Imagine the risks for Dominican families in rural areas. The pandemic has impacted finances and health care in an already fragile economy. More than ever, people need the fuel savings and health benefits that solar ovens offer, so demand for solar ovens grows despite the pandemic. Photos courtesy of SOP.

Despite the ups-and-downs of the COVID pandemic, including months of waiting for travel advisories to lift, Solar Oven Partners volunteers persist.

Director Marjorie Evans-de-Carpio and nine mission volunteers are ready to fly on March 23 and work in the Dominican Republic (DR) until April 2. Prayers for “wheels up.”

Fourteen volunteers signed on for the 2022 March mission journey, knowing that if anyone contracted COVID in-country, they would not be allowed to fly home until they recovered. Should any volunteer become seriously ill, he or she would have to depend on Dominican health facilities where staff might not speak or understand English. Interpreters may not enter the hospital.

Because of sustained uncertainty, some volunteers finally cancelled due to work and family issues. Nine resolute volunteers and Director Marj still cannot fly until the US State Department lowers the DR travel advisory to Level 3. UMVIM travel/health insurance will not cover persons traveling at Level 4. Prayers for Level 3!

The Dominican Evangelical Church has a backup plan in the event that the US team cannot travel due to the State Department’s threat level. They have a team of 12, including four youth from the northwestern coastal town of Samana who will carry out the distribution without us. The SOP board will pay the expenses (oven transport, team room and board, seminar food). The Dominican team members include 2 part-time staff and one contractor. The rest are all volunteers.

Now that COVID restrictions have lessened, our Dominican director Erasme Figaro is enlisting youth to help build ovens and to bring cooking seminars to more remote rural communities. Erasme plans to incorporate faith development activities in this SOP ministry. Prayers for our youth partners!

March team members combine rich VIM experience and first-timer enthusiasm:

•Marj Evans-de-Carpio—Lake Benton, MN; SOP Director

• Connie Smith—Montrose, SD; SOP Communications Team; Haiti, DR and Sierra Leone

• Bill Smith—Montrose, SD; Haiti, DR and Sierra Leone

• Lalo Carpio-de-Evans—Lake Benton, MN; the Dominican Republic is his country of origin;

   Navajo Nation

• Hannah Andres—Intern at Spearfish; first SOP Mission trip

• Carol Knodle—Fargo, ND; Dominican Republic

• Walter "Wally" Sizer—Moorehead, MN; Dominican Republic

• Tammy Kunz—Seville, OH; UMVIM Jurisdictional Coordinator

• Idella Sylvah—Otsego, MN; Daughter of Sierra Leone team members Christopher

   and Winifred Sylvah; first time serving on an SOP team.

Let’s hope for Wheels up!