sabaneta is a very busy time. This year I delivered scholarship funds for 10 kids and two teachers to launch the academic year. I was also the “delivery guy” for the scholarship funds from several Pennsylvania Presbyterian churches for 62 other kids. We partnered with the Ladies Social Action Group of the Iglesia Evangelica and purchased 200+ notebooks and distributed them to kids in the very poor Fambroyan barrio. Once again, we also purchased school uniforms for 20 kids in Sabaneta who were unable to begin classes until they had the required uniforms.
There are a lot of sick people in Sabaneta. I want to express my gratitude and thanks to Sandy Davis, a nurse from PA, who was spending a month in Sabaneta teaching English. She was always willing to make house calls, walk through the mud, and gently and compassionately check out some very sick people living in desperately poor situations. We were able to provide medical transport to hospitals, lab work, sonograms, tooth extractions, pre-natal care, food, powdered milk, and many medicines to a variety of needy people. Sandy and I worked with Jessica Thomas to introduce her to her new leg braces. When she stood up for the first time, I thought Our Heavenly Father surely must be smiling down on this dear family; they were all SO-O-O excited, happy, crying, and giving thanks to Him for this amazing gift. Thanks to so many of you who have had a part in providing Jessica with this opportunity.
`Jenny Vargas’ leg continues to improve. Much to my surprise and delight, she walked the three blocks from her house to mine several times with the help of only a cane. She is still going to therapy once a week, but has come such a long, long way in a year. Many in Sabaneta suffer from typhoid fever and we have provided much needed medicines for several who suffer from this. Dr. Olga Brito continues to care for the sick at the Rural Clinic of Sabaneta with a beautifully compassionate and tough love that constantly amazes me.
One morning there was an old gentleman sitting in the back of the clinic, gasping for breath, suffering from an asthma attack. I asked Olga what was up with him and she said they couldn’t give him a treatment because the electricity was off (which it is about half the time). Then she said the most obvious thing in the world: “What we really need is an energy converter.” (That’s a gadget that converts failed electrical power to a battery-powered back up system.) So we talked and then I went and talked to Pastor Cancu; we negotiated a bit and he and I quickly became investment partners in the clinic’s new energy converter. Cancu made a phone call and it was installed by the end of the day. That simple event will make a big difference in the level of medical care the clinic can offer. Dr. Olga was extremely happy and deeply grateful.
Last month, Tommy Graham linked me up with the Esperanza group (www.esperanza.org); they are a Christ-based, micro-lending foundation working with the poor in the Dominican Republic. With the help of Patricia Hergott in Cabarete we were able to meet Norberto Eusebio, the Puerto Plata manager of Esperanza; I invited him to come to Sabaneta and introduce himself and Esperanza’s vision to my Haitian friends. On Monday Sept. 8, we had a meeting of 50+, mostly women, at the Haitian church in Semllero. There is a lot of interest in this program among these ladies, and I pray that this is just the beginning of a long and beneficial relationship between the Sabaneta community and the Esperanza organization. The first fifteen ladies are scheduled to receive their first loans on Sept. 30.
For the past several months I have been praying about how best to continue our work in Sabaneta and the Dominican Republic. On Aug. 30, I purchased another piece of property that joins our present property. The new lot is 650 sq. meters, large enough for three or four houses. I would love to build a few more houses and a pavilion to use as a soup kitchen to provide one meal a day for some of the many hungry kids in the neighborhood. Odette Thomas, a retired Dominican teacher and a driving force in the Ladies Social Action Group, is ready to use this proposed facility as the location of a planned Bible School for the kids in the area.
I’m looking for funds to accomplish all of this, and any help would be greatly appreciated. The soup kitchen would cost $9000 to build and will require a constant cash flow of about $600 per month to provide lunch for 30 kids, five days a week, which comes to about a dollar per meal…nothing fancy…rice and beans and a little chicken (and avocados when they are in season). At the moment, I have no idea where these funds will come from; but I do know that these are God’s children and that we must do everything we can to feed them. The houses can still be built for $15,000 each; it seems somehow easier for people to give for the construction of a house (a one-time gift) than for a soup kitchen, which is a constant effort and commitment; but the presence of so many hungry kids will not let me forget the urgent need to feed these children.
