Day 1: This Is The Day The Lord Has Made

     A great start to the 2014 trip. The team arrived safely in Azua around 5:30 local time last night (3:30 Central). The first night's activities centered around getting the house set up for 11 people to sleep in 4 beds (rest on mattresses on the floor) and share 4 bathrooms. We have the downstairs of the house rented by the local YWAM leader. Good accommodations for the DR. After supper time was spent getting to know each other as there are 4 new members which were not at all the team meetings. Pastor Wilfredo stopped by for kind words as did Nathaniel. We discussed the coming days. A quick run for ice cream and passing out tracks led to meeting a former jail inmate who the team had preached to during an earlier trip!
     Day 1 was a typical first day. Morning devotions were led by Shawn titled "One body, one purpose, fully committed" from various scripture verses. After a breakfast of fruit and pancakes Duane and Paul left to get the first construction project off the ground (concrete pour for a church floor). Dan left to run errands with Nathaniel which included being on the radio. Many doors were opened for them today for this year' strip and future projects. Dan learned of a church worshipping 7 days a week with only concrete walls and no roof or floor! $2000 was given for this need which covered all the material cost! The members felt tremendously blest by God.
     The majority of the team visited a special needs school near the house. These are grade school aged kids who have a variety of physical limitations. About 80 listened to messages given by Shawn, Tom, Phil and Jamie. As Jamie said in her message: we could never preach about Jesus to schools in the U.S.
     That same group then returned to the house to package beans, rice and oil. 1125# of rice, 400# of beans and individual oil bottles were broken and repackaged into 359 family sized bags to be distributed throughout the week.
     After an early supper the entire team set out to show the Jesus Film in an outlying community. Like many other areas, this village struggled with poverty, teenage pregnancy and abuse. We don't count but a couple hundred or so attended with a good response to the movie, a message given by Shawn on the power of the cross, music and prayer.
     The team returned to the house by 10:30 for a debrief from today and briefing for tomorrow. It was really a Spirit filled day here in the DR with the new members maybe a bit amazed by the work being done by God through us. The team is healthy and has gelled very well. Please continue praying for these blessings to continue.

     I will attempt to post pictures on the Facebook page but may be unable as the internet connection is very slow.

God Bless