El Espiritu del Senor, esta sobre mi. The Spirit of the Lord is Upon Me. These are the words that guide Joanne Peterson and the community organizing she does on behalf of the poorest and most vulnerable citizens in the Dominican Republic. For decades we have been blessed to support this ministry both in financial and human resources. Throughout the year fundraisers are held to assist Joanne in establishing free health care clinics for mothers and their newborn children. Adults and youth from Incarnate Word have traveled there and continue to look for ways of assisting Joanne in her community organizing efforts.
In addition to her healthcare efforts, Joanne is committed to raising the standards of living through the construction of aqueducts for drinking water as well as greenhouse projects that teach villages how to sustainably grow their produce. She is also committed to helping start schools, institute literacy programs, senior citizen care, and re-foresting the area in and around El Cercado.
“Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me” (Mark 9:48)
The Lutheran Church of the Incarnate Word 