by Wendy Clark
In September, I paid my first visit to our ICC children’s village in Las Palmas, Dominican Republic. What stayed with me most was the warmth—open smiles, eager conversations, and children undeterred by language barriers, repeating themselves in Spanish and taking my hand to show me their world.
Family life is the heart of the village. Younger children proudly showed me their rooms and closet spaces, while older kids read books, cared for a pet, or helped cook a meal. Parents prepare food in home kitchens using produce from nearby gardens and orchards. In one home, ripe mangos nestled in a bowl on the counter. In church, each family shared a pew, a heartwarming picture of belonging.
The children love Pathfinders. During my visit, the church celebrated World Pathfinder Day and the world club’s 75th anniversary. Dressed in uniform, the children marched to the front of the sanctuary, reciting the Pledge and Law and singing the Pathfinder Song with joyful confidence.
Music fills daily life at Las Palmas. Children performed throughout the Pathfinder service, and student musicians rehearsed challenging pieces at the school. The weekend concluded with a concert by Dominican Christian singer-songwriter Wenner Bello, whose songs the children sang enthusiastically word for word.
Las Palmas exists because someone cared enough to build it, and it continues because others choose to invest in its future. A future gift through a will, trust, or retirement plan can help ensure this village—and others like it—remain places of hope and stability for generations to come.