So I pray daily for the wisdom, the grace, the patience and the mercy to be able to help these folks out in the way Our Heavenly Father would have us to help them; and to use His funds to humbly do His will in the most effective way possible.
In His Most Holy Name,
Dios les bendiga siempre,
Richard Taylor
To one and all dear friends,
Due to the encouragement of several friends of our efforts in Sabaneta, I have had several conversations with Raul Ruiz Garcia, the owner of a property that joins our current lots. Several of you have suggested new projects, which include chicken coops, a bakery, small apartments, and/or a pre-school, to be added to our present work. In order to do anything, obviously we have to have a place to do it. The property that adjoins our present lots is 1020 sq. meters, faces an excellent street on the side opposite our property, and can be bought for the “asking price” of $20 per sq. meter = $20,000. Of course, I told Raul that the price was much more than I had anticipated, and he said we could “negotiate” when I get there. The property we purchased in 2007 cost $14.30 per meter, which all my Dominican advisors said was a very good deal; so, I’m thinking, perhaps optimistically, that we could purchase this property for around $17,000. If we are going to move forward and develop anything new, we will need to pursue this or another tract somewhere else; due to its size and location, this would be the perfect site. Please let me know if you are interested in pursuing this. I believe it would a great addition to our work in Sabaneta; and it would provide us a large enough space to do many, many great and important things for many years to come.
Prayerfully and gratefully yours, In His Most Holy Name,
Richard Taylor
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January 4, 2012
Dear family and friends,
Here’s our baby Jessica whose mom passed away last week. She is SOOOO beautiful! Since her mom had AIDS, she was born by cesarean to lessen the chances of her being born w/ AIDS; and she was not... and she seems to be very healthy so far. I do plan on having her tested again as soon as I get to Sabaneta.
Love to you all,
Richard
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November 01, 2011
Dear family and friends,
Hola a everyone, My dear friend, Odette Thomas of Sabaneta, passed away this evening about 7 p.m. from complications with her dialysis. PLEASE keep her family and friends in your prayers.
May God bless each of you.
In His Most Holy Name,
Richard Taylor
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June 06, 2011
Dear family and friends,
Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we travel to Sabaneta for the second half of June. A team from the First Christian Church of Dyer, IN will be in Sabaneta building, teaching, preaching and sharing their lives with our Haitian/Dominican brothers and sisters. Please keep my friend Odette Thomas in your prayers as she goes through the difficult time of dialysis. Thanks to all of you who have blessed us in so very many ways.
Dios les bendiga. In His Most Holy Name,
Richard
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May 28, 2011
Dear friends and family,
Please pray for our Dominican friend Odette Thomas. She has begun twice-weekly dialysis and is in need of a kidney transplant as soon as possible; her blood type is A positive.
In His Most Holy Name,
Richard
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May 7, 2011
Dear friends,
I'm writing to share with you the news of our dear friend Odette Thomas, the heart and soul of the Sabaneta Christmas parties in the Fambroyan barrio and my long-time advisor and counselor from the Ladies Social Action Group of the Sabaneta Evangelical church. Odette has been told that she needs to begin dialysis within the next two weeks; she has had hepatitis C and several other medical problems for the past few years. Obviously, she is very upset over this turn of events and my heart is broken with hers. There are many costs involved with this treatment and I would like to begin some sort of fund to channel some financial aid to her. Would/could you and your church be able to help Odette with this? PLEASE share this with your friends and church families and let me know if you can think of any way to help Odette as she goes through this very difficult time. May God bless you always.
In His Most Holy Name,
Richard
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May 4, 2011
Hola,
Just a brief note of thanks for your prayers and offerings for my friend Diana Delsol of the Fambroyan barrio in Sabaneta, who yesterday had her healthy baby boy (delivered in the car near Sosua as she was heading for the Puerto Plata hospital). Many of you will remember her as the lady we thought was going to have an emergency cesarean in March; we took up an offering for her one day at lunch and sent her on to the hospital in Santiago, where she stayed 5 days and got her blood sugar/diabetes somewhat under control and returned home. What a blessing that she was able to carry her baby to full term and have a quick, uncomplicated delivery on her way to the hospital! Thank you all so very much for your caring hearts and generous help for this young lady.
