Blessings from Neyba
In 2007, my life-adventure dial was set on “go,” so when the opportunity to travel to the Dominican Republic presented itself, I said “yes” without any hesitation and very little preparation. In fact, if I remember correctly, I was asked to help with a VBS week in a little town called Neyba. Pretty quickly the word “help” turned into “you’re in charge” and here’s a handful of college-aged young people, mostly boys, to help you pull it off.
Mike Kellett and several other adults were also going on the trip, but they were going to concentrate on teaching the adults and surveying the situation surrounding the local church (a part of our One Kingdom programs). In an already-tough environment, this little church had been affected by a recent flood and reached out for help, so One Kingdom was there to help.
At that point, I had years of camp experience, and I was a teacher, so what could be so hard? This question would be answered the first day. We landed in Santo Domingo and loaded a bus to begin a five-hour trek on bumpy roads. With eyes wide open and packed in like sardines, we watched out our windows to see motorcycles holding five to six people dodging animals, more people, and other buses. The holes in the road were so deep that we bounced around like we were on a ride.
Everyone knows that any life lesson worth its salt is full of obstacles and that the winding road was just the beginning. Upon arrival, we learned the school we were going to use was no longer available. Next, we discovered no one spoke English. Also, there would be no running water, and I had planned a whole day around water and paint. And last, but certainly not least, I was told to plan for between 60-100, but 300 came the first day and close to 500 were there on the last day. Each day required “feed the 5,000 miracles,” and God showed up!
My team quickly made several adjustments. After realizing we could not actually teach—because we didn’t speak Spanish—we went to plan B. Through our amazing interpreter and One Kingdom Ambassador, Esteban Valle-García, I was able to teach the local young adults the lessons our team had planned to present during the week there. They were so eager to learn and, boy, did they teach! Our college kids ran back and forth, helping the teachers keep the kids in line and providing the supplies they needed. It was an amazing week, and we learned so much about how we, as a church, could help this community.
The VBS went on for several more years. A leadership training program, a medical team, and a food relief program were added to our work in Neyba. All these programs continued because of the many WFR people from all walks of life volunteering to minister to the community of Neyba. In every effort the local church family served alongside us, giving us the opportunity to grow closer to them and to love them.
The area of service that touched our hearts the most was an orphanage serviced by the local church. I’ll never forget walking though that building and seeing the sweet faces of 18 children. While they had loving house parents, so much was needed in their physical surroundings. The bathroom, dark and dirty, was outside in the backyard. The yard was surrounded by barbed wire with nothing for the kids to play with or on and a rugged, uneven surface of hard dirt was the floor of their play area.
The kitchen was tiny and nothing in it was adequate to feed 18 growing children. The children were stacked three beds high in two rooms, one for boys and one for girls. Our hearts were breaking and our minds racing with how we could be the hands and feet of Jesus to this group of children.
That was a little over 16 years ago, and so much has changed. With the support of many, the orphanage was completely remodeled. Indoor bathrooms, a kitchen, and a second floor were added. The boys and girls were finally able to have separate living conditions. The backyard was fenced in to keep the kids safe, and a basketball goal was put right in the middle of it.
After about eight years of leading the VBS, we decided to let the local church continue that work while we turned our attention to the children in the orphanage. Several more teams of adults and teens loaded planes and buses to spend a week every summer with the growing kids in Neyba. We played games, did crafts, took them to the beach, got them ice cream and pizza, and poured the love of Jesus into each one of them. In many ways, we feel like we have helped raise them. After all, it has been 16 years of us loving them!
Most of them are now in high school, college, the military, or in the work force. Three of our boys are still in high school and have joined another boy’s home that is supervised by one of the men who helped us over the years. The home we had used for the orphanage changed hands a few years ago which made this change a necessity. One of our “boys” is a grown man now, and I wanted to include a quote from him:
For as long as I can remember, WFR, the Howard family and Robertson family have been a part of my family. I know—for myself and for many others—we never considered them our sponsors, but always our family. Without fail, year after year, our American family came to visit us here in the Dominican Republic. They would take the time out of their busy lives to come and see us - to see how we were doing, see how much we had grown, and even check on our grades from the previous year of classes at school. We have celebrated milestones together and mourned losses together. When I was young, this church family invested in me and desired the very best for me. They inspired me and helped me see that God was calling me to a higher purpose in life. I learned that the circumstances of my life which led to me being surrendered in this children’s home did not define me or my value. I learned about family, faith, and Godly values through their love and support. Now I’m married and have a family of my own. My own family is blessed because of the love and support that has been poured out on me. The work that is being done, the love that is being shared, has a generational impact and is making the world a better place. –Luis Alberto
Oh, how we love that guy! Luis grew up to be an interpreter for us when we are there as well as teaching English to the other children. He is married and has one son.
On a personal note, I have been able to take my grandchildren with me from the beginning of this great work. My grandson, John Luke, went with me the first year when he was 11 years old. I added granddaughter Sadie in the second year. By the third year, another one, Macy, wanted to go, as well as my daughter Korie. Soon all the grands, plus my two daughters and their husbands, were going to Neyba every year. It’s something we continue to do and are already planning our trip for this year.
We consider the DR kids part of our family and feel like we have gained more from them than they have from us. Our prayer is that they use some of what we taught them as they continue to grow in their faith and personal lives.
If you’re considering a work such as this, do it! And take your kids. If you don’t have a passport, get one, so you can be ready when God opens the door.
Chrys Howard is a New York Times bestselling author with over a million books in print. She has co-written two cookbooks with Kay Robertson and two children’s books her daughter, Korie Robertson. Her latest book, “Rocking It Grand,” was released in 2021.
Chrys served as a senior editor and creative director for their family-owned business, Howard Publishing, and has spent over 45 years working with Christian youth camps, serving as a director for over 30 years. She enjoys speaking and teaching children, teens, and adults, as well as traveling overseas for mission efforts.
Chrys currently co-hosts a lifestyle site and podcast titled “Rocking It Grand” with co-author Shellie Tomlinson. Chrys and her husband, John, live in West Monroe, Louisiana. They have three grown children, 14 adorable grandchildren, and five super-adorable great-grandkids.