Jody Leis is fielding a lot of phone calls these days.
The Elmira resident is preparing for a short-term mission trip to the Dominican Republic, something he has done every year for the past five years.
This year, however, plans have changed dramatically as a result of the Jan. 12 earthquake that has levelled much of the Dominican’s neighbouring country, Haiti.
Now, instead of spending most of the trip working on a number of handyman projects at the Nuestros Pequenos Hermano orphanage, his team members will be helping to build a warehouse.
The warehouse will be used to help serve as a temporary storage area for supplies that will be brought through Dominican to help the people of Haiti.
Leis said that he is now leaving for the Dominican a week earlier than anticipated, in hopes of securing building materials for the warehouse.
He has also had additional volunteers sign up for the trip, which means coordinating some last-minute flight changes to make it all work.
The mission team comprises members of St. James Lutheran Church in Elmira, as well as some other team members from outside the community.
The church has gotten behind the work of Friends of the Orphans Canada for the past five years, ever since Leis met with pastor Hans Borch with the desire that his church community “do something” in the larger world.
His first trip to the Dominican was in 2006, and he has been returning every February since.
“When you know you can help, I think you should,” said Leis.
In recent trips, the church has provided the funds and manpower to build a school and pharmacy.
The school is being used as an adult education centre, helping adults gain basic literacy skills that many of them do not already have.
For this trip, the warehouse is going to be the main priority. NPH has orphanages and a hospital in Haiti, and relief supplies will be coming in to Dominican Republic and delivered overland to the orphanages in need.
The warehouse will be needed for at least two years, so Leis will have a tough job ahead of him – securing materials for the warehouse in the aftermath of the earthquake, where rebuilding will be a focus for everyone.
He will be joined by Ken Speers of Friends of the Orphans Canada, who will help him with the advance work that needs to be done.
Once his team arrives, they will be put to work building the warehouse.
Leis also hopes to start setting up microfinancing for local businesses, granting loans of up to $125 US to help men and women set up small businesses in their homes. He also hopes to provide up to $4,000 to the orphanage itself, to help with increased costs it now has, as a result of the earthquake.
All of this is done without any fundraising on the part of Leis or St. James. The money needed each year to cover the cost of supplies and support to the orphanage just seems to come in, as people hear about the project.
“People just know us, and find out what we are doing, and just give to the church,” said Leis. “To me, it’s like God is saying ‘just do the work I’m calling you to do,’ and he will get people to support it.”
Leis leaves for the Dominican on Feb. 8, with the rest of his team arriving on Feb. 15. Those wishing to support the project can give donations to St. James Lutheran Church, specifying that the donation is for the Dominican project.
There is also room on their flight to take an additional 360 lbs. of relief items, such as medical supplies, tarps, children’s clothing. Please contact the church for information on how to donate.