Support Raising and Small Update

Posted by Maddy March 06, 2025

Support Raising and Small Update

Dear supporters, family, and friends,

I would like to start by thanking you for your support throughout my time of ministry in the Dominican Republic through the Global Bridge program. My continued presence in the DR is because of your support and prayers. This year, I’ve been able to work in a tutoring site in a community called El Callejón while based at the Students International (SI) base in Jarabocoa.

This year, I have had a greater responsibility with the short term teams that visit the DR through SI. I have been functioning as an intern, which means that I help lead devotional activities, excursions, run evening activities (like worship nights and banquet night at the end of the week), and translate on a daily basis for site participants. I’ve been given amazing opportunities to grow in my Spanish through my homestay, classes, and also the ability to translate for staff.

At the tutoring site, we focus on helping kids from 4-12 years old in the subjects that they are struggling in. I’ve been able to learn more about what it means to teach from my site leaders, Merolin and Carolina, as they patiently instruct me while also giving me responsibility and freedom. I’ve been given the freedom to create lesson plans and teach the class in the afternoons, which has been such a blessing. It’s given me space to grow and I love to teach. We have also been able to work in the local public school to support a teacher and her third grade class. Our main purpose is to work with the kids with learning disabilities like ADHD and dyslexia so that their reading levels will finally be on par with their classmates. I’ve been working with two specific boys on their reading and they’ve been a joy to have. I've added some pictures at the bottom of some of the work that I've been able to participate in at the site!

This year has been such a blessing to me and I cherish the connections that I’ve made here. Learning in a cross-cultural setting has grown my ability to communicate and relate to those around the world who have been created in Christ’s image. The way that the SI staff, the site participants, and the short-term teams have blessed my life and I’m very grateful for all of them.

As I reach the mid-point of my final semester in the DR for the foreseeable future, I would like to ask for your continued support. Jarabocoa will be receiving three weeks of teams within the next month, and this will be a busy time. Pray for the staff, the other interns, and myself as we work to support these teams. Please pray also for the teams, that they would have hearts of service and that their experience here would be touched by Christ.

I am also needing some financial support to finish out this semester. To be fully paid off by April 10th, I am looking for $770. If God lays it on your heart to give, you can find the information in my instagram bio or here, at this link.

God Bless,

Maddy Kleinman