Morning devotions were led by Paul from 1 Cor. 12 focusing on spiritual gifts. Thanks to Mary it went down a path of spiritual journey in which the entire team benefited. Breakfast was pancakes, hot boiled eggs, and the ever-present fruit.
Monday's are always a visit to the marketplace. The team passed out about 500 gospel tracts while witnessing firsthand how most of Azua shops. These are small stands set up along the streets selling everything a person needs. There are no Walmarts in Azua. Tailors, cobblers, bags of grain, piles of produce of all colors, freshly caught fish, hanging meat, live chickens, stacks of clothes and piles of shoes all decorate the crowded street as people jostle and motor bikes try to squeeze through. The sights are both colorful and filthy, the sounds are noisy and chaotic and the smells are usually not pleasant; in other words a great Azua experience. Without details, the team was able to also touch some lives on a personal level on their walk.
The next stop was Estebania to visit Pastor Wilfredo and his village of fellow Haitians. This incredible servant of God makes his living as a dentist but works tirelessly for his poverty stricken people. The team has supported this ministry for many years because of Wilfredo's dedication to the Lord. The children were dressed in their best and greeted the team as they always do with song and dance. The team helped with feeding the kids, played with them, and discussed future plans with Wilfredo before having a lunch of chicken, beans, and rice in his humble living area. Wilfredo's wife made a special cake in honor of Dan's birthday last week.
While some of the team was enjoying Dan's cake at Wilfredo's, Dan and Nathaniel were purchasing household items for the family effected by the fire. The daughter will be released from the hospital tomorrow and they have no place to live and apparently the situation with the father is not good. It's a sad story but the team is using their people resources to help this family recover. Nathaniel was able to have a deep spiritual conversation with the mother which is a blessing.
About 5pm the team was invited for a meeting and supper by a well-known local pediatrician. The delicious meal consisted of beans and rice, goat, chicken, potatoes, yucca, avocado, tomato, and french fries. This woman has a heart for young women (girls, actually) and the incredible rate of pregnancies in Azua. She noted she once had a twelve year-old who was pregnant. The health, psychological, and social ramifications of this cultural statistic is very sad, to say the least. It's rare in this area for a girl to be married before having a child and most girls are pregnant by age 16 or 17. She would like to offer her services and resources to the new center being built by Nathaniel and the team. This will be an incredible gift to this impoverished area.
The evening was concluded with the Jesus film in a dusty ball field. Mostly kids but many young men were in the attendance of over 100. Dan, Paul, and Nataniel talked and praise music followed. It was a good day. The team is healthy, eager to serve, and working together well. One Spirit, one focus, many gifts.
Monday, February 29, 2016
Off and Running
Pablo's breakfast was eggs, bacon and the freshest fruit (banana, pineapple, watermelon, and mango) served at 7:30. Devotions were led by Shawn which focused on being "missional minded".
While the men were gone the ladies were packing much of the 625# of rice, 200# of beans and 250 bottles of cooking oil that will be used throughout the week distributing to those in need.
The Compassion School where Paul, Dan, and Shawn have sponsored children was the next stop of the day. The team plays with the kids, learns about the school (for the new members), served and ate lunch with the kids (beans, rice, and pork) and visited the homes of their sponsored children. Compassion International has over 1 million sponsored children throughout the world and less than 1% are visited by their sponsors so seeing these kids every year is special. It allows us to encourage them personally in their faith.
The team split after lunch with Paul, Dean, Kristi and Brian finding some kids to play baseball with (not difficult in the DR). Minor scrapes and sunburns a couple of hours later but the DR boys had a great time showcasing their skills. Brian had brought along some used equipment which was a received with great enthusiasm.
During the split the other team members visited a four year-old girl in the hospital who was recovering from burns from a recent house fire. Kim put her nursing (and passion) gifts to work coaxing a smile out of her and tending to her injuries. The mother was present and explained they had lost everything but were planning on moving back into the least damaged room of the house. The team visited the 3 room house filled with ruined furniture amd appliances. The block walls and tin roof were sooty but sound. Any wood roof structure was charred badly, however. The sick stench of burnt posessions was everywhere. All because of a fan that overheated. The team plans on purchasing the items needed to furnish a basic house.
After a quick siesta back at the house the team enjoyed fish, chicken, rice, bean gravy, steamed vegetables and fruit for supper. While Pablo will fix anything we would like, the team enjoys traditional DR meals while here.
