The team is home and back to their families, work, and school. Hopefully they were able to rest on Sunday to make up for the lack of sleep the past week. This is the time, while things are still relatively fresh in the mind, to take stock of the week and make one last report.
There were many firsts with this team; largest team (14), first mother/daughter pairing (2), largest number of 1st time members (7), most women (8), and the first family. While not necessarily a first (we have to check the archives), we did something unusual this year in that we did not personally help with any construction. The planned construction of the AMI basketball court was put off as not being ready and the team was plenty busy with other ministry so they left it to the Dominicans to complete after they went home.
This group has never been about a single church or denomination. We adhere to the tenants of scripture alone. This year's group was widely diverse in that the 14 members call 10 separate churches home.
While the team was diverse in age, gender and gifts they blended extremely well. This team functioned very well together with a lot of laughs and encouragement even though some had met for the first time when arriving in Santo Domingo. The first devotion about many members, one body held true. One purpose: serving Christ. That focus wasn't diminished.
We ask that you inquire with the team member(s) you know about the trip. Everyone would have had a slightly different experience as not everyone was always in the same place at the same time and met different people or was in involved in a different part of the ministry. They will gladly share their stories.
We thank you for your prayers and financial contributions. Everything we collect is given directly to those we minister to in the DR. We ask for your continued prayers to those who we partner with in the DR and all those who we came in contact with that our work was not in vain and served Jesus in a way that gave Him the glory.
The list of major expenditures for 2019 included:
4 Church building projects (not complete churches but floors, walls, or roofs)
Basketball court at AMI
1500 Children's Bible Story Books
200 Adult Bibles
1500 Gospel Tracks
250# Beans
625# Rice
275 bottles Cooking Oil
Soap to the prison
$9000 to fund 3 feeding programs throughout the year
5 used wheelchairs
50 plastic chairs
25 audio Bibles to the blind
Writing slates to the blind
Refrigerator for a pastor
Various love offerings to our DR helpers and miscellaneous items purchased through the week are not included as are the many suitcases of clothes and shoes that our individual members collected and took down.
US Team:
Paul Flunker: Appleton, WI - 15 yrs.
Dan Natzke: Greenleaf, WI - 14 yrs.
Shawn Eckstein: Reedsville, WI - 12 yrs.
Christina Robokoff: Green Bay, WI - 8 yrs.
Duane Popp: Green Bay, WI - 6 yrs.
Crystal Schenian: Reedsville, WI - 2 yrs.
Sheila Olson: Reno, NV - 2 yrs.
Mallory Schenian: Kellnersville, WI - 1 yr.
Eleni Hein: Student; Reedsville, WI - 1 yr.
John Christian; Freedom, WI - 1 yr.
Jane Woosencraft: Green Bay, WI - 1 yr.
John Fickau: Neenah, WI - 1yr.
Ann Fickau: Neenah, WI - 1 yr.
Grace Fickau: Neenah, WI - 1 yr.
DR Team:
Pablo (Ruth): Cooks from Puerto Rico, missionaries to Haiti
Natanael (Iris): Clothing shop owner; interpreter, main DR liaison, preacher
Genesis: Bus driver; driver, preacher
Wilfrido (Miguelina): Dentist; pastor, community leader at Haitian village in Estebania
Anderson: (Julian Joaquin) Pastor
Daniel: English teacher; translator
Nelson's: Husband and Wife (Nelson and Areceli Concepcion) Pastors at Project Four
Daimler: helper
Willi: helper
Benni: Pastor at AMI
Joel: School Superintendent; translator, preacher
God's blessings until 2020.
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