Dios les bendiga siempre, In His Most Holy Name, Love,
Richard
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April 20, 2011
Calle de Guen Pan
Sabaneta, Dominican Republic,
Thanks so much for your many thoughts and prayers during the past few months as we have built a new sanctuary in the Guen Pan barrio of Sabaneta. The church dedication on March 27 was an absolutely wonderful event. Pastor Sammuel Exanor organized the service with great music and an excellent sermon by Rev. David Shaller. Thanks to Philiene Kercivil and her crew from the soup kitchen and to the mission team from Faith Presbyterian Church of Horseshoe Bend, AR, lunch was served to more than 260 hungry folks. It was a heavenly day as the Iglesia Cristiana Nueva Vida (Legliz Kreten Lavi Nef/New Life Christian Church) was dedicated to the service of Our Heavenly Father.
Over the past several years we have been incredibly, amazingly blessed with sufficient resources to build our soup kitchen, our clinic, our church and our houses. Our challenge now is to sustain the very solid infrastructure we have created by providing the essentials, most basically rice and beans, medicines, and scholarships. In a way, building the infrastructure for the continuing daily work of Journey Into Hope has been the easy part; the Third World is scattered with abandoned buildings, many of them very beautiful and expensive, built by well-meaning individuals, churches, non-profits, or civic-minded clubs and organizations. But once the initial excitement of the building process has come and gone, the real work of sustaining the vision begins. A clinic without medicine and electricity changes quickly from a dream to a nightmare full of sickness and suffering. A soup kitchen without rice and beans and cooking gas is just another building surrounded by hungry kids looking for something to eat and finding nothing; hunger comes around about every six hours whether we cook or not. Babies will be born to hungry and sick mothers whether we can help provide groceries and milk for them or not.
In this neighborhood there is a very, very fragile line between survival and death. My Haitian friends often tell me, “Life for us is cheap,” which is a simple, real-life translation of the fact that the average life span for Haitians is 54 years, the lowest in the Western Hemisphere. Lack of proper nutrition and lack of decent healthcare and medicines are two of the most blatant causes for this unusually brief lifespan. I believe it is our responsibility as human beings to do all we can to help our brothers and sisters increase the value of their lives; indeed, for those of us who dare to call ourselves Christians, we are commanded to do just that.
Sustaining the work of Journey Into Hope is a huge undertaking; it’s a community effort of many caring hearts and many caring churches. I ask each of you to pray for our work in Sabaneta and to help us help those whose “lives are cheap.”
In His Most Holy Name,
Richard
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April 8, 2011
Pastor Sammuel singing from the Bible before the three baptisms in the Sabaneta River; a very HOLY MOMENT....
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April 7, 2011
Pastor Samuel Exanor preparing Communion at the NLCC Sabaneta on Sunday morning March 27, 2011.
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April 2, 2011
My pal Naroli Sanchez getting fitted into her new custom-made wheelchair. This effort by several members of the PA Presbyterian mission team is a most beautiful example of what can be accomplished when people decide to work together. Thanks to everyone who had a part in this excellent act of grace and kindness.
Dios les bendiga.
Richard
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April 1, 2011
Thanks to the team from Faith Presbyterian Church, Horseshoe Bend, AR for providing the groceries to cook for the 260+ who attended the dedication of the New Life Christian Church in Sabaneta, Dominican Republic.
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January 10, 2011
Dear friends and family,
I hope my thoughts find you well, surviving the winter snows. I want to thank you all for your generous support of our efforts in Sabaneta during 2010. The construction and establishment of the "clinik chemen espwa" (Journey Into Hope Clinic) in the fall of 2010 is a work that is already blessing hundreds of people in the Sabaneta area. The efforts of the mission teams from AR, TN, IN, OH and PA in the spring of 2010 made a huge and unforgettable impression on the lives of our Sabaneta brothers and sisters. Thanks to all of you who participated by going, by giving, by praying. I will be traveling Jan. 24 to Sabaneta to begin construction of the Iglesia Nueva Vida (New Life Christian Church); hopefully we can complete the building by the end of March. Several of you have expressed an interest in helping our financially with the construction costs of the church building; please let me encourage you do that asap so we can have the necessary funds on hand as we begin this project. As many of you know, the "church body" has been meeting twice a week at the soup kitchen; they had a revival there the week before Christmas and our first wedding was held there the week after Christmas. Please keep us all in your prayers as we begin this project.
