At last, a long-awaited post!

We left Barahona last Saturday so we’ve been here in beautiful Santiago for a week.  It’s been an exciting and stretching week for everyone.  We began on Monday working with the students and teachers at Oasis Christian School, a private school near our base.  Each team member joined a teacher in their classroom to assist them with reading to the students, teaching lessons, maintaining order, etc.  Several of us took turns teaching on the biblical basis for missions in the 12th grade class.  Almost every student could speak English.  The classes are all taught in English from 2nd grade on.  It’s been a great experience for us and the teachers and students really enjoy having us there.  We’re looking forward to returning again next week.

After lunch each day we went to a church to spend time with children in the Compassion International program.  Compassion Intl. is an organization that helps underprivileged children around the world through sponsorships.  My family sponsors two children, one in Haiti and one in Guatemala, so it was neat to be on the other side actually being with some kids even though they weren´t ours.  It was great to spend time with them and love on them and put smiles on their faces.  It was also wonderful to see them writing letters to their sponsors.

Friday we had the opportunity to minister to students at Santiago Christian School.  We were informed we should prepare for a cold reception from the students as only ten percent of them are actually believers.  The school was originally begun as a school for missionary kids.  However, because it is the only school in the D.R. which is accredited in the US, over time it has become a school for the wealthy.  The divide between the Christians and non-Christians is strong.  After performing our dramas for chapel we spoke the the Junior and Senior classes about prejudice and the love of God.  We delivered a message that we heard God give us the night before.  It was truly a stretching experience, but we trust it spoke to some of them.  

Yesterday (Saturday) our team broke into three groups and did a scavenger hunt in the city.  We received a list of directions from the base leaders here in the D.R. and were sent on our merry way to use public transportation to get around the city.  One word...STRETCHING!!  I’m ok with public transportation, but to navigate the city without knowing a lick of Spanish was challenging to say the least.  Fortunately, our directions were spelled out fairly detailed and the route was pretty easy.  I definitely felt like a fish out of water!  I have a new respect for foreigners who visit American not knowing much English!

Please continue to pray for our group.  Especially pray for one of our members who returned home for a weekend wedding, but has not yet been able to return to our group due to health issues.  Please pray for quick recovery!  Also pray that our team will continue stretching beyond our comfort zone and begin stepping out of the boat...and go from the natural to the supernatural.

-Larry Weaver

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This week our team had “Make Your Own Ministry”. We started off the day with some worship and intercession. Our group felt that we should go to a certain stop along the metro (subway).

We got off the metro and were walking along the street when we came across a man scooting along the street on his bum. We knelt down beside him and asked he needed anything. He responded with, “Medicine”. He had a huge bandage on his leg and we felt right away that he had leprosy. We prayed for him and then told him that we were going to get him some food and bandages. We got him some food and we sat down with him as he ate. We took his bandages off and God definitely gave us grace because it was a wound beyond anything I had ever seen before. We bandaged him up and told him that we would come back the next day.

We have been back to see him almost everyday. He has become a friend to a few of us and just recently we went back to see him and his hands and feet were really swollen. He wasn’t looking so good when we saw him last. It breaks my heart to see him in so much pain. We have come to love this man as a brother and we ask that you pray for him. His name is “Rajike”. Please pray that he gets well.

We have also been able to talk to him about Jesus. Rajike knows a bit about Jesus, but we don’t know to what extent. He prays every night that he would see us again the next day. We have also been able to bless him with a Bible printed in the Hindi language. Rajike is a very sweet man and we have been earnestly praying that he would be healed of his leprosy. God loves Rajike so much and is doing wonders in his life as we speak.

Praise God for all he has, is and will do in India.

By: Corinna

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Namaste,  friends,

We are so excited to tell you we have all arrived safely! Our plane ride could not have been any better. God was definitely with us! Our team arrived around 1:00 AM. We arrived in the airport and culture shock started to set in, there were cats wandering around the airport! Something you don’t see at home. We were greeted by a large bus to take us to our base.

I must say, as we arrived, I don’t think we had any idea at all what we were expecting. Our team looked out the window and we were really quiet! The sight of poverty was something we have never experienced to that degree before. I remember looking out the window and saw an infant just sitting on the side of the road. She happened to live there. I just wanted to cry! I knew then that God had definitely sent us! This place desperately needs him!

As we got out of the bus, the expression on our faces was terrified. We were in the middle of a dark street where people were staring at us. We didn’t know how to react!

The next morning Samantha, Ethan, Eivind, Amanda, Corrina and I took a walk through our neighborhood. We were greeted by beautiful children at the end of our block. One of the little girls introduced herself as Monica!  She had a group of friends with her. Their big smiles were the warmest welcome! They greeted us with Namaste (Hello) and Happy New Year! You could see pure joy and love in their beautiful faces! They were a breath of fresh air!

We decided to walk a little further. A girl on her bike stopped, gave a huge smile, and shook all of our hands that she was so excited to see us here! Samantha asked her if she had some time then to get some tea and she said yes! On the way, she stopped to buy us some candy and brought us to her house to meet her family! God was moving, and this was our very first day!

We all sat in her bedroom and her family was standing, smiling, greeting us, just so happy to have us in their home! The people here will give you whatever they have! They don’t have much to give, but they offer the most comfortable room in their house and a nice warm cup of tea. The girl we met brought out a notebook with some drawings that she had drawn. They were incredible! She had such a special talent!

