Anna + Ian in the DR 2015

It is hard to believe that Ian and I are preparing for our fifth week-long service trip to the Dominican Republic! Since 2007 our church, REUNION, has partnered with Pastor Luis Vargas and his family, and each summer sends a team to work alongside them. We are so happy to be a part of this partnership and to lead the 2015 trip taking place July 28-August 4. The Vargas family's joy and hope is infectious, and it draws us back year after year.

Luis Vargas, photo by Erin Glabets

Luis and his family serve in La Mosca, a squatter community next to a trash dump. Many families survive on less than two dollars a day, and for many, picking trash is their main source of income. The community is plagued by disease, addiction, crime, illiteracy, and malnutrition.

Because of REUNION's partnership, Luis is able to serve food to 100+ hungry kids six days a week, provide medical care, and seek out and meet the needs of those in his community. Every summer, the REUNION trip provides extra hands and encouragement to continue that mission.



In 2014, we painted houses in La Mosca, tangibly showing the community that the church wants to meet their needs. Our team ran the annual medical clinic, and saw the health of the community continue it's slow and steady improvement. We hosted a field day, playing games under the hot Dominican sun in a muddy field littered with trash, attempting to control the chaos and provide love to the kids who so desperately need to feel safe and valued. It is exhilarating, exhausting, heartbreaking, and joyful work.



We are excited to return this summer to serve and spend time with Luis and the community we have grown to love over the past four years. But we can't do this trip alone. We would love to have your support as we head back to the DR.

• You can sponsor us financially — together we need $4,000 by June 8 to cover airfare, room and board, transportation, and supplies for the medical clinic and construction work. Online giving is fast and easy. If you prefer to give via check or your bank's online bill pay, visit www.reunioninthedr.com for more details. Either way, your donation is tax-deductible! Once our trip cost is funded (hey, we can dream big!), additional donations will go toward other trip costs and to support the Vargas family's ongoing work in La Mosca.
• You can donate medical supplies. Let us know before procuring the supplies, so we can coordinate with the medical clinic leader. We also are happy to accept toys and/or warm weather clothes (as much as we can squeeze into our luggage after medical supplies are packed). 

For more information about the trip and our partnership, along with the latest updates from the Vargas family, please visit www.reunioninthedr.com. You can also check out stories, photos, and videos from our past trips here on the blog.

Dios te bendiga!