We are excited to be returning to the Dominican Republic for our eighth year! Please pray as we plan to minister in the following ways:

• God has opened the doors wide for us to share God's message of sexual purity in the public schools. This year, we plan to teach in an area where prostitution has been increasing.
• Our hearts are also drawn toward the women who have already been rescued from prostitution and live at the Lily House. We look forward to sharing the love of Jesus with the ladies, and teach them how to make a craft.
• One of the places we've gone to every year is a nursing home. To love senior citizens at home is part of our mission, and it's a blessing to carry on that mission overseas.

If you're supporting us in prayer, giving, or going, you are a part of God's mission to the Dominican Republic. We could not minister in this way without you.

Saturday, October 29, 2016

“One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.”

John 9:25

Our mission trip team has arrived safely in the Dominican Republic. All our travels went smoothly. On our way from the airport to the SCORE mission complex, we were able to see the fire engine that was donated here from the Western New York area. When we arrived at the mission complex, we got a tour of it and settled into our rooms.

In our devotions this evening, we discussed material and spiritual poverty and read James 2:5. Then we read the story of Jesus healing the blind man in John 9. We’re praying that this week, we will see as God sees and we will not fear.

Please pray for us tomorrow as we worship in the Los Montones Church and prepare for the week of ministry. Thanks to all who gave and prayed so we could follow Christ and serve Him here.

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen …. Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith…”

Hebrews 11:1 & 12:1-2

Our team had the privilege of worshiping at the Los Montones church this morning. Several of us shared our testimonies, and God was glorified through it all. Both this morning and in our evening devotional time, we talked about practicing self-control and living by faith in Christ. We also had the opportunity to visit with one of the missionary’s family, see what God was doing in his father’s church community, and pray for healing for one woman who was recovering from surgery. We enjoyed the whole morning in that village and had sweet fellowship with our Dominican brothers and sisters there.

In the afternoon, we were able to support the Lily House through our purchases at their spa, gift shop, and coffee shop. The evening was spent preparing for our ministry in the Guayacanes school tomorrow. We are looking forward to sharing the good news of Jesus and what God has taught us about purity. Please pray that we reflect Him and boldly speak His words. 

Monday, October 31, 2016

“For as the body apart from the Spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.”

James 2:26

We had a wonderful day of ministry today. As is often the case on our trips, the Lord led our team to a different place of ministry that we had originally planned. We traveled to a school in Quisqueya to share God’s plan for sexuality with the middle-school-aged children there. This wasn’t the big high school that we’ve been to many times, but we have taught in this school before. We were welcomed, and invited to come back, by the principal, and several of the teachers. One teacher shared with us that he was so grateful that we would come and share God’s plan for sexuality with his students.

We returned to this school again after lunch and shared in several more classes – we taught three classes in the morning and three classes in the afternoon.

We are planning to go to the school in Guyacanes tomorrow morning, and in the afternoon, teach several school classes in the village we went to church in Los Montones, where we went to church on Sunday. We really sensed God’s presence and perfect plan in the classes that we taught to day. Thank you for praying. Please continue to pray for effective teaching, open hearts, and changed lives.

Today, we’ve had some really great talks in small groups, and as a team, about faith, who our faith is in, and what exercising our faith looks like. It’s been tremendous to see God move in each of our hearts and show us more of Him.

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord” –

and that He had said these things to her.

John 20:18

God directed our paths once again today. In the morning, we traveled just up the road a little way to Guyacanes. We ended up teaching the entire high school, approximately 250 students, by going class to class, in six different classrooms.

In the afternoon, we shopped at Jumbo for food to package up for hungry families whose children attend the Emmanuel House school in Quisqueya. We also purchase birthday cake and pop to host a birthday party for about 30 seniors and their nursing home staff. We served most, fed some, and gave the seniors much-needed moisture as we rubbed lotion on their skin. We were also able to leave some medical gloves and lotion with the staff for them to use in the future.

In the evening, we enjoyed worship time and la palabra de Dios (the word of the Lord) from the SCORE staff. We also had opportunity to support SCORE missionaries and ministries with purchases of baked goods, jewelry, coffee, and t-shirts.

