Eastern Dominican Christian Mission – Winter 2016 2016 – New Church Building, VandeLinde Furlough, and more
Eastern Dominican Christian Mission
Winter 2016
The VandeLinde Family
Ryan, Erin, Micah, Josiah
& Analise
New Church Building
For over three years our Punta Cana Christian School and Punta Cana Christian Church have been sharing the same building. The school primarily has met in the first two levels and the church worshipped in the top level of the three story building. This has been a good compromise and has worked well, but both the school and church have grown substantially and there was “no more room in the inn.” Therefore, on July 1st,2016 we began the construction of a new church building for Punta Cana Christian Church. The new auditorium allows the church to have its own building and allowed us to add five much needed classrooms to the school.
The construction moved along quickly as we worked hard during the summer months with a goal of finishing before the 2016-2017 school year began in August.
The new auditorium holds several hundred people and is located on the front of the property, close to the main road. This is a great location which makes it easy for anyone in the neighborhood to attend a service.
After finishing the construction, painting the new auditorium and installing the entire sound system, the new church building was ready for its inauguration. Therefore, on October 14th all of our church plants gathered together for a wonderful night of worship and celebration as we thanked God for the new building.
We praise God for all of EDCM’s partners as you all helped make this dream become a reality.
Higuey Christian Church
“and the Lord added to their number daily…”
The new minster at Higuey Christian Church, Juan Diaz, has been working hard and has started several new in-home bible studies. Juan has been preaching the gospel to everyone in the neighborhood and visits dozens of people daily. Through his in-home bible studies, discipleship program and Sunday services Juan has led 16 people to Christ! At the end of October, Juan and his team celebrated as they baptized all 16 people new believers!
We praise God for Juan, his wife Marianella and for all that God is doing in Higuey.
VandeLinde Furlough
My wife and I, along with our three children, began a one year furlough or home-stay in August of this year. We are currently living in Virginia and are traveling throughout the United States visiting our faithful supporters.
Micah and Josiah are doing very well in the school system here and both participated in several Christmas plays. Micah played the role of a 90 year old grandpa in his school play and Josiah was a shepherd in the church play.
Both boys are playing basketball for he first time and are really enjoying it. Analise thinks she is a princess with all of the Christmas clothes she has received, especially the red hooded sweater (see pic).
It has truly been a blessing
being here in the US serving in our home church and
celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas with family.
Feel free to invite us to visit your church and share with your congregation how God has been moving through our ministry in the Dominican Republic. May God bless you all!
If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact me personally.
Eastern Dominican Christian Mission PO Box 20136 Roanoke, VA 24018 *for all financial donations
Micah’s Minute
Hello everybody and Merry Christmas! One thing you might not know about me is that I love animals. Here is a pic of me and June, my aunt’s Rottweiler. I love June! We always play together and have a lot of fun. However, as she gets bigger, she runs faster. I used to be faster than her, but now she runs faster than me. This picture is of us hanging out at a cabin in the mountains. I love you June!
