Centro Evangelico
What is Centro Evangelico?
Centro Evangelico is a school founded by Pastor Raul Aquino Peguero in 2001 in an impoverished area in El Prado, Dominican Republic. We started our relationship with the school in 2009 and have been a key part of their support ever since. The school has few resources so we financially and physically support the school. We have a Classroom Sponsorship program (see our Donations page) which allows us to send funds each month to help support all areas of the school. We also send mission trip teams to do a wide range of activities from building projects, evangelism, medical and dental clinic, women’s retreats, and men’s conferences.
Contact us to learn more about how you too can be involved by being the hands and feet of Jesus in the Dominican Republic!
Past Projects With Centro Evangelico
Reaching The Forgotten
Pastor Raul’s church received a donation of land in a very remote area outside of Azua. His vision was to build an outreach shelter so that the community has a place to gather…and maybe have a school someday. A team came down and built that shelter and got to see the community worship under the new shelter.
The Church Is On The Move
Pastor Raul wanted to bring more people to know Jesus and was led to move his church facility to a different section of Azua. A team came down to help put up the walls. It was exciting to see a packed house for the first Sunday worship. God is good!
Trade Skills Are Needed
The community was in need of trade skills so a Trade Center was built. The center has three bays: a workshop, a multi-use area, and a kitchen. The school can now teach welding, sewing, and cooking to students at CEEP and in the community. Learning opportunities are growing.
Kids Enjoy A New Playground
Kids everywhere enjoy playgrounds, so we installed an enhanced playground,
which was sourced from Kids Around the World. It was fun to see the kids from
the area flock to CEEP to enjoy the new playground and hear the Word of God.
Along with the playground, we sent down a 40-foot shipping container filled with
supplies and equipment (including a skid steer). By the end of the trip, the
shipping container was repurposed into a storage facility and workshop.
Getting The Kids Out Of The Hot Sun and Into God's Big House!
A steel roof was constructed over the Sports Court…by a team of just 10 people. The team worked some long days but got the roof up. We named it “God’s Big House” or “Casa Grande de Dios”. Even COVID couldn’t stop this project from happening. The school can get kids out of the hot sun for recess and the court can be used for other community events.
Dental Clinics and Community Outreach
After learning how poor dental hygiene is in the area, we try to do dental care clinics as often as we can. Kids camps and community outreaches are a normal part of most trips. Loving our neighbors!
Teams Need A Place To Stay
After crowding into Pastor Raul’s garage for a while, we built a dorm building to better house teams. There’s a men’s side and women’s side, with a community room in the building. We also learned much from a medical and dental clinic. The kids are malnourished and had little dental hygiene. We have improved those areas since that trip. We also toured a restoration project which we funded for a family whose home was severely damaged due to flooding.
A Fresh Look
Due to a medical emergency, two of the team had to leave shortly after we arrived. The local medical facilities were visited a couple times but the team continued on. This was a hard trip. We were physically and spiritually drained as we remodeled a building at the school to create a school office, resurfaced the sports court, and improved a kitchen area. The week ended with a school year-end celebration which lifted us all. That’s why we were there!
More Than Just A Building
A multi-generational team of 12 traveled to El Prado to construct a new building for the school. Enrollment was going! This team experienced many struggles along the way from automobiles not starting to walls tumbling down. They discovered much spiritual growth through those struggles. Many on the team were baptized by Pastor Raul in the ocean. It was a powerful trip and certainly was much more than just a building.
More Space Needed
A team of 12 guys traveled to El Prado to put an addition on one their buildings. More classrooms were needed. The Sports Court had become a draw for kids in the community. It was the first Sports Court in El Prado. We worked alongside our Dominican brothers and sisters and managed to get the building up roof and all. We were all amazed at how they can take concrete blocks and make into a beautiful facility. We were able to hold an Upward basketball camp as well. We’re realizing that we’re making a difference. God is affirming our work in the Dominican Republic.
Build It And They Will Come
A team of 23 ranging from 12 to 70 years old traveled to El Prado for our first trip to the region. Our mission was to build a sports court for the school which was just 8 years in existence. At first sight, the mission looked impossible! The boulders in our path were enormous…but nothing is impossible with God. The sports court was completed and used by the end of the week! We were amazed!
Interested In Visiting Centro Evangelico?
If you are interested in taking a trip to the Dominican Republic and volunteering or interning at Centro Evangelico, please fill out the form and we will be in contact with you.