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Report from the Dominican Republic

In May 2004, Daren Downs and I visited the Dominican Republic, where we held several meetings. In these meetings we saw many former graduates of the School of Christ, and there was a definite quality about their walk with God, which is desperately needed in these islands. My compliments to Tom and Terry Kelly who served as the directors of the School in Santo Domingo for its first two terms! The vast majority of the students who have graduated from the School of Christ are currently serving in the ministry as pastors and church leaders. These students are having a powerful effect upon the country.

The impact of the School and the students has been so effective that the Church of God has requested us to return and begin the schools again. For several hours, we met with the head of the Church of God Seminary, Elvis Medina, who told us in no uncertain terms that the Dominican Republic needs the School of Christ. He has offered the seminary as the place where the School can be run as well as the forms for the housing of the students. Several hundred Independent Pentecostal churches contacted us while we were there and want their people to go through the school, and we were also contacted by the Assembly of God churches.

The School of Christ will open its door once again in Santo Domingo. Only time will tell, and Heaven reveal, what eternal fruits shall he reaped from this new generation of ministers. One thing is certain fruit will come; missionaries, pastors, evangelist, prophets, and apostles shall arise from this crowd to touch their nation and our world for the Glory of Jesus Christ.

My interpreter is a native Haitian, who has served as interpreter for the Billy Graham Crusades in Latin America. He is fluent in Creole, the common language of the Haitians. It is our intention to put the School of Christ into the Haitian language. With this tool we can train the Haitian refugees, living in the Dominican Republic. These Haitian's can then return to Haiti and reach this people. We pray this project can begin around the first of the year. Haiti will be reached, and the stronghold of Voodoo will be breached by the light of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ! What a harvest that lies before us, our best days are yet to come.

Your support and prayers to make this School possible will prove to be one of the greatest investments into which you have ever sown.

by Lee Shipp