How could I forget?

Ashley shared her testimony today at the orphanage! It was so great-she did an awesome job and the girls were glued to her the entire time. :)

Now I can rest easy. :)

Our Last Day :(

Day 8
Today was our last day of ministry in the Dominican Republic. As we sat around tonight during devotions remembering the week and sharing what had the most impact it was obvious that this week and the experiences that we each had will leave a mark on each of our lives.

This morning we went to the girls' orphanage. The moment we arrived the girls and boys claimed us as their own. We played with them for the next couple hours, laughing and running with them. We tried our best to communicate. Our smiles were more effective than our few Spanish words. Jeremy Lux was able to connect with the girl that their family sponsors...what a beautiful picture of love.

This afternoon our group split up.

One group went to Los Montones where we watched them play baseball. Caleb was able to join in...here in the DR beisbol is INTENSE. :) The only injury from the game came from a stray ball hitting our Pastor in the ankle. :( He has the threads to prove it embedded in his skin.

The other group went to the Aids Orphanage. They played games, did a skit and were there for a short amount of time. The kids ranged from 1-12 years old.

At devo's tonight we all shared a word that described the trip and a short blurp about the experience. Here are some of the words that were shared....

Challenging...Eye Opening...Awe....Powerful...Humbling...
Challenge...Memorable...Assuring...Appreciate...Thankful...
Everlasting...Unconditional...Love...His..Rolling...

I'm sure I can speak for everyone and say we wouldn't trade this week for anything. It has been a great ride...one that we hope to hang on to and be changed by for the rest of our lives.

Thank you for your prayers...We Love You and will see you soon.

xoxo

YOUR TEAM

Johanna & Pastor Mike

Jeremy and his sponsor child

Day 7!!

Day 7

Today we had a great long day. One group of us went back to the village where we started building the roof and finished it! It looks great! The guys did an awesome job of putting it up down to the last detail. There was even metal left over that the village will use to trade for cement for their church. Some of us were able to play with the kids while the guys were working. It is so amazing to build relationships with these people even after only three days of spending time together. When we came back the kids who we knew by name called us “Amiga” “Friend”. What a blessing. There are certainly relationships that were started there that will last throughout this lifetime and into eternity. Praise God.

The rest of our group got to experience a little bit of culture. First stop-Straw Market. After the straw market, they went to a beautiful catholic church in the city and went underground to experience the caves. It is awesome to see God’s handiwork in nature.

After lunch, we all met up at the Sports Complex where we swam, played basketball, relaxed and play soccer. It was awesome to talk to the members of our team and get to know each other even more. If nothing else (and there is so much “else”) it is so awesome to be around Christians 24-7. What an awesome prelude to heaven. J

Tonight at devotions (we met with everyone at the Score Complex) we were encouraged by John Zeller (Executive Director of Score Intl.) to make a commitment. A commitment to missions, to Christ, to living sold out for Christ. What a life-changing service. Many from our group prayed about missions with a Score rep. It was obvious, I take that back, It IS obvious that God is speaking and moving in many hearts this week. J

Tomorrow is our last full day here, we are headed to two different orphanages…it will be a heart wrenching day for sure as we serve our last day here in the Dominican Republic. As one team member told me 10 minutes ago “I don’t want to leave yet”…

Love, In Christ

Our Team

Day 6!

Day 6

This morning was a test of PATIENCE. The guys headed back to the village where they were working on the roof. They thought that the supplies had been delivered for them to finish but when they got to the village the supplies hadn’t been delivered. They waited until lunch time and came back to SCORE when the supplies didn’t come…(they are hoping they were delivered today)

Back at SCORE us girls and a few guys were put on some work project. Many got right to painting the new church at Juan Dolio (right down the street from SCORE). Another group of us waited for building supplies to make benches…we also learned patience as we waited 2 hours for the supplies to show up. J However when they showed up we were ready to work! -And sweat!

This afternoon we headed out to our beloved, Los Montones. As we approached the village and the people came into view many of our hearts leapt into our throats. We sang in Spanish and English and listened to an amazing man of God preach from the word (Tim translated, thank goodness). He had an awesome message that he shared with us from James about how the things of this world should mean nothing to us, and a relationship with God should mean everything. After the church services we headed out into the lawn and hung out with our friends. We talked with Ridel, Greg, Kati and many others who we’ve grown to love over the years. The kids laughed and played goofing around with the Americanos. Many of us wished we could skip dinner and stay for a few more hours…what an awesome night.

