The "GO" in Goshen Group

Every year in January/February - for the last 18 or so - a group of people descend upon the Escuela Caribe campus.  They are GOSHEN GROUP, a collection of people from local churches from Goshen, Indiana. They come baring blessings to all those they come in contact with - Escuela Caribe staff, students, local Dominican families, etc.

In short, THEY ARE AWESOME!

The group is led by Pat and Jeryl Hochstedler, a couple of the nicest, kindest, most servant-hearted people one could ever meet. The original reason for them bringing a team down to the Dominican Republic was because a former member of their youth group, Escuela Caribe staff member Matt Yoder, was here.  In October of 1993, they took their first trip to Escuela Caribe to be a support and encouragement to Matt, and to see first hand what the Lord had called him too.  Thanks, Matt - as a result of this relationship the school, staff, students and local community have been blessed beyond belief!

Since the beginning of their beautiful relationship with Escuela Caribe, they have built or helped to build a number of buildings on the Escuela Caribe campus:  the chapel, Thomas House, TKB (renovations), Huyck house, Lance house, Casita house cistern, and most recently, Goshen Mission House.  

Goshen Mission House can sleep 24 people.  The upstairs is currently in progress and includes 2 small apartments and a large meeting space.  It is the hope that short term mission teams and local missionaries can use this house as a refuge while serving the Lord in the Dominican Republic. 

So, as you can see, their collective hands have had a major impact on the Escuela Caribe campus.   When they first started coming to Escuela Caribe, they slept on porches, floors and in the great outdoors at times.  Some where along the road, Chuck Redwine had a vision for a mission house on campus and began to talk to Goshen Group about making this vision come to fruition.  A few conversations, brainstorming sessions, and years of hard work later, Goshen Mission House was officially dedicated.

This year's Goshen Group 2011 has been working on:  the upstairs of Goshen Mission House,  putting in toilets, repairing roofs, building walls for Dominicans in the community next door to Escuela Caribe, building a new house for a Dominican family with 5 children in a local community, leading a Vacation Bible School in the community of Boma, and countless other projects here and there.  Their days are filled with hard work, laughter, fellowship, dirt, heat, Jesus, and joy!

Goshen group and local Dominicans working on building a new house
for a family of 7 in an impoverished neighborhood.

The house for the family of 7 is on top of a hill.  In order to get supplies to the house, buckets of sand and concrete mix had to be handed off in assembly line fashion, down a steep incline, across a little creek, and up a steep incline. 

Tony, Maury and friends standing inside their old home, which is surrounded by their new home in progress.  The new home will be double the size of the old one.  They are very happy!

Last week, all of Escuela Caribe, staff and students, along with Goshen Group, went on a prayer walk for the campus and the surrounding community.  One group covered all of the houses on campus, one group covered the school, and the other covered the Dominican community next to Escuela Caribe.

Matt Yoder and his group prayed for the Dominican community right beside Escuela Caribe.  After a hike up thru banana trees, they started at the furthest house and prayed for each family along the way back to the campus.

Pat & Jeryl Hochstedler leading prayers for the Dominican friends and neighbors of Escuela Caribe.

Goshen Group is a very special part of the Escuela Caribe family.  We are thankful for the "GO" that the Lord created in Goshen Group, for their collective servant's heart and for the ways that they bless so many.  Goshen Group, we love you!