Pouring concrete floors, painting, patching walls and laying concrete blocks? Our teens? 

Yes! Six can-do teens and two chaperones from our congregation joined Pastor Jeff Gargano on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic and did just that.

They were part of a mission team working in the village of Mata Gorda, a tiny village outside Jarabacoa. Most homes there are constructed of branches, bark and crushed coffee cans. The floors are earthen, so a concrete floor is a significant upgrade and joy for a household.

For a week, the team ate meals with the villagers, played with the children, and joined in worship and prayer. The team worked alongside Youth With A Mission (YWAM), an international volunteer movement of Christians dedicated to serving Jesus throughout the world.

The Mission Team delivered basic food items such as rice, beans, sugar, and flour to the families in the community.

The trip, organized by Pastor Jeff in 2010, was an invaluable learning experience to gain cultural awareness of the families of the Dominican Republic and the struggles and challenges they encounter in daily living. Each day began and ended reflecting on God's goodness and the opportunities we have to serve in God's name.