In His Most Holy Name,
Richard
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December 20, 2010
News from Around the Journey Into Hope Clinic by Dr. Magarette Aubourg
In the name of the Haitian people in Sabaneta de Yasica, Dominican Republic, I thank first Jesus because He is the author of all good deeds, Richard Taylor, nurse Patricia Gill and her church, everyone who helped in the construction of the Journey Into Hope Clinic (“clinik chemen espwa”) in this country. At the Journey Into Hope Clinic we give medical consultations and distribute medicines free of charge when we have them. Our work here is very important for three reasons: (1) there are very few jobs for Haitian people in Sabaneta de Yasica, they cannot buy their medicines when they are sick; (2) The Dominican government cannot satisfy the Dominicans’ and the Haitians’ needs; (3) Many Haitian people don’t speak Spanish, so they cannot explain their symptoms to the Dominican doctors. I see approximately 350 patients monthly, of whom 80 are Dominicans and 270 are Haitians. This project is possible because we purchase medicines cheaply at the pharmacy of the Dominican government, called “the peoples pharmacy” (farmacia del pueblo) located at the Puerto Plata Hospital. However, at this pharmacy there are few medicines available for children under one year old; so we have to buy these locally and they are very expensive. From my experience working in this area, I estimate that we need around $2,750. monthly to most effectively make our clinic be all that it can be.
I hope that this project can be in other places in the Dominican Republic where there are many Haitian people and few jobs for them. May God bless everyone who will help us.
Sincerely,
Dr. Magarette Aubourg, M.D.
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Nov 16, 2010
Dear family and friends,
For several years many of us at New Life Christian Church in Linden, TN, have talked about the idea of building a church in the Dominican Republic. In the meantime, we have built houses, a soup kitchen pavilion, and most recently, a clinic; but the necessary groundwork of creating a church body with a strong leadership has been illusive, until now. Presently, there is a group of about 30 Christian believers meeting on Tuesday and Friday evenings at the soup kitchen; among this group, we have had many long discussions about the possibility and the benefits of building a church on the Journey Into Hope property. There is just enough space left on our property to build a church between the soup kitchen and the clinic. Hopefully, the church building could also become the home of a pre-school program for the neighborhood kids.
Providing food, housing, health care, education and spiritual nourishment seems like the perfect mix for the use of our property in Sabaneta. We do not have enough funds to complete this project; the estimated cost of the unfurnised building is $12,000. Simply stated, we need your financial support to build this church. If you have followed our "journey into hope" in Sabaneta and believe in what we are doing there, please help us now to complete this building project. I believe with all my heart that the work we are doing in the Sabaneta community will endure and have a positive impact for generations to come. I invite you to join with us in accomplishing this phase of our efforts. The idea of building a house of prayer and praise and worship is very, very exciting to all of us in the Calle de Buen Pan neighborhood. I pray that you will want to be a part of this project.
In His Most Holy Name,
Richard
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Nov 15, 2010
Dear friends and family,
The Journey Into Hope Clinic ("Clinik Chemen Espwa" in Haitian creole) is alive and well, with Dr. Magarette Aubourg seeing patients and distributing meds from 9-12 a.m. and 2-4 p.m. Monday-Friday. Thanks to all of you for making this dream a reality! We had a beautiful and very touching prayer service and opening-day gathering on Monday Nov. 8. The great acapella ladies group from the Semillero Haitian church came and sang several songs, Dr. Magarette sang a song from her new cd, and the neighborhood kids sang a very rockin' (i.e. LOUD) version of "Todopoderoso." Nurse Gelene read from the Psalms, Alcides translated from Creole to Spanish, and Pastor Samuel closed with a beautiful prayer of dedication. This is a very appreciative group of folks to work with; I was so very blessed and deeply touched by their heart-felt prayers for the new clinic and our other efforts in the neighborhood. All in all, it was a most holy evening. May God bless each of you abundantly for the help and support you have offered to create the "Clinik Chemen Espwa."
