November Sojourn: Sean and Erin Dawson

From the beginning, we could feel God’s hand on our trip, blessing it! Even before we left, He provided for us in unexpected ways. We had felt a little intimidated by some of the things Shane had asked us to do in the Dominican, but we also rested in the fact that this was God’s trip, and He would be strong in our weakness.

We immediately knew that William Gomez was going to be a great asset to our trip. He was such a joy to be around, and sacrificed so much of his time for us- even lending us his vehicle when he had to be out of town! It was amazing to just show up, and watch God do all the things we felt incapable of. One thing that Shane had asked us to do, was to bring reconciliation between William and Alex, two key people involved in the Children’s Home project. Sean and I are both introverts, and had no idea where to even begin! We told William twice that we wanted to get together with Alex, and he arranged it as soon as he could. Within a couple of days of them being together again, they had set aside their differences, realizing that they both had the same desire- to see the children’s home running, and helping some needy kids! William told us he was glad we came, because it got them back together.

We were able to spend quite a bit of time with Alex and Elizabeth, working and having fun. They are a wonderful couple, doing great work in the Dominican, and they clearly love the Lord with their whole heart. Alex built a chicken house for the children’s home (with Sean’s help), and spending time at the property seemed to renew his passion for the project.

William put us in contact with a pastor from a Haitian village near Sosua. The pastors name is Salvador, and he has deep love for the Lord, and the people in his village. The problem is, the village is extremely poor, and even Salvador is struggling to survive. He has no roof on his house, so he has to rent a house to live in while he fixes his house up. The rent monopolizes his income, and he is unable to fix his house. We asked him how much it would cost to put a roof on his house, and he said it would cost 12000 pesos- about $500 Canadian. We were able to help him with about half of what he needed. If he can finish his house enough to move in, he will have more time to spend with the people in his village, and accomplish his goals for his church. There is a lot of need there. We want to help him more in the future.

We were sad to leave, because it felt like we have a new family in the Dominican, and we have truly missed them since we’ve been back in Canada. We will definitely be returning in the next year or two, because it feels like they are now a part of us, and we are incomplete without them. I remember wishing we could stay, and that Canada could be just over the mountain by Santiago, instead of a 10 hour flight away. We missed our family in Canada, but also felt like there was so much more left to do.

We strongly encourage anyone interested, to go. It will change you in ways you won’t expect, and you will love the people as soon as you meet them. We are looking forward to what God has planned for this project in the future!

Sean and Erin Dawson

Shane in China

Well I said that I would get you a report of what I did in China, and here it is...

The reason for the trip was twofold. First, because of a master degree I am taking in intercultural and international communication, there was a three week residency to complete. The second reason was to visit a relative of family friends in Canada. This man has an orphanage near Biejing. We talked about partnering with each other in his work there.


My first 5 days was spent in Beijing in a ministry to handicapped children who have been taken in. There were about 40 children in a few locations, all being cared for my a national staff. The plan was to eventually bring these children to the countryside and teach them to live and function as well as possible. The second plan is to teach parents of handicapped children that there is hope for their children, and that there are many possibilities for them to lead fulfilled lives.

The next segment of my experience in China was to travel to Jinan, Shandong province, and attend university classes at Shandong Normal University. My cohort of 28 students went to classes from 9 am to 5 pm daily, and excursions to historical/cultural sites on Saturdays. For many of us it was almost information overload after awhile. We learned things about many different segments of Chinese cultural differences. We also spend extended periods of time with assigned "buddies' while we were at the university. My buddy's name was Goa yo, better known as "Hier."

Please take some time to look at the video's and photo's that I have uploaded...

Stay tuned for reports about the November Sojourn to the Dominican Republic, the next sojourn in January, and a great need in Haiti...