Dominican Republic Complex Honors Maranatha’s “Constructor in Chief”

“It’s OK, but we can do it better.”

“This is the phrase that Darrell Hardy would certainly say,” construction supervisor Caleb de la Cruz shared, “had he been able to sign off the finishing touches to the Ciudad del Cielo Complex in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.”

“He would love this campus,” De la Cruz added, “but would surely find minor details here and there to make it better.”

De la Cruz and others worked for three years to make the Ciudad del Cielo—City of Heaven—project move from a dream to reality. The complex now includes a church with seating for 400, and a school with a separate kindergarten facility. During the three years of efforts, workers strove to follow in the footsteps of their boss and mentor, who died suddenly in November 2022. “We tried to imagine and ask ourselves, ‘What would Darrell have done in this or that situation?’ ” one of the workers commented. “And then we just did it!”

A Place to Remember Him

Hardy served for decades supporting the mission of Maranatha Volunteers International, a donor-based supporting ministry of the Seventh-day Adventist Church that helps build churches and schools and drill water wells around the world. In that capacity, Hardy, who eventually became Maranatha’s vice president of construction, led and directed building initiatives, many of them in the Inter-American Division. One of his last projects involved the Ciudad del Cielo campus in the northern area of Santo Domingo.

“When Darrell died, we thought that the best way to honor his memory was to build a complex as beautifully as possible, a place that serves as a testament of his service and commitment,” Don Noble, Maranatha’s president, explained on the sidelines of the official campus inauguration on July 26. “And the results show that this is a campus worthy of Darrell.”

Gabriela Hardy, who was married to Darrell for 35 years, agrees. “I know Darrell would be very proud if he could see this campus today,” she shared. “And it’s not only about the buildings. It’s about the fact that he left a team in place that can go on by applying what they learned working under his leadership.”

In His Footsteps

When Hardy died unexpectedly, Maranatha found it hard to find people to do the job he had been doing for so many years. “Even though he didn’t come from a construction background, he acquired so much expertise that he was the to-go person when working on a major project,” Maranatha leaders explained. Losing his abilities was a huge blow for the ministry, leaders acknowledged.

Little by little, however, Maranatha took steps to keep serving others to the best of the ministry’s abilities. Kyle Fiess, Maranatha’s vice president of projects, stepped up. Board members with backgrounds in architecture and structural engineering became regular consultants as well. The work didn’t stop, Maranatha leaders emphasized. “In fact, we began to think how to better honor Darrell’s memory and decided that a campus like Ciudad del Cielo would do him justice,” they explained.

A Plaque to Highlight His Example

On July 26, between the inauguration of the new church building and the Adventist school on the same property, regional church leaders, Maranatha staff, volunteers, donors, and the Hardy family attended a brief ceremony during which they unveiled a special plaque in honor of Darrell Hardy. The plaque shares how for Hardy a short stint as a Maranatha volunteer was the starting point of a long career as “a servant leader.”

The text celebrates the fact that God used Hardy to be a blessing to other people. “It is impossible to count the people who were blessed by his caring, Christ-centered purpose during 35 years of ministry with Maranatha,” it reads. “Ciudad del Cielo, the last school campus planned with Darrell’s guidance, stands as a living testimony to God’s faithfulness. May this campus serve as inspiration to answer the call of Jesus with the same courage, joy, and commitment.”

Gabriela Hardy agreed. “Darrell is resting now, waiting for Jesus to wake him up from his sleep,” she said. “But as the Bible says, even though he may be resting from his labors, his works follow him. And Ciudad del Cielo is a living proof of that.”

Maranatha Volunteers International is a supporting ministry not affiliated with the corporate Seventh-day Adventist Church.