Orphan’s Heart seeks helping hands

Dominican Republic (MNN) — Do you like to help people? Then this could be your chance to help others, learn about a different culture and take part in the Great Commission, all at the same time. Orphan’s Heart is looking for help from the Body of Christ.

“We have a great task before us, and we have tremendous needs right now,” shares Ron Gunter of Orphan’s Heart.

“We have needs for teams that can go and do construction. We have need for people to help us raise the funds that are necessary to build these homes.”

The needs he’s talking about center around a major undertaking in the western region of the Dominican Republic. About a year ago, Orphan’s Heart began working with a church in Santo Domingo and the D.R. president to transform an impoverished community near Azua.

“This is probably one of the poorest areas of the country. 40% of the families there are single-parent homes–mothers who are raising their children alone,” Gunter explains.

Villa Liberacion is a transformation project serving the poorest of the poor communities. Orphan’s Heart is building 100 homes and a multipurpose community transformation center (CTC).

“The government is developing an agricultural project there, and this community is going to be built in conjunction with that,” says Gunter.  “We have 7 homes completed at this point, [and] we’re in the process of building the multipurpose center right now.”

During the week, this CTC will host feeding programs, after-school programs, and training workshops for adults. On the weekend, it serves as the local church. The pastor will be instrumental in bringing Christ’s hope to Azua.

“The members of the community are so open and so hungry for the Gospel,” Gunter shares.

To make all of these intentions a reality by the end of 2015, Orphan’s Heart needs help in a couple of areas. First, they need able-bodied people to join their construction teams.

Find out when the next trip is going and sign up here.

Next, Orphan’s Heart needs people to come alongside them with prayer and financial support.

“The potential for [Gospel] impact in the area is phenomenal,” Gunter shares. “Pray for resources that will allow us to continue to do what we are doing there.”

For regular trip updates and to see how this project is progressing, follow the Orphan’s Heart blog.

“We really covet the prayers of everyone,” Gunter says. “[Pray] that we could do those things and that we could do those very well for the people of the Dominican and for the Kingdom.

“Pray for our teams that go, that they will be very sensitive to God’s leading…that they will be open to ministering to the needs of those people, and they will simply just be the hands and the feet of Jesus.”