Over the Christmas 2022 holiday, 36 people volunteered in the Dominican Republic on one of Maranatha Volunteers International’s annual Family Projects. These were the first volunteers to serve in the country in Maranatha’s most recent effort there. 

Families of all kinds met near the capital city of Santo Domingo to experience a different type of Christmas than they might normally have at home. The group’s main goal was to build the walls of the Caleta 5 Seventh-day Adventist Church, where volunteers of all ages helped, including children. The kids also participated in a special day camp to experience local culture.

Besides construction, volunteers also conducted outreach in the community, including children’s programs. Between 60 and 110 kids attended each day, and at the end of the week, they participated in a graduation ceremony with a cake and snacks. Volunteers also raised money to purchase gift baskets for neighbors around the church, delivering 60 baskets to surrounding homes.

At the conclusion of the project, volunteers worshiped with the local congregation in their new building. 

“We are very joyful because today we are celebrating our first [volunteer-constructed] church here in the Dominican Republic in this particular period of time,” Maranatha’s country director in the Dominican Republic, Gilberto Araujo, said. “We want to thank those who were bold enough to be here for this first church and are praying to God that we will build many more churches like this one in the future.”

Maranatha has a long history of working in the Dominican Republic. In 1980, after the damage caused by Hurricane David, Maranatha constructed 160 houses there. In 1992, the Dominican Republic was the site of a watershed moment of growth for Maranatha, when the organization coordinated the construction of 25 churches over 70 days. Dubbed “Santo Domingo ’92,” it was the first time Maranatha concentrated on one place for multiple volunteer projects. Later efforts occurred in 2003 and 2013, and in 2022, Maranatha returned once more.

Currently, Maranatha is working in roughly a dozen countries around the world. Efforts are focused on church and school construction and water wells. A portion of the projects are completed by volunteers participating in short-term mission trips organized by Maranatha.

The original version of this story was posted on the Maranatha Volunteers International site.