The Episcopal Church Women of the Diocese of Virginia is proud to announce the success of the Dominican Republic Partnership started in 2005. At that time Bishop Frank Gray took six members of their group to the Dominican Republic to see the progress of the Episcopal Church there. A commitment was made to support the scholarship program organized by the Rev. Bob and Ellen Snow, the Episcopal missionaries who hosted our trip. Since 2005 more than $36,000 has been given to this project by members of our Diocese, and numerous children have received a Christian education in a safe environment.
Luis Garcia is one of the students who received scholarship support. Carolyn Davis, a member of Bishop Gray’s original team, met Luis in 2005 and has kept in touch with him over the years and met with him on three additional ECW mission trips to the DR.
With the help of the Episcopal Church Women and his local priest, Luis is currently taking college classes by computer while attending the Seminary in Santo Domingo.
During the Christmas holidays this year Luis was the guest of the Davis family and St. Peter’s Church in Port Royal. During the 17 days he was here he had many wonderful first experiences. These included not only leaving his country for the first time and flying to Florida and then Richmond, but also visiting Mayo House, meeting Bishop Shannon, reading the Gospel at St. Peter’s on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, visiting the Seminary in Alexandria, touring the National Cathedral and Washington, DC, meeting with teens who visited the DR on an earlier work trip, seeing the Blue Ridge Mountains and even learning to drive a car and tractor on the farm where he stayed with the Davis family.
Luis brought joy and happiness where ever he went. His English was limited but his faith was strong and was evident in his actions. He was a wonderful guest and a real-life example of the importance of mission work in the world. The ECW is proud to have helped this child become a man who will help many others in the future.