As some of you know, I went to the Dominican Republic on a mission trip at the end of July. I stayed on the south side of the island. I was able to see how they live and why it’s called a third world country. A girl I know, Hallie, was on a mission trip at the same time as me, but she was in the northern part of the country. We were in two different locations and yet we saw some of the same houses in the in the villages away from the city. None of those houses are going to be able to withstand Hurricane Irma’s winds. There are few that are made of cement or cinder block but a majority of the homes have tin and wood keeping them together. According to The National Hurricane Center, a category 5 hurricane, which is Irma’s, has 157+ mph winds. It says, “A high percentage of framed homes will be destroyed, with total roof failure and wall collapse. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last for weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months.” Framed homes will be destroyed. The Dominican Republic village homes are not framed. If the framed homes will be destroyed what chance does a non-framed home have?

I know the U.S needs prayers. I have nothing against praying for the U.S. But, we are forgetting the other places that are being affected by the hurricane. U.S isn’t the only country being affected. St. Martin was hit. The U.S. and British Virgin Islands were hit. Puerto Rico has been hit. We are all people.

We can’t focus all our prayers on just the Americans.

Puerta Plata is a tourist city. It is a place where many honeymooners go. You see the beautiful clear blue water and the white sands. You see the grand hotels. You see the city. You don’t see the villages. On the opposite side of the country, in Juan Dolio, you don’t have the fancy hotels, even in the city. But, it is just as beautiful. You do have the clear blue water and white washed sands. I spent time on the Caribbean beach. But, just like in Puerta Plata, the villages show the “third world.” Santo Domingo looks a little like Puerta Plata, it just isn’t as well known, and the villages around are the same. I went to a city called Juan Dolio, east of Santo Domingo, and it is the opposite of Santo Domingo and Puerta Plata. Most of the Dominican villages are in the heart of sugar cane fields. You have to drive dirt roads to get to their villages. We were there one day that it rained, and the church called us and told us not to come because they knew we wouldn’t be able to get there without crossing muddy puddles and it would be hard for us to leave without getting our bus stuck. That day, it poured but it wasn’t a storm. Imagine what a Hurricane would do. Imagine how stuck the people would be or imagine how help will get to them if Irma hits them. I just want to show you the houses that are in the Dominican Republic. The houses that will have to endure the 157 mph winds and the rain/floods that come with a hurricane.

I have pictures from Hallie and the villages she visited near Puerta Plata. Those are shown here:

Here are some of the homes I saw in my journey on the other side of the island:

No matter what side of the island you go on, you will see why it is called a "Third-World Country." But they all need prayers. Do you think they will be able to handle the flood waters and the winds? Keep the Dominicans and Haitians that live on the island in your prayers when you think of the other Irma victims, Harvey victims, and the possible Jose and Katia victims.