Two of our young people, Josh Crosswell & James Wade are off on Mission to the Dominican Republic from the 19th June to the 4th July 2011 with Mission Direct.

In the Dominican Republic, the main project is near Sosua, near Puerto Plata in the north of the Dominican Republic. Sousa Village is home to former hired hands from the sugar plantations - many have come across the border to Haiti. Thousands of people live in unsanitary conditions, in shacks made of sticks and rubble on less than £1 a day. The charity The Samaritan Foundation has been building whole villages for the slum-dwellers of Sosua - so far, 1,000 houses have been built. Mission Direct has been collaborating with The Samaritan Foundation on the current building project since 2006, and has assisted with the building of 50 houses in the new village of Esperanza, including mixing cement, laying blocks, plastering and decorating. Volunteers often give new occupants items such as mattresses and bedding. As a result of previous mission trips, fifty families have had their quality of life improved -immeasurably, from the incredible squalor of their shacks. Their health, security and well-being are also hugely affected.

The teams usually work on the main project for the mornings only. It is a really well balanced trip and volunteers also participate in a feeding programme for a local community, show the Jesus film on one evening, and distribute aid to local villages/communities. There is also the opportunity to visit a local church and see some of the country, including a cable car and a waterfalls trip!

James has been able to raise the cost of the trip himself and Josh is well on his way, but they also want to be able to raise some money to help with the cost of the projects they will be involved in and are aiming to raise at least another £600. This money would go directly to the projects e.g. towards the cost of building materials, food for the feeding programme and mattresses and bedding for the family moving into the house that Josh and James will help to build.

If you would like to support them you can do so through James and Josh’s ‘Just Giving’ page at: -

www.justgiving.com/James-Wade0