by Mike Reed, Director of Student Ministries @ MBC Loudoun

We just returned from an amazing missions trip to the Dominican Republic where we took 216 people to further the gospel in Santo Domingo. Out of the 216 people we have about 50 adults and 170 students. 35 of them were Loudoun ROCK students. One incredible story I have to share is the hearts of these students in their desire to be an accurate representation of Acts 2:42-47 church. One day we went to an orphanage where there was a boy Israel who was 15 and had deformities in his knees and feet. Crippled in a wheel chair his entire life, we quickly found out that he was supposed to have had 4 surgeries to correct his illness and prayerfully have him walking again but the money somehow was lost and got tangled in other expenses. So immediately one of our students said to me “hey mike, why don’t we just pay for Israel’s surgeries?” We added it up and we figured that if each student from Loudoun just gave $20 that could pay for the first one, and if they gave $30, that could pay for two. We got on the bus and I challenged the students with the task and hand, and told them to imagine what the Lord could do if he was given the ability to walk and how he could be used by the Lord. Less then 1 hour later I had almost $700 dollars in my hand! We gave the money to Giavoni who is one of the missionaries and he broke down in tears. He could not believe such young people would think less of themselves and give to help a child walk instead of spending their money on their own needs. We have paid for his first surgery and half of the second one. The students are excited to raise more this year to prayerfully pay off all four surgeries needed! Praise God for what He is doing in these students and their passion to be used by Him and to give to those in need.