First Church Service After COVID-19 Shutdown — June 7, 2020

             Last weekend we had a wonderful and joyous event as we gathered together in the Lord’s house after nearly 3 months apart. The government here in the Dominican Republic has begun the process of re-opening. We have a four phase process which continues until the beginning of August and little by little allows businesses and other activities to open. We have currently begun phase 2 which allows for one church activity a week on Sundays. So this Sunday June 7 our congregations celebrated their first worship service together in 3 months! Check out the two following articles to see how the church celebrated and gathered together in our mission sites of Palmar Arriba and Pueblo Nuevo, Santiago Dominican Republic. We pray that the government continues to move through the stages of reopening as planned. The third stage will allow the church to meet 3 times a week for religious services only and the forth stage will allow us to begin bible studies, children’s ministries and other activities again without limitation. 

Pueblo Nuevo

The congregation in Pueblo Nuevo had a service of the Word on Sunday morning June 7. The congregation joined together in joyous song gathered around the Word to celebrate Trinity Sunday. What a wonderful festival and time to be together again in the house of the Lord and celebrate our unity just as we celebrate the unity of of God in the Trinity. This congregation took great care to sanitize the church building beforehand and sought many ways to care for the members and their health. Special plastic cards were used with the order of worship which can be sanitized after each use. Chairs were carefully placed with social distancing, masks were worn and hands sanitized at the door. Several regular attendees were not able to come due to health concerns however there were several visitors who joined us for the first time. We are blessed to have been able to gather together in the House of the Lord and are excited to continue to meet around His Word. 

Palmar Arriba 

The church at Palmar Arriba was so excited to gather together around again in the Lord’s house that many forgot their fears and concerns about COVID and greeted each other with hugs! Much joy was seen in this church on this Sunday morning as the Saints gathered around the Body and Blood of our Lord and Savior. With faith the sacrament was received by many as the food which their souls had been longing for providing the forgiveness of sins and the strength to resist the attacks of the devil. We also had the joy to celebrate this morning the confirmation of Rolf David Preus, Pastor Preus’s Son. Rolf completed an examination in front of the entire congregation in SPANISH! GO ROLF! It was a day full of many blessings and only the beginning of so many more. 

Please Pray with us: 

– Praising God and giving thanks for the re-opening of things in the Dominican Republic.
– We pray that the government continues to move through the phases of reopening so that mission work may return to full swing.   
– We give thanks for the Church service in Palmar Arriba and the Lord’s Supper which was offered there.   
– We give thanks for the confirmation of Rolf in Palmar Arriba. 

– We give thanks for the Service of the Word offered in Pueblo Nuevo.  
– Please pray also for patience and understanding among our deaconess students. They are very anxious to return to studies and we have not yet been given permission to return to meeting. 

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