Mission Possible was established in December of 2006 as an outreach effort from The FEST and Saint Ambrose Parish. The instigation for the mission trip to Higuey was a conversation with Archbishop Timothy Broglio, then Papal Nuncio, to the Dominican Republic. He recounted story after story of the extreme poverty and lack of advocacy that challenged the Haitian refugees living in the Dominican Republic. Archbishop Broglio made the introduction between a community of religious sisters serving outside of Higuey addressing the needs of the poorest of the poor who were living by the river (tin city). After initial conversations, we outlined the mission projects to build a community center/chapel, a school, and additional housing for the Community of Saint John the Evangelist for displaced Haitians.
From the initial trip in late 2006, there have been two formal mission trips each year and numerous smaller excursions. In six years, we have completed our initial projects of: a community center, school, a staffed medical clinic, chicken coop for both income and food, provided water and septic for the initial sixty houses, helped construct some housing, and worked to provide social skills and socialization for this disparate group of neighbors.
Today, the community is growing in cooperation and understanding of each other and of our efforts. We are in the process of: establishing a self-sustaining tilapia farms, creating space for a community bakery and workshop. In light of the current disaster in Haiti, we are ramping up development and construction of 100 additional housing units for those who have been fleeing Haiti for the Dominican Republic. The need for our presence, support and efforts is greater today than it was three years ago.
