La Vega Prayer Walk and New Hope Girls Academy

Monday we spent in La Vega, Dominican Republic... La Vega is about a 45 minute drive from Santiago and is where the New Hope Girls Academy is located.  Grace Baptist Church sent a mission team to New Hope Girls Academy when the academy was just starting out.  During that mission trip the team worked on the construction of a safe house for girls being rescued from sex trafficking and also constructed a small workshop near the safe house.  Area women currently use the workshop to sew purses, clutches and make flip-flops... all items are for sale in order to raise money to help support the safe house. If you are interested in ordering something you are able to do that on their Etsy website.  The workshop's focus is to give employment to women in the community and enable them to make a living wage so that they are able to support their family.  

New Hope Girls Academy   rescues young girls from unimaginable and dire life circumstances.  For most of the girls, the safe house and education that New Hope provides will be their only way to escape the atrocities placed upon them at such a young and vulnerable age.

We were unable to visit the safe house itself as this would have proven too difficult for the young girls.  

We did, however, visit the workshop in the neighborhood of the academy, and were blessed to take a prayer walk up to a site that overlooks the city of La Vega.

NEW HOPE GIRLS ACADEMY WORKSHOP

 Touring the workshop and shopping for some fun things to take home.

Joy Reyes sharing her story on how the workshop got started.

 Flip-flops are hand beaded by local women and sold to help support New Hope.

New Hope recently began selling coffee to raise money for the academy.  It is a one-of-a-kind coffee blended especially for New Hope Girls Academy.

New Hope can be found online at any of the above pictured locations.

LA VEGA PRAYER WALK

 The team making their way up the road to overlook the city of La Vega.

 Looking out over the city of La Vega.

While overlooking the city, Joy Reyes shared her emotional testimony on how God called her and her family to the Dominican Republic. Her testimony is one of being broken over and over again so that God can use her and her family to His glory.  

Joy sharing her testimony of faith and calling on us all to be the hands and feet of Jesus in whatever we are called to do in life.

We spent time in prayer for the people of La Vega, asking God to pour out His mercy on them and give them respite from the circumstances of their lives. We prayed that Jesus would be known to each and every person living in the city. We ended our time above the city in song... singing songs of praise to the King of Kings. 

Homes Along the Way

These kids were laughing and giggling at us 'Americanos' as we passed them.

 Joy's little boy was a happy camper when he got to walk down the hill on Stacy's shoulders.

Please be in prayer for the ministry of New Hope Girls Academy.  They currently have eleven girls currently in their care who have been rescued from circumstances that are beyond our imaginations.  They are hoping to grow their ministry so that they are able to rescue more little girls from the horrors of sex trafficking and abuse at the hands of the adults that come into their lives.  

God be with Joy and Vidal as they continue to do God's work... they truly are the hands and feet of Jesus living in the Dominican Republic.

To God Be All The Glory