VFM Goes to the Dominican Republic

DR Team - Dana, Jamee, Jenny, Amy, and Debbie

Did you realize the command “GO” appears over a thousand times in the Bible? Interestingly, the VFM theme for 2026, SOJOURN with Jesus, implies going/traveling/walking/following Him. GO and SOJOURN. What could GO and SOJOURN look like at Visual Faith Ministry in 2026? Well, GOING and SOJOURNING happens daily as you encounter Jesus on the pages of your Bible during your devotional time. It happens at Zoom events when our community gathers to spend time in the Word and in fellowship. And, for five of us, GOING and SOJOURNING happened during a short-term mission trip to the Dominican Republic, as we shared VFM practices and resources with God’s people in schools, churches, and homes. The mastermind behind this short-term mission trip was VFM Coach and LCMS Missionary Dana Stigdon, who planned an action-packed week for our team.

During our eight days (September 4-12) in the Dominican Republic, we offered four family workshops (focusing on gratitude + visual prayer), met with teachers (sharing VFM’s Educator Packet in Spanish), and guided the regional staff in the practice of Prayer of Lament. We were invited to engage in the rhythm of church/seminary life as we celebrated the tenth anniversary of Centro de Misericordia y Seminario Concordia el Reformador, tagged along with Pastor Weber and seminary students as they made weekly home visits, and – as best we could – followed along with the beautiful Spanish versions of the Order of Matins and the Order of Vespers services. We enjoyed early morning walks at the botanical center, toured Kah Kow chocolate factory, gained a bird’s eye view of Santiago via the Teleferico (cable car), and deeply appreciated air-conditioned spaces when we encountered them. Each of the team members was asked to share her thoughts (and favorite photos) as she reflected on this short-term mission experience. We pray this will ignite a spark in the hearts of others in the VFM community to gather a short-term team to GO and SOJOURN with Jesus!

 Jamee Thieme: “I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Psalm 139:14

During our recent VFM mission trip to the Dominican Republic, we had the opportunity to not only teach but also to be learners. We learned about the Lutheran missions that are being planted there. One that was close to my heart was Good Shepherd Lutheran Home in Palmar Arribas, which is a group home for 6 special needs adults. We spent a morning with Junior, Estefani, Francis, Moises, Ramona and Randy in this beautiful and loving environment. We enjoyed sharing crafts, playing games together and celebrating their joy in everyday life activities. It was a beautiful reminder of how we are all made in God’s image and we give thanks for Deaconess Danelle Putnam-Schumann along with her dedicated staff who lovingly care for these children of God!

Debbie Yocky: My favorite part of the trip was seeing people of all ages and different cultures (Dominican, Argentinian, American, Chilean, etc.) engage in the same Visual Faith practices that I use and discover the same truths. Slowing down through writing and coloring helps to focus our minds on God's Word and helps us to spend more time actively engaged in prayer. This photo shows the women sharing their gratitudes. I love how engaged they are with the process and the joy on their faces. We had people of all ages and levels of Biblical knowledge in our sessions (pastors, seminarians, missionaries, children, and teenagers). Everyone was engaged and participating! What a wonderful experience to travel and teach together.

Amy Rast: “On the back of your card write one thing that for which you were thankful yesterday, and one thing for which you are thankful today.” Jenny’s instructions rang out clearly over the group

in English, echoed by Dana’s translation in Spanish. Suddenly the excited chatter of the group was stilled. Faces grew thoughtful, and one-by-one, heads bent over their cards and pencils scratched out personal words of gratitude to the Lord. Walking among them, I wondered what people are grateful for in this land of oppressive heat, humble homes of cement blocks covered by corrugated zinc roofs, rutted, traffic-filled roads, and the constant clamor of voices, pulsing music, and traffic noises from the rooster’s first crow at dawn to the last dog barks at night. Tired from a long day of work, parents patiently helped their children form words of gratitude: thank you Lord for my parents, my school, and my friends, while adults wrote thanks for family, for employment, for health, for their pastor. One small child spelled out a gratitude that said it all, por la vida eterna – for eternal life. Dominican Christians are thankful for all that God gives, even in the face of difficult circumstances, and especially for the salvation that is theirs in Christ Jesus. This may be best described in the following prayer sung before meals:

Gracias damos, Señor, por el pan,

gracias damos, Señor, por el pan;

Por el pan espiritual,

que alimenta a cada cual,

y también por el pan material.

Translation: We give You thanks, Lord, for the bread,

we give You thanks, Lord, for the bread;

For the spiritual bread

that nourishes everyone,

and also for the material bread.

Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for

you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NASB)

Jenny Long: As I reflect on our eight days in the Dominican Republic, overwhelming abundance was so apparent in the hospitality, in the needs, and in the hearts of God’s people. While in Santiago, our evening meals were provided by missionaries, pastors’ families, and deaconesses. What an abundance of good food and warm fellowship as we visited around kitchen tables and on backyard patios! During home visits in Palmar Arriba, our team saw how God abundantly and overwhelmingly uses His people and resources to address the struggles of daily living: a lack of safety and security, a longing for far-away family members, and the assurance of salvation. Throughout the week, God graciously supplied overwhelming and abundant heart moments; it was our privilege to listen to stories of those who simply needed to be heard, hold babies so their mamas could fully participate, warmly embrace attendees at our workshops, learn lessons of contentment from God’s people in the DR, and – yes - share VFM practices/resources with people who were open to learning new ways to pray and give thanks. Finally, the Lord was overwhelmingly abundant in gathering fellow team members (Dana, Amy, Debbie, and Jamee) for this short-term mission trip; their incredible wisdom, talents, energy, and stamina were deeply appreciated and esteemed by me as we traveled and served together.