After two years in the making, the Dominica Missions Project 2008 got underway on Wednesday 23rd July, 2008 involving 37 students and staff from French Guiana, St. Lucia, Guyana, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Barbados , Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica . The project was completed on Tuesday 29th July, 2008.Objectives:
The two main objectives of the mission were:
1- To undertake activities in Dominica with a view towards reviving the ISCF ministry there.
2- To expose Caribbean students to practical missions involvement.
Background:
It is noteworthy to recall that the idea for the mission was adopted at the last Regional Tertiary Conference (RTC) held at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Cave Hill Campus, Barbados in July 2006. At that RTC the tertiary students passed a resolution that the 2008 gathering should be in the form of a practical mission project rather than a conference-type meeting. This idea coincided with the vision of CARIFES; to pioneer/re-pioneer student ministries in those Caribbean territories where the ministry is not present. Hence, Dominica was chosen. Even though there was an ISCF ministry in the early 1980s the work on the island remained dormant for almost two decades. However, it should be said that in spite of the lack of an ‘ISCF’ presence a few schools had continued to have Bible Clubs.
Preparation:
The preparation for the project included:
In Dominica:
Preparatory visits to Dominica by Regional Staff, Desmond Rogers and Marc PULVAR. Jacqueline COUNALI (Martinique), Kitchen coordinator for DMP ‘08 also accompanied Marc on one of his visits to Dominica.
Meetings were held with teachers, students, pastors and other Christian leaders in Dominica to share with them about the vision of reviving the student ministry on the island.
Flyers announcing the mission and inviting Dominican students and teachers to the one-day conference (Friday, 25th July, 2008) were sent ahead of the mission and distributed to students in schools during the last week of the school term.
Among the Caribbean Students and Staff:
Information was disseminated via the following:
* A blog developed by Marc PULVAR: http://dominicamissionproject.blogspot.com/
* A page on the CARIFES Website- http://www.carifes.org/
* Emails and updates from the DMP 2008 coordinator: Marc PULVAR.
Planning:
A DMP 2008 planning committee was established. This committee was led by Marc Pulvar and included Desmond Rogers as well as the Tertiary Staffworkers Deeann Ali (Guyana), Paul Morris (Jamaica), Rosanna Joseph (Trinidad), Mario King (Barbados) and volunteer Jacqueline Counali (Martinique). Apart from email contacts, the primary face-to-face engagement of the team took place during the Regional Staff Training (CASET) held in May 2008 in Trinidad. However, it must be stated that the bulk of the work in preparation for the project was done by Marc.
Funding:
The project cost had to cover air fares, meals, accommodation and ground transportation. The students should be commended since they themselves raised all the money for the project. Fundraising was done in a variety of ways including sponsorships from churches, businesses and individuals. Students told stories of how they were able to raise funds to be on this mission. Some baked and sold cakes, held concerts and took out from whatever little savings they had. One student shared how she waited for over four hours in the office of a government minister to collect a cheque to pay towards her ticket.
What was accomplised ?
During the Mission participants were involved in:
Two radio interviews on:
* Voice of Life Radio (VOL) with Garry DIDIER
* Dominica Broadcasting Service (DBS) with Pastor Bernard Joseph.
Presentations at churches youth camps
* In Castle Bruce (east coast): Deliverance Baptist Church
* In St Joseph (west coast): Christian Union Church
A one-day training conference, in Roseau at the Trinity Baptist Church.
Three youth meetings:
* Portsmouth : Lifeline Christian Fellowship Church
* Massacre: Christian Union Church
* Goodwill: People’s Pentecostal Family Church
Sunday service presentations: Seven church visitations were done in the following local churches: Goodwill Gospel Mission, Point Michel Gospel Mission, Trinity Baptist, Deliverance Baptist, People’s Pentecostal Church, Mont Zion Apostolic Church and Scots Head Gospel Mission.
Street evangelism: Tract sharing and morning of witnessing in the streets of Roseau.
Team work: Teams were formed according to the students’ gifs and talents. The opportunity was given to teach team to bring an active contribution to different presentations that we had to do in local churches or in different places. We had the following teams:
· Preaching -word of exhortation
· Drama
· Worship
· Dance
· Solo/duet
Caribbean evening presentations: It was a cultural evening when each delegation had the opportunity to share something of their culture.