Every night we show the Jesus film and tonight it was in a remote area only a few miles from Azua. Called Five Star, it is a very poor region where the team is supporting the local ministry with the purchase of a roof and floor for a new church ($2000). It was attended by about 70 attentive guests who listened to Shawn share the gospel, worshipped Christ with music, and gave the Americans plenty of hugs.
Enjoying ice-cream is always a treat and especially so when strolling through a park in the Carribbean on a beautiful winter evening (humid and low 70's). The team passed out tracts while getting a taste for the busy nightlife of young people in Azua. A debrief was held back at the house and the team ended their day around 11pm.
After a quick siesta back at the house the team enjoyed fish, chicken, rice, bean gravy, steamed vegetables and fruit for supper. While Pablo will fix anything we would like, the team enjoys traditional DR meals while here.
Every night we show the Jesus film and tonight it was in a remote area only a few miles from Azua. Called Five Star, it is a very poor region where the team is supporting the local ministry with the purchase of a roof and floor for a new church ($2000). It was attended by about 70 attentive guests who listened to Shawn share the gospel, worshipped Christ with music, and gave the Americans plenty of hugs.
Enjoying ice-cream is always a treat and especially so when strolling through a park in the Carribbean on a beautiful winter evening (humid and low 70's). The team passed out tracts while getting a taste for the busy nightlife of young people in Azua. A debrief was held back at the house and the team ended their day around 11pm.
Sunday, February 28, 2016
Coming Home
The reader may be a bit confused by the title but hear me out.
Day 1 started early Saturday morning with most of the team meeting at 4:15 am in Appleton for the first flight out of the day. A quick connection was made in Atlanta where they joined Dean and Kim and then landed in Santo Domingo by 2 pm to be picked up by Dan and Paul who have been here since Thursday (ask them about their flights). Of course Genesis was driving and Nataniel was along also. An early arrival gave the team the opportunity to get a good start on their (God's) work.
After sandwiches in the Capitol the team headed for Azua. They drove through the city and stopped to look at the building under construction on "the site". (I will explain this project in a later blog). The locals welcomed us warmly as they're excited when the Americanos come to town. After inspection the team headed to the house where they were welcomed by Pablo and Ruth who once again came from Puerto Rico to share their time, talents, and truck. A rare light rain welcomed them to the house where they moved in and had a team meeting going through the coming week's agenda before turning in around 10pm.
This is the first time in the DR for Brian, Kristi, Mary, Dean, and Kim. Collectively this is 38 years for Paul, Dan, Shawn, and Chris. The veterans have experienced the smells, sounds, and sights of a seemingly chaotic culture. Firsthand they've witnessed both the worst in living conditions but some of the best of mankind. These experiences have shaped how they think of the DR; much different than those who only know the resorts along the East coast. Because this intimacy with this part of the world has always been while serving Jesus it's thus become a time a great spiritual joy and rejuvenation! In a way, to the veterans this is home. A place of spiritual peace and focus without the distractions and responsibilities of our lives in Wisconsin; simpler and seemingly closer to God.
Day 1 started early Saturday morning with most of the team meeting at 4:15 am in Appleton for the first flight out of the day. A quick connection was made in Atlanta where they joined Dean and Kim and then landed in Santo Domingo by 2 pm to be picked up by Dan and Paul who have been here since Thursday (ask them about their flights). Of course Genesis was driving and Nataniel was along also. An early arrival gave the team the opportunity to get a good start on their (God's) work.
After sandwiches in the Capitol the team headed for Azua. They drove through the city and stopped to look at the building under construction on "the site". (I will explain this project in a later blog). The locals welcomed us warmly as they're excited when the Americanos come to town. After inspection the team headed to the house where they were welcomed by Pablo and Ruth who once again came from Puerto Rico to share their time, talents, and truck. A rare light rain welcomed them to the house where they moved in and had a team meeting going through the coming week's agenda before turning in around 10pm.
This is the first time in the DR for Brian, Kristi, Mary, Dean, and Kim. Collectively this is 38 years for Paul, Dan, Shawn, and Chris. The veterans have experienced the smells, sounds, and sights of a seemingly chaotic culture. Firsthand they've witnessed both the worst in living conditions but some of the best of mankind. These experiences have shaped how they think of the DR; much different than those who only know the resorts along the East coast. Because this intimacy with this part of the world has always been while serving Jesus it's thus become a time a great spiritual joy and rejuvenation! In a way, to the veterans this is home. A place of spiritual peace and focus without the distractions and responsibilities of our lives in Wisconsin; simpler and seemingly closer to God.
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