Tomorrow, we look forward to reaching more students with the love and word of God. Please pray that hearts will be open and changed, and continue to pray for our team – for strength and health and joy for the remaining days.

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

And the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand,

with its king and mighty men of valor. You shall…”

Joshua 6:2-3

This morning, we returned to the village of Los Montones to teach in their public elementary school. This school was small enough (and many of the children had stayed home due to the rain that had preceded our visit) that they could move a few chairs into one room and we could teach all of the children at once. There were about 25 children in the room, but as we taught, the principal kept sending adult women into the classroom. We had about 10 adults in the classroom by the time we were finished, and the youngest children seemed very young, so we adjusted our message to accommodate all ages, and shared the importance of sexual purity as well as the blessings of redemption and restoration in Christ.

The teacher of the class told of the need for our message in her village, where the majority of the teens are sexually active and the adults feel ill-equipped to address the consequences of their actions with the students. We were then asked to participate in a ceremony to plant the national tree of the Dominican Republic on the school property as a symbol that there are no limitations that can prevent them from accomplishing anything they set their minds to.

This afternoon, we traveled back to Quisqueya to visit Emmanuel House, a school for the children of Quisqueya whose families are most in need. They are either extremely impoverished or have a special needs child or another hardship. We toured the school and saw the addition of a whole wing of classrooms that are new since we last visited Emmanuel House. We are praying with the leadership here that God would provide the means to expand even more, to reach more children and families with the love of Jesus and help them improve their opportunities through education.

We also had the privilege of driving and walking through Quisqueya to deliver food packages to ten needy families. We were able to pray with each family and believe with them for God to move in their particular needs, whether they are physical, material, or spiritual. God was present and so good to allow us to be vessels of His use to bless and offer hope to these families.

Our devotional time was in Joshua 5 & 6, where we were challenged to walk around the walls, blow the trumpets, and shout in the areas God is leading us in. Each of us has our own crisis of belief that we are dealing with, and we need to put our complete trust in Him and step out in faith to do what He’s calling us to do.

We plan to do a little sightseeing and shopping in the Capitol of Santo Domingo in the morning. In the afternoon, we will visit the girls’ orphanage, Pasitos de Jesus. Thank you for your prayers; we are sensing them as this already been such a special, fruitful trip.

Thursday, November 3, 2016

“He said, ‘Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them. Then Elisha prayed and said, ‘O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.’ So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold,

the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”

2 Kings 6:16-17

This morning, we toured the Capitol of the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo. We learned of the history of the city and its first leader, the son of Christopher Columbus. We toured his home, the first cathedral built in the New World, and other the historically significant sites. We also shopped at the Straw Market and took a group picture on the yellow painted steps leading up to the shops.

On the way back from the Capitol, we purchased a bunch of food for the girls orphanage, Pasitos de Jesus, and traveled there. We were able to encourage the girls with a story and a testimony. Then we played games with them and toured their new dormitory. They currently have 45 children, but have capacity for more. They were so sweet, and they sang a worship song for us. We left there with great joy and many hugs.

Our devotional time this evening was in 2 Kings where Elisha’s servant was fearing the Syrian army, but God had greater armies at work on Elisha’s and Israel’s behalf. We were able to encourage one another to trust the Lord in the face of seemingly insurmountable/overwhelming consequences.

Tomorrow, we plan to minister to the Ladies at Lily House. We will be sharing about our treasure in jars of clay and teaching the ladies how to make paper maché decorative jars.

Friday, November 4, 2016

“For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus

and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you

remembering you in my prayers”

Ephesians 1:15

This morning, we ministered to the ladies at the Lily House, encouraging them with a devotional and craft based on the jars of clay scripture. It was a sweet time in the Lord. We were able to share some of the donations we received with them and hear and share testimonies. They especially enjoyed learning how to do the paper maché.

We spent our last evening together sharing trip and spiritual highlights. There were so many blessings that we’re all praising God for our time here and how the Lord used us to impact many for Him.

Please pray for our travel day tomorrow, that we and our luggage arrive safely and on time.