Different sessions: “Sharing your testimonies”, “How to share the Gospel”, ” Biblical basis of mission”, devotion in small groups, debriefing sessions in small groups and in plenary.
Meetings were also held with:
* Brenda Emanuel (teacher): We had a very brief meeting with her just before she left the country. She is one of our key contacts on the island.
* Mr. David Vital, (Dexia): he was involved in the movement in earlier times and still has a keen interest in seeing the work revived.
* The Chief Education Officer- Mr. Haycinth (Ministry of Education). We had a very positive meeting with him.
* Bishop Bill Daniel- President of the Evangelical Association of Dominica.
* Mrs. Jermainia Didier- a Christian educator and a former ISCFer of the 1980s.
Outcomes:
* As a result of the mission there is a high level of awareness of the work of CARIFES/ISCF and our intention to get the ministry re-launched in Dominica early in the next academic year.
* Several key stakeholders in Dominica pledged their support for the work of ISCF. These include persons from the Ministry of Education and the Evangelical Association.
* Caribbean students gained hands-on and practical experience of missions.
* Several persons made commitments to Christ as a result of the street evangelism and other contacts.
* Some precious bonds were formed among participants from across the Caribbean and even between participants and folks of Dominica.
* Learning of and appreciation for the various cultures of the Caribbean took place among students.
* There is a list of contacts of students, teachers, Christian leaders, and other interested persons who could form vital links for any future work in Dominica.
* One the most significant outcomes of the project is the fact that we have been able to identify a contact person for the ISCF ministry in Dominica. Mrs. Jermainia Didier, a past ISCF-er of Dominica, also and Educator and teacher trainer at the Dominica State College, has accepted to serve as the ISCF representative in Dominica. Mrs. Didier acceptance of this role is a great blessing since she is a respected member of the Christian community in Dominica as well as influential person in the education system. Additionally, by the very nature of her job she travels around the island and is in contact with teachers from all the schools in Dominica. Being a teacher of French she is also well suited to facilitate whatever links will develop between students of Dominica and those of neighbouring islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe.
Challenges:
Like any project, Missions ‘08 experienced its own challenges:
These included:
* The need for participants to be more briefed about the project before they embark on it.
* Because of some the nature of the mission undertaken there had to be radical adjustments to the programme from start to finish of the project.
* The hectic schedule did not allow for adequate prayer times.
* Some participants had to come to terms with the new foods served (another cultural experience).
* Not many Dominicans turned out for the one-day Conference.
* For the street evangelism, more tracts were needed (especially for the French Students)
*The bi-lingual (French and English students) experience was a challenge for some of the participants. However, this was compensated by translations and the very fact that many of the * French students were able to express themselves in French Creole, which is widely spoken in Dominica.
Conclusion:
Many thanks to all those who played an active part in making DMP ’08 and made it possible. All in all, the project went very well. Students have been challenged to return to their national movements and work on growing the missionary vision. There is a strong desire among Christian leaders, educators, parents, students and the wider Dominican community to see ISCF restarted in Dominica. We look forward to the next academic year.
* A page on the CARIFES Website- http://www.carifes.org/
* Emails and updates from the DMP 2008 coordinator: Marc PULVAR.
Planning:
A DMP 2008 planning committee was established. This committee was led by Marc Pulvar and included Desmond Rogers as well as the Tertiary Staffworkers Deeann Ali (Guyana), Paul Morris (Jamaica), Rosanna Joseph (Trinidad), Mario King (Barbados) and volunteer Jacqueline Counali (Martinique). Apart from email contacts, the primary face-to-face engagement of the team took place during the Regional Staff Training (CASET) held in May 2008 in Trinidad. However, it must be stated that the bulk of the work in preparation for the project was done by Marc.
Funding:
The project cost had to cover air fares, meals, accommodation and ground transportation. The students should be commended since they themselves raised all the money for the project. Fundraising was done in a variety of ways including sponsorships from churches, businesses and individuals. Students told stories of how they were able to raise funds to be on this mission. Some baked and sold cakes, held concerts and took out from whatever little savings they had. One student shared how she waited for over four hours in the office of a government minister to collect a cheque to pay towards her ticket.
What was accomplised ?
