Each year God has a plan for me when we embark on our mission trip to the Dominican Republic and this year was no different, with God placing on my heart a calling of beginning a goat project on the community of La Cumbre. Of course in my doubting I felt that in no way could this ever work. The big guns were pulled out and time after time during last week and children were placed before me with various needs.
Just a little back ground about La Cumbre. This community is basically an outcast community that is between a major road. It consist of about 275 families with an average of 7 children per family. When I say family, most are single moms that are forced into prostitution to feed their children. Most of these families has no jobs and will do anything to feed their children.
I think the hardest thing to see is that quite a few of these children are suffering from lack of nutrition, have distended stomachs, green running noses and their hair is turning orange because they are not eating enough to sustain their black hair.
This is were it gets tough…how old do you think the little girl is in the above picture? Of course sometimes it is hard to tell by pictures, but she weighs a fraction of what she should, picking her up I would of guessed she was about 9 months old. I knew she was not 9 months old, so I assumed maybe there years old. Three years old…..see her orange hair? This poor baby girl not getting the food she needs.
This is her family.
This is her 15 day old baby sister, that is also very hungry. It broke my heart to be holding a 2 week old baby that was desperately trying to eat when I had nothing for her and neither did her mother. Here in La Cumbre it is not uncommon for a child not to get milk but once a day or every other day. Most bottles consist of sugar water.
God did not waste anytime getting my attention this week with the importance of starting this goat project that he laid on my heart more than a year ago. I am excited to say, the goat project is on it’s way.
More to follow…
