Thursday, March 31, 2016
Video Done
A link to the 2016 video on Youtube can be found on the right side of this page. Hope you enjoy!
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
Epilogue 2016
By now the team has adjusted to "normal life" back at home. It was only 8 days that we were away but as the experience is the combination of physical, mental, and spiritual the effects are more pronounced than say your typical week-long vacation. This is most evident in team members that have not been on this journey before.
As any member will tell you, this trip has the power to change a person. We go to the DR for one primary purpose: to preach the salvation of Jesus. But along the way we also get preached to. We go to bless but we also get blessed. It's one of the benefits that most do not realize. With that said, however, we must keep the stories, faces, sights, sounds, and smells of our experience at our core. It does the Spirit no good to experience it and then forget. Our memories should shape our future. Our boldness for Jesus should not remain the the DR.
The spiritual highlights of the trip included:
- 6 separate showings of the Jesus Film with a message and worship to follow
- witnessing to the prisoners
- witnessing to hundreds of individuals wherever we went
- many shared testimonies and personal prayers
- passing out approximately 1200 individual gospel tracts
- disabled ministry
- blind ministry
The major financial expenditures of this trip included:
- 700 Bibles
- 1500 children's Bible story books
- 625# rice, 200# beans and 250 bottles of oil packaged into 250 individual family bags
- 3 concrete floors for churches
- 2 roofs for churches
- 1 well cistern
- 45 wheelchairs, a number of walkers and canes
- $5000 to support 2 separate year-round childrens feeding programs
- 200 bibles, 6 mattresses and pillows sent to Haiti
The work is great and the workers few but we do what we can with what we've been blessed with. The entire team would like to thank our supporters for their prayers and generous financial contributions. Without you our ministry would not be as effective as it is but because of you we have and will continue to make a difference in the DR in the name of Jesus.
As any member will tell you, this trip has the power to change a person. We go to the DR for one primary purpose: to preach the salvation of Jesus. But along the way we also get preached to. We go to bless but we also get blessed. It's one of the benefits that most do not realize. With that said, however, we must keep the stories, faces, sights, sounds, and smells of our experience at our core. It does the Spirit no good to experience it and then forget. Our memories should shape our future. Our boldness for Jesus should not remain the the DR.
The spiritual highlights of the trip included:
- 6 separate showings of the Jesus Film with a message and worship to follow
- witnessing to the prisoners
- witnessing to hundreds of individuals wherever we went
- many shared testimonies and personal prayers
- passing out approximately 1200 individual gospel tracts
- disabled ministry
- blind ministry
The major financial expenditures of this trip included:
- 700 Bibles
- 1500 children's Bible story books
- 625# rice, 200# beans and 250 bottles of oil packaged into 250 individual family bags
- 3 concrete floors for churches
- 2 roofs for churches
- 1 well cistern
- 45 wheelchairs, a number of walkers and canes
- $5000 to support 2 separate year-round childrens feeding programs
- 200 bibles, 6 mattresses and pillows sent to Haiti
The work is great and the workers few but we do what we can with what we've been blessed with. The entire team would like to thank our supporters for their prayers and generous financial contributions. Without you our ministry would not be as effective as it is but because of you we have and will continue to make a difference in the DR in the name of Jesus.
Monday, March 7, 2016
Back to Wisconsin
Saturday morning breakfast was the last taste of that incredibly ripe and sweet fruit. Pancakes were available and as some eggs were left over Pablo made omelets to order. We will sure miss his cooking; always on time, delicious, a nice variety, and nearly always Dominican.
The team wanted to leave around 8:30am and after final packing and weighing of suitcases we were set. The official team picture was taken in front of the bus and we said our goodbyes to Ruth and Pablo after Genesis led an emotional prayer. What servants to our Lord Ruth and Pablo have been through the years!
Pastor Anderson travelled with us and we met Nathaniel in the Capital after our usual trip to the tourist mall for assorted "needs". We had about an hour to tour an area of the Colonial City which included portions of the fort and some of the older buildings and streets. We are talking early 1500's here as the Dominican Republic was "discovered" by Columbus in 1492. Santo Domingo is the oldest European City in the Americas founded in 1496 by Columbus' brother Bartholomew. Looking at 500 year-old buildings and imagining who walked the streets never gets old.
