Heart ofMissi ns
by Karen Unternahrer
O
ur family is doing well
here in the Dominican Republic. Our
girls attend a school
comprised of nationals (Dominican
children) and missionary kids. Mike
and I are enjoying our service assignments; he as site director over a
number of ministry sites and myself
as director of Centro Especial Genesis
which is the special education site. We
also enjoy hosting friends and family
from the States.
Life is good. I have a running joke
with our four adult children (who are
making lives of their own now) – When
the inevitable question comes up,
“How’s it going?” My answer is always
the same, “Oh! It’s like a vacation! A
vacation all the time!” (Insert the use
of a bright cheery smile and happy
sarcasm in my voice there). “We are on
a tropical island after all!”
We do love living here where God
has called us for a season. We are so
glad to be confident in the integrity
and vision of our sending agency,
Students International, headquartered
in Visalia, California. Their mission,
our mission, is bringing students and
communities together cross-culturally
to encounter God, share the Good
News, disciple and serve others in
occupational ministries. It is amazing
to watch God at work in people’s lives.
We are seeing students and the poor
transformed into the likeness of Christ
and discover their true calling.
pg 62 · The Hometown Treasure · September ‘13
Life Is Good
Students International uses a
format somewhat different than many
organizations. In the Dominican
Republic the agency is based out of
Jarabacoa which is the third largest
city in the country with a population
of approximately 52,000. The mountain cities of Constanza and Jarabacoa
are known as the jewels in the crown
of the Central Mountain Range, the
tallest range in the Caribbean, often
referred to as the Dominican Alps.
Nestled in among towering mountain
peaks at 1750 feet, Jarabacoa is where
we call home.
Here one and two-week mission teams come alongside long-term
missionaries working in 15 different
ministry sites in and around Jarabacoa. On the base property mission
teams are housed in three cabins, each
having showers and beds for twenty
people. When they are not on the job
with their site leader, team members
may be meeting in the chapel/recreation room, at the basketball courts,
or in the dining hall. The guest house
is also at the base with lodging for ten
summer interns.
Because we are often asked, the
following is what a typical day looks
like when there are teams here.
8 am Staff (long-term missionaries)
and participants (short-term
mission teams) have breakfast
together at the base and pack a
sack lunch.
9 am-4 pm Everyone is on their designated job site.
6 pm Staff and participants enjoy
dinner together at the base.
7-8:30 or 9 pm Participants are led
through meaningful activities
corresponding with their daily
staff-led worship and devotional time.
10 pm Lights out on the base. (Literally! They shut the generator
off and because there is no
street power coming in due
to that area of town and that
particular time of day, turning
off the generator means there is
no electricity).
While participants enjoy their
evening activities at the base, staff are
free to go home for the evening unless
they are specifically involved with
the intern-led activity on any given
evening. For our family, that means
returning home to complete homework
assignments for school, occasionally
SKYPEing with friends and family, and
the common family bedtime routine –
the stuff of life.
It’s a good life. We don’t know what
length of time God has called us here
but while we remain in the Dominican
Republic we have the joy and privilege
of watching God at work in our lives
and in the lives of those around us.
Wait! LaGrange County offers that
same opportunity, doesn’t it; to see
God at work in your own life and in the
lives of those around you.
So, I say, keep watching and enjoy
the good life.