Tomorrow we are headed into the City to visit the “straw market” and see the caves. A group of people are also hopefully going back to finish the roof. In the afternoon we are going to the Rawlings Sports Complex to enjoy the pool, basketball courts, volleyball, baseball and soccer. We’re hoping to play some Dominicans (a guaranteed butt whooping). J

Please keep praying! J AND thank you! We can feel your prayers!

Love you all,

Your Team in the HOT Dominican Republic. J

Day 5 :)

Day 5

First thing this morning we went to Jumbo to purchase food for 90 families. Then we went to a church in a neighborhood rather than in a village where we handed out the food and prayed for the people. We also sang songs, did a drama and Jeremy Lux gave his testimony. What an awesome time of worshipping God. We have never sweated so much (especially the girls!) as we have in these last day that we’ve been in the Dominican Republic. Keep praying for safety and against heat exhaustion/dehydration. God has truly been protecting us and restoring us when we have been sick.

After coming back to Score for lunch and a little down time, we climbed back on the busses and headed out to one of our favorite villages.

As we drove on the dirt “road” past many “lakes” in the road many of us were reminded of last year’s adventure as we pushed the bus out of the mud. Thankfully, we did not experience that this year although we did have moments where we thought it would be a reality. As we approached the village, we were brought to a quick reality of how little people have. I say this very carefully because although to us it seems they live a very poor, impoverished life, with Christ they are rich and have more than many in the U.S.  We played with the people in the village there and tried to speak to them in Spanish (many of them speak Creole.) It was such a blessing to see our big American guys playing and horsing around with kids and teenagers and to watch the smile that seemed to be contagious among our group and the natives. When it was time for ministry, we sang in Spanish and one of our favorites in English (Days of Elijah). After singing, Leah gave her testimony and Sadrach translated in Creole.  We were able to give away shoes, flip flops and candy along with a bag of food to each family.  How humbling to pray and give a week’s supply of food to an elderly woman whose shoes are wearing off of her feet and whose clothes meet no standard that we would have…and it doesn’t matter. Her love for Jesus can be as real as the strongest.

I don’t want to give all the stories away…I’m sure you will hear them when we return home. We are excited for the time we have left..the trip has been flying by faster than most of us would like.

Tomorrow a group is headed back to the village from yesterday to finish the roof while the rest of us make benches for a church plant. In the afternoon we will visit Los Montones…a village very close to our hearts.

Keep praying for us please. Your prayers are being answered as we continue to be kept safe and healthy. Please pray for the Dominicans that they would see the love of Christ in us.

Love in Christ,

YOUR TEAM <3

P.S. We miss you Mark! You are continually in our prayers!

From the Girls...

Carley and Klaire say "Hi!!!" "We miss you and love you"

Hi Grandma! We don't want to come home - Carley ;)

Hi mom! - Klaire :)

Day 4

Day 4 – Work Project & Ministry

Today we went to a new village. When we got there we split into two groups, one group for building (mostly guys & Bea!) and another group to play and do ministry with the kids and adults. The building team had the task of ripping off the metal roof on the church, putting new braces in and putting new metal on the roof. They quickly got to work. As they started working the rest of us headed into the village to find and play with some of the people. We quickly found the spot, a small shaded slab of concrete. The kids came quickly to see what the “Americanos” had to offer. We played with beads, Frisbee, puzzles, a soccer ball and volleyball. The kids were very friendly and loved on us without words. We played and talked with them all morning (as much as Americans with 2 or less years or basic Spanish can talk) J. At 11:30 we were wiped out. The heat has quite an effect on us here. We stopped for lunch and took a quick break in the shade. After lunch the roof team still needed more time for the roof so we headed back to play. Even as sweaty as we were, we were welcome back the kids grabbing out hands and looking for attention. We had such a great time with the adults, teenagers and kids. In the afternoon we sang songs, did a drama, craft and testimony (ALL WITHOUT AN INTERPRETOR!) Thanks to Kayla, Kelsey and the other girls who fearlessly got up in front of the Dominicans and spoke the Spanish they knew…(and the people understood them!) ;). When we were all loaded up on the buses we were ready to be out of the sun…however the day was one we will not soon forget. It was well worth the sweat, sun and dirt.

We are so excited to share our stories with you on Sunday for Church (10:00 – ACC) and when we get back.

Many of us are excited for tomorrow-We are going to the Haitian village where we have gone the last two years. This is the village that we put in a garden for last year and got our bus stuck in the mud. We have become attached to them and have fed them each year that we’ve come. We get the privilege to bring them food again tomorrow. We can’t wait. J

Talk to you soon!

