Voice 1
Welcome to Spotlight. I’m Ryan Geertsma.
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And I’m Robin Basselin. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
Mario Matos is a minister of a local church in the Dominican Republic. But he does more than lead his church. He is married and has two children. And he works in his community. His goal is to start positive change and improve life in the whole Dominican Republic. He believes he can do so through education and training leaders in the local community.
Voice 2
Today’s Spotlight is on Pastor Matos and his goal of developing the next generation of leaders in the Dominican Republic.
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"We are working with organizations and teams who often work with the least, the last and the lost – people who live in extreme poverty and often experience violence.”
Voice 1
That is how Pastor Matos described his work to writer Chris Meehan of CRC Communications. Matos works with a few Christian organizations. He works with these organizations to improve the lives of people living in poverty.
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One of the areas Matos works to improve is education in the Dominican Republic. Over forty percent of the people in the Dominican Republic live on less than US $1 per day. This number is greater in areas away from the cities. As a result, many children move to the cities to earn money for their families. They often leave school at age twelve or thirteen to work. Working replaces school. Matos told CRC Communications that in the end many of these children are street children.
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"Many of the children are living on the streets. They ask for free money. Many are abused and some become sex workers or drug sellers … many of these young people cannot read or write. They have no skills and few choices.”
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The lack of education causes poverty to continue. Without education, children who live in poverty usually stay in poverty. Matos is working to improve the lives of these children and their families. In this effort, he has joined with an organization called Colegio Christianos Reformados or COCREF.
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This organization now has 26 schools in the Dominican Republic. It serves more than five thousand students. Many of the students at these schools come from uneducated families. As a result, there is often a history of poverty in the family.
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The COCREF schools are Christian. That is, the teaching follows the example of Jesus Christ. This is true in what the students learn. But it is also important in how the schools support each other. The COCREF schools support each other. The cost of each school is based on the economy of the local community. Schools in wealthier areas help support schools in the poorer areas.
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Students at COCREF schools receive a very good education. Many of the students go on to study at universities. Some students even return home to teach new students or act as leaders in the community. This is just what Julio Vilches decided to do.
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Julio told his story to the Banner, a magazine. You see, Julio’s mother worked cleaning houses. She did not make very much money. But, he was able to attend a COCREF school. By age fourteen [14], he was already teaching younger students. After university, he became a school manager and a Christian minister. Now he is studying for another advanced degree.
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Mario Matos is helping teachers like Julio in the COCREF schools. First, he develops better teaching materials for the schools. These materials help the teachers do their jobs better.
Voice 1
He also helps the schools and teachers find new ways to reach more students. He believes that young people in the Dominican Republic need what these schools have to offer. He believes they need education and a Christian understanding of the world and of life. He sees his work as building God’s kingdom. He wants to see justice and growth and a full life for kids and their families.
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Pastor Matos does not just work with his church and the schools of COCREF. He also works to train new leaders in the community. To do this training, he has joined with another organization, The Center for Transforming Mission.
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This center believes that the power for changing a community already exists in that community. However, finding the resources for change in a poor or crime filled community can be difficult. But finding the resources in the community provides the greatest possibility of lasting and permanent effects.
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Community change started by local leaders is usually the most successful kind of change. Sadly, many of the leaders who already exist in a struggling community are tired and over-worked. So, often what is most needed in the community is training and encouragement for the leaders that are already there.
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Pastor Matos and the Center for Transforming Mission work to provide such training and support. They work to do this by creating systems of connected people. These systems of people work together. Together they care for families and communities in the Dominican Republic. Pastor Matos manages a system of connected people including over 75 pastors and youth leaders.
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"Some organizations in our system work on starting new churches and spreading the Christian message. Other organizations start Christian schools. And others work to develop the community. They work with at-risk street children and young people. And they help sex workers find new ways to live.”
Voice 2
Pastor Mario Matos works in many ways to improve the lives of the people in the Dominican Republic. Through his work, he is giving individual people the tools they need to improve life in the Dominican Republic. Matos believes some of those necessary tools are the values and teachings of the Christian Bible.
Voice 1
Pastor Matos believes the Christian message will help all people who are hurting. But he knows that to care for the needs of their spirit, he must help improve their physical situation.
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"Where there is pain, God is there. This is all about Heavenly work, and doing it from the bottom up. We want to model Jesus…We want to help people get connected to power, to connect the powerful with the powerless."
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