Thoughts on The Dominican Republic Mission Trip pt. 1

Ta-da! Welcome to my new blogspot. Thank you for that applause, but let's bring it to a close so we can get on with the blog. :) This blog will consist of writings pertinent to the ministry of Calvary Baptist Church. It will be information that is too detailed for (the Pulitzer Prize nominated) Connect Group News, or the church website. While it is available for consumption by the general public, it is probably not pertinent for those not associated with Calvary. However, those not associated with Calvary may be interested in my personal blogspot—"Deep Thoughts with Mike Dugan".

Okay, now that all disclaimers have been addressed, let's get on with the blog. Having just come off the mission field, foremost on my mind is an evaluation of, and reflections on, our Dominican Republic mission trip. First off, it was probably our most productive trip ever. We got so much accomplished in so many areas, ie. construction, Kids Club, Women's Ministry, and home visits, you'll just have to ask someone who went for more details. A key component of our trip was our new goat ministry, or as I affectionately call it--goatery. That's what the kids in my youth group many moons ago called a "Duganism". As a wordsmith, I feel it's well within my legal and artistic rights to create words not in the English vernacular, but should be.

To begin the story of the goat ministry you have to go back to our mission trip last year in San Christobal. There we ate, did our group worship, and held our small group discussions outdoors. I also preached outdoors. At the close of my sermon, two goats came forward--a most unique invitation to be sure. Later Patrice looked at those same goats and thought "those goats could provide nourishment for the local children". Being someone who raised goats herself, she knew more than most of you would ever want to know about these cloven-hoofed lawn mowers. She talked with Melanie, our in-country trip leader, and she encouraged Patrice to explore the possibility of working with goats there. Upon our return, the Missions Leadership Team met and we discussed where the Lord was leading us to establish a long-term partnership. We had been to La Cumbre, La Repressa, and San Christobal, in that order, over the last three years. In a unanimous decision by all those who had been to the DR we felt God calling us to return to La Cumbre, the most impoverished of these locations. With that decision made, Patrice began to return to her idea of a goat ministry. She pitched it to me. I thought it was a good idea, but didn't really think too much more about it. Patrice did. She began to explore the possibility of actually making it happen. She brought me her results. As often happens here at Calvary, people have excellent ideas for ministry, but we as staff don't have the time, knowledge, desire, etc. to pursue it. However, we are a "can do" church, we intentionally streamlined the organizational structure of Calvary to respond quickly to ministry opportunities, and almost always work to empower others to pursue their passion. This was the case here, Patrice had thought the idea through and had accomplished much in establishing a firm foundation for a goat ministry. I told her to go for it, and we'd see where it went. The more information she acquired, the more the project began to capture my imagination. After, some careful thought and prayer, I was sold on the idea. At this point God began to ignite a passion and a vision in me as well. I came to believe that this could, in fact happen; that it was, in fact, a "God thing". As several others in the church began to get excited about the prospect of this ministry we were off and running.

Because I want this blog to be palatble, I don't want to overwhelm you in one sitting. Thus I'll close for now. Don't miss the next exciting installment--"Warning: goat ministry roadblock ahead". See you next time...