Santo Domingo is a unique city of contrasts; old and new, rich and poor. It's large at 1.5 million inhabitants. It's bustling and hectic with winding narrow streets and the 500 year-old Colonial City contrasts with modern architecture in other areas. Seeing China Town in a hispanic country seems a bit out of place. Like the rest of the population in the DR the majority of the population is quite poor and when driving on either the main highways or side streets you see these contrasts; expensive SUV's passing carts propelled by a horse that seems only days from death. Dilapidated homes only a mile from near-mansions.
Farewells were had with Dean and Kim in Atlanta as they had a separate flight to Madison. The rest of the team landed uneventfully in Appleton around 8:45pm. Families greeted and last hugs were made.
Please continue to look to this blog for two future postings as it relates to the 2016 trip. The first is a recap which will include the list of major expenditures and accomplishments. The second will be a photo montage set to music.
Gloria A Jesus
The team wanted to leave around 8:30am and after final packing and weighing of suitcases we were set. The official team picture was taken in front of the bus and we said our goodbyes to Ruth and Pablo after Genesis led an emotional prayer. What servants to our Lord Ruth and Pablo have been through the years!
Pastor Anderson travelled with us and we met Nathaniel in the Capital after our usual trip to the tourist mall for assorted "needs". We had about an hour to tour an area of the Colonial City which included portions of the fort and some of the older buildings and streets. We are talking early 1500's here as the Dominican Republic was "discovered" by Columbus in 1492. Santo Domingo is the oldest European City in the Americas founded in 1496 by Columbus' brother Bartholomew. Looking at 500 year-old buildings and imagining who walked the streets never gets old.
Santo Domingo is a unique city of contrasts; old and new, rich and poor. It's large at 1.5 million inhabitants. It's bustling and hectic with winding narrow streets and the 500 year-old Colonial City contrasts with modern architecture in other areas. Seeing China Town in a hispanic country seems a bit out of place. Like the rest of the population in the DR the majority of the population is quite poor and when driving on either the main highways or side streets you see these contrasts; expensive SUV's passing carts propelled by a horse that seems only days from death. Dilapidated homes only a mile from near-mansions.
Farewells were had with Dean and Kim in Atlanta as they had a separate flight to Madison. The rest of the team landed uneventfully in Appleton around 8:45pm. Families greeted and last hugs were made.
Please continue to look to this blog for two future postings as it relates to the 2016 trip. The first is a recap which will include the list of major expenditures and accomplishments. The second will be a photo montage set to music.
Gloria A Jesus
Saturday, March 5, 2016
Firsts and Lasts
Our last full day (Friday) began with eggs, bacon, and fruit and then a drive to YWAM at 8am. Rodney the director is an American who rents us the downstairs of the house he lives in. We typically sit in to their morning worship feeling a sense of peace and praise with the uplifting music. As most of the students are Haitian some songs are sung in Creole; so powerful and beautiful with a bit exotic.
After worship we had our first first of this team: a baptism! With a bit of a surprise to the rest of the team Paul had arranged for the WYAM pool on the property to be filled so he could perform a double baptism on Brian and Kristi. He had a wonderful message and both Brian and Kristi had picked out a Bible verse. Chris read scripture and Shawn said the final prayer. It was witnessed by the team including Nathaniel, Wilfredo, Anderson, and Genesis. What a way to end their first mission trip together. They have both been a great example of the real potential of our youth when brought up in a Christian home. Their character, maturity, work ethic, and eagerness to serve have been outstanding for someone still in high school.
While Dan ran errands with Nathaniel, the rest of the team drove out to La Verada; another poor off-the-beaten-path village we have visited before. The elders were in the fields working but they know us well. We played with the kids, handed out tracts, left clothes, food, and bibles and showed the Jesus sketch on the iPad with a brief message. Last year at this village they found a tiny old lady sleeping on a pile of clothes in a corner of a house and left money for a new place to live. She was so excited to see the team and show them her casa. As last year, her hugs for Shawn fixed any back issues he may have had.
