Boca Chica, Dominican Republic: Building a church, block-by-block.
By Nancy and Irvin Heishman

The congregation of Boca Chica in the Dominican Republic is hard at work building a physical house of worship, and at the same time discovering that God is strengthening their spiritual house (1 Peter 1:4-5). The area in which the congregation ministers is east of the capital city of Santo Domingo. While the neighborhood is a very poor area, many tourist hotels and some of the most gorgeous beaches on the island can be found just on the opposite side of the road.

The Boca Chica congregation consists of approximately 120 members, mostly Haitian immigrants. Lively worship is conducted in both Spanish and Creole.

In 2003, the Brethren World Mission Committee, with members in Atlantic Northeast District and Southern Pennsylvania District, made it possible for this growing congregation to move into a rented facility for worship. Prior to this they were crowding into a fragile pavilion with pieces of tin, tarp, and palm branches overhead. When it rained, the people got drenched and they were impossibly crowded in the little space. This yearly support has been a wonderful blessing for this congregation.

Earlier this spring, the congregation felt a need to relocate when the landlord began to butcher pigs in the lot behind the worship space. The foul odor made it practically impossible at times to use the building for worship. God used this unpleasant experience for good, however, inspiring the congregation to begin raising funds to build a church building on property they had purchased themselves.

One factor in Boca Chica’s success in reaching its building goal is the motivational gifts of its pastor, Catalice Mardoche, who is constantly encouraging members and keeping a positive momentum alive. In a kick-off campaign for the building effort, members were invited to commit themselves to pledge money for concrete block and other building materials. When even children came forward to make commitments, at first the adults discouraged them thinking that they would not be able to follow through. But the children were insistent. They wanted to make their own pledges! Since then, they have been strong supporters of the project as well as the adults.

The steeply sloped and rocky building lot is a challenge. To create a level foundation, the church members first dug trenches through the rocks and soil for the footer, and then blocks were laid. The next difficult project will be to fill the interior with compacted soil to form a level surface on which to pour the floor. All the labor is done by hand and, of course, out in the blazing hot sun.

But the spirit of cooperation and determination is truly inspiring. Led by pastor Mardoche and an excellent board of leaders, the church truly has a “can do” spirit, with God’s help. They know the meaning of the truth, “With God all things are possible!”

–Nancy and Irvin Heishman are Dominican Republic mission coordinators for the Church of the Brethren General Board.

Source: 11/22/2006 Newsline