Katrina, Isaac and Hannah all helped to put on our Easter breakfast before going to church for worship and potluck. The service went well. He is Risen!! Allelujah!

Singing for the Easter Worship service.

Holy week (Semana Santa) is important in the Dominican Republic. The majority of people have vacation from school and work. Their focus is on Good Friday. This as an opportunity to point toward the empty tomb and share the good news, “Christ is risen!  Yes!  He is risen indeed!”

The pre-Lenten Carnival is the most popular festival in the DR.  The tradition began in the 1600s when the people wore masks to mimic the custom practiced in Europe. Traditionally, this was a time of confession and “taking away flesh” in preparation for Christ’s passion.  Today it has been mostly secularized.  Colorful dance groups, floats, bands, and masked characters are featured in village square and parades of major cities every Sunday in February.   http://www.colonialzone-dr.com/traditions-carnival.html

Sweet beans (habichuelas con dulce) are a traditional cuisine served often during the Lenten season.  In the past, this sweet bean dish was eaten on Ash Wednesday and the Fridays of Lent as a substitute for meat. Each region of the island usually adds a special or secret ingredient to make their recipe distinct.  Find the recipe here – http://www.dominicancooking.com/desserts-beverages/1439-habichuelas-dulce-sweet-creamed-beans.html

With the Lutheran Church

Fellowship

On a Friday evening during Lent, one of the student pastors, Freddy, hosted a song service in his apartment.  We sang hymns, shared special Bible passages and memories; Freddy also read a poem he prepared for the event.  His wife, Elizabeth, and other members of the congregation spent the afternoon preparing a large kettle of “Habichuela con Dulce” for us to enjoy during the evening.  It was warm and sweet!

English Easter Party

At the end of this session of English classes, we had an English Easter party. An opportunity for students to spend time with our church members and ministry leaders. We began the day with socializing and playing games.  Cards and dominoes are always on the top of the list.  For children, two volunteers ran a craft room that kept the children busy for 3 hours.  We served snacks consisting of chips, peanuts and raisins, grapes, apples, cookies and bars, and lemonade. We played JESUS Bingo, using English words connected to Jesus Christ.  After several games, the day concluded with a video and Bible Study on “What Easter Means to Me”.  We had over 60 attendees with 39 staying for the Bible Study.

Services

During holy week, the Haitian and Dominican congregations in Santiago will have combined worship services on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday.  The congregations in Moca and San Pedro will keep their regular schedules.  Due to the influence of the Roman Catholic Church on Dominican society, most people consider Good Friday the focal point of Holy Week, with Easter Sunday and Christ’s resurrection as almost an afterthought.  Every year the missionaries and national pastors encourage members to remember BOTH events for our salvation.  With that encouragement, Easter attendance is slowly going up among our members.

Taiwan’s main opposition Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou celebrates winning the presidential election in Taipei March 22, 2008. The Nationalist Party declared victory in presidential elections on Saturday, heralding improved ties with giant neighbor China which claims the self-ruled island as its own.(Nicky Loh/Reuters)

Katrina turned 9! Happy Birthday Katrina. Sarah is absent from the photo as she is in the US helping with her father who recently had a stroke. God willing she’ll be home soon!!

birthday