In His Most Holy Name,
Richard
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Oct 20, 2010
Dear loved ones, friends, family, church families, and supporters of Journey Into Hope,
Thank you all so much for your love, your thoughts, your prayers and your constant faith in and support of our efforts in Sabaneta, Dominican Republic. The "back-to-school crunch" was a very intense time that really stretched our resources and opened up several new areas where we were able to get kids in school by providing the required uniforms. Thanks to my "Dominican daugher" and next-door neighbor Nena Altagracia Matias we have been able to begin providing uniforms for kids at the public school. Nena is a teacher there and she has totally taken charge of finding out who needs what and how to best make it happen. She negotiated a better deal on the blue shirts and kaki pants and skirts, and has been shopping with at least 15 kids who would otherwise not be in school. We now have a presence in 4 schools in the Sabaneta area and have been able to provide tuition fees, school supplies, and uniforms for kids at the Christian Colegio, the public school "Gregorio Luperon," the "CADIM" school in Islabon, and the Colegio Catolico Laura de Carmen Vicuna en el barrio de Buen Pan. Also importantly, as we've watched the Sabaneta kids grow up, we've been blessed to be able to help several of them pursue their college dreams; we're now providing 8 "tuition-and-book scholarships" for these exceptional and very deserving young adults, most of whom attend classes on Saturdays in Puerto Plata or Santiago.
On Aug. 25 we began construction of a small clinic to serve the residents of the Buen Pan barrio and the surrounding area. This is a very poor neighborhood in much need of the most basic health care. Dr. Magarette Aubourg continues to see patients at the soup kitchen pavilion from 9 a.m until noon Mon.-Fri. while the clinic facility nears completion. The doors and windows were installed last week and the electrician is there today. The establishment of the clinic represents an even deeper commitment to our work in Sabaneta. The search for high quality, wholesale medicines will be a constant companion in this endeavor. We are working closely with Dr.Olga Brito at the Rural Clinic of Sabaneta and sharing our resources with our friends there.
I will be returning to Sabanta on Oct. 25th to begin furnishing the clinic and help Dr. Magarette get moved in. This is a very exciting and demanding time for all of us! We did receive a tax exemption from the city council of Sabaneta as they expressed their appreciation of our efforts to serve the community.
As our presence in the Sabaneta area increases, we have been so deeply blessed by so many of you. We have been able to show God's love-in-action by providing food, medicine, clothes and education to our neighbors who struggle daily with hunger, malnutrition, sickness and illiteracy. It is a small area that we serve, but I believe with all my heart that we are making a positive difference in the lives of many.
Thank you all so much for making this possible.
In His Most Holy Name, Dios les bendiga,
Richard
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May 24, 2010
Dear family, church families, friends, and all who have prayed for and supported Journey Into Hope,
It’s with a sense of deep gratitude and appreciation that I write to you to thank you for your support of our efforts to better the lives of those less privileged than ourselves. Our work in Sabaneta, Dominican Republic continues this summer at an accelerated pace as we are preparing to create a week-long “Intensive English Language Academy” at a small school located just down the street from our soup kitchen. We have a group of 15 volunteers from churches in TN, IN, and MO who will be with us in Sabaneta from June 21-28. We also have planed a construction project to help rebuild a small house that has fallen over, and several “VBS type” activities to take place in the soup kitchen pavilion. Please keep this group in your prayers.
In August/September I’ll be returning to Sabaneta to help get kids back in school by providing school uniforms and scholarships. This is always an especially busy time as we provide essential uniforms and funds for so many kids who would otherwise not be able to attend school. We have been providing scholarship funds for tuition and books for 15 kids and university students; hopefully, we will be able to continue to provide this financial aid to these very exceptional and extremely needy students.
Our soup kitchen continues to function as the center of daily activities for many in the “Buen Pan” neighborhood. Lunch at noon is always a very exciting time. During the past year, all of the families living in the three houses we built have become Christian families and have begun a relationship with Our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ. We are now having church services for the neighborhood on Tuesday nights at the soup kitchen pavilion, with my Haitian friend Pastor Lucien Alcena leading the services.
All of these things are happening because all of you have prayed for and provided funds for them to happen. That’s why I’m sending this note of gratitude and thanks to you and why I want to encourage you to continue to support our efforts in Sabaneta.
Que Dios les bendiga grandemente. May God Bless each of you abundantly.
In His Most Holy Name,
Richard
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Feb 15, 2010
Dear Family, Church Families, Friends of Journey Into Hope,
I've just returned from Sabaneta where there are new arrivals to our soup kitchen nearly every day. Survivors of the earthquake are arriving to Sabaneta to take refuge with their families. As you can imagine, they arrive very hungry and very stressed; most have spent the past few weeks losing what few material possessions they may have had, grieving lost family members, living outside in parks or tents, and being detained at the Dominican border until arrangements could be made to go get them. Please keep these folks in your prayers.
