BANGOR: TWO GROUPS, ONE DESTINATION

Youth from two Greater Bangor congregations have had their eyes and their hearts on the Dominican Republic this year. About 40 people from Charleston Pentecostal Church traveled south in March to help build a church in the Caribbean island nation. And three students who attend St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church in Brewer will head there in July. “I’m definitely hoping to grow closer to God, and just let God work through me to help these people,” said Josh Buck, 18. The Bangor High School senior is gearing up for a mission trip to the city of Jalonda, where the St. Patrick’s students and some other Maine Episcopal youth plan projects. Earlier this year, a student at Central High School in Corinth joined a group from Charleston Pentecostal Church whose members built a church in Santiago. “We got it finished,” said Michael Smith Jr. “On opening night we had around 300 people.” The Dominican city “was the size of Bangor and Brewer and had 1 million people,” Smith said.