Teacher Mathurin Saenril works with students in the school that meets in the church at Gentilhomme. Climbing For Christ helped construct the building, provides school supplies and salaries for two teachers. (Photo by Gary Fallesen)
Date: Dec. 3-12, 2007.
Tentative schedule:
- Day 1: Travel from U.S.
- Day 2: Transport to Soliette and hike to Gentilhomme.
- Days 3-6: Work in Gentilhomme.
- Day 7: Worship.
- Day 8: Work in Gentilhomme.
- Day 9: Hike to Soliette and transport out.
- Day 10: Travel.
Team: 10-member maximum. This team is currently full. Members: Brian Arnold, Rochester, NY; Sarah Brownell, Rochester, N.Y.; Joe Cisneros, Centennial, Colo.; Jim Doenges, Littleton, Colo.; Gary Fallesen, Rochester, NY; Pastor Dan Freng, Littleton, Colo.; Pastor Derek and Karen Fullerton, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Nick Stevens, Loveland, Colo.; and Erica Zeiler, Littleton, Colo. with missionary Miguel Rubén Guante, Jimani, Dominican Republic.
Cost: $1,500-$1,800, includes airfare from New York City (JFK) to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; ground transportation on Hispaniolia, food and accomodations. Deadlines: $500 deposit due before Oct. 1. Balance due before Nov. 1.
Purpose: To help with the school and church in Gentilhomme. There are about 140 students preparing for only their second year of school. We are paying two teachers to provide instruction. You will have an opportunity to witness a typical school day and perhaps serve as a teacher's assistant. In April, team members delivered several bags of clothing for children and adults in the village. We also took Creole Bibles to the church. We will take clothing, Bibles, school supplies, and the makings for a shoebox Christmas. Members of Hope Lutheran Church in Rochester, N.Y., have been donating gifts to fill shoeboxes that will be distributed to children in the village. We will construct the boxes after reaching the village.
But that's not all. We'll also be:
- Working on sanitation. There are NO TOILETS in Gentilhomme.
- Working on the water supply — or lack thereof. There is NO WATER in the village. Villagers descend 600-to-800 vertical feet three times a day to fetch water from a river and springs running off the mountain.
- Appraise the health of the village. There is NO MEDICAL CARE within 30 kilometers of the village. Sick or injured people must walk 18 miles over two mountains to seek help. They usually can't or don't make the trek.
- Visit the village of Malasi, a three-hour hike from Gentilhomme to survey the needs and possible work Climbing For Christ can do there in the future.
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