The small Gila Mountain church was pleased to send a mission team of four to the Dominican Republic this spring — Tim and Julie Mann, Tanya Hack and Ann Reed. There they joined a larger group of 41 Thunderbird Adventist Academy students and about 15 adults.

Miracles happened daily. Many amazing experiences convinced team members of God's leading and protection. Sermons were prepared and rehearsed, but computers and projectors wouldn't work at all the sites. Electricity was sparse. Many used generators. At one site, the wires had to be strung across the street. The head elder stood outside in a torrential downpour trying to hold the cord in place to keep the equipment working.

There were 34 sites for this group — some very small, simple structures and a few very nice churches that Maranatha built. One little block church, which held about 30 people, stood on a very steep hill, and the equipment had to be brought in very carefully, since it was on wheels and the steep hill was wet and muddy.

Often prayers ascended in the early afternoon as the rains came down in sheets. Some of the sites were many miles away. Usually, after much fervent prayer, the rains would stop and the equipment would work. For many, this became a turning point in their lives — experiencing a God they could trust.

Javier Lopez, 13, was invited to speak on the Law at the Catholic church, the Pentecostal church and the public school. He sang and spoke in Spanish, and was well-received. At the Catholic church, the priest shook his finger at the people and said, "You do not criticize. You do not talk. Bite your tongue. What this young man has to say is the truth."

Voodoo and witchcraft are prevalent in the Dominican Republic, but the power of Jesus' name is stronger, and it was evident to the people that He was in control of the meetings.