Our team had the biggest smile on our faces! We immediately fell in love with India! We knew this was a divine appointment! Samantha then asked her if she knew Jesus. She was so interested in what we had to say! We were a little distracted by her family entertaining us to share more. But, as we left, she was interested in seeing us again! God’s plans are always the very best!

Following Him to where He wants you to go, He leads you to the ones He loves! His heart dwells here. I realized that life had just begun for me! This is where our journey begins……

By: Krisette

This past week has been amazing!

Monday morning we had the opportunity to go to a Batay (communities where refuges live). We arrived and as we stepped off the bus, we immediately had kids swarm to our side and take out hand, We went into the church and the kids sang some upbeat songs and then we did our dramas, the kids really enjoyed this! We also had fun clapping a singing along. We closed in prayer and then headed over to the sports fields, the guys played soccer with the kids while the girls of our team hung out with the little girls. We could not speak there language, but we could speak the language of love, which the understood and were hungry for. This time was precious and reminded our team of how simple our life can be.

For ministry times this week we had the opportunity to do a prayer walk around our community, playing in the streets with neighboring kids and had an afternoon to do our dramas in the park. Each time we have a ministry time, we have the opportunity to intercede for it, we saw God really working through these times and showing us many different things.

During our community prayer walk, we had time to pray with many different people. After we prayed for one of the ladies, she shared with us a dream that she had the previous night; Americans stopping by her house and taking the time to come into her house! Thanks be to God for knowing who we should minister to and how to do it!

Thanks for all the prayers and support. You can continue to pray for us and our health. Some of us are battling sickness. Also, that we would continue being sensitive to Gods voice.

This is our last week in Barahona. We will be doing our dramas and testimonies at two different churches on Sunday and we have a full week of ministry ahead. Please pray that we make the most of every opportunity.  

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Our arrival has been met with many surprises. God has been preparing this place for the last several years for our arrival. The fruit is ripe and bursting off the trees, eager to be picked. At our English corner during day 2 of time here, over a game of Uno, Roderick and Jonathan were talking with a girl named Jane [name changed]. Here is Roderick’s account of what happened:

I couldn’t believe this was happening. Jane sat directly across from us and asked if we believed in Jesus. I said yes, and what she said next really had us dumbfounded. She asked what she would have to do to believe in Jesus!? ‘Go to church or maybe read The Bible?’, she asked. Jonathan and I quickly explained the story of our God´s Son to her and told her that the only thing needed was believe in the fact that Jesus died so that she could live. She then told us that she believed and was willing to accept Jesus as her Savior. It was astounding to see the fruit of the work of others pay off right before our eyes.

Several days later Jane arrived for her baptism with her boyfriend, Bob [name changed], who was not a Christian. She was so excited and he was very supportive of her. With several Christians present and with much celebration, singing, and reading of the Bible we baptized Jane and prayed with her. Then we took communion together, and as Bob went to grab the bread he was denied the chance to take it, because he had not accepted Jesus. So with that denial he asked the question, “Can I accept Him also?” With tears of joy he prayed to God and he believed in Jesus as his Savior. And with that, excitement burst forth throughout the room, and eagerly he then took the communion together with us. Then came another question, “We have the water and the pool…Shall we baptize him?” Searching through the apartment for a change of clothes proved successful, and with great joy and celebration we all baptized him in the name of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Worship music and celebration filled the little apartment.

Who would have thought we could be so joyful over two people being baptized in a kiddy pool in a chilly living room.  Praise Him. Reminds me of Acts chapter 2 where it says “and he added to their number daily those who were being saved.”  That will be 10 new Christians in this special city since the New Year.

We´ve been here 6 days and God is already moving.  We arrive at our first destination in Barahona at 10:30 PM after a four hour bus ride from the airport in Santo Domingo.  Our first full day (Monday) was fairly layed back as the team was exhausted from traveling.  We rode into town (a few blocks from where we are staying) on the back of a pickup to a Western Union to exchange our money to pesos.  Current exchange rate is 38 p:usd.  We walked to market to get groceries and met two Morman elders from the US.  We also met a couple from Canada who recognised Tori from the airplane.

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday the team worked on the Orphanage moving rocks and mixing cement by hand using shovels, picks, wheelbarrows, and buckets.  There are no cement mixers so we mixed the gravel, sand and cement on the floor of the 3rd story and used buckets to pour the concrete beams around the perimeter.  It was hard work, but rewarding!  

Thursday morning we did what´s called a treasure hunt.  We prayed for God to show us through pictures/words of people, places, things (ie, color of shirt, symbols, etc) that he wanted us to pray for or minister to.  Then we split into two teams and did a prayer walk around the city and searched for the hints that God gave our group.  We prayed for several people including a young boy who prayed to receive Christ!  

Packing is finished, final preperations are all made, Dominican Republic here we come!! 

We leave Orlando Airport at 8:45 on January 1st, and arrive in Santo Domingo in the early afternoon. 

We will be taking a five to six hour bus ride to Barahona.

Our team consist of fourteen people; Tori (leader), Caleb (leader), Blaine, JoJo, Marilyn, Amanda (assistant),

Kim, Jordyn, Alicia, Larry and Karen, Camron, Grant, Kiana.   

We are very excited and can not wait to see what God is going to do!

You will be hearing from us in the next couple days when we are settled in :)

Due to the Lutheran Church is needing their facility during the time that we normally have our family night, we are moving it to another location. 

From tonight November 28th, 2011 and trough December, it will be at Mosaic Community Church on Monday nights at 7:00 PM.

Mosaic Community Church
608 West Oakland Ave.
Oakland, Fl 34760

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