In His Most Holy Name,
Richard
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Sep 28, 2009
For the past month, I’ve had lunch six days a week with 45 to 55 kids at the Journey Into Hope soup kitchen in Sabaneta, on the north coast of the Dominican Republic. We had beans and rice and chicken every day, with a side of spaghetti on Mondays and Thursdays. The food is excellent, prepared by some of the folks who live in the homes we have built over the past few years.
Every few days a kid I have not seen before will appear and quietly take a seat; and then I will be shocked at the depth and intensity of the hunger in these little bodies as they devour their plates of food quicker than I would have thought humanly possible. They don’t leave until the chicken bones have been sucked down to nothing. I am constantly reminded of how blessed we are to know nothing of this kind of hunger. The attached photos are of two of the most hungry kids I’ve ever had the privilege of sharing a meal with. It takes my breath away and breaks my heart to share the photos with you all. It makes me even more appreciative of the help and support and prayers you all have offered as we continue to serve Our Heavenly Father by feeding His children.
Dios les bendiga siempre. May God bless you always.
In His Most Holy Name,
Richard
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Aug 10, 2009
Journey Into Hope 501(c)(3) is now officially classified as a public charity under code section 170 (b) (1) (A) (vi). Our effective date of exemption is Nov. 24, 2008. Contributions to Journey Into Hope, Inc. are tax deductible under section 170 of the Internal Revenue Code; we are also qualified to receive tax deductible bequests, devises, transfers or gifts under section 2055, 2106 or 2522 of the Code. Thanks to all of you who have supported our efforts to improve the lives of those so much less fortunate than ourselves. May God bless each of you as we continue to serve Him.
In His Most Holy Name,
Richard
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May 13, 2009
“If you build it, they will come.” In Sabaneta, on the north coast of the Dominican Republic, “…if you build it and then cook in it, they will REALLY come.” Thanks to all of you, our soup kitchen is a very, very busy place. Kids begin showing up around 10 a.m. for a hot lunch of beans and rice that is served at noon. We’re serving lunch to between 35 and 40 kids 4 or 5 days a week. The soup kitchen is definitely a work-in-progress and a work-in-constant-motion; lunchtime moves quickly, and in about 40 minutes, 20 pounds of rice and beans have disappeared into the hungry mouths of the neighborhood kids. When we serve chicken with the beans and rice, the kids don’t leave until they’ve sucked all there is to be sucked out of the chicken bones.
In the afternoons, the soup kitchen pavilion is being used as a classroom for a remedial after school program, helping kids with their math and language skills. Hopefully, we will soon begin to use the facility to show public health films to the neighborhood residents.
Our shelter for the homeless continues to bless those in need. Many of you have asked about Crissman: she has returned to Haiti with her youngest child and is staying with her mom until she feels stronger; her other 4 kids remain in Sabaneta, staying with various relatives and friends. Currently in our home for the homeless is a family of 5: Mireya Mate and her 4 kids are deeply grateful to have a place to call home. The medical team came from PA for the week of April 18-25 and did a great job of seeing patients, distributing medicines, working at the Christian school, helping build new classrooms, and generally spreading good will and God’s love and grace wherever they went. They also left behind a much-needed supply of medicines for the local clinic. I went with Tina Nesbitt, the physical therapist, to get a new wheel chair for Jessica Thomas; Dr. Olga Brito, of the Rural Clinic of Sabaneta, also gave Jessica a toilet wheel chair that was much needed and put into immediate use by the Thomas family.
As always, we were able to purchase some school supplies and uniforms to get some kids back in school. We provided groceries for several families in need of food; and, we provided funds for medicines for several folks in health crises. The basic survival needs in the poorer parts of Sabaneta are huge, and food and medicine remain unaffordable luxuries to many.
Thanks to you all for your constant prayers, encouragement and support. I’ve posted recent photos of our efforts on my Facebook page.
Dios les bendiga siempre. May God bless you always.