The second first of the day and for this team was lunch with the governor. You read that correctly: lunch + us + the Governor of Azua (Azua is also the name of the state, the second largest in the nation). As our influence and reputation grows the team has attracted attention. We met him and his team for a somewhat formal lunch in a nice restaurant. Basically he has heard good things, wanted to meet us, and determine if we could work together for the betterment of Azua. He is a Christian man so this new partnership should prove to be a real benefit for the future of the poor in Azua. Lunch was rice and beans, chicken, beef, pasta salad, and potatoes.
Today was Dean and Kim's turn on the radio. As we were with the governor during the normal broadcast time their discussion on biblical marriage was recorded for broadcast next week. It can be listened to through the internet.
There were a few hours the team left open in the afternoon and as most of the loose ends were tied up all but Dan and Chris took an hour to go to the ocean about 10 minutes away. The beach we go to is a less popular one and requires a hike. The scenery and water was just perfect.
The final night is always reserved for the team send-off party. This is a combination thank-you for our Dominican friends and for them to share their thanks and good-byes. About 70 well-dressed people (at least the Dominicans) were in attendance and consumed 17 pizzas, spaghetti, 4 cakes and much soda. Introductions, speeches of thanks, kidding, and prayers are said, and final alleluias are sung. Our last guests left some time well after 10 and our final debrief wrapped up around 11:30. Back to the Capitol tomorrow.
God is Great
After worship we had our first first of this team: a baptism! With a bit of a surprise to the rest of the team Paul had arranged for the WYAM pool on the property to be filled so he could perform a double baptism on Brian and Kristi. He had a wonderful message and both Brian and Kristi had picked out a Bible verse. Chris read scripture and Shawn said the final prayer. It was witnessed by the team including Nathaniel, Wilfredo, Anderson, and Genesis. What a way to end their first mission trip together. They have both been a great example of the real potential of our youth when brought up in a Christian home. Their character, maturity, work ethic, and eagerness to serve have been outstanding for someone still in high school.
While Dan ran errands with Nathaniel, the rest of the team drove out to La Verada; another poor off-the-beaten-path village we have visited before. The elders were in the fields working but they know us well. We played with the kids, handed out tracts, left clothes, food, and bibles and showed the Jesus sketch on the iPad with a brief message. Last year at this village they found a tiny old lady sleeping on a pile of clothes in a corner of a house and left money for a new place to live. She was so excited to see the team and show them her casa. As last year, her hugs for Shawn fixed any back issues he may have had.
The second first of the day and for this team was lunch with the governor. You read that correctly: lunch + us + the Governor of Azua (Azua is also the name of the state, the second largest in the nation). As our influence and reputation grows the team has attracted attention. We met him and his team for a somewhat formal lunch in a nice restaurant. Basically he has heard good things, wanted to meet us, and determine if we could work together for the betterment of Azua. He is a Christian man so this new partnership should prove to be a real benefit for the future of the poor in Azua. Lunch was rice and beans, chicken, beef, pasta salad, and potatoes.
Today was Dean and Kim's turn on the radio. As we were with the governor during the normal broadcast time their discussion on biblical marriage was recorded for broadcast next week. It can be listened to through the internet.
There were a few hours the team left open in the afternoon and as most of the loose ends were tied up all but Dan and Chris took an hour to go to the ocean about 10 minutes away. The beach we go to is a less popular one and requires a hike. The scenery and water was just perfect.
The final night is always reserved for the team send-off party. This is a combination thank-you for our Dominican friends and for them to share their thanks and good-byes. About 70 well-dressed people (at least the Dominicans) were in attendance and consumed 17 pizzas, spaghetti, 4 cakes and much soda. Introductions, speeches of thanks, kidding, and prayers are said, and final alleluias are sung. Our last guests left some time well after 10 and our final debrief wrapped up around 11:30. Back to the Capitol tomorrow.
God is Great
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