YOUR TEAM

Day 3! :)

Day 3 – Day of Rest

Today we went to the village #1 that we visited with yesterday. We were able to listen to and be a part of their church service. What an awesome experience! They sang to the Lord as if nothing was holding them back…one older gentleman sang in English “I have decided to follow Jesus”…what a picture of how we should be living...proclaiming to anyone who will listen that “we have decided to follow Jesus”. We also had an opportunity to break bread with the people there. Pastor Matt preached and Tim translated. They both did awesome! After church, we quickly said hi to the elderly living at the nursing home next door. We were able to give the people some candy and craft supplies for their Sunday School. It was so awesome to worship God with people who speak a different language..knowing that we were worshipping the same God...

We are stoked about what tomorrow might hold. We are headed to a village to start tearing off a roof and do some ministry with the people who live there.

Tonight Michael shared his testimony at Devo’s and preached. He did such an amazing job telling us about his life and sharing what was on his heart.

Can’t wait to share tomorrow! Feel free to comment-glad to see 7 people are following us! J

Love,

YOUR TEAM

Day 2 – What an awesome day! One team member described the day in one word – WOW. We had such a wonderful time today ministering to the people at the villages we visited.

Village 1 – We had the opportunity to go and play with/love on/feed/spend time with/carry/throw in the air/sweat with some great people. We went to a church in a village where there were a ton of families. Prior to going to the village we each loaded up a cart with food enough to feed two families…oil, rice, spaghetti and tuna were some of the items that we each purchased. As we played with the children and talked with the adults we were able to show them the LOVE that Christ has given us….After playing with the kids we all went to the church and sang songs, did a drama and Brad gave his testimony (what an awesome part of the day!!). After that we handed out the bags of food. One per person who had a ticket (given out by the pastor prior to our arrival) received a bag of food. It was mind blowing to think that the bag they received would be their food supply for a week….

Village 2 – After lunch we headed out to Village #2 where we played baseball, did the girls nails, let them play with our hair, played tag and played “Quack-didily-O-MY”  with them. At this village we loved on the girls and boys showering them with love and our poor Spanish. (Most of them have a better knowledge of English than we do of their language).

I know I can speak for all of us when I say we were truly blessed by this day. Wow. As we sang tonight “how HE loves us”….God truly is amazing. We can’t wait to see what happens tomorrow as we head to Church John 3:16. Praise God.

Your team in the DR

Our first day in the DR! (Well half day. :)

Day 1 – We made it! After two great flights we landed in Santo Domingo. After making it through customs and immigration, we headed for our luggage. All was accounted for and we were on our way. The moment we stepped out of the airport and walked down onto the pavement we all felt it…heat and humidity! J We loaded our luggage onto the two busses from SCORE and got on. As we drove through the towns and on the highway many of us were reminded of the past years here in the DR. Some of us for the first time saw poverty in a whole new way-face to face. It doesn’t matter how many times you come to the DR, when you see children running barefoot through mud and other things you can’t help but feel your throat tighten and your heart reach out for a way to help them. We were greated at Score by a welcome team who had a cold drink of mango punch, singing, clapping and our very own Alden Community Church sign with last year’s pictures and all! As we got settled in we were reminded once again that “it’s not about us”…without getting into details some of us waited until last night after Devo’s to get any air in their rooms. But at Devotions we were reminded by Pastor Mike that it really isn’t about us…we sang “it’s all about You, it’s all about You, Jesus”. Today (Saturday) we are headed out into two different villages. We will feed one village, ministering to both through music, skits, testimony (Brad) and crafts. We are equipped with small things like a guitar, some craft supplies, balls and games and willing hearts. But what trumps it all is the love that God has given us….without His power we’d be useless, inadequate and this trip would be worthless..Instead we stand ready to go, hearts prepared to be used by our Lord. We can’t wait to share what God is going to do today….Thank you for coming along on this trip with us! Thank you for praying-it is soooo needed and we feel your prayers and they lift us up. Praise God for He alone is worthy of our praise!

In Christ,

Your Team

We're leaving tomorrow! :)

While it's still dark tomorrow at 3 a.m. we will meet at church. We'll make sure everyone has all that they need, pray and load the bus. Even at this early hour we'll be excited (YES tired, but excited). We are all looking forward to what God has in store for us in the DR this year.

Some of us have been involved in ministry at Kingdom Bound (Darien Lake) over the last 4 days and it has been life changing. Over 50 people came to Christ through the ministry, the people that were willing through God's power. He is truly amazing!

As we head to the DR one song rings in my mind.....Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God You are higher than any other. Our God is healer, awesome in power, Our God, Our God....and if our God is for us, than who could ever stop us..and if our God is with us, than what could stand against?...What could stand against?!

Please pray for us but especially for the people of the Dominican. God has divine appointments planned for these people. WE are so HONORED to be a part of HIS plan.