In His Most Holy Name,
Richard
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February 16, 2009
Nearly always, the story of my time in Sabaneta is best told by telling the story of someone whose path has crossed with mine. As I was walking one afternoon the few blocks from my house to check on the construction of the soup kitchen, from out of a small alley appeared a very frail and sick-looking Haitian lady. She gently touched my arm and, in an almost inaudible voice, asked me if I had any medicine that would help her. That was my introduction to Crisman Pierre Louis. There was something very obviously wrong with Crisman; nearly all her hair had fallen out, her lips were hugely swollen sores, she had countless infected sores covering both her legs, and she had many fungus-looking black splotches all over her body. After talking with her for a while and recovering a bit from the shock of such an abrupt meeting with such a sick lady, I told her I would try to get some medical help for her. The next morning at church I asked my friend, nurse Sandy Davis, if she would go with me to meet and take a look at Crisman. After church, Sandy graciously walked with me and very compassionately gave Crisman an examination and encouraged me to get Crisman to Dr. Olga’s clinic as soon as possible. So, on Monday morning, Crisman and I went to meet Dr. Olga. Dr. Olga gave Crisman some anti-biotic creams for her lips and legs, and sent us over to Floripe’s medical lab for blood tests. I picked up the lab results the next morning and Floripe told me that Crisman had syphilis and the worst case of anemia she had ever seen. We returned to Dr. Olga the next day and Olga began a series of anti-biotic injections, which she says will heal Crisman’s illness.
In the meantime, Crisman’s landlord had evicted her. He had arrived early that morning and removed the door and window from her little shack, telling her that she and her 5 kids had to get out. He did not want such a sick lady living on his property. Fortunately, at the same time that her eviction was occurring, we were moving a family of 7 into one of our houses; so I knew that the place where they had been living was empty. I immediately rented their old place for $14.28 per month and told Crisman that she and her kids could move into it until we figured out a better option for them. There is some irony here: the newly rented property had once been a brothel, and it is really no more than a large shell divided into 10 small rooms. Within two hours of having rented the place, two more homeless families appeared and asked if they could stay there; so, since that seemed acceptable to everyone involved, before the sun went down that day there were 21 people in their new home. It’s a bit rough: the roof leaks and there’s no running water, but these ladies and their kids are very thankful and grateful to have a place to sleep. Renting the place seemed like a no-brainer…..there were sick, homeless people and there was an empty house…..what better use of $500 Dominican pesos (US$14.28)? I paid two months in advance.
May God bless you. Thanks for your many prayers and continued support of our efforts in the Sabaneta region of the Dominican Republic.
In His Most Holy Name,
Richard
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Sabaneta Prayer,
It seems like these days, for better or for worse, God gets the credit or the blame for so much of what goes on. How often do we hear, “God told me to do it,” or “God spoke to me and said for me to………..” From the most benevolent acts of kindness to the craziest of the crazy, God often gets the blame for some very bizarre stuff. I am really offended by much of this, and, hopefully, I will never do that. I live in a state of awe of the vastness and power of Our Heavenly Father; so much so that I can sometimes hardly even whisper His Holy Name without trembling.
So let me just tell you a simple story about my prayers for the past several months. Since April, I have prayed a lot about how best to continue our work with the poor in Sabaneta; and for months I’ve felt like my prayers weren’t reaching any higher than the ceiling of my house. On Aug. 24, the first Sunday I was back in Sabaneta, I went to a little Dominican church and sat on the back row. Attendance was way down that day and there were maybe 25 people up toward the front; so I just slipped into the back row of pews and knelt and prayed to Our Heavenly Father about how to best continue our work. Almost instantly, I began to have images of the many hungry kids in my Dominican/Haitian neighborhood flow through my mind. And then these words began to repeat themselves over and over: “These are my children and you will feed them.”
I was startled, and still am, by the clarity of these words. It was not, “You will feed them if you can find the money,” or “Would you please feed my children?” Nor was it a command, “You WILL feed my children.” It was just a simple statement, “You will feed my children.”
And that’s what I believe with all my heart we must do. These words now seemed carved into my heart: “These are my children and you will feed them.”
In His Most Holy Name, Amen
Richard
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September 26, 2008
Dear friends, family, church families, and friends of JourneyIntoHope,
The beginning of the school year in Sabaneta is a very busy time. This year I delivered scholarship funds for 10 kids and two teachers to launch the academic year. I was also the “delivery guy” for the scholarship funds from several Pennsylvania Presbyterian churches for 62 other kids. We partnered with the Ladies Social Action Group of the Iglesia Evangelica and purchased 200+ notebooks and distributed them to kids in the very poor Fambroyan barrio. Once again, we also purchased school uniforms for 20 kids in Sabaneta who were unable to begin classes until they had the required uniforms.
