Good evening,
What a storm we had here this past Sunday. Around 1:00pm through 7:00am the next morning, we were snowed in at our farmhouse here in Oregon, Missouri. The winds were blowing so hard that the snow was stinging our face and eyes. It sure put us in the Christmas mood even though we have had Christmas on our minds since July. Yes, it is true. Christmas season starts for Missions Beyond in July. We begin planning, preparing, traveling to churches and visiting organizations raising awareness for our Christmas in a Box outreach. We are days away from a small team traveling to the Dominican Republic to deliver shoeboxes and gifts to over 400 students in 12 Haitian schools.
During our time in the Dominican Republic we will be traveling to all 12 school locations and visiting churches. Missions Beyond will partner with a Dominican church on a building project. The team will travel to the church that is in need of a roof and windows to complete their building project. If all goes well, this church will have a roof and windows, and begin meeting in their new church building come February. We also are excited that a 'dream' for a school will become a reality. A donor has partnered with Missions Beyond to provide the first computer teaching lab for our Haitian Schools. The pastor spoke with our representative and said it had been a dream of his for over ten years. This school teaches children in the morning and trains pastoral candidates in the afternoons. The computer lab will become a community teaching facility where both Haitians and Dominicans will learn how to use computers. This first lab should be completed winter break and before school resumes in January. Can you imagine the look on those students faces?
You have been in prayer with us about property for our Cutupu school. The school has grown so much in the past two years that it has outgrown the rented facility and has overflowed under tarps outside in the grassy area. Funding has come through for the property and to begin the work on a school building. This school will be the second school to have a computer lab. The architect is revising the blueprints to include a computer room for this school. It is wonderful that the children will no longer have to be concerned about classes being cancelled due to rain and rain soddened tarps dripping water on their notebooks.
We recently shared the news on Facebook that we have a recognized BGMC Project number for our Haitian Schools. This means that children in our supporting churches can also have an opportunity to give directly to our Haitian Schools outreach. These offerings can help provide desks, chairs, tables, chalkboards, books, teaching tools, water coolers, bathrooms, musical instruments, sewing machines and computers for our Haitian Schools. We would enjoy the opportunity to come and talk with your children about BGMC, complete with a slide show presentation of how BGMC funds are providing a better classroom environment for our students. We have attached a form below with our project number noted that will need to be sent forward with the BGMC offerings.
Last year we had 10 school locations with enrollment of around 300 students. This year, there are 14 school locations with over 600 students enrolled. The tent stakes have been moved out, our territory is enlarging. We couldn't do this without the faithful support of our Missions Beyond partners. We are grateful for all you do to help make a difference in these students lives and their world.
Blessings,
John & Velvet Sommer
MISSIONS BEYOND
PO BOX 1029
MOBERLY, MO 65270
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