Dear Creation Family,
I wanted to take a moment and tell you of my recent trip to the Dominican Republic to see first hand what our partner in child sponsorship is doing on the ground. I was overwhelmed by the magnitude of what was taking place for the Lord and the affects on the communities we visited.
As you know, when you join with us in our mission to support children in these hurting countries, they receive excellent care, education and are exposed to the gospel in action. Know that the love and care you provide by this sacrifice of support speaks volumes to these children, their families, and the communities in which they live. 
Each day I had the chance to walk the dirty, depressed, hurting streets of the villages. There were times when my heart was so heavy and burdened for these children that I thought, “How could I do more?” I was continually reminded by those we met of the wonderful impact that happens through the efforts of our Creation Festival family.
I met a Pastor who took us to visit his congregation and their village to see the impact this type of support has had on their church. He was overjoyed, full of hope, and speaking of how his eyes have been opened to the needs of those infected with HIV; how his people are now able to minister and care for those in these desperate medical situations.
Music is so close to my heart. It has the power to create opportunity for the gospel to be presented and to allow the Spirit to move people to God. I kept hearing about a musical outreach that was facilitated through our partner’s support in the community. I was very intrigued of course, and finally had a chance to meet everyone that helped to make this happen. They were amazing musicians who would not have had the chance to develop these God given talents if it weren’t for the sacrifice of so many like you, and the efforts of our child sponsorship partner. What touched my heart with joy even more so was to hear how these people came to Christ through music…and then to hear them play music to praise God and minister to others – some of which was classical music!
You never get tired of the little ones. One project facilitated through our child sponsorship partner in a poor area around Santo Domingo, was helping pre‐school children get a head start in learning. Since the D.R. does not have public pre‐schools, only the rich could afford a caring, loving education. Now, these children were receiving it for free from the support you give.
And I must tell you how impressed I was with the older students who were dedicated to justice and change in their community and country. One young lady started as a little child in one of our child sponsorship programs, and now she was studying law to be an agent of change for the poor and oppressed. The enthusiasm and passion felt with these young leaders was infectious.
Of course there is baseball. The D.R. loves the sport, and produce some of the finest players in the game. I met a pastor working with our partner in child sponsorship who trains poverty‐stricken children in the game. These kids were just amazing and each shared with me their love for the game, but most importantly their love of Christ.
My trip was unforgettable. The in‐country staff of World Vision was absolutely stellar and I so enjoyed being with them and gathering information on all their programs. As I told them about the Creation Festival family, they would often stand back in amazement as they saw photos of the crowd. There is no doubt we as the Creation Festival family can change the world for the poor and hurting children across the globe by showing the tangible love of Jesus.
There is a lot more to tell! I will be visiting my sponsored child in Ghana in January and I can’t wait to see him. Stay tuned for more updates, video, and photos in the coming months.
Serving Jesus with Joy!
Pastor Harry Thomas
For more information on how join with us to change the life of a Child forever click here.