There are a lot of sick people in Sabaneta. I want to express my gratitude and thanks to Sandy Davis, a nurse from PA, who was spending a month in Sabaneta teaching English. She was always willing to make house calls, walk through the mud, and gently and compassionately check out some very sick people living in desperately poor situations. We were able to provide medical transport to hospitals, lab work, sonograms, tooth extractions, pre-natal care, food, powdered milk, and many medicines to a variety of needy people. Sandy and I worked with Jessica Thomas to introduce her to her new leg braces. When she stood up for the first time, I thought Our Heavenly Father surely must be smiling down on this dear family; they were all SO-O-O excited, happy, crying, and giving thanks to Him for this amazing gift. Thanks to so many of you who have had a part in providing Jessica with this opportunity.
`Jenny Vargas’ leg continues to improve. Much to my surprise and delight, she walked the three blocks from her house to mine several times with the help of only a cane. She is still going to therapy once a week, but has come such a long, long way in a year. Many in Sabaneta suffer from typhoid fever and we have provided much needed medicines for several who suffer from this. Dr. Olga Brito continues to care for the sick at the Rural Clinic of Sabaneta with a beautifully compassionate and tough love that constantly amazes me.
One morning there was an old gentleman sitting in the back of the clinic, gasping for breath, suffering from an asthma attack. I asked Olga what was up with him and she said they couldn’t give him a treatment because the electricity was off (which it is about half the time). Then she said the most obvious thing in the world: “What we really need is an energy converter.” (That’s a gadget that converts failed electrical power to a battery-powered back up system.) So we talked and then I went and talked to Pastor Cancu; we negotiated a bit and he and I quickly became investment partners in the clinic’s new energy converter. Cancu made a phone call and it was installed by the end of the day. That simple event will make a big difference in the level of medical care the clinic can offer. Dr. Olga was extremely happy and deeply grateful.
Last month, Tommy Graham linked me up with the Esperanza group (www.esperanza.org); they are a Christ-based, micro-lending foundation working with the poor in the Dominican Republic. With the help of Patricia Hergott in Cabarete we were able to meet Norberto Eusebio, the Puerto Plata manager of Esperanza; I invited him to come to Sabaneta and introduce himself and Esperanza’s vision to my Haitian friends. On Monday Sept. 8, we had a meeting of 50+, mostly women, at the Haitian church in Semllero. There is a lot of interest in this program among these ladies, and I pray that this is just the beginning of a long and beneficial relationship between the Sabaneta community and the Esperanza organization. The first fifteen ladies are scheduled to receive their first loans on Sept. 30.
For the past several months I have been praying about how best to continue our work in Sabaneta and the Dominican Republic. On Aug. 30, I purchased another piece of property that joins our present property. The new lot is 650 sq. meters, large enough for three or four houses. I would love to build a few more houses and a pavilion to use as a soup kitchen to provide one meal a day for some of the many hungry kids in the neighborhood. Odette Thomas, a retired Dominican teacher and a driving force in the Ladies Social Action Group, is ready to use this proposed facility as the location of a planned Bible School for the kids in the area.
I’m looking for funds to accomplish all of this, and any help would be greatly appreciated. The soup kitchen would cost $9000 to build and will require a constant cash flow of about $600 per month to provide lunch for 30 kids, five days a week, which comes to about a dollar per meal…nothing fancy…rice and beans and a little chicken (and avocados when they are in season). At the moment, I have no idea where these funds will come from; but I do know that these are God’s children and that we must do everything we can to feed them. The houses can still be built for $15,000 each; it seems somehow easier for people to give for the construction of a house (a one-time gift) than for a soup kitchen, which is a constant effort and commitment; but the presence of so many hungry kids will not let me forget the urgent need to feed these children.
So I pray daily for the wisdom, the grace, the patience and the mercy to be able to help these folks out in the way Our Heavenly Father would have us to help them; and to use His funds to humbly do His will in the most effective way possible.
In His Most Holy Name,
Dios les bendiga siempre,
Richard Taylor