Two missioners on our team were commissioned in their home church in Thomasville on Sunday, March 25. Fr. Dwayne Varas, the Rector of St. Thomas' Episcopal Church, commissioned Caroline Hiers and Bella Pozo as members of the 2019 mission trip to El Pedregal in the presence of their family members. This will be Caroline's third mission trip, and Bella's first. Both have been working very diligently to raise funds to support our scholarship program for the children in the K-8 Episcopal school in El Pedregal, and earlier this week they sent in $459 that they had made through the sales of friendship bracelets (Caroline) and art work (Bella). Fred Richter, our fellow missioner in Statesboro, reports that he had raised $2,100, enough for six scholarships, and anticipates more donations in the coming weeks.

Fr. Dave Johnson will commission other members of our team during the 10 a.m. service at Christ Episcopal Church on Sunday, June 16. Those of you away from Valdosta are welcome to arrange a commissioning service at your home location, or just let us know and Fr. Dave will include your names as well as those of us in Valdosta during that service.

In other news, Julia has ordered our team t-shirts in the winning "lagoon blue" color. She has also been working on instruction sheets in both English and Spanish for the sewing projects for the teens and the adults. She and Phyllis will be in Thomasville today to meet with Caroline and Bella and work with them on basic sewing methods so they will be able to help Julia and Jeannette in the teen's sewing classes. Leidy has gotten cost estimates from a furniture store in Jarabacoa for Pirlulo's new bed, mattress, and sheets, and both she and Jesús have bought fabric in Jarabacoa for the sewing projects. Julia has set out the supply duffle bags and has started packing them with all the items we will need for our various projects while we are there.

Finally, our fellow missioner. Bonnie Hanson, M.D., has volunteered to be the medical officer for our trip. She is reviewing all of the medical information forms that were submitted and will be putting together a set of basic first aid and medical supplies that she will have on hand in our dormitory for use as needed. Most of any remaining supplies will be donated to the local Dominican medical clinic in El Pedregal when we leave the Campamento on Sunday, June 23.

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The planning webpage for the 2019 mission trip is online here. All information about the trip will be added to this page just as soon as it is available.

For information about Christ Church's mission work in the Dominican Republic, including a summary report and photographs from the 2018 trip, click here .