2nd Mile Missions

2nd Mile Missions was created to help people of the Dominican Republic break free from the poverty cycle and become independent and productive individuals. Children especially face an educational barrier, as more than 8,000 children in the Punta Cana/Bavaro area will be denied access in 2023. 2nd Mile provides educational, nutritional and spiritual enrichment, meeting basic needs in a loving, nurturing and Christ-centered environment.

Eduardo Castilio, Lisa Harstine, Mason McIntyre and Sue Vercauteren are all currently serving with 2nd Mile Missions in community development, church support and education.

What to Know

2nd Mile started in 2006 after a family trip to the Dominican in 2006

2nd Mile Missions Educational Center opened in 2010 as a private Christian school

Hope Academy opened in 2021 as a second private Christian school

The schools continue to grow, and land has been purchased to build a new middle school/high school

Sponsorship is critical to provide students this faith-based environment to learn

For $45 a month/$540 a year, you can provide a student relational and financial support as a sponsor. Sponsors receive a “New Sponsor Welcome Packet” that provides all the tools needed to build a relationship with their student. Sponsors, who receive a school photo of their student each year, can also correspond with their student throughout the year.

Sponsor a Child About Sponsorship

Another way to support children at Hope Academy is by donating to the Hope Scholarship Fund. Tuition assistance for unsponsored students is provided through this fund, which also provides funding for special programming for students and their families.

Hope Fund Scholarship

Prayers

Pray for the interviews for a new School Director for Hope Academy. Odelice Ramirez has been the Director of Hope Academy since the doors opened three years ago. She has done an amazing job of leading her staff, developing programs that benefit families and loving children unconditionally! Odelice is going to retire at the end of this school year, and she will be greatly missed. Although we all feel no one can replace her, we do need to find a new director to continue with the wonderful program she has developed. Please be in prayer for Mason (2MM Executive Director), Eduardo (Country Director) and Odelice (Hope Academy Director) as interviews of potential candidates will be taking place in early April. Pray that they are a united front, trusting in the Holy Spirit to guide them to the person the Lord has planned to lead Hope Academy this next school year.
Pray for our Awareness/VBS Trip to the DR in April. We have a group of women who either in the past or currently work/serve in Sonlight Children’s Ministry at WCC going to the DR in April. The goal is to learn more about 2nd Mile Missions and the work the Lord is doing there, to meet the children Sonlight sponsors and/or they personally sponsor and to host a VBS for the children in Monte Verde (Haitian Refugee Village) in the church’s small school. Please pray for this team being led by Sue and Nancy as they prepare to go, learn and serve the community 2nd MileMissions supports.

Early registration for the next school year opens in April. We are praying and believing that even more children will register to attend Hope Academy next year! Please be praying over the administration staff as they go through this busy season preparing for the end of this school year and the start of the next school year.
Pray for Orlina Burnett. Please be in prayer for our Social Worker, Orlina Burnett. During the registration season, Orlina will meet with several families to determine if their student qualifies for a scholarship. This could be a partial scholarship or a complete sponsorship of their student’s tuition. The needs she’ll come across are great and the desire to help them all is even greater. Please pray for the Holy Spirit’s leading in what each family qualifies for regarding assistance. Orlina carries a heavy burden with these decisions, so please lift her up in prayer!

Praises

Please continue to lift up Haiti and the Dominican Republic concerning the ongoing dispute over the Dajabon River. There hasn’t been much said about it in several months, but the border being open for trade has been a blessing that we want to praise the Lord for! Continue to pray over this issue and for the country of Haiti, as they continue to struggle with lack of true leadership in their nation.
Praise God for all He does and continues to do for the least of these!