The Beck's Journey: Sagemont Visits Makarios over Spring Break!

Sagemont Church in Houston and Makarios have formed a beautiful partnership for which we are grateful. Over Spring Break, they returned to the DR to serve alongside us with an amazing team of 35- consisting mainly of youth (and a few adults, too!) I can honestly say, this group brought some ENERGY and ENTHUSIASM to the North Coast! Even our Dominican staff, who have no shortage of energy, commented on the “animo” of this group. It was a lively group to say the least. They definitely kept us entertained!...and we had a blast.

We had many things that they participated in, but perhaps the one project that we were happy to complete was the parking lot! This project was special for many reasons…but for one, this team worked incredibly hard to clear the land that their own church bought. Sagemont was instrumental in helping us purchase land that we desperately needed in order to continue to grow and give the students in this area a quality education.

Right now, this area will be a parking lot so we will have a place to turn around. The parking lot will add much convenience, but even more importantly, it will provide a safer area for the kids. Often, we are having to reverse down a narrow alley, full of kids, and the parking lot will give us space to turn around and leave the school facing forward. In the future, this land will be the area where we will build the next addition to our school..so stay tuned!

They also helped us do all the things we usually do, and they came ready and willing to do a Vacation Bible School that included parachutes, games, songs, and a study about Zacchaeus. They also took time to teach the neighborhood kids English, which they LOVED!...and I can't go without mentioning that there was a lot of dancing going on this week!

Learning Ballet

A hug after the dance lesson.
Look at that smile!

This group showed tenderness and compassion towards everyone they came in contact with during their week. One story that stands out in our minds is the intentionality they had towards a family we know. One of our friends in the villages has cerebral palsy and is confined to a wheelchair. She often only interacts with a group member or two in her own home or on her porch, but this team made an extra effort to include her in the activities. They wheeled her chair up the rocky path to the soccer field where others were cheering on the game. They visited with her, laughed with her, and prayed with her. It was a meaningful time for all.

These friends are carrying the wheelchair
up to the soccer field

Sagemont served heartily up until the bitter end. They were even getting the Mak House in great shape and worked steadily at the house until we physically made them stop so they could load onto the guagua (bus) that was headed to the airport. Remember about their energy and enthusiasm? They even used this to their advantage when we had an adventurous time getting to the airport. It’s never boring serving the King of Kings.