For the second year, the United Church of God sent a minister to visit a group of members and prospective members in the Dominican Republic, a Spanish-speaking nation in the Caribbean. Ralph Levy, a minister who teaches at Ambassador Bible Center and who is fluent in Spanish, was in the country from Dec. 1 to 7, 2005.

Dr. Levy arrived in Santo Domingo on Thursday, Dec. 1, and was met by member Zoraya Diaz and her husband, Orlando Gabriel. They kindly drove him to his hotel in the capital, where he was to stay for the following six nights.

On Friday, Dec. 2, Dr. Levy held an interactive Bible study in Orlando and Zoraya's home. Eight people were present, including Juan Núñez, a member from Mao, Valverde (a four-hour bus ride north of Santo Domingo), who had come to the capital for the weekend.

The questions were different from those of last year, and seemed generally less urgent, as matters of the Christian way of life. Subjects covered included cities of refuge in the Old Testament, and the meaning of "the law," as used in various New Testament passages.

The group of members and prospective members were asked about their Feast of Tabernacles, which had been observed via electronic connection, and it seems things went well. The ladies and Zoraya's two boys had stayed in a rented house on the beach west of Santo Domingo, and watched the services from Mexico via a laptop computer and an Internet connection.

Because of a storm warning, they left the beach house two days before the end of the Feast, and returned to Santo Domingo, where they viewed the remaining services in Zoraya and Orlando's home. It turned out the storm never materialized! They all expressed satisfaction with the Feast and the messages, and said they had learned a lot.

On the Sabbath, Dec. 3, there was another Bible study, this time at the home of Altagracia Melenciano. The theme of the study was the three resurrections, and differing characteristics of each, which was the subject they had expressed interest in last year. We had a few more Bible questions after the formal study, and adjourned at about 5, after which a delicious dinner was served.

On the remaining days there were more opportunities for fellowship, including a visit to historical parts of the city of Santo Domingo. On Tuesday night, Dec. 6, Dr. Levy was again invited to the home of Altagracia for dinner with her and her two daughters, as well as two of the other ladies.

Our small group in Santo Domingo comprises a nucleus of four ladies who study the Bible together twice a week, on Wednesdays and Sabbaths. Additionally, there is a larger group of some eight to ten total (including the four), who come to hear the recorded sermons on the Sabbath in the home of Zoraya and Orlando.

It was good to see the interest of this little group, and to have the chance to encourage them in the faith. Plans call for this to be an annual visit to this beautiful Caribbean nation.