dominican inspirations

Children at ICC's pre-school programOne of the coolest aspects of our trip to the DR was having the opportunity to see some great ministries at work. ICC, the church Leah attended when she lived there, is doing some amazing stuff in Santo Domingo. And it was fun to hang out with them and see what they're doing. We also got to spend the day with an organization called ASPIRE, who provides micro-credit and other services to help people start small businesses.

This is me looking in a mirrorICC is a welcoming, active, joyful, place that has made itself aware of the community's needs, and is powerfully working to address those needs: spiritual, physical, relational, economic, etc... In addition to the more traditional church activities (awesome music, youth programs, small groups) they run a community gym, pre-school, medical clinic, and also support people who want to start small businesses. Their worship services are powerful, celebratory, very relevant and VERY creative. Our closest friends in the DR are a part of this church and I wish we could go there every week.

A small business ownerASPIRE is an organization that offers micro-finance to people who want to start small businesses. They also offer health insurance, business training classes, life and money management skills training, and way more. As opposed to bank loans, which have high interest rates and no holistic support attached, ASPIRE offers extremely low rates for people without much collateral, but with all kinds of potential.

Some of the people who make ASPIRE workThis is community development at its best. And we got to walk around with some of the "counselors" who visit, on a daily basis, the small business owners. Many of the loans go to women and families, and it was an amazing gift to be able to meet them and see their businesses in action.

This guy started a business with his wife thanks to ASPIRELeah and I feel really passionate about these organizations and were very thankful that they let us hang out with them and see what they do. Hopefully we can go back again soon -- and for a longer stay.