During the Mission participants were involved in:
Two radio interviews on:
* Voice of Life Radio (VOL) with Garry DIDIER
* Dominica Broadcasting Service (DBS) with Pastor Bernard Joseph.
Presentations at churches youth camps
* In Castle Bruce (east coast): Deliverance Baptist Church
* In St Joseph (west coast): Christian Union Church
A one-day training conference, in Roseau at the Trinity Baptist Church.
Three youth meetings:
* Portsmouth : Lifeline Christian Fellowship Church
* Massacre: Christian Union Church
* Goodwill: People’s Pentecostal Family Church
Sunday service presentations: Seven church visitations were done in the following local churches: Goodwill Gospel Mission, Point Michel Gospel Mission, Trinity Baptist, Deliverance Baptist, People’s Pentecostal Church, Mont Zion Apostolic Church and Scots Head Gospel Mission.
Street evangelism: Tract sharing and morning of witnessing in the streets of Roseau.
Team work: Teams were formed according to the students’ gifs and talents. The opportunity was given to teach team to bring an active contribution to different presentations that we had to do in local churches or in different places. We had the following teams:
· Preaching -word of exhortation
· Drama
· Worship
· Dance
· Solo/duet
Caribbean evening presentations: It was a cultural evening when each delegation had the opportunity to share something of their culture.
Different sessions: “Sharing your testimonies”, “How to share the Gospel”, ” Biblical basis of mission”, devotion in small groups, debriefing sessions in small groups and in plenary.
Meetings were also held with:
* Brenda Emanuel (teacher): We had a very brief meeting with her just before she left the country. She is one of our key contacts on the island.
* Mr. David Vital, (Dexia): he was involved in the movement in earlier times and still has a keen interest in seeing the work revived.
* The Chief Education Officer- Mr. Haycinth (Ministry of Education). We had a very positive meeting with him.
* Bishop Bill Daniel- President of the Evangelical Association of Dominica.
* Mrs. Jermainia Didier- a Christian educator and a former ISCFer of the 1980s.
Outcomes:
* As a result of the mission there is a high level of awareness of the work of CARIFES/ISCF and our intention to get the ministry re-launched in Dominica early in the next academic year.
* Several key stakeholders in Dominica pledged their support for the work of ISCF. These include persons from the Ministry of Education and the Evangelical Association.
* Caribbean students gained hands-on and practical experience of missions.
* Several persons made commitments to Christ as a result of the street evangelism and other contacts.
* Some precious bonds were formed among participants from across the Caribbean and even between participants and folks of Dominica.
* Learning of and appreciation for the various cultures of the Caribbean took place among students.
* There is a list of contacts of students, teachers, Christian leaders, and other interested persons who could form vital links for any future work in Dominica.
* One the most significant outcomes of the project is the fact that we have been able to identify a contact person for the ISCF ministry in Dominica. Mrs. Jermainia Didier, a past ISCF-er of Dominica, also and Educator and teacher trainer at the Dominica State College, has accepted to serve as the ISCF representative in Dominica. Mrs. Didier acceptance of this role is a great blessing since she is a respected member of the Christian community in Dominica as well as influential person in the education system. Additionally, by the very nature of her job she travels around the island and is in contact with teachers from all the schools in Dominica. Being a teacher of French she is also well suited to facilitate whatever links will develop between students of Dominica and those of neighbouring islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe.
Challenges:
Like any project, Missions ‘08 experienced its own challenges:
These included:
* The need for participants to be more briefed about the project before they embark on it.
* Because of some the nature of the mission undertaken there had to be radical adjustments to the programme from start to finish of the project.
* The hectic schedule did not allow for adequate prayer times.
* Some participants had to come to terms with the new foods served (another cultural experience).
* Not many Dominicans turned out for the one-day Conference.
* For the street evangelism, more tracts were needed (especially for the French Students)
*The bi-lingual (French and English students) experience was a challenge for some of the participants. However, this was compensated by translations and the very fact that many of the * French students were able to express themselves in French Creole, which is widely spoken in Dominica.
Conclusion:
Many thanks to all those who played an active part in making DMP ’08 and made it possible. All in all, the project went very well. Students have been challenged to return to their national movements and work on growing the missionary vision. There is a strong desire among Christian leaders, educators, parents, students and the wider Dominican community to see ISCF restarted in Dominica. We look forward to the next academic year.
