Community Center – A place for Christ-centered fun, fellowship and learning
Bobita Congregation – A gathering of local Christians and kids from the Children’s Home
Manna Camp – An opportunity for groups to share God’s love through work projects and evangelistic efforts
Children’s Home – A home where disadvantaged children find love, stability, education and faith
Wells for Christ – A community service program bringing clean water and God’s love to area villages
Manna Historical Overview
In 1983 the youth group at Redwood City church of Christ participated in a weekend fast to raise money for the poor and hurting of the world. When the fast ended, sixteen teenagers had raised more than $5,000 and set out on a quest to help the world’s poor. For 20 years, God used young people to bring hope to hundreds-of-thousands of those Christ referred to as the least of these. Their love provided life-sustaining aid and development opportunity to God's children in Ethiopia, Haiti, Botswana, Somalia, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Rwanda, and Croatia. They also helped thousands of Americans stricken by natural disasters. In February, 2004, Manna International closed its administrative offices due to lack of funding. All of Manna International’s programs continue to operate under the oversight of various congregations or organizations. The Manna Dominican program is currently under the oversight of Highland View Church of Christ in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Brian and Tammie Wallace lead the program in the northern region of the Dominican Republic (DR), they moved there in 1996 after spending several years in Haiti. Brian and Tammie have established a mission training camp and a children’s home located in Caraqueña/Bobita, a small community on the northern coast of the DR near the town of Río San Juán.
Current Work and Vision
Community Center (a.k.a. The Coffee House) is located in the heart of Río San Juán. This outreach center began in 2004 when a local business man offered use of his vacant home for church work. The house serves as a refuge for local street kids and young adults. Many of these children are homeless and work the streets as shoe shine boys or prostitutes. Children that do live with their families get very little supervision and roam the streets working or looking for something to do. What begun as a weekly church service and English lessons has developed into a full time ministry. In September 2006, T.J. and Holly McCloud moved into an apartment next door and began full time outreach. At the house, people can come in play games, watch a movie, learn English and more importantly learn about God’s love. The team is currently looking at property nearby with the hopes of building their own Christian Community Center. The new center would contain an apartment for an onsite missionary family, center office, classrooms, restrooms, and a multi-purpose room used for worship, games, movies and other activities.
The Bobita Congregation meets in the Manna Camp Dining Hall. The congregation consists of the children’s home house parents and a few local Christians. The team has a vision of unity for this congregation. Several years ago a split occurred in the congregation, with several key member of the congregation leaving. The team prays that God will use new mission team members to open a discussion with these church members to reunite His body in Bobita.
The Manna Camp is a place where teens (and adults) can go to learn about showing God’s love in both spiritual and benevolent ways. The camp is directed by Brian and Tammy Wallace and operated on funds provided by its participants. During week long trips, groups hold mini VBS events, teaching children from nearby towns and villages about God’s love; visit the area hospital, singing and praying with the sick; visit the area garbage dump, singing and delivering food and clothing to the destitute; perform service projects, improving living conditions for area families by pouring cement floors, repairing roofs and painting homes; visit and encourage local families and residents at the children’s home. These benevolent activities open the doors for local missionaries to begin talking to people about God’s love and care. Each week, participants are given the opportunity to develop leadership skills empathy, participate in bible study and devotionals, and learn first hand the role of missionaries in foreign countries. When they return home, participants are encouraged to assess God’s blessings and share their experiences with others.
Each year, with the help of Tom Martin, college students are selected to serve as Missions Interns. The summer interns staff the camp, assist with group management, serve as translators when possible, manage work details and coordinate VBS events, hospital and dump visits. The camp gives each intern the opportunity to grow spiritually, develop leadership skills, and experience hands on mission work. Occasionally, interns serve for longer periods. This missionary apprenticeship gives participants the opportunity to experience missionary life outside of the summer groups. Past interns have served in concentrated areas like The Coffee House, The Children’s Home or the Mechanic Training Facility. During their service, interns provide vital help and encouragement to the local missionaries. Interns go on to full time mission work, serve on mission committees, or educate their home congregation about missions.
An exciting new vision for the camp has immerged. The team would like to create a fall/winter training center for missionary teams. This would be a place for new mission teams to go to learn about each other and learn team work. It would also serve as a “retreat center” where mission teams and church staffs can come to build teamwork and spiritual strength.
The Christian Children’s Home is located in Bobita, approximately ¼ mile from the Manna Camp. This much needed home is sponsored by Highland View Church of Christ in Oakridge, Tennessee. Tammy Wallace serves as the homes manager. The home is mostly funded by the Highland View congregation and through a child sponsorship program. It currently has 3 homes with approximately 17 children. A forth home has been built will house a missionary family and an upstairs library. Area Christians staff the home and strive for a family environment. A new family is expected to arrive in May to begin working to improve the education of the house parents and children and to provide closer supervision for the homes. In the future the team would like to increase the number of children cared for at the home, provide better education for the children and provide continued education for the house parents.
Wells for Christ was started by Martin and Gina Staelens in July 2001. This effort touched the lives of rural people by providing fresh water in addition to bringing them the hope of the true Water of Life, Jesus Christ. Less than half of the rural population of the Dominican Republic has reliable access to supplies of fresh water. This situation created health problems for villagers who can suffer from water borne diseases. So far, 11 wells in various communities, the children’s home and the Manna camp have been drilled. The well drilling process required community involvement and took a fair amount of time, giving the missionary plenty of time to talk to the locals. Unfortunately, in 2006 due to an accident caused by a failure of the brake system that damages the truck and the rig beyond repair, the program had to be suspended. Work continues to rebuild the well drilling rig with plans to possibly train a local Christian to operate the drill with missionary support.
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